JAZZ JUMPS BORDERS

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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JAZZ TO REMEMBER THEM BY

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

April 27, 2024

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY – “BURNIN’ IN BORDEAUX: LIVE IN FRANCE 1969” – Elemental Records

Julian Cannonball Adderley, alto saxophone; Nat Adderley, cornet; Joe Zawinul, piano/electric piano; Victor Gaskin, bass; Roy McCurdy, drums.

Ever since I first heard the soothing and sexy horn of Cannonball Adderley on Nancy Wilson’s debut album project with Cannonball’s group, I’ve been a fan!  I was quite excited to receive this previously unreleased recording from Elemental Records featuring Cannonball’s brother Nat Adderley, the iconic Joe Zawinul on grand piano & electric piano, the amazing Victor Gaskin on bass, and the great Roy McCurdy on drums.  This awesome album was recorded in two places. One was ‘live’ at the Bordeaux Jazz Festival and the other concert was at the Paris Jazz Festival.  It’s a two-CD set of extraordinary music transferred from the original, 1969 tape reels.  What a treasure!

Clearly, Julian Cannonball Adderley was a virtuoso alto saxophone player.  At this time in his life, (the late 1960s and the early 1970s) jazz was changing. Charlie Parker had died, leaving the door wide open for saxophone players to stream through.  Cannonball had a recognizable, big, round sound solidified by a soulful, bluesy essence to his playing. He was a respected bandleader who worked with the crème de la crème of jazz musicians.  On this recording, you will hear him talk to the audience about the music they play and love.  In the early sixties he worked closely with Yusef Lateef and Charles Lloyd.  He seemed to enjoy reestablishing his Cannonball Adderley Quintet with new players, but always with musicians who were at the top of their game.  You will hear that exemplified on both of these CDs.  On the tune, “Experience in E” he gives each group member a time to shine.  Joe Zawinul is amazing on the piano.  I heard him tap into the Ahmad Jamal style briefly during this exciting, up-tempo presentation, giving a comfortable nod to another genius at the piano. However, for the most part Zawinul is his own star. Cannonball’s only brass partner has always been his brother Nat. Their dad was a trumpet player. Nat Adderley followed in his father’s footsteps, as did Cannonball, and the two brothers were bandmates from childhood onward.  Nat switched from trumpet to cornet and became a prolific composer. You hear Nat Adderley’s command of the vast possibilities of the cornet on this “Experience in E” arrangement. Cannonball began playing trumpet, but quickly found his love of alto saxophone and never looked back. The brothers knew how to blend gospel church music, blues, and swing into a compelling bundle of groove music.  Who can ever forget Nat Adderley’s hit record for the Quintet, “Work Song.”  Once their friend Oscar Brown Jr. put his ‘chain gang’ lyrics to the catchy melody, the rest became history. That song established their commercial jazz strength.

On CD #2 of this “Burnin’ in Bordeaux “concert you will meet all the talented members of Cannonball’s Quintet, as each one steps forward to shine in the spotlight of their own sparkling musical mastery.  Every song, before and after on this double set, is a treasure for your ears.

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BROTHER JACK McDUFF – “AIN’T NO SUNSHINE – LIVE IN SEATTLE” – Reel to Real

Jack McDuff, Hammond B3 organ/composer; Vinnie Corrao, guitar; Ron Davis, drums; Unknown trumpeter; Lee Johnson, tenor saxophone/flute/clarinet; Dave young, tenor & soprano saxophone.

Some people may not know that Brother Jack McDuff was first a bassist, playing with Denny Zeitlin and Joe Farrell.  Maybe that’s why his organ basslines are so rich and blues drenched.  He began to tinkle on the piano keys in the mid-1950s and was pretty much self-taught.  McDuff was competent enough on both organ and piano to get gigs, working with Willis Jackson, and then branching out on his own to cut records for Prestige as a soul-jazz organist.  One album was called “Tough Duff” and another was titled, “The Honeydripper.”  These releases solidly placed McDuff in a jazz organ bracket that was both funky and soulful.  McDuff liked keeping the groove simple. He was often heard criticizing drummers who got too fancy on their instruments.

“You’re busier than a cat trying to cover up shit on a tin roof,” he was heard chastising one such drummer.

Award winning guitarist, George Benson said that Jack McDuff was not the easiest man to get along with.  Benson worked with him as a nineteen-year-old when first starting out in the business.

“McDuff was hard on me and spoke in a very authoritarian style,” said the Grammy Award winning guitarist.

“I learned to play with confidence, to play more blues, as Jack loved the blues, and to knuckle down and boost my concentration and studies on the guitar. He threatened me nightly, regularly saying he would fire me from the band, but he never did.  Jack was a good platform for me.  … which led to introductions and opportunities with people like Lou Donaldson, Freddie Hubbard, and Stanley Turrentine.  He always had good bands that could swing and had a lot of blues in them,” Benson recalled.

George Benson toured with Jack McDuff, Red Holloway on saxophone, and Joe Dukes on drums.

McDuff was born Eugene McDuffy on September 17, 1926.  His father was a preacher man from Tennessee who fled the South in search of work and a better, less racially fueled environment for his family. They settled in Chicago.  McDuff would eventually settle in his adopted city of Minneapolis, Minesota where he passed away at age 74 in 2001.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” is an unissued, 1972, concert recording. It showcases McDuff at his best and features Vinnie Corrao on guitar and drummer Ron Davis, who pumps the music full of spirit and groove.  The title tune starts out with a catchy horn line, opening like a curtain for Jack McDuff to walk through.  His organ is soaked in soul and blues.  This is a two CD set that features a small booklet, elaborating on the history of McDuff from the words of musicians who worked with him and knew him well.  When they slow the groove down and play songs like “I’m Getting Sentimental over You,” you will hear the softer, pretty side of McDuff’s organ featuring his wonderful saxophonists with their spontaneous solos.

These lost tracks remind me of the Black Exploitation Movie-Era of the 1970s.  It sounds like soundtracks to “The Mack” or “Uptown Saturday Night” or “Super Fly.”  Many of these songs have that type of groove, with arrangements that reflect the soul music of the 70s.

McDuff has added several original songs, including “Blues 1 & 8,” where his drummer, Ron Davis, shines brightly in the spotlight. On disc #2, McDuff has composed, “The Jolly Black Giant” that swings hard and slams his organ solo in your face like a heavy-weight punch.  “Middle Class Folk Song” is a slow Bossa, and another original is called “In the Morning” and has a sort of cha-cha rhythm.  They close CD #2 with a swinging rendition of “Broadway,” a song I used to enjoy hearing Dakota Staton sing.  He plays his organ melody way up in the treble clef and it almost sounds like an electric piano or a vibraphone.  All the while, his feet are pedaling the beat and the bass line beneath, catching the groove with his busy fingers.  When joined by the rest of the rhythm section, they drive the arrangement home.  Here is a recorded legacy by an organ master, rediscovered and shared for us to remember Jack McDuff, and the joy he brought to the world.

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SHELLY MANNE – “JAZZ FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: SHELLY MANNE & HIS MEN” – Reel to Real

Shelly Manne, drummer; Monte Budwig, bass; Russ Freeman & Hampton Hawes, piano; Herb Geller, alto saxophone; Stu Williamson & Conte Condoli, trumpet; Frank Strozier, flute/alto saxophone; Ruth Price, vocals.

It was October of 1958, at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, when five expert jazz musicians mounted the stage led by a popular West Coast drummer named Shelly Manne.  A four-and-a-half inch by four-and-a-half-inch booklet accompanies this compact disc, with a photo of Shelly’s merry men (taken by the great photographer, Ray Avery).  It’s packed with pertinent, historic information, offering this extensive 16-page book with essays by archival producer Zev Feldman and label owner, producer and musician, Cory Weeds. It also includes interviews with musicians, radio host Jim Wilke, and others.

Although the personnel changed from time to time, the ‘swing’ didn’t move an inch.  Manne made sure of that. He surrounded himself with the best of the best from the Southern California jazz scene. His drumsticks did the rest.  On this recording, containing two discs, they open Disc One with “Stop, Look and Listen” letting Russ Freeman’s piano tinkle the melody just before the horn section enters. They swing harder than a Joe Louis punch. Drum master, Manne, locks in a moderate, but energetic tempo.  The burst of applause at the end of this tune reflects great audience appreciation for this quintet.

But it’s their rendition of “The Vamp’s Blues” featuring a soulful solo by alto saxophonist, Herb Geller, that really intoxicates me. I love their hard bop, blues groove. By the hoots and whistles from the festival crowd, I would say you can’t lose if you play the blues.

Manne was born in New York City, and rose to prominence in the 1950s when he relocated to the Los Angeles area.  He is reverently called the founding father of the “West Coast Jazz” scene and highly regarded as a versatile and inspired drummer. When Manne teamed up with Andre Previn and awesome bassist Leroy Vinegar to record the first jazz album of a Broadway score, “My Fair Lady” it became one of the most successful jazz records ever produced.

For the closing tune of this set, they play “Quartet Suite in Four Movements” and take the listener on a scenic musical ride that features an impressive bass solo by Monty Budwig, with Conte Candoli stepping into the spotlight on his trumpet.  Manne and Condoli were both part of the alumnus of the Kenton and Woody Herman bands.  The tempos fluidly change, to keep the audience attentive and expectant. Manne rolls his drums beneath the creative arrangements and pumps the band up with his swinging drumsticks. When the drummer takes a solo, he woos the crowd with his mastery on the trap drums and his technique.  Occasionally jet planes flew over the outdoor concert venue.  You can hear the purr of the plane motors drifting from above.  No problem!  When it happens during Shelly Manne’s impressive drum solo, he simply pauses, let’s the plane zoom past and then continues without missing a beat.  It’s all caught on tape.

On Disc #2, the personnel changes. Hampton Hawes takes a seat at the piano and Ruth Price adds her vocals to the mix. This disc was recorded ‘live’ at the Penthouse in Seattle, Washington in September of 1966. 

Shelly Manne and His Men open the set at racecar speed, zooming off with Manne propelling the sextet ahead on “Softly as In a Morning Sunrise” using fiery drums to heat the piece up.  Frank Strozier plays alto saxophone on this tune.  Hampton Hawes puts down a groove on the piano and solos furiously. 

One of my favorite television shows when I was a kid growing up was Peter Gunn. It was the first TV series to feature jazz as background music.  Shelly Manne & his Men played at the Bamboo Bar in the series and Manne’s group is featured on the television series.

Bill Holman, who often worked with Manne, recalls Shelly’s warm demeanor.

“Shelly Manne had the complete personality.  He just charmed everyone, and he had the ability and the intelligence to back it up.  He was tough to work for, because his solos, he heard patterns that were very difficult for horn players to pick up.  But he sure knew what he was doing, and he was a wonderful guy.  I’m sure glad that I had the chance to play with him and to know him for several years,” Bill Holman writes inside the Manne booklet.

On “Dearly Beloved” jazz vocalist Ruth Price is featured.  She recalls unexpectedly meeting Shelly Manne on a trip to the West Coast from NYC.

“I first met Shelly Manne within the first two weeks I was in Los Angeles.  I was brought out here to record for Mode Records for Red Clyde, but the money was all from Fred Astaire and he pulled out.  None of the people that Red had brought out were able to record. We actually did end up recording, but it wasn’t released until much later.  I was brought out because Red heard me singing with Dizzy Gillespie in New York City.

“So, I was in town with Bobby Dorough, a friend of mine who was also brought out to record for Mode (and also didn’t have anything to do). … He took me to hear Shelly one night in a club that’s gone now.  Shelly asked me to sit in and I did.  He hired me. Every night after work, we would drive around looking for places.  He was looking for somewhere to put his own place.  It was always the little coffeehouses that were around, and one of them turned out to be what he used as the Manne-Hole.  That’s how the Manne-Hole started, and how I started with Shelly,” Ruth explained how Shelly found his famous nightclub.

Drummer, Jim Keltner talked about meeting Shelly Manne and how he admired the man.

“It is a funny thing, when I would meet some of the musicians that I really admired, they would be a bit aloof.  If you’re just a kid, you think, oh I’m kind of wasting their time.  With Shelly, it was the opposite of that.  He talked to you like he wanted to know about you.  … what you were doing and all that.  That was the key with Shelly Manne.  Later on, as the years went by, I got into the studios and was doing stuff.  It was the same thing, whenever I would see him he would ask me what I was doing.  I remember a couple of times he complimented me, and it blew me away.

“Another time, I was playing one night with Gabor Szabo and on the break, Shelly came up to me and he said, Jimmy, what are you doing there with your right hand?  I thought I was going to pass out!  Shelly Manne was paying attention to my playing?  So much so, that he asked me about something specific.  I mean, the tables were turned.  It just blew me away.  I was so knocked out.  I was able to tell him, it’s double-stroke triplets from the snare to the ‘ride.’  It’s illusory.  And he loved that.  I just can’t say enough about his humanity.  He was not only one of the great jazz players, but he was just a great cat,” Keltner complimented one of his idols.

On Disc #2 I love the energy and speed that they attack “Secret Love” with, and Monty Budwig’s walking bass actually sounds like it’s running.

There have been a slew of recordings by Shelly Manne & his Men, but this newest release is particularly refreshing and solidifies a piece of history in the jazz archives that certainly shines a spotlight on Manne’s important contributions as both a drummer, a bandleader and a club owner who kept the legacy of jazz as the heartbeat of his life.

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SUN RA – “AT THE SHOWCASE LIVE IN CHICAGO – 1976 – 1977” – Jazz Detective

Sun Ra, piano/electronic keyboards; Dale Williams, guitar; Richard Williams, bass; Luqman Ali, drums; Eddie Thomas, percussion; James Jackson, ancient ihnfinity drum/oboe; Atakatune, congas; June Tyson, Wisteria (Judith Holton) & Cheryl Banks Smith, vocals; John Gilmore, tenor saxophone; Marshall Allen, alto saxophone/flute/kora; Danny Davis, alto saxophone/flute; Eloe Omoe, alto saxophone/bass clarinet; Danny Thompson, baritone saxophone/flute; Michael Ray, Emmett McDonald & Ahmed Abdullah, trumpets; Vincent Chancey, French horn.

Herman Poole Blount, who jazz lovers know as ‘Sun Ra,’ was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1914.  During the 1950s, he came into existence as a musical soul called Sun Ra, in Chicago, Illinois.  It was in Chi-town that the pianist developed his unique performance persona and where he began composing.  It was there, from the mid-1940s to 1961, that Sun Ra began experimenting and letting his musical imagination explore and create new music.  His congregation called itself The Arkestra, and when he moved to New York, Sun Ra’s concept gelled into a fully formed unit of experimental jazz, fueled by unique arrangements and compositions. In the early 1970s, Sun Ra’s dreams crystallized into a working unit that travelled the world.  They built an enthusiastic and supportive fan base in Europe. 

In 1978, back in America, The Arkestra appeared on the popular Saturday Night Live televised comedy show.  He landed a record deal with the ABC-Impulse record label and promoted it by travelling from Canada to Mexico, from Africa through Europe, and from Oakland, California to Ann Arbor, Michigan. They were playing all over the place.

On a visit to his adopted city, this album was recorded “Live in Chicago” at a jazz Showcase presented at 901 Rush Street. This two-record set represents two different performance dates; one in 1976 and another in 1977.  The jazz showcases were run by Joe Segal, a legendary producer in Chicago for decades. However, Joe was no big fan of experimental jazz or the Avant Garde. Still, Segal, (like the Chicago community) recognized that Sun Ra was eccentric, gifted, and unpredictable. They accepted their adopted son with open arms. On the business side, Sun Ra and his famous Arkestra guaranteed a full house, with a sold-out crowd. Segal wasn’t going to bite the hand that fed him. 

The titles of Sun Ra’s compositions reflect his mind-set.  Some of the songs you will hear on these discs are “View from Another Dimension” and “Moonship Journey.”  The “Moonship Journey” tune opens with voices chanting the title, until saxophones splash improvisational colors all over the concert room.  Cd #1 of this double CD set closes with an original composition by Sun Ra titled “Velvet.” His arrangement is neither smooth nor soft (like the velvet title) but is snatched from his 1950s Arkestra songbook and played joyfully with high energy.  On CD #2, he opens with “Calling Planet Earth & the Shadow World.” It sounds entirely improvised, often dissonant, and is propelled by percussion and trap drums. There is a feeling of freedom and abandonment in the arrangement, with the horns flying like startled birds. One of the saxes sounds distinctively like the whiney of a horse. The musicians play the arrangement aggressively.

Michael Anderson was a radio DJ on station WRTI in Chicago at the incredible age of 13. He reflected on how his relationship with Sun Ra developed, while he was living in the windy city.

“I had a really difficult family background, so I was living on my own since I was like eleven.  Sonny (a nick name for Sun Ra) was instrumental in a lot of things.  First of all, in teaching me his music.  Then, he designated me his archivist in charge of recording and preserving his works.  I had access to state-of-the-art equipment at the radio station, so I would do production work at WRTI and do work for Sonny or for Alton Abraham, his partner who helped Sonny get started with his own label called El Saturn Records,” Anderson shared these historical memories in the 36-page booklet included in Sun Ra’s CD package.

There are other quotes from various musicians, friends, and associates.  Reedman, Marshall Allen reflected:

“… After work (around 1958) I’d go around the corner to a record store owned by Joe Segal, who also owned the Jazz Showcase.  Segal had a lot of jam sessions going, and all of the great musicians in Chicago came to play.  Once, joe told me, there’s a band up there rehearsing every day and they’re looking for talent.  It’s led by Sun Ra. 

“He gave me a demo and I listened to the stuff.  I immediately wanted to get in that band.  So, I went to see Sun Ra at the ballroom where he was rehearsing.  I sat there with him all night talking.  He asked me to come over to John Gilmore’s house, where they had a piano, in order to see what I could do.  That’s how I met him.  … He gave me a trial, playing (the song) “Spontaneous Simplicity.”  You could say that in the late 1950s, I was still learning how to play. … That was a band to stay in.  I didn’t want to go anywhere else,” Marshall Allen confided. 

“Sun Ra was a genius.  He had the music inside his mind and his own way of playing it, of attacking every note.  He was a good teacher and wrote beautiful music.  Being in his band was like a dream.  Once there, I found a place to stay.  He wasn’t just a musician.  He was above all, an innovator who could imagine the future,” Marshall Allen concluded.

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JAZZ TO REMEMBER THEM BY

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

April 27, 2024

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY – “BURNIN’ IN BORDEAUX: LIVE IN FRANCE 1969” – Elemental Records

Julian Cannonball Adderley, alto saxophone; Nat Adderley, cornet; Joe Zawinul, piano/electric piano; Victor Gaskin, bass; Roy McCurdy, drums.

Ever since I first heard the soothing and sexy horn of Cannonball Adderley on Nancy Wilson’s debut album project with Cannonball’s group, I’ve been a fan!  I was quite excited to receive this previously unreleased recording from Elemental Records featuring Cannonball’s brother Nat Adderley, the iconic Joe Zawinul on grand piano & electric piano, the amazing Victor Gaskin on bass, and the great Roy McCurdy on drums.  This awesome album was recorded in two places. One was ‘live’ at the Bordeaux Jazz Festival and the other concert was at the Paris Jazz Festival.  It’s a two-CD set of extraordinary music transferred from the original, 1969 tape reels.  What a treasure!

Clearly, Julian Cannonball Adderley was a virtuoso alto saxophone player.  At this time in his life, (the late 1960s and the early 1970s) jazz was changing. Charlie Parker had died, leaving the door wide open for saxophone players to stream through.  Cannonball had a recognizable, big, round sound solidified by a soulful, bluesy essence to his playing. He was a respected bandleader who worked with the crème de la crème of jazz musicians.  On this recording, you will hear him talk to the audience about the music they play and love.  In the early sixties he worked closely with Yusef Lateef and Charles Lloyd.  He seemed to enjoy reestablishing his Cannonball Adderley Quintet with new players, but always with musicians who were at the top of their game.  You will hear that exemplified on both of these CDs.  On the tune, “Experience in E” he gives each group member a time to shine.  Joe Zawinul is amazing on the piano.  I heard him tap into the Ahmad Jamal style briefly during this exciting, up-tempo presentation, giving a comfortable nod to another genius at the piano. However, for the most part Zawinul is his own star. Cannonball’s only brass partner has always been his brother Nat. Their dad was a trumpet player. Nat Adderley followed in his father’s footsteps, as did Cannonball, and the two brothers were bandmates from childhood onward.  Nat switched from trumpet to cornet and became a prolific composer. You hear Nat Adderley’s command of the vast possibilities of the cornet on this “Experience in E” arrangement. Cannonball began playing trumpet, but quickly found his love of alto saxophone and never looked back. The brothers knew how to blend gospel church music, blues, and swing into a compelling bundle of groove music.  Who can ever forget Nat Adderley’s hit record for the Quintet, “Work Song.”  Once their friend Oscar Brown Jr. put his ‘chain gang’ lyrics to the catchy melody, the rest became history. That song established their commercial jazz strength.

On CD #2 of this “Burnin’ in Bordeaux “concert you will meet all the talented members of Cannonball’s Quintet, as each one steps forward to shine in the spotlight of their own sparkling musical mastery.  Every song, before and after on this double set, is a treasure for your ears.

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BROTHER JACK McDUFF – “AIN’T NO SUNSHINE – LIVE IN SEATTLE” – Reel to Real

Jack McDuff, Hammond B3 organ/composer; Vinnie Corrao, guitar; Ron Davis, drums; Unknown trumpeter; Lee Johnson, tenor saxophone/flute/clarinet; Dave young, tenor & soprano saxophone.

Some people may not know that Brother Jack McDuff was first a bassist, playing with Denny Zeitlin and Joe Farrell.  Maybe that’s why his organ basslines are so rich and blues drenched.  He began to tinkle on the piano keys in the mid-1950s and was pretty much self-taught.  McDuff was competent enough on both organ and piano to get gigs, working with Willis Jackson, and then branching out on his own to cut records for Prestige as a soul-jazz organist.  One album was called “Tough Duff” and another was titled, “The Honeydripper.”  These releases solidly placed McDuff in a jazz organ bracket that was both funky and soulful.  McDuff liked keeping the groove simple. He was often heard criticizing drummers who got too fancy on their instruments.

“You’re busier than a cat trying to cover up shit on a tin roof,” he was heard chastising one such drummer.

Award winning guitarist, George Benson said that Jack McDuff was not the easiest man to get along with.  Benson worked with him as a nineteen-year-old when first starting out in the business.

“McDuff was hard on me and spoke in a very authoritarian style,” said the Grammy Award winning guitarist.

“I learned to play with confidence, to play more blues, as Jack loved the blues, and to knuckle down and boost my concentration and studies on the guitar. He threatened me nightly, regularly saying he would fire me from the band, but he never did.  Jack was a good platform for me.  … which led to introductions and opportunities with people like Lou Donaldson, Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine.  He always had good bands that could swing and had a lot of blues in them,” Benson recalled.

George Benson toured with Jack McDuff, Red Holloway on saxophone, and Joe Dukes on drums.

McDuff was born Eugene McDuffy on September 17, 1926.  His father was a preacher man from Tennessee who fled the South in search of work and a better, less racially fueled environment for his family. They settled in Chicago.  McDuff would eventually settle in is adopted city of Minneapolis, Minesota where he passed away at age 74 in 2001.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” is an unissued, 1972, concert recording that showcases McDuff at his best and features Vinnie Corrao on guitar and drummer Ron Davis, who pumps the music full of spirit and groove.  The title tune starts out with a catchy horn line, opening like a curtain for Jack McDuff to walk through.  His organ is soaked in soul and blues.  This is a two CD set that features a small booklet, elaborating on the history of McDuff from the words of musicians who worked with him and knew him well.  When they slow the groove down and play songs like “I’m Getting Sentimental over You,” you will hear the softer, pretty side of McDuff’s organ featuring his wonderful saxophonists with their spontaneous solos.

This music reminds me of the Black Exploitation Movie-Era of the 1970s.  It sounds like soundtracks to “The Mack” or “Uptown Saturday Night” or “Super Fly.”  Many of these songs have that type of groove, with arrangements that reflect the soul music of the 70s.  McDuff has added several original songs including “Blues 1 & 8” where his drummer, Ron Davis, shines brightly in the spotlight. On disc #2, McDuff has composed, “The jolly Black Giant” that swings hard and slams his organ solo in your face like a heavy-weight punch.  “Middle Class Folk Song” is a slow Bossa, and another original is called “In the Morning” and has a sort of cha-cha

rhythm.  They close CD #2 with a swinging rendition of “Broadway,” a song I used to enjoy hearing Dakota Staton sing.  He plays his organ melody way up in the treble clef and it almost sounds like an electric piano or a vibraphone.  All the while his feet pedal the beat and the bass line beneath is caught by the groove of his fingers.  When joined by the rest of the rhythm section, they drive the arrangement home.  Here is a recorded legacy by an organ master, discovered and shared for us to remember Jack McDuff, and the joy he brought the world.

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SHELLY MANNE – “JAZZ FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: SHELLY MANNE & HIS MEN” – Reel to Real

Shelly Manne, drummer; Monte Budwig, bass; Russ Freeman & Hampton Hawes, piano; Herb Geller, alto saxophone; Stu Williamson & Conte Condoli, trumpet; Frank Strozier, flute/alto saxophone; Ruth Price, vocals.

It was October of 1958, at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, when five expert jazz musicians mounted the stage led by a popular West Coast drummer named Shelly Manne.  A four-and-a-half inch by four-and-a-half-inch booklet accompanies this compact disc, with a photo of Shelly’s merry men (taken by the great photographer, Ray Avery).  It’s packed with pertinent historic information, offering an extensive 16-page book with essays by archival producer Zev Feldman and label owner, producer and musician, Cory Weeds. It also includes interviews with musicians, radio host Jim Wilke, and others.

Although the personnel changed from time to time, the ‘swing’ didn’t move an inch.  Manne made sure of that. He surrounded himself with the best of the best from the Southern California jazz scene. His drumsticks did the rest.  On this recording, containing two discs, they open Disc One with “Stop, Look and Listen” letting Russ Freeman’s piano tinkle the melody just before the horn section enters. They swing harder than a Joe Louis punch. Drum master, Manne, locks in a moderate, but energetic tempo.  The burst of applause at the end of this tune reflects great audience appreciation for this quintet.

But it’s their rendition of “The Vamp’s Blues” featuring a soulful solo by alto saxophonist, Herb Geller that really intoxicates me. I love their hard bop, blues groove. By the hoots and whistles from the festival crowd, I would say you can’t lose if you play the blues.

Manne was born in New York City, but only rose to prominence in the 1950s when he relocated to the Los Angeles area.  He is reverently called the founding father of the “West Coast Jazz” scene and highly regarded as a versatile and inspired drummer. When Manne teamed up with Andre Previn and awesome bassist Leroy Vinegar to record the first jazz album of a Broadway score, “My Fair Lady” became one of the most successful jazz records ever produced.

For the closing tune of this set, they play “Quartet Suite in Four Movements” and take the listener on a scenic musical ride that features an impressive bass solo by Monty Budwig and with Conte Candoli stepping into the spotlight on his trumpet.  Manne and Condoli were both part of the alumnus of the Kenton and Woody Herman bands.  The tempos fluidly change, to keep the audience attentive and expectant. Manne rolls his drums beneath the creative arrangements and pumps the band up with his swinging drumsticks. When the drummer takes a solo, he woos the crowd with his mastery of the trap drums and his technique.  Occasionally jet planes flew over the outdoor concert venue.  You can hear the purr of the plane motors drifting from above.  No problem!  When it happens during Shelly Manne’s impressive drum solo, he simply pauses, let’s the plane zoom past and then continues without missing a beat.  It’s all caught on tape.

On Disc #2, the personnel changes. Hampton Hawes takes a seat at the piano and Ruth Price adds her vocals to the mix. This disc was recorded ‘live’ at the Penthouse in Seattle, Washington in September of 1966. 

Shelly Manne and His Men open the set at racecar speed, zooming off with Manne propelling the sextet ahead on “Softly as In a Morning Sunrise” using fiery drums to heat the piece up.  Frank Strozier plays alto saxophone on this tune.  Hampton Hawes puts down a groove on the piano and solos furiously. 

One of my favorite television shows when I was a kid growing up was Peter Gunn. It was the first TV series to feature jazz as background music.  Shelly Manne & his Men played at the Bamboo Bar in the series and Manne’s group is featured on the television series.

Bill Holman, who often worked with Manne, recalls Shelly’s warm demeanor.

“Shelly Manne had the complete personality.  He just charmed everyone, and he had the ability and the intelligence to back it up.  He was tough to work for, because his solos, he heard patterns that were very difficult for horn players to pick up.  But he sure knew what he was doing, and he was a wonderful guy.  I’m sure glad that I had the chance to play with him and to know him for several years,” Bill Holman writes inside the Manne booklet.

On “Dearly Beloved” jazz vocalist Ruth Price is featured.  She recalls unexpectedly meeting Shelly Manne on a trip to the West Coast from NYC.

“I first met Shelly Manne within the first two weeks I was in Los Angeles.  I was brought out here to record for Mode Records for Red Clyde, but the money was all from Fred Astaire and he pulled out.  None of the people that Red had brought out were able to record. We actually did end up recording, but it wasn’t released until much later.  I was brought out because Red heard me singing with Dizzy Gillespie in New York City.

“So, I was in town with Bobby Dorough, a friend of mine who was also brought out to record for Mode (and also didn’t have anything to do). … He took me to hear Shelly one night in a club that’s gone now.  Shelly asked me to sit in and I did.  He hired me. Every night after work, we would drive around looking for places.  He was looking for somewhere to put his own place.  It was always the little coffeehouses that were around, and one of them turned out to be what he used as the Manne-Hole.  That’s how the Manne-Hole started, and how I started with Shelly,” Ruth explained how Shelly found his famous nightclub.

Drummer, Jim Keltner talked about meeting Shelly Manne and how he admired the man.

“It is a funny thing, when I would meet some of the musicians that I really admired, they would be a bit aloof.  If you’re just a kid, you think, oh I’m kind of wasting their time.  With Shelly, it was the opposite of that.  He talked to you like he wanted to know about you.  … what you were doing and all that.  That was the key with Shelly Manne.  Later on, as the years went by, I got into the studios and was doing stuff.  It was the same thing, whenever I would see him he would ask me what I was doing.  I remember a couple of times he complimented me, and it blew me away.

“Another time, I was playing one night with Gabor Szabo and on the break, Shelly came up to me and he said, Jimmy, what are you doing there with your right hand?  I thought I was going to pass out!  Shelly Manne was paying attention to my playing?  So much so, that he asked me about something specific.  I mean, the tables were turned.  It just blew me away.  I was so knocked out.  I was able to tell him, it’s double-stroke triplets from the snare to the ‘ride.’  It’s illusory.  And he loved that.  I just can’t say enough about his humanity.  He was not only one of the great jazz players, but he was just a great cat,” Keltner complimented one of his idols.

On Disc #2 I love the energy and speed that they attack “Secret Love” with, and Monty Budwig’s walking bass actually sounds like it’s running.

There have been a slew of recordings by Shelly Manne & his Men, but this newest release is particularly refreshing and solidifies a piece of history in the jazz archives that certainly shines a spotlight on Manne’s important contributions as both a drummer, a bandleader and a club owner who kept the legacy of jazz as the heartbeat of his life.

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SUN RA – “AT THE SHOWCASE LIVE IN CHICAGO – 1976 – 1977” – Jazz Detective

Sun Ra, piano/electronic keyboards; Dale Williams, guitar; Richard Williams, bass; Luqman Ali, drums; Eddie Thomas, percussion; James Jackson, ancient ihnfinity drum/oboe; Atakatune, congas; June Tyson, Wisteria (Judith Holton) & Cheryl Banks Smith, vocals; John Gilmore, tenor saxophone; Marshall Allen, alto saxophone/flute/kora; Danny Davis, alto saxophone/flute; Eloe Omoe, alto saxophone/bass clarinet; Danny Thompson, baritone saxophone/flute; Michael Ray, Emmett McDonald, & Ahmed Abdullah, trumpets; Vincent Chancey, French horn.

Herman Poole Blount, who jazz lovers know as ‘Sun Ra,’ was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1914.  But, during the 1950s he came into existence as a musical soul called Sun Ra, in Chicago.  It was in Chi-town that the pianist developed his unique performance persona and where he began composing.  It was here, from the mid-1940s to 1961, that Sun Ra began experimenting and letting his musical imagination explore and create.  His congregation called itself The Arkestra, and when he moved to New York, Sun Ra’s concept gelled into a fully formed unit of experimental jazz, fueled by unique arrangements and compositions. In the early 1970s, Sun Ra’s dreams crystallized into a working unit that travelled the world.  They built an enthusiastic and supportive fan base in Europe. 

In 1978, back in America, The Arkestra appeared on the popular Saturday Night Live televised comedy show.  He landed a record deal with the ABC-Impulse record label and promoted it by travelling from Canada to Mexico, from Africa through Europe, and from Oakland, California to Ann Arbor, Michigan. They were playing all over the place.

On a visit to his adopted city, this album was recorded “Live in Chicago” at a jazz Showcase presented

at 901 Rush Street. This two-record set represents two different performance dates; one in 1976 and another in 1977.  The jazz showcases were run by Joe Segal, a legendary producer in Chicago for decades. However, Joe was no big fan of experimental jazz or the Avant Garde. Still, Joe Segal, (like the Chicago community) recognized that Sun Ra was eccentric, gifted, and unpredictable. They accepted their adopted son with open arms. So did Segal. On the business side, Sun Ra and his famous Arkestra guaranteed a full-house, with a sold-out crowd. Segal sure wasn’t going to bite the hand that fed him. 

The titles of Sun Ra’s compositions reflected his mind-set.  Some of the songs you will hear on these discs are “View from Another Dimension” and “Moonship Journey.”  The “Moonship Journey” tune opens with voices chanting the title, until saxophones splash improvisational colors all over the concert room.  Cd #1 of this double CD set closes with an original composition by Sun Ra titled “Velvet.” His arrangement is neither smooth nor soft (like the velvet title) but is snatched from his 1950s Arkestra songbook and played joyfully with high energy.  On CD #2, he opens with “Calling Planet Earth & the Shadow World” that sounds entirely improvised, often dissonant, and is propelled by percussion and trap drums. There is a feeling of freedom and abandonment in the arrangement, with the horns flying like startled birds. One of the saxes sounds distinctively like the whiney of a horse. The musicians play the arrangement aggressively.

Michael Anderson was a radio DJ on station WRTI in Chicago at the incredible age of 13. He reflected on how his relationship with Sun Ra developed, while he was living in the windy city.

“I had a really difficult family background, so I was living on my own since I was like eleven.  Sonny (a nick name for Sun Ra) was instrumental in a lot of things.  First of all, in teaching me his music.  Then, he designated me his archivist in charge of recording and preserving his works.  I had access to state-of-the-art equipment at the radio station, so I would do production work at WRTI and do work for Sonny or for Alton Abraham, his partner who helped Sonny get started with his own label called El Saturn Records,” Anderson shared these historical memories in the 36-page booklet included in Sun Ra’s CD package.

There are other quotes from various musicians, friends, and associates.  Reedman, Marshall Allen reflected:

“… After work (around 1958) I’d go around the corner to a record store owned by Joe Segal, who also owned the Jazz Showcase.  Segal had a lot of jam sessions going, and all of the great musicians in Chicago came to play.  Once, joe told me, there’s a band up there rehearsing every day and they’re looking for talent.  It’s led by Sun Ra. 

“He gave me a demo and I listened to the stuff.  I immediately wanted to get in that band.  So, I went to see Sun Ra at the ballroom where he was rehearsing.  I sat there with him all night talking.  He asked me to come over to John Gilmore’s house, where they had a piano, in order to see what I could do.  That’s how I met him.  … He gave me a trial, playing (the song) “Spontaneous Simplicity.”  You could say that in the late 1950s, I was still learning how to play. … That was a band to stay in.  I didn’t want to go anywhere else,” Marshall Allen confided. 

“Sun Ra was a genius.  He had the music inside his mind and his own way of playing it, of attacking every note.  He was a good teacher and wrote beautiful music.  Being in his band was like a dream.  Once there, I found a place to stay.  He wasn’t just a musician.  He was above all, an innovator who could imagine the future,” Marshall Allen concluded.

I concur!

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JAZZ THEN AND NOW IS ALIVE AND WELL

By Dee Dee McNeil

April 15, 2024

ALICE COLTRANE – “THE CARNEGIE HALL CONCERT / 1971” –  Impulse Records

Alice Coltrane, harp/percussion/composer/piano; Pharoah Sanders, tenor & soprano saxophone/flute/fife/percussion; Archie Shepp, tenor & soprano saxophone/percussion; Jimmy Garrison & Cecil McBee, bass; Ed Blackwell & Clifford Jarvis, drums; Tutsi, tambura; Kumar Kramer, harmonium.

When this record was recorded ‘Live’ at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Alice Coltrane was going through a purification process.  It had been four years since the death of her husband, John Coltrane, and two years after the death of her older half-brother, bassist Ernie Farrow.  She was thirty-three years old, with four young children to provide for, despite her grief and loss. Right before this concert, in December of 1970, the great Lady Coltrane took five weeks to explore the East Indian subcontinent.  She swam in the Ganges and visited monasteries in the Himalayan Mountains.  Alice made pilgrimages to holy sites including Rishikesh and the Taj Mahal.  She took several days at a spiritual retreat in Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) and attended a World Scientific Yoga conference. 

“Having made the journey to the East, a most important part of my Sadhana (spiritual struggle) has been completed,” Alice wrote in a memoir.

“The trip to the East gave me the spiritual motivation to come out more – – to do more with my music.  I also listened to a lot of beautiful sitars and Veena music.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=VEENA+MUSIC#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:0904692c,vid:sM5AJ58dkx8,st:0

“I’m going to use some of the chants I heard … some of the essence of the East,” she explained during an interview with Essence magazine.

The opening tune on this Alice Coltrane project is titled, “Journey in Satchidananda.”  Her harp sounds like raindrops falling from an open sky.  The flute of Pharoah Sanders is warm and vibrant.  This particular song is fifteen minutes long and captivating.  When Sanders puts down his flute and picks up his saxophone, the mood of the music changes like the flip of a page.  To add to the essence of this music, we hear voices chanting amidst the rhythm. They create their own sporadic, but well-placed melodies and seem prayer-like. This song is over fifteen minutes long.  It is followed by Alice Coltrane’s harp introducing us to “Shiva Loka.”  You can clearly hear the Asian influences in these beautiful compositions.  Her next original composition begins with a flurry of drums, spotlighting the rhythmic root of black music in her song called “Africa.”   It is full of energy and excitement, with Alice taking a seat at the grand piano to express herself. This composition features two extraordinary solos by two different bassists.  Doubling up, during this concert Alice Coltrane features two saxophonists, Pharoah and Archie Shepp; two bass players, Jimmy Garrison and Cecil McBee, and two drummers.  Boldly featured on this composition are Ed Blackwell and Clifford Jarvis.  Essentially, this was a double quartet presentation.  Ornette Coleman started that trend when he created the album “Free Jazz.”   The enthusiastic shouts and applause from her ‘live’ audience speak volumes.

Here is early experimental jazz music that embodies Alice Coltrane’s search for freedom, excellence, spirituality, and the very core of life, the essence of love. 

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DAVE BASS TRIO NUEVO – Tiger Turn Records

Dave Bass, piano/composer/arranger; Tyler Miles, double bass; Steve Helfand, drums.

Fourteen years ago, when Dave Bass recorded his first albums, he was working with singers and horn players including Phil Woods, Conrad Herwig, Ernie Watts, Ted Nash, and Ignacio Berroa. These initial recordings found their way to the top of the Jazz Week Radio Charts. When Dave Bass released an album called “Gone” featuring vocalist Mary Stallings, the stellar reviews continued. Other albums followed like “No Boundaries” in 2019 and “NYC Sessions in 2015, that was named one of the “Best Albums” of that year. In 2021, Bass switched up and adopted the trio format.

“I think playing in a trio is one of the most challenging situations for a musician,” Bass said in his press package. “But it’s also perhaps the most satisfying configuration, because you can really develop kind of telepathy with other musicians,” he concluded.

It’s a joy to listen to Dave Bass.  He is so tender and emotional when he plays. His mastery of technique paints each tune he plays with vivid colors. Bass was soaking up the creative lifestyle of San Francisco, playing a lot of Latin music and jazz, while gigging until the mid-1980s.  At that point, a horrible accident changed his life and upended his career as a popular and prolific pianist. This horrible injury to his wrist caused him to desert his love of piano and choose a legal career. In 1992, he joined a prestigious law firm and in 1996, Dave Bass accepted the position of Deputy Attorney General in the California Office of the Attorney General.  This led him to join the Civil Rights Enforcement taskforce.

Bass hadn’t even considered playing piano again until, in 2005, while attending a friendly house party friends at the get-together encouraged him to play solo piano, once the hired band took a break.  It was the first time he recognized that his broken wrist had healed.  The attorney was surprised that he still had the talent and ability to play piano and entertain.

On this album you will enjoy his innovative and well-played original music as well as his arrangements of old standards like “As Time Goes By.”

His stunning, creative, reconstruction of the legendary classical composer, Bach, is both complex and jazzy.  Bass calls this project “Three Views of Bach” and his arrangement is absolutely beautiful.  He breaks down his concept of Bach’s style into three sections.  The first is a free improvisation on Bach’s harmonies.  The second part is a fairly faithful rendition of the Bach original technique, and the third part is a combination of both.

The Dave Bass originals stand out like original pieces of art.  On the tune called “August” his bassist, Tyler Miles, begins this arrangement.  Bass flies around the 88-keys like a busy hummingbird on this dramatic piece of music, then cuts the time, changing the tempo and inviting Miles to take an engaging solo on bass.  At the very end of this tune, drummer Steve Helfand takes a flashy solo. They end the song in the same dramatic way they began it.  Another original I enjoyed was “One Look,” a blues-based tune propelled by the swirling brushes of Helfand on drums.  On the Bass original, “Baby Melon,” the trio swings hard. Dave Bass has a special touch on the piano that invites the listener into his music with wide open arms and a generous heart.

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ELLIE LEE – “ESCAPE” – Independent Label

Ellie Lee, piano/composer/arranger: Steve Wilson, saxophone; Steve LaSpina, bass; Jongkuk Kim, drums.

Let me start by saying that the album cover of Ellie Lee uses a font that made me not only pull out my glasses, but also grab a magnifying glass to read the names of her musicians. Having worked in the record industry for many years, artists should make certain the title of their album and the musician credits are bold and prominent.  That means a striking cover that grabs the attention, as well as bold fonts to promote the project and the participants. Ellie Lee’s inside cover ‘Liner Notes’ and ‘Credits’ are nearly illegible.  I encourage her to correct that on her next venture.

Ellie Lee is a pianist, composer and arranger who offers us seven original compositions on this album of eight tunes.  The quartet opens with her title tune.  Lee sets the mood and tempo on piano, until Steve Wilson enters on his saxophone.  Then Wilson sings the melody she has written and soon flies off into space, improvising freely on the theme like a happy bird.  This is contemporary jazz, rooted securely in Lee’s classical training.  On “Beyond the Blue” we hear a little bit of Coltrane’s influence in the arrangement.  This song has a lovely melody and a piano line that establishes the groove, leaning heavily towards the jazz of the 1960s. 

This talented pianist grew up in Seoul, South Korea.  She earned a Bachelor of Music in Classical Piano Performance from Sookmyung Women’s University.  However, Ellie Lee desired more freedom in her music and discovered that jazz offered that opportunity. A scholarship to Boston’s Berklee College of Music offered her new and exciting direction. She studied with jazz masters like Joanne Brackeen, Alain Mallet, Tim Ray and George W. Russell, Jr., later earning a Master of Music in Jazz Performance degree from William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.  It was at that University that she raised the eyebrows of several professional professors and musicians with her fresh, contemporary jazz compositions.  Ellie Lee is a very good composer.

On this project, Lee seems somewhat shy about soaking up the spotlight.  She generously shares the solo spot with Steve Wilson on saxophone.  I find her original compositions to be quite beautiful.  Her classical training infuses the songs, and I feel she finally finds her niche on her Latin arrangement of “Melrose Breeze.”  On this original song she sounds quite relaxed and establishes the groove at the introduction, then finds freedom during her own solo presentation.

Although she is a very astute improviser, what seems missing is her ability to ‘swing’ or to fully give herself to the music and become part of the groove.  I think that will come with time and performance experience.  Surely there is nothing wrong with her current agility at the piano keys, and she has the technique to play just about anything. I enjoyed her arrangement of Benny Golson’s composition “Whisper Not,” the only standard jazz song that the quartet covered. 

Lee says she chose jazz because it offers her freedom and exploration of her composing and piano-playing mindset.  However, freedom often comes with the ability to let go and let God. It’s a matter of (as Janis Joplin said) nothing left to lose.  I think the talented Ms. Lee is right on the brink of flying off the cliff without a parachute. That’s what I want to hear.

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ART TATUM – “JEWELS IN THE TREASURE BOX” – Resonance Records

Art Tatum, piano; Everett Barksdale, guitar; Slam Stewart, bass.

Today, after listening attentively to several very talented pianists who have recorded new albums, I slid Art Tatum’s music into my CD player and quickly realized that there are plenty of talented musicians in the world, but very few brilliant and exceptional players.  Because I have lived through so many eras, and heard so many amazing music artists, I often think that in the twenty-first century, we are living in the age of mediocrity.  It’s because maybe once every hundred years or so you hear a talent like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington, or Art Tatum. When I slide the “Jewels in the Treasure Box” CD into the slot, I just sit back and marvel at Art Tatum’s genius. 

Resonance Records is the independent label and home of award-winning, previously unreleased jazz recordings.  These are the 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings of Art Tatum.  Once again, Resonance Records has stunned me with an album of historic music by this piano savant. It celebrates his music from the 1930s and 1940s. 

Tatum started out taking violin lessons as a child, but soon concentrated his love of music at the 88-keys.  Piano playing came as natural as breathing to this amazing and talented young man.  He mastered playing stride piano, delighting the listener with his rhythmic left hand, while adding varied melodies and improvisations with his right hand.  At twenty-one, Tatum moved from Toledo, Ohio to New York City and the rest is history.  He was praised by not only jazz players, but prolific composer, Gershwin, was a big fan of Art Tatum’s and classical composers like Sergei Rachmaninoff claimed that the legally blind pianist was the greatest piano player of any style that he had ever heard.

If you don’t believe these notable music celebrities, just pop this CD into your player, sit back and marvel at the brilliance and beauty of this piano master.  I haven’t heard anyone play like Art Tatum before or sense his death.  There are nearly three hours of Art Tatum’s amazing music on this 3-CD set, as well as a stunning booklet full of photos and historic facts. The CD package features thirty-nine songs in total.  Tatum’s technique was so prodigious that it redefined the boundaries of what piano players and jazz lovers could imagine in the realm of music.  When you listen to Art Tatum, it sounds like two piano players, using four hands are playing simultaneously.

Herbie Hancock said of Tatum, “Harmonically, Tatum played a lot of things which are still ahead of what I’m doing.  I’m still trying to discover certain chords he used.”

Art Tatum was born October 13, 1909, in Ohio with his vision significantly impaired.  He was blind in one eye and had limited sight in the other.  He was said to have perfect pitch, often calling out the key that he associated with an airplane flying overhead, a dog barking, or a toilet flushing.  He heard music in everything.  One thing that journalistic reviewers, music aficionados and his peers all noticed was that the pianist had rather pudgy hands.  Even so, he could still span an interval of a twelfth on the piano and could skip along the piano keys at a rate of speed that both challenged and stunned the onlookers, listeners, and other musicians. 

It was Adelaide Hall, a popular singer back in the early 1930s, who hired Tatum as her accompanist, bringing him with her for shows in NYC. 

In the video above, Adelaide Hall features Art Tatum on this recording.

Pianist Michael Weiss said in the extensive press package, “On a scale of 1 to 10, Tatum kept the dial on a steady 11.”

Another dynamic pianist, Monty Alexander was quoted as saying, “When Art played, he was like the eighth wonder of the world.”

Singer/pianist Johnny O’Neal portrayed Tatum in the 2004 Ray Charles biopic and he recalled the first time he heard Tatum play.

“It was when my father, who was also a pianist, played me a record of Tatum playing Tea for Two.  It was the most unbelievable thing I’d ever heard, still to this day.  I don’t think there’s been anyone on any instrument who could match up to Art Tatum’s skills. … You can’t even duplicate what he played harmonically, in addition to his technique,” Johnny described Tatum’s talents.

You will marvel at the way Tatum portrays familiar songs like Night and Day, Where or When, On the Sunny Side of the Street, I Cover the Waterfront, Body and Soul, Sweet Lorraine, and many more.  Slam Stewart on bass is formidable.  When you hear him soloing, for example on “Air Mail Special” a speedy arrangement on CD #3, it’s a mind-altering experience. He had his own style. Slam sang along with his bass lines during his dynamic solos, while walking his double bass at a rich up-tempo pace. Also, guitarist Everett Barksdale is tasty and complimentary to Tatum’s piano brilliance, still holding his own during this recording.  The counter-melodic meeting of these two instruments (guitar and piano) showers this project with astounding harmonics and creativity. For example, on their exploration of the tune, “I’ve Got the World on a String.”

Whether you are familiar with Art Tatum or not, this is a project that will not only astonish you, it will offer some of the greatest piano playing techniques that you have ever heard.  Here is history, genius, legacy, and musical entertainment that is beyond words.

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TAYLOR EIGSTI – “PLOT ARMOR” – GroundUP Records

Taylor Eigsti, piano/Fender Rhodes/composer/arranger; David Ginyard, elec. Bass; Oscar Seaton Jr. & Kendrick Scott, drums; Charles Altura & Julian Lage, guitar; Maya Kronfeld, Rhodes/keyboards; Harish Raghavan, acoustic bass; Terence Blanchard, trumpet; Ben Wendel, tenor & soprano saxophones; Dayna Stephens, tenor saxophone; Rebecca Kleinmann, flutes; Stephanie Yu, violins; Benjamin Von Gutzeit & Corinne Sobolewski, viola; Mia Barcia-Colombo, cellos; Jules Levy, basses; Lisa Fischer, Becca Stevens & Gretchen Parlato, vocals.

2022 Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer, Taylor Eigsti, returns to the jazz stage with a new project that exhibits why he’s heralded as one of the busiest, most in-demand musicians from Northern California to New York City.  In addition to performing worldwide with his trio, he works with a quartet, and larger ensembles, and he is a regular touring member of Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective band, featuring the Turtle Island Quartet.  He also frequently tours with Rolling Stones’ long-time vocalist, Ms. Lisa Fischer. In fact, two years ago, he premiered “Imagine Our Future” in the California Bay Area, a large ensemble work commissioned by the Hewlett Foundation that prominently featured Lisa Fischer on vocals, along with a 12-piece band.

Over the past thirty years, when he’s not writing and arranging his own projects, you may have heard Taylor Eigsti performing with such luminaries as Chris Botti, Joshua Redman, Sting, John Mayer, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea, Snarky Puppy, Vanessa Williams, David Benoit, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, Marian McPartland, Stefon Harris, Dianne Reeves, and the list goes on and on. 

This current release is another Contemporary jazz album that celebrates his love of string ensembles, and his awesome capabilities as a composer.  Eigsti has composed eleven of the thirteen songs on his “Plot Armor” album, opening with “Let You Bee.”  The guitar of Charles Altura opens the piece.  When Taylor Eigsti joins him, the drama builds. The song crescendos with the addition of a very orchestrated arrangement supporting the lovely melody.  Next, a tune called “Bucket of F’s” driven by the drums of Oscar Seaton Jr., unfolds like the petals of a flower.  Starting as the bud of the tune, the arrangement develops with the energy of a honeybee flying from flower to flower.  It unfolds from staccato energy into a smooth jazz piano solo by Taylor Eigsti.  For me, this second song fits musically like the composition title of the first tune (Let You Bee).  Even the saxophone solo by Ben Wendel reminds me of a swarm of bees. 

Vocalist Becca Stevens takes center stage on a song called “Look Around You” and her warm tones introduces us to a lyric about the endless possibilities we have around us; all the creatures on earth in harmony with each other and with nature.   The title tune bursts into the room like an army.  I even hear the marching footsteps played by the pop of drums.  This music sounds aggressive.  Then, when I looked up the meaning of “Plot Armor” I discover that phrase is used to refer to the phenomenon in a fiction story, where the main character is allowed to survive dangerous situations because they are indispensable to the plot. Consequently, we see how Taylor Eigsti looks deeply, not only into his music, but in the use of composition titles, and the literary meaning of words that describe his music.  Like I always say, words matter.  This title tune is a very challenging song, with high musical intensity, softened only by the beautiful addition of strings that play like whispered prayers in the background. The fifth track offers a beautiful ballad featuring the sensuous horn of Terence Blanchard.  But I am completely enthralled with his composition “Fire Within” that is interpreted by the amazing voice of Lisa Fischer, supported by Eigsti’s rich piano accompaniment, and colored by the creative guitar of Julian Lage. 

A song called “Actually” uses lovely chord changes that soar and reach like hands to the sky. There is no ceiling.  Eigsti’s piano breaks free, like a bird in flight against the vastness of space.  Another song that grabbed my attention is Gretchen Parlato’s breathy voice on “Beyond the Blue” blurred with the swirl of strings and the tinkle of Taylor’s intoxicating piano.

Here is an album that captivates and pushes the boundaries of music, creativity from Taylor Eigsti’s mind.  His arrangements and compositions surprise and intoxicate. His piano mastery leads the way, like the conductor’s baton.  This imaginative project both entertains and challenges the listener to let go of expectations and just soak up the beauty.           

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YUSEF LATEEF – “ATLANTIS LULLABY – THE CONCERT FROM AVIGNON” – Elemental Records

Yusef Lateef, soprano & tenor saxophones/flute; Kenny Barron, piano; Bob Cunningham, bass; Albert “Tootie” Heath, drums/Indian flute.

Listening to this album brought so many memories flooding back.  As a sixteen-year-old, sitting in a Motor-city, no-alcohol nightclub called the Minor Key, completely hypnotized by the music of Yusef Lateef.   What a blessing to have seen him ‘live.’  Listening to his talent was an unforgettable experience and one of my favorite albums back then was “Cry Tender.” 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Yusef+Lateef+cry+tender

This all-star group is a magnificent sample of historic music and unforgettable artistry. They open with “Inside Atlantis,” composed by Kenny Barron. Yusef spits out the melody on tenor saxophone and the quartet is off and running full speed ahead.  Their energy is palpable.  On Kenny Barron’s tune, “A Flower” the legendary pianist plays his instrument and makes it sound like a harp. Yusef shares his melodic story on flute.  This song is so beautiful and spiritual, it fills my home with peace.  Next, Lateef has written a blues he calls “Yusef’s Mood” and it’s Boogie Woogie influenced, with Barron’s piano digging deep into the juke joint days and Tootie Heath’s drums shuffling along like a freight train engine.  Tootie pulls the music ahead with groove and excitement.  I have another memorable flashback. What a blessing to have worked with the great Tootie Heath as my drummer when I was a fledgling jazz vocalist. I personally know about the incredible energy and in-the-pocket percussion excellence that Albert “Tootie” Heath brings to the bandstand.  You hear his brilliance on this album.  But what else could you expect playing with the iconic Yusef Lateef and the brilliance of Kenny Barron?   They close CD #1 with an original tune by Tootie Heath called “Lowland Lullaby.”  It features Heath playing an Indian flute and the bass of Bob Cunningham joining the party in a smooth, supportive way.  Later, on the second CD of this set, Cunningham receives a standing ovation when he plays his bass solo on “Eboness” a composition written by the great Roy Brooks.  It was a stunning display of how Bob could make his bass talk.

This double CD set offers a beautiful accompanying book with memories and remembrances of Yusef Lateef by his wife, Ayesha Lateef, by Shannon Effinger (journalist), and a host of musicians including the ones on this album.  Other musician who left poignant comments are Adam Rudolph, Reggie Workman, Joe Lovano, Tia Fuller, Bennie Maupin, James Carter, and Sonny Rollins.

This is an album I will play over and over again.  The second time I played it was better than the first. Every music collector should add this historic recording to their collection.

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HYEONSEON BAEK – “LONGING” –  You & Me Music

Hyeonseon Baek, vocals; Kevin Hays, piano; Linda May Han Oh, bass; Joehen Rieclert. Drums; Lucas Pino, tenor saxophone.

The thing that is striking about this album happens on the very first tune.  Hyeonseon Baek has chosen to open with the familiar jazz standard, “Caravan.”  First the band opens with Kevin Hays on piano, playing mad chords that grab the attention and give no hint of what is to come.  When Baek’s tenor voice enters, he offers a rich, unexpected tone.  The vocalist sings the melody, improvising freely to match their unique arrangement on Caravan.  It works.  He has my attention!

Hays takes a magnificent piano solo, with Lucas Pino soon joining on tenor saxophone and lifting the production with his smooth improvisation.  At the fade of the song, Baek scats along with the jazzy track.  He and the sax man play tag, with their phrases over-lapping like friendly conversation.  Track #2, “Black Narcissus” features Linda May Han Oh on upright bass. This tune has such a beautiful melody and Hyeonseon Baek wraps his voice around the arrangement like a hug.

Baek graduated from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and received a scholarship to attend the New England Conservatory.  Consequently, he relocated to New York in January 2020, a time of COVID, fear and restriction.  Still, Hyeonseon boarded the Amtrak train and did his due diligence.  The result was a Master of Music degree.  Baek says that his goal is to cross cultural and generational boundaries, creating music that combines traditional jazz with a modern approach that will appeal to younger audiences.  Contracting a group of like-minded musicians, the Korean jazz vocalist reaches for new, risk-taking adventures with his music, reflected not only in his voice but in the wonderful, fresh arrangements that his musical group offers.  I am totally engrossed in his backup band and the smart, contemporary way they arrange music that is older than they are, making it sound fresh and cool.  On his original composition “West 4^th St,” I enjoy Baek’s scat prowess.  His voice flirts with his baritone range (first singing along and beautifully blending with the bass).   But it’s his tenor voice that further impresses me, and notably, Hyeonseon has a style all his own.  Clearly, this 33-years-young talent is a jazz singer!

He gives a fresh face to “Ellington’s Sound of Love,” interpreting it with the Charles Mingus lyrics full of expression and sincerity.  These songs he has picked are challenging with difficult melodies and great expectations.  Baek accepts the challenges as an opportunity to expand his talent.  The title tune, “Longing” displays Baek’s talent as a composer and Lucas Pino ‘s tenor saxophone performs a lovely solo.   Unintimidated, Baek sings “Lush Life” showing off his smooth vocals. Then, he tackles the Jimmy Rowles awesome song, “The Peacocks” with lyrics by Norma Winstone and renamed “A Timeless Place.”  Baek is obviously a bad-ass and performs flawlessly and with no fear.  I look forward to many more incredible albums sung by Hyeonseon Baek.  I will remember his unique tone and singular style.

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THE MICHAEL O’NEILL SEXTET with TONY LINDSAY – “SYNERGY” – Jazzmo Records

Michael O’Neill, tenor & soprano saxophones/bass clarinet; Tony Lindsay, vocals; John R. Burr, piano; Dan Feiszli, bass; Jason Lewis, drums; Omar Ledezma & Brian Rice, percussion; Erik Jekabson, trumpet/ flugelhorn.

Tony Lindsay has one of those rich, full, warm voices that intoxicates as soon as you hear him sing.  He is an 11-time Grammy winning vocalist, legendary for his long tenure with the popular Santana group.  As Michael O’Neill and Erik Jekabson lay down a strong, harmonic horn groove, Lindsay’s voice floats above them, warm as sunshine.  He draws us into this Latin-tinged arrangement of the popular Bill Withers tune, “A Lovely Day.”  John R Burr takes a spirited solo on piano, followed by Erik Jekabson’s power-packed trumpet improvisation.  Michael O’Neill dances into the spotlight on soprano saxophone and the band gives the drummers some space to shine.  Percussionist Brian Rice shows off his percussive skills, locking in with the drums of Jason Lewis.  This is a great, energetic way to start Michael O’Neill’s Sextet album, featuring Tony Lindsay.  

The next tune covers a song by the legendary Stevie Wonder called “Pastime Paradise.”  The theme of this album is “Synergy,” relating to a group of musicians who are joined together with a common purpose. On Stevie’s song, they add spicy Latin beats to these arrangements.  This ensemble will make you want to dance.  My toes cannot stop tapping.

“This is truly a collaborative effort, hence the title ‘Synergy,’ interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts,” Michael O’Neill explains the title of his album, along with appreciation of his musical cohorts.   

Generally, Michael O’Neill arranges all his music.  This time, he has shared the arranger role with his bandmates, featuring their unique arrangements along with his own.  It was John R. Burr who arranged the Bill Withers’ opener into a happy samba.  Bassist Dan Feiszli is the engineer on this project, and he co-produced it.  On the Stevie tune he reaches back into the 1950s and adds a Cuban cha-cha-cha groove to their arrangement.  This is a Stevie’s composition from the award-winning album, “Songs in the Key of Life.”

This project includes not only pop songs, but a handful of standards including “There Will Never be Another You” that the sextet celebrates with an Afro-Cuban mambo arrangement. Erik Jekabson has arranged this tune and steps into the spotlight to blast his joy through the bell of his horn.  Michael O’Neill offers a smooth saxophone solo before Ledezma is featured on percussion.  This album infuses my spirit with joy.

Drummer Jason Lewis has arranged “But Not For Me,” painting the tune with bright, boisterous, neon colors.  Michael O’Neill lets his tenor saxophone dance all over the enthusiastic rhythms.  Once again, I am encouraged to get up and move.  Another favorite song of mine was arranged by Lewis. It’s the hit pop tune, “I Can’t Help It” composed by Stevie Wonder and the amazing vocalist Susaye Greene.  This time they employ an African-Caribbean groove with Tony Lindsay’s vocals expressive and sincere.  Once again, the arrangement both surprises and pleases.  I recall how Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones arranged this catchy song.  O’Neill’s sextet makes it sound brand new.  They have chosen several of Wonder’s iconic compositions to ‘cover’ on this production, including “Another Star” and “Bird of Beauty.”   On “Another Star” O’Neill picks up his bass clarinet to introduce us to the familiar tune and he sounds beautiful.  “Bird of Beauty” features an inspired solo by pianist John R. Burr.

On the song “I Will Be Here For You” I hear inflections in Lindsay’s voice that remind me of the late, great Al Jarreau. 

The sextet finally simmers down to a slow boil on “If I Should Lose You.”   Tony Lindsay’s voice is butter! 

Their pianist, John R. Burr, is given free rein to explore his composition “Apes of Autumn.”  The solo piano piece is only an interlude, but it still captivates me.  They close with “Autumn Leaves” and the piano accompaniment sounds like leaves drifting down from branches to the ground.  After Lindsay sings it once at a moderate pace, the band jumps into the mix, slapping a Latin beat down and energizing the arrangement with blaring horns and exciting percussion.  This is an album full of “Synergy,” surprises, and excitement.

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JOHN DOKES – “OUR DAY” – Swing Theory

John Dokes, vocals; The George Gee Orchestra: George Gee, conductor; Steve Einerson, piano; Malik McLaurine, acoustic bass; Chris Latona, drums; Antony Nelson Jr., alto saxophone; Michael Hashim, tenor saxophone; Patience Higgins, baritone saxophone; Andy Gravish & Freddie Hendrix, trumpet; David Gibson, trombone; David Gibson, arrangements.

John Dokes has a pleasant baritone voice that pairs well with the George Gee Orchestra. They open with “Our Day Will Come” swinging brightly.  Dokes follows up with “Moanin,’” with the horn lines stealing the show, shining brightly with ebullient energy. The George Gee Orchestra really swings!  John Dokes adds a few unfamiliar tunes to the jazz mix like “Suddenly” that was written by K. Diamond and Billy Ocean.  It was the title tune of R&B singer, Billy Ocean’s 1984 album. David Gibson has reshaped it into a wonderful swing tune. The song has good lyrics and a strong melody with a bit of range that shows off the Dokes tenor register.

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas and raised in Oakland, California, Dokes spent most of his adult life in New York City working and recording.  In March of 2021, Dokes, his wife and family moved to Chicago, Illinois.

“On periodic trips to NYC, …I’ve sung with George’s band and done small group dates. The funky ambiance of “On the Red Clay” reminds me of summers I spent with my grandparents in Little Rock, with dirt streets and kids running around,” Dokes recalls in his liner notes.

“Red Clay” is a difficult song to sing.  However, Dokes does an efficient job of hitting those intervals with precision. After all, he comes from a musical family. His father was a rhythm and blues singer, and there was always music playing at their house. Dokes loves to make music that people can dance to, and so does George Gee and his orchestra.  Consequently, this album is full of shuffle and swing with a repertoire that includes “L-O-V-E” and “Don’t Blame Me” among other favorites at the big band dance gigs. They close the album with a fresh arrangement of the wonderful Bernard Ighner composition, “Everything Must Change.”  They swing this arrangement and after the Quincy Jones arrangement, this is a huge and creative difference.  The lyrics are so profound that I was disappointed when I listened to Dokes, not because he was off-key, but simply because I didn’t believe him.  As a jazz vocalist, the singer’s job is to touch the hearts of their audience.  That means you have to make them believe that you are telling them the truth.  Sadly, that was missing in Doke’s delivery of this contemporary jazz standard. However, for the most part, Dokes is a solid entertainer with a pleasing voice and a good repertoire.

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SPRING RELEASES RADIATE JAZZ JOY

By Dee Dee McNeil

April 7, 2024

As the world turns, news circles about politics, wars, and aggression on networks from continent to continent. Music is a lovely way to lift your spirit and calm your nerves.  Science has proven that jazz music and European classical music both can enhance intelligence and performance in various areas of the brain. Jazz can sooth and heal. Jazz even affects plants.  I have a philodendron plant that has been sitting on top of my CD speakers for ten years.  It loves music.  When I play jazz, the leaves wiggle and dance.  It prefers music to water.  The plant has been lush with life for over a decade.  Dorothy L. Retallack’s study of 1973, at the Colorado Woman’s College in Denver, supports the fact that plants, like human beings, love music. Below are some jazz releases that I hope will bring you jazz joy.  Note: for more info about how music heals see: https://newyorkjazzworkshop.com/jazzs-effects-brain/

FRED HERSCH – “SILENT, LISTENING” – ECM Records

Fred Hersch, solo piano/composer.

There is exuberant joy and then there is a quiet joy.  That’s what this new album of solo piano music by Fred Hersch reminds me of, a quiet joy.  He opens with “Star-Crossed Lovers” written by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington.  The peace I find in his presentation settles my spirit and soaks into the walls of my listening room.  He follows this with a flurry of original compositions, each unfolding like the quick page-turning of an exciting book. I can’t wait to hear what he will play next.  Hersch builds suspense and creativity into every musical phrase.  His left hand locks the chords into place and establishes tempos and grooves, reaching out to his right hand like an old friend. The two hands lock this composition into place.  Hersch explores his music meticulously, the way a doctor operates on a patient.  He probes his inner brain, offering us imaginative, exploratory melodies and harmonies that pour out of this pianist. This album is art for the ears.

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CHET BAKER & JACK SHELDON – “IN PERFECT HARMONY: THE LOST ALBUM” – Jazz Detective

Chet Baker, trumpet/vocals; Jack Sheldon, trumpet/vocals; Jack Marshall, guitar; Dave Frishberg, piano; Joe Mondragon, bass; Nick Ceroli, drums.

These two master musicians open with the familiar standard from the American Songbook, “This Can’t Be Love.”  First Jack Sheldon sings the tune down in his own inimitable way, followed by Chet Baker’s smooth, soothing voice doing the same. This is followed by “Just Friends” with Baker singing atop the swing, and Joe Mandragon’s walking bass pushing the music ahead.  Sheldon has contributed one original tune to this project called “Too Blue” that he both sings and plays on, joining the smooth tones of Baker, with his more boisterous tones bright and brash. 

This is an album steeped in history, but I found this a somewhat odd match.  Surprisingly, the abrasive Jack Sheldon and the cool, laid-back Baker make quite an unforgettable duo.  “But Not For Me” begins as an instrumental that features Dave Frishberg on piano.  Then Chet Baker’s satin coated vocals slide into view.  

This music was recorded in 1972 in Tustin, California.  It all started years earlier with Jack Marshall, who was a jazz guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer. In 1967, Marshall organized guitar night at Donte’s in North Hollywood.  Every Monday, a great jazz guitarist would sit in with the best players in the city and play for scale at the packed restaurant and nightclub.  In those days, musicians just loved to get together and play. It wasn’t always just about the money. This was a period when Baker and Sheldon became very close friends.  They both shared a mentor, Uan Rasey, who (at that time) was widely considered one of the finest musicians in the music business.  Both Baker & Sheldon idolized him.

In 1966, Chet got into a brawl outside his hotel in Sausalito.  He wound up with a busted, bloody mouth and broken teeth.  That’s not a good thing for a trumpet player. Chet’s embouchure was ruined, and he had to get dentures.  During this rehabilitation time, his mentor (Uan) suggested he try a larger, different sized mouthpiece to make playing easier.  It worked, but Baker was still feeling insecure and unhappy with his new sound. Consequently, he was quite reluctant to record again.  One day in 1972, Jack Sheldon had an idea.

“Just think Chetie, (a pet name he had for Chet Baker) if we do an album together, you’ll only have to play on half of it!”  Jack Sheldon lured him into the studio with that line.

Guitarist Jack Marshall took the two of them into a Tustin, California studio near their homes on Lido Island.  Once the recording was complete, Marshall was certain he could get a record deal with the unplanned recording. Unfortunately, on September of 1973, Jack Marshall died of a sudden heart attack and the tapes got packed away in his garage on Lido Island. Now, fifty years later, here is the lost gem of an album that the jazz detective (Zev Feldman) has uncovered.

Jack Sheldon and Chet Baker were buddies and often jam-session partners.  As different as they were, the two men still had much in common.  They were both expert trumpeters and both men could sing. They were both born in the same era, a few years apart, and both relocated to California from other parts of the country.  Jack Sheldon, born Beryl Cyril Sheldon Jr., came from Jacksonville, Florida.  Chet Baker, born Chesney Henry Baker, came from Yale Oklahoma. They both changed their names for show business.  Sheldon’s style of singing is brash, the same way he plays his trumpet.  In contrast, Baker became an example for California’s West Coast Jazz scene, smooth and low-key. Sheldon was always the lively hipster, joking around, loud, and boisterous.  On the outside, Chet Baker seemed quiet and somewhat shy, until he picked up his horn.  Baker had a voice that could calm an angry storm.  One thing the two trumpeters had in common was they both liked to live on the edge.

“Chetie has an old ’32 Ford and a Cadillac.  He drove real fast,” Sheldon shared with a wide, obnoxious grin on his face. 

Sheldon relived how the two men would get in Chet’s car and race up and down the Southern California freeways, from Santa Barbara to San Diego, driving way too fast and looking for any nightclub that would let them play their jazzy horns.  They weren’t trying to get a gig.  They just wanted to play, even if it meant marching up on stage and playing all night for free.

Shortly after this unusual session, Chet Baker’s comeback started in 1973.  This is an unplanned, unpredictable recording session that showcases two exceptional trumpet talents and songsters, meeting impromptu for an unscheduled studio session.  The result is history.

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CHRIS STANDRING – “AS WE THINK” – Ultimate Vibe Recording

Chris Standring, guitar/composer; Andre Berry, bass; Chris Coleman, drums; Terry Disley, piano; Larry Steen, double bass; Lenny Castro, percussion; Aaron Janik, trumpet; Brandon Fields, alto saxophone; Katisse Buckingham & Dino Soldo, tenor saxophone/harmonica; Ido Meshulam, trombone; Rodney Lee, organ; Walter Murphy, horn arrangements.

The opening tune on Chris Standring’s new album titled, “As We Think” is called “Chocolate Cake.”  Standring sweetens the arrangement with the use of a ‘talk box’ relying heavily on his invigorated rhythm section. On Track #2, a tune called “Good Gracious,” introduces horns into the mix.  With Chris Coleman’s drums slapping the rhythm in place, Standring’s guitar improvises over the repetitious groove. His music makes me want to get into my convertible, put the top down, and zoom up the highway under a sun-soaked sky.  Standring creates music that encourages movement and dancing. His music is joyful, even when the tempo slows down.  For example, on the R&B arranged tune, “Come Closer” there is still a compelling pulse to his arrangement.  This tune incorporates elements of an Earth, Wind & Fire production, as Standring digs down into the soul of the 1970s.  He says this is one of his favorite tunes recorded on this recent production.

The first radio single is titled, “Alphabet Soup.”  It’s a bouncy little tune with a catchy melody that features guest artists Dino Soldo on tenor sax, with a Los Angeles-based horn section and the addition of organist, Rodney Lee.  In my opinion, you can’t beat a guitar and jazz organ production. Coleman’s funky drums propel the piece forward with high energy. I enjoy the flavor that the organ brings to this party. 

Standring debuted as a solo artist back in 1998 with an album called “Velvet.” 

Twelve years later, in 2010 he smashed onto the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart with a number one single from his “Bossa Blues” release.  He repeated the number one single accomplishment four more times as featured guest guitarist on singles by Thom Rotella, Cindy Bradley, Rick Braun, and Richard Elliot. 

Consistently, Standring’s music has reflected his talents as a gifted composer with arrangements that pulsate with energy and drive.  This could also stem from surrounding himself with great musicians, including Chris Coleman on drums who is featured on a tune titled, “Michael’s Watch.”  This original becomes one of my favorites on this release.  It shuffles onto the scene, with Standring’s guitar introducing the melody and the click of Coleman’s drumsticks commanding my attention.  My foot automatically taps to the beat.

Having waited sixty-plus years to finally fall in love, Chris recently put a ring on it and is enjoying his first marriage.  He feels that the happiness he’s experiencing has colored the music on this album. “As We Think” reflects his mindset of hopeful positivity. It also captures the marital bliss that true love can bring.  Standring’s music radiates joy.

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JIM ROTONDI – “FINESSE” – Cellar Music Group

Jim Rotondi, composer/producer/trumpeter; Jakub Helling, arranger/conductor; NOTES & TONES JAZZ ORCHESTRA: Mario Gonzi, co-leader/drums; Danny Grissett, piano; Karol Hodas & Tim Dunin, bass; GUEST SOLOISTS: Dick Oatts, soprano saxophone; Steve Davis, trombone;  Wolfgang Lindenthal, flute; Stefan Peindl, oboe; Julia Gutschlhofer, bassoon; Melissa Danas, horn; TRUMPETS/FLUGELHORNS: Tobias Weidinger, Markus Pechmann, Simon Plötzeneder; Daniel Nösig, co-leader/trumpet/flugelhorn; TROMBONES: Clemens Hofer, Mario Vavti, Johannes Herrlich, Christina Lachberger. Fabio Devigili & Martin Fuss, alto & soprano saxophones/ flute/clarinet; Michael Erian, tenor & soprano saxophone/flute/clarinet; Robert Unterköfler, tenor saxophone/clarinet; Herwig Gradischnig, baritone saxophone/bass clarinet; VIOLINS: Damir Orascanin, Mariya Orininskaya, Balazs Schwartz, Tomas Novak (all violin 1); Anne Harvey-Nagl, Ion Scripcaru, Maximillion Bratt, Amora De Swardt (violin 2.); VIOLA:  Lena Fankhauser, Emily Stewart, Annamaria Kowalsky; CELLO: Asja Valcic, Mara Achleitner, Phillipp Preimesberger; Joanna Lewis, concertmaster.

Joe Rotondi has been blowing his trumpet in jazz bands for over three decades, including as a member of ensembles like Toshiko Akiyoshi and Bob Minzer, and in smaller groups headed by Lou Donaldson, Curtis Fuller and Joe Chambers. This is his ninth album release, recorded in Austria where Rotondi currently lives and teaches. It’s a dream-come-true project, his first composing for orchestras and big band. This album may be his most profound and incredible production to date.  Rotondi features all original compositions, apart from one written by Jakob Helling, the arranger and conductor of this production. They open with “Ruth,” that skips along at a moderate pace with an undertow of string arrangements bubbling beneath the swing. Rotondi’s trumpet leads the way, like a pied piper. 

His composition, “Dark Blue” follows. It’s a ballad that once again features the opulent trumpet tone of Rotondi. On a tune called “Ladybug,” Danny Grisset shines on piano.  The horn section is harmonically rich and supportive throughout. Drummer, Mario Gonzi, soaks up the spotlight during the orchestral arrangement on “Designated Hitter.”  On this festive orchestra and big band production, Rotondi offers the listener his original compositions, along with bright, boisterous arrangements interpreted by the Notes and Tones Jazz Orchestra.  This project also becomes a platform to feature guest soloists, Dick Oatts (on “Falset,” where he plays soprano saxophone) and Steve Davis playing trombone on “Miller Time.” 

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ALEX BELTRAN – “RIFT” –  Calligram Records

Alex Beltran, tenor & soprano saxophone/co-producer/composer; Stu Mindeman, piano/Wurlitzer electric; Sam Peters. Bass; Jon Deitemyer, drums; Lenard Simpson, alto saxophone; Chad McCullough, trumpet/co-producer.

If Straight-ahead is your preference, you will fall in love with Alex Beltran’s album titled “Rift.”   Starting from his original composition “Lulu,” Beltran’s horn flies like a wild bird and leads the others with determination and creativity. Beltran has been a fixture on the local Chicago music scene for over a decade.  This album is his Calligram debut, and it soars! He has composed seven of the eight songs, and they are all well-written and pumped full of spice as peppery as Cayenne.  “Lulu” is a musical tribute to his niece. 

The meaning of “Rift” according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a crack, split or break in something.  Beltran feels this title best describes his life, torn in two by his Mexican American heritage. 

He explains, “I’m a person of mixed culture and there was a pretty big divide between the two worlds I lived in growing up; my dad’s Latino family and my mom’s white family.  I never felt like I fit into either.  I was the white cousin at my dad’s, and the Mexican cousin at my mom’s.”

This journalist knows that music is universal.  What better way to project your own sense of soul and personality than through music.  On a tune called “Fragments” the horns make it sound like some kind of traffic jam.  When Stu Mindeman races out in front, his improvised piano solo is magnificent.  The musicians play at a race car pace, dragging the listeners along by our ears. All that pent-up emotional turmoil that Beltran expressed above is pumped into his music with power and drive.  On “Bird Dance” Beltran explains that he wanted to write something that exemplified the awkwardness of shuttling between two cultures while growing up.  Mindeman swivels around and plays the Wurlitzer on this arrangement. The melody is catchy and laid down by harmonic horns.  Beltran’s solo is tentative and flutters in all directions, perhaps mimicking a confused bird in flight, unsure but still creating his own unique dance.

Clearly, the experiences of our childhood shape us into the adults we become, always with the little child buried deep inside.  Those family challenges and experiences that Beltran recalls (perhaps with some disappointment) have helped shape him into the beautiful, gifted, talent that he is now.  Not only is he a wonderful composer, but his saxophone songs make me happy.  He makes me feel something deep within, like on his composition “Sub Rosa.”  Great tune, with wings dipped in the blues.  Alex Beltran’s music is captivating and soulful. 

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BRANDON GOLDBERG TRIO – “LIVE AT DIZZY’S” – Cellar Music Group
Brandon Goldberg, piano; Ben Wolfe, bass; Aaron Kimmel, drums.

Here is a trio of musicians who make me feel warm and fuzzy as they play a group of familiar, standard tunes I know and love. Goldberg, on piano, is the group leader at the unbelievable age of eighteen years young.  But don’t let his age fool you.  This talented musician sparkles and shines with a talent far beyond his years.  He stands on the shoulders of legendary pianists like Ahmad Jamal, Oscar Peterson, and Nat King Cole. When I listen to this album, I’m thrown back in time to the 1950’s and 1960s, when Supperclub trios were extremely popular, and the trios of Red Garland and Sonny Clark were exploring jazz in new and unbridled ways.

Brandon Goldberg is also investigating new ways of playing old songs. He’s rediscovering the standards that we are comfortable hearing, stuffing them with fresh harmonics and innovative arrangements that modernize old, beautiful tunes like Gershwin’s “It Ain’t Necessarily So” or Harold Arlen’s “Let’s Fall in Love.” This album is particularly dear to Goldberg’s heart because it was recorded at Dizzy’s club.

“The first time I heard music (live) in New York was at Dizzy’s. My parents took me to see the Bill Charlap Trio at their first performance.  Now, Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes come to hear us on the first night of our run,” Brandon Goldberg let’s pure awe color each word he speaks.

Although he has toured the world and worked at a plethora of jazz clubs, this ‘live’ recording in New York City, at one of the premiere American jazz clubs, remains his dream-come-true-moment. When Mr. Charlap and his trio opened Jazz at Lincoln Center’s famed venue, (Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola), Brandon Goldberg had to be a toddler.  In fact, at the age of three little Brandon surprised his parents by sitting down at the piano and playing with harmonic intelligence, as though he had already taken piano lessons.  He made a national impact on Steve Harvey’s “Little Big Shots” show.  Also, as a child he appeared on the Harry Connick Jr. television show.  In 2013 and 2015, Brandon was the youngest recipient of the Miami Music Club Scholarship.  He also won first place in both those years for his Original Composition and Piano Solo Performances.  Although the awards keep coming, starting from when he was a preteen, he is most proud of his 2024 Young Arts Winner with Distinction Award.  In 2023, he was a semifinalist in the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition and he’s the youngest recipient of the 2022 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. 

In 2019, at age twelve he released his first album titled “Let’s Play!” featuring three of his original compositions and six standards.

In 2021, his second album was released and titled “In Good Time.” It featured the late, great drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr., Luques Curtis on bass, with Stacy Dillard on saxophones and Josh Evans on trumpet. Brandon was fourteen when he recorded this music.

This current release continues to celebrate the genius of Brandon Goldberg.  We are witnessing his super talent on piano, his awesome composition skills, and his continuing climb up the jazz ladder, towards the stars and beyond.

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NEAL ALGER – “OLD SOULS” – Calligram Records

Neal Alger, guitar/composer; Clark Sommers, acoustic bass; Dana Hall, drums/cymbals; Chris Madsen, tenor saxophone; Chad McCullough, trumpet/flugelhorn.

Neal Alger is an educator, (professor at Elmhurst College) a guitarist, a composer, and a lover of all genres of music.  From the oldest original tune on this recording, one that he wrote almost twenty years ago called “This is not a Test” to the more recent title tune “Old Souls,” Alger is excited about performing an album of entirely original compositions.

“I play a lot of other people’s music. I wanted to carve out a space to play my own music. I enjoy the process of writing, painstaking and frustrating at times, but ultimately fulfilling,” Neal Alger shared in his press package.

This is a return to a more Straight-ahead platform of originality and improvisational freedom. You hear his jazz roots on “This is Not a Test” that swings hard, and then his more ethereal-self appears on the title tune, with its Middle Eastern, minor-driven melody.  On Track #3, bassist Clark Sommers takes stage center, opening this song on his instrument and introducing a more smooth-jazz, contemporary tune. Neal has known Clark Sommers since the late 1990s.  He’s known drummer, Dana Hall that long too.  They are among the first-call bass and drum team around the Chicago, Illinois jazz scene, and longtime friends of Alger.  Consequently, they make for a solid rhythm section when they join Alger’s guitar. The addition of Chad McCullough on trumpet and Chris Madsen on tenor sax create the quintet magic that Alger was striving for on this project.

This album is an eclectic musical merry-go-round, that explores the compositions of Neal Alger, highlighting his varied arrangements, distinctive like painted wooden horses bobbing up and down. As you listen, you are invited to take a creative ride with these mid-western musicians. Neal Alger is the ring-master and leads the way with his busy guitar establishing the various moods and melodies.  On “Go With the Sco-Flow” the horn parts act like exclamation marks, and punctuate the tune’s melodic arrangement.  When Alger adds “Moment Intro” as a segway solo guitar piece, I am intrigued.  I wish he had developed this into a longer composition.  This leads to “If Only for a Moment,” a song he wrote about the COVID pandemic that features a lovely tenor saxophone solo by Chris Madsen. 

“Choro Delinquente” teases the listener with an almost Latin groove and “Dance of the Miscreants” is nine minutes of move and groove, with the sax and trumpet singing the melody in unison on top of the tight rhythm section.  When Alger’s guitar solo begins, he has a serious conversation with Hall’s drums.  They sound as if they are talking to each other, with Hall quite animated on his drums. Then McCullough’s trumpet talks to the Clark Sommers bass.  When Madsen parts the curtains with his tenor saxophone, he is joined by Alger’s guitar as the two instruments meet and greet, holding court on top of the supportive rhythm of Hall and Sommers. When Hall battles his way into the spotlight, he shows off his percussive technique in an explosion of sticks and bravado.

Neal Alger offers us his original music and arrangements that celebrate his appreciation of the moments of rhythm, melody and magic that make up his life works. 

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EDY FOREY – “CULTURE TODAY” –  So Soul Records

Guilhem Forey, keyboards/piano/Fender Rhodes/composer/synth bass/vocals/miscellaneous BG vocals; Edy Szewy, vocals/lyricist/sampling; Tom Gordon, drums/percussions; Femi Koleoso, Isac Jamba, Jonathan Tuitt & Seiya Osaka, drums;  Leonn Meade, drums/BG vocals;  Adam King, Andrew Robb & Luca Alemanno, double bass; Sharay Reed, Michael League & Dean Mark, electric bass; Carlinhos Percussao, percussions; Manav Sigh, table; Toku, flugelhorn; Alex Hahn & Bob Reynolds, saxophone; Miho Wada & Sarpay Ozcagatay, flute; Dave Frazer, mix; Bob Power, mix/master.

The duo mix of Edy Szewy and Guilhem Forey brings imagination, ingenuity, and improvisation to the forefront like a rainbow.  This is music full of color and creativity, beginning with an introduction by Forey on keyboards, his solo embellished by reverb.  There is the hint of an old spiritual song captured during his improvised solo and I sing along, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.  Nobody knows but Jesus.”

The title tune “Culture Today” is sung by lyricist Edy Szewy and kicks off with a strong hip hop beat.  Her vocal presentation is reminiscent of Erykah Badu, but unique enough to establish her own style and tone. A song called “The Fire” solidifies this music as a blend of Hip Hop, contemporary and modern jazz, with Guilhem Forey spotlighted on piano.

Their arrangement and treatment of the jazz standard “Nature Boy” is creative and features a strong percussive presence by Tom Gordon. The composition is completely modernized and is one of the few ‘cover tunes’ on this project.  Most of these songs are original compositions by these two artists.

A tune called “The System” begins with Edy rapping about this world of celebrity worship, complex with both good and evil doers.  The addition of a saxophone to this production creates a very Straight-ahead jazz feel, with the drums playing a funk beat and percussion brightly flavoring their arrangement.  You can clearly hear how Edy has been influenced by Motown and rhythm and blues.  By mixing in the Hip Hop culture, this duo embarks on a poetic, urban-jazz debut album.

Based in the UK, the duo enters this competitive business of music with a clear message of peace and love reigning over hate and discord.  I do hear some control issues with Edy’s vocals.  For the benefit of her continued success, I hope she will seek a vocal coach to help her sustain those notes and to control pitch issues.  But the enthusiasm and uniqueness of this duo overshadows these fixable challenges.  Edy Szewy is a strong and blossoming lyricist who knows how to create ‘hooks’ in her music, that invite the listener to repeat and sing along. This is a commercial strong point. 

Her musical partner, Guilhem Forey, was born in Paris and raised in Nantes, France.  He was a child prodigy, displaying a strong interest in music as early as age three. When his grandfather introduced him to American R&B icon, Ray Charles and the music of Eric Clapton, Foley’s classical music study broadened.  At age eleven, he began studying jazz piano.  On this project, Foley knows how to make ‘loops’ and establish grooves for Edy’s voice to float atop. Together, they have established an interesting sound. This music exhibits a sense of non-conformity and lyrical protest. The duo has been performing together since their teen years. Between Foley’s mastery of keyboard and commercial composing, paired with Edy’s artistry, lyricism and freedom, this debut album marks the beginning of a musical adventure plush with magical spontaneity, possibility, and promise.

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VINCE GUARALDI – “IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN” – LMFP Records

Vince Guaraldi, piano; Monty Budwig, double bass; Herb Ellis, guitar; Jack Sperling, drums; Victor Feldman, percussion; Frank Rosolino, trombone; Conti Candoli & Pete Condoli, trumpet; Peter Christlieb & William Hood, woodwinds.

Speaking of joy wrapping arms around music, Vince Guaraldi has done just that with his newest album release. The Charlie Brown comic strip has brought the world continuous joy and laughter for seventy-four years. The strip first debuted on October 2, 1950.  However, it’s the music of Vince Guaraldi that has helped propel this legacy forward. On this album you will hear all your familiar favorites and some new tracks that show how smoothly jazz works, even in cartoons.  There are thirty-two song references on this compilation CD that will bring to mind the various excursions and adventures of Charlie Brown, Lucy, or Linus and his famous blanket. With a host of master jazz musicians, Vince Guaraldi sitting at his piano, leads the band to offer us a treasure trove of Charlie Brown music memorabilia.  You will enjoy these rejuvenated lost soundtracks.

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OWEN BRODER –“HODGES FRONT & CENTER VOL TWO” – Outside In Music

Owen Broder, alto saxophone; Riley Mutherkar, trumpet; Carmen Staaf, piano; Barry Stephenson, bass; Bryan Carter, drums.

Owen Broder grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and holds a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and a master’s from the Manhattan School of Music.  Because he is a huge fan of the great altoist, Johnny Hodges, Broder has been celebrating the titan’s work for several years.  In 2022, he released his first tribute album to Hodges as a Volume One project that was received enthusiastically by the jazz community and jazz journalists alike.

“Hodges looms large in my approach to music.  He was one of my earliest primary influences and has continued to be an important player in the way that I conceptualize playing the alto.  I’ve always loved his lyricism and his melodic approach to improvising.  Even though some of my other records have been more contemporary in their approach, I try to bring that lyricism and melodic style to whatever context I’m working in,” explains Owen Broder in his press package.

This entire package of music, mostly original compositions by Johnny Hodges, is deeply colored by the Blues.  The mostly medium tempos and ballads exemplify what Hodges loved playing. The Owen Broder arrangements bring new life to an era of jazz that celebrated big bands like Duke Ellington’s Orchestra, Stan Getz and Count Basie.  The tone of Broder’s saxophone is very similar to that of Johnny Hodges.  It’s full of satin smooth phrases and silky warmth, similar to how Hodges would have played these tunes.

“Number one, he loves the blues. Number two, he loves medium tempos and ballads.  As both a composer and improviser, he’s very riff based, so motivic development is an important part of his style.  If you look at any of the tunes written by Hodges, you’ll find an idea that comes back regularly and makes the tune really accessible and enjoyable for the listener,” Broder asserts.

You hear it in the opening tune, “Used to be Duke” a tune that was the title track from the 1956 album released by Hodges.  Broder and his group play it as a lively energetic swing tune. I can picture those Jitterbug dancers out on a polished wooden floor, with the girl’s wide skirt flying up into the air.  Carmen Staaf takes a joy-filled solo on piano, and Barry Stephenson is walking his bass close by and supportive.  Bran Carter takes a drum solo that screams power, technique, and precision. Then, in walks Rile Mutherkar on trumpet to blow the walls down with Broder close on his heels adding his smooth, 1940-sounding saxophone delivery.  This music takes me back to 78rpm records my mother used to play at our house, and a time when big bands were the rage.

I am in love with Owen Broder’s feel and tone on the alto saxophone.  Having listened to Johnny Hodges, I can hear the similarities between the two master musicians.  Broder has captured his mentor’s tone and phrasing but still maintains his own style.  This recording was inspired by Hodges’ “Back to Back” and “Side by Side” small group albums.  Broder carefully picked songs that reveal the diversity and brilliance of Hodges as a composer. I enjoyed “Wabash Blues” a song from the Hodges’ “Back to Back” album.  It’s a full-blown blues, played down and dirty by these master musicians. 

Every carefully, hand-picked song on this project enlists joy and history to entertain and pleasure us. Owen Broder is as brilliant on saxophone as Hodges was. Broder currently teaches Jazz Theory and Jazz Arranging at Portland State University, as well as saxophone lessons at Pacific University. When he’s not recording his own projects, he is a member of the Grammy nominated Anat Cohen Tentet and the Manhattan Saxophone Quartet.  The release date for this album is April 19, 2024. * * * * * * * * * * * *

MORE WOMEN, MORE MUSIC

By Dee Dee McNeil

March 27, 2024

Actually, the origins of Women’s History Month began in 1978 in Santa Rosa, California.  It so happens that the “Education Task Force of Sonoma Country Commission on the Status of Women” planned a ‘Women’s History Week.’  Their celebration was scheduled to run the week of March 8, 1978, and to correspond with International Women’s Day. In 2024, we celebrate women’s history the whole month of March.  As this month ends, I want to mention a few more women who are making history in the jazz world. 

LYNNE ARRIALE – “BEING HUMAN” – Challenge Records International

Lynne Arriale, piano/Yamaha Clavinova/composer; Alon Near, bass; Lukasz Zyta, drums.

Lynne Arriale has been sharing her brilliant piano talent with the world for decades.  In 1993 she became the prize winner of the International Great American Jazz Piano Competition.  Consistent with her performance art, Ms. Arriale has entertained on prestigious international concert stages for over thirty years. “Being Human” is her seventeenth album. It celebrates her original compositions.  They reflect how our lives are enriched.  The Lynne Arriale Trio opens with her composition titled “Passion.”  Arriale exhibits a light, sensitive touch on the piano keys. This arrangement is smooth jazz. 

This entire project was written by Arriale to address the turmoil and division in our world. The second track is called “Courage” and features the prominent and impressive drum accompaniment of Lukasz Zyta. Her drummer is currently based in Krakow, Poland and is a faculty member at their Academy of Music since 2007.  For some reason, Arriale’s composition “Love” reminds me of a country’s anthem.  This tune is followed by “Faith” and the mood is more playful, with a petit touch of blues weaving through the arrangement. “Curiosity” shows a more avant-garde approach to Arriale’s piano playing, quite artistic and exploratory.  Another tune the trio plays is “Soul.” Suddenly, we are drenched in blues and jazz without compunction. On “Persistence,” bassist Alon Near shines, creating contrary motion bass lines that are both intricate and complimentary to Arriale’s solo piano. Each song played continues to not only entertain and engage the listener, but the compositions punctuate Lynne Arriale’s amazing piano talent and versatility.  She invites us into her music. It’s like falling down a rabbit hole and discovering awesome and unexpected gifts along the way. 

“I wrote this suite in response to the division and turmoil in our world.  The music focuses on qualities we all share, that define our humanity.  I hope this album will be uplifting and convey a sense of unity and optimism,” Lynne Arriale explains in words what she’s already accomplished in this wonderful album.

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CAMILLE THURMAN WITH THE DARRELL GREEN QUARTET “LOVE VIBRATIONS” –  Chesky Records

Camille Thurman, vocals/saxophone; Gerald Green, drums; Paul Beaudry, bass; Jordon Williams, piano; Wallace Roney Jr., trumpet.

I ran across this incredibly talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Online. I was absolutely blown away by her style, her crystal-clear vocal presentation, her soulful tenor saxophone playing, and she is also an amazing composer.  Additionally, she plays bass clarinet, flute, and piccolo.  She’s a creative improviser, which you will witness for yourself in the video below. 

Live from Jazz St. Louis – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU-lap9oKtY

Born December 22, 1986, Camille Thurman is a member of the Lincoln Center Orchestra in NYC.  Her first couple of albums were released on Chesky Records in 2017 and 2018, making an impression on the Billboard Jazz Chart by landing on the #3 spot and the #25 chart position. 

Her three available CDs are “Origins” released in 2014, “Inside the Moment” released in 2017 and “Waiting for the Sunrise” released on Chesky Records in 2018. 

This is a video review, rather than an album review. I rarely do these, but I think this wonderfully talented lady needs to reach more ears and eyes.  Meet the dynamic Camille Thurman!

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ANDREA WOLPER – “WANDERLUST” – Moonflower Music

Andrea Wolper, vocals/composer/co-producer; John Di Martino, piano; Ken Filiano, bass; Michael TA Thompson, drums; Charlie Burnham, violin; Jeff Lederer, clarinet/flute/co-producer.

A Kenny Filiano bass line opens this album, on a tune called “Light Out of Darkness.”  I must compliment Andrea Wolper’s steady, solid vocals despite the Avant-garde background her musicians are singing. There’s clearly dissonance in the background. Still, the singer holds her own, holding the bluesy melody, like a baby, close and comfortable. Charlie Burnham adds an improvised violin solo. She follows this with “Dog Day Afternoon” a tune by Wayne Carson, originally recorded by the sweet country voice of Shelby Lynne.  Charlie Burnham takes another violin solo that’s warm and comforting. The third track is written by Wolper and starts with John Di Martino’s piano sounding like a coo-coo-clock on a tune called “Sobe E Desce.”  Wolper scats with the flute melody of Jeff Lederer, doubling the instrument’s sound in unison. There are no lyrics.  This is just Wolper’s voice becoming an instrument, trading fours with the flute, then letting Filiano’s bass trade fours with the drums of Michael TA Thompson. Track #4 is another original composition by Wolper. Titled “Still Life” with a lyric that paints a picture of a lonely woman thinking of the man who is missing.  The lyrics are more prose than poem.  She finally hits her stride when singing Abbey Lincoln’s tune, “The Music is the Magic.”  I finally hear the jazz singer appear.  Until then, Andrea Wolper was just another vocalist like a thousand others.  I can feel her emotion on this song and feel the jazz swing in this moderate tempo presentation. Filiano takes a brief but creative solo on the bass. Wolper’s scat hindered the arrangement rather than supporting it.  It was way too legato and didn’t swing. Her original song, “The Nature of Life” is quite Middle Eastern, drawing on minor chords and a melody that is performed slowly, with prayer-like chanting in the parts without lyric.  Her interpretation of the Sting composition, “I Burn for You” is another pretty ballad that she performs with Filiano picking up his bow and delivering a lovely bass solo. Most of this music is moderate tempo and leans towards ballads. 

Wolper is a native of Northern California but relocated to New York to attend the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She has been there ever since.  It has been 13-years since Wolper released an album, but in that space of time she has been touring and performing in top jazz clubs like The Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Mezzrow, the 55 Bar and more.  She’s performed abroad and teaches voice, songwriting, and jazz performance.

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JANE SCHECKTER – “I’LL TAKE ROMANCE” – Doxie Records

Jane Scheckter, vocals; Todd Firth, piano/arranger; Jay Leonhart, bass/scat singer; Peter Grant, drums; Warren Vaché, cornet/flugelhorn; Nicolas King, vocals.

Here is a jazz singer whose roots are exposed as soon as she sings the first few bars of “Love, I Hear” (a Stephen Sondheim composition) that opens with Jay Leonhart’s bass line.  Scheckter steps into the song, swinging lightly, like a child skipping.  She knows how to phrase, which is oh so important to understand if you claim the title ‘Cabaret Jazz Singer.’ A sweet surprise, Leonhart sings a scat line that harmonizes with his bass solo and it’s butter smooth! 

Jane Scheckter offers us seventeen songs to listen to and love.  She’s a teller-of-tales.  Scheckter knows how to sell a song and pumps each lyric full of life, wisdom, and believability. I can hear her comfortable vocal maturity that says she’s been singing for a while. On her album cover, they note that this is Jane’s fifth album release.  Her pianist and arranger is Ted Firth, one of the sought after pianists in the Cabaret genre.  Her bassist and drummer both played with Peggy Lee, who is one of Jane Schecter’s sheroes. Jane’s repertoire is smart, familiar, and classic.  She pulls songs from the theater, as well as recognizable jazz standards.  In fact, Jane Scheckter is a former theater performer, as well as a heralded fashion designer. Her clothing designs were featured in the leading fashion magazines and modeled by the likes of Lauren Hutton. She started singing in NYC nightclubs and supper clubs, while holding down her design-day-job. These days, Schecter sings regularly in New England, in Paris, France, at the Royal Jazz Lounge in Antibes, and the Vegaluna in Cannes, France.  She brings sophistication and emotional empathy to every note of her songs like “My Foolish Heart,” and “A Beautiful Friendship.”  She shuffles along on Cole Porter’s  “After You,” and on “I’m Gonna Lock My heart & Throw Away the Key.”  Her alto vocals introduce us to a tune called “Looking Back” written by her old friend, Mickey Leonard (who died in 2015).  It was a tribute to Bill Evans and Jane asked Roger Schore to put lyrics to the instrumental.

“On this album, I feel like I’ve grown up.  This is who I am and what I do.  I just honor the music,” Jane tells us in the liner notes.

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ALLISON BURIK – “REALM” –  Independent Label

Allison Burik, composer/arranger/co-producer/Alto saxophone/bass clarinet/vocals/alto flute/ guitar; Magdalena Abrego, guitar; Sylvaine Arnaud, recording engineer/mixing/co-producer; Peter Atkinson, recording engineer/winds; Harris Newman, mastering; Renee Abaroa, bone typeface on cover.

For several years Allison Burik has gained notoriety and audience in the world of modern jazz and experimental music.  The opening “Be the Dragon” composition might just be their alter-ego talking to their inner creative self.  It blasts into my listening room, like shepherd horns gathering the flock. Allison’s singular use of reed instruments projects an emotional delivery. They add the guitar to create an eerie mood that commands this listener’s attention.  In their press package, they explain this song was built from a foundation of Burik’s oceanside guitar and bird songs, captured during an artistic residency in Skagastrond, Iceland. Allison themselves explain it in her liner notes.

“The “Be the Dragon” piece is dedicated to all the women and gender-fluid folks that defied ‘traditional’ gender roles to take up arms in battle. …  The song features an experimental contact microphone setup in which I’m wearing a collar that presses small microphones against my neck to capture the melodies I hum, while simultaneously playing the saxophone.  There are also contact microphones attached to specific keys of my sax to amplify the percussiveness of the instrument,” Burik explains.

Track #2 takes me to an entirely different space and time. Titled, “As the Norn’s Weave” it begins with their lovely voice calming the moment into submission. Their vocals appear with an acoustic guitar accompaniment.  Burik superimposes alto saxophone, bass clarinet and vocals in a lovely way.  I have always loved the sound of a bass clarinet and their tone on the instrument is warm and vibrant. Still, I wonder how they would present this ‘live’ and in-concert?  Because it appears they’re playing all the reed instruments simultaneously. Would they have to pre-record and layer the music to make these songs come to life in person?  This song was born out of the world tree of Norse myth.  It’s said, in that myth, that three Norns weave our fates with their web of wyrd, and decide the destinies of all beings in all ‘Realms.’

Burik has decided to take the less trodden musical path and use their creative sense of purpose to lean toward mythology and feminine inspiration, along with non-binary characters, and folklore to express themself.  On the third track, “Solstice (Dreams and Memories” a low growl begins the arrangement, that soon is transformed by what sounds like sea and birds. Then I seem to hear footsteps trudging on sand, beneath wind and weather.  A voice sings a carefree song as the steps are taken. Much of the music on this record was composed during their artist residency, the one Burik did in June of 2022 in Iceland.

During their composing of songs, Allison has named Solstice 1, II and III.

“These are fragments of a musical theme that has been rumbling around in my brain since the winter solstice of 2018.  They are brief musings on the passage of time, reality, and existence,” they explain.

On the final two compositions, the eighth track being “Solstice III (The Promise), Allison is joined by the guitar of Magdalena Abrego.  Also, Abrego plays on the ninth and final track called “Fragment 94.”  Allison’s vocals dip and dive during this arrangement. It’s for only a short minute and a few seconds that this song plays, but it makes quite an impact. This Solstice blends into the final song that has lyrics. It celebrates the ancient Greek lyric poet, musician, and lover of women, Sappho; a character from the isle of Lesbos, who lived from c.610 to c.570 BCE.  She is regarded as one of the most important and influential writers of her time.  Hellenistic poets deemed her “the tenth Muse.”

Sappho’s lyrics read, “And there was no dance, no holy place, from which we were absent.”

This album appears to be a spiritual journey for the artist.  It reflects not only the creativity of Allison Burik, but draws inspiration from myths, world history and folktales. Allison feels that they are using music to showcase the mixture of modern identity validated by ancient ways. Their album is meant to acknowledge the history of human beings, our mistakes of the past that are holding hands with a repetitious path to the future.  At the same time, with their music, Allison Burik celebrates the many ways of simply being human.

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HILARY GARDNER – “ON THE TRAIL WITH THE LONESOME PINES” – Anzic Records

Hilary Garder, vocals; Justin Poindex5ter, guitars/mandolin/organ/vocals; Noah Garabedian, bass; Aaron Thurston, drums/percussion; Sasha Papernik, accordion.

Hilary Gardner brings us her own take on Country/Western, Soul and Jazz music.  She has rolled up the blues, like a country/western musical burrito with a spicy sprinkle of jazz in the production.  Her voice is crystal clear, with a hint of Bonnie Raitt in her phrasing as she opens this album with “Along the Navajo Trail.” It meanders along at a moderate pace with a melody that draws me in like quicksand. 

“In the early weeks and months of the pandemic, confined to my Brooklyn apartment in the silenced city, I dreamed of wide-open spaces and the freedom to roam.  I started researching “trail songs” from the singing cowboy era of the 1930s & 40s.  … As I delved deeper, I learned that many trail songs were written not only by singing cowboys, but by jazz and film composers with lyricists like Johnny Mercer, jazz legend Benny Carter, Frank Loesser and others.  A song making its debut in a Western film starring Roy Rogers or Gene Autry would often go on to be recorded by a swinging big band. One of those  original hip cowboys was Bing Crosby.  The lines between genres were happily blurred back then,” Hilary Gardner explained her choice of expression.

Track #2 opens with the first bass line my father taught me on the piano. I recognized a boogie- woogie. Once I picked up the CD cover to investigate, sure enough, the song title supported me as “Cow Cow Boogie” blasted into my listening room.

Hilary has a smooth appealing voice. She knows how to enunciate every word to be sure you can enjoy her stories.  Surprisingly, Benny Carter is one of the composers on this song.  At the fade, Hilary Gardner throws in a little scat-like vocal when she croons, “Coma -Ti- Yi- Yi Yay! Coma Ti Yippee A-Yay.”  Some of the lyrics are a little risqué for 1943. She sings, “He was raised on the local weed, and can he swing now? Yes indeed.”  (Back then ‘weed’ was certainly not legal the way it is today.)  Justin Poindexter lays down a very bluesy guitar solo and Aaron Thurston slaps the drum rhythm into place on the two and the four. I find myself singing along with the “Coma – Ti – Yi – Yi – Yay” part.

A song titled “Call of the Canyon” is a lovely ballad.  Next, “Silver on the Sage” is an arrangement that reminds me of 1960 hitmaker Ben E. King’s tune “Spanish Harlem,” with its Latin tinges and a strong backbeat. A tune called “Jingle Jangle Jingle” gives spotlight to bassist Noah Garabedian and the chord changes reminds me of a song I learned as a child called, “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain When she Comes.”  If only the band had put some more swing on “Along the Santa Fe Trail.”  With strong shuffle drums and a walking bass, (instead of the two-feel) this song could more easily fit into a jazz vein. The bass does walk during the guitar solo and lifts the arrangement towards the end of this production.

We cannot forget that the great composer, Johnny Mercer penned “I’m an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande). Hilary and her band put a mild swing groove into place at a moderate tempo, like a slow horseback ride up a dusty path. You’ll want to sing along with this one.

Here is a unique album, that endeavors to show the impact of jazz on country/western music or vice versa.  For the most part, this is Country/Western and blues music for your listening pleasure.  Hilary Gardner has a voice as smooth as satin. She could certainly sing anything. But on this album release, she and her talented musicians dress each arrangement with believable and honest stories. Some of these tales may remind you of songs that Bing Crosby, Patsy Cline and Dan Hicks used to sing, or tunes from your favorite cowboy movie. This is a fresh idea that reflects another era and blends musical genres.

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KELLY GREEN – “SEEMS” – Green Soul Studios

Kelly Green, piano/vocals/composer/arranger; Luca Soul Rosenfeld, bass; Evan Hyde, drums; Elijah J. Thomas, flute/alto flute/piccolo. SPECIAL GUEST: Rich Perry, tenor saxophone.

For Kelly Green, her album titled “Seems” is meant to be a recorded statement of hope and an optimistic musical manifesto.  She has composed five of the nine songs on this album.  The production opens with a ‘cover’ song called “Down that Road” that features Elijah J. Thomas on flute.  Evan Hyde provides percussive links between musical phrases, showing off his drum skills. When Kelly Green steps into the picture with her dynamic piano solo, she brings modern jazz to the forefront of this arrangement.  On Track #2, Luca Soul Rosenfeld and Green open the song “World of My own” with just bass and vocals for a few bars. Here, Green displays her light soprano voice in stark contrast to Rosenfeld’s deep bass notes.  It is a striking arrangement, but after the first instrumental tune, track #2 takes me by surprise. It’s more pop-jazz influenced than modern jazz and spotlights the light, airy voice of the pianist.

The talented, iconic Babs Gonzalez wrote “Lonely One.”  Once again, Green’s music takes a one-hundred-degree turn. The prolific Gonzalez lends his great lyrics to Kelly Green’s interpretation.

Next, drums introduce Green’s original composition called “Street Cleaning” and sweep us back to a modern jazz genre with horn punches and straight-ahead speed. Green’s piano jumps into the up-tempo piece with both hands racing. Special guest, Rich Perry takes an exploratory tenor saxophone solo, improvising fluidly.  Rosenfeld is prominent throughout on bass. Then comes a blues titled, “By the Way” another original tune penned by Kelly that features a dancing bass solo. It’s a melodic blues that shows us a completely different side of Kelly Green’s piano style, pushed powerfully by the walking bass of Rosenfeld.

Green offers us a multi-faceted creative project that showcases her composing skills and spotlights her diversity on both the piano and vocally. Street release date is March 29, 2024.

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GRACE KELLY WITH STRINGS – “AT THE MOVIES” – Pazz Productions

Grace Kelly, alto, baritone, tenor and soprano saxophone/vocals; Cooper Appelt, upright & electric bass; Eli Bishop, classical Nylon-string guitar/tenor banjo/mandolin & mandolindo; Tamir Hendelman, piano; Adam Bravo, additional synth programming; Jake Reed, drums/percussion; Cory Wong, Shaun Richardson & Pasha Riger, electric guitar; John Schroeder, acoustic & electric guitar; Sean Jones, trumpet; VIOLINS: Eli Bishop, concert master; Steve C. Chiu, Haruka Horil, Camille Miller, Grace Rodgers & Leah Zeger; VIOLAS: Lauren Elizabeth Baba, Eli Bishop, Hailey Walterman; CELLOS: Eli Bishop, Emily Nelson Rogers, Ro Rowan & Simona Vitucci; With Bryan Carter, conductor.

Wynton Marsalis gave his credible stamp of approval when he wrote, “Grace plays with intelligence, wit, and feeling.  She has a great amount of natural ability and the ability to adapt.  That is the hallmark of a first-class jazz musician.”

On the opening tune, Grace Kelly shows us her power on the saxophone and offers us soft, compelling vocals during a tribute to James Bond, creating a medley of music from that popular film series.  Kelly has been in love with movies, movie stars and film soundtracks since childhood.  After all, she was named after the historic American actress, Grace Kelly, who starred in “Dial M for Murder” and “The Country Girl” before exiting Hollywood to marry Prince Ranier III of Monaco.

“Falling in love with Grace Kelly, having her name, playing some incredible music, including the only song she sang in a film.  This is a project I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and I’m really proud of it,” Kelly writes in her press package.

Jake Reed’s drums shine on the arrangement of “He’s a Pirate from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” motion picture.  But when Kelly plays the old standard, “The Way You Look Tonight,” I do hear shades of Charlie Parker on her song arrangement. You can detect how the legendary “Bird” influenced this talented young lady.

Although Grace Kelly has a nice voice, I prefer to enjoy her musicianship on saxophone. She sings on “True Love” and “Moon River,” but it’s her baritone saxophone solo on the “Mission Impossible Theme” that really blows my mind. I enjoyed her vocal rendition of “I Wanna be Like You” from The Jungle Book movie. Kelly is charismatic and charming on stage, as you can witness below, filmed while she was ‘live’ in concert in St. Louis.

This is Grace Kelly’s fifteenth album release in a 20-year recording career. It appears Kelly just gets better with time.       

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THE JAMIE BAUM SEPTET + – “WHAT TIMES ARE THESE” –  Sunnyside Records

Jamie Baum, flutes/spoken word/composer/arranger; Brad Shepik, guitar/singing bowls; Luis Perdomo, piano/fender Rhodes; Ricky Rodriguez, bass/electric bass guitar; Jeff Hirshfield, drums; Jonathan Finlayson, trumpet/spoken word; Sam Sadigursky, alto saxophone/clarinet/bass clarinet; Chris Komer, French horn. GUEST VOCALISTS: Theo Bleckmann, Kokayi, Sara Serpa, Aubrey Johnson.  GUEST PERCUSSIONIST: Keita Ogawa.

A single note pops rhythmically. It repeats over and over again, drawing me into this production, quicksand strong.  When the bass clarinet sings its assertive song, I am already caught up in Baum’s arrangement.  Jamie Baum lightens the mood with her flute solo.  The song is called “In the Light of Day” and it moves from dark tones to hopeful light in the matter of a perhaps sixteen bars.  Jonathan Finlayson also solos on his trumpet, with the horn section in tight harmony and shining behind him, like a sunrise. On Track #2, Jamie’s flute opens the piece and then her spoken word blows prose into my room, like smoke rings or a soft summer breeze.  The title of this album was inspired by Adrienne Rich’s 1995 poem, “What Kinds of Times Are These?”   Jamie Baum addresses this concept in the prose of Marge Piercy as she reads:

“The people I love the best jump into work headfirst, without dallying in the shallows, and swim off with sure strokes; almost out of sight, they seem to become natives of that element, the black sleek heads of seals bouncing like half-submerged balls.  I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, who strain in the mud and the muck, to move things forward, who do what has to be done, again and again,” Jamie Baum recites.

This album is a blend of thought provoking spoken word, creative original compositions by Baum, and arrangements that pull at the ear of the listener in wonderful ways. She adds vocals and prose, like spices to a stew cauldron. Some of these compositions are experimental jazz, mixed liberally with pops of traditional jazz. Jamie Baum tackles the political turmoil that we earthlings find ourselves locked within, using experimental jazz and the more traditional Straight-ahead jazz to provides moments of great beauty.  The music of Jamie Baum is meant to lift our hopes and spirits.

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EDY FOREY – “CULTURE TODAY” –  So Soul Records

Guilhem Forey, keyboards/piano/Fender Rhodes/composer/synth bass/vocals/miscellaneous BG vocals; Edy Szewy, vocals/lyricist/sampling; Tom Gordon, drums/percussions; Femi Koleoso, Isac Jamba, Jonathan Tuitt & Seiya Osaka, drums;  Leonn Meade, drums/BG vocals;  Adam King, Andrew Robb & Luca Alemanno, double bass; Sharay Reed, Michael League & Dean Mark, electric bass; Carlinhos Percussao, percussions; Manav Sigh, table; Toku, flugelhorn; Alex Hahn & Bob Reynolds, saxophone; Miho Wada & Sarpay Ozcagatay, flute; Dave Frazer, mix; Bob Power, mix/master.

This duo mix of Edy Szewy and Guilhem Forey brings imagination, ingenuity, and improvisation to the forefront like a rainbow.  This is music full of color and creativity, beginning with an introduction by Forey on keyboards, where his solo is embellished by reverb.  There is the hint of an old spiritual song captured during his improvised solo and I sing along, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.  Nobody knows but Jesus.”

The title tune “Culture Today” is sung by lyricist Edy Szewy and kicks off with a strong hip hop beat.  Her vocal presentation is reminiscent of Erykah Badu, but unique enough to establish her own unique style and tone. A song called “The Fire” solidifies this music as a blend of Hip Hop, contemporary and modern jazz, with Guilhem Forey spotlighted on piano.

Their arrangement and treatment of the jazz standard “Nature Boy” is creative and features a strong percussive presence by Tom Gordon. The composition is completely modernized and is one of the few ‘cover tunes’ on this project.  Most of these songs are original compositions by these two artists.

A tune called “The System” begins with Edy rapping about this world of celebrity-worship, complex with both good and evil doers.  The addition of a saxophone to this production creates a very Straight-ahead jazz feel, with the drums playing a funk beat and percussion brightly flavoring their arrangement.  You can clearly hear how Edy has been influenced by Motown’s rhythm and blues.  By mixing in the Hip Hop culture, this duo embarks on a poetic, urban-jazz debut album.

Based in the UK, the duo enters this competitive business of music with a clear message of peace and love reigning over hate and discord.  I do hear some control issues with Edy’s vocals.  For the benefit of her continued success, I hope she will seek a vocal coach to help her sustain those notes and to control pitch issues.  But the enthusiasm and uniqueness of this duo overshadows these fixable challenges.  Edy Szewy is a strong and blossoming lyricist who knows how to create ‘hooks’ in her music, that invite the listener to repeat and sing along. This is a commercial strong point. 

Her musical partner, Guilhem Forey, was born in Paris and raised in Nantes, France.  He was a child prodigy, displaying a strong interest in music as early as age three. When his grandfather introduced him to American R&B icon, Ray Charles and the music of Eric Clapton, Foley’s classical music study broadened. At age eleven, he began studying jazz piano.  On this project, Foley knows how to make ‘loops’ and establish grooves for Edy’s voice to float atop. Together, they have established an interesting sound. This music exhibits a sense of non-conformity and lyrical protest. The duo has been performing together since their teen years. Between Foley’s mastery of keyboard and commercial composing, paired with Edy’s artistry, lyricism and freedom, this debut album marks the beginning of a musical adventure plush with magical spontaneity, possibility, and promise. 
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JULIA VARI featuring NEGRONI’S TRIO – “SOMOS” – Alternativa Representa

Julia Vari, vocals; Jose Negroni, piano/Musical Director; Nomar Negroni, drums; Rafael Valencia, bass; Nathan Samuelson, trumpet.

Julia Vari is a Mexican American who sings in eight languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, Hebrew, German and Catalan. On this album, the Negroni Trio accompanies her. They are a Latin Jazz, Grammy nominee themselves as a separate unit.  Julia opens with “La Bikina” sung in Spanish and featuring Nathan Samuelson on trumpet.  Track two is the familiar “Nature Boy” where Julia Vari attempts a scat solo after singing the song down once. She sings with energy and purpose, but often slides to the notes, sometimes falling flat.  Still, the diva has chosen a wide variety of songs on this, her sixth album release, and in her press package the publicist claims her other albums have become quite popular in Latin American countries.  She sings “Song For My Father” in Portuguese, which is a smart idea since I believe this is my first time hearing the lyrics sung in that Brazilian language.  However, there are several pitch problems. On their production of “Siboney” they sound fairly comfortable together.

Julia Vari works regularly in Mexico as a solo artist, singing and playing piano.  On the Mexican song, “Noche de Ronda” I felt that she and the pianist were in different keys.  I wish she had played piano herself on that one, the way she does when she performs in clubs. As a duo, her vocals just didn’t always match what Jose Negroni was playing on the piano.  She sings “C’est Si Bon” with energy and passion, inviting Rafael Valencia to take a bass solo.  I don’t know why Julia Vari thought she should sing over the bass solo.  Unless a soloist can add something amazing to lift another musician’s short time in the spotlight, then the other musician should lay-out.  I think with a proper producer, Vari would have better results.  Sometimes as an artist, you need someone else to oversee your project.  For the most part,  I didn’t think Vari and Negroni’s Trio complemented each other at all.

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BIG BEAUTIFUL BOISTEROUS JAZZ BANDS

By Dee Dee McNeil

March 15, 2024

NIKOS CHATZITSAKOS – “TINY BIG BAND 2” –  Independent Label

Nikos Chatzitsakos, double bass/arranger/bandleader; Wilfie Williams, piano; Samuël Bolduc, drums; Gabriel Nekrutman, baritone saxophone; Art Baden, tenor saxophone; Salim Charvet, alto saxophone; Robert Mac Vega Dowda, cornet; Joey Curreri, trumpet/flugelhorn; Armando Vergara, trombone; Alexandria DeWalt & Eleni Ermina Sofou, vocals.

The band hits their stride on track #3, “Fly Little Bird Fly” a Donald Byrd composition.  Wilfie Williams takes off in flight on the 88-keys, with fingers on the piano showcasing the fluttering wings of a bird. Salim takes a wild improvisational solo on alto saxophone, followed by Joey Curreri on trumpet. The horns step aside to let drummer Samuel Bolduc soak up the spotlight during a brief but inspired solo.

“Where or When” is sung by Eleni Ermina Sofou.  She has a smooth, pleasant delivery, but she doesn’t really ‘swing,’ which is something you must feel in your gut and cannot always be taught. However, the band swings this one with strong determination. I enjoyed the horn section with that baritone saxophone building a strong basement for them to stand upon. I think I would have over-dubbed the very end where the saxophone solo fade could have been stronger. 

The other vocalist on this project, Alexandria DeWalt, swings “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” with her Blossom Dearie voice and style.  One of the blessings of being a stylist is that you have a sound easily recognizable and different from the rest of the singers on the set. DeWalt accomplishes this.  Joey Curreri takes a trumpet solo egged on by Bolduc’s brisk drumsticks. It was nice to hear Gabriel Nekrutman’s baritone saxophone also take a solo and those background horns were swinging so hard, they put fire to his feet.

The band slows the tempo on the Duke Pearson tune, “You Know I Care” featuring bandleader Nikos Chatzitsakos on his upright bass. During his arrangement, Chatzitsakos applies a ‘slide’ technique with the horn harmonics.  Armando Bergara’s trombone solo is quite beautiful.  On track #7, the familiar “Windmills of Your Mind” is a perfect tune to showcase the lovely voice of Eleni Ermina Sofou.  Art Baden adds his tenor saxophone solo to the mix. I thought the horn harmonies arranged during Sofou’s sweet delivery were a little overbearing.  Still, she held her own, strong in presenting the melody and unobstructed by the arrangement that leaned towards the Avant-garde. I didn’t mind that emotional arrangement of dissonance after she sang, but during her solo presentation, I think she deserved the same respect given to other horn soloists who step out front.  Perhaps just a nudge in the mix room could have lifted her voice above the fray. 

Nikos Chatzitsakos brings us a small group that sounds as plush and well-rounded as a big band.  He has creatively arranged these familiar standard songs, with a taste of the Avant-garde and a sprinkle of contemporary jazz to refresh the old standards.  His musicians bring zest, youth, and personality to the project.  

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RICHARD NELSON & MAKROKOSMOS ORCHESTRA  – “DISSOLVE” –

Richard Nelson, conductor/guitar/composer; Rex Benincasa, percussion; Scott Neumann, drums; Rob Garcia, drums on “Float;” Ken Filiano, bass; Matt Pavolka bass on “Float;” Arco Sandoval, keyboards/sound design; Rick Basser, keyboard,“ on Float;” Peter H. Bloom, flutes; Adam Kolker, tenor saxophone/clarinet; Tim O’Dell, alto & soprano saxophones; Alan Brady, bass clarinet; Marshall Sealy, French horn; John Carlson & Jacob Yarmus, trumpet; David Chamberlain, euphonium; Dale Turk, bass trombone.

The Makrokosmos Orchestra is a fifteen-piece ensemble under the direction of Richard Nelson that’s rooted in contemporary creative music.  Along with sax man, Tim O’Dell, who is co-leader of this organization, the orchestra performs Nelson’s original music with both modern jazz and contemporary classical music influences.  For this project, Nelson has written a three-part suite.

“Whether in Maine or New York, I’m always looking for players who are both top level improvisers, and creative agents.  In my creative work I’ve cultivated a merging of elements and impulses from contemporary classical composition and the jazz heritage, and this group has become a key outlet for cultivating that aesthetic,” Nelson explains in his press package. 

Opening with the title tune, “Dissolve” I experience fifteen plus minutes of ethereal music that employs various tempos, instruments and moods that fluidly flow into each other in sometimes surprising ways.  Nine minutes in, a bluesy tenor saxophone takes center stage, played by Adam Kolker, while a more contemporary jazz piano plunks away in the background provided by Arco Sandoval.  The horns mimic a train whistle blasting into view, inviting us on a journey of unexpected starts and stops, melodic destinations and percussive excitement. 14-minutes into the piece, it takes a turn of direction, growling beneath a busy woodwind dance. That soon gives way to a flute in the distance, completing that journey of sound and harmony. 

The second part of the suite, the “Float” composition introduces us to bassist Matt Pavolka and Keyboard player, Rick Basser.  The rest of the ensemble remains the same as they sing a rubato song at the introduction, letting a very lovely saxophone solo draw me into the arrangement.  Tim O’Dell weaves his soprano saxophone magic at the top of this tune. The tension builds and builds, finally exploding in the arms of Rob Garcia on drums.  Unexpectedly, darkness soaks up the light during this arrangement.  Then, Richard Nelson appears with his electric guitar to guide us into another brighter dimension. 

There seems to be plateaus of music, piled upon one another, with each one opening us up to another level of this ever-expanding arrangement.  It’s dramatic.  The final piece of this suite is titled, “Cohere.”  To Cohere is to be united and to form a whole.  Perhaps that title and the project itself finds conclusion and summary in the simplicity of the word ‘Cohere.’   Arco Sandoval is back at the electric keyboard, speaking to us with a black and white key conversation.  This is followed by a rhythmic battle of drums and percussion that offer me a moderate groove to tap my toes to.  Although these compositions are complex, and in some ways quite brilliant, I do miss the ‘swing’ element.  This music leans heavily to the classical side and sometimes I just want to feel jazz deep-down in my bones and not just listen to challenging arrangements played from the carefully written page of dancing notes.

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DOUG MACDONALD – “SEXTET SESSION” –  Dmac Music

Doug MacDonald, guitar; Josh Nelson, piano; Mike Gurrola, bass; Charles Ruggiero, drums; Doug Webb, tenor saxophone; Aaron Janik, trumpet.

Guitarist and composer, Doug MacDonald leads an all-star sextet of Southern California based musicians.  Although he has headed many types of jazz ensembles, and boasts twenty-six record releases as a bandleader, this is his first project working with a somewhat more modern jazz combo.  MacDonald has teamed with tenor saxophone giant, Doug Webb, and the inventive and in-demand pianist, Josh Nelson.  During this recording, Doug is playing a spanking, brand-new Fender Telecaster guitar. 

MacDonald has composed five of the eight songs on this “Sextet Session” album.  They open with his composition called, “Desert Blues.”   It swings at a moderate tempo as Doug MacDonald steps center stage and serenades us on guitar. The next musician to step into my listening room is Doug Webb.  Webb plays a soulful solo on his tenor sax tinged with the blues.  Josh Nelson has a feathery light touch on the piano and offers an inspired solo.  Another original tune by MacDonald is the third track, “Gee’s Flat” that offers a catchy melody and invites Mike Gurrola to step forward and take an impressive upright bass solo.  On the familiar standard, “You’ve Changed” MacDonald’s guitar solo double-times the ballad and skips over the pretty melody, letting his guitar strings tell the sad story in MacDonald’s own creative way.  On the tune “At” MacDonald steps from traditional jazz to a more contemporary path, with the drums of Charles Ruggiero laying down a funk beat.  Doug Webb enters on his tenor saxophone, offering an unapologetic Straight-ahead improvised solo over the funky beat. I love it!  Aaron Janik brings his trumpet to the party.  However, I’m more comfortable when they return to the Straight-ahead groove on “Try Ads.”  Once again, Doug Webb is a star on tenor saxophone.  I’m also impressed with MacDonald’s composition, “Si Minor” that gives Josh Nelson an opportunity to stretch-out and explore the entire 88-keys on his piano.  Nelson is quite inspirational and always creative. This song gave spotlight to Doug Webb and bassist Gurrola. MacDonald’s original song is one of my favorites on this album. They also give Charles Ruggiero time to shine on his trap drums.

MacDonald cut his guitar teeth working with jazz and blues greats like Ray Charles, Buddy Rich, Jack Sheldon, Lorez Alexandria, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and many others.  This album showcases his composer and arranging skills.  The all-star band he’s contracted infuses his musical ideas with professional excellence and excitement.

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ANDREW KRASILNIKOV – “BLOODY BELLY COMB JELLY” – Rainy Days Records

Andrew Krasilnikov, soprano & C-melody saxophones/composer/arranger; Alexey Bekker, piano/Fender Rhodes/composer; Nikolay Zatolochny, upright bass; Mikhail Fotchenkov, drums; Ilya Dvoretsky, flute/piccolo/also flute; Anton Zaletaev, flute; Roman Sokolov, alto flute; Oleg Gremov & Aleksandr Yasykov, clarinet; Sergey Nankin, bass clarinet/clarinet; Sergey Ponomarev, flugelhorn/trumpet; Salman Abuev, flugelhorn; Sergey Gimazetdinov, trombone; Anton Gimazeldinov, tuba/bass trombone; Lev Slepner, marimba.

After coming to America as a music student and graduating from Berklee College of Music, Andrew Krasilnikov knocked around NYC, working, performing, and gathering knowledge from the music elders.  In 2011, he returned to his home in Russia.  He took with him a deep love of big band arranging, composing, and a dream to produce an orchestrated band of his talented countrymen. This album is the fruition of that dream.  Late last year, this album was released to rave reviews.

The ensemble opens with “Nekotorost,” an original composition by Krasilnikov. The Cambridge Dictionary translates this word to mean bargain, concern, take off and admit. That left me confused, but there is nothing confusing about this beautiful piece of music.  Beginning with Alexey Bekker’s tentative electric piano introduction, they add Andrew’s saxophone floating the lovely melody on top. These two are soon joined (a few bars in) by double bassist, Nikolay Zatolochny. The three musicians set the mood and tempo. When the horn ensemble struts in with harmonic power and strength, clearly this song establishes Andrew Krasilnikov as a formidable composer. The melody is haunting and beautiful.  This reedman, arranger and composer has a way of changing the moods of these songs by dropping the plush orchestration to a whisper in the background, or completely eliminating the big-band sound to feature various talented bandmates on an individual basis. In this way, he channels his passion for arranging, purposefully leaving room for the personalities of his musicians to be explored during their solos.  His musical peers do not disappoint. You hear this on “Ariadna’s Thread” when he features bass man Zatolochny opening Andrew’s original song. Next, they hand the baton to Bekker, who takes a memorable piano solo during this arrangement. The tune “Ricochet” is rooted in the blues and Krasilnikov is masterful on saxophone. On a tune he calls, “Odnako” Krasilnikov entertains me with Straight-ahead bliss.  This one was written by pianist, Bekker and spurred ahead by the determined walking bass of Zatolochny, and powerhouse drummer, Mikhail Fochenkov. Mikhail is also featured brightly on Bekker’s contemporary composition “Buratino.” 

This album is a testament to the fact that jazz inspires people all over the world.  It is music that demands freedom of expression. Andrew Krasilnikov, along with his big band, exemplify creativity, instrument mastery, and excitement on this debut recording.

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MARSHALL GILKES AND THE WDR BIG BAND  – “LIFESONGS” – Alternate Side Records

Marshall Gilkes, composer/arranger/trombone/conductor; Hans Dekker, drums; John Goldsby, bass; Billy Test, piano; Sabeth Perez, vocals; Johan Harlen, alto & soprano saxophones/ flute/clarinet; Pascal Bartoszak, alto saxophone/flute/clarinet; Ben Fitzpatrick & Paul Heller, tenor saxophone/clarinet; Jens Neufang, baritone saxophone/bass clarinet; Andy Haderer, trumpet/piccolo trumpet/flugelhorn;  Wim Both, Rob Bruynen, & Ruud Breuls, trumpet/ flugelhorn; Ludwig Nuss, Raphael Klemm, Andy Hunter & Peter Hedrich, trombone.

Beginning with the very first cut on this production, “Fresh Start” the usually blustering big band sound of the WDR band surprises me.  They introduce a smooth jazz sounding production with big band overtones featuring trombonist, Marshall Gilkes.  The first taste of traditional jazz came when Billy Test offered us his stellar piano solo on Track #2, “Back in the Groove.”  Outstanding!

“My Unanswered Prayer” is a pretty ballad that showcases Marshall Gilkes’ warm tone on the trombone. Gilkes has composed seven songs of the nine offered.  One of the songs he did not compose is “All the Pretty Little Horses” that features vocalist Sabeth Perez, who has a voice like a horn. She colors the tune, painting the melody into my brain like a soft, warm brush.

“Sin Filtro” is an original song and arrangement by Gilkes. It has a Spanish flair that reminds me of bull rings in Spain. Those rings seated sixty thousand people and you could feel the excitement and the tension in the arena. Gilkes writes that energy into this composition, using the horns to create the mood, with his trombone solo tonally and technically impressive. This arrangement moves like a suite of music extending over nine minutes long. “This Nearly Was Mine” is quite beautiful and the final composition, “Sugar Rush” returns the WDR Big Band to the sound and texture of their performances that I remember.  These arrangements brings fire to the bandstand and feature drummer, Hans Dekker, propelling the band ahead like an engine.

Marshall Gilkes often returns to the city of Cologne. It’s like a second home. The trombonist spent four years in that cultural hub, situated beside the Rhine River.  He made his mark playing in the WDR Big Band’s brass section. That changed in December of 2013, when he returned to America.  However, this celebrated, world renowned German Big Band still keeps in close musical contact with Gilkes. They recorded their first album together with Gilkes as bandleader.  That album was called “Koln” and became Grammy nominated in two categories.  It introduced Gilkes as a composer/arranger/conductor and trombone soloist. In 2018, the band and Gilkes reunited to record “Always Forward.” This is their third production, titled “LifeSongs” and it’s Gilkes eighth album as a bandleader.

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8-BIT BIG BAND – “GAME CHANGER” – Teamchuck Records

Charlie Rosen, orchestrator/arranger/bandleader/multi-instrumentalist; Natalie Tenenbaum, Michael Mitchell, Steven Feifke, Jake Silverman, Miki Yamanaka & Jonah Nilsson, piano/keyboard; Adam Neely, Julia Adamy, Charlie Rosen, Bobby Wooten & Michael Olatuja, bass; Liann Cline, harp; Dave Cinquegrana, Nir Felder, & Charlie Rosen, guitar; Jared Schonig & Bryan Carter, drums; CELLI; Susan Mandel, Sasha Ono, Jessica Wang, Camille Dietrich, & Kristine Kruta, VIOLAS: Jarvis Benson, Kenny Wang, Laura Sacks, Matthew Beaugé, Midori Witkoski, Rosalie Samter, Sarah Haines, Tia Allen, Will Marshall & Yumi Oshima; VIOLINS: Alissa Jackman, Audrey Hayes, Camelia Hartman, Caroline Drexler, Daniel Constant, Eli Bishop, Francesca Dardani, Hannah Legrand, Josh Henderson, Justin Smith, Kevin Kuh, Lavinia Pavlish, Lucy Voin, Maria Im, Meitar Forkosh, Taniamesa, Tiffany Weiss & Tomoko Akaboshi, violin; ALTO SAXOPHONES: Andrew Gould, Josh Plotner, Adison Evans & Jordan Pettay; TENOR SAX: Sam Dillon, Zac Zinger, & Paul Jones; BARITONE SAX: Adison Evans, Andrew Gutauskas; Kyra Sims, French horn; FLUTES: Andrew Gould, Josh Plotner, Jordan Pettay; CLARINETS: Sam Dillon, Zac Zinger; Adison Evans & Andrew Gutauskas, bass clarinets; TRUMPETS: Bryan Davis, Jay Webb, John Lake, Chloe Rowlands, Max Boiko, Danny Jonokuchi, Matt Boiko, Marc Langer, Nick Frenay & Matthew Owens. TROMBONES: Jimmy O’Connell, Robert Ewards, Javier Nero, Rebecca Patterson, Ron Wilkens, Mariel Bildsten, Sara Jacovino, & Reginald Chapman III (also on tuba). VOCALS: Joel Waggoner, Clyde & Gracie Lawrence, Alan H. Green, Benny Benack III, Aisha Jackson & Johan Nilsson; BACKGROUND VOCALS: Badia Farha, D’nasya Jordan, Bryan Carter, Kate Steinberg, & Danielle Gimbal.

This is the 8-Bit Big Band’s fourth album release. They are a jazz-pops orchestra that is heavily influenced by rhythm and blues. Featuring a plethora of jazz vocalists and a horn section that recalls the days of Earth Wind & Fire and Tower of Power, they slam down tune after tune that are pulled from video game soundtracks. They are proud to be a Grammy-winning orchestra of between 30 to 65 members and this is a totally unique perspective for an orchestra to feature music from video games.

Their repertoire is unique, made from popular game music like “Super Mario 3D World” (Super Bell Hill) and “Final Fantasy 7” (Tifa’s Theme) plus many others plucked from the popular video game world. The 8-Bit Big Band puts a ’swing’ theme into many songs, with the exception of a few slower tunes included like “Pollyanna” with a funk beat and “Mabe Village” from ‘The Legend of Zelda Links Awakening’ that arranged as a slow swing.  “Tifa’s Theme” is a lovely ballad from ‘Final Fantasy 7’ featuring a stellar trumpet solo by Chloe Rowlands.  Not being a video gamer myself, I do not recognize these theme songs, but that didn’t dull the shine of a sparkling production full of orchestrated excitement, tight arrangements, and talented vocalists.  My only question is, with all those numerous participating master musicians who make up this magnificent orchestra, why is it called an 8-Bit Big Band?

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GARRY DIAL & RICH DeROSA – “KEEP SWINGIN’ the music of CHARLIE BANACOS – Outside in Music

Garry Dial, piano/arranger; Rich DeRosa, drums/arranger/triangle; Joe Hubbard, electric bass; Mike Stern & Wayne Krantz, electric guitar; Gerard D’Angelo, Helio Alves, & Plamen Karadonev. piano; Jeff Berlin, electric bass/piano/arranger; Luther Gray, drums; Mauricio Zottarelli, drums/percussion; Jeff Berlin, electric bass/piano/arranger; Matt Stavrakis, bass; Dick Oatts, alto saxophone; Terell Stafford & Phil Grenadier, trumpet; Paulo Levi, soprano saxophone; Victor Provost, steel pan/piano. The KEEP SWINGING HORN SECTION: Nick Marchione, trumpet/flugelhorn; Andrew Gould, alto sax/flute; Chris Oatts, tenor saxophone; Ryan Keberle, trombone; Gary Smulyan, baritone saxophone. GUEST BANDMEMEBERS: Jay Anderson, bass; David Witham, keyboards; John Riley & Tom Brechtlein, drums; Anne Drummond, alto flute; Paul Meyers, acoustic guitar; Itaiguara Brandão, electric bass; Rich DeRosa, drums; Margaret & Barbara Banacos, piano.

This collaborative project is co-led by renowned pianist and arranger, Garry Dial and arranger, drummer Rich DeRosa. Together, they decided to celebrate the legacy of a jazz educator and composer, Mr. Charlie Banacos.  Banacos was a musical visionary and solid jazz enthusiast who minted more than 100 courses of study that concentrated on improvisation and composition. He spent over fifty years teaching, inspiring and molding young talented jazz musicians into exceptional masters of their instruments. These ten tracks featuring the Banacos’ compositions are interpreted by devotees and friends like guitarist, Mike Stern, bassist. Jeff Berlin, tenor sax man, Jerry Bergonzi, electric bassist, Wayne Krantz and more.

They open with “Keep Swingin’” that sets the mood and tempo for this power-packed album of music. The title tune not only swings, but it’s also rooted in the blues. The arrangement features a soulful solo by Dick Oatts on alto saxophone and a bright, emotional trumpet solo by Terell Stafford. “Great Awakening” is a song reimagined by bassist, Joe Hubbard. Where the first track was full of big band swing, this song is much more contemporary. During his solo, the bass player shines in the spotlight, as well as providing a solid basement for this tune to build upon.  On the composition “Bat Cave” drummer John Riley takes a spirited solo. The horn section is dynamite and when Gary Smulyan steps out to solo on his baritone saxophone at a speedy pace, it’s better than butter!  I enjoy Garry Dial’s piano solo on “Pine Needles,” as well as the electric guitar of Mike Stern, who happens to be one of Banacos mentees. Another person inspired by Banacos brings his quintet to the party; Jerry Bergonzi on the tune, “Mummy’s Curse” with a wonderful arrangement by Garry Dial.

The Jerry Bergonzi Quintet features Jerry on tenor sax, Phil Grenadier on trumpet, Plamen Karadonev on piano, Matt Stavrakis plucks the double bass and is showcased during a short but impressive solo, as is Luther Gray on drums. This Quintet makes this Banacos tune come alive, pulsate, and dance. The amazing “Keep Swinging Horn Section” is dynamic throughout. The final tune is called “Pelaghia” and features Margaret and Barbara Banacos at the pianos.  It’s a very striking and beautiful duet.

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AFRO-PERUVIAN NEW TRENDS ORCHESTRA – “COSMIC SYNCHRONICITIES” – ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: CORINA BARTRA –  Blue Spiral Records

Corina Bartra, Artistic Director/composer/arranger; Santiago Belgrano & Holman Alvarez Davila, piano; Ben Willis, bass; Juan Carlos Polo, drums; Pedro Diaz, Peruvian cajon/conga; Dave Morgan, tenor saxophone; Cecilia Tenconi, & Marvin Carter, alto saxophone; Roger Garcia & Eli Asher, trumpet; Erick Storckman, trombone.

This is a packaged blend of Latin music, fusion, Afro-Peruvian, big band, and Straight-ahead jazz. You will experience all of that during this cosmic ride through the space of Corina Bartra’s compositions and creativity.  Bartra is the Artistic Director and composer of this project.  The music is multi-rhythmic, featuring tunes that encourage dancing to the warm Latin American beats. 

The album is plush with horns that create happy harmonies and often venture into the spotlight themselves, offering us individual and unique solos.  Many of the tunes celebrate various musical cultures other than Peruvian.  For example, “Ecstasy Green” (the opening tune) is Amazon-inspired.  “Baila y Goza” reflects not only Afro-Peruvian Festejo but also Cuban Guajira.  The “Latino Blues” composition reminds me of a tango.  When the band plays the traditional Peruvian tune “Palmere Siguayayay” you are introduced to the orchestra’s roots.  On a composition called “Tun Tun Tun – La Herida Oscura,” I am captured by the rhythms of Juan Carlos Polo on drums and Pedro Diaz on percussion.  The ensemble begins rubato, with a single horn singing it’s Latina story. Then the beat kicks in, reminding me of a slow trot across an open field.  Suddenly the tempo escalates and the horns blare.  A saxophone takes a jazzy solo and this composition becomes more like a suite of music than a single song.  One of my favorites on this album is called “Far Away” that makes me feel like I’m floating in a starry sky during the intro, then dances me onto a polished floor full of great harmonics and joyful people. It moves from Latin rhythms to Straight-ahead jazz swing, with metronome quickness and ease.

Corina Bartra was the first vocalist to blend Afro Peruvian and criolla music with jazz.  She pioneered subtle, but exciting instrumental textures in her compositions and arrangements. Critics have praised her for both her composing skills and her unique arranging for the Afro-Peruvian New Trends Orchestra.

Psychologists describe the word “synchronicity” as meaning unity in diversity.  Corina Bartra has another opinion when using this word in the album’s title.  It is meant to describe our cosmic consciousness and the realm of outer space that our music and creativity permeates. No matter the color, culture, or religion, when we breathe music into the universe, it is carried on the winds of time and, like love, it embraces our world and the universe with open arms.

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TONY MONACO TRIO – “OVER AND OVER” – Chicken Coup Records

Tony Monaco, Hammond B3 organ/composer; Reggie Jackson, drums; Zakk Jones, guitar.

In the mid-western city of Columbus, Ohio, Tony Monaco is a proud and popular citizen known for his amazing jazz organ-playing talents.  The world knows about Monaco from his thirteen album releases. Not only does he keep B3 organ jazz in the spotlight, he has composed every song on this album.  His abilities and talents match those we celebrate as jazz organ greats like Jack McDuff, Shirley Scott, Jimmy Smith, the great Larry Young, Jimmy McGriff and the late Joey DeFrancesco. In fact, it was Joey DeFrancesco who recognized Monaco’s musical talents and offered to produce his debut album back in 2000. The rest is history. Tony Monaco remains right up there with the best of the best.

Every song on this album is full of fire and melodic phrases that make you want to sing along. One of my favorites is titled, “One for Pat (Martino).  It’s a funky blues that swings hard and has a melody that sticks like glue. Monaco played with Pat Martino for three years.

With the rich assistance of drummer Reggie Jackson, who spent eleven years performing with jazz legend Dianne Schuur and a list of legendary names like Frank Foster, Benny Golson, Arturo Sandoval and Eddie Daniels, Jackson pushes the music ahead like a determined snowplow.  Zakk Jones brings his own sparkle and mastery to the party with his soulful guitar. Jones has toured the country with various groups from the Columbus Jazz orchestra to soul singers like The Coasters, saxophonist Lou Marini Jr., and trombonist John Fedchock.

Every song featured on Monaco’s jazz organ album is full of joy.  The title tune, “Over and Over (I want You)” makes me want to get up and dance. His tune “Ready Set Go” is straight-ahead jazz at its best. It was inspired by Monaco’s mentor, the great Jimmy Smith. This arrangement features Monaco, Jackson and Jones trading eights, (rather than fours) and becomes my second favorite on this spectacular album.

 “Sailboat” celebrates Latin jazz with changes very close to “Everything Happens to Me.”  They close out with a song that reminds me of the late, great soul singer, James Brown.  It’s funky and titled “Uprooted.”  Tony Monaco has something for everyone on this album. Enjoy!

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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 these compositions like short stories, 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 or 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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UNUSUAL & UNFORGETTABLE JAZZ RECORDINGS

By Dee Dee McNeil

November 5, 2023

ARUÁN ORTIZ – “PASTOR’S PARADOX” –  Cleanfeed Records

Aruán Ortiz, piano/voice/composer; Don Byron, clarinet/bass clarinet/voice; Pheeroan Aklaff, drums/voice; Lester St. Louis, cello; Yves Dhar, cello; Mtume Gant, spoken word.

The power and purpose of Dr. Martin Luther King’s words, spoken some sixty years ago at the March on Washington, are still relevant today.  They have become the inspiration for this experimental jazz project featuring the compositions and piano playing of Aruan Ortiz and a host of other respected jazz musicians.

Don Byron’s bass clarinet opens the title tune, “Pastor’s Paradox” and settles the mood down to a thoughtful, but richly dark place.  It is sad and heartbreaking that all these years later, the loving words in Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech are still blowing in the wind and dancing on the page, but humanity has not embraced racial, socio-economic justice in our current world. We are still polarized, one human being against another human being; religion against religion; race against race. Cuban-born, Aruán Ortiz, who is currently based in Brooklyn, NY, explores and reflects on King’s 1968 speech, also on “The Drum Major Instinct” speech delivered a few months before Dr. King’s assassination.

This year, Ortiz celebrates half a century on earth.  He brings an edginess, a wiseness, and an Avant-garde perspective to his musical interpretation of Dr. King’s frustrations with society. He shares with us Dr. King’s consistent fight for freedom and justice with words and music. During the composition titled, “The Dream That Wasn’t Meant to be Ours” Pheeroan Aklaff soaks up the spotlight on drums.  His trap drums tell the story, along with the rich cello of Lester St. Louis.  When the voice of Mtume Gant brings prose to the bandstand, words slap us across the face like a wet rag. Gant refers to the ‘Drum Major Instinct’ speech, and I praise the engineer who mixed these instruments and vocals to perfection.  We hear every word, every beat, each cello note, in St. Louis’ crystal-clear delivery.

You will feel anger, rebellion, and power in many of these compositions.  But you will also hear the tenderness and selflessness of a movement to help others. These musical messages are wrapped like sacred gifts in angel-wing paper. 

“He was very revolutionary for this time.  He was fighting for not only racial equality for Black America, but also for women’s rights and Latino rights, oftentimes against a very turbulent backdrop.  Acknowledging that is where I got the idea for the title, Pastor’s Paradox,” Aruan Ortiz explains in his liner notes.

Throughout “Pastor’s Paradox” the band depicts turbulence and cacophonous sounds of police, brutality, loud sirens, and the desperate cries of a people under siege.  You hear it in the music and feel it in your spirit.  I was especially touched by the brutal energy and screaming clarinet and arpeggio piano excursions that interpreted “From Montgomery to Memphis (to April 4^th).” That date brings back bitter memories for me, because I was alive and conscious when Dr. King was assassinated on April 4^, 1968. 

Ortiz pushes the political clutter out of his way to hone-in on withering injustice.  His improvisational and heavily Avant-garde music has been written for jazz ensembles, orchestras, dance companies, chamber groups and feature films. On this project, as a pianist, violist and composer, Aruán Ortiz has created a 21^st century chamber-music/jazz work that celebrates the power of music to represent the enduring influence of history.  His compositions represent the never-ending determination of humanity to become more good, than evil; more loving, than hateful; more artistic, than capitalistic.  In this work, Aruán Ortiz endeavors to offer us hope for a better future and musical prayers for a more peaceful world.

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TERELL STAFFORD – “BETWEEN TWO WORLDS” – Le Cog Records

Terell Stafford, trumpet/flugelhorn/composer/arranger; Bruce Barth, piano/composer/arranger; David Wong, bass; Johnathan Blake, drums; Alex Acuña, percussion; Tim Warfield, tenor & soprano saxophones.

It’s amazing how the pandemic affected our jazz community.  Music becomes a historic reference when you listen-back and recall what you were going through when a certain song was popular. It’s a historic marker when you’re composing music, or when you recall playing music during a certain period in life.. Perhaps Terell Stafford exemplifies this when he explains, in his press package, how he felt when he brought his sextet to the famed Village Vanguard New York jazz club in July of 2020.

“It really impacted me emotionally and spiritually, driving into an empty city with no traffic, to make music at a time when the world was shut down was mind-blowing to me,” Terell recalls.

The empty room was startling.  Four cameramen were there to capture the concert for posterity and livestream. Those four human beings were the only ‘live’ audience.  Surrounded by an all-star band, the title tune composed by Victor Lewis spoke to Stafford in a way that inspired this album and embraced that time in our lives. A time when we lost over one-million American citizens to COVID. Three years after this unforgettable plague, we are still shell-shot, like victims of war, with masks in our dresser drawers that remind us of a shut-down, grievous time. “Between Two Worlds” is Stafford’s emotional, musical response to a terrifying time.

The band comes racing off my CD player like the Indianapolis 500; full speed ahead.  On this Victor Lewis opening tune, you meet each music master in Stafford’s sextet.  The group is furiously propelled forward by Johnathan Blake on trap drums and Alex Acuña on percussion.  Stafford’s trumpet bolts out of the gate with full force.  Each of his ensemble steps energetically into the lonesome spotlight with kick-ass solos. I feel the anxiety and release in this arrangement as these master musicians, all masked up and ready for battle, musically reflect the beauty of the music and the terror of the times.

The next tune that wraps arms of sincerity around me is one written by Terell titled “Two hearts As One.”  It’s a very sensuous ballad with a stunning solo by David Wong on double bass.  The Straight-ahead composition that follows is also written by Stafford and swings its way into my listening room like Jackie Robinson when he smacked the ball out the stadium. You can tell on that July 2020 evening; those jazz musicians came to play their blues away and kick down the isolation door. “Room 608” quickly becomes another favorite with Bruce Barth offering a swinging piano solo richly embellished by Blake’s demanding drums. Billy Strayhorn’s “Blood Count” tune is beautifully played and arranged by Bruce Barth. Barth also contributes his composition, “Manaus at Dusk,” where Tim Warfield puts his tenor saxophone down and picks up his soprano saxophone to deliver a memorable solo. Acuña shines on percussion.

Terell sounds absolutely gorgeous interpreting McCoy Tyner’s tune, “You Taught My heart to Sing.”  There’s an old saying, accompanied by a wink, and spoken in music circles that says: “You can’t lose with the blues!”  Terell and his group remind us of this truth with their final original tune, “Wruth’s Blues.”

“Between Two Worlds” clearly describes the life of Terell Stafford in a wider way than just the pandemic. It reflects the dual roles in his personal life, sometimes as sideman, other times as bandleader; as musician and educator, serving as Chair of Instrumental Studies and Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University.  He’s a husband and father, administrator and teacher, composer, arranger, and a trumpet player with a strong perspective. Yes, this album title seems appropriate on many levels, as Terell offers music that will move you, invigorate you and rejuvenate life’s importance. With his music, Terell Stafford reminds us that in some ways, we are all life-jugglers carefully balancing “Between Two Worlds.” 

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BOWMANVILLE – “BOWMANVILLE” – Stoneagle Music

Ethan Adelsman, violin/composer; Graham Nelson, vocals/harmonica; Mason Jiller, guitar/composer; Oliver Horton & Ethan Phillion, bass; Noah Plotkin, drums.

The “Bowmanville” group, based in Chicago, offers us a totally unique sound of their own that combines aspects of Django Reinhardt’s style from the Hot Club of France days, with their gutsy Chicago Blues history.  It’s quite captivating.  The use of harmonica and violin in close harmonic arrangements, along with mason Jiller’s strong guitar technique, transports us to another space and time.  Mason has composed track #2, “Metal Bird” carefully mixing Latin music, swing, and a bluesy, country/western-two-step-kind of music style into the arrangement.  Like a quilt of many cultures, this music covers me with a warm, happy feeling. Ethan Adelsman’s sweet violin opens “Don’t Forget It” and he has also composed this tune.  Ethan, along with Mason Jiller on guitar, hold a short conversation until Graham Nelson’s harmonica joins the conversation.  This is a very lovely, melodic song. 

Violinist, Ethan Adelsman has performed gypsy jazz, bluegrass, rock, classical and Latin jazz before forming this “Bowmanville” group.  I hear all those musical styles within this production.  On “Boiano Campobasso” they are back to the Django Reinhardt’s influence and the group swings hard. “Fly Me To the Moon” is that old familiar standard we all know and love, featuring Graham Nelson on sometime off-pitch vocals.  I prefer the group as an instrumental ensemble and enjoy Nelson’s talents on harmonica.  On “Caravan” the arrangement sounds very Middle Eastern.  “La Vie En Rose” is presented sweetly featuring Adelsman’s violin and then surprises me by moving into a spirited swing groove.  This unforgettable production is both well-written and the musicians present a tight, entertaining, instrumental package. The vocals probably work in ‘live’ performances, but they don’t add to the musical quality of Bowmanville as a complete recorded package.

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RUSS JOHNSON QUARTET – “REVEAL” – Calligram Records

Russ Johnson, trumpet/composer; Mark Feldman, violin; Ethan Philion, bass; Timothy Daisy, drums.

To “Reveal” is to make previously unknown or secret information known.  Trumpeter Russ Johnson has written nine compositions for this project that he is sharing with his listening audience for the first time, unveiling his composition skills along with his trumpet mastery.  This is a quartet without piano or guitar, often referred to as a chord-less ensemble.  The string master of mark Feldman’s violin and Ethan Philion’s bass create a unique rhythm section with Timothy Daisy on drums.  This quartet embraces Avant-grade jazz and freedom with the same pulse of breathing in and out.

They open with “Skips” a tune that conjures up happy children skipping down the avenue.  Track #3 is titled “Long Branch (for Jamie Branch)” and is seven minutes of the trumpet and violin sharing a creative and continuous conversation, with Ethan Philion’s bass supporting their musical speeches.  I might note that Jamie Branch, who died in August of 2022, was a well-respected avant-garde trumpet player.  She blended Punk Rock intensity with her commitment to experimentation and invigorated the music scene of both New York and Chicago.  She was only thirty-nine years old when she passed.

“My entire career has been built on playing music in the cracks between ‘modern jazz’ and more ‘improvised’ music,” explains bandleader, Russ Johnson, who tributed a tune to young Jamie.

“Mark Feldman is obviously one of the great violinists and improvisors of our time.  We met in New York, but only played together a couple of times.  When Mark moved to Chicago, I knew I had to create a new project around him,” Johnson, a Chicago based musician shared.

“Veiled Invitation” gives a platform to bassist, Ethan Philion where he blends with the violin to set mood and tempo, then steps into the spotlight with a solo that dazzles.  This tune is quite beautiful, with a melody that appears like a rainbow after the other stormy tunes have played-out.  It shows the tender side of Russ Johnson’s trumpet.  On “Dog Gone It” Daisy brings the funk to the party on his drums, locking hands with Philion’s bass line.  Mark Feldman let’s his violin tremble and fly above the funky groove, while Russ Johnson’s trumpet scats emphasis and energy, singing along with the violin, at times in unison and other times harmonically pleasing.

If experimental music is something you treasure, this is a crucial work of fluid improvisation and modern jazz to please your ears.

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KEVIN SUN – “THE DEPTHS OF MEMORY” – Endectomorph Music

Kevin Sun, tenor saxophone/composer; Adam O’Farrill, trumpet; Dana Soul, piano; Walter Stinson & Simon Willson, bass; Matt Honor & Dayeon Seak, drums.

This music by Kevin Sun, developed during the pandemic lockdown, reflects on life, healthy living, and metamorphosis. In a double disc album set, Sun opens with seven tunes. The first suite is titled “From All This Stillness.”  The composer and tenor sax man, Kevin Sun, opens with “Frozen in Profile” featuring his saxophone as the central instrument. Soon, Dana Soul joins on piano, playing the upper register like a lovely tune from a music box. Track #2, “Interior Choruses” is rooted deeply in modern jazz and experimental music, as the players shift from space to space, solo to solo, each gives the other room to expand and explore. 

The “Eponymous Cycle” consists of three compositions simply titles 1, 11, and 111.  All the compositions are over seven minutes long and the first is quite beautiful and nearly nine minutes in length.  I look up the meaning of the noun ‘eponym.’  It reflects celebration of a name or word derived from a person or a discovery or an invention.  In this case, his press package explains that the person he is celebrating is Charlie Parker. Sun was inspired by a live 1950 Charlie Parker recording that featured Bird’s extended solo, dancing atop the changes of the blues tune, “Fine & Dandy.”  Sun enjoyed pulling the raw material from the Bird solo and expanding on the great man’s creativity to compose these three nameless songs. 

With time on his hands during the pandemic, Sun explained, “What I really wanted to do was get together with my friends and play, but we couldn’t do that.  So, my imagination ran wild.”

To further explain this two-disc release he said:

“I wanted the feeling of being swept along on a current of musical thought over a long period of time.  I was hoping to capture that relatively rare feeling of just taking a long walk when it’s nice out, looking at leaves and trees, feeling the wind.  It should be a transporting experience as opposed to the more normal daily experience, where we live with a virtual world full of constant interruptions, disruptions, and notifications.”

This is a conceptual explanation, but I did not always feel this way while listening to Sun’s music.  Admittedly, music affects different people in different ways. Like the title of this column, I did find the music unusual.

Disc #2 “The Depths in Slow Motion” continues with music that is improvisational and gives Sun’s modern jazz musical ensemble an opportunity to step center stage and share their talents with us, using individual solo opportunities.  Many of the Disc Two compositions, and the resulting arrangements, left me feeling a bit perplexed.  I missed the lyrical beauty and warm grooves that I’m drawn to, music that makes me tap my toes or makes me smile. Disc #2 did not encourage my smile to appear. It was, at times, repetitious and reminded me of the new era of Hip Hop ‘loops.’

Kevin Sun has performed extensively in China and served as Artistic Director of the Blue Note China Jazz Orchestra.

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CARLOS HENRIQUEZ – “A NUYORICAN TALE” –  Independent Label

Carlos Henriquez, bass/chorus; Jeremy Bosch, flute/vocals; Robert Rodriguez, piano/chorus/ Fender Rhodes; Anthony Almonte, congas/chorus; Obed Calvaire, drums; Melissa Aldana, tenor saxophone; Marshall Gilkes, trombone; Terrel Stafford, trumpet; Mike Rodriguez, trumpet/ chorus.

The choir pumps the joyful music of Carlos Henriquez into my listening room, as they sing with gusto, “Nuyorican Soul.”  Henriquez, a Bassist, and composer, is deeply rooted in the Nuyorican culture. One purpose of this album is to shine a light on the complexity of Puerto Ricans who relocated to New York City, bringing their happy music and colorful culture to the shores of America.

Carlos is the bass player for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.  One of his musical goals has been to record the wonderful stories of the Puerto Rican People, and for that he has received wide acclaim.  “A Nuyorican Tale” becomes a history lesson that documents, with musical anecdotes and composition titles, stories of his people.  All music is composed by Carlos Henriques and Track #2, called “Bodegas Groove” has a slow sexy pulse, plush with percussion.  Henriquez takes a bass solo that’s rich and provocative, using his bow to coach the melody from his instrument. What I love about the Carlos solo is his ability to swing hard, keeping the groove alive-and-well, making me shout “Yeah” like I’m in a club. The trumpet solo soars and Jeremy Bosch struts his stuff on flute.  Each song rolls off this very energy-driven project with ebullience.  The bass of Carlos Henriquez spurs the original music ahead and the horn section adds color and power to the production.  Henriquez tributes Thelonious Monk with his “Afro Monk” original tune.  Carlos takes a creative solo and then gives Robert Rodriguez an opportunity to have his piano spotlighted with the keys splashing Latin, African, and swing rhythms. Henriquez’s composition “My Isla Bonita” is a sweet ballad with a lyrical melody. 

Following in the footsteps of his GRAMMY-nominated 2021 album, “The South Bronx Story,” Henriquez’s latest album is reflective of his Puerto Rican roots and his egalitarian cultural life stories are reflected in the compositions on this album.  When you hear “Robert’s Red Line” a joyous sounding song with the choir singing and led by Jeremy Bosch, the lyrics are actually not so happy:

                “ Red-line in the city, that’s incomplete. The prouder you are the harder you fall to succeed.  Look down by the riverside and you’ll see. They’re breaking us down, building as far as you see.”

This is actually the story of “red-lining” by the powers that be, when urban planner, Robert Moses, declared a mostly Puerto Rican neighborhood a slum, causing residents to find it impossible to get loans to help them relocate when city planners came to restructure their neighborhood.  This is one of my favorite compositions by Carlos Henriquez on this album. I love the horn harmonics on the “Ritmo’s 53” tune, featuring a demanding trumpet solo and a bass line that walks briskly beneath this production, making this tune Afro-Caribbean, Straight-ahead, all at once.  Marshall Gilkes shows off his mad talents on trombone.  This quickly becomes another favorite.  The ensemble closes on a hopeful note, with “Winds of Change” blowing a hopeful melody through the bell of the horns and featuring a delightful solo by Melissa Aldana on tenor saxophone, accentuated by Anthony Almonte’s congas and Obed Calvaire’s power-driven drums.  This is a musical experience that brings history, culture, and jazz together as a well-written package of Puerto Rican pride and ethos.

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GREGORY LEWIS – “ORGAN MONK GOING HOME” – Sunnyside Records

Gregory Lewis, organ/composer; Kevin McNeal, guitar; Nasheet Waits, drums.

What a wonderful surprise to discover this “Organ Monk Going Home” album of Gregory Lewis interpreting the compositions of Thelonious Monk on his organ.  He offers us seven arrangements of Monk’s tunes and one original that he composed called “Jaclyn’s Eyes.”  Lewis called on the powerful talents of Nasheet Waits on drums and Kevin McNeal on guitar to join him in this creative exploration of Monk’s genius. 

Gregory Lewis recalls first discovering Thelonious Monk music in his father’s stack of LPs.  Even as a child, he was fascinated by Monk’s unique and unforgettable music.  Years of practice and patience has led to this recording.  Lewis has long been fascinated by his African roots and the historic music of jazz, developed by Black Americans to represent freedom in a country that consistently has denied them.  Consequently, a trip to Zimbabwe inspired his CD cover.  Returning to his motherland of Africa was a long-term dream that finally came to realization after the COVID pandemic subsided.  Now with his roots solidly planted in Monk music and his visit to the Zimbabwe community, Gregory Lewis has named this musical exploration “Organ Monk Going Home.”  He embraces the history of both a continent and a jazz man whose music changed the complexion of America’s classical and original music called jazz!  You will enjoy the Gregory Lewis interpretations of familiar tunes like “Evidence” and “Brilliant Corners” and some more obscure compositions by Thelonious like “Brake’s Sake” and “Gallop’s Gallop.”  This is a fresh and satisfying album of Monk’s music, using an organ perspective to interpret the great composer’s music in Gregory’s own remarkable way. Kevin McNeal’s guitar accompaniment, and Nasheet Waits on drums bring their own sense of urgency, style, and brilliance to this project.

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ELSA NILSSON, SANTIAGO LEIBSON, MARTY KENNEY, RODRIGO RECABARREN – “PULSES” – Ears and Eyes Records

Elsa Nilsson, flute/FX/composer; Santiago Leibson, piano; Marty Kenney, bass; Rodrigo Recabarren, drums.

The haunting beauty of a flute announcement stuns the silence. Santiago Leibson tinkers with the piano keys, answering the reed instrument and encouraging conversation.

            “A Rock, a river, a tree,” recites Maya Angelo from her poem “On the Pulse of Morning.”

Her voice surprises and warms me.

            “Hosts to species long since departed, marked the mastodon, the dinosaur, who left dried tokens of their sojourn here on our planet floor, any broad alarm of their hastening doom is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.  But today, the rock cries out to us,” she continues. 

The piano plays unison with Angelou’s poetic warning.  The drum enters and it beats out a percussive message, encouraged by Rodrigo Recabarren.  This is a project of message and moods, a protest for freedom.  It’s an exploration into experimental music and improvised solos from each musical participant. Arrangements that carefully support the poem and the poet.  Angelou’s poem speaks of war, peace and promise.  It is broken up into pieces, and these musicians sing it wordlessly, imploring us to listen, LISTEN!

            “The African, the Native American, the Sioux, the Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek, the Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheik, the gay, the straight, the Preacher, the privileged, the homeless, the teacher.  They hear.  They all hear the speaking of the tree,” Maya reminds us of our humanness, our frailness, our warmongering amidst all creation.

Here is a heartbeat on disc, a march without feet that beats and stomps like a caged man.  It’s also a lovely way to introduce the unread to the work of grand poetess, Maya Angelou, and to seal her work in vinyl, in cardboard, and in plastic. Elsa Nilsson and her band are keeping it safe for the next generation and all those to follow. This music is meant to open us up, like a can of truth, and spill over into the ever-after, onto the rock, and soak into the roots of the tree.

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BIG BOISTEROUS BEAUTIFUL RECORDINGS THAT CELEBRATE JAZZ

By Dee Dee McNeil

October 28, 2023

HILARIO DURÁN & HIS LATIN JAZZ BIG BAND – “CRY ME A RIVER” – Alma Records

Hilario Durán, piano/conductor/arranger; Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, drums; Jorge Luis Torres “Papiosco,” congas/percussion; Magdelys Savigne, congas; Luis Mario Ochoa, guitar; Roberto Occhipinti, Roberto Riveron & Marc Rogers, bass; Luis Mario Ochoa, guitar; Elizabeth Rodriguez, vocals/violin; Paquito D’ Rivera, alto saxophone/clarinet;  Alexis Baró, Kevin Turcotte, Alexander Brown & Brian Okane, trumpet; Colleen Allen, alto saxophone/flute; Andy Ballantyne, alto saxophone/clarinet/alto flute; Luis Deniz, Alto saxophone; Jeff king & Kelly Jefferson, tenor saxophone & clarinet; Pol Coussée, baritone saxophone/bass clarinet; Christian Overton, Karl Silveira & Rob Somerville, trombone; Peter Hysen, bass trombone.

A burst of musical energy dances into my listening room, led by pianist Hilario Durán. The horns blare, and the percussion accentuates the groove as guitarist, Luis Mario Ochoa takes a stellar solo. This is the kind of music where you can’t be still.  Your hips beg to shake, and your feet tap without your permission. 

The Grammy nominated and Juno Award-winning Durán brings his unfettered artistry to this project, painting bright colors with broad strokes.  The universe is his palate, and his musical arrangements create breathtaking art.  Known for his ability to bend tradition and enhance it with modern jazz techniques, he also showcases exciting musicians who deliver his arrangements with power and punch. Durán’s piano brilliance is obvious throughout this production.

“I have waited almost twenty years to record another big band album. It was great to showcase my music and to workshop some new arrangements … aspects of the craft I learned working with the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna in Habana, which I inherited from Chucho Valdes … So much to be grateful for! … it seemed that the time is right for this new album,” Durán shared in his press package.

Recently he participated in four radio broadcasts that featured his compositions and arrangements with the great WDR Big Band in Koln, Germany.  This could have inspired the “Cry Me A River” project.  But regardless of the reason, what a joy to listen to Hilario Durán and his Latin Jazz Big Band. Every song and each arrangement are sparkling stars shining on the breast of the universe.  When they play the beautiful ballad, “Claudia,” written by the great Chucho Valdez, it takes my breath away.  During Durán’s tribute to Charles Mingus, he features Mark Rogers on bass to begin this original composition. Rogers growls his way across the double bass strings, with his opening solo quite memorable.  However, the warmth is brought by Paquito D’Rivera’s emotional horn solo.  When a master speaks, you listen! 

The title tune is steeped in Latin rhythms, pushed forward by the cowbell and congas of Magdelys Savigne.  Elizabeth Rodriguez adds her lovely vocals to the mix and stuns me with her violin improvisation!  Suddenly, the arrangement pushes forward like a freight train, with call and response fueling the piece. We no longer want to cry, but instead we want to get up, sing and shout with joy!  This is an outstanding arrangement and once again Hilario Durán’s brilliance as an arranger is on full display for all to appreciate.

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JOHN WOJCIECHOWSKI – “SWING OF THE PENDULUM” – Afar Music

John Wojciechowski, tenor saxophone/alto flute; Xavier Davis, piano; Clark Sommers, bass/ composer; Dana Hall, drums/cymbals.

When I think big, beautiful, and boisterous, I would have to list John Wojciechowski under this title.  From the first eight bars of his composition, “The leaves Fall to the Ground,” his powerful tenor saxophone establishes his talent and excellence.  Originally from the Motor City (Detroit) he has been a respected performer and educator on the Chicago, Illinois music scene for two decades.  His tenor tone is round, bold, and captivating.  He reminds me of the 1960 jazz scene in Detroit, when the Minor Key was the spot to be and Coltrane, Miles and Art Blakey were grinding out new jazz territory across the country.  His compositions reflect that energy and insight.  Using an all-star trio, Xavier Davis is outstanding on piano throughout.  The 4^th cut, “Peripheral Vision” features Clark Sommers on bass at the top, setting the tempo and mood.  Dana Hall’s drums remind me of Ahmad Jamal grooves from yesteryear. This is another winning composition by Wojciechowski. 

On the dynamic composition, ”Mind’s Eye,” the melody is like a stamp on my brain.  It sings along in my head like an old familiar tune.  Xavier Davis takes the opportunity to show off his mad skills on the 88-keys, setting the spotlight on fire.  Dana Hall is aflame during this tune, powerfully incinerating everything in his path with percussive mastery. This arrangement recalls the great era of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy.  John Wojciechowski is a driving force throughout this album, not only because of his beautifully written compositions, but his tenor saxophone talent is formidable and awe-inspired!

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MADRE VACA – “KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE” – Madre Vaca Records

Jarrett Carter, guitar; Jonah Pierre, piano; Thomas Milovac, bass; Benjamin Shorstein, drums/composer; Juan Rollan, saxophone; Lance Reed, trombone; Steve Strawley, trumpet; Milan Algood, percussion; Rebecca Shorstein, voice; Molly Sweet, clarinet; Michael Emmert, flute.

This album has a storyline that reads like a King Arthur novel.  As you may recall, the Knights of the Round Table are the legendary order of knights who were dedicated to defending King Arthur.  The group, Madre Vaca, performs a ten-part jazz suite that tells this historic story with music, beginning with “The Lady of the Lake” as a haunting jazz waltz.  The next tune employs trumpets and a rhythm that reminds me of a marching army.  It is titled “Galahad” and includes a vocal by Rebecca Shorstein. This is dramatic music that features Jonah Pierre brightly on piano and on the 3^rd track, “Excalibur” that musically tells the story of a fearsome and terrible weapon. It’s even more valuable than the sword, for it renders the wearer invincible.  The next tune in the suite is “The Knights of the Round Table” and means to depict, with musical arrangement, the brave soldiers serving King Arthur, whose purpose was always for the good of the community. This music is written to support their code of chivalry, courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to support the weak. Jarrett Carter is brightly featured on guitar and a chorus of voices splash like unexpected waves across dry sand.  The Juan Rollan saxophone brings jazz to the shoreline and drenches us with his provocative saxophone solo.

Benjamin Shorstein is a respected composer, equally comfortable writing and performing classical music and/or jazz. This project sounds like a Broadway musical soundtrack or a film score.

Shorstein plays both drums and vibes with a traditional jazz group (Backdoor Stompers Vol. 1) and is one of the founders of Madre Vaca.  He has performed at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, played on soundtracks and his current group, “Madre Vaca,” is made up of some of the top modern jazz musicians in the Jacksonville, Florida area. This music is quite creative and includes an explanatory album booklet where you will enjoy reading about each arrangement while you listen to the originality.

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PETER XIFARAS – “FUSION” – Music With No Expiration

Peter Xifaras, guitar/keyboards; Shunzo Ohno, trumpet; Xander Nichting, violin; Max Gerl, bass; Scott Jackson, drums/percussion; Czech National Symphony Orchestra.

In his career, Peter Xifaras has been consistent in climbing Billboard’s classical and crossover music charts.  He is known for exploring genres, including spoken word, symphonic music, and jazz fusion.  On this project, he offers us a compelling and entertaining seven songs of original music. He plays guitar, keyboards and is joined by the talented Japanese trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, virtuoso violinist, Xander Nichting, creative bassist, Max Gerl (who pumps the group with groove and energy), and Scott Jackson on both drums and percussion.  This is beautiful, laid-back fusion jazz that invites the listener to take a magic carpet ride with Xifaras and his group of master musicians.  We are whisked up into space, propelled by Scott Jackson’s hypnotic beats and the melodic guitar of Peter’s creation. The Xifaras song, “Wild and Free” feels comfortable and it’s driven by the keyboard and a bass line that hypnotizes.  It sounds more ‘mild and free’ than wild, but it’s a delightful listen and sweetly melodic. The “B Blues” quickly becomes one of my favorites, with its staccato beats and the Shunzo Ohno trumpet spitting the melody out with candy-covered notes. Jackson’s funky beat holds hands with Max Gerl’s bass line. They intoxicate me with the groove. Peter’s guitar solo is splendiferous.

A lot of fusion music just sounds like repetitive loops, but Peter Xifaras and his group offer us much more.  His compositions lend themselves to creative melodies and they stabilize the tunes with beautifully played improvisational solos. After studying guitar, and playing in rock bands briefly, Xifaras then sank his teeth into jazz and classical guitar during college.  This was before he decided to open a recording studio.  Thus, he established his record label, “Music With No Expiration” and began mastering his engineering techniques. Peter is proud of his “Children of Conflict” release, an award-winning recording that focuses on social justice.  Although this current recording features ‘fusion’ music, Peter Xifaras embraces a number of genres, always striving to be unique and innovative.  His music ranges from classical and jazz fusion to cinematic, orchestral, and spoken word. I found beauty and inspiration in every song on this album and look forward to his next release.

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MIKE DAVIS – “THE NEW WONDERS” – Turtle Bay Records
Mike Davis, cornet/vocals; Jared Engel, banjo; Dalton Ridenhour, piano; Jay Lepley, drums/vocals; Ricky Alexander, clarinet/alto saxophone/vocals; Joe McDonough, trombone; Jay Rattman, bass saxophone/vocals.

Some of today’s younger generation has re-discovered the music of the 1920s and 1930s, a style that formerly hung its hat on the traditional “trad” music.  This band is called “The New Wonders” and is modeled after cornet king, Bix Beiderbecke, an influential jazz musician in the 1920s along with the great Louis Armstrong. The cornet player and vocalist, Mike Davis is the brainchild of this group, The New Wonders.  He has been at the forefront of the traditional jazz movement in New York for the last ten years.  Davis comes from a household smothered in music.  His parents were both in the Seattle Symphony and he was studying cornet at the ripe old age of nine. At 18-years-old he enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music and left Seattle for the shores of New York City.  Every Tuesday night, at Mona’s Bar in Manhattan, Davis discovered Trad Jazz Jam Sessions.  He became a regular, soaking up the old-time style and boisterous music of the 1920s.

“I was particularly taken with Bix Beiderbecke for his pure sound and ability to play extended solos that told a story, which was not the norm of that time,” Mike Davis explained his fascination with Beiderbecke.

Although this journalist is not a big fan of Trad music, I found beauty and light-hearted, danceable tunes on this album that made me smile and captured a space in time we rarely hear. At times, it reminded me of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and the heyday of the Charlston dance rage.  It also threw me back to the days of Barber Shop quartets. This young man and his group of Trad musicians are rejuvenating an era of music that was born and bred in America decades ago. 

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KEVIN HAYS, BEN STREET, BILLY HART – “BRIDGES” – Smoke Sessions Records

Kevin Hays, piano/composer; Ben Street, bass; Billy Hart, drums/composer.

On his 80^th birthday, Billy Hart got together with Kevin Hays and Ben Street at the Smoke Jazz Club.  It was in December of 2020.  The final ‘epidemic’ days, where COVID had us all in a state of emergency, were terrorizing the world. The trio gathered for a celebratory birthday concert and to livestream their music on Billy’s 80^th year.  It was, a rare moment of divine communion and an inspired moment of musical camaraderie.  That recorded concert became a debut album called “All Things Are.”  The trio is back with this second album titled, “Bridges.”  For one, they bridge generations. 

“In this world that seems to be crumbling beneath our feet, we sense the need to make allies where there might be adversaries,” the 80-year-old Hart explained one of their goals.

Young Hays, on piano, first met Hart when Kevin was only eighteen.  It was his first trip to Europe, touring with a band led by Tony Moreno.  They shared a bill with Quest, the legendary quartet co-led by Dave Libman and Richie Beirach with Hart as their drummer.

“I was introduced to Billy after he had just finished a gig,” Hays recalls.  “He didn’t know me from Adam, and he just looked at me with this blank stare and said, I’m curious about you.  You want to play something?”

That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  When it comes to Ben Street, the bassist says it boils down to the chemistry between the musicians.  “In this trio, I get to see another side of Billy Hart,” he explains in the liner notes.

“What makes him so special is the way that he responds to each musician.  I’ve played in his quartet for twenty years, but when I play with him in the context of playing with Kevin Hays, it’s like seeing another whole facet of Billy’s world.  It’s amazing.”

Hays has composed the opening song “Butterfly” and “Song for Peace” that sounds somewhat dirge-like and deeply introspective, but beautiful!  The Hays ‘take’ on Lennon & McCartney’s “With a Little Help from My Friends.” It’s fresh, fun, and artistically creative.  Then the trio plays another one of the Hays originals, “Row Row Row.” In my mind I immediately add “ … your boat gently down the stream.”  His tune is nothing at all like that old nursery rhyme song, but instead Is quite classically based and melodically interesting.  Although Kevin’s compositions are lovely, I long for more energy and excitement.  Billy Hart has written “Irah.” I was hoping his drums would splash this project with some pizazz.  Instead, “Irah” continues with the same moderate tempo’d path of easy listening and classically fused jazz arrangements.  They close with the title tune, written by the great Milton Nascimento, “Bridges.”  I just kept wanting this arrangement to have Street’s bass walk straight ahead and a bit of the blues to poke a shy head towards the studio mike and howl a while.  This would be the perfect tune to change the ‘laid-back’ approach Kevin Hays seems to enjoy and break free, pushing at his boundaries and coloring outside the lines.  That’s what’s missing for me.  I want to see some musical paint that splashes outside the lines.

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ANGELA DENIRO with THE RON APREA BIG BAND 2 – “SWINGIN’ WITH LEGENDS” – Early Autumn Productions

Angela DeNiro, vocals; Ron Aprea, conductor/arranger; Cecilia Coleman, piano; Tim Givens, bass/vocals; Jonathan Mele, drums; Todd Bashore, 1^ST alto saxophonist/flute; Elijah Schiffer, 2^nd alto saxophonist/flute; Nathan childers, 1^st tenor saxophone/flute/clarinet; Lee Greene, 2^nd tenor saxophone/flute/clarinet; Doug Dehays, baritone saxophone/clarinet/bass clarinet; Bryan Davis, 1^st trumpet; Chris Persad, 2^nd trumpet; Matthew Timm & Shawn Edmonds, trumpets; Wayne Goodman, 1^st trombone; Matt Haviland & Brandon Moodie, trombones; Dale Turk, bass trombone; GUESTS: Lew Tabackin, tenor saxophone/flute; Ken Peplowski, clarinet; Randy Brecker, trumpet.

Angela DeNiro knows how to swing and has a range that compliments tunes like “You’d Be So Easy to Love” letting the notes swing like jump ropes, her voice leaping from alto to head register in the wink of an eye.  She leads the big band on an examination of their beloved NYC with the opening tune titled, “New York City Blues,” composed by Quincy Jones and vocalist Peggy Lee.  It features the brilliant trumpet of Bryan Davis and Ken Peplowski on clarinet. On the third cut, Randy Brecker opens the tune with an improvisational excursion, playing atop the chord changes in a beautiful, ballad kind-of-way. When the band bursts onto the scene, they swing hard and Angela DeNiro is the voice that sings with gusto, “Hello Young Lovers, wherever you are” with conviction. Brecker returns to solo before DeNiro returns at the bridge of the song and crosses it emphatically. You can tell the vocalist has been singing jazz most of her life.  She’s seasoned and steady, powerful, and secure in her talent.

At times she exhibits a bit too much tremolo, that sometimes comes after years of performing. You hear it on “A House is Not a Home.”  Still, this does not diminish her emotional involvement.  Ron Aprea arranges “Willow Weep for Me” with an up-tempo version that features Todd Bashore on alto saxophone and a blustering horn section.

Angela DeNiro and husband Ron Aprea have been married nearly half a century. Musically, I can feel the trust and comfort level they share. The band incorporates some of the giants of our time including tenor saxophonist Lew Tabackin on “It Might as Well Be Spring.”  Angela DeNiro and Ron Aprea’s Big Band offer us fourteen love songs, many that are standards we recognize. These arrangements dance and leap with ballet-like grace, but also pack the power-punch of a heavy weight boxer. Ron Aprea’s Big Band is formidable, with DeNiro’s vocals adding spice and lyrical beauty to the project.

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CARL COX – “UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE” – Independent Label

Carl Cox, saxophone/composer; Michael Ianeri, guitar/composer; Isaac Monts, drums; Mario Crew, drum samples; Asa Livingston & Jermaine Childs, bass; Kevin Prince, percussion; Chris “Big Dog” Davis, composer/producer.

The album opens with a Cox & Davis original song, “Breakin’ Away,” that features a power-packed percussion solo to open the arrangement.  It’s a contemporary production with high energy and features the soulful tenor saxophone of Cox. It’s a very bluesy, smooth jazz piece that gets your toes tapping and fingers snapping.  On “Get It” the bassline propels this melodic tune forward, with a strength that’s locked tightly in place by the drummer.  It was cowritten by guitarist Adam Hawley.  This is the second album release for Cox. It offers a funky blend of contemporary jazz, blues and energetic rhythms and grooves.  It’s produced by the in-demand Chris “Big Dog” Davis, who also has co-written music with Cox on several tunes. “Evanescent” meanders on the scene, a composition with a slow shuffle groove and the Cox horn harmonically doubling the saxophone’s rich sound. Ballads like “Be Mine” have a groove that makes you want to slow-dance and hold someone close. One thing I notice right aways is that Carl Cox loves melodies and his songs are carefully composed with the spotlight on bright rhythms and beautiful melodies. “Morning Sunrise” is full of percussive energy, with the Cox saxophone dancing in the brilliant light of this up-tempo arrangement.  The keyboard work by producer Chris “Big Dog” Davis definitely enhances the piece.  During the song, “Time of Need” Carl Cox shows off his talents on soprano saxophone.

As bombs exploded on Ukraine, a stranger named Yuri found comfort listening to this contemporary jazz saxophonist.  Carl Cox was piped through Yuri’s old cell phone and he managed to Facebook a message to the South New Jersey-based reedman and composer.  He told Carl Cox they were listening to his music in a bomb shelter, and it brought them a certain peace. Cox was so surprised and impressed by this information that he was inspired to write “In Time of Need,” one of two new songs that he’s added to this album appropriately titled “Universal language.”  The focus is on Adam Hawley’s guitar and Carl Cox puts down his alto saxophone to feature instead, his soprano sax.

Cox earned his bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance and a master’s in education at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.  He is currently a teacher at his alma mater, Deptford High School, where he has worked for two decades.

“They (the students) respect that not only can I teach it (jazz), but also actually do it as well.  Plus, once they see the success that I have had with my career, it inspires them to accomplish their goals,” Cox praises his students.

This is an album of peace and power, melody, lyricism and a constant, hypnotic groove beneath every tempo.

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ROSS PEDERSON – “IDENTITY” – Independent Label

Ross Pederson, drums/drum programming/synthesizers/percussion/composer; Julia Adamy & Sam Manaie, bass; Julian ‘J3po’ Polack, piano/Rhodes/B3 organ/synthesizers; David Cook, piano/ Wurlitzer/Fender Rhodes/B3 organ/synthesizers; Donny McCaslin, tenor saxophone; JSwiss, spoken word; Melissa McMillan, vocals.

Ross Pederson is a drummer with vast experience playing as part of several music genres. He has worked with the jazz vocal group, Manhattan Transfer, with Patti Austin at a Kennedy Center on New Year’s Eve, and has been a sideman for Snarky Puppy.  He plays with Grace Kelly and Shayna Steel with the same competent drumsticks.  This is his debut recording.

Pederson describes this album as: “It’s a sensibility of one foot in the jazz world and one foot in pop.”

The album cover was so dark, it took me a few weeks to pick it up and see who was on this project.  First of all, you can hardly read the print or see who the artist is listed on the spine.  Publicity-wise, this is bad promotion. The jazz fan wants to see who the artist is and Pederson’s name should be in bright bold readable letters. It’s not! Neither is the album title. Why don’t artists realize the importance of an album cover? 

That being said, Pederson has written all of the music for this project, with arrangements that are extremely busy.  Was there an arranger?  Did the musicians just go into the studio and have a good time cutting this music?  I don’t think the production supports the songwriting. 

“Hope Uplift” got my attention with the beat of Pederson’s drums. The synthesizers and electronics soon took over the melody. All too quickly, just when I thought this ballad had some potential, it soon became a series of ‘loops’ and the potential it had faded into the cacophony of the instrumentalists.  Track #9 titled “Bedlam” frees Pederson up to show off his drum technique, but it’s over-played and all-over-the-place, featuring McCaslin on saxophone. Track #10 is simply a loop.  I wouldn’t call it a composition.

On the last song, “bigger than that” featuring spoken word/hip hop artist JSwiss, the band finally gets their groove on with Melissa McMillan singing the ‘hook’ and a melody clearly defined.  Sometimes less is more.  On this cut, just Ross Pederson on drums and Julia Adamy on bass and someone playing synthesizers makes this song memorable. It’s not jazz, but it’s well done.

On all the other songs, they were just so busy, with a lot of emphasis on McCaslin’s tenor saxophone and repetitive lines that don’t highlight or enhance this composer’s promising work. That made it difficult to enjoy Ross Pederson’s creativity. His production leaves no place to breathe.  Every space is being used.  It’s like a bunch of sentences running together with no periods.  I keep wondering when the music will rest and let the listener catch their breath. This was supposed to be about “Identity,” but I still don’t know who Ross Pederson is.

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GEOF BRADFIELD, RICHARD D. JOHNSON, JOHN TATE, SAMUEL JEWELL – “OUR HEROES” – Afar Music

Geof Bradfield, tenor & soprano saxophones/bass clarinet; Richard D. Johnson, piano/Fender Rhodes; John Tate, acoustic bass; Samuel Jewell, drums.

This is a quartet of Chicago jazz musicians, united by the Afar Record label in their tradition of combining great musicians to create debut projects.  Although these musicians have played together in various configurations prior to the “Our Heroes” recording, this is the first time they’ve gathered as a distinct unit.  Bradfield, Richard Johnson and John Tate have added original compositions to the mix, each dedicated to a musical hero.  They open with “Corea” an obvious nod to Chick Corea and his magnificent impact on jazz music.  The song swings in a Straight-ahead way, showcasing Johnson’s piano talents on Fender Rhodes. 

“Our Heroes” is the latest in a series of themed collaborative projects under Richard D. Johnson’s direction. He is not only the pianist on this project but also the record label founder.  On Johnson’s “Loved Ones” composition, John Tate steps into the spotlight with a notable double bass solo. This quickly becomes one of my favorite tunes on this album. These gifted mid-western musicians have made a conscious decision to honor those who have come before them and paved the way for a new generation. 

“Speaking as a musician and educator, I think it’s important for the students of this music to realize that their mentors have heroes too,” Johnson says. 

Geof Bradfield’s “Blues for Stanley Cowell” continues their musical thesis, but before that tune comes a very lovely ballad by Bradfield called “Some Other Sunday.”  Bass man, John Tate has contributed two songs to this project; “Aspartame” and “Peaceful Giant,” that I believe is a tribute to John Coltrane. As you probably know, ‘aspartame’ is the name of the artificial sugar that’s being added to so many of American processed food.  Clearly, this false sugar, that is low in calories but hundreds of times sweeter than regular sugar, has been proven to be a cancer-causing agent. The tune is solidly rooted in the blues.

All of these original compositions are well written and several sound like they could become jazz standards.  I was very impressed with Johnson’s “High & Low” a tune that allows Bradfield to explore his soprano saxophone and plows Straight-ahead over the catchy bass phrase that winds like a platinum ribbon through this arrangement.  Another favorite of mine is the swinging tune by Geof Bradfield, “The Cruelest Month” that closes this album out. This is an enjoyable CD of original jazz compositions interpreted by talented Chicago musicians.

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DANNY JONOKUCHI BIG BAND – “VOICES” – Outside In Music

Danny Jonokuchi, conductor/arrangements; RHYTHM SECTION: Jeb Patton, piano; Samuel Harris upright bass; Kevin Congleton, drums; Victor Pablo, auxiliary percussion. REEDS: Andrew Gould, Christopher McBride, & Chris Oatts, alto sax/flute; Jon Beshay & Chris Lewis, tenor saxophone/flute/clarinet; Andrew Gutauskas, baritone saxophone/flute/bass clarinet. TRUMPETS: Nick Marchione, (lead trumpet), Sam Hoyt, John Lake, James Zollar, Scott Wendholt, Noah Halpern & Bruce Harris. TROMBONES: Robert Edwards, Sara Jacovino, Jason Jackson & Reginald Chapman on bass trombone. VOICES: Alexa Barchini, Tahira Clayton, Nicole Zuraitis, Brianna Thomas, Shenel Johns, Alita Moses, Charles Turner, Lucy Yeghiazaryan, Sirintip, Martina DaSilva, & Hannah Gill.

This is an interesting project, in that Danny Jonokuchi developed a concept of putting together a big band, where he wrote arrangements that featured not only his seventeen-piece bandmembers but showcased a host of eleven vocalists he admired. Each song is handpicked for these impressive songbirds to deliver, showcasing the best of themselves while also featuring the exceptionally talented big band musicians.

Jonokuchi moved to New York City ten years ago from Los Angeles and worked to make his dream of a big band featuring talented vocalists become a reality. As an arranger, he prides himself in creating the perfect musical canvas where singers can paint their original vocals in bright colors against a backdrop of fantastic big band brilliance.  Every song is well-played and beautifully arranged to showcase voices we can appreciate for their individual originality.

“Voices serves as a reminder of the magic that unfolds when talented musicians come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts … without an ounce of exaggeration, “Voices” is truly my dream album,” Danny confesses in his press package.

This journalist loves and appreciates every familiar song on this album and the amazing arrangements of Jonokuchi lift these voices to higher heights and showcase the super talented bandmembers who play Danny’s creative ideas with gusto and grit.

Jonokuchi holds a master’s degree in composition from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College with the support of the Sir Roland Hanna Memorial Scholarship. He’s the recipient of the Boyer Alumni Award and has been mentored by such icons as Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Luis Bonilla, Bruce Barth and John Swana.  For his composition study, he turned to Michael Philip Mossman, John Clayton, Darcy James Argue, Norman David and David Berger.  All that dedication and study has surely paid off huge dividends, noted by the luminosity and virtuosity of these arrangements from the pen of Danny Jonokuchi and the talent of his Big Band membership.

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UNAPOLOGETIC WOMEN EXPRESS THEMSELVES WITH JAZZ

By Dee Dee McNeil

October 15, 2023

RUIQI WANG – “SUDUING THE SILENCE” – Orchard of Pomegranates

Ruiqi Wang, vocals/composer/arranger; Stephanie Urguhart, piano; Summer Kodama, bass; Mili Hong, drums; Craft Ensembles: Colleen Brannen & Amy Sims, violin; Amelia Hollander Ames, viola; Velleda Miragias, cello.

Ruiqi (pronounced Ray-chee) has a voice as warm and sweet as freshly cooked caramel. It’s also  ethereal, abstract, vocal jazz that’s both melodic and contemporary; strikingly unique and yet comfortably rooted in European classical and Chinese culture.  It’s jazz and world music, blended artistically.  The first song is listed as ‘composer unknown’ and is arranged by Ruiqi Wang.  It’s an ancient Chinese song called “Xiang Leng Jin Ni” with lyrics by an eleventh century female poet named Qingzhao Li.  This traditional composition introduces us to the voice of Ruiqi Wang, a voice quite emotional and sincere in its delivery.  Even though I do not understand the words, I am captivated by Ruiqi’s soprano, singing against the backdrop of Mili Hong on complimentary drums.  It’s a very effective introduction to Wang’s lovely human instrument.  I play this song twice, as though the vocalist has hypnotized me.  Her tone and projection is both tentative and touching; sweet, child-like and innocent, but quite persuasive.  She has a way of sliding to the notes, that’s quite enchanting. You hear it clearly during her a’ Capella performance of “Xiang Leng Jin Ni 2” further into the album.

A song called “Vibrating” spotlights Summer Kodama on bass and Hong’s drums.  It’s a short piece, but provocative.  On a tune titled, “Descent of Lilies” Ruiqi Wang lets her voice shine like a horn. She wordlessly takes center stage, generously supported by Stephanie Urguhart’s piano and Kodama’s walking bass. Mili Hong’s drums are spontaneous and boisterous throughout. 

I think the artwork by Bianca Li is beautiful and perfect for this album.  I can tell that this artist looks at every detail of her music, including the art for her CD cover. It’s refreshing.  On her “Dreams of the Pines” composition, she is joined by the strings of Craft Ensembles. 

Here is experimental jazz that pushes the boundaries and sandpapers the sharp edges to a soft, round, feminine beauty. The title tune is sung in English and the sweet lines of violins converse with Wang’s vocals.  First, she sings, then recites in spoken word the poem “Fragments for Subduing the Silence” by Alejandra Pizarnik, and translated from Spanish to English by Yvette Siegert. 

Ruiqi Wang was born and raised in Hangzhou, China and relocated to Montreal, Cananda in 2027 to study at McGill University’s jazz Performance program.  In addition to this female dominated group of musicians she records with, she also performs with the Ruiqi Wang Chamber Ensemble.  Wang is currently embarking upon a master’s degree in jazz composition at the Bern Academy of the Arts in Switzerland.  She is a blossoming composer, a lovely vocalist, and I can imagine her trailblazing her way across the continents of experimental music. This is an artist who leaves a lasting impression with her musical ideas and forward-thinking arrangements.  This album will be available October 27, 2023.

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COLETTE MICHAAN – “EARTH REBIRTH” – Creatrix Music

Colette Michaan, flute/bamgoo flute; Leo Genovese, piano/keyboards; John Benitez, acoustic bass; Luisito Quintero, timbales/percussion; Yusnier Sanchez Bustamante, congas/percussion; Mireya Ramos, vocals.

This Colette Michaan sextet features four musicians who have already won multiple Grammy Awards.  The purpose and intent of this album is to celebrate the beauty of humankind’s home, that of Earth. The musical premise is to celebrate a rebirth.  The title tune opens this production with Colette’s flute flying like a wild bird above the powerful rhythm section and leading the way.  For some reason, on the wings of this music, I am transported to a place of wild open spaces and indigenous people. This first tune inspires my imagination and I become a time traveler.  Track #2, “Campina” is a Cuban classic and features the warm, vibrant vocals of Mireya Ramos.  The percussion is magical, and the Latin inspired arrangement brings joy to my listening room. Track #3, “El Raton” has been arranged by Colette’s bass player, John Benitez.  It takes on a sexy, contemporary, jazz groove, with a moderate tempo and blues base.  I enjoy the harmony between the keyboard and Michaan’s flute. Leo Genovese offers a stellar piano solo. 

Colette Michaan is based in New York City, but her music reflects several cultures.  She draws from her extensive travels throughout Africa, South America, Asia and the Caribbean.  But the bulk of these arrangements bury strong roots in Latin cultures.  The result is bright, entertaining songs that blossom like wild, island orchids. Michaan’s flute inspires your senses to come alive. Her interpretation of the Abbey Lincoln classic jazz song, “Throw It Away” is delightful, featuring her mastery on the flute.  Again, during Colette’s version of the Charles Mingus composition, “Reincarnation of a Lovebird” repaints the Mingus music in brilliant, bright, South American colors.

This is a Latin-flavored album of spirit and rhythm that generously supports the flute excellence of Colette Michaan.

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CAROLINE DAVIS’ ALULA – “CAPTIVITY” – Ropeadope Records

Caroline Davis, alto saxophone/juno/vocals/composer; Val Jeanty, turntables/samples; Chris Tordini, acoustic& Moog bass; Tyshawn Sorey, drums; Qasim Naqvi, modular synthesizer; Ben Hoffman, prophet.

Alto saxophonist, Caroline Davis offers us her first social justice album.  Each of eight compositions celebrates eight lives, people who kept hope alive through incarceration. The first song sounds like a rocket to the moon is about to take off.  It manifests that kind of energy and a driving undercurrent of sounds and electronics, including a male vocal speaking underneath the fray, sometimes screaming, “give them what belongs to them.”

Caroline’s saxophone takes center stage playing “Burned Believers for Agnes & Huguette” with a female voice speaking beneath the music this time, repeating, “and fight back” among other things.  Chris Tordini’s bass sets the mood and tempo along with Tyshawn Sorey on drums.  Caroline’s alto saxophone jogs atop the chord changes, sometimes sounding somewhat out of tune.  It’s not a pretty or melodic song that her saxophone sings.  The third track continues down the same path.

The compositions and arrangements that Caroline has written are quite experimental, but her approach to interpreting them on alto saxophone seems limited. I strain to hear her break free from her one-dimensional approach on her instrument to a more fluid saxophone solo, but this never happens.  The electronics of samples are spun like a spider webs atop the bass and drums Davis is front and center, playing her saxophone and wriggling in the web, resembling a captured prey.  I felt like I was always waiting for Caroline Davis to show me some moments of genius on her horn. On the 5^th track, “Synchronize my Body Where My Mind Has Always Been” they show a little more spontaneity and energy, with Davis almost breaking free of her musical inhibitions. A male voice repeats, “Manifesto” over and over in the track. 

Unapologetically, this takes Avant-garde to a whole new level.  Davis delivers her album with ten original songs, but I just couldn’t connect to it. I always look for spiritual value, honesty, and some kind of beauty in everything I listen to.  I came away from this electronic experimental music, somewhat disappointed and unfulfilled.

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DEBBIE SPRING – “TOCAMOS” – CR Records

Debbie Spring, 5-string viola/composer; Hal Roland, piano/keyboards/vocals; Rusty Heck, bass; Ettienne Fuentes Jr., drums; Scott Marischen, harp; Phill Fest, guitar; Howard Levy, harmonica; David Schanzer, percussion/keyboard pads; Julio Matta, percussion; Eddy “Oriente” Balzola, spoken word.

Opening with an original composition called “Mockingbird” Debbie’s delightful jazz flavored 5-string viola introduces the melody.  The sound of a live bird is incorporated into her arrangement.  Spring has written all the music on this album, with the exception of Track #2, the familiar “Fragile” tune composed by Sting. It features the vocals of Hal Roland, with an inspired solo by Debbie Spring’s viola and Scott Marischen lends his own solo on harp.

Born in Miami, and still based in Florida, she began her love of music at the age of five, studying the piano. When she was introduced to the viola, she fell in love with its tone. Debbie Spring admires the great Jean-Luc Ponty.  She has chosen a challenging and rare instrument to play, but Debbie has perfected her technique and style.  You hear it on this album project.  First rooted in European classical music, after Debbie discovered jazz her world opened up like a rainbow across the sky.  While studying for her master’s degree at the University of Miami, she was performing with her own jazz fusion group and they recorded an album in 1990 called “Ocean Drive.”  

The 5-string viola she plays is tuned differently than a violin.  It’s one-fifth lower and the strings are C, G, D, A and Ms. Spring has added a high E string to her instrument.  This allows her a range closer to the violin.  She has played with country/western groups, pop groups and performed classical concerts, but she says one of her favorite gigs was touring with Shakira, who allowed her to be free and improvise, like the jazz musician that she is.

The title of this album is “Tocamos” that translates from Spanish to English to mean “we play.” This meaning reflects Debbie’s desire and love of playing and sharing her music. On this album you will enjoy a bit of Latin flavor, a touch of pop, some great compositions by Spring, and a whole lot of jazz. The title tune is both melodic and rhythmic, with Latin percussion driving this arrangement and her beautiful tone on the viola exploring the melody.  Debbie Spring improvises fluidly and with great power.  Hal Roland takes an inspired solo on piano. “Tocamos” quickly became one of my favorite tunes on this album.

It’s rare to hear the viola become the lead instrument in a jazz ensemble, but Debbie Spring makes it sound normal and natural.  A master of her instrument, she brings warm, wonderful sounds to our ears, with several of her outstanding compositions and arrangements highlight Debbie Spring’s mastery of this unusual string instrument.  Bravo!

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ANGELICA SANCHEZ NONET – “NIGHTTIME CREATURES” – Pyroclastic Records

Angelica Sanchez, piano/composer/arranger; John Hebert, bass; Sam Ospovat, drummer; Omar Tamez, guitar; Michael Attias, alto saxophone; Chris Speed, tenor saxophone/clarinet; Ben Goldberg, contra alto clarinet; Thomas Heberer, quarter-tone trumpet; Kenny Warren, cornet.

During a time spent living in seclusion and away from the urban noises, pianist, composer and arranger, Angelica Sanchez was fascinated by what her ears heard. With only the light coming from a very thin crescent moon, Sanchez describes what inspired this current recording project. 

“The woods transform at night, when … you can’t see your hand in front of your face, but the coyotes and other animals make more noise in the dark.  I realized that it was only my ears that were activated in those moments.  I became fascinated by what I couldn’t see,” Sanchez shared in her press package.

“Nighttime Creatures” becomes Sanchez’s most expansive and ambitious project to date, quite reflective of her love of big band music and her search to transform a dark, inspirational, wooded area into a musical arrangement.  As an acclaimed improviser, Angelica Sanchez presents this instrumental, experimental album as a vehicle of freedom and creativity.

“I know what I want, and as time goes on, I get closer to the sound in my head,” she explains.

The nine-piece ensemble opens with the title tune, featuring the rich, provocative sound of Ben Goldbergs contra alto clarinet. It flies like a bird in the shadows. then growls like an invisible creature hiding in the darkness.  I am so taken with his solo that I play this piece twice to soak up the full impact of Angelica’s original composition.  She has composed all of the music except “Lady of the Lavender Mist” that is a mysterious Duke Ellington tune with exotic harmonies. Sanchez squeezes the harmonics in these arrangements as close as two sheets of typing paper, sometimes dabbling in dissonance, or tickling the Avant-garde alive.  This tune perpetrates the influence and inspiration from Carla Bley to Sanchez’s musical sensibilities. Her song, “Cloud House” is more melodic and invites the saxophone to flutter and improvise around her arrangement. 

Her one-finger piano playing sometimes changes the mood, coordinating with John Hebert’s bass, like old friends hooking a pinky-finger promise. Later in the arrangement, Angelica’s piano takes center stage, arguing with a horn conversation, the instruments mimic two bucks locking antlers.  On her composition “Astral Light of Alarid” Sanchez celebrates her father who made a huge impact on her music. Fulgencio Alarid Sanchez had a large album collection and Angelica spent many precious hours listening to a variety of the music that her father loved. 

Sanchez expounds, “He lit the path for me. … I wouldn’t be a musician without my father’s overwhelmingly warm support.”

Angelica Sanchez is currently on the faculty at Bard College.  In 2022, her recording titled, “Sparkle Beings” was chosen by the New York Times as one of the top ten jazz recordings of that year.  I expect this release will also rise to that occasion.

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ELLIE MARTIN – “VERDANT” –  Independent Label/funded in part by Toledo Arts Commission

Ellie Martin, vocals/composer; Peter Eldridge, piano/background vocals; Mike Harrison, vocals/background vocals; Keith Ganz & Ariel Kasler, guitar; Kurt Khranke, bass; Olman Piedra, drums/percussion; Victor Goncalves, accordion; Andrew Bishop, clarinet; Ben Wolkins, trumpet.

A taste of Brazil rides on the coattails of these original compositions written by the artist, Ellie Martin.  This album features a dozen original compositions that follow the arc of her life during the past few years.  They reflect Ellie’s experiences as a woman, a mother, and a cancer survivor.  Based in Toledo, Ohio, Ellie Martin uses some of her Midwest musical talent to record this debut album.  An educator for many years, her dream deferred has always been to cut an album of her original music.  After a recent cancer scare, she embraced her ‘Bucket List’ and has done just that. 

The first song is a Samba “Living for the Now” and is good advice for all of us.  “As Time Goes” is a duet that includes the vocal talents of Mike Harrison.  Their voices have a comfortable blend.  I am enamored by Martin’s composing skills.  She writes lovely melodies, and these arrangements are well executed.  She has a flair for Latin themed music.  That becomes evident from the opening tune to her tango called “Dancers Serenade” and her song, “Never Will I Worry” with Bossa Nova influence.  Martin’s vocals are mediocre and there is no jazz style here to label her a stylist.  However, she is an outstanding composer, and this album celebrates her obvious songwriting talents.

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JENNIFER WHARTON’S BONEGASM –  “GRIT & GRACE” – Sunnyside Records

Jennifer Wharton, bass trombone/vocals/composer; Michael Eckroth, piano; Evan Gregor, bass; Don Peretz, drums; Alan Ferber, Nate Mayland & John Fedchock, trombone; Samuel Torres, percussion.

In 2019, Jennifer Wharton debuted her brass-forward band called ‘Bonegasm.’  The idea was to put the spotlight on the trombone instrument, especially her bass trombone. The album title, “Grit & Grace” are two characteristics that Wharton has mastered in both her music and her life. She is a low brass specialist and has paid dues in the Broadway orchestra pits of many plays, in recording studios and on big band stages playing her big bass trombone.

“Here I am, a woman playing a man’s instrument in jazz, which I started relatively late.  I was looking for a way to make music mean more to me, so when I discovered I could have something of my own, it changed my whole outlook on music.  I just decided to put on my big girl pants and do this,” Jennifer shared in her press package.

Her album celebrates trombones.  She has chosen to play songs composed by women who she commissioned to write specific for this project. Wharton wrote the first song called, “Be Normal.”  Other Jazz composers like Vanessa Perica, Miho Hazama, Carolina Calvache, Natalie Cressman and Nadje Noordhuis have contributed beautiful music to this album.  Australian composer/conductor, Vanessa Perica wrote the second track, “In Our Darkest Hour.”  It’s a beautiful piece that allows Michael Eckroth to improvise wildly on piano and he explores all the dark corners and hidden places inside this lovely tune. Jennifer has composed the fourth track called, “Mama’s Alright” where she takes an unforgettable solo on her bass trombone. This song is dedicated to one of the mothers of jazz trombone, the late, great Melba Liston and it features John Fedchock on trombone. Fedchock also produced this unique album of music.

Another composition, “Norhala” was written by Grammy nominated composer/conductor Miho Hazama.  This title represents writer, A. Merritt’s character from a 1920 fantasy novel. This character can control lightning and bring metal objects to life. Wharton generously shares the spotlight with her bandmembers, shining it on Nate Mayland this time, but not before she spits and staccato punches her bass trombone into the arrangement.  Her bass trombone tone is so distinctive and gritty.  Meantime, the background is full of rich harmonics as the trombone crew joins tones, like fingers tightly interlaced.  Don Peretz drives the music furiously ahead on trap drums. 

On the Natalie Cressman tune, “Menina Sozinha” (that translates to ‘Girl on Her Own’) Wharton and hubby, John Fedchock, are featured, trombone to trombone (like cheek to cheek) during this Brazilian anthem. I thought the swinging closing tune, “Coop’s Condiments” by Nadje Noordhuis was a great way to end this album, and Evan Gregor’s bass solo is wonderful.  Jennifer sings on this tune and I wish she hadn’t.  Sorry Jennifer. Even Wharton admits she’s not a vocalist but simply a ‘ham.’  That being said, the lyrics are cute, and I can see that this blues-based song would be a crowd pleaser in a ‘live’ setting. “Salt and Pepper” is a great sing-along-line!

This album features unique arrangements and spotlights the beauty of trombones in a distinctive and inimitable way. Jennifer Wharton’s composing skills are on bright display, and her love and appreciation for her instrument shines throughout this production. Wharton’s third album featuring ‘Bonegasm’ will be released October 20, 2023.

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HANNAH GILL – “EVERYBODY LOVES A LOVER” –  Turtle Bay Records

Hannah Gill, vocals; Danny Jonokuchi, trumpet/arranger; Ryan Weisheit, saxophone/clarinet; Sam Chess, trombone; Greg Ruggerio, guitar; Gordon Webster, piano; Tal Ronen, bass; Ben Zweig, drums.

Hannah Gill and producer Scott Asen have turned back the hands of time, embracing a musical era from the 1920s to the 1950s. The arrangements remind us of a time past but are still relevant. Gill’s crystal-clear voice tells stories from a time when danceable ‘swing’ rhythms and melodic lines ruled the airwaves and permeated the dance halls. On radio, lyrics unraveled stories of love and loss by folks like Nat King Cole and Doris Day.  Hannah Gill enunciates every word to perfection, like Ella Fitzgerald used to do.  In fact, Ella is one of her favorite vocalists and this young singer even has Ella tattooed on her ankle. She records a song Fitzgerald wrote called “I Fell in Love with a Dream” from Ella’s 1939 album, ‘Betcha Nickel.’  But first, Gill opens with a 1931 song, “Moonlight Saving Time” that was recorded by another favorite of hers, Blossom Dearie. The young vocalist has her own style and sounds like neither of her idols. Still, tunes like these magically transport us back to a time of Jitterbug dances and Cotton Club Reviews, with scantily clad women shaking their groove things.  I love the “ragtime” horn arrangements and Ben Zweig generates non-stop energy on his drums, pushing the band forward with gusto.  Hannah Gill has a warm, compelling voice that is pleasant to the ear, and she knows how to ‘swing.’ She makes it sound effortless, but so many singers I hear couldn’t swing if they were on a playground. Gill’s voice is refreshing and honest.  She gives us a look at old songs that should never be forgotten, sung by a new singer who we should remember with pleasure. Hannah Gill offers us alluring, pitch-perfect vocals and a delightful presentation of timeless music, a rewind from the past to debut her first recorded step into the future.

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