By Dee Dee McNeil
August 1, 2023
NINA SIMONE – “LIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE 1966 NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL – YOU’VE GOT TO LEARN – Verve Records
Nina Simone, piano/composer; Rudy Stevenson, guitar; Robert Hamilton, drums; Lyle Atkinson, bass.
It’s so fabulous to hear Nina Simone at the piano again and offering up her musical activism and beautiful, black cultural roots. In 1966, she was in tip top vocal shape. Her tone is rich, unique and powerful as she sings:
“You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love is no longer being served. … You’ve got to learn to be much stronger, sometimes your head must rule your heart.”
I had never heard that song before, the title tune above, “You’ve Got to Learn” is powerful! The lyrics are well-written, supportive, and wise. The melody builds and soars, with Nina’s strong piano-playing supporting the song and the story. She preaches! She teaches. She delivers her classical mastery at the piano keys with no compunction.
We hear more familiar songs like “I Loves You Porgy” with the live Festival audience happily shouting out their appreciation. The song still sounds fresh and takes my breath away. It’s not like any of the recordings you have heard from Nina in the past. This rendition is unique and emotional.
She sings a “Blues for Mama” song that was co-written with Abbey Lincoln. It’s a low-down blues with a message about a woman who acts strong as a man, but is beat down by her man and by life. There’s an inspired guitar played throughout by Rudy Stevenson. Nina pulls out all her gospel licks on the piano during this arrangement. “Be My Husband” has one of those infectious beats that spears the music ahead. Nina comes in with only drums, her powerhouse voice soars above the percussion like a chant or a prayer. Her band members encourage her with shouts and words of praise. When she sings “Mississippi Goddamn” she improvises and talks about the state of politics and the racism that was so prevalent in 1966. Her activism shines like her star-status. She closes with “Music for Lovers.” A pretty ballad where she sings “When the whole world discovers that love’s the only thing worthwhile. Then there’ll be music for everybody here – and the whole world will smile.”
This album certainly made me smile and Nina Simone’s music continues to crisscross countries and influence society. Although she encourages humanity by saying ‘You’ve got to Learn’ they seem to continue, so many years later, to stumble through life polarizing each other and painfully making the same mistakes over and over again.
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TED FALCON – “TO CHEGANDO – (ALMOST THERE)” – Independent Label
Ted Falcon, violin/mandolin/viola/composer; Wesley Amorim, 7-string guitar/cavaquinho/gypsy jazz guitar/viola caipira; Colin Walker, 7-string guitar; John Leftwich, acoustic bass; Clarice Cast & Ben Rempel, pandeiro/percussion; FEATURED SOLOISTS: Wesley Amorim, gypsy jazz guitar; Anat Cohen, clarinet; Fay Roberts, flute; Douglas Lora, 7-string guitar; Catherine Bent, cello; Rumi Inoue, flute. SAO PAULO MUSICIANS: Ze Barbeiro, 6 & 7 string guitars; Fabricio Rosil, cavaquinho; Leo Rodrigues, pandeiro and percussion.
The opening tune, “Quick Fix” is a mix of jazz and folk music; gypsy influenced by Ted Falcon’s love of Brazilian Choro music. Choro music is an urban-pop, Brazilian music that originated in Rio de Janeiro during the 19th century. Falcon has written every song on this album and this recording spotlights his competent talent on both violin and mandolin, as well as his love of Brazilian music. Choro blends African rhythms with European classical music and is characterized by the musician’s tendency to improvise. This would be the part of the music that is jazzy. Falcon’s violin sings like a happy Brazilian bird. He is the premier choro violinist in the world. Ted Falcon’s obsession with the South American culture and music prompted him to relocate to Brazil in 2008 and live there for eight years. He married a Brazilian woman and soaked up the culture and the music like a sponge. Falcon became proficient in speaking Portuguese and began composing choro music, while teaching music workshops in the city of Brasilia. Choro is sometimes referred to as the ‘jazz of Brazil’ because improvisation remains the heart of the music. All of this music is rich in culture and inspires the feet to dance.
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ERIK FRIEDLANDER – “SHE SEES” – Skipstone Records
Erik Friedlander, cello; Ava Mendoza, guitar; Diego Espinosa, bass; Stomu Takeishi, drums/percussion.
The original music of Erik Friedlander is a blend of jazz and rock music. This is his fourth release since his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2016. A widely acclaimed celloist, Friedlander was at first able to control the associated tremors with drugs. Over time, the medication lost its potency, prompting Friedlander to undergo DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery at New York University. This procedure is considered the largest breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease in the past forty years. It eliminated Friedlander’s tremors, which were the predominant side-effect of his diagnosis.
“I feel like I’ve been given a special gift to continue on with composing and playing the cello without the tremors, which made me self-conscious and also made playing the cello difficult. It’s remarkable!” Erik Friedlander shared in his press package.
His song “Heatwave” captures the rising temperatures across the world with a recurring melody line played on Diego Espinosa’s bass string instrument and Ava Mendoza’s guitar securing a rich undertone and rhythm track beneath Friedlander’s cello melody. Diego Espinosa growls across the track on drums, securing the tempo and locking strong hands with Espinosa’s bass lines. This group of musicians is called ‘Sentinel’ and they assembled in Mexico City in January of 2023 to record this “She Sees” album, their second Sentinel recording.
Friedlander imagined a sentinel on guard watching the world. That inspired the album’s title.
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SATOKO FUJII & OTOMO YOSHIHIDE – “PERPETUAL MOTION” – Ayler Records
Satoko Fujii, piano; Otomo Yoshihide, electric guitar.
Both of these celebrated musicians have roots in the Avant-garde. This is a first-time meeting of two stellar improvisational masters, Satoko Fujii’s piano with Otomo Yoshihide’s electric guitar. The title of this album perhaps best describes it’s contents. Opening with gong sounds and plucked piano strings; the lower register of the guitar whines like a bass inside electric currents ripping through the air. My imagination conjures up train wheels racing along steel girders, and I become the traveler, pulled along on a music journey by these two talented artists. There are squeaking doors opening and closing along my journey and thunderstorms in the piano’s lower register that wet the train with nature music. The duo has divided this album into a four-part suite with the singular title of the album, “Perpetual Motion” and the addition of roman numerals, one, two, three and four.
Otomo Yoshihide is greatly known and respected in Japan. He has scored over 100 films, as well composing for television shows. This celebrates a completely different musical side of the guitarist. Consequently, he is also known and popular among people who are not interested in Avant-garde music. Satoko Fujii was excited to play with him. Yoshihide offers metallic, sharp-edged phrases and Fujii counters with energetic piano voicings full of crescendos and aggressive energy. Otomo is a pioneer in the electronic/acoustic bliss of improvisational music, and he crosses genre’s and avoids descriptions. In 1991, Yoshihide released his first tentative album in Hong Kong as the leader of an experimental rock group called “Ground Zero.” Next, he formed his own “New Jazz Quintet.” This inspired many commercial appearances and blossomed his talent. Quickly, his reputation spread like hot wasabi on the tongue. Both Yoshihide and Fujii offer their composer skills to this project to tickle the listener’s interest.
Satoko is a respected and heralded improviser and praised as one of the most original voices in Avant-garde jazz today. She has created this reputation by being present and steadily working at her craft for over twenty-five years. This dynamic pianist is world-renowned since 1996, consistently electrifying her audiences with modern, improvised music and free-jazz. Satoko is one of the world’s leading composers for large jazz ensembles, but is just as comfortable in a duo situation. If you are looking for surprise, creativity, and musical genius, this is a project packed with all three innovations.
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DAVID HELBOCK – “AUSTRIAN SYNDICATE” – ACT Music
David Helbock, Fender Rhodes/synthesizer/effects; Peter Madsen, piano; Raphael Preuschl, bass/bass ukulele; Herbert Pirker, drums; Claudio Spieler, percussion; GUESTS: Alex Acuna, percussion; Lakecia Benjamin, saxophone; Maria Joao, voice; Fred Wesley, trombone; Dhafer Youseef, voice.
A staccato introduction and an arrangement that embraces staccato as a prominent influence unexplainably turns into a blues. Shades of the song ‘Watermelon Man’ are prominent. This opening composition by Joe Zawinul (Money in the Pocket) features Alex Acuna on percussion. Originally released in 1966, while Hancock’s Watermelon Man was released in 1962. I never realized how close in sound and chord changes these two song were, until I listened to Helbock’s arrangement. The second ‘cut,’ “Hymn to Vienna” sounds eerie and other-worldly, with minor chords and a vocal by Dhafer Youssef that sounds very much like an Arabic prayer chant. Youssef’s voice seamlessly carries over to the next tune titled, “The Third Man.”
David Helbock offers us contemporary jazz with a rock music undertone and an Avant-garde attitude. He enjoys using effects and synthesizers to color his arrangements and he’s quite spontaneous and very musical. I must congratulate Helbock for having a style and personal flair all his own. You get to enjoy the piano of Peter Madsen blended with Helbock’s synthesizer techniques on “Dindé at Dindon.” This is one of my favorite tunes. Helbock’s original composition, “The Ups and Downs” is another favorite of mine, featuring Lakecia Benjamin on saxophone. Helbock also penned the beautiful “Ballad for Schonenbach” a tune that quickly becomes another song I enjoy tremendously. “Crimson Woman” had me dancing in my desk chair and features the exciting trombone of Fred Wesley.
There is something hypnotic and comfortable about David Helbock’s album. His composing talents shine like the sun and his arrangements are fresh, transformative and unique.
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EUNMI LEE – “INTROSPECTION” – You & Me Music
Eunmi Lee, piano/composer/arranger; Matt Clohesy, double bass; Ari Hoenig, drums; Vinicius Gomes, guitar; John Ellis, tenor saxophone/clarinet/bass clarinet; Remy Le Boeuf, Alto & baritone saxophone; Jon Gordon, soprano & alto saxophones; Alan Ferber, trombone/producer; Tony Kadleck, trumpet; Joyce Hammann & Meg Okura, violin; Lois Martin, viola; Jody Redhage & Maria Jeffers, cello.
She’s a pianist, composer and educator. This album introduces us to Eunmi Lee, a South Korean, who has been living in New York City since 2020. I’m certain it had to be challenging to arrive in America, during a pandemic that took millions of lives, and still pursue your artform.
Eunmi Lee’s love of the piano began early in her youth. She was inspired to seek a degree in Contemporary Music/Piano at the Seoul Institute of Arts. But when Ms. Lee heard jazz, she decided that was the music she really wanted to explore. A trip to America was eminent, but that was an expensive dream. So, Eunmi Lee pursued a Holland National Excellence scholarship that allowed her to study jazz at the Maastricht Conservatorium in the Netherlands. It was there that she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies and Jazz Piano. Her next step was to study at NYU. Finally arriving in the United States, she received a Master of Music degree in Jazz Piano in 2022. One of her professors at this University was three-time Grammy-nominated trombonist, Alan Ferber. He has produced this production, her debut album.
Eunmi Lee chose the title of “Introspection” because she feels her compositions are reflections of her inner self. She has employed several horn players and a handful of string masters who fill her original music with beauty. The pianist’s compositions are rich with lovely melodies and chord changes that lead the way to unexpected places. I fall in love with a tune she calls “5.19.” She describes her incentive to create this particular composition in the liner notes.
“I believe that experiencing various cultures is akin to the excitement of reading thrilling books or the joy of trying new foods. The same applies to meeting and interacting with new people. Throughout this process, I feel both enchanted and unfamiliar when encountering distinct images different from my own. This tune captures the emotional changes I experienced while immersing myself in new cultures and meeting new people in the Netherlands on May 19th, a few years ago,” Eunmi Lee explains.
“Mr. Weird” is a straight-ahead big band composition she penned after spending time observing people in Washington Square Park. It’s located close to where Eunmi lives. The off-beat individuals she saw there inspired this beautiful, big-band sound that features the improvisational solo of Remy Le Boeuf on baritone saxophone.
Bassist, Matt Clohesy opens the song called “Wavelength,” creating an introduction to Eunmi’s piano entry. It’s as though he has parted the curtains and she glides onto the scene, sitting at the piano with fingers unlacing the melody. Vinicius Gomes adds excitement and beauty to this arrangement.
Eunmi Lee composes gorgeous music; music to contemplate on and to sweetly ingest, like slowly licking ice cream from a cone.
Although I appreciate that her professor and a horn player has produced this album, I find myself wanting to hear more of Eunmi Lee’s piano, and less horn solos. However, throughout this project her composition skills shine. The real criticism is in the layout of her album cover. I wish the album designer had made the font more readable. The names of the players are as important as the music itself, and this teeny tiny font printing out the credits, blending black into a rich, blue background, is troublesome.
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ARMAN SANGALANG QUARTET – Calligram Records
Arman Sangalang, tenor saxophone; Dave Miller, guitar; Matt Ulery, bass; Devin Drobka, drums/cymbals.
Tenor saxophonist, Arman Sangalang headlines his debut album, representing the next generation of Filipino-Americans seeking a place in the jazz sun. Sangalang has been studying composition with bassist Matt Ulery, a respected recording artist and renowned composer himself. Every song on this album has been composed by Arman, except for the familiar standard, “Polka Dots and Moonbeams.”
I was disappointed in the opening tune. It lacked the energy and innovation that a first tune on a debut album should project. It could be in the “mix” where the bass instrument gets lost. I keep searching for the bass player’s lines. Instead, the emphasis seems to be on horn and guitar. However, instead of Miller creating a powerful rhythm track for Arman to solo over, he seems in competition with the featured artist, busy-busy-busy playing his own guitar solos throughout and during his accompaniment.
Perhaps this could have been solved by assigning an arranger to the project. The bass is just mixed way too low. This project needs that stationary instrument to be prominent. During Sangalang’s original “Two Sides,” just by turning up the drums and bass in the mix, could have made this well-written composition a stand-out opportunity. Maybe even strong enough to be an opening tune. Just bass, drums and saxophone would have made all the difference in the world. It’s just way too busy with Mr. Miller’s guitar everywhere, all at once. Where is the groove underneath Arman’s horn?
Matt Ulery takes a bass solo during “Odyssey” and he doesn’t get rhythm section support either. Tunes like “September’s Lullaby” could almost have been more effective played solo, tenor saxophone only. You can hear the beauty of Arman Sangalang’s saxophone on “Polka Dots and Moonbeams.” Obviously, this reed player has mad potential. His tribute to Sonny Rollins as the closing tune (Rollins) is wonderful and showcases the drums of Devin Drobka. This should have been the opening tune!
This video, recorded ‘live’ one-year ago, lets you hear this young, talented horn player with a rhythm section that supports him. The guitarist is the same one that’s on the album. His solo sounds good and his accompaniment is rich and supportive. Obviously, Mr. Miller can accompany if he so chooses.
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NOSHIR MODY – “A LOVE SONG” – Independent Label
Noshir Mody, electric guitar/composer; Kate Victor, vocals; Campbell Charshee, piano; Yuka Tadano, double bass; Ronen Itzik, drums; Benjamin Hankle, flugelhorn.
Guitarist, Noshir Mody, blends fusionjazz with Indian classical music. Mody is inspired by a concept shared by one of his mentors who reminded him that “Melody is King.” Consequently, this has shaped Noshir’s approach to composing. To my ear, what I found missing was the rich Indian rhythms that perpetuate that cultural music and the ‘groove’ that jazz demands. I finally heard a bit of groove on the composition “In the Absence of Answers” where Yuka Tadano sets the tone on double bass at the song’s introduction. However, this music is still very quiet, and more classical than jazz. All of the Mody songs are of moderate tempo. This album begs for an influx of rhythm and excitement. But if Easy Listening is your choice of music, Noshir Mody fills that bill. The title song is sung by pop vocalist Kate Victor. It’s a very folk influenced arrangement, played with much emotional integrity, but matches the medium tempo of all the other songs.
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JASON KAO HWANG /CRITICAL RESPONSE- “BOOK OF STORIES” – True Sound Recording
Jason Kao Hwang, electric violin/composer; Anders Nilsson, electric guitar; Michael T.A. Thompson, drums.
Jason Kao Hwang brings a certain vibrance and attention to the continuing fusion of jazz and rock music. This is aggressive music played by Jason Kao Hwang and his group called ‘Critical Response.’ They open with what sounds like bird calls and then the trio flies onto the scene to deliver a composition titled “The Power of Many in the Soul of One.” Love that title! This tune is dedicated to the democracy movement expanding in Hong Kong. His violin dances atop a very seductive guitar groove and invites us into the movement with open arms. The groove quickly expands to a unified aggressive mix of energy and melodies that swirl around me like an active tornado. All of Jason’s songs are over five and a half minutes long. Some are thirteen minutes in duration and sound more like suites of music rather than a single song. Michael T. A. Thompson is dynamic on drums and takes a powerful solo during this first tune, to inform us about his talents. He’s soon accompanied by a fuzzy guitar that turns this walk in the park into an Avant-Garde exploration of sounds, grooves, and mixed melodies. This is music to pique your imagination and tantalize your listening experience with unexpected moments of brilliance and bluster. I found myself completely entertained.
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LAUREN HENDERSON – “CONJURING” – Brontosaurus Records
Lauren Henderson, vocals/composer; Joel Ross, vibraphone; Sean Mason & John Chin, piano; Eric Wheeler, bass; Joe Dyson, drums; Nick Tannura & Gabe Schneider, guitars.
Lauren Henderson has a voice as mellow, imaginative, and smooth as a magic carpet ride. She whisks us up into a “Conjuring” mood with her opening, original composition titled “Spells.” This showcases her rich talent as a composer. Ms. Henderson has written five of the ten songs on this project, and each becomes a stellar example of her talents. The premise of this musical experience is based on magical moments in our lives. Henderson’s title tune, one that she has penned, offers her honey warm tones and a perfectly executed lyric that speaks of love’s power to lift and inspire. Henderson proudly displays her heritage, a mixture of black, Caribbean, and afro-Latin roots, that culturally translates into her recording. On tunes like “Es Magia” and “Amuleto,” she sings in Spanish. Henderson’s voice is soothing and sexy. She has a way of embracing and articulating the lyrics of these songs that draws the listener in, like a whirlpool of emotions. Lauren Henderson knows how to sell a song.
“I don’t feel I can give a strong interpretation and representation of the song if I can’t find some way of connecting to it,” she told Downbeat Magazine in a recent interview.
The production on “Potions” is hypnotic and pleasant. Joe Dyson sets the rhythm slow and steady on drums, but with a sweet groove. Lauren’s measured and prolific delivery on Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington’s tune “Day Dream” gets a boost when she adds a harmony voice to her lead vocals. Nice! The vibraphone of Joel Ross contributes richly to the quality of this production and blends beautifully with Lauren’s vocal tone. Here is mellow music to cool you out or inspire you to curl up next to someone special and enjoy.
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GABRIEL ESPINOSA with KIM NAZARIAN – “BOSSAS & BOLEROS” – Zoho Records
Gabriel Espinosa, bass/composer/vocals; Kim Nazarian, vocals/lyricist; Misha Tsiganov & Fred Hersch, piano; Gustavo Amarante & Enrique Toussaint, bass; Mauricio Zottarelli, drums; Cris Alcocer, percussion; Jim Seeley, trumpet; Jay Ashby, trombone; Anat Cohen, clarinet; Itai Kriss, flute; New York Voices; Gerardo Flores, vocals; Jeremy Fox, vocal arranger; Aviana Gedler, background vocals; Linwood Bell, arranger.
Gabriel Espinosa opens his current album release with a song that celebrates a “New Year.” It’s pleasant, with a medium tempo Bossa Nova arrangement that features the lovely voice of Kim Nazarian. She sounds like a human horn and blends perfectly with the band. The title of this album honors the music that Gabriel Espinosa grew up with in Yucatan, Mexico. It reflects the energy of the 1960s. This first song was composed by Espinosa to honor the year 2021 after the pandemic that raped the world of health and security. It features the trumpet of Jim Seeley and the trombone of Jay Ashby. Track #2 immortalizes the child that his niece lost, baby Amelia. Nazarian has penned the lyrics for this tender composition. It’s a beautiful Bolero ballad. “Mi Jarana” is a traditional dance and a musical style popular in the Yucatan. It is always played in waltz or 6/8 time.
“I first heard “Aqui Estoy Yo” performed by Mexican singer Jose Jose with an incredible arrangement by Clare Fischer,” Gabriel Espinosa said of cut number three.
Fred Hersch is featured on this tune and Gabriel is the vocalist. What he lacks in vocal ability, he clearly makes up for with his emotional delivery. His friend, Memo Ruiz wrote the composition.
This entire album is packed with talented artists and wonderful music. The New York Voices soar on that popular Carpenter song of the 70s, “Sing,” with their creative jazz harmonies lifting the arrangement like a helium balloon released freely from the hand of a child. It also features a lovely flute solo by Itai Kriss, who becomes the buoyant balloon flying upward. Geraldo Flores lends his silky-smooth vocals to “Nosotros, a Cuban bolero. For the most part, this is a happy celebration of Bossa’s and Boleros that spreads joy across my listening room.
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