Label: Steeple Chase, 2021

Personnel - Brian Charette: organ hammond B3; Mike DiRubbo: alto saxophone; Kenny Brooks: tenor saxophone; Itai Kriss: flute; Karel Ruzicka: bass clarinet; Brian Fishler: drums.

Armed with an extended knowledge of tradition, NYC organist Brian Charette reunites his groovin' sextet to perform a selection of eight color-rich originals and two jazz standards. The group appears here reformulated with some new members - Kenny Brooks on tenor, Karel Ruzicka on bass clarinet, and Brian Fishler on drums replace Joel Frahm, John Ellis and Jochen Rueckert, respectively, while altoist Mike DiRubbo and flutist Itai Kriss remain in their positions.

Graciously melding hard-bop and soul jazz, “Fried Birds” spurs the same swinging motion and harmonic pulsation that brought fame to Lou Donaldson in the ‘60s. Working on top of a monumental groove, the soloists, one after another, explore their melodic pliability, which culminates with Fishler’s brief spread of chops over a final vamp.

Also packed with multiple stretches is the familiar “Cherokee”, one of the two covers on the album. The other one is “Harlem Nocturne”, a romanticized yet mysterious piece written by Earle Hagen in 1939 for the Ray Noble Orchestra. The screaming tremolos sustained by the Hammond B3 are supplemented with adrenaline-fueled horns in concurrent spiraling movements.

Avoiding sounding tired, the group takes a couple of pieces to a more interesting rhythmic level. While “As If to Say” is initially delivered in nine and then reshapes into a regular uptempo swing, “Silver Lining” has its main melody sliding comfortably over a groove in 11.

However, it was the eclectic aesthetics of “Power From the Air” that really grabbed me. The asymmetrical form of the theme doesn’t impede an irresistible soul jazz steam from gushing forth out of the structure’s surfaces. Other stylistic cross-pollinations include “Want”, a shifting number where the classical suggestions diverge to funk, and “Frenzy”, whose gospelized glee inspires us to dance.

This album illustrates how extremely versatile Charette is.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Fried Birds ► 03 - Harlem Nocturne ► 06 - Power From the Air

Label/Year: Self Produced, 2017

Lineup - Brian Charette: organ, electronics; Ben Monder: guitar; Jordan Young: drums, electronics.

The extreme agility of Grammy-nominated Hammond organist, Brian Charette, is widely known, regardless the musical style he decides to jump into. Working with a wide range of musicians from different backgrounds such as Chaka Khan, Lou Donaldson, Joni Mitchell, and Will Bernard, the virtuosic musician applies his refined musical skills to a dashing, revolutionary new work entitled Kurrent, where he leads an extremely bendy trio with Ben Monder on electric guitar and Jordan Young on drums.

Charette’s genre-bending experiments, enhanced by a debonair amalgam of electronics and soaring layers of synth, immediately earned my sympathy on the opening tune, “Doll Fin”. A floating bass groove transports us to a sleek soul with hints of funk, so typical of the 70s. Psychedelic organ-driven melodies are set against the catchy current braced by the sustained atmospheric sounds of Monder. The latter sets the house on fire with a quick-witted solo that shows his outgoing musicality, and the tune re-acquires the loungy expression for Charette’s improvisation before segueing into a rock-infused discipline propelled by an effusive polyrhythmic approach and galloping unisons.

“Time Changes” boasts a pretty memorable riff as a basis, embarking on a progressive jazz-fusion that would be approved by bands such as Return To Forever or Soft Machine. The danceable rhythm, nearly Brazilian, is emancipated by Young, whose drumming style is tailored for this record.

Besides a wonderful organist, Charette reveals his adroitness in electronic manipulation and voice sampling. “Mano y Mano” is a good example, combining Kraftwerkian robotic words, breezy psychedelic soul, and striking heavy metal passages with a feel-good posture. A cutting guitar improvisation confirms what we already knew: Monder is as much effective playing limpid jazz textures as uncompromising distorted rock.

When the smooth jazz of George Benson hugs the contemporary post-bop/fusion of Pat Metheny, you get “Honeymoon Phase”, which precedes “Schooby’s Riff”, an outlandish exercise devised with an obstinate bass groove upfront and a routined backbeat. This groovy setting, crisply textured by Monder’s mind-blowing chords, is periodically interrupted with vocalized samples and giddily weird vibes. The final moments bring once more the irreverence of the guitarist, who unveils the hard rocker in him.

Boasting a rising sense of playfulness while positively quivers with edgy melodic pointillism, “5th Base” has something of Funkadelic but particularly reminisces Frank Zappa in its jazz, funk, and rock instigations drowned in bluesy undertones.

Opposing to the classical suggestions and some experimental textures of “The Shape of Green”, the deep funky spirit of the last track, “Catfish Sandwich” invites us to move our bodies uncontrollably, somewhere at an underground dance floor.

Kurrent, a riveting spiral of unprecedented modern fusion with reverence for the dandy sounds of the past, is likely the boldest record from Charette, a visionary artist to be followed very closely.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Doll Fin ► 03 - Time Changes ► 09 - 5th Base