Jerome Sabbagh - Vintage

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2023

Personnel - Jerome Sabbagh: tenor saxophone; Kenny Barron: piano; Joe Martin: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

Favoring straight-ahead jazz flavors and plain structures over complex modernistic approaches, the new outing by French-born, New York-based saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh, Vintage, is a tribute to tradition and jazz heroes. One of them, the veteran pianist Kenny Barron, is in this quartet, assuring a lusty rhythm section with younger yet accomplished foundation connoisseurs such as bassist Joe Martin and drummer Johnathan Blake. The saxophonist was struck by Barron’s playing as a teenager in a Paris concert by saxophonist Stan Getz. This marks his first work as a leader with piano as harmonic accompaniment, after years working with guitarists Ben Monder and Greg Tuohey.

The hooky title cut is a Sabbagh hard-bop-fueled piece motivated by nostalgia, slightly latinized at the end, and marked by hot improvisations from saxophone and piano. The two men at the center deliver two elegant ballads in duo - Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower is a Lonesome Thing” and Monk’s “Ask Me Now”, the latter of which closes the album on a nice relaxed note. There’s more Monk before that, with a playful, groovy rendition of “We See”, whose theme is expressed in unison with Barron. The pianist shows artistry in the stride piano comping that follows.

Tadd Dameron’s classic “On a Misty Night” advances with a cool, breezy flow and a no-holds-barred bop posture. Sabbagh seems channeling Getz and Rollins; Barron is harmonically explicit; Martin’s bass lines assure a fluent stream; and Blake’s zealous brush technique vouches for timekeeping. 

The saxist's considerable compositional acumen can be heard in “Slay the Giant” and “Elson’s Energy”. The former number embraces a composure that recalls Yusef Lateef, while the latter, written with a childhood friend in mind, arises as a post-bop knockout with a Brazilian rhythmic feel.

This studio date satisfies without dazzling, showing youthful vigor within the classic jazz style but not exactly experimenting new pathways. It certainly would have benefited from more original material, and yet, the repertoire here was logically chosen and gracefully expressed.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Elson’s Energy ► 05 - Slay the Giant ► 06 - We See

Josh Lawrence - And That Too

Label: Posi-Tone Records, 2023

Personnel - Josh Lawrence: trumpet; Willie Morris III: tenor saxophone; Art Hirahara: piano; Boris Kozlov: bass; Jason Tiemann: drums (#1,2,6); Rudy Royston: drums (#3,4,5,7,8).

Trumpeter and composer Josh Lawrence has been giving us many reasons to smile with albums like Color Theory (Posi-Tone, 2017) and Contrast (Posi-Tone, 2018). Last year, he released Call Time with a quintet featuring the up-and-coming saxophonist Willie Morris and the rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Jason Tiemann. His fifth album, And That Too, features this same quintet with drummer Rudy Royston replacing Tiemann on five of the eight cuts.

With tradition at the very center, each tune is infused with smart playing and expressive qualities. The opening cut, “Grit”, is one of those burning post-bop explosions that builds tremendously, steamed with expert improvisations. This Freddie Hubbard-esque piece was penned by Morris, who completely steals the show with a clever, tonally fluid and narratively engaging solo that stuns from start to finish. He is preceded by Lawrence, whose clear language can be as fast as an arrow travels, and followed by Hirahara, an adept of versatility and firm touch. Morris brings a second composition into the song lineup - the hard-swinging, short-themed “Hole in the Wall” begins with tenor over bass and drums, and is later harmonically contextualized by sparse piano moves turned rhythmic counterstatements.

With Kozlov and Royston in the pocket, “Cosmological Constant” offers hard-bop cheerfulness shaken by doubling tempos for a different feel. Alternatively, “North Winds” is a mid-tempo piece with insightful drum fills by Royston during the improvisations, whereas “Black Keys” is a blues played with decorum and range. 

The compelling strength of Lawrence’s soaring lines can be amply appreciated on his soulful ballad “Left Hanging”, and his compositional capabilities confirmed on “Cantus Firmus”, a groovy number in five, all at once redolent of Woody Shaw and Lee Morgan. Its rhythmic acuity invites the trumpeter and Morris to take improvisational turns before Royston substantiates his drum chops during the final section.

Lawrence and his supple quintet still find the time to plunge into the exquisite chord progression of Wayne Shorter’s “Nefertiti” and tackle it with delicate and thoughtful sensibility. This is an undeniably virtuosic recording that, bringing back the taste of classic jazz, finds Lawrence at the apex of his career.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Grit ► 04 - North Winds ► 08 - Cantus Firmus

Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets - Pan Africa

Label: Impact Jazz, 2023

Personnel - Derrick Gardner: trumpet; Robert Dixon: alto and tenor saxophone; Vincent Gardner: trombone; George Caldwell: piano; Obasi Akoto: bass; Kweku Sumbry: drums, percussion.

Proficient trumpeter Derrick Gardner, a native from Chicago, Illinois, leads the Jazz prophets - a pliable sextet furnished with expressive players - since 1991. His latest effort, Pan Africa, was inspired by a visit to Ghana and pays tribute to his ancestors, the African diaspora and the Pan African movement.

The efficient djembe work of Kweku Sumbry marks the traditional “Djemba Kan”, which serves as an introductory channel to Jackie McLean’s exuberant “Appointment in Ghana”. The vibrant hard-bop tradition of this piece swings and shines with effortless perfection. The horn players make a powerful thematic announcement and then depart for individual solos, showing no reluctance when it comes to express their individuality - the bandleader chains slippery notes with a crystal bop sparkle; saxophonist Robert Dixon shows off outside flexibility; and Derrick’s brother, the trombonist Vincent Gardner, brings an understandable language to the fore prior to the reinstatement of the theme.

If the rhythmic patterns forge ahead in the latter, then on the Dixon-penned “10,000 Ships” there’s a controlled polyrhythm that stems from gorgeous melody set against a languid 12-beat-cycle bass groove. A 4/4 rock-driven rhythm marks the B section in a tune that call to mind oodles of African slaves in the sea.

The Afro-bop demeanor in “The Sixth Village” conjures up the supple spirit of Dizzy Gillespie (with whom Gardner worked in the past), being reinforced by a strong percussive backdrop. Incandescent horn unisons spread out for a collective improvisation by the end, and in addition to the frontline members, there is a soloing opportunity for pianist George Caldwell, who deftly commands his left hand to provide structure to the textural undertones. 

The bassist Obasi Akoto is featured on Victor Day’s danceable “Highlife Suite” and on Gardner’s “Vicente, the Afro Mestizo”, one of the best pieces on the album. The propulsive African-rooted rhythm of the latter's theme forms a refreshing aural palette and a swinging motion that boosts the improvisers for another round. They speak, not just frankly, but also eloquently. 

Developed in six and in an Art Blakey’s hard-bop fashion, "Nkrumah ‘da Rulah” shows off an enveloping warm sound that is challenged by the flamboyant breaks of Sumbry as he probes beyond normal routines. This catchy album showcases a variety of rhythms and textures, celebrating Pan-Africanism with brio and intensity.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Appointment in Ghana ► 04 - The Sixth Village ► 07 - Vicente, the Afro Mestizo

Terell Stafford - Forgive and Forget

Terell Stafford: trumpet; Tim Warfield: tenor saxophone; Kevin Hays: piano; Greg Williams: bass; Rodney Green: drums.

terell-stafford-forgive-and-forget

With Forgive and Forget, the experienced trumpeter and educator, Terell Stafford, proves it’s possible to pick the best of what hard-bop can offer and efficiently adapt it to our days, embracing a salutary commitment between past and present.
His new recording comprises nine colorful tunes written, produced and arranged by Herb Harris, who trusted the material to Stafford and his persuasive quintet composed of Tim Warfield on tenor saxophone, Kevin Hays on piano, Greg Williams on bass, and Rodney Green on drums.

As a starting point, we have “No, No, No (That Ain’t The Way It Go)”, a fascinating waltz that flourishes with modal inflections. Despite having been written during a rehearsal of Duke Ellington’s music, this tune fits somewhere between Joe Henderson’s The Kicker and the post-bop wallops of McCoy Tyner.
“A Two-Per To Fill” rests in the bop tradition, obeying to a pretty known structure and bringing a vivid swinging groove to the game. It features expressive solos from Warfield, Stafford, and Hays.

The title track, a ballad with rich harmonic passages, feels a bit long, but that factor made me appreciate even more the rhythmic nuances of “The Owl Express”, another energetic and fluid ride along the streets of hard-bop. Warfield’s explosive solo was particularly catchy, forcing his bandmates, Stafford and Hays, to draw compelling improvisational responses.
In “Please Rest My Soul”, one can find a peaceful graciousness in Stafford’s vocabulary in addition to the passionate lyricism in Hays’s delicate expressions.
A second take of “No, No, No” and a lower speed variant of “The Owl Express” were also included.

The members of this simpatico quintet, once in the possession of Harris’ compositions, intrepidly accomplished the mission to make them sound good. Attentive listeners will notice their enjoyment in playing together and their dedication to a genre they move effortlessly and passionately. There's something palpable here, waiting to send us back to the glory days of jazz. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 – No, No, No (That Ain’t The Way It Go) ► 04 – The Owl Express ► 06 – Please Rest My Sou