Peter Bernstein - Better Angels

Label: Smoke Sessions Records, 2024

Personnel - Peter Bernstein: guitar; Brad Mehldau: piano; Vicente Archer: bass; Al Foster: drums.

Guitarist and composer Peter Bernstein, who blew my mind with albums such as Signs of Life (Criss Cross, 1995) and Strangers in Paradise (Tokuma Records, 2004), returns to the quartet format with Better Angels, after two trio sessions with Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart. For this release, Bernstein assembled a multi-generational ensemble featuring longtime collaborator and renowned pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Vicente Archer, and legendary drummer Al Foster, with whom Bernstein played before but never recorded.

The album kicks off with Bernstein’s “Perpetual Pendulum”, a slow-burn groover that first appeared on his 2022 trio album of the same name. The track blends dulcet melodicism with an elegant, swaying pulse that lays the foundation for the soloists. Bernstein’s signature lyricism convenes bluesy phrasing and jazz coloring filled with chromaticism, while Mehldau’s logic narratives include chained melodic ideas that rise and fall with passion.

Tracks like “Ditty For Dewey” and “Hazel Eyes”, dedicated to family members, achieve a pleasing balance, with the latter being a richly textured ballad. “Better Angels”, likely inspired by Bernstein’s children, is a suave, in-the-pocket 3/4 piece where to Mehldau brings delicate trills, breaking points, and subtle dynamic shifts. Bernstein also delivers two solo performances: Mel Tormé/Robert Wells’s “Born To Be Blue” and J.J. Johnson’s “Lament”. The latter, introduced by a strikingly dissonant chord, stands out as the guitarist weaves together improvised melodies and harmonic coloration with keen sensibility.

The album’s two standards offer contrasting impressions. While “You Go to My Head” remains a straightforward, perhaps unsurprising interpretation, Duke Jordan’s “No Problem” emphasizes atmosphere and rhythm. Foster drives the track with a bubbling bossa groove, eventually trading eights with the band to close out the tune in style.

Better Angels is a smooth jazz album that simmers rather than boils, presenting familiar jazz elements while occasionally enchanting with its refined sonic treatments and thoughtful arrangements. Though far from groundbreaking, the album shines in its moments of graceful nuance.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Perpetual Pendulum ► 07 - No Problem ► 08 - Lament

Kenny Barron - Beyond This Place

Label: Artwork Records, 2024

Personnel - Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; Kenny Barron: piano; Steve Nelson: vibraphone; Kiyoshi Kitagawa: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

Pianist and composer Kenny Barron, a towering figure in the jazz world with 13 Grammy nominations and induction into the American Jazz Hall of Fame, has been at the helm of sophisticated post-bop for many decades, never shying away from reinventing jazz standards, reshaping his own originals, or composing anew. He does all that in his latest album, Beyond This Place, for which he enlisted a multigenerational group featuring rising star saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, veteran vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and his regular rhythm team of bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake.

The quintet starts off with a rendition of the timeless standard “The Nearness of You”, smoothly introduced by piano and saxophone, and later reinforced by dulcet bass lines and sizzling brushwork. Wilkins’s remarkably soulful statement makes this number memorable. Two other standards appear in the song lineup: “Softly as In a Morning Sunrise”, is a fantastic piano-drums duet where Barron deconstructs and rebuilds his narrative by stretching the melody to the breaking point; and Monk’s “We See”, seamlessly translated into piano-sax duo idiom. Curiously, Barron, who included more than a dozen Monk tunes in his extended discography, had never recorded this one before.

Notable among Barron’s original compositions is “Scratch”, a burning post-bop cut from 1985 that, stressing rhythmic accentuations, swings impulsively with confident elan. It’s lavishly delivered and stately paced with fluid yet tension-imbued solos from Wilkins, Nelson, and Barron. “Innocent”, whose original version was recorded in 1978 with saxophonist Sonny Fortune, is now revitalized with Wilkins’ fresh approach and Blake’s dynamic contribution. The drummer also shines on “Tragic Magic”, a lilting hard-bop number penned in honor of late pianist Tommy Flanagan, and contributes a composition of his own, the smoky “Blues on Stratford Road”, which evolves into a relaxed if familiar setting. 

In turn, the freshly penned title track is a gospel-infused ballad that reflects Barron’s refined pianism and melodic sensibility. Beyond This Place marks a strong return for Barron, characterized by stimulating conversational exchanges and masterful musicianship. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Nearness of You ► 02 - Scratch ► 07 -  Softly As in a Morning Sunrise

Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop - A Canadian Songbook

Label: TPR Records, 2024

Personnel - Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone; Tara Davidson: alto saxophone; William Carn: trombone; Adrean Farrugia: piano; Dan Loomis: bass; Ernesto Cervini: drums.

Ernesto Cervini, a drummer/composer from Toronto and JUNO award winner, pays tribute to Canadian songs and artists with A Canadian Songbook, featuring his Turboprop sextet. This third outing comprises seven tracks, including two originals and five covers, where the adventurous ensemble shines.

The opener, James Hill’s “Skeletons” showcases the group at its bravest. It’s a structurally interesting piece underpinned by a skittering EDM-inspired rhythm intertwined with divergent rubato passages. It’s also a furious, blowing vehicle for the horn section - altoist Tara Davidson, trombonist William Carn, and tenorist Joel Frahm - whose exchanges are caught in a spiral of joyful and energetic purpose. 

The following track, Barenaked Ladies’ “When I Fall” is a circular 3/4 pop/rock song comfortably harmonized by bassist Dan Loomis who, locking up with Cervini, serves Carn’s opening solo before making a statement of his own. The piece climaxes with Frahm’s tenor statement, a perfect blend of emotion and vibrancy. 

Somehow recalling the music of Mulgrew Miller and Branford Marsalis, “Aureole”, penned by alto saxophonist Allison Au, expands the musical palette into a cerebral if extroverted post-bop that swings with a modern mainstream vibe. Its strong sense of texture stands out.

Cervini’s own compositions, “If, Then” and “Stuck Inside”, display contrasting postures. The former combines snare fluxes and staccato moves, first unfolding in 5/8 before shifting in tempo, while the latter sprawls with a more familiar jazz progression delivered with symmetry and balance.

While this is not Cervini’s best recording, it serves as a finely honed reflection on the Canadian music scene, showcasing the collaborative energy of his ensemble throughout.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Skeletons ► 03 - When I Fall ► 06 - Aureole