Tommy Crane - Dance Music For All Occasions

October 10, 2024

Label: Elastic Recordings, 2024

Personnel - Tommy Crane: drums, composition; Charlotte Greve: alto saxophone; Simon Jermyn: bass; Edwin de Goeij: piano; Sarah Page: harp; Claire Devlin: tenor saxophone (#4); Martin Ditcham: percussion; Miller Maboungou: percussion; Mishka Stein: bass; Aaron Spicer: choir; Sterling Spicer: choir; Jones Spicer: choir.

Currently based in Montreal, drummer and composer Tommy Crane has long been a trusted collaborator for a number of esteemed jazz artists in New York—Aaron Parks, Melissa Aldana, and David Binney among them. In his latest project, Dance Music For All Occasions, Crane leads a core quartet, featuring bassist Simon Jermyn, pianist Edwin de Goeij, and saxophonist Charlotte Greve. Inspired by the smooth jazz and breezy pop/rock of the ‘70s and ‘80s—a sound his drummer father, Nolan Earl Crane, was passionate about—the album melds these influences into a laid-back yet elegantly layered sonic experience, with guest appearances enhancing the mood.

The opener, “Early 2000’s”, kicks off with a driving rhythmic pulse, its three time feel well marked by the pianist, who designs the chord progression with sheer emotion. Greve harmonize slow-moving lines that soar with sharp focus, while extra percussive layers are entrusted to percussionists Elli Miller Maboungou and Martin Ditcham (Talk Talk, Sade). The musicians work seamlessly within Crane’s vision, and on “Italian Weekend”, they evoke a lush sense of nostalgia. The track begins simply but firmly, driven by an engaging bass groove before drifting into ambient jazz, enriched by ethereal harmonies from a three-boy choir, and having Sarah Page’s harp lending discrete shading.

“DMFAO” delivers pleasant vibes, but lacks the spark to elevate its steady background. “Let’s Try This Again” takes on the feel of a relaxed 4/4 pop/rock tune, with Claire Devlin’s tenor saxophone adding a thin extra layer to the cyclic melody. “Life is So Much Better in the Lounge” shifts into smooth funk and R&B, channeling George Benson, Barry White, and Grover Washington Jr. as the music, pollinated with warm and rich details, brings out Crane's knack for subtle groove.

The short-lived yet beautiful track “A Moment of Clarity Amidst the Fog” is introspective and airy, balancing spacey piano accompaniment, sizzling brushwork, and a carefully sculpted saxophone riff. The album closes with “Amherst Ave”, a standout track that grooves effortlessly in an odd-meter cycle, conjuring the soulful, jazz-infused stylings of Makaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, and Robert Glasper.

Dance Music For All Occasions is a record of amenable tones, avoiding overly complex configurations but relying on superimposed layers to create its dreamscapes. Some tracks, charmingly pleasurable, can get under your skin, while others remain more understated, with only minimal fluctuations in mood.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Early 2000’s ► 06 - A Moment of Clarity Amidst the Fog ► 07 - Amherst Ave

Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movement

May 23, 2024

Label: Young, 2024

Personnel includes - Kamasi Washington: tenor and alto sax; Dontae Winslow: trumpet; Ryan Porter: trombone; Patrice Quinn: vocals; Brandon Coleman: keyboards, key bass, vocoder; Cameron Graves: piano; Woody Aplanalp: guitar; Miles Mosley: bass; Ronald Bruner Jr.: drums; Tony Austin: drums.
CD1 guests include: Thundercat: electric bass (#2,4); DJ Battlecat: turntables (#2), talkbox (#5); Taj Austin: vocals (#2); Raj Austin: vocals (#2); Terrace Martin: alto sax (#3); George Clinton: vocals (#4); D Smoke: vocals (#4); André 3000: flutes (#6); Mono/Poly: synths (#6).
CD2 guests include: BJ the Chicago Kid: vocals (#1); Dwight Trible: vocals (#2,5); Ben Williams: double bass (#7).

Laced with electric styles and interests, Fearless Movement, the fifth studio album from the spectacularly soulful saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington, focuses on the earthly while radiating plenty of spiritual illumination. The LA-based saxophonist follows up his last record, Heaven and Earth (2018), with another one just as good, playing alongside regular bandmates and a few special guests. His colorful musical universe remains anchored in post-bop, funk, soul, and hip-hop, with the grandiose sounding arrangements on this double album being shaped by various architects.

Brimming with prayerful, epic, and spiritual enlightenment, “Lesanu” makes for a killing start, with pianist Cameron Graves taking the improvisational lead over a deep, compelling pocket before Washington’s majestic phraseology take fervent expression. “Asha the First” was written for his first daughter, who wrote the melody on piano. This richly layered piece features a vibrant beat, a busy electric bass solo by Thundercat, bilateral rapping by brothers Taj and Raj Austin, and the skilled turntablism of DJ Battlecat.

“Computer Love” is a gentle soul cut sung by Patrice Quinn, while “Get Lit”, featuring funk music icon George Clinton (from Parliament-Funkadelic) and rapper D Smoke, is a hip-hop incursion softened by R&B elements. The CD1 closer, “Dream State”, arranged by Andre 3000, who also plays flute, evolves from a hypnotic state - with deftly deployed electronics, gorgeous keyboard bass, and freely rambling horns - into a groovy funk romp loaded with infectious bass lines and cool drumming.

CD2 includes some of the most exciting tracks: “The Garden Path” shines with heroic chanting and prismatic modality, complemented by superb solos from Washington, trumpeter Dontae Winslow, and trombonist Ryan Porter. “Road to Self (KO)” features an uplifting bass groove in seven, balancing chilled-out crosscurrents and expansive soloing. “Interstellar Peace” offers airy spaciousness with its ternary feel, and Astor Piazzola’s “Prologue”, suggested by bassist Miles Mosley, closes out the album as a post-bop catharsis delivered at a galloping rhythm.

This inspiringly lush opus glows with newfound potential, and Washington keeps everyone motivated for what comes next.

Favorite Tracks:
01 (CD1) - Lesanu ► 02 (CD2) - The Garden Path ► 03 (CD2) - Road to Self (KO) ► 06 (CD2) - Prologue

Makaya McCraven - In These Times

September 21, 2022

Label: International Anthem, 2022

Personnel - Greg Ward: alto sax; Irvin Pierce: tenor sax; Marquis Hill: trumpet, flugelhorn; De'Sean Jones: flute; Jeff Parker: guitar; Matt Gold: guitar, baby sitar; Joel Ross: vibraphone, marimba; Brandee Younger: harp; Greg Spero: piano; Rob Clearfield: piano; Macie Stewart: violin; Zara Zaharieva: violin; Marta Sofia Honer: viola; Lia Kohl: cello; Junius Paul: double bass, electric bass, percussion; Makaya McCraven: drums, sampler, percussion, tambourine, baby sitar, synths, kalimba, handclaps, vibraphone, wurlitzer, organ.

The finicky drummer and beat inventor Makaya McCraven has been lauded for his exquisite blend of styles, irresistible moods, and melodies that linger, sending the listener to emotional zones both distinctive and appealing. This new record, In These Times, has 11 tunes providing a spotlight for his entrancing rhythms and adroit arrangements, with soul, jazz, funk, and dub rippling across sonic fabrics woven with the help of an all-star ensemble.

The title track incorporates an audio excerpt from the Studs Terkel Radio Archive, setting ostinatos against one another before unifying them into a beautiful melody complemented with a phenomenal beat, sweeping harp, and bowed cello. The triple meter flow occasionally shifts to 6/8, and a soulful saxophone solo finds its way to pleasant emotion.

A wide variety of pulses are offered, and if “The Fours” discloses an intense foreign flavor by virtue of stringed instruments and odd, looping rhythms founded on deep and wet drum sounds, then “High Fives”, delivered in five, adds bass sounds and textural guitar for a richer tissue. In contrast, the polyrhythmic “Seventh String” has the soaring flute lines of De'Sean Jones creating contrast with McCraven’s disorienting drumming.

No element feels forced or inappropriate, and “This Place That Place” proudly invests in both fragmentation and coordination, stressed under a peculiar swinging vibe. The easterner “So Obuji” and the regularly riffing “The Title” boast a strong dub feel that gets mixed with soul elements, whereas the boom-bap/boom-boom-bap sequence of “The Knew Untitled” entices the guitarist Jeff Parker for a skillful improvisation pelted with bluesy licks.

McCraven’s elocution is clean, precise, and confident, reaching expressions that practically demand to be heard and felt. This is an album that is alive with revelatory emotion and a tonal quality that reveals a serious commitment to his message and art.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - In These Times ► 02 - The Fours ► 10 - The Knew Untitled

Dr. Lonnie Smith - Breathe

March 25, 2021

Label: Blue Note Records, 2021

Personnel - Dr. Lonnie Smith: Hammond B-3 organ; Jonathan Kreisberg: guitar; Johnathan Blake: drums; Iggy Pop: vocals; Alicia Olatuja: vocals; John Ellis: tenor saxophone; Sean Jones: trumpet; Jason Marshall: baritone saxophone: Robin Eubanks: trombone.

The primary attraction of Dr. Lonnie Smith’s Breathe is the one-of-a-kind collaboration between the Hammond B-3 specialist and the rock monster Iggy Pop on two tracks, namely Timmy Thomas’ 1972 soul hit “Why Can’t We Live Together” and Donovan’s psychedelia pop-folk brew “Sunshine Superman”.

Immersed in chill-out vibes, the former piece features the soloing capabilities of Smith, who goes strictly bluesy here, and guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg, who showcases all his rich lyricism and phrasal fluidity. They cast a generous light on the tune, despite of Iggy’s lugubrious vocal tone, which is a better fit here than on “Sunshine Superman”, a number that Smith recorded 50 years ago for his album Move Your Hand. The aforementioned pieces bookend a live album that doesn’t reach new heights or even the energy of its predecessor, All in My Mind (Blue Note, 2018). The music on both discs was culled from 2017 performances at Jazz Standard, by the occasion of Smith’s 75th birthday.

The absence of new originals is compensated for with a solo-less and rhythmically syncopated astral-funk take on Monk’s “Epistrophy”. However, two signature Smith compositions, “Bright Eyes” (made known by George Benson) and “Track 9”, are resurrected here with inspired appeal and vivid colors, partly due to the presence of a four-horn frontline that expands the trio format into a pliant septet. “Bright Eyes” relies on a sleek blend of jazz and soul laid down with a triple-metered flow, and becomes jubilant during John Ellis’ tenor improvisation. “Track 9”, in turn, combines a rock-driven rhythm with an open funk feel, having drummer Johnathan Blake probing multiple rhythmic variations and featuring a trio of horn stretches (Ellis, trumpeter Sean Jones and baritonist Jason Marshall).

If Smith demonstrates his soulful command of the blues on “Too Damn Hot”, then on the R&B-infused ballad “Pilgrimage”, he provides vast space for the voice of Alicia Olatuja.

In no way an embarrassment, the album still doesn’t transcend other central works by the organist.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Why Can’t We Live Together ► 02 - Bright Eyes ► 04 - Track 9