Fred Hersch Trio - Sunday Night At the Vanguard

Fred Hersch: piano; John Hébert: double bass; Eric McPherson: drums.

Fred Hersch, a pianist of elaborate momentum, makes of the diversity his best weapon in “Sunday Nigh at the Vanguard”, recorded live in the most celebrated jazz venue in New York, in the company of the explorative bassist John Hébert and the tremendously adaptable Eric McPherson, who occupied the drummer’s chair.
The inspired melodies and harmonic textures of the pianist combine seamlessly with the throbbing grooves generated by the empathic rhythm section, ending up in curious dialogues that are more concordant than contentious.
Shedding a gentle lyricism, the proficient trio dabbles in a variety of styles. “A Cockeyed Optimist” is the typical jazz standard, “Serpentine” let us feel a strong classical influence, “The Optimum Thing” is a bop-colored tune, “Calligram is an avant-gardish delight dedicated to Benoit Delbecq, “Blackwing Palomino” is a post-bop incursion with rhythmic nuances, McCartney’s “For No One” takes the form of a ballad, Kenny Wheeler’s “Everybody’s Song But My Own” is a gripping exuberance, the weepy “The Peacocks” is naturally impactful, and Monk’s mood is completely identifiable in “Wee See”, here enhanced with some radical rhythmic variations.

Favorite Tracks:
04 – Calligram ► 07 – Everybody’s Song But My Own ► 08 – The Peacocks

JD Allen - Americana

JD Allen: saxophone; Gregg August: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Owner of a penetrating sound and an impressive technique, the saxophonist JD Allen turns his focus to the roots by picking some wrinkled old blues and giving them the necessary retouches to fit in the actual jazzistic landscape. Another saxophone player, Noah Preminger, has followed this same concept in “Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground”, in which a few Delta blues got fresh rearrangements. 
“Americana” is a respectable follow-up to “Graffiti”, Allen’s previous, and was also recorded with the glaring rhythm section composed of Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. Powerful without being aggressive, Allen and his peers embark on irresistible grooves and strong dynamics that cause immediate empathy on the listener. Oscillating between beseeching and hard-hitting, the calls emitted by the leader’s tenor sax find consistent support in the pungent bass plucking and bowing of August, and in the laudable maneuvers of Royston, whose resolute drive and dry timbre feel quite fresh. The collective sounds simultaneously feisty, raw, and erudite.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil ► 02 – Another Man Done Gone ► 03 – Cotton

Chris Cheek - Saturday Songs

Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone; Steve Cardenas: guitar; David Soler: pedal steel; Jaume Llombard: bass; Jorge Rossy: drums, vibes, marimba.

The full-blooded American saxophonist, Chris Cheek, always had an inclination for choosing guitarists instead of pianists to participate in the recordings under his own name. Two examples are Kurt Rosenwinkle and Ben Monder who helped to make of “I Wish I Knew”, “Vine”, and “A Girl Called Joe” memorable works.
For his new album, “Saturday Songs”, the fulfilling sounds of Steve Cardenas wasn’t enough, so he added the second guitar, a pedal steel operated by the Spanish David Soler. The band is completed with the electric bassist Jaume Llombard, and the experienced and longtime collaborator Jorge Rossy on drums. The combination works well and the resultant urban jazz is both snug and sprightly. The inspirations come from several sources: “String Finger” and “Saturday Song” are marked by a playful, Frisell-like ambiance; “Ginger Something”, “Alhambros”, and “Strawberry Jam” gained an energetic rock pulse with strong riffs; “Windmill Hill”’s approach triggers a sound that gets closer to the mood created in “I Wish I Knew”; “Eye Factory” mirrors a ravishing exoticism while Jobim’s “Forever Green” comes wrapped in an uninterrupted tranquility.
To be absorbed by the fans of both traditional and modern jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – String Finger ► 07 – Saturday Song ► 09 – Forever Green

Kenny Barron Trio - Book Of Intuition

Kenny Barron: piano; Kiyoshi Kitagawa: double bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

I’ve always had a special fondness for the music of Kenny Barron, a dashing composer and creative pianist of huge technical caliber. I grew up listening to some of his gems such as “Scratch” and “Wanton Spirit”, albums that transpire all his charming spells and elastic expressiveness grounded on hard-bop and post-bop styles.
His new record, “Book of Intuition”, was recorded with Kiyoshi Kitagawa on double bass and Johnathan Blake on drums, a furiously responsive rhythm section that much contributed to the musical quality of the songs.
Barron’s compositions are quite impressive - “Magic Dance” shows pure Bossanova delicacy, “Bud Like” bounces with a frenzy Latin pulse, “Cook’s Day” delivers a calm yet expressive groove, and “Lunacy” is a rhythmically splendorous experience. In addition, we also have the magic of solo piano in “Light Blue”, one of the two Monk’s numbers, and the plaintive sounds of Charlie Haden’s “Nightfall”. 
The trio pulls a myriad of emotions throughout the ten tracks of the recording, making it another captivating and essential work in Barron’s extended discography.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Bud Like ► 06 – Light Blue ► 07 – Lunacy

Bill Charlap Trio - Notes From New York

Bill Charlap: piano; Peter Washington: double bass; Kenny Washington: drums.

Bill Charlap is a traditional pianist whose recordings usually consist of jazz standards and borrowed compositions. In his latest, “Notes From New York”, the story repeats itself and he leads his reputable trio, composed of his longtime associates Peter Washington on double bass and Kenny Washington on drums, on a voyage that tries to bring the past into the present.
To the habitual structural simplicity, Charlap adds his personal melodic touch through a clear language that also reveals agility.
Whether in a hurried or laid-back pace, the rigor of the rhythm section guarantees the solid foundation for the pianist’s nimble moves.
From the selection of standards, I was particularly pleased with the beautifully dragging accent of “Make Me Rainbows”, the looseness of “A Sleepin’ Bee”, and the sentimentality of “Too Late Now”.
Clearly, jazz purists will be content… but probably they won’t be the only ones.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Make Me Rainbows ► 05 – A Sleepin’ Bee ► 07 – Too Late Now

Phantom Trio - #00

Fabio Almeida: saxophones and electronics; Sergio Tavares: double bass; João Martins: drums.

“#00” is the energetic debut record from the Portuguese Phantom Trio whose music relies heavily on a powerful rhythm section, regardless if the tune is a rapid-fire excursion or a floating ballad.
The pulsations and webs drawn by Tavares and Martins are diversified enough to avoid monotony, guaranteeing a vital space for the freedom of expression of the saxophonist, Fabio Almeida, who fearlessly explores the ground with intelligence and force. 
The latter also shows an artistic aptitude in managing of the electronic effects.
As some of the track titles suggest, spontaneity can be felt throughout this experimental voyage, where we can identify joyous rhythm syncopations, pressurized atmospheres, twisting-yet-melodic contemplations, and even some influence from other cultures, specifically in “Lacrau”.
I found the Phantom Trio surprisingly calibrated and extremely confident, and
“#00” is an album with personality and ready to be savored by the modern free enthusiasts.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Espontaneo #1 ► 06 – Zimbro ► 08 – Lacrau

Steve Kuhn Trio - At This Time...

Steve Kuhn: piano; Steve Swallow: electric bass; Joey Baron: drums

The adroit and sensitive American pianist Steve Kuhn has been changing his famous trio along the years, maintaining his vision and personality within a wide variety of styles. 
For this recording, he reunited Steve Swallow and Joey Baron, who had done a staggering job in the excellent “Wisteria” from 2012.
With a refined touch, Kuhn and his peers open with “My Shining Hour”, which flourishes with the appropriate boppish approach, excelling later with a touching version of Quincy Jones’ “The Pawnbroker” and in two originals from the pianist, “All the Rest Is the Same”, delivered with a sensual bossanova feeling, and “The Feeling Within”, played solo.
Less literate and more swinging than its predecessor, this record evenly spreads class, sentiment, and an unrestrained passion.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – My Shining Hour ► 03 – The Pawnbroker ► 04 – All the Rest Is the Same

Mario Pavone - Blue Dialect

Mario Pavone: double bass; Matt Mitchell: piano; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Mario Pavone, a robust bassist with guts to wing it, returns to the trio format (after the successful Nu Trio and Arc Trio), this time in the company of the pianist Matt Mitchell and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey.
Pavone creates his usual throbbing grooves, often resorting to a shifting, abstract, and yet swinging walking bass, and showing his magnificent sense of tempo. The combustible and frequently disruptive drumming of Sorey follows him everywhere with technique, great style, and a strong purpose of making this trio sound good. And they succeed, also because Mitchell is in the same mood, building silky non-linear textures and exquisite harmonies that are fun to listen to.
Replete of charisma and planned discontinuities, the trio plays eight original compositions by the leader (“Xapo”, “Zines”, “Silver Print”, and “Language” were already recorded on previous albums) and a lucid rendering of “Reflections” by Monk.  
When everyone speaks the same dialect, the communication becomes effortless and fluid. That’s what happens in the homogeneous “Blue Dialect”.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Suitcase in Savannah ► 02 – Xapo ► 09 – Blue

Tyshawn Sorey - The Inner Spectrum of Variables

Tyshawn Sorey: drums; Cory Smythe: piano; Chris Tordini: bass; Rubin Kodheli: violoncello; Fung Chern Hwei: violin; Kyle Armburst: viola.

The highly in-demand and proficient drummer, Tyshawn Sorey, enriches the sound of his experimental trio, the same that gave us “Alloy” two years ago, with the addition of a resolute trio of strings. 
“The Inner Spectrum of Variables”, a double-disc album that comprises six creative movements and a loose percussive tune, successfully rambles on jazz, classical, avant-garde, and exotic territories, creating several cinematic soundscapes that enthrall and satisfy. Sometimes low-key and minimal, sometimes effusive and intricate, this record gives us a lot to discover. Through his openhanded compositions, Sorey concedes enough space for his peers to express themselves in an erudite way. Smythe, in particular, deserves attention in the way he communicates, proving himself a specialist in the art of creating tension. 
This music breathes at the same time that casts a powerful effect on us.  

Favorite Tracks:
03 (cd1) – Movement III ► 02 (cd2) – Movement IV ► 03 (cd2) – Movement V + VI + Reprise

Renato Diz / Maria Quintanilla - Distance Chemistry

Renato Diz: piano; Maria Quintanilla: vocals.

Recorded in just one take with improvised arrangements, the tunes of “Distance Chemistry” might not be an ideal choice for some intrepid explorers of the contemporary jazz scene, but that doesn’t mean they’re not adventurous in their own style.
Both based in NYC, the emergent and rhythmically bold Portuguese pianist, Renato Diz, and the confident Peruvian singer, Maria Quintanilla, prove to have a beneficial chemistry. In no rare occasions, their musical choices reminded me another duo, Tuck & Patti, in their explorations of diverse styles that not only jazz. Besides a few well-known jazz standards, whose highlight is an uncanny version of “Strange Fruit”, the duo effortlessly incurs into R&B, gospel, and reggae territories with covers of Bill Withers, Jevetta Steele, and Stevie Wonder. However, it was with one of their improvised fantasias entitled “Conversation I” that they impressed me most. The cited piece pulsates with a catchy African feeling and exciting melodic counterpoints.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Conversation I ► 04 – Strange Fruit ► 07 – Master Blaster

Alan Ferber Nonet - Roots and Transitions

Alan Ferber: trombone; Jon Gordon: alto saxophone; John Ellis: tenor saxophone; Scott Wendholt: trumpet; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Charles Pillow: bass clarinet; Nate Radley: guitar; Bryn Roberts: piano; Matt Clohesy: bass; Mark Ferber: drums.

Alan Ferber, a persuasive trombonist with strong writing skills and modernistic vision, keeps his nonet active since 2005, time when he released the excellent “Scenes From An Exit Row”. The saxophonist John Ellis and the drummer Mark Ferber, Alan’s twin brother, were the ones present in all the recordings of the nonet so far.
The leader sought inspiration on his two-year-old son, Theo, during the first months of his life, and the music conveys a comforting effect, filling our souls with an inebriating musicality that flows with passion and sensitivity.
The surefooted “Roots and Transitions” has a majestic opening with the stately downbeat “Quiet Confidence”, and moves forward providing us other memorable experiences. The edgy “Clocks” features outstanding solos from Jon Gordon and Nate Radley, “Wayfarer” presents a more traditional voice leading and structure, and “Cycles” exhibits a radiating collective improvisation over a motivic idea.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Quiet Confidence ► 03 – Clocks ► 08 – Cycles

Jazz Albums 2016 - Weekly Listening Jul 4-10

Another 6 fresh Jazz records to enjoy!

INGRID LAUBROCK / TOM RAINEY - BUOYANCY

Ingrid Laubrock: tenor and soprano saxophones; Tom Rainey: drums. 

Two Brooklyn-based innate adventurers and partners, both in music and life, Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey are really impressive in the way they dominate their instruments and express themselves. 
By sounding so tight and natural, “Buoyancy”, let the couple’s perfect communication flow both in its fast and furious vindications or hushed sensitivities. It’s their new excavation of rhythms and sounds.
If you’re familiar with their work, you’re probably imagining that rhythm might take over melody throughout the four pieces presented here. Well, this is partly true, if we take into account that this genre lives mostly from the gradual rhythmic alternations, motivic ideas, and interchanges. Still, sweet melodic murmurs and lulls can be assimilated. 
“Buoyancy” is a special record, not only for its creators, but also for those who look for intensity, agility, and creativity in the expansive world of modern jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Buoyancy ► 02 – Twenty Lanes ► 03 – The Museum Of Human Achievement

DANIEL FREEDMAN - IMAGINE THAT

Lionel Loueke: guitar, vocals; Jason Lindner: piano, keyboards; Omer Avital: bass, oud; Daniel Freedman: drums; Gilmar Gomes: percussion.

The flexible New York drummer Daniel Freedman convenes a super multicultural band to play in “Imagine That”, a penetrating record that crosses the boundaries of jazz and world fusion. 
The Brazilian Gilmar Gomes, a member of Forro in the Dark, joins Freedman for the first time, in opposition to the Israeli-American bassist Omer Avital, the American pianist Jason Lindner, and the fantastic and influential Benin-born guitarist Lionel Loueke, who are longtime collaborators. 
The leader, who incorporated two compositions of Lindner, one of Loueke, and a remarkable interpretation of Radiohead’s “Codex”, boasts his West African and Middle Eastern influences with four dulcet pieces of his own authorship. Three of them were enveloped in cheerful demeanors and the remaining one was delivered with elegiac undertones.
The sum of the parts makes a solid whole, and the noteworthy “Imagine That” sparks as a universal festivity.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Baby Aya ► 04 – Codex ► 05 – Mindaho

THE CLAUDIA QUINTET - SUPER PETITE

Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Red Wierenga: accordion, piano; Matt Moran: vibraphone; Drew Gress: acoustic bass; John Hollenbeck: drums.

Minimally composed and meticulously conceived, the music of The Claudia Quintet, led by the drummer/composer/arranger John Hollenbeck, is always difficult to categorize.
I describe it as a sort of cerebral jazz that merges with fragments of modern classic and folk music, and then is delivered in the form of ethereal, unobstructed, and hypnotic dances.
The tunes are more programmed than improvised, only occasionally opening space to Chris Speed’s non-aggressive saxophone/clarinet, which sound soars over the moods created by Moran’s vibes, Wierenga’s accordion, and the rhythm section. “JFK Beagle” and “Philly” are the tracks that better illustrate this exception.
Hollenbeck’s phenomenal percussive timbres match Gress’ subtle bass work in an irreproachable way. A generalized relentless symbiosis is created, emphasizing the whole rather than the individual.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – JFK Beagle ► 04 – Philly ► 10 – Mangold

SERA SERPA / ANDRE MATOS - ALL THE DREAMS

Sara Serpa: vocals, piano, Fender Rhodes; Andre Matos: guitar, electric bass, percussion; Pete Rende: synthesizer; Billy Mintz: drums, percussion.

Dreamy and atmospheric, “All the Dreams” soars higher with every listening. 
Its airy, often sedative effect comes from the compelling melodies sang by Ms. Serpa, who spreads a sweet languor over the well-crafted textures delineated by her husband, the guitarist Andre Matos. The Portuguese duo, besides playing other instruments that aren’t normally associated with them, counted on the subtle-yet-determined synthesizer of Pete Rende and the percussive skills of the veteran Billy Mintz, in order to materialize their compositions.
Tinged with several influences - from pop to jazz to Middle Eastern music - and featuring the poetry of William Blake, Luis Amaro, and Alvaro de Campos, these tunes sound authentic, taking us to the very particular musical universe of Serpa/Matos. 
Get yourself ready to experience minimalism, complexity, and sophistication throughout this eclectic fusion.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – A La Montagne ► 03 – Estado de Graça ► 06 – Água

BRIAN GRODER TRIO - R TRAIN ON THE D LINE

Brian Groder: trumpet, flugelhorn; Michael Bisio: bass; Jay Rosen: drums.

Brian Groder’s “R Train on the D Line” is an excellent follow-up to “Reflexology”, which was recorded with exactly the same partners in 2014.
The leader’s talking trumpet/flugelhorn evinces melodic consistency and a disarming eloquence regardless the pace and mood of the tunes. Groder's phrasing slides freely and whimsically over the non-static rhythmic masses created by the dauntless bassist Michael Bisio, a distinctive skipper in the pizzicato and bowing approaches, and the off-kilter drummer Jay Rosen. 
Attentive listeners will notice transitory swinging sections being intercalated with the more exploratory ones, an option that avoids steady routines by suggesting a different trajectory.
The super balanced trio approaches Groder’s crisp compositions with discipline, maneuvering the sounds and rhythms with perception, purpose, and accuracy. Multiple listenings will bring new discoveries.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Quanta ► 02 – Retooled Logic ► 05 – Praxis

LEFTERIS KORDIS - MEDITERRANA

Lefteris Kordis: piano; Petros Kamplanis: double bass; Ziv Ravitz: drums; 

Greek pianist Lefteris Kordis takes us on a nice cruise, sailing on accessible waters that are shared by jazz and Eastern Mediterranean folk territories.
We can have a better notion of Korda’s beautiful lyricism in the tunes he plays in trio, with the double bassist Petros Kamplanis and the drummer Ziv Ravitz. Sometimes their sound reminisces Steve Kuhn’s textural compositions.
However, it’s not uncommon to hear exotic scales and allusions to flamenco played on top of the more traditional folk songs. This is achieved with the juxtaposition of some other elements such as a restless ney flute, a melodious harmonica, a moving accordion, a crying clarinet, or the medieval touch of a lute. To join these assorted combinations, Mr. Korda seamlessly jazzified “And I Love Her” by The Beatles, giving it a personal touch.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – In the Land of the Phrygians ► 02 – Yota ► 05 – The Raven and the Fox