James Brandon Lewis / Chad Taylor - Live in Willisau

April 29, 2020

Label: Intakt Records, 2020

Personnel - James Brandon Lewis: tenor saxophone; Chad Taylor: drums, mbira.

Following up the highly successful Radiant Imprints album, hailed by JazzTrail as one of the best of 2018, the dynamic duo of saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and drummer Chad Taylor is back with Live in Willisau, an eight-track session captured in 2019 at the 45th Willisau Jazz Festival, Switzerland.

The first two pieces, “Twenty Four” and “Radiance”, were drawn from their debut album. Integrating Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and “26-2”, the former sparkles with the energy of Lewis’ propagative rhythmic figures and Taylor’s percolating sounds, which includes wildly active snare, rolling thunder toms and cymbal scintillation. At some point, both musicians express their thoughts alone. This piece segues into the next one without interruption. It's a sort of work song introduced by Coltrane’s “Seraphic Light” and containing gospel elements in the melody and beneficial changes of beat along the way. It bears some similarity in tone with Mal Waldron’s relentless “Watakushi No Sekai”, heightened here by a flawless rhythmic sense and undulating fervor.

The contemplative “Come Sunday” by Duke Ellington, stripped down to its bear essentials, along with the duo’s “With Sorrow Lonnie”, feel more spacious and relaxing as they are rhythmically conducted by the chimelike timbres of the African mbira.

Elasticity and robustness are essential factors in the unfiltered approach adopted by these creative minds. Take, for example, “Imprints”, whose sinewy start highlights an empowering tenor that etches sinuous figures and zigzagging lines on the entangling percussive tapestries. It's great to see Lewis chaining elliptical phrases and pinning them down with low-pitched notes for stabilization. Also, Dewey Redman’s “Willisee”, my favorite track on the album, carries musical farsightedness. We find them excavating confrontational, urgent sounds - Coltrane invocations, blues tones, free bop discharges, and an auspicious mix of funk and hip-hop by the end.

Delivered raw, the music of Lewis and Taylor is an impressive communion of technique, pure energy and sound, with both musicians orchestrating ideas not only with vitality but also with a refined taste. Recently, I’ve no idea of a better horn that mingles so beautifully with lyrical, mindful rhythms.

Favorite Tracks:
05 - Imprints ► 06 - Watakushi No Sekai ► 08 - Willisee

Ohad Talmor Newsreel - Long Forms

April 28, 2020

Label: Intakt Records, 2020

Personnel - Ohad Talmor: tenor saxophone; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Jacob Sacks: piano; Matt Pavolka: acoustic bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Brooklyn-based saxophonist Ohad Talmor is a leading voice among the most ambitious composers/arrangers working in New York. For this new album - a collection of long form tunes based on single ideas that keep evolving en route - he reconvened the reputable Newsreel group, nine years after its debut. The current formation features the same trustworthy long-time collaborators that joined him in 2011 - Jacob Sacks on piano, Shane Endsley on trumpet, Matt Pavolka on bass and Dan Weiss on drums - plus the forward-thinking guitarist Miles Okazaki, who whets the listeners' appetite with extra sonic spice.

Talmor’s compositional vein translates into a fresh contemporary style that is pretty much evident on the opening tune, “Layas Lines”. This energy-infused piece grew out of the third movement of Layas, a piano-drums concerto written for Jason Moran and Dan Weiss. The layout includes both unisons and constellating polyphony, impressive synchronous movements and an off-center inclination that bewilders and paralyzes such is its cohesion. Talmor unleashes lines with high fluidity, enjoying both lush piano chords in support of his cause and single-note guitar phrasing delivered in parallel. Endsley also takes his game beyond expectation, and then it’s Okazaki who shapes the vamp over which Weiss demonstrates his unlimited creativity.

The invigorating “Kayeda” is based on the Hindustani heritage and finds Talmor’s eclectic ideas booming with a postmodern aesthetic. By combining sturdy chordal practices and melodic agility, Sacks deconstructs in waves, while Endsley operates under the fabulous rhythm designed by Pavolka and Weiss. The bandleader closes out the improv section with uncluttered authority and a commanding presence that perfectly consolidates pitch control, articulation and dynamics.

The waltzing ballad “Casado” is further enriched with the incandescence of Sacks’ intro and denotes influences of both Lee Konitz (Talmor’s mentor), Bill Evans, and classical music. In turn, the three-part “Scent” goes in a distinct direction. Hints of vulnerability are detected in the graceful arches and corridors of the first and third parts, while the second, preceded by the liquidity of a dreamy piano interlude, takes the form of a propulsive rock machine.

The mighty presence of Weiss behind the drum kit is not only difficult to understate on the latter track but also on the closer, “Musique Anodine”, where he infuses ingenious syncopation, especially during Okazaki’s crescent solo. Simultaneously glamorous and delicate in texture, this particular number features improvisations from all members of the group while advancing gradually and methodically toward a crescendo.

The musicians' powerful chemistry spreads out, translating into a superb sound and facility of communication.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Layas Lines ► 03 - Kayeda ► 06 - Musique Anodine

Gilfema - Three

April 27, 2020

Label: Sounderscore Records, 2020

Personnel - Lionel Loueke: guitar; Massimo Biolcati: bass; Ferenc Nemeth: drums.

The cooperative trio Gilfema features the same musicians of Lionel Loueke Trio, with the particularity that the recorded material is penned by all the three members. This world jazz collective, which besides the acclaimed Benin-born guitarist also includes Swedish-Italian bassist Massimo Biolcati and Hungarian drummer Ferenc Nemeth, hadn't released an album since 2008, returning now with 13 cuts filled with rhythmic panache and eclectic crosscurrents.

Fronting the operations, Loueke is an inimitable force of nature, whose musicality benefits from the sometimes cool, sometimes animated lyricism of his partners. Highly rhythmic titles such as “Lé”, “Brio” and “Aflao” are very much representative of the West African music tradition, here fused with contemporary jazz elements. The opener, “Têkê”, also falls into this category, but it’s a quite special one, boasting peculiar nylon-stringed guitar sounds wrapped in marvelous effects, in conjunction with strong hi-hat manifestations and snappy bass moves.

All the aforementioned compositions have the signature of Loueke, with the exception of “Brio”, which he co-penned with Biolcati. The pair collaborated in three other, but the highlight is the odd-metered “13th Floor to Heaven”, a.more jazzified, deliberately paced oddity devised with a relaxing mood, intervallic patterns of great quality and noteworthy vocals forming dulcet unisons with the guitar.

Equally navigating through undisturbed waters, Loueke’s “Dear JL” and Nemeth’s “Requiem For a Soul” are synonyms of a hybrid jazz sophistication. The former, aligned in 5/4 time, has tight brushwork and malleable bass maneuvers underpinning Loueke’s inspired guitar work, whereas the latter, pulsating in seven, showcases the group’s infallible communication. Nemeth also composed “Happiness”, a Fela Kuti-like exercise whose blend of wah-wah funk and afrobeat supports synth-laden melodies and improvisatory segments alike.

Loueke’s fantastic expressionism has the ability to hypnotize, and his peerless vision catches the ear again on a superlative acoustic rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s ballad “Little Wing”, a piece to listen over and over again.

Embracing interesting and viable musical forms, Gilfema is the artistic expression of world jazz sculptors gifted with varied talents and enjoying full maturity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Têkê ► 02 - Little Wing ► 12 - Requiem For a Soul

Charles Pillow Ensemble - Chamber Jazz

April 23, 2020

Label: Summit Records, 2020

Personnel - Charles Pillow: flute, alto flute, clarinet, alto sax; soprano sax, oboe, english horn; Scott Wendholt: trumpet; Alan Ferber: trombone; Chris Komer: french horn; Marcus Rojas: tuba; Todd Groves: bass clarinet, clarinet, flute; Vic Juris: guitar; Gary Versace: piano, accordion; Jeff Campbell: bass; Jay Anderson: bass; Mark Ferber: drums; Rich Thompson: drums; Rogerio Boccato: percussion + string ensemble - Hiroko Taguchi: violin; Whitney Lagrange: violin Lisa Matricardi: violin; Todd Low: viola; Orlando Wells: viola; Alisa Horn: cello; Allison Seidner: cello.

Even if Charles Pillow’s name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, you have probably heard him playing with central jazz figures as Maria Schneider, Dave Liebman, John Scofield, and more recently Brad Mehldau. Outside the jazz scope, the list of collaborations is equally vast and includes Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Chaka Khan, and Jay-Z, among others.

Following Electric Miles (Summit, 2018), a tribute to the early electric phase of giant trumpeter Miles Davis, the woodwinds player gathers his dedicated large ensemble, concentrating on the orchestral chamber jazz genre. Here, he delivers a repertory with an equal share of originals and covers.

As expected, the classical intonations, enhanced by the presence of strings, are a bit all over the place. The opening piece, “While Pass Manchac” paints scenic landscapes with warm colors, mixing suave classical sonorities with the persuasion of jazz. The improvisers are trumpeter Scott Wendholt and Pillow on alto saxophone.

Classical impressions are even stronger on “Charlotte and Evan”. This composition, dedicated to Pillow’s children, brims with cellos and violins in harmonious communion. Resourceful pianist Gary Versace stands out on this one, and he shows his multifaceted skills by switching to accordion on Hermeto Pascoal’s “Bebe”. He embarks on a decorous conversation with Pillow, who blows the clarinet with lucidity, with the complementary percussion of Rogerio Boccatto and Rich Thompson fully manifesting underneath.

Pillow puts a lot of heart in the arrangements and Monk’s less-familiar composition “Oska T” is explored with bold counterpoint, reaching high peaks during the improvisations from tuba player Marcus Rojas and trombonist Alan Ferber.

Another magic moment occurs when the late guitarist Vic Juris brings his beautiful sound to Billie Holiday/Arthur Herzog Jr.’s plaintive song “Don’t Explain”. A docile flute accompanies him here, as well as on “Pee Wee”, a placatory medium-tempo waltz penned by drummer extraordinaire Tony Williams and immortalized by the Miles Davis quintet.

Equipoising the venerable and the thrilling, “Atchafalaya Fiction” sonically depicts the Atchafalaya basin, the largest wetland and swamp in the US, which is located in Louisiana. Driving us through subtle shadings, the ensemble puts the spotlight on Ferber and he doesn’t pass up the chance to shine with wonderful melodies expressed across several registers.

The competence of Pillow’s big band is indisputable.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Don’t Explain ► 06 - Oska T ► 08 - Atchafalaya Fiction

Simon Nabatov - Plain

April 22, 2020

Label: Clean Feed, 2020

Personnel - Simon Nabatov: piano; Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Herb Robertson: trumpet, vocals; John Hébert: double bass; Tom Rainey: drums.

Signaling the third appearance of Russian-born pianist Simon Nabatov on Clean Feed, Plain is his second consecutive quintet effort and the follow up to Last Minute Theory (2019). However, none of the musicians that joined him on the latter has performed in this new work. The bandleader put together another A-list group with bassist John Hébert and drummer Tom Rainey constituting a sturdy foundation, and with saxophonist Chris Speed and trumpeter Herb Robertson assuring a nimble frontline. The latter contributes one short piece called “Ramblin’ On”, a quite intense stretch where he literally vociferates with a distorted effect in the company of Speed’s punchy attacks and the insane entanglement weaved by the rhythm section.

From the five Nabatov originals on the album, I elect “Plain” and “Break” as highlights. The former begins with an elegant piano-clarinet recital that conjures up the most refined classical music. A sultry Arabic feel mixes with the sound of czars and an avant-jazz boldness is inevitably thrown in the mix. Speed shows off his burnished sound and expressive vocabulary, and things get tenser with Robertson’s continuous flux of terse notes, during which Nabatov colors with sophistication in the accompaniment. The pianist’s penchant for improvisation is amply demonstrated throughout the record, but he truly excels here, before the beautifully melodic conclusion. For its part, “Break” is mounted with deftness and delivered with tact, displaying bouts of excellent playing. At first, we have sax and trumpet working together, having a cerebral arco bass as a supportive factor. Sudden bursts of energy are injected by the rhythm team, and Nabatov’s ingenious pianism comes to the fore once again as he improvises with a sure sense of time and phrasing over a groovy tapestry.

The moody “Copy That” intersperses mystifying and cacophonous moments with dexterity, working the low-end sounds with a serious-minded posture. It contrasts with “Cry From Hell”, which despite the title may suggest, feels much more relaxed in the way that it consolidates the numerous musical vistas acquired by Nabatov throughout the years. It’s a mixed bag of Monk’s angular swing, Brazilian elements, jazz tradition, and a dash of Herbie Nichols’ musical temper. It’s exactly with a classic piece of the aforementioned pianist - “House Party Starting” - that the group concludes this session.

The musicians involved in this project channel their contagious energies with a common sense of direction, facilitating Nabatov's musical personality to come through loud and clear.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Plain ► 04 - Break ► 07 - House Party Starting

Joel Harrison + 18 - America at War

April 21, 2020

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2020

Personnel - Joel Harrison: guitar, vocals; Jon Irabagon: tenor sax, flute; Ben Kono: soprano and alto saxes, oboe, English horn, flute; Ken Thomson: alto sax, clarinets; Stacy Dillard: tenor sax; Lisa Parrot: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Dave Smith: trumpet; Ingrid Jensen: trumpet; Seneca Black: trumpet; Chris Rogers: trumpet; Marshal Sealy: French horn; Alan Ferber: trombone; Curtis Hasselbring: trombone; Sara Jacovino: trombone; Ben Staap: tuba; Ned Rothenberg: shakuhachi; Daniel Kelly: piano; Gregg August: acoustic and electric basses; Jared Schonig: drums; Wilson Torres: percussion, vibraphone, timpani.

On the big band recording America at War, Joel Harrison, an active guitarist, composer and bandleader based in New York since 1999, turns his attention to the futility and devastating consequences of the armed conflicts conducted by the United States throughout the years. With that in mind, he put together a tight-knit 18-piece ensemble to perform nine original compositions - written between 2014 and 2017 - and one cover, all arranged with fetching instrumentations. The conduction was assigned to trumpeter/composer Matt Holman.

Evoking Harrison’s youth in Washington DC and the strong rhythmic groove of funk music from the 60s and 70s, “March on Washington” makes for a wonderful first chapter, being smooth in the ear, yet sufficiently dynamic to get our attention to each of its moves. The substantiality of Ben Staap's tuba is strongly felt and the horn arrangement sounds great. After Dave Smith’s confident trumpet solo, an explosive wah-wah rock guitar, packed with coils and trills, erupts powerfully. Carried out by the marching snare drum of Jared Schonig, the piece's last third sustains tasteful horn lines atop. Unisons, colorful vibraphone fills, and saxophones in ecstasy, all take part in the magnetic orchestration that brings the tune to a conclusion. “1, 2, 3, 4, we don't want your fuckin’ war” is the musicians’ ultimate shout.

The cinematic noir tones that initially characterize “Yellowcake” morph into a Latin sumptuousness that also grooves with jazzy abandon. The title alludes to the type of uranium that George W. Bush used as an excuse to start a war with Iraq. The soloists - trombonist Curt Hasselbring and tenor saxophonist Jon Irabagon - allow many single notes to soar, forming phrases with precise articulation. The latter excels once again - together with multi-reedist Ben Kono (here on soprano) and trombonist Alan Ferber - on “The Vultures at Afghanistan”, a Latinized tour-de-force suffused with post-bop statements that showcase the soloists’ singularities. Schonig and the lively percussionist Wilson Torres systematize their maneuvers with acumen.

Both “My Father in Nagasaki” and “Requiem For An Unknown Soldier” share a more reflective nature. Harrison wrote the former piece with his father in mind, one of the first two men to reach the Japanese city mentioned in the title in the aftermath of the nuclear attack. Ned Rothenberg enriches it with sweet shakuhachi melodies.

If “Gratitude” mixes jazz and gospel and delivers it with a popish feel, then “Honor Song” boasts a sort of superhero-like theme in representation of the Native American tradition to honor warriors through songs. These tracks feature great improvised moments by trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Stacy Dillard, respectively.

“Stupid, Heartless, Pointless Drug War” closes out the album, offering a potent mix of groovy jazz and robust hard rock. Before that, you will hear Harrison singing Tom Wait's anti-war song “Day After Tomorrow”.

An impressive amount of versatility marks this album, whose message is strongly influential, both musically and politically.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - March on Washington ► 02 - Yellowcake ► 04 - The Vultures at Afghanistan

Flash Reviews - Jeff Swanson / Andre Matos / Roberto Magris

April 19, 2020

JEFF SWANSON & CASE-FITTER - FATHOMS (Bace Records, 2020)

Personnel - Jeff Swanson: guitar, OP-1; Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Dustin Laurenzi: tenor saxophone; Paul Bedal: keyboards; Matt Ulery: electric bass; Greg Arty: drums, percussion.

Chicago-based guitarist/composer Jeff Swanson reunites his Case-fitter group and releases his second album of originals. The material consists of 10 disciplined, eclectic tracks delivered with a strong sense of texture. The opener, “Gaussian”, is built in conformity with an iterative idea as a theme, just like “Tre”. They showcase the bandleader in a fine guitar solo and Ulery’s authority on the lower registers, respectively. “The Accutron”, a guitar-driven 3/4 ballad, has Swanson throwing in some eligible bluesy lines, while “Fyra” is an ostinato-drenched collage that veers into psychedelic territory. The multi-dimensional impression of Arty’s drumming is noticeable on “Elisha”, a piece that starts as a reflection but then blooms with a deft combination of snare, hi-hat and bass drum. The pieces on the album were shaped in quartet, excluding four tracks where saxophonists Greg Ward and Dustin Laurenzi add extra color: the unruffled, odd-metered “Roads”, the danceable “Replicants”, the happily electronic “Farvel”, and the indie-meets-classic rock “Let The Children Play”. [B]

ANDRE MATOS - EARTH RESCUE (Robalo Music, 2020)

Personnel - Andre Mastos: guitar, bass.

Portuguese guitarist Andre Matos continues his solo work with another album, Earth Rescue, the successor to Muquina (2016) and Nome de Guerra (2017). The sea of calm he dives into is meant to be slowly absorbed and comes reflected on “Castelo dos Mouros”, the poignant and spacious opener; “Future Memories”, which is bathed in polished textural washes; “Borboletas”, where the harmonics make me think of the wings of a butterfly at rest in opposition to the chordal movement; and the title track, a contemplative look at the Earth’s urgency to breathe and flourish again. “Carlos” is busier yet equally methodical, displaying a thick round bass in support of the guitar. If “Planalto” leans on the folk genre, “1984” is all pretty prairies and ranches, shaping up as a country song suitable for a film score. Matos adds some ambiguity to “Climbing”, but the album, as a rule, embraces breezy symmetry and easygoing melodicism. I felt some of the pieces could be extended. Politicians are invited to take a listen and, hopefully, inspired by the music, help rescuing the Earth, considering it a primary concern of the present times. [B]

ROBERTO MAGRIS - SUITE! (JMood Records, 2020)

Personnel - Mark Coilby: tenor saxophone; Eric Jacobson: trumpet; Roberto Magris: pino; Eric Hochberg: bass; Greg Artry: drums; PJ Aubree Collins: vocals.

Italian pianist Roberto Magris releases Suite!, a double album comprising originals, known jazz standards, and curious interpretations of pop and rock songs. The album opens with a great rendition of King Crimson’s “In The Wake of the Poseidon”, here propelled with a contagious rhythm and jazzified with a warm touch. Another cover that surprised me favorably was John Lennon’s “Imagine”, rendered solo with openness of heart and catchy sweeps on the higher registers. When performing solo, Magris attains deeper spiritual dimension, and titles such as “(End of a) Summertime”, a fascinating reading of Gershwin’s famous tune; “Never Let Me Go” and the self-penned modal prayer “Love Creation” charm with soulfulness. This work comes stocked with stylistic diversity, and if both “Chicago Nights” and “The Island of Nowhere” are hard bop-inflected tunes in the line of Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley, then Jerry Martini’s “One With the Sun” and “Sunset Breeze”, whose intense bossa groove brings Joe Henderson to mind, come infused with crossover flavors as they intertwine and merge distinct lexicons. “Suite!” finds a confident 3/4 stride, and everyone should meditate upon the wise words in “A Message for a World to Come”. [B]

Aruan Ortiz - Inside Rhythmic Falls

April 16, 2020

Label: Intakt Records, 2020

Personnel - Aruán Ortiz: piano, voice; Andrew Cyrille: drums; Mauricio Herrera: percussion + guests Emeline Michel and Marlène Ramírez-Cancio: vocals.

New York-based pianist/composer Aruán Ortiz doesn’t forget his Afro-Cuban roots each time he attempts to create new art-jazz sculptures. He has released several jazz albums under his own name, but the Cuban tradition got significant proportions on the excellent solo effort Cubanism (Intakt, 2017). Now, with Inside Rhythmic Falls, he further explores percussive Afro-Cuban delights, twisting them with modern creative wisdom in the company of a mighty rhythm duo composed of Grammy-nominee Cuban percussionist Mauricio Herrera and acclaimed American drummer Andrew Cyrille, an iconic figure of the avant-garde and free jazz currents. For this work, the pianist, born in the very musical southeastern Cuban province of Oriente, borrows inspiration from the changui, a style of Cuban music created by slaves working in the sugar cane refineries in the early 19th century.

“Lucero Mundo” is exclusively made of voices and percussion, with Marlene Ramirez-Cancio reciting the poem. Ortiz himself and Haitian singer Emeline Michel complete the cycle of words that serves as a homage to ancestors. In the same line, “Inside Rhythmic Falls Pt.I (Sacred Codes)” might not speak through words but does it beautifully and rawly with pure percussion. Surprisingly different and exciting is “Inside Rhythmic Falls Pt.II (Echoes)”, where the piano plays an important role in the process. While simultaneously operating in the lower registers - where he extracts sometimes intricate, well measured cadences - Ortiz outlines euphoric circuits of notes with the left hand. In connection with what’s going on, the percussionists probe new beats with a quick sense of understanding and integration.

Despite the angularity that stems from powerful tone clusters and whirling melodic chromaticism, “Conversations With The Oaks” displays the trio of performers fully immersed in a profound musical intimacy. The wide sense of risk-taking is general and expands to “Argelier’s Disciple”, where the pianist travels across several registers with agility, and “De Cantos Y Ñañigos”, where Cyrille’s simmering brushwork, together with Ortiz’s methodical execution, finds space to breathe. The latter piece makes reference to the Abakuá (also known as Ñañigo), an Afro-Cuban men’s secret society launched in 1836.

Equally intriguing, “Marimbula’s Mood” features Herrera on the Caribbean plucked box instrument called marimbula. It copes with this unostentatious finesse, contrasting with the more extroverted posture of “Para Ti Nengon”, a popular Cuban song subjected to a polyrhythmic treatment.

“Golden Voice (changui)” is a highlight, presenting fragmented piano lines in the form of patterned mosaics etched into the stretchy percussive flux. The left-hand jabs provided by Ortiz wildly stimulate, causing an impression. This piece alludes to changui singer Carlos Borromeo Planche.

Even if not as thrilling as Cubanism, the music on this record is always passionately delivered, regardless the pace and the rhythm of the pieces.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Conversations With The Oaks ► 04 - Golden Voice (changui) ► 08 - Inside Rhythmic Falls Pt.II (Echoes)

Ted Poor - You Already Know

April 15, 2020

Label: Impulse! Records, 2020

Personnel - Ted Poor: drums; Andrew D’Angelo: saxophone; Andrew Bird: violin; Blake Mills: guitar.

Seattle-based drummer Ted Poor possesses a clear, detailed language that makes him a singular voice among fellow instrumentalists. He achieved wider notoriety after joining trumpeter Cuong Vu in his trio and 4-tet projects, embracing once more the leadership with this brand new outing, You Already Know. Comprising nine pieces that favor smartly arranged forms of interplay, the album features the gifted saxophonist Andrew D’Angelo, as well as violinist Andrew Bird and guitarist Blake Mills on one of the tracks.

One doesn't have to wait long to witness the group’s constructive chemistry. “Emilia” opens the album with an intelligible conversational drum cycle that keeps going. Poor deals with each part of the drum kit with astuteness, extracting beautiful, contrasting tones that are not averse to scintillation. D’Angelo’s prayerful melodies rest over the effective piano comping that further brightens the Americana-suggested scenario. Everything seems so simple, detached of unnecessary complexities, that makes hard to believe how remarkably good it sounds.

Poor’s “Only You” marches along with a hot rhythm, grooving with a nearly trip-hop feel. There’s a two-note saxophone ostinato that shifts in key, gaining further emphasis in the presence of the piano. The sax-over-drums improvisation that follows imply folk and avant-jazz intonations, which are transported into D’Angelo’s “New Wonder”. As you can guess by know, genre boundaries are bent in a spontaneous way.

The hymnal “United” substantiates a nuanced rhythmic flux at the base that confers it a lively vibe. Rob Moose’s overdubbed string section adds passion to a number, whose melodic conduction is unsurprisingly entrusted to the saxophonist. The musicians easily find a compelling common ground here, but it’s “Push Pull”, professed at a fast lope, that has the liveliest vibe, diving headfirst in a sort of danceable psychedelia. Its effusive progression carries an intensity almost worthy of an electronic music hit.

The lyricism that comes out of D’Angelo’s effect-drenched saxophone broadens the sense of space on “Kasia”. I feel this piece as a ritualistic chant put in practice with mantric discipline and opportune electronic reverberations. Apart from this latter factor, this is quite similar to what we hear on the balladic “Reminder”, the quiet and stable contemplation that finishes off the album. In turn, “To Rome” is a curiously orchestrated blues ripen through violin laments, guitar plucks and subtle piano. Still, it’s the explicit tom-tom drumming that speaks to me more than anything else.

I wish Poor were more prolific as a leader since his formidable aesthetics and minimalistic compositional adroitness make him one of the most diligent rhythmic colorists of our times.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Only You ► 04 - To Rome ► 08 - Push Pull

Sebastien Ammann's Color Wheel - Resilience

April 13, 2020

Label: Skirl Records, 2020

Personnel - Michael Attias: alto saxophone; Samuel Blaser: trombone; Sebastien Ammann: piano; Noah Garabedian: bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums.

Swiss-born, New York-based pianist Sebastien Ammann reunites his fantastic Color Wheel group, a daring project featuring musicians with whom he forged close relationships over several years performing together. Acclaimed alto saxophonist Michael Attias has in trombonist Samuel Blaser the perfect foil to obtain contrasting tonalities in the frontline, while the musical abilities of bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell assure the proper rhythmic course delineated by Ammann's contemporary perspective. The second outing from the quintet, Resilience, comprises nine tracks that unfold with a unique personality. All but two are Ammann originals.

The bandleader drew musical inspiration from visual artists for the first and the last tracks on the album. The former, “Yayoi”, is a wonderful effort inspired by the work of Japanese conceptualist Yayoi Kusama. Long and calm notes deliberately emanate from Attias' saxophone find comfort in Ammann’s inspired pianism. The impellent drumming offered by Ellman-Bell becomes salient even before the modernistic theme gains emphasis. The urgency of some passages - with Attias and Blaser exploring attractive textural avenues - differ from the tranquility of others, and everything ends as it began... in peace. In its turn, the concluding “Pedestrian Space” was inspired by the minimalist conceptual-based sculptor Fred Sandback. Under a dry-toned rhythmic spell, this streamlined piece places a major focus on piano sweeps and single-note pointillism in counterpoint with the staccato fluxes created by the horn players.

“Untangled” is a gem compellingly crafted with a form and a structure that combines the bold and the poetic. A fetching bass groove in six is momentarily altered and makes us search for the tempo, with Ammann exhibiting his deftly rhythmic comping during the busy activity of the soloists. Blaser populates apropos expressions with pragmatic circularity, while Attias excels with his simmering tone, blowing torrential melodies packed with jagged-edged formations. Both are clever improvisers in full bloom.

The Italian title “Castello di Traliccio” was taken from a book and means trellis. The Fender Rhodes confers it a nice groovy feel, while bassist and drummer, enjoying a healthy connection, deliver an unyielding rocking pulse that provides solid ground for the sax-trombone enlacement. Metrical and rubato notions are put to a test here with encouraging results.

The title track attempts to evoke the sounds of John and Alice Coltrane, using a beautiful modal progression in five over which the bandleader presents us with an enlivening, energy-filled keyboard solo.

Carla Bley’s “King Korn Revisited” and Dave Scott’s “Afterthought” are the two covers that complement the album with a keen post-bop awareness.

Stirring up some real spark with this work, Ammann is already riding a comet toward the highest galaxies of modern jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Yayoi ► 02 - Untangled ► 03 - Castello di Traliccio

Kazuki Yamanaka - Dancer in Nirvana

April 8, 2020

Label: Fresh Sound New Talent, 2020

Personnel - Kazuki Yamanaka: alto and soprano saxophones; Russ Lossing: piano; Cameron Brown: acoustic bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

New York-based Japanese saxophonist Kazuki Yamanaka puts together a multigenerational quartet - pianist Russ Lossing, bassist Cameron Brown, and drummer Gerald Cleaver - for his second album, Dancer in Nirvana. The CD is composed of eight Yamanaka originals plus an improvised piece created in the spur of the moment and, consequently, credited to the group. The latter number, “Epilogue”, closes out the album with avant-garde commotion, exploring unconditionally as it moves in a direction of ambiguity. The bandleader’s ideas vary in shape and timbre, but often get great responses from Lossing, with the quartet entering in momentary frantic spirals.

The Motian-esque “The Lost Sheep” embraces suspension, and its strong sense of exploration is corroborated with avant-jazz sympathy on “The Life of a Mushroom”, whose forward motion is settled by a fascinating groove in five.

“Stella’s Fancy” works in a bopish vein that takes it closer to a jazz standard. Launched by Lossing’s independent ramble, this sonic canvas is painted with assertive soprano strokes, a relaxed bass drive, and elegantly brushed drumming. It sort of prepares the tone for the next track, “Lady Peacock”, another bop-inclined piece that swings in great fashion.

Having the bass moving and grooving again in a swinging route - and complemented by Cleaver’s uniform ride cymbal pulse - “Elusive Mood” brings some breeziness in its clean-cut interconnecting sounds.

Statues of Buddhism in Kyoto served as an inspiration for the memorable title cut, which opens the record with impeccably synchronized movements and the exact amount of thrill needed for us to understand that this quartet lives somewhere between tradition and modernity. Contrasting moments are found when the improvisers have the spotlight - Lossing is pretty inventive in his speech, interspersing chordal work with single-note phrasing to achieve splendid colors; in turn, Yamanaka unhurriedly builds a narrative rich in emphatic melodicism and sporadic rhythmic figures, having Brown and Cleaver shaping the backbones with their known rhythmic robustness.

“John’s Green Waltz” is another highlight on the album. Written for the late guitarist and former mentor John Abercrombie, it’s expressed with emotion and intensity, building and releasing tension along the way.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dancer in Nirvana ► 03 - John’s Green Waltz ► 09 - Epilogue

Andy Milne and Unison - The reMission

April 7, 2020

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2020

Personnel - Andy Milne: piano; John Hébert: bass; Clarence Penn: drums.

Pianist Andy Milne releases a trio album of mainly original material in the company of generous cohorts, bassist John Hébert and drummer Clarence Penn. The exploration of the classic piano trio formation was being delayed for over a decade, with Milne focusing on duos, quartets and quintets, but now, after overcoming a health challenge, the pianist embraces this Unison trio project with all his soul. He is found in great shape throughout the ten tracks of a record composed of eight originals - some of them purposely written for this trio - and two covers, which bookend the album.

A spirited reading of “Passion Dance”, one of McCoy Tyner’s finest compositions, is presented in opposition to the polished depiction given to Benny Golson’s “Sad to Say”. The two aforementioned pieces are the opener and closer of this journey, respectively. While the former has those pleasurable modal chords soaring over a magnetic groove, also swinging when convenient, the latter is rendered with some cautious restraint but also a strange magic. It’s jazz sculpted with art and melancholia.

Due to a foreboding mystery created by timely low-pitched notes on the piano and the harmonic quality of its progression, “Resolution” conveys a sensation of solitude; no wonder it was originally composed for solo piano, yet it can be poetic and levitating at times. Hébert bows with depth on the largely rubato “The Call”, which emits deep, disconsolate tones. Adopting a slightly abstracted posture, the trio’s sense of exploration plays out intriguingly on this particular piece.

A singular, melancholic placidity is found on tunes such as “Vertical on Opening Night”, a vehicle for the bassist’s melodicism, and the beautiful “Anything About Anything”, introduced by engrossing bass sounds and the subdued brushwork of Penn, a terrific colorist who joins with the bandleader on record for the very first time. The spiritual openness of the piano chords is utterly rewarding, while the melody is light-emitting. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album.

If “Winter Palace” is pure post-bop amusement well-founded on a rhythmic figure shared by piano and bass, then “Drive By-The Fall” expands the scope, initiating its course with timbral contrasts on the drums and a bass pedal delivered with the essential rhythmic flair. It then segues into a relaxed 4/4-metered passage until shifting again and again through seamless transitions, straddling the line between the intimate and the demonstrative.

“Geewa” relies on intuitive counterpoint and rhythmic venture, accommodating an inner pressure ready to come out anytime, whereas “Dancing on the Savannah” allows us to experience and feel groove in a more systematized way.

The album title, The reMission, couldn’t be clearer, and Milne deserves compliments for both the remission of the disease he was diagnosed with and the mission accomplished with this gorgeous trio recording.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Passion Dance ► 06 - Anything About Anything ► Geewa

Day & Taxi - Devotion

April 6, 2020

Label: Percaso Production, 2020

Personnel - Christoph Gallio: alto and soprano saxophones; Silvan Jeger: acoustic and electric basses; Gerry Hemingway: drums.

Day & Taxi is an avant-jazz trio spearheaded by Swiss saxophonist Christoph Gallio, who has been probing different rhythm sections since 1992, the year of the project’s inception. Devotion, the most recent outing on his own label Percaso Production, features Swiss bassist Silvan Jeger, a regular collaborator since 2013, and the notable American drummer Gerry Hemingway, who, sitting in for David Meier, joins them for the first time in record.

This current formation works very well, navigating through a collection of 20 Gallio tunes with a pure, instinctive sense of aesthetic and explorative imagination. The words of Austrian poet Friederike Mayrocker are heard on three selections.

A fair amount of tracks is dedicated to fellow artists, and the opener, “Tall Guy Blues”, which was penned for Swiss bassist Christian Weber, falls within the latter category. At a first glance, a calculated insouciance is discernible, and the group communicates the feeling of creativity. The language and tone of Gallio are bold and sinewy, respectively, somewhere in-between Joseph Jarman and David Murray. However, on “Silvia (to Silvia Bächli)”, his courses made me think of John Tchicai.

“Gegenteil (to Jürg Stäuble)” revolves around a catchy melodic idea while flowing with audacity, energy and wit. In its last section, sax and drums react simultaneously, displaying a functional coordination. The spirit of this piece steps away from “Mare (to Kaissa Camara, 1998-2018)”, which, embracing a strange serenity, makes use of droning legatos and gets closer to “South For North”, a groovy dance of freedom with shades of Steve Lacy and Marty Ehrlich. Upon wild extemporaneous flights from Gallio, it’s Hemingway who, in complete command of the drum set, shows how beautiful and melodic his chops are.

The drummer jumps into the lead spot again on the taut “Pan Comido (to Hans Tanner)”, finishing it in big after locking in with Jeger in support of Gallio’s underlying impetus and growls. The saxophonist switches to soprano on “Fleurette Danoise (to Anne Hoffmann)”, ingraining it with Lacy’s mood.

Smitten with free funk and electronic music, pieces like “Doowoo (to Corsin Fontana)” and “Lightweight Heavyweight (to Eric Hattan)” have a pumped-up electric bass giving them life via strutting, roundish lines. Yet, while the former shapes as an avant-garde jazz stretch with an alternative coating, the latter falls into experimental jazztronica, barely touching dub zones.

This recording doesn’t disappoint, and all three musicians, taking obvious joy from the experience, will certainly make the listeners feel great too.

Favorite Tracks:
05 - Gegenteil ► 07 - South For North ► 09 - Pan Comido

Stefano Travaglini - Monk

April 2, 2020

Label: Notami Jazz, 2020

Personnel - Stefano Travaglini: piano

Italian pianist Stefano Travaglini is accustomed to play solo, and he does it in an unique way. His newest solo album is called Monk, the sparkling follow up to Ellipse (Notami Jazz, 2017). As you can immediately guess, this recording consists in personal interpretations of pieces authored by the genius pianist Thelonious Monk. Over the course of this session, he flies freely, refusing imposed boundaries and configuring various combinations drawn from the modern classical and jazz idioms. This way, he enables Monk’s music to be smeared and smudged into new colors and shapes.

He tackles “Trinkle Tinkle” with a haunting aesthetic, employing his advanced technique to sparkle deep emotions. Elliptical movements erupt from his right hand, while the left creates noble momentum on the lower registers. This track shows us that soulfulness is going to play an important role in this musical "deal".

The stirring and inventive take on “Round Midnight”, for example, is hair-raising. Loosened up in tempo but still keeping the wondrous sentiment and structure of the original, this piece is one of the most beautiful on the record.

Bearing an impressive rhythmic force and vigorous chordal work, “Bemsha Swing” can be paired up, in terms of excitement, with “Straight No Chaser”, whose melody, set against a patterned texture, is pretty much recognizable from its very first minute. While showcasing exuberance throughout, angular motions are prompted, in opposition to “Well You Needn’t”, where a more horizontal, less angular line is sketched with a penchant for the classical concept and form. The melody here is made evident at the end.

On “Ruby My Dear”, the pianist charts considerably ambiguous melodies that unfold with abandon, accompanied with staccato hops in the bass line. This plan of action is also found on “Monk’s Dream”.

And if the lyrical cascading sequences of “Criss Cross” feel gracious and gentle, “Evidence” leans on the static, but has plenty of micro movements occurring from the inside and around a relentless pedal. Also discrepant in mood are “Misterioso” and “In Walked Bud”. The former develops with a denser, if dramatic, entanglement, while the latter, a tribute to Monk to his fellow pianist Bud Powell, takes a slower and more introspective path, losing that vibrant swinging stride as we know it. Different, but no less efficacious, though.

With no cuts or edits, Travaglini’s free improvisation offers an expanded, progressive, third stream vision of Monk’s music.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Trinkle Tinkle ► 06 - Straight No Chaser ► 09 - Round Midnight

Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York - Entity

April 1, 2020

Label: Libra Records, 2020

Personnel - Satoko Fujii: composer, arranger; Oscar Noriega: alto saxophone; Briggan Krauss: alto saxophone; Ellery Eskelin: alto saxophone; Tony Malaby: tenor saxophone; Andy Laster: baritone saxophone; Natsuki Tamura: trumpet; Herb Robertson: trumpet; Dave Ballou: trumpet; Curtis Hasselbring: trombone; Joe Fiedler: trombone; Nels Cline: guitar; Stomu Takeishi: bass; Ches Smith: drums.

Satoko Fujii is a prolific and multifaceted Japanese pianist, composer, and bandleader who has been playing in a variety of formats, from solo to small groups to large ensembles. Her delightful avant-garde style acquires a relevant expression with Entity, the 11th outing of her acclaimed 13-piece Orchestra New York, an assembly of some of the greatest jazz improvisers out there.

Inspired by the Buddhism, Fujii composed and arranged the five tracks on the record with the specific qualities of these musicians in mind. And the result is a wonderful sonic ride pervaded with surprise and adventure.

The title track welcomes you with a colossal jarring chord issued collectively, after which Ches Smith’s meticulous percussive work finds space available. The horns punctuate his expressions with a logic agglomeration of notes, forecasting a sonic storm that is brought by Nels Cline’s electrifying guitar. The rhythm keeps mutating into a panoply of body rocking locomotions and the guitarist dives deep in the noise rock, freeing bittersweet dissonance until a horn-driven passage brings tranquility. This is just before another sonic eruption arrives, this time accelerating into a crescendo with fiery saxophone outbursts.

“Flashback” takes a more straightforward inception through precise orchestral movements, the source of an incredible energy. Dynamics are cooked with carefully chosen ingredients and their distinguished seasoning refrains from spice things up all the time. This is noticeable when it all comes to a relative calm with electric bass noodling by Stomu Takeishi and an insouciant muted trombone drive by Joe Fiedler, who later leads a denser passage laced with tension. From then, we hear Oscar Noriega stretching out alone on alto saxophone, and the expressive trumpet of Herb Robertson projected against a minimalist background.

“Gounkaiku” starts off like a game of timbres provided by a spontaneous arrangement for the horn players, who devotedly build a panel of mosaics for approximately four and a half minutes. Bassist and drummer then provide twangy spells and rumbling toms, respectively, reaching wider panoramic landscapes, and the climax occurs with Dave Ballou inserting an unabashed trumpet solo while benefiting from Cline’s versatile accompaniment. An inclination to darker atmospheres marks the ending of this track.

If “Elementary Particle” offers a wild late section, “Everlasting” is a spiritual detour that proclaims a far more direct relationship with melody. This prayerful exercise is configured with occasional droning for mystery, and ethereal streams of light. Strange dialogues break out with air sounds, circular routines, slap and flutter tonguing expressions, obsessive squeaks, moaning whispers, and long stretchable notes. Embracing delicate shades of feeling, the orchestra creates moments of sheer beauty.

Fujii’s identity is stronger than ever, and her orchestral empowerment enmeshes textures, improvisations and timbres into a satisfying, cohesive whole.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Entity ► 02 - Flashback ► 05 - Everlasting

Dayna Stephens Trio - Liberty

March 31, 2020

Label: Contagious Music, 2020

Personnel - Dayna Stephens: tenor and baritone saxophones; Ben Street: acoustic bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Well-versed saxophonist Dayna Stephens went for an appealing trio recording session with longtime collaborators, bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric Harland. These musicians were featured on Stephens’ very first recording, The Timeless Now (CTA Records, 2007), and one composition from that album - “Lost And Found” - appears on Liberty with a new outfit, passing a sensation of downtempo jazz without really being it. The warmly connected bass lines join the laid-back drumming to support the darkly wistful tones of Stephens, who, on this one, plays baritone sax with asserted pensiveness.

Setting the tone for what follows, the opener, “Ran”, was written for film and music producer Randi Norman, conjuring supple melodies and swinging with easygoing familiarity. Stephens populates his tenor solo with smart note choices and rhythmic figures, while Street, finding pungently strutting routes throughout, also sets his bass to speak freely, having mainly a hi-hat rhythmic pulsation in the background. “Wil’s Way”, the closing track, is another composition penned to a friend, this time the organist Will Blades, with whom Stephens recorded on the albums Sketchy (Doodlin Records) by the organist and on his own New Day (Vegamusic), in 2007 and 2014, respectively. In this re-configured version, we find the saxophonist grooving with a blend of hard-bop and post-bop energies, well anchored in the rhythm section’s dynamic thrust.

The group’s work is similarly extroverted on “Loosy Goosy”, whose boppish exuberance hearkens to Joe Henderson and Sonny Rollins’ musical universes. Occasional Eastern-tinged spells are cast during the trade offs with Harland. This number was previously recorded, first appearing on the album Today is Tomorrow (Criss Cross, 2012).

Whereas “Tarifa” is a hymn-like African celebration that makes a picturesque sonic detour with plenty of rhythmic flair, “Planting Flowers”, composed by pianist Aaron Parks when he was 15, finds the trio sauntering with a casual, happy posture. They exert a fair amount of charm here.

The respect Stephens has for Coltrane is mirrored in two pieces where the latter’s genius is molded and taken to entirely new places. While “Faith Leap” is an unfaltering, breezy exercise founded on “Giant Steps”, where the bass follows the footsteps of the saxophone over a period of time, “Kwooked Stweet” is a contrafact of “Straight Street” and comes conducted with emphatic rhythmic accentuations and expressive interplay. By the end, Harland’s talkative drums can be heard over a sliding bass vamp designed for that purpose.

Shaped with equal parts sturdiness and grace, the 11 tracks of Liberty, Stephens’ ninth recording as a leader and first trio output, flourish with invention, suspension, and resolution. Above all, the group brings emotion into play, building and releasing tension in a stylized fashion.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Lost and Found ► 06 - Loosy Goosy ► 07 - Tarifa

Flash Reviews - Reverso / Tobias Hoffmann Nonet / Chicago Underground Quartet

March 30, 2020

REVERSO - THE MELODIC LINE (One Note Records, 2020)

Personnel - Ryan Keberle: trombone; Vincent Courtois: cello; Frank Woeste: piano. .

Reverso is a perfectly integrated American-French trio whose newly arrived sophomore release, The Melodic Line, features material composed by Les Six, a French collective of composers from the early 20th century. Emerging the classical and the jazz worlds whilst understanding each other’s ideas, the trio limits pressure to a certain amount in favor of a more melancholic chamber artsiness that lives in conformity with the first three pieces on the record. However, I was not dragged into their mood until the fourth track, “Montparnasse”, which stroke me with Courtois’ sublime cello cries and general spellbinding ambiance. The trio explores sonic roadmaps with an intuitive sense of adjustment, but “Absinthe” develops like a pop song with melodic transparency and efficient harmonization. Showcasing Woeste’s bright pianism at the center, this piece has Courtois punctuating throughout with resolute, timely plucks, and Keberle improvising on top of a circular progression. The elevated melodicism revealed here is also crucial to the last track, “Clara”. In turn, “Major Jack” feels quasi-theatrical in its classical-oriented dramatics. [B]

TOBIAS HOFFMANN NONET - RETROSPECTIVE (Alessa Records, 2020)

Personnel - Tobias Hoffmann: tenor and soprano saxophones; Stefan Gottfried: alto saxophone; Fabian Rucker: bass clarinet, baritone saxophone; Simon Plotzeneder: trumpet, flugelhorn; Daniel Holzleitner: trombone; Christopher Pawluk: guitar; Philipp Nykrin: piano; Andreas Waelti: bass; Michael Prowaznik: drums.

German saxophonist/composer/arranger Tobias Hoffmann explores the nonet format, advertising 10 of his own compositions with moments of orchestral quality, flanked by peripheral details that help coloring the core with a wider palette. A close rhythmic connection is immediately perceived on the opener, “Retrospective”, which indicates contemporary embodiment and metrical defiance. The orchestration feels simultaneously gleeful, optimistic, and ardent, just like on “Happenstances”, but this time around, the soloists, stretching with lush horn fills in the back, can enjoy a gorgeous swinging rhythm. “Fruhlingserwachen” and “Remembrance” feel like quiet oasis when put side by side with high energy numbers such as “Procrastinator”, a favorite that catches your ear with a polychromatic rhythmic drive, horn interactions, and swellheaded melodies, or even “Who’s To Blame”, a self-absorbed swinger. On both pieces it’s hard not to notice the deep sounds and soloing artistry of Fabian Rucker on bass clarinet and baritone saxophone, respectively. Hoffmann excavates sounds with both rigor and freedom, and the instrumentation feels just right for every take. It’s a tuneful waltz that brings the record to a conclusion. [A-]

CHICAGO UNDERGROUND QUARTET - GOOD DAYS (Astral Spirits, 2020)

Personnel - Rob Mazurek: piccolo trumpet, electronics, bells; Jeff Parker: guitar; Josh Johnson: synth bass, organ, piano; Chad Taylor: drums.

The versatile members of the Chicago Underground Quartet have an entrenched ability to surprise whether playing within a relaxed context or on the edge of tonality. The opener, Alan Shorter’s 1969 “Orgasm”, starts off with trumpet and guitar speaking in absolute accordance, dark synth bass and jittery drumming, but ends with experimental guitar chops over a dub, jazzy groove. On the hypnotically paced “Strange Wing”, a 6/4-metered effort penned by Mazurek, the twisty intervals brought in by guitarist Jeff Parker alternate with fine trumpet melodies. The trumpeter interweaves anthemic lines and brusque serpentine stretches on the percussive “All the Bells”, and if Chad Taylor’s “Batida” sinks into an intoxicated funk layered with ostinatos and polyphony, his prog-rock-ish “Westview” has a feverish urban feel adorned with odd-metered passages. “Good Days (For Lee Anne)” and “Unique Spiral” inhabit different worlds - the former is a ballad lulled by guitar tremolos and understated brushwork, while the latter, following a more geometric linearity, embraces a danceable rocking pulsation. Good Days marks a very strong return of a formidable quartet. [A-]

Webber / Morris Big Band - Both Are True

March 27, 2020

Label: Greenleaf Music, 2020

Personnel - Anna Webber: conductor, tenor sax, flute; Angela Morris: conductor, tenor sax, flute; Charlotte Greve: alto sax, clarinet; Jay Rattman: alto and soprano saxes, flute; Adam Schneit: tenor sax, clarinet: Lisa Parrott: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Adam O’Farrill: trumpet; John Lake: trumpet; Jake Henry: trumpet; Kenny Warren: trumpet; Tim Vaughn: trombone; Nick Grinder: trombone; Jen Baker: trombone; Reginald Chapman: bass trombone; Dustin Carlson: guitar; Patricia Brennan: vibraphone; Marc Hannaford: piano; Adam Hopkins: bass; Jeff Davis: drums.

The big band project co-led by saxophonists/composers Anna Webber and Angela Morris was launched five years ago, but the bandleaders only now are dropping its debut release, Both Are True. The cohesive 19-piece ensemble includes some recognized New York-based artists such as trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, saxophonist Charlotte Greve, bassist Adam Hopkins, and drummer Jeff Davis. With respect to the bandleaders, Webber jumped to the frontline of the contemporary scene with her fantastic septet work Clockwise, a favorite of last year, while Morris released Asleep in the Dust, an art book/double CD with her trio TMT in collaboration with visual artist Jerry Birchfield.

The nine tracks on this record, including two short, spontaneous saxophone duets, besides sealed with their signatures as composers, feature them as soloists. Webber performs in Morris’ pieces and vice-versa.

Webber’s “Climbing on Mirrors” shows that nothing here feels stiff but balanced and fluid. A settlement of contrapuntal congruity is offered with several intensities and the rhythmic punctuations fall into places that may cause a vertiginous sensation. Saxophonist Charlotte Greve soloes with unhurried lucidity and the piece, despite decelerating towards the end, rebounds with the drummer’s actions. In the last segment, a vocal chorale provided by all members of the band makes for a wonderful effect.

The Morris-penned title track begins with deep-seated droning sounds, followed by the timbral complexion of saxophones spiraling non-stop. The improvisations - from Jay Rattman on soprano, Webber on tenor, and Patricia Brennan on vibraphone - are mobilized by a strong creative force, and, by the end, Marc Hannaford’s piano arrhythmias bump into the ghostly presence of the horns.

Morris also composed “And It Rolled Right Down” and “Coral”, yet these numbers are retained in a much different order in the way that the former thrives with an Ellingtonian orchestral touch, following a proportioned structure and teeming with the juxtaposed angular measurements from a trio of improvisers - Adam Schneit on clarinet, Reginald Chapman on bass trombone and Jake Henry on trumpet. The latter piece, in turn, escapes the raucousness of other moments, inflicting some purposeful vagueness, but finding firmness in Adam O’Farrill’s discourse.

With “Foggy Valley”, the band ventures through a dark sonic fare, having Morris' wry sax viscosity populating its eerie backdrops.

Webber’s compositional prowess is on display on “Rebonds”, which adheres to a rocking funkiness that serves as a showcase for guitarist Dustin Carlson’s tart sounds, and “Reverses”, which starts off with carefully spaced delimiters immersed in bright tones of light. The tempo rises and the atmosphere heats up meteorically before decaying again into serenity. The words of the finale are by poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.

Integrating written and improvised material in new ways, Webber and Morris take the big band concept into fresh territory. This is an accomplished conjoint effort.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Climbing On Mirrors ► 03 - Both Are True ► 04 - Rebonds

Lakecia Benjamin - Pursuance: The Coltranes

March 25, 2020

Label: Ropeadope, 2020

Personnel - Lakecia Benjamin: alto sax, keyboards; Gary Bartz: alto sax; Greg Osby: alto sax; Steve Wilson: alto sax; Marcus Strickland: bass clarinet; Keyon Harrold: trumpet; Jazzmeia Horn: vocals; Dee Dee Bridgewater: vocals; Georgia Anne Mudrow: vocals; Ricardo Ramos: guitar; Brandee Younger: harp; Sharp Radway: piano; Chris Rob: piano, organ; David Bryant: piano, Rhodes; Marc Cary: piano; Meshell Ndegeocello: bass; Reggie Workman: bass; Lonnie Plaxico: bass; Ron Carter: bass; Darrell Green: drums; and more.

On her new outing, Pursuance: the Coltranes, saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin is far from the cosmopolitan sounds of funk and R&B and closer to the spiritual modal jazz. She interprets a collection of 13 tunes by Alice and John Coltrane, all recast through series of dynamic alterations and multiple perspectives rooted in her own beliefs. The album comes equipped with a large cross-generational lineup that includes colossal bassists Reggie Workman and Ron Carter, saxophonist Gary Bartz, violinist Regina Carter, and vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jazzmeia Horn, among many others.

“Liberia” channels an incredible modal energy, featuring two saxophones in prayer (Benjamin and Bartz), fervent piano voicings, and a strong bass-drums connection. A jubilant swinging infection takes hold of the improvisational section, and an analogous approach is observable on “Syeeda’s Flute Song”, where the happy melody bumps into spacious harmonizations provided by David Bryant’s Fender Rhodes. The bassist here is Ron Carter and the solos belong to Benjamin and trumpeter Keyon Harrold.

Violinist Regina Carter comes to the forefront on “Walk With Me”, solemnly combining her sound with bowed bass before a groove emerges to promote openness, and “Going Home”, which weaves a contemplative path that finds the sweet spot between chamber music (with violin, flute, bass clarinet, and the harp sweeps of Brandee Younger) and gospelized spiritual.

An African-tinged pulse and key-shifting melody mark the soothing “Prema”, while, in a reverse direction, “Central Park West” is given a soul/funky treatment, brandishing a whirling piano motif at the core of its A section. The scat singing featured on the latter is by the illustrious Jazzmeia Horn, who is heard volleying with the bandleader by the end. Another guest singer to appear on the recording is Dee Dee Bridgewater, whose terrific blend of technique and emotion eulogizes the spectacular “Acknowledgement”, here beautifully introduced by the pacific waves of “Alabama”.

Both written by Alice, “Om Shanti” and “Turiya and Ramakrishna” are mantric exercises holding an optimal amount of emotional meaning. The former is professed with the vocal energy of Georgia Anne Mudrow, a popping electric bass groove supplied by Meshell Ndegeocello, and Ricardo Ramos’ distorted guitar; the latter piece is sensitively brushed throughout its insistent circularity. In a distinct note, “Affinity” closes out the album with a polyrhythmic, at times free-ish ramble that counts on Workman’s sturdy bass lines and saxophonist Greg Osby’s smart obliquities to succeed.

Benjamin was a rigorous apprentice of the Coltrane-isms, but don’t think this is a by-the-numbers rip-off of the pair’s art, since she inducts a lot of her own ideas into the mix.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Liberia ► 03 - Central Park West ► 12 - Turiya and Ramakrishna

Avishai Cohen - Big Vicious

March 24, 2020

Label: ECM Records, 2020

Personnel - Avishai Cohen: trumpet, effects, synthesizer; Uzi Ramirez: guitar; Yonatan Albalak: guitar, bass; Aviv Cohen: drums; Ziv Ravitz: drums, live sampling.

Trumpeter/composer Avishai Cohen gives another solid step toward innovation with the consistent group he formed six years ago, after moving back from the US to his native Israel. The eclectic album, Big Vicious, is the successor to the duo recording Playing The Room and marks his fourth outing on the reliable ECM imprint. The electro-acoustic ensemble, which includes two drummers, delivers a program of nine originals and two covers. Despite their backgrounds in jazz, these open-minded artists experiment with different sonic flavors and the outcome is more than satisfactory.

The album was recorded in the Tel Aviv studio of musician/producer Yuvi Havkin, known in the artistic world as Rejoicer. He collaborated with the group in the writing of three of the 11 pieces - they are “Honey Fountain”, whose suave electronic vibes stress a trance-like bass in plain communion with the drums, with softly sculpted trumpet melodies soaring together with a spacious, effect-drenched guitar; “Fractals”, whose moody electronic experiments threaten to end up in a trippy techno party; and “Teno Neno”, a well-designed shapeshifter that involves phaser-effect washes, suspensions, and an unhurried beat. Speaking of beat, “This Time It’s Different” has that funkified clubjazz groove that makes you wanna jump.

Avishai, alone, penned four tunes and his penchant for the rock genre is on display in pieces such as “Hidden Chamber”, where you can picture a crossing between the goth rock of The Cure and the cool jazz of Miles Davis; and “King Kutner”, whose punkish feel, in salutation to The Pixies, is cemented with Ramirez’s subversive guitar chops - sometimes rugged, sometimes bluesy. In turn, “The Things You Tell Me” relies on a layered art rock bolstered with folk connotations à-la Robert Wyatt, while the dreamy “Intent” haunts the listener with mysterious ambient textures.

“The Cow & The Calf” boasts some of the trip-hop charisma of Portishead and a strong singable chorus, but stays one step behind of the incredible rendition of Massive Attack’s hit “Teardrop”. The group also probes ways of bringing new light into Beethoven’s classical music by dissecting his “Moonlight Sonata” according to their own methods.

Revealing himself a musical chameleon, Avishai Cohen deserves acclaim for this exciting work.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Hidden Chamber ► 06 - Teardrop ► 10 - The Cow & The Calf