DB1609

September 2016
VOLUME 83 / NUMBER 9
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4 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2016
SEPTEMBER 2016
ON THE COVER Pedrito Martinez (second from left) and fellow musicians gather
in the control room while recording his album Habana Dreams.
Kenny Garrett
30
Get Up & Dance
BY PHILLIP LUTZ
40
With his latest album release,
Kenny Garrett has turned the
notion of tribute on its head.
Rather than dedicating songs
to musicians, the 55-year-old
globetrotting saxophonist tips
his hat to the fans, proffering an
explicit invitation for them to do
their dance.
FEATURES
36 Carla Bley
DANIELLE MOIR
The Trailblazer Still Burns

BY THOMAS STAUDTER
40 Pedrito Martinez
Spiritual Journey
BY DAN OUELLETTE Cover photo of Kenny Garrett by Jimmy Katz
44 Nels Cline
Bringing Lovers to Life
BY KEN MICALLEF
48 Indie Life
Cameron Graves
Russ Nolan
MoonJune Records
58 Person/Carter 61 Allen Toussaint 62 Jeff Parker 67 Tyshawn Sorey
KEYBOARD SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS

8 First Take 55 Reviews
74 Master Class 80 Transcription
BY JEB PATTON Dr. Lonnie Smith Organ Solo 10 Chords & Discords 86 Jazz On Campus
78 Pro Session 82 Toolshed
BY ENOCH SMITH JR. 13 The Beat 90 Blindfold Test
George Coleman
24 Players
First Take BY FRANK ALKYER
BENOIT ROUSSEAU/FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL

DE JAZZ DE MONTREAL
Jos James (left), Ben Williams and Takuya Kuroda
perform at Ges in Montreal on July 8.
A Prayer for Peace

DOWNBEAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PLACE WHERE THE HISTORY OF
our times is told through the eyes of musicians. World wars, the strug-
gle for equality, the rise and fall of governments and tyranny have all
been documented in some way in this magazinethrough the words
and music of improvising artists. And its happening again.
As the final weekend of Festival International de Jazz de Montreal
unfolded, the American musicians traveling north of the border were
in deep thought about the police shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as
well as the five police officers shot by a sniper in Dallas.
It made for some somber, reflective moments in Montreal, with many
musicians dedicating sets to the fallen as well as making a call for peace.
Among the most poignant was singer Jos James, a son of Minneapolis,
who opened his concert at Ges on July 8 with thoughts on it all.
James told the audience that the tragic events and continuing
unrest happening back home would add new meaning to the pro-
gram he would perform that nighta tribute to the great trumpet-
er/singer Chet Baker.
I was asked to do this project, specifically by the festival, to honor
Chet Baker . [Baker] loved black culture, loved black music. [He was
an artist] who largely worked and played and performed within a large-
ly white West Coast jazz culture in the 50s. So, I thought it would be
interesting to look at his music from the perspective of my community
and my culture. I mean, you can see my band looks a little bit different.
James chuckled and gestured toward his bandmates: the Japanese
artists Takuya Kuroda on trumpet and Takeshi Ohbayashi on key-
boards, along with African-American artists Nick Smith on drums and
Ben Williams on bass.
Jazz has been one of Americas only saving graces. Its been one of
the only spaces where black people and white people and Latinos and
everybody could come together. In New York, in Cafe Society, where
Billie Holiday sang Strange Fruit in the first integrated club in New York
City. Jazz made that possible. Jazz made integrated bands possible .
So, I want to dedicate this music not only to the memories of the
recent fallen, but also, most importantly, to the children in those fami-
lies, because the only enemy that we havethat we all haveis hate. And
jazz is against hate. And thats why were here tonight.
James and his band then delivered one of the festivals most memora-
ble concerts. The music that evening was as compelling as his words
shot right from the collective heart of those five jazz musicians into the
collective heart of their audience. Peace. DB

Chords Discords
Abbasis Not Shy
JOHN ROGERS
I want to thank DownBeat for giving my
album Behind The Vibration the Hot Box
treatment in the August issue. However, I was
a bit perplexed by the commentary from the
reviewers.
I never expected these folks to love any-
thing outside of their wheelhouse, but I didnt
expect simplistic, silly phrases to justify their
critiques: existential music thats shy about
identity, overdriven fusion power, gonzo
flash and feels like an exercise. These are
weak descriptions that say more about a lim-
ited mindset than about the music.
It begs the question: Why is there such a
wide disconnect between many critics and
many jazz fans? Thankfully, we still have
thoughtful critics who are open-minded
enough to hear the vision in front of them
rather than scoffing at virtuosity, experimental
Rez Abbasi
textures or rock energy.
I invite anyone who is interested to hear at no risk. This seems to be the only useful way
the entire album for free at the website https:// to overturn weak and one-sided criticism.
cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/
REZ ABBASI
behind-the-vibration and judge for themselves HARLEM, NEW YORK
Member of the Club Guy, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Prince and other
When the pianist Jon Mayer received only pop composers, nobody even mentioned the
a 2 star review for his album Nightscape from name Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington, who
DownBeat critic Bob Doerschuk, I told Jon that is arguably, along with Louis Armstrong, the
he was in good company. I call it Bobs 2 most important figure in jazz history.
Star Club. Ellington was born on that same day, April
Mr. Doerschuk has assigned an even low- 29, exactly 117 years ago in that same city:
er rating, 2 stars, to albums by great pianists Washington, D.C. What an oversight!!!
such as Cedar Walton (The Bouncer), Mike PAQUITO DRIVERA
Longo (Sting Like A Bee) and Freddie Redd PAQUITODRIVERA.COM
(Music For You).

In the Chords & Discords section of your
August issue, Luis Perdomo complained about Remembering Pike
this problem, and I noticed that in the Reviews I have not seen an obituary in DownBeat
section of that same issue, Mr. Doerschuk gave for vibraphonist Dave Pike, who passed Oct. 3.
only 2 stars to an album by Cyrus Chestnut As an artist with more than 20 leader al-
(Natural Essence). bumsand a collaborator who recorded with
In the more than 100 sessions that I pro- Herbie Mann, Barry Harris, Bill Evans, Lee
duced in 37 years (1981 to 2008), there has Konitz, Eddie Daniels and Don Friedman (just
never been a performance (a final take) where to mention a few)Pike was one of the most
the musician or I considered it only fair or just important links in the chain of vibists. He
good. should not be overlooked.
It is hard enough to sell recorded music
LENNIE CUJE
in todays market without Mr. Doerschuks ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
one-sided, negative opinions. It is an insult to
these truly great pianists.
MARK FELDMAN, RESERVOIR MUSIC Remembering Friedman
KINGSTON, NEW YORK
Master pianist Don Friedman died on June
30, and DownBeat did not post an obituary on
its website. Shame on you.
American Icon HLIO HELMAN
It is undeniable that the celebration of EDITOR@PLASTICOSEMREVISTA.COM.BR
International Jazz Day at the White House on

April 29 was a huge hit. But what a pity that Have a Chord or Discord? Email us at editor@downbeat.com
after playing music by John Lennon, Buddy or find us on Facebook & Twitter.

News Views From Around The Music World
The
Inside
14 / Montreal Jazz Fest
16 / Ted Nash
18 / Xalapa Jazz Fest
19 / European Scene
20 / Tri-C Jazz Fest
22 / MMFI
23 / Jacob Collier
Vzquez Keeps STEVEN SUSSMAN
on Learning
T
o celebrate his 40th anniversary in the music business, trombonist
Angel Papo Vzquez hosted a celebratory concert on April 30 in
the Bronx, where he initially earned recognition in the exploding
Latin jazz, salsa and Afro-Caribbean music scenes of the 1970s. As a teen-
ager, Vzquez played in a band led by famed Cuban trumpeter Alfredo
Chocolate Arementeros before working with percussionist Manny
Oquendo and Jerry and Andy Gonzlez in Conjunto Libre and then help-
ing to found the acclaimed Fort Apache Band with the Gonzlez brothers.
During his musical fte at the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture,
the now 58-year-old trombonist performed original, deeply rhythmic
compositions reflective of his Puerto Rican heritage with his regular sep- Papo Vzquez performs at the 2013 Litchfield Jazz Festival.
tet, Mighty Pirates Troubadours, and was joined by two special guests,
vibraphonist Joe Locke and trumpeter-vocalist Jerry Medina. That changed me, Vzquez said.
When DownBeat caught up with Vzquez recently, an early summer A fascination with jazz improvisation began after a friend lent him
recording date loomed, and he was busy arranging the music on his next two seminal albums, J.J. Johnsons Blue Trombone and John Coltranes
projectBachs Goldberg Variations re-imagined for a jazz quartet. Live At The Village Vanguard. Further development on his instrument
For me, it has been a struggle of the human spirit to get where I am came when he studied with Slide Hampton and played alongside Curtis
today, he said while preparing imported Puerto Rican coffee for a guest Fuller in Hamptons World of Trombones.
at his co-op apartment in Bronxville, New York, which he shares with A more deliberate education in the percussive Puerto Rican musical
his wife, Lina, a business analyst. Its tough out there, and Im always styles of bomba and plena began when Vzquez returned to the island
wondering where the next adventure will lead me. But I feel lucky to be in 1981 and joined Batacumbele, a Latin fusion band. He moved back to
surrounded by people who care for meespecially my wife, family and New York in 1985 and worked for a while with Tito Puente and Dizzy
bandmates. The beauty of this journey, what makes it so satisfying, is you Gillespie before focusing on composing and leading his own groups. Since
never stop learning and growing. his debut album as a leader, 1993s Breakout, Vzquez has put his partic-
Vzquezs immersion into the musical culture of Puerto Rico stands ular stamp on what he calls bomba jazz, releasing nine albums, the last
among his earliest memories. Born in Philadelphia, he moved with his six with his Mighty Pirates Troubadours. Spirit Warrior, the trombon-
family to Vega Baja, a small city on Puerto Ricos north coast, when he ists latest recording, offers listeners a full spectrum of Afro-Caribbean
was 3. His paternal grandfather, father and an uncle were troubadours, rhythms and soundscapes, which are in full evidence whenever he per-
and the living room of the home Vzquez grew up in was constantly forms with his Troubadours or his 17-piece Mighty Pirate Orchestra and
filled with guitarists and singers playing msica jbara, a traditional style Dance Band, which earned a Grammy nomination for its 2008 album
that originated from the Spanish settlers who traveled to the Caribbean Marooned/Aislado.
islands in the 17th century. For a lot of Puerto Ricans, this is our blues The musicians I work with must be willing to learn and commit
music, Vzquez remarked. He started playing the trombone after return- themselves to this music, Vzquez said. Not everyone fits the bill. Weve
ing to live in north Philly and attend high school, but he didnt discover created our own sound after many years of trial and effort. Whats import-
his passion for music until he sneaked into a church dance where Willie ant is making sure you have an active conversation with the drummers
Coln was leading a band. The impressionable youth was astounded by and keep an open mind. The final equation includes love and respect,
the power of the live ensemble with two trombones out front. which is what we send out to our audiences. Thomas Staudter
SEPTEMBER 2016 DOWNBEAT 13

BENOIT ROUSSEAU/FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE JAZZ DE MONTREAL
Riffs
JAY BLAKESBERG
Joshua Redman
Duo Reunion: On Sept. 9, Joshua Redman Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah performs at Ges during the Montreal Jazz Festival on June 30.
and Brad Mehldau will release Nearness
Scott, Guests Soar at

(Nonesuch), a selection of duets recorded
live during their recent European tour. The
duo will tour in support of the release, with
stops in Urbana, Illinois (Krannert Center) on
Sept. 23; Kalamazoo, Michigan (Dalton Cen-
ter) on Sept. 24; Minneapolis (The Dakota
Jazz Club and Restaurant) on Sept. 2526;
Montreal Jazz Festival
ONE OF THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF Technically adroit yet melodically focused,
New York (Rose Theater, Lincoln Center) the annual Montreal Jazz Festival is its famous Scott often kept his playing simultaneous-
on Sept. 30; Santa Monica, California (The Invitational series, which showcases select ly brash and cool. There were virtuosic bursts
Broad Stage) on Oct. 2; and San Francisco
artists in multiple contexts. This year, the festi- and craggy catharses involved, but he also
(Miner Auditorium, SFJAZZ Center) on Oct.
69. joshuaredman.com; bradmehldau.com
val cast twin spotlights on trumpeter Christian exuded a minimalist mystique, complete with
Scott (aka Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah) and two microphones: one a clean sound, one for
Winning Composer: The BMI Jazz Com- pianist Kenny Barron. effects-colored sonics and expressionistic devi-
posers Workshops 28th Annual Summer Scotts three-night stint, held in the venue ations from purity.
Showcase Concert culminated in a victory Ges, featured his bold ensemble, joined on Scotts guests made their own indigenous
for saxophonist/clarinetist/composer Dan nights two and three, respectively, by swampy contributions to the particular evenings
Block in June. Block was named the winner
guitarist Charlie Hunter and eminent vocalist musical patois. Hunters engaging shuf-
of the BMI Foundations 17th annual Charlie
Lizz Wright. fle-and-scramble style on his customized sev-
Parker Jazz Composition Prize. His piece,
Madrigal, was chosen by a judging panel Scotts strong, abiding band is an evolving en-string guitar injected a sloppy, saucy energy
that included Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy unit, with the younger generation represent- into the band sound, and he brought an entire-
Heath and Alan Ferber. bmi.com ed by 21-year-old flutist Elena Pinderhughes ly different rhythmic feel and chordal soloing to
and her brother Samora, who offered intrigu- The Last ChieftainNew Orleans logic recast
Maui Fest: The Maui Jazz & Blues Festival ing harmonic and rhythmic concepts on acous- by a passionate outsider.
has announced the lineup for its sixth tic piano and Rhodes, plus the fleet and flexi- Wrights role in the Scott residency came
edition, to be held Sept. 10 at the Royal
ble alto saxophonist Braxton Cook. Scotts from a different place, ushering in a warm glow
Lahaina Resort in Maui, Hawaii. Sched-
uled performers include Joe Louis Walker, long-standing allies Corey Fonville on drums of soulful, gospel-soaked radiance and, as Scott
Delfeayo Marsalis, The Band Courtbouillon and Kris Funn on bass held down the rhythm rightly described, a regal presence.
(with Wayne Toups, Steve Riley and Wilson section foundation while enhancing the Before launching into the testimonial glory
Savoy), Javon Jackson, Gabriel Mark Hassel- grooves with enticing nuances and in-the-mo- of Surrender, Wright mused that for the first
bach, Rock Hendricks, Benny Uyetake, The ment inventiveness. time in my life, Im the oldest person on the
Jazz Alley TV Trio and the King Kehaulike Scottwho is 33 but began his professional bandstand. She is all of 36, but blessed with an
High School Jazz Band. Numerous festi- career at age of 14has now covered enough old souls majesty and control.
val-related events will take place on the
diverse terrain to fit the notion of the Scotts Invitational series thus closed on a
island Sept. 811. mauijazzandbluesfestival.com
Invitational series as a forum for artists with soulful, church-ified note, one in which the
Final Bar: British-born drummer Randy eclecticism in the blood (and oeuvre). honored artist graciously yielded the spot-
Jones, a member of the Dave Brubeck Much of the repertoire for his Montreal res- light to his inspired guest. From another angle,
Quartet from 1978 to 2010, died June 13 at idency was repeated night after night, though, though, on that song, the focus went wide to
age 72 in New York. Jones was also known as it was culled from his 2015 album Stretch include the feel of the entire ensemble onstage,
for his work with Maynard Ferguson,Tony Music (Ropeadope), including the tribute to extending out into the appreciative crowd.
Bennett, Billy Eckstine, Cleo Laine, Chet
his tribal New Orleans heritage, The Last Suddenly, this rehabbed church venue embod-
Baker, Milt Jackson, Gerry Mulligan and Bill
Watrous.
Chieftain. One highlight in his current song- ied a type of universal religiosity, the kind made
book was the tender Diaspora, a showcase for possible through the sheer power of enlight-
Pinderhughes flute prowess and grace. ened song. Josef Woodard

Nashs Presidential
FRANK STEWART
Project Blooms
DURING AN ELECTION CYCLE IN WHICH POLITICAL ORATORY IS
often delivered via Twitter and sound bites, Ted Nashs Presidential Suite:
Eight Variations On Freedom (Motma) is refreshing both in premise and
execution. Premiered by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in January
2014 (billed on the CD as the Ted Nash Big Band), the eight-part suite
mixes the 56-year-old saxophonist/flutists compositions with excerpts
from iconic speeches on the subject of freedom by eight 20th-century
political leaders, each read for the occasion by a separate surrogate.
The piece gestated in mid-2012, when trumpeter Wynton Marsalis
(the JLCOs managing/artistic director) approached Nash to compose a
long-form follow-up to the JLCO-commissioned piece Portrait In Seven
Shades. In searching for a strong theme or through-line, Nash, the son
of the prominent trombonist Dick Nash and the namesake nephew of a
first-call studio saxophonist, hearkened to his formative years growing
up in Los Angeles.
My parents were civil rights activists, very liberal and open-mind-
ed, Nash said, recalling that they hosted parties for the Black Panthers
during the 60s. I dont want Presidential Suite to have a particular polit-
ical slant, but I did grow up with a strong message of human rights and
freedom. He took a systematic approach to winnowing down a few hun-
dred speeches to the final eight: I looked for three elements: a prom-
inent orator, a significant statement and considerable eloquence. I also
looked for rhetorical brilliance, originality, historical importance, deliv-
ery and inspirational quality. The ones that made my A-list were the ones
that moved me the most emotionally. Great rhythm and intonation, too,
because thats part of what I was dealing with.
After completing due diligence, Nashwho has written 56 arrange- Ted Nashs new album is titled Presidential Suite: Eight Variations On Freedom.
ments for JLCO apart from the two extended piecesset to work. He
spent much of a JLCO tour sitting on the bus with my keyboard, my Nash opens The American Promise (based on LBJs March 15,
laptop, headphones on, transcribing the pitches and vocal cadences of 1965, speech before Congress in support of the Voting Rights Act) with
four U.S. presidents (Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. a parodic cowboy motif that signifies on Johnsons Texas origins, before
Johnson and Ronald Reagan)as well as Winston Churchill, Jawaharlal Nimmer channels Paul Bley in duo with drummer Ali Jackson, leading
Nehru and Nelson Mandelainto musical notation. From those raw up to a big band unison on a wild free-bop line upon which Marsalis
materials, he created compositions tailored to the messages, to the per- (his only appearance on the album) and trombonist Elliot Mason solo
sonalities that delivered them, and to the musical personalities of his forcefully. Johnsons pitches were just about impossible to put in a con-
bandmates. It was a fairly intuitive process, he said. I would sit and sistent tonal center, Nash said. Everybody in the band is on board and
try just to feel something, without having too strong rules in approach- speaking these words.
ing each song. Marsalis advised Nash to investigate Burmese activists Aung San
For example, in FDRs State of the Union address of Jan. 6, 1941 (11 Suu Kyis iconic essay Freedom From Fear, the source of the ruminative
months before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor), he cited freedom of speech, Water In Cupped Hands, which is the only musical selection that orig-
freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear as the inated not from a spoken speech but completely in Nashs imagination.
four overarching American freedoms. After pianist Dan Nimmers Oscar-nominated actress Glenn Close reads the text before the instru-
Bobby Timmons-ish opening solo, mirroring Roosevelts pattern of mental, as does Oscar nominee Sam Waterston before The American
ending most of his phrases with a long cadence down, Nash constructs Promise. The actors were the only people I invited to read, Nash said.
four separate environments that precipitate a staunch, affirmative solo by Executive Producer Kabir Sehgal invited the others, who include for-
trumpeter Kenny Rampton; a jubilant gospelized declamation by trom- mer U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, diplomat William vanden Heuvel, British
bonist Vincent Gardner; an outer partials exploration by alto saxophon- statesman David Miliband, author Deepak Chopra, former heavyweight
ist Sherman Irby; and a Mingusian dont mess with me statement by champion Evander Holyfield and historian (and Sehgals liner note
bassist Carlos Henriquez. co-author) Douglas Brinkley.
The late baritone saxophonist Joe Temperleywho suggested that To finance this mega-project, which includes a 20-page booklet with
Nash explore Winston Churchills We Shall Fight On The Beaches comprehensive liner notes, Nash said he raised somewhere over
speech from June 4, 1940, when Nazi forces were at the height of their $25,000 via Kickstarter, and contributed another several thousand dol-
powertakes an eight-bar solo on the through-composed This lars out of pocket. As Wynton says, its so important to document the
Deliverance, whose solemn yet affirmative mood captures the milieu things you do, Nash said. I hope its not just for archival reasons, and
to which it refers. On the evocative Spoken At Midnight, refracting that people will actually check it out.
Nehrus oration to the Indian Constituent Assembly on the eve of Indias Presidential Suite will be released on Sept. 9. Nash and special guests
independence, Nash sets up striking instrumental voicings within a 7/4 will perform selections from the album on Nov. 8 (Election Day) and
structure that contains several subordinate time signatures within it. Nov. 9 at the Jazz Standard in New York. Ted Panken

Inspired Sets Put Xalapa on Jazz Map
JOHN PATITUCCI ENTHUSIASTICALLY
RICARDO NAVARRO/XALAPA JAZZ FESTIVAL

addressed a thousand cheering attendees who
packed Xalapas Sala Emilio Carballido in the Caught
Teatro del Estado on June 23 for a concert by his
trio with Chris Potter on tenor saxophone and
Rudy Royston on drums: Its incredible to see
all these people excited about this music.
It was night three of the second edition of
the Xalapa International Jazz Festival in the
capital of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, and
the bassist had just concluded an a cappella
blues inspired by Mississippi Fred McDowells
Moving Train.
Over the preceding 50 minutes, the trio had
played five Patitucci originals, many from his
2009 album, Remembrance (Concord), record-
ed with tenorist Joe Lovano and drummer
Brian Blade. In the past, Patitucci had played
separately with Potter and Royston, but the
Xalapa show was their first concert as a unit. John Patitucci (left), Chris Potter and Rudy Royston perform in Mexico at the Xalapa
Jazz Festival on June 23.
With only a master class that morning as an
opportunity for a quasi-rehearsal, the musi- ing context, improvising with capacious tone portive grooves and probing bass lines with
cians inhabited the music with confidence and and seemingly unlimited technique, telling sto- huge, supple tone.
extreme individuality, as though seasoned by ries informed by his exhaustive knowledge of The musicians established chemistry from
two weeks on the road. Throughout, Royston the language of Charlie Parker. Patitucci simul- the jump: Patituccis intense opening solo
propelled the flow with authoritative, ebullient taneously fulfilled the functions of leader and to Joe Hen propelled Potter into a burn-
intention, conveyed with resonant beats and sideman, establishing a vibrational ambiance ing, take-no-prisoners solo that refracted Joe
creative textures. Potter embraced the swing- for each selection, uncorking unfailingly sup- Hendersons phrasing, language and rhyth-
mic approach, his huge sound counterstating
Hendersons soft voice. A rubato triologue cen-
tered by Patituccis vamp set up Potters frag-
mentary ruminations on the opening section of
Monk/Trane; the time-feel switched to medi-
um-slow swing as the theme of John Coltranes
Giant Steps emerged, launching Potter on a
far-flung testimony. In contrast, the leader con-
cluded deliberately, with earthy variations on
the iconic changes.
After Patituccis homage to McDowell,
Potter upped the ante on Without A Song. He
emulated Rollins famous opening statement
from The Bridge, then conjured a mighty solo
during which Rollins seemed to speak through
him like an orisha possessing a master initiate.
There had to be an encore. Were going to do
a little more Sonny Rollins for you, said Patitucci,
before introducing the fourth part of The Freedom
Suite. Without sheet music, the trio nailed the
chop-busting line with explosive panache.
The following evening, Miguel Zenns
quartet channeled similar levels of creative
energy in an elegant set that included several
numbers from the alto saxophonists upcoming
release. That pianist Luis Perdomo and bass-
ist Hans Glawischnig have played with Zenn
since the fall of 2000 (drummer Henry Cole
joined in 2004) was evident in the cohesiveness
and mutual intuition they displayed in inter-
preting their parts. Ted Panken

European Scene / BY PETER MARGASAK
Silva Seeks Chaos, Clarity

I like when music can take unexpected Susana Santos Silva
turns, said the remarkable Portuguese trum-
peter Susana Santos Silva not long after her
first visit to Chicago, where she encountered
some fresh musical surprises in a pair of im-
provised performances. I like when theres
implicit harmony, and I like melodies. I like
chaos, but I also like clarity and beauty; of
course, there can be beauty in chaos as well. I
like the storms, and I like the calm before and
the stillness afterwards. I like structure and I
like freedom.
Her embrace of such polarities has al-
lowed to Silva to become one of the most
exciting improvisers in the worldand peo-
ple are noticing. Over the last few years,
she has released nearly a dozen recordings
FRANK SCHEMMANN
that document her expanding number of
collective projects and collaborators.
Whether in thrilling duo projects with
the Swedish bassist Torbjrn Zetterberg
and the Slovenian pianist Kaja Draksler or
in larger ensembles like her new group Life
and Other Transient Storms (with Zetter- long way since her childhood in Porto, lo-
berg, Denmarks Lotte Anker on reeds, and cated about 200 miles north of Lisbon. I
Swedes Sten Sandell on piano and Jon Flt had a very diverse path in music, she re-
on drums), Silvas versatility and fearless- called. I got lost many times, which was
ness is readily apparent. She draws easily very fruitful because I slowly collected a
on both jazz tradition and extended tech- bunch of experiences that truly enriched
nique, eschewing hierarchical judgment my view of music, how I play, and who I am
in favor of what works best in a particular as a musician and a person. Early on Silva
setting. studied classical music and standard jazz
On last years terrific quintet outing literature.
Impermanence (Carimbo/Porta-Jazz), she For two decades shes been a member
worked from written material, uncorking of Portos Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos
deeply lyric, moody lines within inventive, which has collaborated with Kurt Rosen-
richly sprawling arrangements, but she winkel, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Carla
primarily engages in mostly improvised Bley, among many others. But it wasnt
endeavors these days. Her predilection for until Silva attended graduate school in
improvised duo projects exposes risks and Rotterdam in the late aughts that her mu-
technical limitations, but she wholeheart- sic opened up and she fully embraced im-
edly embraces the task. provisation. Silva explained that it wasnt
You are discovering this person on through school that her thinking expand-
stage as musical explorations develop, and ed, but through experiences on the band-
it can be extremely hard, but also extreme- stand. In Rotterdam she met the Portu-
ly gratifying, she said. I like the challenge. guese bassist Gonalo Almeida, and with
Maybe I should not risk failing, but I cant the Canadian drummer Greg Smith they
do thatits stronger than me. formed Lama, which gained international
As much as she loves improvisation, attention through its releases on the Clean
she admits that shes wracked by doubts, Feed label, including collaborative albums
so writing music and making definitive de- with reedists Chris Speed and Joachim
cisions has been tough for her. Silva had Badenhorst.
planned on using composed material for Silva just moved from Porto to Stock-
the Transient Storms project, but a lack of holmshes worked with numerous
rehearsal time prevented it from happen- Scandinavian musiciansbut it seems as
ing when the group first assembled. These though shes on the road more than she
musicians are such amazing improvisers is at home. Its quite a special feeling to
and I feel, a bit, that giving them written know so many people around the world, so
material would not necessarily make the that wherever you go you know you have a
music better. friend to make music with, to hang, and to
The 37-year-old trumpeter has come a celebrate life. DB

Young Talent Adds Caught
Spark to Tri-C Jazz Fest
NOW IN ITS 37TH YEAR, THE TRI-C JAZZ FESTIVAL IN CLEVELAND
has become an annual meeting place for some of jazzs most promi-
nent musicians. With its growing reputation, Tri-C has also become a
showcase for promising young jazz talent, and during the 2016 edition,
which ran June 2325, a pair of bandleadersboth under 35deliv-
ered inspiring sets.
STEPHANIE SHACTER
Melissa Aldana, who topped the category Rising StarTenor
Saxophone in the 2015 DownBeat Critics Poll, showed off her brawny
tone and lyrical style for a small but appreciative crowd at Tri-C on
June 25. She performed several tunes from her new album, Back Home Dominick Farinacci performs for a hometown crowd at the
Tri-C Jazz Festival in Cleveland on June 25.
(Wommusic), accompanied onstage by the same international trio that
played on the album: American pianist Emmet Cohen, German drum- penchant for the New Orleans tradition, but he isnt afraid to open the
mer Jochen Rueckert and Chilean bassist Pablo Menares. Aldana, 27, door to other genres. His performance at Tri-Cin which he was accom-
possesses a keen and distinct jazz vocabulary. Her playing is marked panied by keyboard legend Gil Goldstein (on accordion) and percussion
by a muscular forward motion, full of long, exploratory lines that slice master Mathias Kunzli, in addition to a piano trio and string section
deeply into a songs soundscape. This propulsion was most prevalent on demonstrated this stylistic flexibility. The trumpeter opened with a bois-
Elsewhere, a new composition with a strong, spiraling pull. terous rendition of Bamboleo (the Spanish-language song popularized
Clevelander Dominick Farinacci, an impassioned young trumpeter, by the Gipsy Kings), incorporating flavors as diverse as calypso, flamen-
was another of the festivals emerging jazz celebrities to perform that day. co and early swing. And on Doha Blues, an original written to com-
A product of the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) music depart- memorate his stint in Qatar, Farinacci blended the gauzy impressionism
ment, the 33-year-old Ohio native first rose to prominence after catching of early Miles Davis with the sounds of a meuzzins call to prayer.
the ear of Wynton Marsalis at a previous Tri-C Fest. In the years since, From the stage, the trumpeter thanked his family, as well as the
Farinacci has toured the world as Lincoln Centers Global Ambassador countless other moms who encouraged his jazz calling in the Cleveland
to Jazz. In that role, he spent three years in Doha, Qatar, organizing jazz suburbs. It was a sincere statement of gratitude from a local hero who had
education initiatives and concerts. triumphed on the international stagewhich, on this night, happened to
Farinacciwhose new Mack Avenue album is Short Storieshas a be in his hometown. Brian Zimmerman

MMFI Honors Black
DANTE BVW MEDIA GROUP

Musicians Unions
THE MUTUAL MUSICIANS FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL TURNED
back the clock to honor living members of Black Musicians Unions in
Kansas City and across the country June 1618.
Fourteen musiciansall members of segregated unions in Atlanta,
Chicago, Kansas City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Boston and other cit-
iesreceived proclamations at City Hall on June 16. And at the inaugu-
ral Legacy 627 International Music Awards on June 17, MMFI Executive
Director Anita Dixon paid tribute to them as well. Anita Dixon, executive director of MMFI (front), poses with musicians
celebrating a proclamation at City Hall in Kansas City. From left: James
We titled this event The Shoulders Upon Which We Stand, and Im Patterson, Lee Brown, Warren Smith, Esdras Lubin, Jack Jeffers, Marvin
Pattillo, June Pepper Harris, Lovett Hines, Wallace Jones, Dixon, Donald
so very proud to honor these wonderful musicians, and document their Gardner, John Mosley, Godfrey Powell, William Doug Carn, Dr. Larry Ridley
stories and memories, Dixon told the audience at the Bruce R. Watkins
Cultural Heritage Center. before its own merger are striking. We started the Clef Club as a way
Videotaped interviews with the musicains took place at the Mutual to protect the Locals assets, Gardner explained. Over the years, its
Musicians Foundation Building, which served as the headquarters for changed from being a social club to a concert venue as well as a base for
Musicians Protective Union Local 627 for four decades. Located in the educational programs. When I see what theyre doing with the video-
heart of the famed 18th and Vine entertainment district, the building is taped interviews, its inspiring. This is the Clef Clubs 50th year, and were
now the headquarters for MMFI, incorporated to manage the building trying to raise money to document our own history.
and assets of the union after its merger with Local 34 in 1970. For Dixon and MMFI, this is only the first chapter of an ongoing
MMFI operates as a social club for musicians and fans, with weekend effort to record the history of Black Musicians Unions while the mem-
jam sessions in a small club decorated with photos of Kansas City jazz bers are still here.
greats like Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Charlie Parker and dozens When I became director, I was bothered there was a forgotten piece
more. But when MMFI gained non-profit status in 2013, it also began to of history here in Kansas City, Dixon said. I wanted to see how many
focus on efforts to preserve Kansas Citys jazz heritage and increase its musicians who were members of 627 were still aliveand document
educational outreach efforts. their stories. And we decided to reach out and contact musicians who
For Donald Gardner, a member of Local 274 in Philadelphia, the par- had been in other black unions around the country. Wed like to get a
allels between MMFI and the Clef Club that developed from Local 274 grant to create an archive of interviews. Terry Perkins

RETTS WOOD
Jacob Collier, 21, sings and plays all the instruments on his debut album.
In Jacob Colliers Room

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THEM BY NOW: VIRAL VIDEOS OF THE HAND-
some, skinny Londoner in his home studio, the image of his face multiplied by
six, eight or 12, singing multipart jazz-funk choral arrangements of songs like
Fascinating Rhythm, Close To You and even the theme to The Flintstones.
More than a one-man Take 6, however, Jacob Collier accompanies himself on
piano, melodica, stringed instruments, drums and all manner of percussion.
Colliers first self-produced YouTube video, Stevie Wonders Dont You
Worry Bout A Thing in 2013, has been viewed more than 1.5 million times
and, like the ones that followed, is a marvel of technical ingenuity. But all that
gee-whiz technology wouldnt matter if Colliers arranging talents were not so
profound and his performances not so spectacular.
After receiving accolades from Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and Mark
Kibble of Take 6, the largely self-taught musician (who attended the Royal
Academy of Music for two years) was snapped up by Quincy Jones Qwest
Records. He plays and sings every part on his debut album, recorded entire-
ly in his home studio and appropriately titled In My Room. The collection
includes three covers and eight originals, including the jazz-fusion opus
Dont You Know, which he also recorded with Snarky Puppy on Family
Dinner, Vol. 2. DownBeat spoke to the 21-year-old via Skype from London.
Some of your songs, like your version of Brian Wilsons In My
Room, play with time in an arresting fashion.
There was an amazing teacher at the academy, Barak Schmool, who teach-
es world rhythms. After class, Id ask him to teach me more about certain
things, like the ancient Cuban tradition of bat drumming. It was a way of
feeling time which I was fascinated by: a feeling of a lack of grid, but there
really is a solid grid. In My Room is a bat-inspired groove.
Some listeners may jump to the conclusion that your ultra-re-

fined harmonies are electronically manipulated. Are they?
No, theres no computer system that helps me; its only my ears. When Im
singing a capella harmonies, I dont tune to the piano; normally I tune to the
harmonic series. In that way, all of the harmonics are completely in tune.
For a guy who does it all himself, you also seem to find genuine
joy in your collaborations, for example with Snarky Puppy.
There are so many of them, but they play together without getting in each
others way. I threw that tune (Dont You Know) at [bassist/bandleader]
Mike League, and they essentially learned it by ear in one day.
What would you say is your main musical instrument?

Thats a tough one; I guess Id say the human voice. But everything I sing is
informed by drumming and bass playing, and piano because of all the harmo-
ny. Id probably say my main instrument is that room, because, when Im in it,
I know how to achieve the sounds that are in my head. Allen Morrison

MARLON KRIEGER
EHUD ASHERIE
Supremely Shaped by NYC
P
urely through serendipity, not prior cal- Modernistic and Jingles. Then I concluded from records, not necessarily to learn a piece
culation, the release of Ehud Asheries that it actually comes from Eubie Blake, who said note-for-note, but for the process of learning the
Shuffle Along (Blue Heron) coincid- James P. played everything he did, but in every language of jazz. Its like learning poetry. Once
ed with the superb Broadway reinvestiga- key and twice as fast, he added. Asherie noted you learn the language, speak it, and come to it
tion of that iconic African-American revue that Blake composed the Shuffle Along songs from a place of knowledge, anything is possible.
from 1921. Playing solo, the 36-year-old before jazz forms had been codified, thereby Asherie began learning piano language at
pianist addresses eight Eubie Blake tunes escaping a lot of cliches and generic patterns. age 6, when his Israeli parents lived in Milan.
from the original production with the indi- That offers a wide-open universe for interpreta- Lessons continued after he moved to a
vidualistic approach to converging various tion; youre not stylistically locked in. Westchester suburb two years later, and, as
mid-20th-century New York piano dialects That freewheeling attitude infuses another Asherie progressed through middle school, he
that stamps his 10 previous leader albums. recent release, Gems By The Piano Giants became immersed in jazz. At 14, he made his
In the manner of Dick Hyman, an acknowl- (Clarinet Road), on which Asherie and virtuoso first visit to the newly opened Greenwich Village
edged influence, Asherieoften in the course of clarinetist Evan Christopherjoined thrice by venue Smalls. The club didnt have a liquor
a single songmorphs from authoritative con- singer Hilary Gardnerinhabit repertoire along license, and by Asheries junior year of high
trapuntal stride piano passages to surging horn- a timeline that traverses the early 20s (Johnsons schoolwith his parents blessinghe became
like lines and percolating ostinatos la Bud Love Bug, Blakes Youre Lucky To Me, Jelly a regular, commuting to make the evenings
Powell or even Monkish dissonances. His time Roll Mortons The Pearls, Fats Wallers My first show and not leaving until the jam ses-
is impeccable, his left hand formidable, his touch Fate Is In Your Hands and a Dick Wellstood sion ended at 6 a.m.
nuanced, and he generates impressive melodic contrafact of Duke Ellingtons Jubilee Stomp Along the way, he interacted with tough-love
flow from highbrow harmonic streams. titled Fast As A Bastard) to the late 40s (Mary bebop practitioners like pianist Frank Hewitt and
I fell in love with jazz piano through Lou Williams In The Land Of Oo-Bla-Dee drummer Jimmy Lovelace, and future stars, like
bebopalso McCoy Tyner and Brad Mehldau and Bud Powells Ill Keep Loving You), with guitarist Peter Bernstein. Asherie also messed
and went backwards, Asherie said via Skype visits to less-traveled byways of Teddy Wilson around with the houses Hammond B-3 organ,
from So Paolo, Brazil, where he spent the first (The Little Things That Mean So Much) and his instrument on two albums with Coquet and
10 days of June. On the previous evening, hed Hoagy Carmichael (April In My Heart). on 2010s Organic, recorded with Bernstein
played duo with local guitarist Bina Coquet, a I love playing duo and playing without bass, and alto saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky.
frequent partner since 2003, juxtaposing stride and Ive done it a lot, said Asherie, who has dis- If I hadnt come to New York, I wouldnt be
and manouche jazz on an array of 20s and 30s played his facility for the idiom on two conver- what I am today, Asherie said. Whether its
chorinhos and sambas. sational albums (on Posi-Tone) with tenor sax- James P. or Bud or Monk, that New York sound
About nine years ago I realized that every- ophonist Harry Allen. People think of stride of being in the moment and going for some-
thing comes from James P. Johnson, Asherie as the left hand going oom-pah, oom-pah, but thing has formed me more than anything.
continued. For a short list, he cited Carolina theres so much more10ths, bass lines, coun- Thats the way I play, and thats what New York
Shout, Harlem Stride, Youve Got To Be terpoints. Ive always advocated transcribing is about. Ted Panken

NAOMI MOON SIEGEL
Melodic Traveler
T
rombonist Naomi Moon Siegel has called many places home. For
the past eight years, shes been based in Seattle. But before that, she
lived in Oakland, California. As a kid, she lived in North Carolina,
Massachusetts and Illinois with her parents and two older brothers.
Siegel has also taken trips to Costa Rica, Senegal and Gambia, each of
which afforded beneficial composing retreats. In 2012, while in Costa Rica,
she challenged herself to create something new every day.
I find it easier to compose when Im not in Seattle, she explained. I
treated [those challenges] as more of intuitive composition processes in
which I just channeled what I was hearinginstead of aiming to compose
something specific. Earlier, when I was studying at Oberlin Conservatory,
I felt pressured to compose stuff that was complex and harmonically out
there. Now I just let that go and compose whatever comes to me.
Siegels globetrotting reveals itself on Shoebox View, a debut album
thats at once personal and polyglot. The disc seduces immediately with the
soulful Jeannines Joy, on which she layers multiple trombone harmonies
and melodic riffs atop of Thione Diops evocative Senegalese percussion.
Andrew Vaits faint synthesizer accompaniment and Jefferson Roses shad-
owy electric bass thicken the songs harmonic sweep, while Siegels bur-
nished-tone trombone states an anthemic melody that bursts into a tri-
umphant solo. Siegel said that the songs namesake (and inspiration) is her
girlfriend of the past four years. I was really trying to capture Jeannines Trombonist Naomi Moon Siegel recruited keyboardist Wayne
Horvitz to play on her new album, Shoebox View.
nuanced spirit; shes a super vivacious woman.
Siegel composed Its Not Safe and Casa De Avestwo other high- penned Its Not Safe on the secluded Playa Negra beach after a man
lights from the discin Costa Rica. The former bounces to a laidback approached and advised her to leave, arguing that the beach was dan-
reggae-rock groove while the latter features a penetrating melody. Siegel gerous for a young lady to be alone with her just trombone. From that
moment, the melody and riff idea for the song came to me, she recalled.
Its Not Safe also features contributions from Seattle-based jazz
maverick Wayne Horvitz, who plays organ and Wurlitzer on four other
songs as well. In Horvitz, Siegel found a kindred spirit and a mentor.
She has performed several times with him in his Royal Room Collective
Music Ensemble. I really love the way Wayne treats harmony, Siegel
said. He often veers toward more simplistic triadic harmonies instead
of all the altered extension chords.
Horvitz has long admired Siegels playing, particularly her rhythmic
timing. But it wasnt until he participated on Shoebox View that he learned
of her compositional acumen. Shes willing to tap into the music that she
really loves, which includes jazz but also reggae, funk, electronica, West
African stuff and pop, he said. Also, she isnt afraid to have fun. Thats
important to me. When you listen to the Duke Ellington or Count Basie
bands, the musicians didnt sound like they were afraid of having fun.
Seattle has proven to be an ideal city for Siegel because it affords her
opportunities to collaborate regularly with such esteemed artists as
Horvitz, fellow trombonist Julian Priester and saxophonist Skerik.
Siegel recalled that her two-year stint in Oakland had been emotional-
ly taxing. When I was in Oakland, I was a young, insecure musician, she
said. I felt like I had to do anything to try to fit in to get a gig. Because of
where I was in my self-developmentplus the scene that I was inI felt
closeted. I kept my sexuality to myself. I didnt intentionally hide it, but I
never felt that I was my full, authentic, vibrant self. In Seattle, Ive been
able to cast aside relationships that arent so nourishing to be in envi-
ronments that are inspiringmusically and interpersonally.
But for all of Siegels love for Emerald City, she and Jeannine are
planning to move to Missoula, Montana. I love being in cities because
of the vibrant culture and music. But I really love being in nature
thats what really inspires me, Siegel said. Im just trying to flip the
balance. Instead of living in the city with nature relief, Im trying to
have nature with city relief. John Murph

Todd Coolmans new album
is titled Collectables.
STEVE HOCKSTEIN/HARVARDSTUDIO.COM
TODD COOLMAN
Bassist, Educator, Fisherman
F
or most musicians, time is something to On Collectables, such tracks as Ahmad
count. Its a measured ideal with which to Jamals New Rhumba and Miles Davis/Victor
align an internal musical clock, the meter Feldmans Joshua achieve a rhythmic state of
that provides the all-important pocket. But for grace as Coolmans trio crafts a wonderfully
other musicians, time is a deeper pursuit, prac- expansive and purposeful pulse.
tically a calling. On Collectables (Sunnyside), The bassist said that Mackrel deserves much
Todd Coolmans first album in 10 years, the of the credit for Collectables artistic peaks.
bassist goes deep into the terrain of time. Dennis is a complete musician, Coolman
For me, the experience of time is multidi- said, a brilliant composer, a really good arrang-
mensional, Coolman said from his New Jersey er, and he understands all aspects of music.
home. Theres time as it pertains to music and When Dennis plays, he is thinking orchestra-
the beauty of jazz as it relates to time or rhythm, tionally. That contributes to our having a big
which is an endless quest. Time fascinates me sound as a trio, because he is thinking in terms
in the pursuit of playing music that makes peo- of the broadest possible spectrum.
ple feel good. Thats one appeal. Another con- An instructor since entering the SUNY sys-
cept is the reality of time in terms of the clock tem in 1998, Coolman is well equipped to
the passage of minutes and seconds and hours. gauge the changes between double bass stu-
And as a collector I have another fascination. dents then and now.
Collectable things have a time stamp. I collect fly Students may be more proficient technical-
fishing lures. If I am holding a lime-green Creek ly now, Coolman said. They have a lot of
Chub Pikie, I know when that lure was manu- access to more resources. Where they still need
factured so I can reflect on that era of time. For enlightenment is in understanding the historic
me, the study of time is a hobby within itself. aspects of the music. They also need to under-
Time gets its due respect on Collectables, stand the role of the bass, which fundamental-
which features the trio of Coolman, pianist Bill ly hasnt changed. Your role is at the bottom of
Cunliffe and drummer Dennis Mackrel (aka the music, to be foundational and supportive. If
Trifecta) issuing time as wide and polished as they want to make a good living, they have to
a cruising Cadillac, a feel so big and plush it learn to support other people.
recalls the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Jones, Ron Musician, collector, bird watcher, martial
Carter and Tony Williams. artist and fly fisherman, Coolman brings a phil-
Coolman has an impressive resume. He has osophical approach to his many pursuits.
performed with Horace Silver, James Moody, In an ideal sense, fly fishing and music are
Gerry Mulligan and Benny Golson, among a similar state of mind, Coolman said. When
many others, is a professor of music in the jazz youre playing music well, there is a certain
studies program in the Conservatory of Music effortlessness and mindlessness to it. The
at Purchase College (SUNY), and is director of music is playing you; its a very Zen experience.
the Skidmore Jazz Institute. Coolman has writ- There is an analog with fly fishing, because
ten two books aimed at bass players: The Bass the emptier your mind can become, the bet-
Tradition and The Bottom Line (both Aebersold ter you will do. Its meditative. When youre
Publishing), and hes a sought-after writer, evi- fly fishing perfectly, you become the fly. And
denced by his Grammy-winning liner notes to when playing music at your best level, its just
Miles Davis Quintet 19651968. in the air and it just happens. Ken Micallef

Sirius Quartet, from left: Fung Chern Hwei,
Gregor Huebner, Jeremy Harman and Ron Lawrence
That group (which often stretched the defini-

tion of string quartet in terms of instrumenta-
tion) played together for 20 years with a rotating
membership that included, at times, violinists
Regina Carter and Mark Feldman, bassists Mark
Dresser and Jerome Harris and percussionists
Jim Black, Kevin Norton and Ben Perowsky.
The eventual dissolution of the group influenced
Lawrences attitude about forming a group and
keeping it together.
I was sitting there, and people were fighting,
and the whole situation was blowing up, and
I just wanted to keep doing music with Elliott
Sharp, he recalled. I wanted to keep using
extended technique and playing really loud.
I loved playing with Dave, he continued.
As a violist, I was playing music uptown. I had
some good gigs, but I wanted to do other things
as well. I love the idea of getting in up to your
SIRIUS QUARTET elbows.
PHILIPP NEMENZ
Although the group has included some dis-
tinguished members in the pastincluding vio-
Seriously Compatible linist Jennifer Choi and cellists Mike Block and
Dave Eggarits only with Harman and violin-
ists Gregor Huebner and Fung Chern Hwei that
I
t took more than 30 years for the Sirius by such composers as Henry Purcell, Charles
Quartet to get it right. Ives and Gyrgy Ligeti. It took a long time to Lawrence finally found kindred spirits.
Not that the in-demand string quartet find the right people, Lawrence said. Paths Become Lines is the sixth release under
which has worked with Dianne Reeves, John The right combination of composer-impro- the quartets name, but the first to highlight the
Escreet and John Zorn, to name a fewhas been visers solidified in 2010, as an interesting mix diverse compositional voices of its members.
doing anything wrong. But, according to vio- ethnically and generationally, according to cel- The title track, which was composed by
list Ron Lawrence, the sole remaining mem- list Jeremy Harman, the last to join the group. Harman, features multiple melody lines over
ber from the groups inception as the Soldier Weve found a pretty interesting mix of our a steady pulse, betraying his punk/metal past.
String Quartet, its only with their new album, own personalities, he said. Fungs three contributions show an appeal-
Paths Become Lines (Autentico Music/Naxos), The Soldier String Quartet was founded by ing tendency toward humor and sentimentali-
that theyve finally documented themselves as the ever-inventive Dave Soldier in 1984. One of ty. And Huebners richly lyrical String Quartet
the ensemble he wanted all along: specifically, a the forces behind the Thai Elephant Orchestra, No. 4, Opus 44, The Wollheim Quartet earns
group of string players who could write original Soldier is by day a neurobiology professor at the group its stripes as a serious string quartet.
material and perform and improvise on works Columbia University. For a long time we didnt know what to call
ourselves, according to Fung. Its not fair to call
ourselves classical or jazz, so we came up with
this term.
In the fall, the foursome will host and curate
the Progressive Chamber Music Festival in
October at ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, no
doubt attracting other likeminded musicians
as well as new fans.
Ultimately, the quartets goal is to be a
recognizable unitfour distinct voices with
one cohesive sound.
There arent many peopleStan Getz, Chet
Baker, Mileswho from the first sound they
play, you know its them, Huebner said. Thats
what we want to do as a quartet.
You might not call it jazzits a personal
project for all of us, Lawrence added. In Dave
Soldiers group, everybody had a different point
of view about where they wanted to go. Daves
idea of a string quartet was a drummer and two
singers and the string players. Hed have like
eight people on stage. A lot of very good musi-
cians went through the group. Now we have four
unique points of view who are really interested in
creating a whole. Kurt Gottschalk

Kenny Garrettwhose rise from Detroit-bred wunderkind to globe-
trotting saxophonist was nothing if not meteoricis, at age 55, a
remarkably humble presence. Despite having realized many of his
GUHDPV*DUUHWWKDVFRQVLVWHQWO\SDLGKRPDJHWRWKHJLDQWVZKRLQX-
enced him.
B
etween 1996 and 2008, Garrett issued day bash at the Blue Note in New York.
album-length tributes to John Coltrane, Garrett has also paid tribute to people who
Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, with have been helpful behind the scenes. Seeds From
whom he played for five years. More recent- The Underground includes Wiggins, for Bill
ly, he has, on the Mack Avenue albums Seeds Wiggins, a beloved band teacher of Garretts
From The Underground (2012) and Pushing The from Detroit. And Pushing The World Away
World Away (2013), dedicated songs, in whole includes Brother Brown, for Donald Brown,
or part, to at least nine musicians, among them whose role as Garretts producer has yielded
Chick Corea, a frequent collaborator whom both that album and the saxophonists latest
Garrett will join in December as part of a birth- CD, also on Mack Avenue: Do Your Dance!

But with that effort, out in July, Garrett has
STEVEN SUSSMAN
turned the notion of tribute on its head. Rather
than dedicating songs to musicians, he tips his
hat to the fans, proffering an explicit invita-
tion to, well, do their danceand so they have,
transforming the spaces where he plays from
listening rooms into makeshift dance halls that
can take on the feel of revival tents.
When I was young, my teacher, Marcus
Belgrave, used to call me the preacher, Garrett
said, as he relaxed in a Manhattan teahouse in
June before what would prove to be a frenzied,
four-night run at Blues Alley in Washington.
There was something to that. But I didnt rec-
ognize it.
These days, he has begun to recognize it. He
has seen the crowds in Europe, Japan, Asia and
the United States become a decidedly more
kinetic lot. Without coaxing, they have begun
rising from their seats, alternately swaying to
the beat and dancing in the aisles as they groove
to infectious set-closers like Waynes Thang, a
tribute to Wayne Shorter, and Happy People,
a nod to Herbie Hancock.
Pianist Vernell Brown Jr., whose history of
recording with Garrett stretches from 2002s
Happy People (Warner Bros.) to Do Your
Dance!bassist Corcoran Holt, percussion-
ist Rudy Bird and drummers Ronald Bruner Jr.
and McClenty Hunter round out the albums Kenny Garrett performs at the 2015 Newport Jazz Festival.
instrumental personnelsaid the phenome-
non had at times become a bit overwhelming.
We wouldnt tell people, theyd just get up
and dance, said the pianist, a member of
Whether were performing live or
Garretts working quintet, which has recently
added drummer Marcus Baylor to the lineup. in the studio, my goal is to conjure
There was one time, at a theater in Cleveland,
when there were so many people crowding an emotion. If they can feel that
emotion, my goal is accomplished.
around the piano, I couldnt even see myself.
It mesmerizes me. Obviously, people are
hearing and feeling something in Kennys music
that makes them want to get up and express Supplied by producer Browns son, Donald Echoes of that Philly-associated group,
themselves. With all the tragic things going on Brown Jr.also known as Mista Enzthe rap Garrett acknowledged, crossed his mind as he
in the world, we pour our heart and soul into it. is a kind of plea for living in the here-and-now: was putting pen to paper. They are inescap-
This is an opportunity for everyone to get up and I dont know tomorrow/ but I know this day/ able in the playing, having been explicit since
dance, and forget about all the suffering. Long as youre with me/ everythings OK. at least 1996, when Garrett, whose scintillating
As the enthusiasm has grown, Garrett has Thats how it started, Garrett said, adding gifts had by then taken the jazz world by storm,
more actively stirred the spiritual potpunctu- that once he had written the title tune, the issued Pursuance: The Music Of John Coltrane
ating his solos with exhortations to the assem- albums pieces began to flow. What became the (Warner Brothers).
bled masses, particularly those who seem too album opener, Philly, had its roots in a gig Of course, he said. Coltranes always
shy to make a joyful noise. I tell them, Do your near Temple University in the City of Brotherly there in spirit.
dance, he said. Were just having a big party. Love. The older people were dancing to all The Coltrane spiritand, for that matter,
Were taking you on this journey and were at the songsthe fast tunes, the slow tunes, the that of Charlie Parker, whom Garrett honored
that point. Do whatever it is you doif its in bossaand I said, Wow, this is amazing. Thats in 2001, playing alto on Roy Haynes Birds Of
rhythm, off rhythm, whatever your concept is. what jazz is all aboutdancing and participat- A Feather: A Tribute To Charlie Parkeris very
Inspired by the outpouring, Garrett said he ing in the music. So I came up with Philly. much alive and well in the albums closing tune,
felt compelled to write a song that could serve The tune opens with pianist Browns rubato a smoker called Chasing The Wind. The con-
as a vehicle for reaching out. That song became introa plainly conceived, plaintively exe- cept, Donald Brown said, was when you chase
the title track of the new album, an unabashed cuted improvisation built around the melo- the wind, you cant really catch it. You can feel
exercise in accessibility that features a funky dys central motifthat moves with dispatch it, you cant really see it. Its like either youre
1970s vibe, a clearly delineated head and a rap, into a polyrhythmic tear replete with escalat- chasing the Trane, John Coltrane, or youre
dropped in after the musical bed had been laid, ing waves of emotion reminiscent of the classic chasing the Bird, Charlie Parker. But theyre fly-
that functions as a definite mood enhancer. Coltrane quartet. ing in so many different directions, its hard to

catch them. now. He had so much more to let out, which is Bird confirmed that he had no idea that a
In their high-flying modal discourse, the best thing to do. Do your own dance, you rapper had been enlisted. Yet Garrett had con-
Philly and Chasing The Wind fall into know? He did his own dance, and now a lot of veyed enough of the pieces internal work-
a zone that Garrett occupies with a singular it is out. ingsand, more important, its soulthat Bird
command. At the same time, its hard to imag- Part of Garretts evolution is an overt turn felt confident in the composers intentions. As
ine anyone negotiating a deft dance step to the (or, more precisely, return) to the world of hip- a result, he applied techniques he used on The
tunes as they might when confronted by the hop. And among the tracks on Do Your Dance!, Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, which won the
spare sensibility of Backyard Groove, Waltz that influence is clearest on Wheatgrass Shot Grammy for Album of the Year in 1998.
(3 Sisters), Calypso Chant and Bossa (Straight To The Head), a tense trip into the The rap part surprised me, he said. But
songs that, along with Do Your Dance!, popu- domain of minor seconds, a repeating harmon- the music felt like it was going that way, wheth-
late more than half the collection and are more ic feature that offers the sonic equivalent of the er it had rap on it or not. And when I heard the
purposely prosaic. jolt Garrett claims awaits those who ingest the rap was there, I said it made sense.
nutrient-rich title substance. Overall, he said, the piece fit the arc of
T hey also seem to accommodate the trajec-

tory of Garretts career, which these days
is encompassing an ever-broader palette for
To make it real, Garrett said, he needed a
rapper who could convey the essence of wheat-
grass. I thought that would be the best way
Garretts career. I see where Kennys going,
and it kind of gels, he said. The statement hes
making now is pushing a more diverse audi-
an ever-wider public. I have evolved, he said, to tell the story, he said. If youve never had ence, a younger demographic along with the
compositionally, harmonically, as a person. wheatgrass, its kind of wild. Youre drinking old and the older. We welcome that. You want
Some of the things I was concerned about in something thats giving you all these emotions. young people to get involved with the music.
the beginning Im not really concerned about. I told [Donald Brown Jr.] my experience You do a little bit of what theyre used to and
Im concerned with making sure I put out the with it, but I wanted him to tell his experience, show it works with jazz. They clap together,
music I hear and I feel. Garrett explained, adding that he was impressed they dance together. The young people do their
Percussionist Bird, who has known Garrett with the results: Wheatgrass shot to the head/ hip-hop moves. Everyone gets up and does
since the two shared band pits more than 30 Im flying now/ Open me up to this life. their dance.
years ago in the Duke Ellington Orchestra Throughout much of the process of writing In fact, Garretts fusing of the jazz and hip-
(under Mercer Ellington) and later played and developing the piece, he said, he left the hop languages had been documented in 1995,
together in Davis band, said he had noticed a musicians in the dark about his intention to when he deployed his saxophone on Gurus
slight populist shift in Garretts emphasis, if not add the rap. Dutifully, they laid down the Jazzmatazz Volume II: The New Reality
a wholesale change in approach. instrumental track, which Garrett then sent to (Chrysalis), and in 1999, when, as a vocalist, he
Ive been waiting for that kind of feel, Bird Donald Brown Jr., who added his words from nailed the insistent refrain of tick tock dont
said. I think I hear more of it from Kenny his home studio in Tennessee. stop on his own Back Where You Started, a

time-bending piece from Simply Said (Warner the Kendrick Lamar track Alright from the were with the trumpeter, was often overlooked.
Jazz). A decade later, Q-Tip sought him out for 2015 Grammy-winning To Pimp A Butterfly Sometimes, when people think about hip-hop,
the ambitious Kamaal The Abstract (Battery), (Interscope). they think people are doing something new,
contrapuntal hip-hop with a bit of bebop He changed the way everybody looks at Garrett said, referring to its application to the
inflection. music, Martin said. I grew up in South jazz idiom. People forget Miles did it.
Central, where you were lucky to make it to 25. At that time hip-hop was part of my gener-
G arretts influence in certain quarters of the

hip-hop community has been profound,
according to producer and alto saxophon-
He grew up in Detroit, with the same struggles.
He was so important to us; he represented free-
dom. I can still hear him playing with Miles
ation. So Miles was actually taking from that
generation. All the music is connected. I dont
look at it as drastically different. Miles had a
ist Terrace Martin. A member of the West Davis, African musicians, jazz musicians, rock rapper to help him understand thata rapper
Coast Get Down collective, Martin said that musicians. Its about having an open mind. who was organizing everything. He was play-
Garretts styledown to the way he articulates Garrett lamented that the attention Davis ing his music on top of that.
grace notesoutlined his own alto playing on paid to hip-hop, during the time he and Bird Davis Doo-Bop (Warner Brothers), made
with the aid of hip-hop producer Easy Mo Bee
and released posthumously in 1992, was his
last studio album. But hip-hop elements were
slipping into Davis language at least five years
before, with Ricky Wellman, an exponent of
the early hip-hop-inflected go-go beats, hold-
ing down the drum chair in the band in which
Garrett and Bird played.
By Birds account, Garrett assumed a spe-
cial status on the Davis bandstand. When
I look at Kenny and Miles, he said, it was
almost like Miles was passing the torch. Kenny
got a chance to play. It was, Play, just play, youre
the boss. Miles didnt let everybody do that.
For his part, Garrett, who is often remem-
bered for his searing statements on Davis 1989
album Amandla (Warner Brothers), a high
point artistically in the late-period work, has
absorbed Davis lessons. Garrett, whose debut
album on Mack AvenueSketches Of MDLive
At The Iridiumwas a 2008 tribute to Davis,
can, when developing material, prefer action
over talk.
Pianist Brown recalled that, rather than
haul out lead sheets, Garrett, in working
through the intro to Philly, demonstrated
the chord voicings he wanted Brown to use as
points for extrapolation.
Kenny gets on the piano and starts playing,
he said. Its one of those unsaid things. You just
watch the musician play. Ive got a little bit of a
photographic memory, so thats our relationship.
We play but we dont talk about it much. We listen
to the sound and hear what it is.
Garrett explained: Thats the communica-
tion that Miles had with his band. They played
together so long that it wasnt about them say-
ing what it is; it was about we breathe together.
Thats what I try to get from my band.
When were performing live or in the stu-
dio, my goal is to conjure an emotion. If they
can feel that emotion, my goal is accomplished.
If were playing a hip-hop song, play it as
authentically as we can. If were playing swing,
make it swing. If were playing African music,
make it have those elements.
I want to keep the spiritual components of
the music there. If we can do that, Im happy.
Keeping the spirituality alive is facilitated
by rituals, none more keenly observed than the

group huddle before the show. The band gath- lierwhile giving the 2011 commencement a cup of tea amid the abundant offeringsno
ers in a circle backstage, in the green room or address at Berklee College of Music, where he wheatgrass was availablehe mused about a
dressing room, for a kind of silent prayer. Its received an honorary doctorate in music. possible future for his musical life.
a magical, spiritual experience, Brown said. Now is the time to plan your life, he told the There are a lot of other ingredients I hear,
Theres no ego with anybody in the group. graduates. Now is the time to be around posi- Garrett said. A lot of things that can change in
Everybody has their thing they do. tive-energy people. Tomorrows not promised; the music. I think well be able to go to a dif-
Brown, a former winner of a DownBeat now is the time. Now is the time to go out in the ferent place. Im in a place where I really want
Student Music Award, has contributed world and spread some love for your music. Now to play, to explore some harmonic devices.
Buddhist elements to the bands spiritual mix. is the time to set the tone for your life. Now is the Sometimes its the hip-hop music, but its also a
Drawing on that belief, to which he said he time to heal this planet through your music. tune like Chasing The Wind, where you really
was introduced by Hancock, he chants, Nam- Back in the Manhattan teahouse, that have to play. Its a balanced thing.
myoho-renge-kyo. The chant has been useful thoughtful bearing was fully in evidence. I just try to do the best I can with what Ive
in the practical as well as the spiritual realm. Revealing an asceticism as he politely declined been given. Theres more for me to do. DB
In the studio, he said, it was rough. It was
hard. We couldnt get the music right. So Id get
my beads and go in the corner and start pray-
ing. Others joined, he said, and the impromp-
tu rite helped smooth the rough patches.
The chant has also made its way into the
music, set against a meditative 5/4 beat on
the title tune from Pushing The World Away.
Similarly, on the new album, Browns chant-
ing is incorporated into the sublime Persian
Steps, with Bruner on drums and Garrett
manning the piano and overdubbing the flute
and shruti box, a kind of Indian accordion.
Garretts spirituality has long been recog-
nized as a vital part of his art. As a mentor in
Detroit, Belgrave may have been onto the fact
early. But it has been a subject of comment
in more recent times by the likes of guitarist
John McLaughlin, with whom Garrettalong
with Corea, Christian McBride and Vinnie
Colaiutaplayed in the Five Peace Band.
Garrett said that McLaughlin, a onetime
devotee of the Indian spiritual leader Sri
Chinmoy, would, before going onstage, inquire
about the state of his being and the prospects
for its impact on the coming performance. He
would say, Are you going to take us transcen-
dental tonight? Basically, he was saying, Are
you going to go to that higher place? I kind of
liked that.
Garrett displayed an instinct for negotiat-
ing the complex maze of human emotions as far
back as the 1980s. After playing with Bird in the
Ellington banda stint that included sharing
a tour bus in the musical Sophisticated Ladies
in 1983and playing together on Garretts
albums Garrett 5, in 1989, and African
Exchange Student, in 1990, he and Bird devel-
oped a relationship off the bandstand.
We were living near each other in New
Jersey, Bird said. We would have jam ses-
sions at my house. And if we had any prob-
lems at home, wed drive on the parkway and
talk music, work it out and then go home. Wed
laugh about it. It was therapy.
Garrett wasnt only a calming presence
one-on-one. He revealed an ability to soothe
the anxieties of the multitudes as he slid into a
preachers cadenceslike those, perhaps, that
Belgrave had noted some three decades ear-

By Thomas Staudter | Photo by Claire Stefani
By any measure, an 80th birthday is a milestone worth celebrating, but perhaps even
more so in the jazz worldfor many obvious reasons that need no enumeration. The fact
that notable practitioners of the improvisers art continue to make it thus far, including, in
the last year or so, Ramsey Lewis, Roswell Rudd, Albert Tootie Heath, Harold Mabern and
Karl Berger, doesnt necessarily mean life is getting easier for jazz artists. (It isnt.) Aside a
discussion of breakthrough medical advances being partly responsible for increased lon-
gevity in some individuals, though, it is plainly satisfying to see the attentionspecial gigs,
awards and honors, career overviews, CD releases and re-releases, and much-deserved
appreciationthat comes with the signicance of just staying alive. The continuing vital-
ity of these octogenarians on the bandstand makes the celebrations that much sweeter.
arla Bley, the jazz iconoclast, dedicated contrarian Bleys birthday this year neatly coincided with the early May release
and enthusiastic mirth-maker, may have wanted to of Andando el Tiempo, a new CD with Swallow and Sheppard on ECM
let the occasion of her Big Eight-Oh pass on May 11 Records, the label that has been distributing Bleys catalog on her own
with little public notice or fanfare. Under most cir- WATT label since the late 1970s. With Bley on piano, this exquisite
cumstances, she would have ensured that it sneaked chamber jazz trio has been working on occasion for more than 20 years;
by as just another quiet, productive day at the home their first album was 1995s Songs With Legs, which they followed 18
she shares with bassist-composer Steve Swallow in a years later with TriosBleys first on ECM proper, and also her first
small hamlet outside Woodstock, New York. recording that she didnt produce herself or co-produce with Swallow,
After all, throughout her long career as a composer, instrumentalist handing the reins instead to ECM founder Manfred Eicher, who over-
and bandleader, Bley has endeavored to let her musical artistry serve saw Andando el Tiempo as well.
as an expression of her thinking and personhood, mostly eschewing Sheppard explained that he was partly responsible for Bley working
the ego-driven cult of celebrity endemic in the entertainment busi- directly with Eicher on Trios and Andando el Tiempo. In a conversation
ness and instead sharing her time in the spotlight with her collabora- at a small, trendy Manhattan hotel before the birthday concert, having
tors and co-conspirators on the bandstand. Her characteristic evasive- flown over from his home in London the day before, Sheppard recalled
ness extends to her recognizable helmet-like coiffure, a curtain of thick, that while he was recording Trio Libero, his 15th album as a leader and
straight hair that has kept her eyes nearly hidden from view for decades. his second as a leader on ECM, Eicher expressed to him an interest in
So, it was an undeniable surprise, then, to learn that Bley, a 2015 producing Bleys next album. He asked me to approach her with the
NEA Jazz Master, would not only be performing a short concert on idea, which I thought was interesting, but I didnt know how she was
the evening of her birthday at Steinway Hall in Midtown Manhattan, going to react, said Sheppard. So, of course, I called Swallow.
joined by Swallow, her partner of 30 years, and saxophonist Andy Like many jazz listeners of a certain age, the saxophonist, now 59,
Sheppardbut she would also be participating in a question-and-an- first discovered Bleys artistry on Escalator Over The Hill, her qua-
swer session afterward. si-theatrical sprawl of musical genres and stylings set to the poems of

CATERINA DI PERRI/ECM RECORDS
Andando el Tiempo is the new album by Carla Bley (left) Steve Swallow and Andy Sheppard.
Paul Haines, which was recorded by the Jazz Bley has shifted into a new gear, choosing to ed from the long span of her career, including
Composers Orchestra and an eclectic group explore the intimacy of a drummer-less trio Wildlife, from her 1985 album Night-Glo, and
of special guests over two years and final- with two of her closest musical confidantes, Vashkar, first recorded in the early 1960s by
ly released in 1971. Now regarded as a cultur- and as a result, putting the focus on her under- her then-husband Paul Bley (19322016).
al benchmark of sorts, the album served as his appreciated piano playing and the sublime, As a defiant statement of continued vitality,
baptism by fire, said Sheppard, just as he was empathic interplay of the musicians. Bley presents three new compositions on
beginning to play the saxophone. Years later, While Bley and Swallow have produced Andando el Tiempo, further establishing the
when he was cutting his first album as a lead- several duet recordings over the yearsthe last trio as her prevailing palette. The title track
er, Sheppard chose Swallow as a producer on of which was 1999s live Are We There Yet? (which translates to the passing of time),
the strength of the bassists work with guitarist both Trios and Andando el Tiempo stand as stretching over three movements (Sin Fin,
John Scofield. The two men remained friend- serious, purposeful projects, uncharacteris- Potacin de Guaya and Camino al Volver)
ly, and eventually Bley hired the saxophonist in tically devoid of any of the wiseacre levity for and totaling nearly 30 minutes in length, was
October 1988 to join her big band in time for the which the couple is well known. With Eicher written for a friend dealing with addiction
live recording of her album Fleur Carnivore in charge of the production at the Auditorio and recovery, Bley states in the albums liner
with the directive that he learn the clarinet, an Stelio Molo of RSI, the Swiss public broadcast- notes. Saints Alive! is a quaint expression
instrument hed never played before. ing company located in Lugano, both albums in response to especially juicy gossip, Bley
Carla is an original, and constantly evolv- see the trio in canny concentration, narrow writes, and Naked Bridges/Diving Brides,
ing, said Sheppard, also a member of a quartet and intense, yet reveling in mutual delight. the title taken from one of Haines poems, was
called The Lost Chords with Bley, Swallow and Recorded on the stage without the use of head- penned as a wedding present for Sheppard.
drummer Billy Drummond when not mind- phones or monitors, the music was played live The music throughout is intricate and dramat-
ing a busy solo career in England. Early on, without overdubsresulting in a vivid, unvar- ic, with stately tempos and mesmerizing inter-
I figured that I would have to find a way into nished soundthe trio exposed, as Sheppard playan album-length conversation on three
her music, which is all about a democratic pro- said. One of the sound engineers told the sax- distinct subjects, where Bleys composed rumi-
cessher trust in you and the way everyone ophonist the music sounded like a post-mod- nations and thinking-out-loud drift brilliantly
in the band helps each other. Each new piece ernistic apartment with no comfortable chairs, in and out of improvisation.
she brings to the table has some twist in it, and a description that apparently pleased Bley. At Bleys birthday concert, the plan was to
youll find yourself exploring chords youd In accord with author Joan Didions dictum play some of the music from Andando el
never really played before in a framework that that it is well advised to keep on nodding terms Tiempo for the invitation-only audience, but
is turned upside-down. In the end, her music with the people we used to be, Bley, while still Bley apparently had another idea. Were play-
makes sense, but there are so many challeng- moving forward, often returns to her older ing an entirely new piece, one that we havent
es. Its inspiring, though, and every time Im on compositions and repurposes them for differ- even rehearsed yet, said Sheppard with a sigh
stage with her I feel privileged. ent ensembles and musicians. Such is the case and a smile. Carla sent the music over to my
On the evidence of her last two recordings, on Trios, with five compositions appropriat- hotel earlier so I could take a look at it.

arpeggios, then the fall that happens after them.
CLAIRE STEFANI
Suddenly, I was able to use these non-musical
references to keep enlarging the piece.
The long-term relationship Bley has had
with ECM stretches over 40 years, when she
began her independent, artist-owned record
label and separate distribution servicewhich
even carried ECM for a while. Recording Trios
directly for the label, she said, was so excit-
ingI didnt have to do anything, I just played.
Manfred has some tunes he wanted to hear
Do you guys play Vashkar?so we played it
and a lot of the things we were playing togeth-
er in public at the time. He chose the songs,
and then he would choose the takes. I thought
it was interestingI had never had anyone tell
me what to do in my whole life, and I wanted
to be told! [But] nobody ever cared what I did.
I wanted a record company. I tried Columbia,
Atlantic, Blue Notego down the line. I was
working on Escalator Over The Hill at the time,
Swallow (left), Bley and Sheppard at Steinway Hall in New York on May 11 and everyone thought the music wouldnt sell. I
waited and tried to get a deal. The wait got lon-
The small concert space in the basement of tence: Her spare tonality, he said, was influ- ger, and the album grew and became albums.
the newly opened Steinway Hall holds about 70 enced by Ernie Wilkins big band arrangements It kept growing because I couldnt get a deal.
seats, and they all filled quickly in anticipation and John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet. If ECM will be releasing Bleys next project as
of the trios performance and the Q&A. After it was, Ive failed miserably, quipped Bley with well, an oratorio she has written for big band
Swallow tuned his electric bass and readied his a straight face. Other questions were met with and boys choir titled La Leons Franaise.
equipment, the trio took the stage, all dressed more self-deprecation and equivocation. Given Talking about her 80th, the birthday to
in elegant black clothing. Bley introduced her the handheld microphone to answer another celebrate, I figured, said Bley, brought back
new work, Copycat, mentioning it consist- question about composition, Bley made a pee- memories of her only birthday party, which
ed of three parts, and then set to work, playing vish face and said, I imagine music and write took place when she was 8 and around the time
the first few phrases with Sheppard on tenor it down. The secret is to keep writing until its her mother died from rheumatoid fever. Her
saxophone before Swallow joined in. At first, good. Finane took a question from an audi- father, who began teaching his daughter piano
Sheppards horn whispered tentatively, but as ence member who wanted to know what spe- a few years earlier, allowed five bales of hay to be
the music progressed his phrases became louder cial wisdom was behind her skilled assembly dragged into their Oakland, California, home
and sturdier. Swallow soloed with Bley provid- of musical artists, including Jack Bruce, Linda and spread over the furniture.
ing solid ground beneath him, her eyes glanc- Ronstadt and Gato Barbieri, for Escalator Over Bley also recalled seeing Lionel Hampton
ing at the pages of music, looking at each of her The Hill; Bley responded that she merely hired perform Flying Home when she was 11 or
bandmates, then back at the music, her piano anyone she could off the street. The Q&A fin- 12, which immediately aligned her toward jazz.
reliably setting the course. Sheppard switched ished, Bley and Swallow signed CDs and greet- Another pivotal moment: hearing the Ornette
to soprano sax for the sprightly second section ed guests at a champagne reception. Coleman Quartet at the Five Spot Caf in
of Copycat, and then back to tenor for a heart- 1959. Another musical touchstone? Thelonious
breaking rendition of Utviklingssang, the few days later, per arrangement, I Monk, said Bley. Moving to Woodstock and
opening track on Trios. The musics emotional traveled to Woodstock and teaching with Karl Berger in the Creative Music
resonance swept over the silent audience, with arrived at the home where Bley Studio there working with Charlie Haden
Sheppards delicate flutter above the quiet pulse and Swallow live. Starting with a and the Liberation Music Orchestra and
of piano and bass a thing of utter beauty. discussion regarding the creation of Andando back to the present day: She has become a slow,
After taking a bow, the three musical artists el Tiempo, an entirely at-ease Bley said that the fastidious composer, Bley explained, taking five
sat in front of the audience with Ben Finane, edi- composition coincided with a personal expe- months to complete Andando el Tiempo.
tor in chief of Listen: Life with Music & Culture, rience that made the music slanted toward the After a while, a neighbor, Julie, who also
a classical music magazine. Swallow answered reality in my life. She continued: Everyone works as an assistant to Bley and Swallow,
a question about playing in a trio without a knows someone who has had a problem with stopped by to work in the office. Bley got up
drummer, saying that if you cant get a great an addiction. If it hadnt happened to some- and walked around the house somewhat stiff-
groove, you should get off the bandstand, and one in my world, I would not have written that ly, the result of a recent stumble, but overall the
adding that touch and alliteration can coat piece. It was solely personal, and I think the way couple look and seem healthy, having given up
music with as beautiful a mist as cymbals. Andy and Steve played on it, they have a per- years ago any vices they may have had. They
Bley deflected a few questions to Swallow, but sonal connection, too, or they would not have work and practice separately during the day,
at one point stated that she merely writes the been able to play like that. The sadness in it then after dinner usually rehearse some music
music while Steve and Andy add the personal- was unique and palpable, and so was the hard together. Before I drive off they characteristi-
ity and everything elsethats the dynamic of work of the last part, Camino al Volver, getting cally mug for some photos, and then walk back
this trio. A question about Bleys piano play- on the hard road back, and the music reflect- inside their home, where every day is a celebra-
ing was, again, handled by Swallow, at her insis- ed that in a programmatic waythe climbing tion of sorts. DB

By Dan Ouellette | Photo by Danielle Moir
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New Jersey-based Martin oardist sizing the word beautiful come a long way
cussionist Jhair Sala and
pia nis t/keyb lo Pedrito Martinez has
ist Alvaro Benavides, per tha t felt leader. Indeed, Pedro Pab a you ngster.
delivered a high-volta ge, 90- mi nut e set h gigs in his homeland as
gar Pan toja -Alem an played on since playing $1-per-mont ion , but now to bigger
Ed
ldly and lyrically singing,
Martinez y the rumba tradit
like a community party. Bo ed bas s not es Ill always continue to pla He ath sho w during a con-
accent the day before The
front on center stage and audiences, Martinez said n Center. I want dif-
the four congas located in scu lar lea der left his
benstein Atrium of Lincol
he sat. At one point, the mu versation at the David Ru t Latin people. I
on the cajn upon which stage. just Cuban people, not jus
ced with women in front of the ferent people to listennot
command post and dan sic on Ha ban a Dreams ranges pop audience, the sal sa aud ien ce.
lange of mu want the jazz audience, the
Recorded in Cuba, the m z to percussive pop. a dark BLVD baseba ll hat , a gold crucifix
n rumbas to grooving jaz For Martinezwearing
from standard Afro-Cuba Group (Motma), the h sayings such as Rebel
Soulthe timing
3s The Pedrito Martinez and a T-shirt adorned wit star) couldnt be bet-
Like its predecessor, 201 rke tin g, awards and poll ba (where hes a bona fide
into the Lat in jazz category for ma for his rise outside of Cu U.S.-Cuba rela-
alb um fits rhythmic stops/ of recent improvem s inent
unconventional approach ez took adv ant age
October at Havanas
purposes. But Martinezs rapping, four voic- ter. Ma rtin
k of Habana Dreams last
hin songs, synth voicings, tions by recording the bul a stones throw from
starts and acceleration wit y force to break out Areito/EGREM, located
shas made him a might renowned historic studio
es singing, no horn section dit ion .
ries of the genres tra
from the steadfast bounda

STEVEN SUSSMAN
the Cayo Hueso barrio where he was born and
raised. That was a thrill, he said. I grew up
listening to all the music that was recorded
there in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
It was a welcome-home event that proved
significant if only for Martinez (who has lived
in the States since 1998) getting the oppor-
tunity to collaborate with his three Cuba-
based, percussion-playing brothers for the first
time on record on the folkloric composition
Recuerdos. With Antonio Martnez Campos
on quinto, Mario Martnez Campos on con-
gas and Adrin Lzaro Martnez on claves
aided by the leaders spiritual and musical men-
tor, Romn Daz, on congasthe band sparked
while Martinez sang with elation. Pedrito Martinez at the 2014 Newport Jazz Festival
These things happen only once in a life-
time, he said. I hadnt played with them since ideas, which eventually get turned into songs. A the contest and won a prize of $20,000. Also in
I was 25 years old. I taught all of them how to santeran priest, he performs for local commu- 2000, film director Fernando Trueba featured
play. So when we went to the studio, the ener- nities in New Jersey, the Bronx and Brooklyn. him in his Latin jazz documentary Calle 54.
gy was off the hook. It was unique and spiritu- People love the music and how deep you can The Monk award opened up so many
al. I never realized how talented they all were. get into the spiritual, he said. Thats the spine. doors for me, even with percussion and drum
When they started to play, I almost cried. All my ideas come from that spine. companies giving me instruments, he says.
Growing up in the barrio, Martinez lacked A major turning point for Martinez Then I started playing with Paquito DRivera
the connections required to attend music occurred when Canadian flutist/saxophon- and Bryan Lynch.
school. I had a lot of friends in the neighbor- ist Jane Bunnettwho had recorded her piv- Martinez quickly realized he had a lot to
hood who played music, so we all learned in the otal album Spirits Of Havana celebrating Afro- learn about the jazz world. Lynch became one
streets, he said. A lot of what you learn in the Cuban music in 1992returned to the island in of his teachers. When Martinez joined a jam
streets they dont teach you at the school. 1998 and saw him perform at Casa de la Cultura with the trumpeter, he was befuddled by the
Martinez learned Afro-Cuban music de Centro Habana in percussionist Pancho irregularities in the musics time. I didnt know
through his Yoruba-based santera religious Quintos polyrhythmic rumba band. Bunnett what was going on, Martinez admitted. He
life. Cayo Hueso is a neighborhood that served decided to enlist the entire band to tour with was playing a song in 5/4 time at the Zinc Bar,
as one of the important birthplaces for the con- her and her husband, trumpeter Larry Cramer, and I couldnt get it. That inspired me to learn
nection between religion and musicwhere in Canada and the States. I owe Jane a lot, the new things. But I knew I could because I
African religious practices led to conga-charged Martinez said. The way it worked in Cuba at was hanging with the right cats.
music. Music and dance played a critical role the time was if someone from the outside want- Meanwhile, Martinezs group was finding
in the ceremonial life of the Yoruban religious ed to tour a group, they could do it. I learned a its own voice. The band used to play multiple
practice with the bat, imported to Cuba along lot from touring with Jane, and really it was the nights a week at the homey restaurant/venue
with slaves from Nigeria, serving as the prima- first time I played Latin jazz with all the sing- Guantanamera in Midtown Manhattan. Every
ry ceremonial drum. ing, dancing and playing. day we played we were experimenting with
At age 15, Daz asked Martinez if he could Martinez was 25 and he could envision a sound, he said. We played a lot of our ideas,
be a last-minute substitute vocalist for a santera better world ahead. He didnt return to Cuba, with breaks and different harmonies and melo-
ceremony he was performing. The two became but instead settled into a Cuban/Latin commu- dies. One day I realized PMG had its own sound.
close. Romn became like my godfather in nity in New Jersey. I saw a big potential to see We had a powerful sound, and then worked on
religion, said Martinez, noting that Daz, who a better future as a musician, he said. I want- dynamics and became more careful of the lyr-
came to New York in 1999, is featured on two ed to open my mind to the other worldsand I ics so that they had a positive message.
Habana Dreams songs. When I was young in did it. It was the best decision I made in my life. As fate would have it, one night producer
Cuba, he protected me and he introduced me to He already had a taste for the world of music Narada Michael Walden stopped by
a lot of musicians. He also got me out of Cuba outside of his experience as a playerlistening Guantanamera. After the set, he invited
three different times when I was playing in his at night to the forbidden U.S. rock n roll radio Martinez to perform at Carnegie Hall for the
bandto Costa Rica, the Canary Islands, Paris. stations that broadcast music by the likes of biennial Rainforest Foundation benefit concert,
Hes been one of my mentors, a hero. Rolling Stones and Kool & The Gang. We had for which Walden served as music director. The
As a result, Martinez delved more deeply that in Cuba even though it wasnt legal to lis- organization, founded by Sting and his wife,
into his spirituality, finding the wellspring ten to because of the political situation, he said. Trudie Styler, held benefit concerts that fea-
for his music that continues today. For me, We loved it. All the bass players, the drum- tured pop, rock and r&b stars. In his first year,
the most important part of the religion is the mers, the singers were influenced by American Martinez met and played with Sting, Bruce
music, he said. When I talk about my reli- musicrock, hip-hop, jazz. Springsteen, Lady Gaga and Mary J. Blige. It
gious life, I talk about the music. Its given me Once established Stateside, Martinez was magical, he said. They had a big setup of
all I needthe tenacity, the discipline, the soul. played gigs and santera ceremonies and quick- percussion for me, and they let me play whatev-
As a composer (he wrote or co-wrote five of ly started meeting people in New York. In 2000, er I wanted. They let me be myself.
Habana Dreams nine tunes), Martinez says he received an email about the Thelonious Word quickly spread as rock stars made
that when he goes into his room with all his Monk International Afro-Latin Jazz Hand their way to Guantanamera and watched in
deities displayed, he finds his freshest musical Drum Competition. Martinez performed in wonder as PMG tore down the house. Martinez

linked up with Eric Clapton and James Taylor, performed a concert
with Paul Simon at Jazz at Lincoln Center and worked on a project with
Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa. That Carnegie Hall show opened
so many more doors for me, Martinez said, noting that he has since
appeared on more than 100 albums.
As a leader, Martinez has recorded five albums, beginning with
2005s self-released Mother Africa. In 2013, he recorded the flamenco-in-
fused Rumba De La Isla, a tribute to renowned Spanish flamenco singer
Camarn de la Isla. In the same year, PMG released its eponymous debut
for Motma, produced by drummer Steve Gadd and featuring guitarist
John Scofield and longtime mentor Wynton Marsalis on trumpet.
In the back-story for Habana Dreams, the headline is that Martinez
recorded the bulk of the album in his homeland. But the subhead is the
impressive cast of guests that the leader assembled, including fellow
noteworthy Cubans: songwriter/vocalist Descemer Bueno, rapper/spo-
ken word artist Telmary Daz and Cuban superstar Isaac Delgado. Also
appearing as a marquee guest is vocalist Anglique Kidjo, who sings in
fiery Yoruban on Tributo A Santiago De Cuba.
Marsalis returns as a guest on two tunes, including Mi Tempestao.
I wrote that for my wife, Martinez said. Its like going on a trip. It starts
as a timba, then goes into a very romantic salsa and goes into a folklore
place with Telmarys jazz poetry.
While they have known each other since he arrived in the U.S.,
Martinez developed a special relationship with Marsalis when the trum-
peter asked the percussionist to teach him how to write with authentic-
ity music for a new suite of Cuban folkloric and santera Afro-Cuban
orchestral music. Ochas premiered at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2014 and
featured the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, pianist Chucho Valds and
a percussion section led by Martinez, who also contributed ritual chants.
Wynton wasnt familiar with Yoruban music and how to transport
that into jazz, Martinez recalled. And he said, Im your student,
Pedrito. Tell me what to do. Well, what he did was amazing. He showed
me how much respect he has for the music tradition.
Also featured is New York-based Panamanian singer/composer
Rubn Blades, who animatedly converses vocally with Martinez on the
traditional tune Compa Galletano and contributes a composition to
the album, Antadilla.
With all the high-profile guests, the fact that the PMG operates as a
collective could easily be lost. Even though Martinez generally directs
the repertoire, when the band hits, its an organic, democratic experi-
ence, said five-string bassist Benavides, whos been a PMG band member
since 2008. Pedros a magician with his hands on the congas, Benavides
said. Hes the leader, but hes not selfish. He leads by letting the flow take
over, so that each of us can bring our own ways of playing to the table.
At The Heath concert, PMG hit the ground running, which, frankly,
surprised Benavides. For years we played almost every day, which was
how we all became so tight and got our sound, he said. We used to play
300 days a year, but thats diminished in the last few years. Before this
show, we had gone a month without seeing each other. But all that time it
was as if we were accumulating energy. PMG is like an addiction. When
we havent played together for a few weeks, we need a fix.
Guests came along for the ride, including Romn Daz for a conga
romp, and in jam mode young trumpeter Kal Rodrguez-Pea, whos a
Marsalis protg. Plus, guitarist Bernie Williams dropped by and showed
that he could swim in the flow the band brewed up.
Reflecting on where he is now in his career, Martinez credited PMG
for much of his success. Theyre the important part of how it all works,
he said. And look at this group: Alvaro is from Venezuela. Jhair, who
I taught how to play percussion when he was 9 years old, is from Peru.
And Edgar is from Santiago de Cuba. We could call ourselves the United
Nations Band, though Dizzy Gillespie already used that term and it was
United Nation Orchestra. But PMG is no orchestra, though oftentimes
we sound like one. As a quartet, its beautiful. DB

By Ken Micallef Photo by Nathan West

Discriminating record collectors of the late 50s and early 60s knew how to make whoopee. While Hugh Hefner
promoted the Playboy ideal, sound-shapers Esquivel, Les Baxter and Frank Sinatra provided the soundtrack,
selecting exotica, strings and an arrow through the heart as romantic settings in which to wage amore. Sinatras
torch song trilogyIn the Wee Small Hours, Where Are You? and Sings For Only The Lonelyinaugurated the
doomed lovers concept album, while Prestige Records Moodsville series of LPs encouraged midnight seduction
backed by maestros Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Coleman Hawkins, Kenny Burrell and Shirley Scott.
ut in todays musical climatewhere eroticism is manifest in Julian Lagewho recorded the 2014 duo album Room (Mack
the sexualized r&b of Rihanna and the bump-and-grind Avenue) with Cline and toured with him to promote itwas enlisted to
synths of FKA Twigsdo torch songs stand a chance? play rhythm guitar on Lovers.
No one would figure Nels Cline, best known as the melo- Clines jazz lineage runs deep, including work with Wadada Leo
dy-looping guitar strangler from the rock band Wilco, as a Smith as well as departed titans Charlie Haden, Julius Hemphill and Eric
romantic at heart. But the 60-year-olds double CD/LP set, Von Essen (his bandmate in the group Quartet Music). Cline is a polyglot
Lovers (Blue Note), is a return to the torch of Sinatra, guitar wizard, his journeys into punk (The Crew of the Flying Saucer),
the woodwinds of Esquivel and the sensuality of Bronislau Kapers microtonal music (Acoustic Guitar Trio), free-jazz (The Nels Cline
soundtrack to BUtterfield 8crossed with elements that are equally Singers) and rock (Wilco, The Geraldine Fibbers) all suitable vehicles for
dark, furtive and unknowable. his outrageous skill set. But Lovers is something altogether different.
I wanted to cover songs from sources I was obsessed with that I In terms of both its inspiration and its execution, Lovers has unusu-
thought would fit into this edgier mood-music record, Cline explained al breadth and depth, Breskin said. Nels recorded fully orchestrated
from a Manhattan bistro. In other words, a jazz record along the lines pieces as old as a 1929 Jerome Kern song (Why Was I Born?) and clas-
of Stan Getzs Focus or Miles Davis Sketches Of Spain. Orchestrated, but sics by Rogers and Hart (Glad To Be Unhappy) to contemporary songs
maybe a little less overtly jazz. I wanted to include songs from movies and by Sonic Youth and Arto Lindsay, right through to his own tunes. Within
musicals, improvisation, original material and a certain amount of inde- all that, there is a focus on romance and romanticism. Michael Leonhart
terminacy. Thats always part of my deal. had a significant role on the sound of the record as did our engineer, Ron
Produced by David Breskin with orchestral arrangements by trum- Saint Germain. We were going for stark lush or sumptuous minimal-
peter Michael Leonhart, Lovers is a stunning recording, featuring ism and an un-ironic and unapologetic sense of ravishing beautybut
uniquely crafted renditions of standards, show tunes and Clines origi- not nostalgia.
nal material. Obscure vehicles like The Search For Cat, a little-known Cline, a native of Los Angeles, first envisioned a concept album titled
Henry Mancini soundtrack interlude, and the theme from 1974s The Lovers in the 1980s, back when he was a worker bee at the L.A. record
Night Porter, the Italian film about sexual and sadomasochistic obses- shop Rhino Records.
sion, widen the albums considerable arc. Leonhart masterfully con- My Lovers list for the past 25 years was getting longer and longer,
jured the vibe of Satyajit Rays films for some songs, Johnny Pate and Cline recalled. The first impulse was to create a darker mood-music
J.J. Johnsons blaxploitation scores for others. record including the theme from The Night Porter, my version of Cry,
We wanted minimal, lush and cinematic, Leonhart said. I envi- Want by Jimmy Giuffre and Annette Peacocks suite [So Hard It Hurts/
sioned a Third Stream, Gil Evans approach. We used elements of progres- Touching] from Paul Bleys Ballads [ECM, 1971]. Its a pure obsession,
sive mid-century classical music and avant-garde. It was important to an aesthetic choice based on things that I love and feel. I felt that aes-
have strings and woodwinds and bassoon. [We also used] celeste, vibra- thetically, musically, Lovers would fill a niche and be something I would
phone, marimba, different gongs. That gave us some really cool colors. want to buy.
Leonharts vision inclined to the cerebral and graphic, Clines to the Containing 18 instrumental tracks, Lovers requires more than a
emotional and intuitive. casual listen to fully grasp its concept and beauty. Though Cline claimed
I first thought of Lovers as a mood-music record that would function Lovers wasnt written as a suite, the albums four vinyl sides (or two CDs)
like wallpaper music, Cline explained. Or something that would cre- follow an unfolding narrative that should be listened to in a single sit-
ate an atmosphere that was darker, murkier and a little more transgres- ting. Performances from trumpeter Steven Bernstein, clarinetist Ben
sive and that went beyond romance. Mood-music records were mostly Goldberg, harpist Zeena Parkins, percussionist Kenny Wollesen, drum-
designed to create an atmosphere of romance. They often depicted an mer Alex Cline (Nels brother), keyboardist Yuka C. Honda (Nels wife)
opera clutch, a jeweled glove, cigarettes and two martini glasses on the and 17 other musicians create a complex sonic world. Lovers is like a new
cover. Youd put the record on your fancy KLH Model Twenty Integrated lover: Investing time yields rich rewards.
Stereo, mix the martinis, then snuggle with your beloved on the couch The songs have references to deviant love, twisted love, tortured
and hope for the best. love, unrequited love, fulfilled love, timeless love, Leonhart said. Nels is

a profound thinker and poet. He is highly aware
DANIEL DESLOVER
of the lyrics to each song, their significance and
structure. Hes approaching them as a well-
versed poet combined with a downtown jazz
musician mixed with the encyclopedic knowl-
edge of a record store owner.
Lovers opens with the expectant orchestral
tones of Clines Introduction, followed by his
Diaphanous, a lush ballad framed by a lovely,
radiant guitar solo.
Diaphanous is similar to Bill Evans
Peace Piece, Cline said. The roses and hearts
come later with Beautiful Love, which origi-
nally appeared in [the 1932 film] The Mummy
with Boris Karloff. Its in 3/4; Kenny Wollesens
vibraphone has the fast motor going to get
that 1930s sound. I didnt want any of this to
be kitsch, but I did want to reflect a certain
amount of musical history.
A rich, mournful take on Glad To Be Nels Cline performs with Wilco at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on May 18, 2012.
Unhappy is followed by another Cline origi-
nal, then Giuffres desolate Cry, Want, a spec- So much of the record is an homage to Jim times is a melodic variation on Moon River,
tral vision in Clines hands. Hall, Cline continued. I hope in some other Cline explained. [The interlude] is not on
Cry, Want is the first time we allude to ineffable plane that he gets to hear this music. the [commercial] soundtrack. This is one of
dark longing, Cline explained. Its a blues, We also did Beautiful Love, which is my hom- the most poignant, incredible, romantically
but a very oblique re-imagining of blues form. age to Bill Evans in that we alternate between charged scenes in the history of cinema. And
Almost every piece Giuffre wrote around that 3/4 and 4/4, which he often did in his trios. My the music is insane. From there we go into the
time was some kind of a blues; Cry, Want is an playing there is also inspired by hearing Jim last song, The Bond. There is a common tone
emotionally vague blues. Ive always wanted to Hall and John Abercrombie play it. When peo- from the last chord of the Mancini song into
record it with bass flutes and marimba to create ple like Abercrombie, John Scofield, Bill Frisell The Bond. When we realized we could con-
an orchestrated texture. That is the antithesis of and Marc Ribot hear this [album], theyre going nect these two pieces, my entire universe went
the Jimmy Giuffre Trio in 1961, which was so to know where I am thanking them. electric. It was the most romantic thing to me
spare, just piano, clarinet and bass. So the first Lovers grows darker as the program ever, personally.
time we are introduced to the idea of longing on unfurls, decisively twisting on The Night Clines The Bond closes Lovers on a note
the album is not wistful in a flowery way. Porter/Max, Mon Amour, two soundtrack of optimism and sweet finality. The closing,
Side two opens with an explosive version of themes rolled into one. Its a gloomy vision, resounding chord may be the most starry-eyed
Gabor Szabos Lady Gabor, originally heard with literal chains being dragged and strings moment in Clines entire discography.
on Chico Hamiltons 1962 LP Passin Thru. rubbed, slid, looped and delayed as drummer I dedicated The Bond to my wife, Yuka
I wanted an atmospheric drone in the Alex Cline mightily swings his brushes. Honda, Cline revealed. That piece is how
track, something trippy, Cline said. The The Night Porter is the pivotal moment Julian and I have been closing our duo shows for
song is my idea of a good atmosphere for on the album, Cline confirmed. Ive been a while. Its so conclusive and very restrained,
some kind of intimate activities. I was think- obsessed with the film actress Charlotte yet romantic. I knew it would end the album
ing John Coltranes Africa/Brass [1961] and Rampling since the late 70s. The movie is on a much lighter note than if I had made the
Gary McFarlands America The Beautiful: An essentially an investigation of a dominance and record in the 80s.
Account Of Its Disappearance [1968]. Michael submission dynamic that I find to be not only Clines fans are legion, and his work is deep-
nailed the orchestrations. We merged two compelling, but extremely romantic. The cou- ly revered by colleagues, such as Lage. Nels has
takes, one with no drums, and one with drums ple, played by Rampling and Dirk Bogarde, such a beautiful focus, and when theres some-
and better improvisation, where you can really has thrown everything away to rekindle their thing he wants to do and make happen, its very
hear all my guitar looping and effects. bond. I added to that the music from another easy to take it seriously, Lage said. You know
Also on side two is Clines unusual, swing- Charlotte Rampling movie, Max, Mon Amour. he means business. Its a powerful thing to wit-
ing, poly-textural take on Sammy Fains Secret Its another transgressive story, a black com- ness someone with Nels level of conviction.
Love, including a nod to one of the guitarists edy directed by Nagisa Oshima. The [film has Clines 25-year-old vision for Lovers has
heroes. I play a chord cluster that is like a heart- a] little theme by Michel Portal, a free-jazz sax- finally become a reality.
beat, Cline said. Then I play it intentionally ophonist from the 70s. I put the two themes Now I can die, Cline laughed. I came
in A-flat major, which is the key Jim Hall used together to create a suite dedicated to Charlotte through the experience in one piece and I dont
when he played the song on his album, Live In Rampling. sound horrible on the record, and I even like
Tokyo [1976]. Thats why I fell in love with the Continuing Clines mood-music epic, my own tunes. I didnt put my tunes on the
song. When I heard it with Michaels complet- semi-faithful versions of Sonic Youths Snare record to say, Look, my shit holds up! It was
ed arrangement, I got so excited and I couldnt Girl and Annette Peacocks So Hard It Hurts/ just to represent my aesthetic dreams. Michael
wait to play it for Jim. He would be so enter- Touching are followed by the exquisitely ten- Leonhart did such a beautiful job. To hear the
tained that I played it in his key and I played a der and dramatic The Search For Cat from music and know these are my tunes, it was
couple of his lines. But he passed away the last the 1961 film classic Breakfast at Tiffanys. completely mind-blowing. So Ive realized that
day of tracking. So he never got to hear it. I am obsessed with this interlude, which at sometimes I do really like my own music. DB

INDIE LIFE
CAMERON GRAVES
Taking Charge, Taking Flight

Anyone tuned in to the jazz world over the past year knows the name
and/or sound of Kamasi Washington. The saxophonist-bandlead-
er has loomed large over the scene, with recent accolades that include
three wins in the 2016 DownBeat Critics Poll, including top jazz album,
for his ambitious three-disc set The Epic (Brainfeeder). The saga of the
late-blooming jazz star, who has been working as a sideman in r&b and
hip-hop while honing his jazz persona for 20 years, is now a thicken-
ing and widening plot, including the public flowering of his close musi-
cal allies, such as Cameron Graves, the dynamic pianist who contribut-
ed to The Epic.
After playing with Washington and the surrounding coalition of players
known as the West Coast Get Down, along with a more recent spot in Stanley
Clarkes band, the technically potent and stylistically expansive Graves is
stepping into the spotlight with his solo project, Planetary Princewhich
is also a nickname. The album, which was recorded in one long session
and yielded enough material for two volumes, blends Graves jazz-en-
trenched and mostly acoustic style with elements that reflect his interest
in rock, r&b and hip-hop.
Graves has woodshedded and creatively conspired with Washington
and other jazz-obsessed Los Angeles-born and bred musicians since high
school in the mid-90s. They formed the seminal group The Young Jazz
Giants as teenagers. The list includes the Bruner brothersdrummer
Ronald Bruner Jr. and well-known bassist Stephen Thundercat Bruner
and trombonist Ryan Porter, all appearing on Graves new album (along with
electric bass wizard Hadrien Feraud and gifted trumpeter Philip Dizack). Cameron Graves, who played piano on Kamasi Washingtons album
The Epic, has a new solo project.
When asked if he is a multi-tasker, Graves chuckled and said, I dont
know if Im a good multi-tasker, but I just make it happen. I try not to turn From Ozzfest to the jazz festival circuit? Absolutely! he said with a
down gigs, especially gigs with my friends and business partners. Ive known laugh. But this time around, Im trying to really do my thing with Planetary
Kamasi since high school and I have always sacrificed and wanted to per- Prince. Basically what thats going to be is a rock star of the jazz world.
form with Kamasi, whatever gigs he had. A long time ago, he would just get Just as Washingtons band has broken through barriers of demographics
little, small gigs, and I would do all of that. As he started getting bigger, I and bookingsplaying in rock settings (including the Coachella and
tried to still keep in there, still keep doing those gigs. But then I also got this Bonnaroo festivals this year) and other non-jazz contextsGraves music
Stanley Clarke gig. promises to appeal to a broader listenership. But he is entering into accessi-
Washington can still recall the heady adolescent era of collective fervor, bility on his own terms.
solidarity and one-upmanship he experienced in high school with Graves I have this new style, he explained, which is like aggressive metal jazz,
and other friends, all partly inspired by the example of John Coltrane. We but with piano. Its time to bring it to the forefront. Ive had it for a while, but
would go to my house and play one song for four fours, because we heard I really want to stretch out now. I think that it could work in conjunction
[Coltrane] did that, Washington said. Ron Bruner Jr. and I would play with what Kamasi and Stephen are doing, to where its now pushing jazz into
sax and drums for hours and hours. We would be practicing night and day. this new realm. Everybody is going to pay attention to it, because it has this
Cameron was into that same thing, so he would call and ask, How long did spirituality to itespecially Kamasis stuff, with an Afro-centric spirituality.
you practice today? Mine would have more of a rock feel, like an Aerosmith or a Rolling Stones,
Music, and not just jazz, was an ever-present force in the Graves house- but instead with jazz, with piano.
hold, partly through the influence of his father, Carl Graves, an r&b singer Were going to make it this mainstream thing. Were trying to bring vir-
whose single Baby, Hang Up The Phone was a Top 20 hit in 1974. My dad tuosic music to the mainstream, and not be so underground.
was always listening to jazz, to Coltrane and things like that, but also to old- Despite all the artistic peaks that Graves has enjoyed, his musical trajec-
school r&bOtis Redding, Jackie Wilson. Because of that, I grew up with tory thus far has mostly been via underground, behind-the-scenes and
that kind of sound, but I was in both worlds at the same time. I was also into decidedly indie pathways. Whatever the record company or logistical/dis-
classical music. I never stopped playing classicalI performed recitals and tribution fate of Planetary Prince, and other projects to come out of the West
I loved Chopin. As soon as hip-hop started exploding in the mid-90s with Coast Get Down mothership, maintaining independent creative operations
Missy Elliott, me and my brother Taylor started doing hip-hop productions. is a primary way of doing businessand making artfor them.
The Graves Brothers delved into studio work, learning to use Digital Theres a new way of going about that business today, Graves said,
Performer and Logic and writing, producing and performing for film, tele- because the business has changed. Its kind of like you have to do every-
vision and rock projectseven a certain metal band fronted by an actress. I thing yourself. You have to get your record together, you have to mix it and
wrote that whole Wicked Wisdom record for Jada Pinkett Smith, he recalled. master it, get the package together with artwork and everything. You do it all
We toured a long time with that, back in 2005, and played the Ozzfest. the way up, so that its a complete package. Josef Woodard

INDIE LIFE
RUSS NOLAN
Do the Hustle
JOHN ABBOTT
I
n-demand saxophonist Russ Nolan knows well enough that artists
trying to establish themselves in a crowded, competitive environ-
ment cannot rely solely on talent to ensure a modicum of success (or
even a sustainable wage). Indeed, it is his regular focus on self-promotion
and aggressive networking that has made a difference when it comes to
generating opportunities that have moved his career forward. Ten years
of experience in sales and marketing from the early stages of his musical
career helped, too.
Selling people a product or service is not much different than selling
what you do to strangers, Nolan said prior to a recent trio gig at a social
gathering hosted by a church on Manhattans Upper West Side. Thats why I
dont get freaked out by the sales aspect of the music business. It is about stay-
ing organized and being methodicalmaking lists, creating a database, cold
calling and keeping in touch. Most importantly, I make sure that Im always
easy to reach: I never want to lose a gig or miss hearing about something new
because of a lack of communication.
Nolans enthusiastic involvement in a wide variety of musical endeavors
keeps his phone ringing. Since moving to New York City in 2002, he has
made a name for himself as a forceful and dexterous practitioner on tenor
and soprano saxophones with a growing expertise in Latin rhythms and
musical styleskindled initially through weekly dance excursions with his
wife, Luz. In recent years he has been leading his own jazz ensemble (usually
a quartet or quintet) and a salsa band for dancers, picking up corporate and
wedding jobs when he can, and working with students as a clinicianthe
fruits of making connections and cultivating relationships. Hard-working saxophonist Russ Nolan has his own label.
Hustling and doing whats necessary to compete and surviveits not
different for artists or those working in a corporation, Nolan said. The nice ed from previous visits to different areas around the country.
thing is my hard work gets me closer to achieving my goals, and the result is Full of moxie and positive thinking, Nolan, 48, grew up in a small town
something I enjoy: being able to make music. an hour north of Chicago. After earning his bachelors degree in perfor-
Nolans continuous striving for new professional vistas and opportuni- mance from the University of North Texas in 1991, he moved to the Windy
ties correlates with his output of recordings as well, with the steady appear- City to start his music career. I called every music and club listing in the
ance of four CDs in the last five years, including the newly released Sanctuary Yellow Pages and really pushed hard to find work, he said. To this day, the
From The Ordinary: Live At Firehouse 12. Picking up on the nickname saxophonist has never had a booking agent. To help support himself, he
Rhino given to him by a fellow salesperson many years ago (He said I liked found work as a salesperson, first in the insurance business, then in the nat-
to charge ahead, the saxophonist said), Nolan releases his CDs on his own ural gas market. Even after moving to New York, Nolan continued to work
label, Rhinoceruss Music. The inherent latitude on self-produced, self-re- for several years as a Midwest sales rep for Northfield, Illinois-based Gand
leased recordings allows Nolan to feature his own original compositions and Music and Sound, which helped beef up contacts and secure his many jazz
choose his bandmates, oversee the album design and offer explanatory notes workshop and clinician gigs.
on the tunes, all of which help to personalize the product and bring the lis- Nolans musical evolution has kept pace with the development of his
tener closer to the artist. careers business side. Chicago-area mentors like conductor-compos-
Making the most out of every situation is the hallmark of every DIY er Cliff Colnot and Bloom School of Music founder David Bloom impart-
musical artist, and the recording of Sanctuary stands as a good example of ed on him helpful insights on being a professional musician. Studying with
how an enterprising performer looks to synchronize events and opportuni- pianist Kenny Werner and saxophonists Dave Liebman, Chris Potter, Joel
ties. The May 2015 live recording of Nolan and his working bandpianist Frahm and John Ellis advanced Nolans technical prowess. He credited pia-
Mike Eckroth, bassist Daniel Foose and drummer Brian Fishlerwas put in nist Manuel Valera, who appears on his 2013 album, Relentless, in shaping
motion a year earlier when he booked a gig at the New Haven, Connecticut, his view of how Afro-Caribbean and pan-African rhythmic styles can be
Firehouse 12 performance space only to discover that it was a studio facili- merged with modern jazz harmony.
ty as well. In the meantime, Nolan has managed to earn a black belt in martial arts
I wrote a lot of new music knowing wed be able to record it there, and while also maintaining a steady presence on the salsa dance circuit around
fortunately I was able to get a bunch of other gigs with the band right before, New York City. Incredibly, he does not own a car and utilizes mass transpor-
Nolan said. It was all one take11 songs from two sets. I picked the best tation for most of his gigs.
nine. Similarly, Nolan will turn an out-of-town job as a clinician into a mini- Every move Russ makes is a smart calculation, said Fishler, who first
tour, booking shows and gathering local musicians from a large array of con- appeared on the saxophonists acclaimed 2012 album, Tell Me. Theres noth-
tacts to join him on the bandstand. Once the gigs are set, Nolan then sends ing he isnt aware of. He is a master of getting his music out to the public on a
out e-blasts to one of the few dozen region-specific email lists he has generat- consistent basis. Thomas Staudter

INDIE LIFE
MOONJUNE RECORDS
Ignoring
Boundaries
L
eonardo Pavkovic has had many jobs in
ANDY ARGYRAKIS
the music industry, but the most impres-
sive one is label founder. His MoonJune
Records is celebrating its 15th year as a label
dedicated to jazz, world music, fusion and other
progressive styles. After working as a graph-
ic designer (some of Pavkovics designs adorn
MoonJune covers), what sparked the idea to
found a label was his relentless work on behalf
of artists as a producer, tour manager and pro-
moter. Founded in June 2001, the labels name
comes from Soft Machine drummer Robert
Wyatts The Moon In June.
What I have tried to do over the years, said Tony Levin is one of the many artists whose work is
released on the independent label MoonJune Records.
the 54-year-old Pavkovic from his New York
City home, is find and record musicians from
many parts of the world. And while it isnt easy Williams; guitarist Mark Wingfields Proof Of
to pigeonhole the diverse MoonJune catalog, Light; guitarist Dewa Budjanas Hasta Karma; and
one thing Pavkovic has always stressed is the prog-rock band simakDialogs Live At Orion.
importance of ignoring musical boundaries Additional recommended releases include
to showcase challenging music without sound- drummer Jason Smiths Tipping Point with Gary
ing over-produced. Husband and Dave Carpenter, the late saxo-
This experimental cocktail of sounds, along phonist Elton Dean and guitar experimentalist
with artful album covers, sets MoonJune apart Mark Hewings duo tour de force Bar Torque, and
from not only mainstream labels but most Machine Mass Inti (featuring Dave Liebman).
independent labels as well. Whether the music Due in October is the large-ensemble Pasar
originates in Indonesia, Japan, Italy, Slovenia or Klewer project by pianist Dwiki Dharmawan.
New York, it appears that Pavkovic, who was Pavkovics experience booking and promot-
born in the former Yugoslavia, has the planet ing shows has informed his approach as a label
pretty well covered. head: My first professionally booked gig was in
Iconic electric guitarist Allan Holdsworth has May 2002, when I went to Japan for the first time,
credited Pavkovic with getting his career going booking the legendary Italian prog-rock band
again. Cutting-edge experimental bands like PFM. Since then, I have booked over 60 tours in
The Wrong Object and douBt are known world- Japan and I have been to Japan 29 times. That
wide because of MoonJune. The same can be same year I took PFM to Venezuela, Panama and
said of keyboardist Vasil Hadzimanovs refresh- Mexico. I have booked several thousands of gigs
ing, engaging fusion band featuring American in over 40 countries, directly or indirectly, book-
alto player David Binney. And Pavkovic has been ing individual gigs and festivals by myself, or
a major promoter of not only Holdsworth but using agencies in Europe to book the band that I
another, related band with roots in the 1960s, the represented.
legendary Soft Machine. Pavkovic has five employees, but he also wears
Bassist and stick player Tony Levin represents many hats. I do everything myself: label, book-
one of many established artists on MoonJune. ing, management, he said. When needed, I get
Our recent Stick Men tour was booked by some help from local New York City friends, who
MoonJune, and the album [Midori] was released help me to do mailings. I have a guy in Florida
simultaneously, he said. A lot of the heavy lifting who does my website [moonjune.com] and some
was done for us so we could concentrate on mak- social media, plus some publicity. I also do my
ing the live show as good as we could. own publicity and have a very big database of
Boasting an impressive catalog of more than people who review prog, jazz, fusion, and avant
80 titles, MoonJune has released (or reissued) music all around the planet. And, as he modest-
such noteworthy albums as Holdsworths None ly added, All my albums generate tons of press.
Too Soon and Blues For Tony, his tribute to Tony John Ephland

Masterpiece +++++ Excellent ++++ Good +++ Fair ++ Poor +
Inside
64 / Jazz
66 / Blues
69 / Beyond
71 / Historical
72 / Books
Kirk Knuffke (left), Bobby Previte, Charlie Hunter

and Curtis Fowlkes
Charlie Hunter
Everybody Has A Plan
Until They Get Punched
In The Mouth
GROUNDUP/UNIVERSAL B002522102
++++
Charlie Hunter, who simultaneously limns bass
lines, chords and melodies on his seven-string
guitar, showcases a dandy new quartet fea-
turing longtime and sometime collaborators
Bobby Previte (drums) and Curtis Fowlkes
(trombone), plus robust 2015 DownBeat Critics
Poll winner Kirk Knuffke (cornet). As usual
with Hunter, Everybody carves a deep groove,
with lots of space between the instruments and
elbow room for soloists. Blues is the lodestar,
from the sweet moan of the ruralone of the
tunes is by Big Bill Broonzyto the biting
twang of the urban, though a dub feel steals
in, too.
Such an album could easily fall into fin-
ger-popping clichs, but Hunters imagina-
tive settings and inventive solos ensure that it
does not. Though the hard-boiled song titles are
funnythe album apparently takes its name
from a comment made by boxer Mike Tyson
Hunter doesnt deal in Marc Ribot-style irony.
Hes a puncher, not a pundit.
The keeper here is We Dont Want Nobody
Sent, in which Hunters tangy solo leaps tall
buildings in a single interval. On (Wish I Was)
Already Paid And On My Way Home, Knuffke
trades in funky Armstrong, but Fowlkes seems
to have flat-out channeled Kid Ory on the poly-
phonic weave that is Big Bills Blues. Other
standout tracks include the noir title track,
with its suspenseful bass line, and the uptem-
po Leave Him Lay, which features biting brass
staccatos, a sighing bridge, elephant roars from
Fowlkes and a Bix-y sweet flow from Knuffke.
Paul de Barros
Everybody Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The

Mouth: Everybody Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The
Mouth; (Looks Like) Someone Got Ahead Of Schedule On Their
Medication; Leave Him Lay; We Dont Want Nobody Sent; Big Bills
Blues; Latin For Travelers; No Money No Honey; Who Put You Be-
JOHN ABBOTT
hind The Wheel; (Wish I Was) Already Paid And On My Way Home;
The Guys. Get. Shirts. (52:20)
Personnel: Charlie Hunter, seven-string guitar; Bobby Previte,
drums; Curtis Fowlkes, trombone; Kirk Knuffke, cornet.
Ordering info: groundupmusic.net

low-risk, straightforward comfort food theyve
been waiting for. So enjoy.
Lovano, Jones and bassist Mraz (with Lewis
Nash replacing Paul Motian on drums here)
revisit Birds Eye View, Six And Four and
Dont Ever Leave Me from Joyous Encounter
(also 2005). All are opened up to at least twice
their earlier size, making clear that much was
left unsaid the first time through. Lovano and
Jones are stimulating and attentive conver-
sationalists, always listening and often pick-
ing up on each others quips. On Dont Ever
Leave Me, Jones lands his solo with a witty lit-
tle descending sequence, like a child slapping
at the keyboard. That would be the end of it,
except that Lovanos ear spots it, picks it up and
Joe Lovano Quartet echoes it in liftoff. Etienne Charles
Classic! Live At Newport Lovano is a player of many ancestors whose San Jose Suite
BLUE NOTE 602547950383 roots in bebop have lived to sprout branch- CULTURE SHOCK EC006
+++ es that breathed the freer air of what we called +++
in the old days the new thing. His tenor can
The Newport Jazz Festival brings out the best in Seems like many cultural rainbows begin and
swing one minute, swoon the nextIm All
these veterans. Maybe its a place where com- end in political tension, so perhaps its wise
For You is largely cut from the classic roman-
fort, camaraderie and all the sailboats ease to hear trumpeter Etienne Charles buoyant
tic tenor soundand then pop off the kind of
the need to prove whats already been proved. 10-part collage as a narrative arc highlighting
throaty growls and zigzags that became the
In this decade-old set from Newport 05, sax- the sense of invention that lies behind the pas-
stuff of musical revolt in the 1960s.
ophonist Joe Lovano and his principal co-star, sions of resistance. As the talented trumpeter
John McDonough
pianist Hank Jones, offer a half-dozen road-test- explores the history of various locales named
ed titles cherry-picked from various Lovano- Classic! Live At Newport: Big Ben; Birds Eye View; Dont Ever San Josein Costa Rica, California and his
Jones CDs from the mid-aughts. So dont look Leave Me; Im All For You; Kids Are Pretty People; Six And Four. (57:48)
Personnel: Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone; Hank Jones, piano;
native Trinidadhe and his sextet concoct
for new material or untested directions. For George Mraz, bass; Lewis Nash, drums. a variety of vivid temperaments. From cele-
many of Lovanos fans, I suspect, its the sort of Ordering info: bluenote.com bration to defiance, each is as engaging as the
next.
Erik Friedlander Although it has an amiable glide to it,
Rings Boruca is inspired by a festival that recalls
SKIPSTONE battles between Costa Ricas indigenous peo-
+++ ples and Spanish conquistadors. Esprit and
sobriety share space in the bands render-
Cellist Erik Friedlander is almost too amiable a ing, which illustrates a group trait sustained
melodicist to be such a natural fit for the throughout the disc: The musicians are utterly
Downtown New York scene. But his music is so casual, but radically tight. Limon is built on
flexible and inventive that he has earned him- a steady rhythmic push, a tribute to the work of
self a top slot there, working extensively with community building. Its balanced by the elan
John Zorn and Dave Douglas and making lots of Cahuita, which fairly prances in its calyp-
of his own music. You could push a compari- so-slanted revelry.
son with guitarist Bill Frisell too far, but its not Charles inspirations arent entirely ancient.
a bad place to start. Friedlanders compositions, The ensembles glance at Californias San Jose
like Frisells, are often folksy and playful, but has to do with the areas wealth imbalance in a
the cellist is an impeccable player and can head post-Silicon Valley era, and the roiling Speed
into more heady territory with ease. Percussionist Satoshi Takeishi is integral, add- City, a modern broadside that waxes funky
Rings is the second project with ing hand percussion and cymbals, extending while launching a spoken-word blast, recounts
Friedlanders trio Black Phebe, which he the color range and punctuating grooves like the revolts over segregation that once marked
assembled to record the soundtrack for a 2012 Flycatcher. the campus of San Jose State University. Here
film called Nothing On Earth. The backstory is Friedlanders cello is at the groups core, and the folkloric lyricism that started the album
helpful, because these pieces, too, have a cin- its as sumptuous and woody as ever. On morphs into modern turbulence. As the transi-
ematic vibe, occasionally slightly wanting for Waterwheel, hes gently multitracked, a little tion takes place, its pretty obvious that Charles
an image to accompany. This seems more pro- cello choir, while on Risky Business he saws has delivered a potent punch.
nounced on tracks where Shoko Nagai is play- at a Balkan melody. Jim Macnie
ing piano, like Tremors and Black Phebe, John Corbett San Jose Suite: Boruca; Limon; Cahuita; Hyarima; Revolt; Juego
where everythings so consonant the energy De Los Diablitos; Muwekma; Song For Minh; Gold Rush 2.0; Speed
Rings: The Seducer; Black Phebe; A Single Eye; Fracture; Risky City Intro; Speed City; Speed City (Reprise). (55:10)
drains away. Nagai is more convincing to me Business; Tremors; Small Things; Solve Me; Canoe; Waterwheel; Personnel: Etienne Charles, trumpet, percussion; Brian Hogan,
here on accordion, playing great Friedlander Flycatcher; Silk. (66:26) alto saxophone; Alex Wintz, guitar; Victor Gould, piano, Fender
Personnel: Erik Friedlander, cello; Shoko Nagai, piano, accordion, Rhodes, organ; Ben Williams, bass; John Davis, drums, Dr. Harry
lines like Small Things or adding crunchy electronics; Satoshi Takeishi, percussion. Edwards, spoken word (1012).
electronics and inside piano on Canoe. Ordering info: erikfriedlander.com Ordering info: etiennecharles.com

The
Critics John McDonough John Corbett Jim Macnie Paul de Barros
Charlie Hunter +++ ++++ +++ ++++

Everybody Has A Plan ...
Joe Lovano Quartet +++ ++++ ++++ ++++

Classic! Live At Newport
Erik Friedlander ++ +++ ++++ ++++

Rings
Etienne Charles +++ +++ +++ +++

San Jose Suite
Critics Comments
Charlie Hunter, Everybody Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The Mouth
A lot of slow, funky blues with touches of New Orleans fundamentalism lurking on the sides.
Fowlkes smeary, shouting plunger solos deliver a second layer of gritty counterpoint to Hunters
shimmering preachments. The music has an elementary authority that locks in quickly, holds its
ground and reveres its sheer physicality. John McDonough
Full-force joy, lots of New Orleans-style heterophony, all naturally recorded and played in a
relaxed settingwith the sweetest band in hand. Hunters more recent run of releases has
converted me to fandom. John Corbett
By betting the farm on the blues, this cagey quartet brings a big dose of swag to its gritty ram-
bles. Knuffke and Fowlkes sound like long-lost brothers. Jim Macnie
Joe Lovano Quartet, Classic! Live At Newport
Now thats a sexy lineup. Its how I prefer to hear Lovano, relaxed and in a straightforward
setting, with challenging peers like Jones, whos kicking butt near lifes end. John Corbett
Joe and Hank had a win-win rapport, the saxophonists brusque eloquence nudging the
pianists signature elan toward the rowdy side. You can appreciate Jones graceful sway on Big
Ben. Jim Macnie
Makes you wish youd been there. But then, with this album, you almost are. Interesting to be
reminded of how much Lovano has drawn from Sonny Rollins. And what a treat to hear the silky
flow of Hank Jones. Paul de Barros
Erik Friedlander, Rings
A rather barren lunar landscape. The music is quietly cold, open and shapeless, content in its iso-
lated emotional ambiguity. Like movie music, its airless beauty demands a visual counterpoint to
express. On its own, its artistry is passive, existing in a catatonic half-life awaiting the kiss of life.
John McDonough
Poise defines almost every move the inventive cellist makes, and this go-anywhere, do-anything
trio has the personality of three or four discrete ensembles. Jim Macnie
Playful, intimate, occasionally outor as quiet as a Scandinavian snowscapethis lovely music
feeds the soul. Paul de Barros
Etienne Charles, San Jose Suite
The notes have a travelogue quality, but the music, underpinned by lenient Latin rhythms,
sustains nicely. Charles trumpetnimble, never showyhas a burnished Ruby Braff quality on
Cahuita. The final three pieces are didactic lectures, an awkward fit. John McDonough
The project has a very agreeable sound. Bassist Ben Williams penetrates these arrangements
with his palpable presence, and the leader has panache, but the material is a little shy of the
profound musical integration it hails. John Corbett
Though this concept album trades in the warm, creamy sound and jaunty rhythms of Fender
Rhodes-lined jazz fusion, it occasionally has a seriousness of purposesee Speed City, a reveal-
ing tale about racismthat counterbalances its recreational hedonism. Paul de Barros

dies. Mozart was a master of such musical geo-
metrics, but they arent exactly common in jazz.
Its easiest to get a sense of what hes up to
on Miles Davis Donna Lee. It starts with
guitarist Ben Monder pulsing 16th notes on
the tonic. Then Chris Cheek, on baritone
sax, enters with a seven-beat bass figure, over
which a five-beat trombone pattern is eventu-
ally added. By the time youre fully distract-
ed by the carefully overlaid rhythms, Monder
and bassist Fernando Huergo whisper a bit
of the tune, but its just a hint; throughout,
Davis melody appears only in fragments.
Because the music is so densely interwo-
ven, its seldom clear how much is improvised
and how much composed, something that
Guillermo Klein may disappoint those waiting to hear Monder Houston Person
Los Guachos V or saxophonists Bill McHenry and Miguel
Zenon cut loose. But that would be missing the
& Ron Carter
SUNNYSIDE 1414
forest for the trees, as the collaborative energy
Chemistry
++++ of this ensemble is exhilarating in a way that
HIGH NOTE 7293
It has been 20 years since Argentine compos- solitary soloists seldom are.
++++
er-pianist Guillermo Klein first assembled his J.D. Considine When Garrison Keillors long-running radio
stellar 11-piece ensemble Los Guachos. To cele- program recently came to an end, one com-
Los Guachos V: Suite Indiana (Back Home Again; Donna Lee;
brate, he has composed two rhythmically knot- Patria Espiral); Suite Jazmin (Symmetry I; Si No Sabes 4/4; Si No mentator recalled a Keillor meditation on
ty, harmonically allusive, structurally ambitious Sabes 9/8; Burrito Hill Mirror; Human Feel Mirror; Jazmin; Symmetry aging: You get old and you realize there are no
II); Ashes; Quemando Velas. (54:24)
suites: Suite Inidana and Suite Jazmin. Both Personnel: Guillermo Klein, piano; Chris Cheek, soprano answers, just stories.
toy with the stuff of jazz standards, but the game saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone; Miguel Zenon,
alto saxophone; Bill McHenry, tenor saxophone; Taylor Haskins, Saxophonist Houston Person, 81, and bass-
Klein is playing has to do with various forms of trumpet, flugelhorn; Diego Urcola, trumpet, trombone; Sandro ist Ron Carter, 79, are well past the point of
Tomasi, trombone; Ben Monder, guitar; Fernando Huergo, bass;
musical symmetry, such as mirroring, inver- Jeff Ballard, drums; Richard Nant, percussion, trumpet. searching for answers, but what stories they can
sions and retrogrades of harmonies and melo- Ordering info: sunnysidezone.com tell. As two of the last remaining voices of their
generation, they have the gravitas and breadth
of experience to plumb the full depths of stan-
dards as well-trod as Bye, Bye Blackbird, But
Marc Ribot & The Beautiful and Fools Rush In. They possess
Young Philadelphians two of the most recognizable voices in jazz, and
Live In Tokyo the presence of fellow veteran Rudy Van Gelder
ENJA/YELLOWBIRD 7760 in the studio ensures that every nuance, grace
++++ note and reverberation is clear.
The Young Philadelphians are yet another of At a glance, the selection of some songs
guitarist Marc Ribots concept combos, this might seem ironic: Blame It On My Youth,
time dedicated to the classic 1970s Philly soul Young And Foolish, When I Fall In Love.
repertoire. Although the presence of Prime Who are these codgers trying to kid? But both
Time veterans drummer G. Calvin Weston and men retain a buoyancy and vitality in their
bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma might suggest a playing that belies their years. On an atypical-
harmolodic post-Ornette interpretation, the ly upbeat Bye, Bye Blackbird, Persons tone is
reality is more of a no-wave assault. steely, his phrasing the epitome of swing. Carter
Fellow guitarist Mary Halvorson completes is most often the one with the wry rejoinders:
the lineup, moving across from Ribots Sun a sliding note that resembles a raised eyebrow
Ship band, and acting as a fitting partner for the pletely addictive. Ribot is well versed in both here, a jaunty stroll there. Given their history,
copious wah-wah-ed, fuzz-duelling solos. camps: the funky and the punky, his solos uni- which dates back over multiple joint record-
Recorded in 2014, this set list comprises hit fying all aspects. ing sessions to 1989s Something In Common,
tunes from the Ohio Players, Van McCoy, The best number of an already triumphant its no surprise that they sound like a couple of
MFSB and The Trammps, among others. selection is Love Rollercoaster (by the Ohio well-seasoned guys who can finish each others
Ribots readings are unavoidably extreme when Players), an avant-party blow-up, with Tacuma thoughts.
set beside the originals, with Halvorson pro- burbling like Bootsy, entering an abstract sec- There may be no answers for the ages here,
viding an encouragingly competitive part- tion before the deep groove hits again. but the stories told are timeless.
ner in the realms of dirty distortion and aton- Martin Longley James Hale
al razoring.
Live In Tokyo: Love Epidemic; Love T.K.O.; Fly, Robin, Fly; TSOP; Chemistry: Bye, Bye Blackbird; But Beautiful; Young And Foolish;
With Weston and Tacuma tightening the Love Rollercoaster; Do It Any Way You Want; The Hustle. (53:57) Fools Rush In; Cant We Be Friends?; Blame It On My Youth; I Did
funky leash, and a local Japanese string trio Personnel: Marc Ribot, Mary Halvorson, guitar; Jamaaladeen Not Know What Time It Was; I Cant Get Started; Blue Monk; When
Tacuma, bass; G. Calvin Weston, drums; China Azuma, cello; Takako I Fall In Love. (49:30)
providing the sweepingly symphonic layers, Siba, viola; Yoshie Kajiwara, violin. Personnel: Houston Person, tenor saxophone; Ron Carter, bass.
this is a highly curious blending, though com- Ordering info: jazzrecords.com/enja Ordering info: jazzdepot.com

Tony Malaby Louis Heriveaux
Paloma Recio Triadic Episode
Incantations HOT SHOE 110
CLEAN FEED 367 ++++
++++ As debut records go, this one is an
Paloma Recio, the name of Tony absolute stunner. Atlanta-based,
Malabys longstanding quartet, New York-born pianist Louis
translates as loud dove, and it tips Heriveaux has been piling up acco-
you to the paradoxes at work in the lades since he performed Haydns
ensembles music. Piano Concerto in D major at his
You can be sure that whatever first recital at age seven. From there,
they are playing will include a contrasting element. On Hive, the lead- Louis enrolled in various academic studies, garnering award after award.
ers soprano saxophone forges ahead, keeping the tone clean until near At age 19 he joined guitarist Russell Malones band, followed by work
the climax of a lengthy, ascending solo while guitarist Ben Monder wal- with vocalist Nnenna Freelon, saxophonist Jimmy Heath, drummer
lows from the start in distortion and low notes. And on Procedure, Ralph Peterson and saxophonist Kenny Garrett.
Nasheet Waits thrashing attack forges forward like a great predatory Triadic Episode marks the debut of one of the finest, most inspired
fish, while Monders stop-start variations on a phrase tug like a desperate and effortless jazz musicians to come along in ages. Acknowledging equal
angler trying to wear down the big one on his line. debts to piano greats Mulgrew Miller and Kenny Kirkland, Heriveaux
These contrasts ratchet up the tension, forcing the music into bursts composes and performs with a sure brilliance, making every track on his
of intense intra-combo struggle, but the music never lapses into chaos. long-overdue debut an absolute delight. Joined by upright bass master
Malaby may favor the harsh sonics of free-jazz, but they are often jux- Curtis Lundy and stimulating drummer Terreon Gully, Triadic Episode
taposed with gentler voices and reflective passages. Likewise, he uses lifts off on Millers From Day To Day and soars until Gullys closer,
Monders effects-drenched guitar sound to cast an otherworldly glow on Swingn Things.
passages of jaunty, Monkish swing. Rather than speak with one voice, This albums joys are many, its commitment total. Heriveauxs jazz
Incantations demonstrates the power of a thoughtfully mixed message. baptism is complete.
Bill Meyer Ken Micallef
Triadic Episode: From Day To Day; Theme For Doslyn; Everything I Love; One For Simus; Lundys
Incantations: Glass; Artifact; Hive; Procedure. (47:48) Blues; Body And Soul; Triadic Episode; Blue Bossa; At The Crossroads; All The Things You Are; Swingn
Personnel: Tony Malaby, soprano, tenor saxophone; Ben Monder, guitar; Eivind Opsvik, bass; Things. (49:00)
Nasheet Waits, drums. Personnel: Louis Heriveaux, piano; Curtis Lundy, bass; Terreon Gully, drums.
Ordering info: cleanfeed-records.com Ordering info: hotshoerecords.com
esSong Patrol and Dangerous Times in
particularshe mines the pastoral vein that
musicians such as British reedist John Surman
have explored, but with a more direct delivery
and less interest in the eerie or atmospheric.
The forlorn Other Eyes features the saxo-
phonist alternating crescendo and diminuendo
phrases to great effect, while Say More pro-
ceeds like a freely improvised piece where the
musicians let their fertile imagination flow. The
groovy Rhyme Or Rhythm and the delight-
fully funky Big Bill find Bloom adding depth
to compositions that are based on seemingly
simple and memorable melodies.
Early Americans also includes a couple of
unaccompanied pieces: one dedicated to the
Jane Ira Bloom late Kenny Wheeler, which aptly captures the Ron Stabinsky
Early Americans mood that inhabited the Canadian trumpet Free For One
OUTLINE RECORDS 142 players lyrical and meditative universe; the HOT CUP 151
++++ other, the only piece not penned by Bloom, is a ++++
deeply felt rendition of the Bernstein/Sondheim
For the past 35 years, Jane Ira Bloom has been Mostly Other People Do the Killing, the group
staple Somewhere. This cover brings to a close
one of a small handful of saxophonists to focus in which Rob Stabinsky has held the piano
an album that ranks among Blooms most
exclusively on the soprano. Her new album is chair since 2011, has a complicated relationship
accessible, as well as her most successful.
her 16th as a leader, and for the occasion, she with traditionalism. Yes, MOPDtK is notori-
Alain Drouot
convened a trio featuring two longtime collab- ous for its skewering of sacred cows, from the
orators, bass player Mark Helias and drummer Early Americans: Song Patrol; Dangerous Times; Nearly (For parodic album art for This Is Our Moosic to
Kenny Wheeler); Hips & Sticks; Singing The Triangle; Other Eyes;
Bobby Previte. Rhyme Or Rhythm; Mind Gray River; Cornets Of Paradise; Say their much talked/carped about note-for-note
The music covers a wide spectrum of More; Gateway To Progress; Big Bill; Somewhere. (52:24)
Personnel: Jane Ira Bloom, soprano saxophone; Mark Helias,
recreation of Kind Of Blue. But its only because
approaches, emotions and rhythms, while bass; Bobby Previte, drums. those jibes are so deeply grounded in the tradi-
remaining strong and cohesive. On some piec- Ordering info: janeirabloom.com tion that they get under the skin of less irrever-
ent listeners. These guys really do know where-
of they mock.
Brian Charette Given the jocular title, many listeners
Once & Future would expect more of the same from Stabinskys
POSI-TONE 8153 solo piano album, Free For One. And it is sim-
+++ ilar to MOPDtKs aesthetic, but without the
smirk. Instead, what Stabinsky delivers is a take
In every jazz lovers mind there exists the per- on free-jazz that acknowledges influences while
fect Hammond B-3 organ player. Whether deftly dancing around them.
that ultimate B-3 technician is Jimmy Smith, Viral Infection, for instance, opens with a
Charles Earland, Larry Young or Shirley Scott, looping set of right-hand chords in counter-
certain defining parameters exist, regardless of point against a lumbering left-hand figure;
the individual player. hearing the way Stabinsky plays with poly-
But when it comes to Hammond B-3 mas- rhythms as the harmony moves in ever-tight-
tery, Brian Charette wrote the book. Literally. ening circles, its hard not to flash on Cecil
His 101 Hammond B3 Tips (Hal Leonard) cov- Taylor. Then theres Once, But Again, where
ers, among other topics, funky scales and the inner voicings and lyric melody could pass
modes, creative chord voicings and cool for something from Keith Jarrett. And when
drawbar settings. and Fidyk ramping up the temperature with Stabinsky moves to the extremes of the key-
Even more proof of his proficiency is heard able solos and fatback groove. board toward the end of Rapture, youll swear
on Once & Future, where Charette gives a mas- The trio knocks back Freddie Roachs Da hes been playing Ligeti in his spare time.
ter class in the many styles of B-3 playing, Bug, paints a dutiful rendition of At Last and As wide-ranging and virtuosic as
joined by guitarist Will Bernard and drummer stomps hard on Jack McDuffs Hot Barbeque. Stabinskys improvisations are, perhaps the
Steve Fidyk. Both B-3 stylist and student, serious jazz most delightful thing about them is how pianis-
Performing covers and original material, scholar and glitzy entertainer, Charette can and tic the playing is. Not only is Stabinskys tech-
Charettes B-3 touch is decidedly light, does play anything. nique impeccable, but his tone is warm and res-
buoyant and playful. The album kicks off Ken Micallef onant even at the musics most frenetic. More
with Fats Wallers Jitterbug Waltz, deliv- like this one, please.
ered in groove-a-licious waltz-time good- Once & Future: Jitterbug Waltz; Tyrone; Latin From Manhattan; J.D. Considine
Da Bug; At Last; Hot Barbeque; Dance Of The Infidels; Zoltan; The
ness. Bubbly, swinging and steaming are apt Scorpion; Falling Fourth; Aint It Funky Now; Mellow Mood; Road
descriptions here. Song; Blues For 96. (58:11) Free For One: After Its Over; 31; Viral Infection; Gone Song; For
Personnel: Brian Charette, organ; Will Bernard, guitar; Steve Reel; Not Long Now/Long Now; Rapture; Once, But Again. (44:30)
The pace continues with Larry Youngs Fidyk, drums. Personnel: Ron Stabinsky, piano.
Tyrone (from 1965s Into Somethin), Bernard Ordering info: posi-tone.com Ordering info: hotcuprecords.com

Lotus Blossom (featuring a quavering
cameo from Charles Lloyd that could have
used a retake). Southern Nights is the mae-
stros most indelible gift to the world, but his
own versions have not always been the best.
Here he couples with baroque-pop chameleon
and kindred spirit Van Dyke Parks for a play-
ful piano romp. American Tunes is a versatile
sampler, revealing the richness of Toussaints
oeuvre, embracing party grooves with the
same warmth as his sympathies for gospel,
the canon of Fats Waller and Earl Hines and
also classical (Louis Moreau Gottschalks
Danza, Op. 33 with cello and harp arranged
by Parks).
This saintly storyteller and seminal maven
Allen Toussaint of New Orleans music totally owns American
American Tunes Tune, rendering Paul Simons original ver-
NONESUCH 554644 sion airbrushed and anemic in comparison.
Its Toussaints only vocal after 14 diverse cuts
++++ and will stop you in your tracks: a truly mov-
I was fortunate to see Allen Toussaint perform ing farewell from an unforgettable, uniquely
several times. His solo concert at the Montreal American artist.
Jazz Festival ranks as one of my all-time favor- Michael Jackson
ite shows. For the pianist, who died in Madrid American Tunes: Delores Boyfriend; Vipers Drag; Im Confessin
shortly after recording these tracks in 2015, this (That I Love You); Mardi Gras In New Orleans; Lotus Blossom; Waltz
For Debby; Big Chief; Rocks In My Bed; Danza, Op.33; Hey Little Girl;
album is as poignant a goodbye as any. Rosetta; Come Sunday; Southern Nights; American Tune. (49:31)
Touted as the Ellington of New Orleans, Personnel: Allen Toussaint, piano, vocals (14); Jay Bellerose,
drums and percussion; Bill Frisell, Adam Levy, Greg Leisz, guitar;
Toussaint takes on Dukes Come Sunday Charles Lloyd, tenor saxophone; David Piltch, bass; Cameron Stone,
cello (9); Amy Shulman, harp (9); Rhiannon Giddens, vocals (8, 12);
and Rocks In My Bed (with vocals from Van Dyke Parks, piano (13).
Rhiannon Giddens) and Billy Strayhorns Ordering info: nonesuch.com
Bob Mintzer
All L.A. Band
FUZZY MUSIC 022
++++
Yellowjackets tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer
has been involved with big band jazz for close
to 50 years. A Buddy Rich alum, he shares the
1970s big band experience with his colleague
Peter Erskine, a veteran drummer of the
Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson orches-
tras. The pairing is fortuitous on this release,
which features Mintzers writing and tenor,
and a platinum assemblage of Los Angeles
musicians.
The aforementioned jazz orchestras of the
70s played material that was fast and loud, of the 1950s. Mintzers sections often riff off
making uneasy peace with the rock music of each other as a couple of horns would on a
the day. These Mintzer charts are concerned bandstand. Some creamy reed writing on
with medium-tempo funk, r&b and Latin Original People and a Bach-like brass intro-
rhythms, crisp section writing and soloist duction to New Rochelle suggest there are
platforms. Much of Mintzers sharp-edged more Mintzer developments to come.
tenor, as on El Caborojeo, shows him to be Kirk Silsbee
as much of a rhythm player as anything else.
Likewise, Bob McChesneys vigorous workout All L.A. Big Band: El Caborojeo; Havin Some Fun; Home Basie;
to Runferyerlife recalls trombone fireballs Ellis Island; Original People; New Rochelle; Runferyerlife; Latin
Dance; Slo Funk; Tribute. (60:43)
Frank Rosolino and Carl Fontana. Personnel: Bob Mintzer, Bob Sheppard, Adam Schroeder, saxo-
There are no amorphous sonic clouds to be phones; Wayne Bergeron, James Blackwell, John Thomas, Chad
Willis, Michael Stever, trumpets; Bob McChesney, Erik Hughes,
heard here. The unison muted trumpet theme Julianne Gralle, Craig Gosnell, trombones; Russ Ferrante, piano;
Larry Koonse, guitar; Edwin Livingston, bass; Peter Erskine, drums;
of Havin Some Fun recalls the lightly swing- Aaron Serfaty, percussion.
ing Neal Hefti tunes written for the Basie band Ordering info: bobmintzer.com

ing intensity and offers a clinic on upper-reg-
ister harmonics, as the saxophonist unleashes
a largely uninterrupted stream of strident tones
to create a mosaic-like quilt of sound. Rapid-
fire phrases sound viscerally garbled by the
way Mitchell controls intonation, moving from
clean articulation toward shrill squawks, leav-
ing a steady trail of high-frequency waves flut-
tering in the background. On Thanks For The
Call, he switches to soprano, slowing down the
tonal manipulation into a pace closer to human
breathing. He ends the song with a stunning,
quavering long tone, but the ferocity of the
sounds he creates is hardly mellow.
Sound is also the focus on the epic
Conversations From The Right Stage, which
Roscoe Mitchell unfolds patiently, teasing out harmonic effects Jamie Safts New Zion
Sustain And Run from a loosely repeating string of single notes; feat. Cyro Baptista
SELO SESC 0065/15 with each pass Mitchell locates fresh nuanc- Sunshine Seas
essome astringent, some dry, some tartand
++++ he eventually builds those strands into slalom-
RARENOISE 34849
Roscoe Mitchell has regularly included solo

++++
ing melodic fragments, turning up the heat as
work in his rigorous practice throughout his he goes. The album ends with Useful News, Keyboardist Jamie Saft, bassist Brad Jones and
lengthy career, and this stunning recital, record- a coda that winds down the energy of the pre- drummer Craig Santiago are the New Zion
ed live in So Paulo, Brazil, in 2013, proves that vious pieces without diminishing their exacti- Trio, the core of this mesmerizing dub excur-
this particular facet of his art continues to tude or boldness. sion. Spanning the dreamy and the disrup-
evolve. For three of the albums four extended Peter Margasak tive, Sunshine Seas takes you into the center of
improvisations Mitchell uses sopranino sax- Sustain And Run: Sustain And Run; Thanks For The Call; Conver-
Safts mindand yourswith help from Cyro
ophone, a wildly difficult instrument, espe- sations From Stage Right; Useful News. (55:56) Baptista on percussion and the gossamer vocals
Personnel: Roscoe Mitchell, sopranino saxophone, soprano
cially when put through such extremes. The saxophone. of Safts wife, Vanessa, on the title track.
title track opens the album with head-clear- Ordering info: sescsp.org This is retro-futuristic stoner music on its
way to the spiritual, and Saft and Baptista cre-
ate a resonant, reggae-based groove from the
Jeff Parker start with the shuddery, clacking BrazilJah.
The New Breed Rattle and clank undergird Baptistas ulula-
INTERNATIONAL ANTHEM 0009 tions, which fade into a shiver thanks to the
++++ edgy production by Saft and Colombia-based
Dubmaster Christian Castagno.
Guitarist Jeff Parkernow living in Los
Chalice Pipe, the second track, is more
Angeles but long a member of Chicago exper-
relaxed. Saft plays acoustic guitar, relegat-
imental rock combo Tortoise and the Windy
ing the bass role to Jones. There is gravity and
City avant-jazz scenehas crafted an inge-
humor, Saft buzzing around the keyboards,
nious, genre-blurring urban soundscape with
too, as Baptista vocalizes in the background.
The New Breed.
Immanence is the mood.
By turns atmospheric and funky, the
Its back to dub with Mystics, featuring
music mixes improvisation and composed
Safts glassy synths and organ accents, Baptistas
material across frameworks of beats and sam-
vocoder distortion and swaths of percussion.
ples, the sounds swirling together like echoes
Repetition and depth are the watchwords; so is
of different parties in an apartment building
interest to the otherwise wan Clich, fea- drama, as Baptista abruptly separates sections
hallway. The physical package adds to the feel:
turing Ruby Parker, the leaders daugh- of the tune. A sonic haunted house indeed.
The 49-year-old Parker titled the album after
ter, on vocals. Slow-rolling sax-guitar uni- There is similarity among all but the final
a clothing store his father owned in the 1970s,
son lines mark the heat-haze cover of Bobby cut, the raucous and skittery Samba
and the LP sleeve is adorned with old photos
Hutchersons Visions, as drummer Jamire Jahmekya, the liveliest and longest track. Its
of hip dudes.
Williams adds heft to the bottom end. A hitch raw and propulsive, Saft slamming his acous-
Parkers bell-toned guitar snakes obliquely
to the groove is that the party ends too soon, tic guitar and tweaking synths to the max.
through the rhythm arrangements, with
the albums short running time apparently set The music saws and whips, the weave becom-
sharp, rarely obvious note choices and subtly
for an extra-fat vinyl LP sound. ing more excitable. What a fine way to end this
absorbing extended solos in album highlights
Bradley Bambarger musical trip.
Jrifted and Get Dressed. The other solo
Carlo Wolff
voice belongs to saxophonist Josh Johnson, The New Breed: Executive Life; Para Ha Tay; Here Comes Ezra;
Visions; Jrifted; How Fun It Is To Year Whip; Get Dressed; Clich. Sunshine Seas: BrazilJah; Chalice Pipe; Mystics; Sunshine Seas; Growing
who winds a soulful improvisation across the (36:10) Grow; Onda; Ranking; Lambs Bread; Samba Jahmekya. (54:28)
six-string shimmer and sampled background Personnel: Jeff Parker, electric guitar, beats, samples; Josh John- Personnel: Jamie Saft, keyboards, guitar, electric bass; Cyro Bap-
son, saxophone; Paul Bryan, bass guitar; Jamire Williams, drums; tista, percussion, vocals; Brad Jones, acoustic bass; Craig Santiago,
voices on Jrifted, subtly colors the cut-and- Ruby Parker, vocals (8). drums; Vanessa Saft, vocals (4).
paste wooziness of Executive Life and adds Ordering info: intlanthem.com Ordering info: rarenoiserecords.com

Frank Catalano Parks/Fonnesbaek/
Bye Bye Blackbird Bagge
ROPEADOPE Groovements
+++ STUNT 15152
Matters of Chicago saxophonics +++
govern the form and contentas The product of pianist Aaron Parks
well as the subject and attitudeof artist residency in Denmark,
tenor man Frank Catalanos spir- Groovements features the tal-
ited new album. A tribute to belat- ents of Parks with bassist Thomas
ed Chicagoan horn legends Von Fonnesbaek and drummer Karsten
Freeman and Eddie Harris, as well Bagge, two Danish musicians he met
as the city that spawned them, the date also features an alive-and-kick- during his stay. The album boasts a wide range of composersfrom Carl
ing cameo guest, David Sanborn, who studied music at Northwestern. Nielsen to Cedar Walton to Bruce Springsteenand also includes com-
As the albums subtitle Blowing In From Chicago For Von And positions from each member of the trio and a group-composed piece.
Eddie clarifies, this is a blowing session over simply stated standards, But due to the quality of the musicianship, the album is cohesive, rolling
with a strong Windy City jazz imprint attached. In a way, the subtext pleasantly from one tune to the next.
is about Chicagoans who left the city, in various ways (passing on and From the opening track, Winter, the beautiful, distinct voices of
as relocating migrs), with the proudly Chicago-based Catalanos big, each member are instantly established. The piano covers the entire range,
honking, caressing and otherwise broadly swinging and soul-fueled providing lush, open chords and gentle lines, and the bass, floating high
tenor sound as an anchoring, ambassadorial presence from the city. into its upper register, provides a bittersweet countermelody. Meanwhile,
After the friendly blowing stage/mood is set with the swaggering the drums deliver an infectious groove. While the albums energy level
Harris tune Chicago Eddie, Sanborn enters the mix with his unmis- is mostly uniform, the record defies stasis, bringing the listener on an
takable persona on alto. He slides easily into the context with well- enjoyable ride they will undoubtedly want to repeat. Rarely can an album
placed craggy overtones and soulful riffs on the title tune and Stanley encompass such a diverse set of compositionsand match the tender-
Turrentines timeless soul-jazz vehicle, Sugar. ness of the originalswhile also being extremely accessible.
Josef Woodard Izzy Yellen
Bye Bye Blackbird, Blowing In From Chicago For Von And Eddie: Chicago Eddie; Bye Bye
Blackbird; Sugar; All Blues; At Last; Shakin. (31:40) Groovements: Winter; Alcubierres Law; Bolivia; Im On Fire; Elutheria; Tit Er Jeg Lad; A Rabbits Tale;
Personnel: Frank Catalano, tenor saxophone; Demos Petropoulos, Hammond B-3 Organ; Nir Felder, Forever This Moment; Shapes N Colors; You And The Night And The Music. (57:34)
guitar; Jimmy Chamberlin, drums; David Sanborn, alto saxophone (2, 3). Personnel: Aaron Parks, piano; Thomas Fonnesbaek, bass; Karsten Bagge, drums.
Ordering info: ropeadope.com Ordering info: sundance.dk
Jazz / BY SHAUN BRADY
Together (and Apart) Again

Conventional wisdom says that tenor saxo-
phonists are similar to Siamese fighting fish:
put two of them together in a confined space
and its only a matter of time before they do
battle. But three new releases by saxophon-
ists Chris Cheek and Seamus Blaketwo of
them solo releases, one of them a collabora-
tive projectprove that a pair of tenors can
make more magic than madness.
The wide-ranging approaches of Blake
and Cheek can be found not only in com- Wayne Bergeron
paring their new efforts to one another but Full Circle
within each release on its own. Blakes Su- SCHOLZ PRODUCTIONS 2016
perconductor (5Passion; 63:46 ++++)
JIMMY KATZ/CRISS CROSS JAZZ

alternates between orchestral cham-
+++
ber-jazz and electronica, with Blake supple- Wayne Bergeron is well known in the Los
menting his tenor with EWI. Its a polarized Angeles area for his high-note trumpet work,
and potentially polarizing session, sure to playing lead with many of the professional part-
infuriate purists of any stripe. Its also ambi- time jazz orchestras around town. Like one of
tious and imaginative, exploring distinctive
his heroes, Maynard Ferguson, Bergeron has
means to expand the jazz palette. Seamus Blake (left) and Chris Cheek
also developed into a fine bop-oriented soloist
Ohm opens the album with a
light-hearted burst of electro-funk driven summertime pop of Ginger Something in the lower and middle registers.
by Scott Kinseys 80s-soundtrack synths and the hard-charging Alhambros. For Full Circle, Bergeron enlisted a few of
and Matt Garrisons rubbery bass grooves. Ordering info: sunnysidezone.com the citys top studio and jazz composers. Seven
John Scofield makes the first of three ap- Any expectation that Lets Call The different arrangers (George Stone, Gordon
pearances on the Weather Report-inspired Whole Thing Off (Criss Cross Jazz 1388; Goodwin, Sammy Nestico, Bill Reichenbach,
fusion of Forecast, engaging in a skronky 62:52 ++++) will find Blake and Cheek Chris Walden and Michael B. Nelson) contrib-
back-and-forth with both of Blakes axes, meeting in the middle of these two con- uted one chart apiece, while Dan Higgins wrote
while Send In The Clones is fueled by Nate ceptions is immediately thwarted, as their
two and Wally Minko brought in three.
Smiths skittering electronica rhythms. sophomore Reeds Ramble recording is
The album sticks primarily to the modern
These pieces take turns with the pastoral something else entirely. In some ways its
more striaghtahead, but hardly predict- mainstream. The swinging Bernies Journey
exotica of Sofa Song, the darkly elegant
Last Continent and the yearning Gracia, able. Beginning with a flourish from Ethan (a close relative to Bernies Tune) sets the stan-
each boasting intricate arrangements for a Iversons piano, the title track begins with dard for what is to follow with top-notch musi-
12-piece ensemble. Ping-ponging between the two tenors playing the songs introduc- cianship, fiery ensembles and fine solos includ-
the two stylistic extremes, Superconductor tory verse in sweet unison. The two reedists ing a statement from Bergeron that shows that
may never fully gel into a cohesive whole, take Gershwins classic tom-ay-to/tom-ah- he really means business.
but like the title suggests, its energy (and to parrying to heart with their respective Other highlights include Bergeron and
inventiveness) never flag. turns. In their respective solos, Blake takes strings on Theme From Chinatown, the
Ordering info: 5passion.com the opportunity to subtly probe and dwell
tradeoff and interplay between the leader and
On the surface, Cheeks Saturday on the melody, while Cheek twists and
his guest Arturo Sandoval on the title track,
Songs (Sunnyside 1453; 65:51 ++++) is warps it, gradually building the pressure to
the point of eruption. Nesticos ballad A Pair Of Aces and a dou-
a less daring outing, its focus more on fun
than experimentation. But dont be fooled The album veers in several different ble-time version of Body And Soul.
by the albums cheeriness (or the wacky directions, from the frenetic, almost mad- Scott Yanow
portrait of the band decked out in Arabian cap Latin bounce of Blakes Choro Blanco
Nights couture on the cover); these bright to the tender wistfulness of Irving Berlins Full Circle: Bernies Journey; Seasoned Traveler; Jig; Theme
From Chinatown; Full Circle; A Pair Of Aces; Body And Soul;
and buoyant tunes spur serious playing Count Your Blessings. Cheeks Lunar Wayn-ology; First Impression; A Bone To Pick; James Bond
from Cheek and his bandmates. The lead- begins with Iversons stormy refractions Medley (Bond Theme; You Only Live Twice; Live And Let Die).
(69:54)
ers sly humor is evident from the outset, and maintains that overcast menace Personnel: Wayne Bergeron, Dan Foreno, Gary Grant, Rick
with the cowboy swagger of String Finger, throughout, while Jobims Surfboard is Baptist, Larry Hall, Chuck Findley, Rob Schaer, Jamie Havorka,
Steve Strand, Dave Jensen, trumpets; Andy Martin, Andy
which collides West with East as Cheeks rendered in literal-minded waves that both Kaplan, Bob McChesney, Bill Reichenbach, Charlie Loper, Alex
slurred, street-smart solo gives way to Da- co-leaders ride with agility. For those who Iles, Steve Holtman, Michel B. Nelson, trombones; Eric Marien-
thal, alto; Dan Higgins, alto, soprano, flute, piccolo; Sal Lozano,
vid Solers forlorn pedal steel. The latter is like their tenormen dueling, theres Lime- alto, flute; Brian Scanlon, alto, flute; Tom Luer, tenor, clarinet;
house Blues, the oft-performed standard Bill Liston, Kirsten Edkins, Kenni Holmen, Gary Meek, Bob Shep-
a consistent show-stopper throughout the pard, tenor; Rusty Higgins, tenor, flute; Greg Huckins, baritone,
album, whether uniting with Jorge Rossys that here borrows from the countrified clarinet; bass clarinet; Kathy Jensen, baritone; Christian Jacob,
rendition by guitarists Chet Atkins and Wally Minko, Alan Pasqua, Mary Louise Knutson, piano; Barb
vibes to conjure ethereal, dream-like atmo- Catlin, electric piano; Dustin Higgins, Cory Wong, guitar; Brian
spherics for the pulsating Eye Factory or Jerry Reed that sets the stage for some un- Kilgore, vibes; Trey Henry, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Berghofer,
Jim Anton, bass; Ray Brinker, Dave Weckl, Peter Erskine, Petar
the lullaby-like While You Sleep, or add- leashed blowing. DB
Janjic, drums; Dom Moio, Joey DeLeon, Adrian Areas, percus-
ing a dose of Southern-rock twang to the Ordering info: crisscrossjazz.com sion; string section; Arturo Sandoval, trumpet (5).
Ordering info: waynebergeron.com

Ellery Eskelin Will Vinson
Trio Willisau Live Perfectly Out Of Place
HATOLOGY 741 5PASSION
++++ ++++
On the face of it, saxophonist Ellery Saxophonist Will Vinson has writ-
Eskelins latest release is just a live ten 10 unique tunes that challenge
recording of a trio set captured at the the notion of how jazz is defined in
experimental-leaning Wilisau Festival this era, and the English-born New
in Switzerland, featuring kindred Yorker has assembled a group of
allies Gary Versace on Hammond B-3 jazz progressives to help with this
and Gerry Hemingway on drums. But endeavor. The free-flowing music
on close scrutiny, the recording is one of those inspired, surprising yet cohe- that evolves from this outing allows all the accompanying musicians to
sive shows well worth documenting for posterity. be involved in brief, sometimes extended waysbut always involved.
Eskelin, in mid-career, is a uniquely elastic and lyrical avant gardist Besides Vinson (who doubles on synthesizers, flute and celesta), the
who has no problem coming in from the cold and dealing with the lingua players on this album include guitarist Mike Moreno, pianist Gonzalo
franca of standards. Its a tricky balancing act, all about nuances and atti- Rubalcaba, bassist Matt Penman, drummer Jeff Ballard, vocalist Jo
tudes in flux, but its achieved on the albums epic suite, On (Or About), Lawry and percussionist Jamey Haddad. Rarely does the group play
a 51-minute adventure that maneuvers through free ensemble zones and in a traditional bebop or straightahead way. Instead, the emphasis
such standard-time oases as Blue And Sentimental and East Of The seems to be on sound colors, moods and intricate interplay among the
Sun (And West Of The Moon). The performance is a great example of musicians.
outside-inside duality in the space of a single piece, with a disarming A composition titled The Clock Killer is quiet and slow-moving,
rightness and continuity within the seeming discontinuity. creating oceanic beauty. And while there are numerous moments of
Deceptively casual but deeper on inspection, this live set demon- tranquility on this album, theres also plenty of excitement, such as on
strates a fluid continuum of spontaneity and deeply ingrained musical the grooving Stiltskin (Some Drunk Funk) and the soaring Skyrider.
material bubbling up from the jazz collective unconscious. Bob Protzman
Josef Woodard Perfectly Out Of Place: Desolation Tango; Upside; Willoughby; General; Skywriter; Intro To Limp Of
Faith; Limp Of Faith; Stiltskin (Some Drunk Funk); Chalk It Up; The Clock Killer; Perfectly Out Of Place. (68:00)
Personnel: Will Vinson, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, synthesizers, celesta; Mike Moreno,
Trio Willisau Live: On (Or About); We See; I Dont Stand A Ghost of A Chance. (69:46) guitar; Gonzalo Rubalcaba, piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers; Matt Penman, bass; Jeff Ballard, drums;
Personnel: Ellery Eskelin, tenor saxophone; Gary Versace, Hammond B-3 organ; Gerry Heming- Jo Lawry, vocals; Jamey Haddad, percussion (4); Olivia De Prato, Joshua Modney, violin; Victor Lowrie,
way, drums. viola; Mariel Roberts, cello.
Ordering info: hathut.com Ordering info: 5passion.com
Christy Doran
Belle Epoque
BETWEEN THE LINES 71242
++
The cream of any genre is likely to
rise to the top, and theres something
to appreciate any time an extraordi-
narily talented human does what
they do well. But theres also a lot
of music that isnt the greatest of its
kind, but doesnt merit dismissal as
bad, either.
So one might likewise say that there is nothing wrong with Belle Epoque.
The three globetrotting musiciansIrish-born, Swiss-based guitarist
Christy Doran, Argentine bassist Franco Fonanarrosa and Swiss drum-
mer Lukas Mantelall demonstrate unerring control of their instruments
and a fluent command of the fusion-esque genres they choose to span,
which serves them well as they negotiate the records eight original com-
positions. And they have each others back when the music periodically
lets go of stated meter for a moment of free interplay. Its all played with
palpable joy and energy. Yet while nothing on the record sinks to the bot-
tom, neither does it rise to the top. The busy passages confirm the musi-
cians agility, but they do not make a persuasive case for why we should
care that much about it. If youre already a fan of these musicians, or of
propulsive fusion in general, ignore the stars and give this stuff a listen.
Bill Meyer
Belle Epoque: El Escenario; Alien Abduction; Langa; Belle Epoque; Espantasuegras; Wandering Dune;
Hhronen; Partners In Crime. (61:40)
Personnel: Christy Doran, electric guitar; Franco Fontanarrosa, bass; Lukas Mantel, drums, percussion.
Ordering info: betweenthelines.de

Blues / BY FRANK-JOHN HADLEY
Bring It on Home
The Mighty Mojo Prophets, Record Store
MATTHEW SMITH
(Mojo King Music; 55:48 +++ ) Serving
up their third entertaining album in a row, the
Long Beach, California, band founded nine
years ago by singer Tom Eliff and guitarist
Mitch Dow exemplifies the sensibility of qual-
ity blues formed from elements of the West
Coast, Chicago and Texas styles. On a pro-
gram of original songs, Eliff explores lyrics that
survey relationships or express the pleasure of
having hung out at a certain vinyl emporium. The Stan Kenton
Dow and harmonica player Tom Richmond Legacy Orchestra
are keen to construction, space and dynamics Storming Through The South
in their solos and interplay. SUMMIT 678
Ordering info: mojoking.com
Andre Williams, I Wanna Go Back
+++
To Detroit City (Bloodshot 234; 34:32 Stan Kenton, who passed away in 1979, made it
+++ ) The 79-year-old singer known as well known in his later years that he did not
Mr. Rhythm boasts an almost unbeliev- want there to be a ghost band after his death. In
able background (he was a gutsy r&b sing- 1991, trumpeter Mike Vax, who considers his
er in the 1950s, and once worked as a pro-
stint with Kenton to be one of the highpoints
ducer at Motown). His fourth album for the Andre Williams
Bloodshot label finds him once again de-
of his career, started an alumni orchestra that
ploying his talent for fractious suspense: He ++++) This outstanding collection has 25 avoided being a mere recreation of the band.
gives the finger to award show snobs as he charismatic recording artists of the 1920s The group, which in recent times was renamed
spits out Hall Of Fame, and on Mississippi and 30s singing about Christian impera- the Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra (since it
Sue, he laments a gal he lost to the electric tives (with blues guitar accompaniment). no longer consists exclusively of alumni), has
chair. Funk and blues riffs are supplied by, Greats Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, released six albums to date.
among others, noted guitarists Dennis Cof- Charley Patton and Blind Willie Johnson ex- It is immediately apparent while listening to
fey and Matthew Smith. hibit the keys to the heavenly kingdom, and the music of the orchestra that Vax has succeeded
Ordering info: bloodshotrecords.com a small flock of now-forgotten supplicants,
at drawing inspiration from Kentons band while
Little Boys Blue, Tennissippi (Jaxon/ including intense-voiced Blind Gussie Nes-
avoiding emulation. Other than Bill Holmans
VizzTone 16; 56:16 +++ ) This Jackson, bit and hauntingly stark Blind Mamie Fore-
Tennessee-based band, co-founded by JD hand, offer their profound supplications. famous arrangement of Malaguena, which is
Taylor two decades ago, is of strong, stirring Ordering info: worldmusic.net given a stirring rendition, none of the songs are
mettle, combining blues, soul and Southern The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, closely associated with Kenton, although the late
rock. Taylors singing voice is firm and even, Live 1966 (Real Gone Music 0456; 63:02 bandleaders arrangement of Im Glad There Is
at no disadvantage for its lack of variety on ++++) The specialness of Paul Butter- You and Willie Maidens version of It Might As
original fare like the workout Pack It Up fields integrated Chicago band comes Well Be Spring were in the bands book.
Baby and the ballad Smoke Rings. Taylor through despite the less-than-perfect Recorded during a busy road trip through
knows his way around the harmonica, and sound reproduction of these unissued the South (16 cities in 17 days), these live per-
guitarist Alex Taylor plays with consistent tapes from a coffeehouse gig in Boston. So-
formances give many of the players opportuni-
warmth and concision. los by Butterfield on harmonica and Mike
Bloomfield on guitar provide the thrill of
ties to solo. Trombonist Scott Whitfield and his
Ordering info: vizztone.com
Aki Kumar, Aki Goes To Bollywood knuckle-whitening roller coaster rides. Also wife, vocalist Ginger Berglund, are standouts,
(Little Village Foundation 1008; 51:30 playing for keeps on a dozen songs are gui- as are bassist Jennifer Leitham, baritone saxo-
+++ ) Aki Kumar, a smart Chicago-style tarist Elvin Bishop, organ player Mark Naf- phonist Phil Hilger and Vax himself.
harmonica player born in Mumbai but long talin, bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Though the sound quality could be better, fans
based in San Jose, dovetails Indian pop Billy Davenport. of high-powered big bands will enjoy this program.
songs from Bollywood with the rhythms Ordering info: realgonemusic.com Scott Yanow
and spirit of the blues. He whets his imagi- Louisiana Soul Revival, Louisiana
nation on hear-it-to-believe-it Eena Meena Soul Revival Featuring Doug Duffey Storming Through The South: Beat 70; Roys Blues Revisited;
(Self Release; 36:17 ++ ) A well-regard-
Summer Violets; Im Glad There Is You; Lefty Leaps In; Virna; Come
Deeka and 10 other tunes recorded with Out Swingin; Shell Game; It Might As Well Be Spring; You Turned
help from friends like guitarist (and sitar ed Bayou State songwriter with ties to funk- The Tables On Me; Passages; Slow Boat To China; Im Getting
Sentimental Over You; Malaguena. (75:11)
player) Kid Andersen and keyboards expert meister George Clinton, singer-keyboardist Personnel: Mike Vax, Dennis Noday, Brian OFlaherty, Steve
Jim Pugh. Most of the time Kumar sings in Duffey leads a 10-piece r&b revue that is Huffsteter; Jonathan Dane, trumpet, flugelhorn; Scott Whitfield,
trombone, vocals; Dale DeVoe, Dave Klein, trombone; Kenny Shroy-
Hindi, which adds some vindaloo heat. competent but largely uninspired. Of nine er, Rich Bullock, bass trombone; Kim Richmond, alto saxophone,
Ordering info: littlevillagefoundation.org tracks, just Love Into My Life approaches flute, piccolo; Phil Hilger, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute;
Rick Condit, Pete Gallo, tenor saxophone, flute; Joel Kaye, bass
Various Artists, The Rough Guide To transcendence. DB saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute; Charlie Ferguson, piano;
Jennifer Leitham, bass; Gary Hobbs, Claude Askew, drums; Ginger
Gospel Blues (Rough Trade 1349; 75:35 Ordering info: cdbaby.com/cd/louisianasoulrevivalfeat
Berglund, vocals.
Ordering info: summitrecords.com

improvisers who constitute Gunwale, had both
nutrition and hazard in mind when they named
their debut album. With scant CD sales and
fewer touring opportunities, the 21st century
looks like a pretty inhospitable environment for
creative music. But if you can acclimate your-
self, there are riches in the chilly deep.
Rempis has had plenty of practice navigat-
ing such waters. He is an organizer as well as
a musician, responsible for a weekly night of
jazz and improvisational music at the Elastic
Arts venue in Chicago. And in 2013 he found-
ed the label Aerophonic in order to release his
own music. But all of that fades away when you
put on Polynya and reacquaint yourself with his
strengths as a musician.
Gunwale First, theres his versatility. He can make
Polynya quick, pungent statements and drive long
AEROPHONIC 011 improvisations that shift easily from swing to
++++ assertive acoustic funk. Then theres his adroit
phrasing; he articulates commanding ideas that
A polynya is an expanse of open water sur- capitalize on whatever is happening around
rounded by sea ice, and it sets the stage for both him. But Gunwale is a band, and Rempis is not
life and death. Arctic explorers of yore endan- the only reason to hear it. In free improvisation,
gered themselves when they mistook polynyas growth comes from exchange; these musicians
for unbounded ocean, but they are also breed- give as many ideas as they get.
ing places for plankton and other sea creatures Bill Meyer
that form the oceanic food chain.
One supposes that saxophonist Dave Polynya: Wire; Bevel; Liner. (56:14)
Personnel: Dave Rempis, alto, tenor, baritone saxophones; Albert
Rempis, bassist Albert Wildeman and per- Wildeman, bass; Ryan Packard, percussion, electronics.
cussionist Ryan Packard, the Chicago-based Ordering info: aerophonicrecords.com
Tyshawn Sorey
The Inner Spectrum
Of Variables
PI RECORDINGS 65
+++
The title of drummer-composer Tyshawn
Soreys extended two-CD set recalls the ambi-
tiously cosmic appellations of albums from
the 1970s. But the actual music is less easy to
nail down, both in terms of influence and style.
Loosely speaking, this is a modern classical
composition, complete with string quar-
tet, acoustic piano and percussion lineup. But
Sorey has not been confined by the fences that
are usually erected by creators of such works.
A mournful cello begins Movement II, A spirited string motif heralds the Bartk-ian
groaning in contrast to the bright piano. Its gloom of Movement IV, which oddly devel-
an introverted contemplation, but with firm ops into a swinging gypsy-jazz section as bass
strokes made by Rubin Kodhelis bow. This and drums settle into a rolling gait.
brooding is edged with a sour vibrato, creat- Sorey is probing multiple musical areas, but
ing an old-school Romantic aura. The violin the segues sound natural. At its climax, the
and viola skip and parade, preening themselves movement drops into free fall, losing its swing,
sweetly. The sound is more retro than ironic. but gaining another kind of freedom.
The second disc opens with the 15-minute Martin Longley
Reverie, a high point of the work. Delicate The Inner Spectrum Of Variables: Disc One: Movement I;
Movement II; Movement III. (57:59) Disc Two: Reverie, Movements
gongs and cymbals create a restful aura, with IV; Movement V; Movement VI; Reprise. (59:41)
sustained resonances and shimmering touch- Personnel: Tyshawn Sorey, drums; Cory Smythe, piano; Christo-
pher Tordini, bass; Ruben Kodheli, cello; Kyle Armbrust, viola; Chern
es. The strings encroach gradually, with soft Hwei Fung, violin.
drones followed by a faint piano appearance. Ordering info: pirecordings.com

Wilner boasts a style that can be gutbucket at
times and precisely articulate at others.
Koan, which the liner notes explain is a
paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen
Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of
logical reasoning and to provoke enlighten-
ment, features five originals; six covers of tunes
by Duke Ellington, Nol Coward and Ornette
Coleman; and Blues For the Common Man,
a terrific original based on Aaron Coplands
Fanfare For The Common Man.
Strutting with a hard-bop winningness,
Wilners Iceberg Slim opens Koan with a jam
session standard-in-the-making. With its flow-
ing lines and grand themes, the title track actu-
ally sounds as if its a lost selection from a clas-
Spike Wilner sic Broadway musical. Dave Anderson
Koan The pianist has a great rapport with bassist Blue Innuendo
POSI-TONE 8152 Tyler Mitchell and drummer Anthony Pinciotti, LABEL 1 2003
++++ his working trio. The spiraling Monkey Mind ++++
finds the three musicians impressively locked
Spike Wilner may be best known these days as a in. Koan is a worthy document of a nota- New York-based saxophonist-composer Dave
partner in (and manager of) the famed Smalls ble trio and the compositional prowess of its Anderson has pulled together a stellar line-
Jazz Club. But those who havent patronized the bandleader. up of fellow New Yorkers for the first record-
Greenwich Village venue or subscribed to its Yoshi Kato ing under his own imprint, Label 1, and third
SmallsLIVE media archives may be unaware of album overall.
his parallel career as a pianist and leader of his Koan: Iceberg Slim; Koan; Warm Valley; Ill See You Again; Hot Organist Pat Bianchi, a longtime member
House; Monkey Mind; Gypsy Without A Song; Trick Baby; Three
own trio. Ring Circus; Young At Heart; Lonely Woman; Blues For The Com-
of Pat Martinos trio, fuels this B-3 quartet ses-
An alumnus of the inaugural class of mon Man. (60:52) sion with his deep-grooving bass lines, warm
Personnel: Spike Wilner, piano; Tyler Mitchell, bass; Anthony
Manhattans New School for Social Research Pinciotti, drums. comping and exhilarating right-handed runs,
Jazz and Contemporary Music program, Ordering info: posi-tone.com while fleet-fingered guitarist Tom Guarna plays
Andersons partner on the front line, executing
tight unison and harmony lines on heads and
Peter Kuhn contributing a number of outstanding solos,
The Other Shore particularly on the surging modernist opener
NOBUSINESS 88 Urban Dilemma, the exuberantly swinging
+++ Redeye and the funky 22 Doors. Veteran
drummer and joyful swinger Matt Wilson ele-
No Coming, No Going: The vates the proceedings with a flowing rhyth-
Music of Peter Kuhn, 197879 mic pulse, hip syncopations and unpredictable
NOBUSINESS 89-90 accents on the kit.
+++ Minnesota native Anderson alternates
Clarinetist/saxophonist Peter Kuhn was part of between soprano and tenor saxophones
the New York loft scene, working with tenor- throughout this copasetic session, soar-
man Frank Lowe, clarinetist Perry Robinson ing on the former on the uptempo romp
and trumpeter Lester Bowie in the 70s and Genealogy and the lush ballad Stuck,
80s. After a long dry spell, Kuhn resurfaced in while digging deep on the latter on his burn-
San Diego a few years ago. These two albums er 12-Step Blues, the mellow bossa nova-fla-
show where he came from and where he is now. vored Parallel Present and his ode to Joe
delightful drum solo by Denis Charles on Chi Henderson, The Phantom.
Kuhns present work on The Other Shore is reminds what a treasure he was. A second CD
relaxed and assured. His bass clarinet is capable Wilson showcases his remarkably melod-
of a Kuhn and Charles duet recital shows the ic approach to the kit on Two-Tone Tune,
of languid insouciance or corkscrew runs. His stringent clarinet admirably compatible with
tenor can be as slack as a junkie on the nod, as while Bianchi delivers a combination of
the potent Charles drum patterns. laid-back charm and pure burn on the title
on Unstrung Heroes, or hard-edged. Nathan Kirk Silsbee
Hubbards drums push against Kuhn, while track, Andersons tribute to organ great Joey
bassist Kyle Motl is both percussive and har- The Other Shore: Is Love Enough; Causes And Conditions; Un-
DeFrancesco. Great chemistry, great playing
monically challenging to the horns. strung heroes; Not Two; Volition; No Coming, No Going; The Other and good vibes by a kindred crew.
Shore; Beginning Anew. (63:18)
No Coming, No Going is the material from Personnel: Peter Kuhn, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, Bill Milkowski
tenor saxophone; Kyle Motl, bass; Nathan Hubbard, drums.
Kuhns Livin Right (Big City) LP, with trum- No Coming, No Going: Disc 1: Chi; Manteca, Long Gone, Axis-
tential; Red Tape. (39:13). Disc 2: Stigma; Axistential; Drum Dharma; Blue Innuendo: Urban Dilemma; 22 Doors; 12-Step Blues; Parallel
pet color from Toshinori Kondo and Arthur Headed Home. (60:34) Present; Genealogy; Stuck; The Phantom; Two-Tone Tune; Blue
Williams. While Kuhns early improvs can be Personnel: Disc 1: Kuhn, clarinet, bass clarinet; Toshinori Kondo, Innuendo; Redeye. (57:42)
trumpet, alto horn; Arthur Williams, trumpet; William Parker, bass; Personnel:Dave Anderson, tenor saxophone, soprano saxo-
short on thematic arc, bassist William Parker Denis Charles, drums. Disc 2: Kuhn, clarinet; Denis Charles, drums. phone; Tom Guarna, guitar; Pat Bianchi, organ; Matt Wilson, drums.
is a Trojan throughout, holding the center. A Ordering info: nobusinessrecords.com Ordering info: daveandersonjazz.com

Beyond / BY BRADLEY BAMBARGER
Blazing the Electronica Trail

By the time a guitar was first plugged into
an amp, the electronic revolution in music
had taken spark; eventually, flesh on wires
and sticks on drums neednt be part of the
equation. But whether the mode is organic
or synthetic, human imagination remains
the essential component.
Picking up on cues from precursors Erik
Satie, John Cage and Morton Feldman,
Brian Enoa graduate of the fecund En-
Savoldelli/Casarano/ glish art school system and an alum of art-
rock iconoclasts Roxy Musicpioneered
Bardoscia the field of ambient music, producing a
The Great Jazz Gig In The Sky line of hugely influential electro-acoustic
MOONJUNE 079 soundscape LPs, from such milestones as Brian Eno
+++ 1978s Music For Airports to 2012s gallery

tapestry Lux. Of course, Eno has also func- Townsend to Vince Clarke and Moby. The
You dont have to care about 70s rock to know tioned as one of the most inspiring studio latest release boasts the likes of Pet Shop
Pink Floyds Dark Side Of The Moon. Its an catalysts in rock history, co-producing the Boys, Hans Zimmer, new avant-star Julia
album as prismatic as its iconic cover, and best albums by Talking Heads and U2, Holter and Cyndi Lauper. Best by far is the
many have paid tribute. Its been played as reg- along with collaborating on some of Da- dark-hued Here For You, with post-punk
gae, prog-metal, jam band funk, bluegrass vid Bowies most groundbreaking music. electro-auteur Gary Numan.
and so much more. And as it turns out, theres Scarcely less striking is the series of wildly Ordering info: jeanmicheljarre.com
enough richness in its harmonies and melodies imaginative avant-rock albums Eno made The club-fueled, pop-minded tech-
as a vocalist-cum-mad scientist, starting no of Moby was one of the signature
for countless jazz covers.
with his 1973 debut, Here Come The Warm sounds of the 90s, capped by his hit al-
Vocalist Boris Savoldelli, saxophonist Jets, which still sounds delightfully mod- bum Play and its melding of gospel sam-
Raffaele Casarano and bassist Marco Bardoscia ern. The 68-year-old Enos latest album, ples with cool-toned dance grooves. With
opt for a deep dive into psychedelia, boldly The Ship (Warp; 47:30 ++++), sees him Music From Porcelain (Little Idiot
using the original music as a jumping-off point fusing various aspects of his studio self. 046; 66:06/74:31 +++), the 51-year-old
without directly covering much of it. In fact, its Enos suite-like album explores the Mobyborn Richard Melville Hallhas
the moments when they stick most closely to the way humankind toggles between hubris anthologized his work as a soundtrack to
originals that fall short, as Savoldelli pushes the and paranoia, using the Titanic and World his candid memoir, Porcelain, and its tales
lyrics out in a breathy croak that does poor jus- War I as touchstones, but also hinting at of a Connecticut kids hedonistic rise in a
tice to the words. This rarely takes more than a political developments today. The music still-gritty New York City. Not all the tracks
has a filmic quality, blending singing, spo- have aged well, the pop mainstream hav-
minute or so, though; the real meat here is long,
ken word, musique concrte, open-form ing absorbed their mannerisms totally.
flowing soundscapes where Savoldellis manip- song and ambient sounds to dramatic More exciting is the bonus disc Moby had
ulated voice and Casaranos sax unfurl billow- effect. The albums high point, though, is the generosity to include; it features artists
ing melodies over heaving electronic textures. its gorgeous closing cover of The Velvet who influenced him, from 808 State to A
That said, Bardoscia is the stealth star here. Undergrounds Im Set Free, which Eno Tribe Called Quest.
His bowed bass is the emotional core of the long sings as a secular hymn on how we must Ordering info: moby.com
Us And Them, grounding Savoldellis version seek workable evolution, resisting the illu- One of Europes most jazz-savvy elec-
of the odd non-verbal vocalizations of Pink sion of those who claim to know the one tro-acoustic groups of the past two de-
Floyds weirder early days. Bardoscias pluck- right way, any one truth. The Ship is album cades, The Dining Roomsthe studio
ing on Breathe outlines the songs familiar as experience, odd yet moving. duo of Italian multi-instrumentalists/pro-
Ordering info: brian-eno.net ducers Stefano Ghittoni and Cesare Mal-
contours without ever playing any of the famil-
Jean Michel Jarre, born the same fatthas released its most sophisticated
iar notes. The album as a whole works similar- year as Eno, has set attendance records record to date, Do Hipsters Like Sun Ra?
ly, using the original as a basic framework and around the world since the late 70s, his (Schema; 42:17 ++++ ). In referencing
striking out from there. Ultimately, its the synthesizers an inescapable sonic influ- the eccentric big-band modernistand
records exploratory spirit more than its inter- ence from new age backgrounds to Hol- electronics advocateSun Ra, the duo
pretations of the music that most closely ties it lywood soundtracks. But the Frenchmans pledges allegiance to an ever-imagina-
to its inspiration. work has tended to favor spectacle over tive sonic capaciousness. The album is a
Joe Tangari subtlety. Though marred by character- beautifully atmospheric, hard-grooving
istically cheesy sounds, his set of col- blend of beats, loops, samples and live in-
The Great Jazz Gig In The Sky: Speak To Me; Breathe; On The laborative albums, Electronica 1 and the strumentation (a guitar here, a sax there),
Run; Time; The Great Gig In The Sky/Money; Us And Them; Any
Colour You Like; Brain Damage; Eclipse. (49:12)
new Electronica 2: The Heart Of Noise with Spaghetti Western sounds, dub-bass
Personnel: Boris Savoldelli, vocals, electronics; Raffaele Casarano, (Columbia 88875196672; 74:14 ++), spaciousness and hip-hop rhythms part of
saxophone, electronics; Marco Bardoscia, bass, electronics; Dewa
Budjana, guitar (6); WK569, background sound manipulation (6,
feature impressive lineups, with the first a mix that feels very human. DB
7); Maurizio Nobili, reciter (5, 9). ranging from Tangerine Dream and Pete Ordering info: ishtar.it
Ordering info: moonjune.com

Mimi Jones Band. His time with Brian Blades
Fellowship Band and with vocalists Cassandra
Wilson and Lizz Wright fits perfectly with
Jones soul-infused, autumnal singing and
broad range as an instrumentalist.
Theres an easygoing familiarity to Jones
Lyman Place, which was inspired by pia-
nist Bertha Hope, but the album also features
moments of gravity. The mournful Applause
was penned for the late Rebecca Buxtons suicide
after battling with depression. Its highlighted
by the authors understated, ethos-laden vocal
delivery. Later, an uptempo workout about life
in the Big Apple, The Grinder recalls the lega-
cy of 52nd Street, and The Min-Or Way, ded-
icated to Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus
Mimi Jones and Ornette Coleman, showcases Samir Zarifs John Daversa
Feet In The Mud assured soprano saxophone tone. Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music Of
HOT TONE A major highlight, Jones Happy is dedicat- The Beatles
++++ ed to her husband, pianist Luis Perdomo, who is BFM JAZZ 302 062 433 2
represented as both producer of the album and +++
As both a bandleader and head of the Hot Tone composer of the jubilant title track. A mellow
Music label, Mimi Jones continually makes examination of The Beatles Blackbird con- In spite of all the books, tribute albums and
intriguing creative choices. For her fourth cludes the ablum as a nice coda. documentaries, there is always something to
album, the bassist/vocalist presents nine trio Yoshi Kato say about the Beatles. On Kaleidoscope Eyes,
numbers and three quartet tunes. She also sings trumpeter-composer John Daversa tries to say
on half the tracksfour originals with lyrics Feet In The Mud: Mr. Poo Poo; American; Elevate; The-Min-Or all of it, rebuilding all or part of a dozen Beatles
Way; Fall; Lyman Place; Applause; One 4JB; The Grinder; Happy;
plus wordless vocals on her own One 4JB and Feet In The Mud; Blackbird. (55:07) songs using his Progressive Big Band, which
Wayne Shorters Fall. Personnel: Mimi Jones, bass, vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10); Samir Zarif, includes 65 instrumentalists and singers. And
soprano saxophone (4, 5, 8); Jon Cowherd, piano, Rhodes (1, 10, 11);
Splitting time between piano and Fender Jonathan Barber, drums. in trying to say everything at once, Daversa
Rhodes, Jon Cowherd jells as a member of the Ordering info: hottonemusic.com sometimes makes a good point; other times, he
trips over his own words.
The album, recorded live, is full of varied
textures and creative ideas. Time signatures
Dan Pratt shift unexpectedly, solos crash land in the mid-
Hymn For The Happy Man dle of songs, and only Good Day Sunshine
SAME ISLAND MUSIC 1601 gets anything at all like a straight cover.
+++ But problems arise on I Saw Her Standing
A bold yet subtle saxophonist, Dan Pratt shows There, which neglects its title tune in favor of a
his three-dimensional musicality as a versa- disjointed pile-up, with an awkward rap verse
tile composer and leader on his fourth album. that sounds like it came from another album.
Shifting from his previous incarnation in the Likewise, Here Comes The Sun nicely dis-
organ trio zone, he asserts himself beautifully sects the source material, but then gets bogged
in the classic quartet format. Its a commanding down in an interminable synthesizer solo.
quartet at that, bolstered by ever-on-the-spot Daversa is a talented arranger who clearly is
bassist Christian McBride, drummer Gregory inspired by this material, but Kaleidoscope Eyes
Hutchinson and pianist Mike Eckroth. is often too much of a mouthful to clearly artic-
On this date, recorded late in 2013 but just ulate what he has to say.
out this year, Pratt is clearly the lead voice in Joe Tangari
the mix, but remains attentive to the ensem- ly sparkly, but the stronger tune of the lot is Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music Of The Beatles: Good Day Sun-
shine; And I Love Her; Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds; Here Comes
ble work/play ethic. His elegance and creative Junket, with a folky-spidery melody reminis- The Sun; Do You Want To Know A Secret; I Saw Her Standing There;
cent of late 70s Keith Jarrett. Michelle; Kaleidoscope Eyes Medley (With A Little Help From My
fire seem to resonate with the album coveran Friends; Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da; Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band;
amiably bizarre Magritte-esque image of a well- The band closes with a take on Kurt Weills I Am The Walrus); Good Day Sunshine (Reprise). (60:22)
Personnel: John Daversa, trumpet, EVI, vocals; Jeff Driskill, Phil
dressed man with his horn and bowler hat, but Speak Low, with added transitional material OConnor, Tom Peterson, Phil Feather, Katisse Buckingham, Bob
and a powerhouse tenor solo which starts out in Carr, Nancy Newman, reeds; Bill Booth, Alex Iles, Paul Young,
minus the man himself. The image projects the George Thatcher, Chad Bernstein, Tyler Giroux, Javier Nero, Chris
musicians delicate balance of confidence and angular mode but heads outward and upward Palowitch, Will Wulfeck, trombone; Craig Gosnell, Guy Manning,
tuba; Ron King, Bijon Watson, Glenda Smith, Rob Schaer, Jay Dav-
humility, of being both in-the-moment and from there. ersa, Daniel Rosenboom, Aaron Smith, Derek Ganong, Jesus Mato
Jr., trumpet; Tommy King, piano, keyboards; Andrew Synowiec,
keen to the musical overview. Josef Woodard guitar; Nick Mancini, vibraphone; Jerry Watts Jr., bass; Gene Coye,
Things kick off boldly but not necessarily drums; Joe Martone, percussion; Susan Chatman, Peter Kent,
Hymn For The Happy Man: Gross Blues; New Day; River; Gina Kronstadt, Songa Lee, Jordan Slocum, Yihuan Zhao, Sharon
Warsaw; Junket; Riddle Me Rhumba; Hymn For The Happy Man;
characteristically with the cool, angular Gross Speak Low. (59:53).
Jackson, Kathleen Robertson, violin; Matt Nabours, Kate Reddish,
Jimbo Ross, viola; Peggy Baldwin, Giovanna Clayton, Paula
Blues, its mix of propulsion and quirks sug- Personnel: Dan Pratt, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone; Mike Hochhalter, Liza Liu, Judy Kang, Nika Ross, cello; Genevieve Artadi,
Eckroth, piano; Christian McBride, bass; Gregory Hutchinson, Zane Carney, Carol Huston, Kate Reid, Ann Sheridan, Greg Whipple,
gesting Monk in the shadows. The title track drums. choir; Christine Guter, Renee Olstead, vocals.
is metrically tricky but somehow melodical- Ordering info: danpratt.com Ordering info: bfmjazz.com

Historical / BY JOHN EPHLAND
Peter Erskine (left), Palle Danielsson and John Taylor
Lean Forward: Erskines Trio Years

Youd never guess that one day, drummer where serenity, quietude and deep listen-
Peter Erskineinitially famous for his emer- ing go hand in hand, and the album ends
gent work in the big bands of Stan Kenton with the only standard they covered on
and Maynard Ferguson, and later in the fu- disc, Cole Porters Everything I Love.
sion outfit Weather Reportwould resurface When Time Being arrived, it was obvi-
as the leader of a piano trio both radical in ous how embedded the trios shared lan-
concept and soft-spoken in tone. But from guage had become. Terraces is evidence.
1992 to 1997, after very instructive trio stints The song is simple yet ornate, pensive yet
(first with guitarist John Abercrombie and wayward, thoroughly melodic but with no
bassist Marc Johnson, then with saxophonist apparent center. This shared communion
Jan Garbarek and bassist Miroslav Vitous), Er- of musical spirits deepens with Erskines
skine set up shop with pianist John Taylor and For The Time Being. Quietly but restless-
double-bassist Palle Danielsson. ly inconclusive, the music sounds like one
The groups four albums are collected person playing three instruments, moving
in the four-CD set As It Was (ECM 2490- in and out, never separate.
93; 58:39/64:21/57:14/50:45 +++++). Textures reveal more subtle contrasts on
When one of those albums was originally As It Is, starting with Taylors Glebe Ascend-
reviewed in an issue of DownBeat from the ing. Erskines natural affinities with colorvia
1990s, the predominant critique was that the metals and skins of his drumsmix with
there was no there, there. But a serene Danielssons gentle counterpoint and Taylors
re-listening of New Old Age may turn ascending lines to suggest a dance of sorts,
the tides. The song begins with Taylor on the three weaving their respective voices to-
solo piano, his playing circular and delib- gether. Erskines pen shines particularly bright
erate. One could easily get the impression with The Lady In The Lake, a wistful tune
that the trio was trying for a version of that suggests a Kenny Wheeler influence.
aimlessness as they sidestepped the usu- More bounce comes with Taylors Episode,
al solo-based format of a traditional piano featuring a lively yet controlled Erskine. The
trio. But as Erskine says in the liner notes, busy unison lines keep all three on their toes.
his intent was to find a way of playing that Juni begins with the abstract Prelude
would get audiences to lean forward in No. 2. Taylors light touch on piano leads
their seats, where the trio would consider into dual soloing by the others before all
solos to be non-events, and where the arc three finish together, maintaining their
of the tune didnt need any visible peaks. rubato feel. Wheelers danceable For Jan,
Was he taking that Weather Report idea of by contrast, feels like a song. With the melo-
we solo but we never solo and applying it dy first stated by Erskine, the tune becomes
to the piano trio? These four CD titlesYou a relaxed swinger that gracefully slides
Never Know (1993), Time Being (1994), As It Is from 4/4 into 3/4 en route to a gorgeous
(1996) and Juni (1997)seem to hint at this theme. Erskines Twelve swings with teas-
kind of suspended animation. ing fervor, Taylor trying to find something
On You Never Know, Taylors Evans sweet to turn it right side up. The beautiful
Above points to the abstraction that was Namasti quietly closes out this chapter in
to come. In the meantime, his Clapper- music, reminding us this stuff hasnt aged
clowe is both playful and driving. Erskines one bit. Probably never will. DB
On The Lake brings us back to that place Ordering info: ecmrecords.com

Books / BY PETER MARGASAK
Talk to Me
Although the Internet has wrought dramat-
ic changes in journalism, there are still more
people than ever writing non-classical music
criticism. Its easy to forgetor to never real-
izethat once upon a time there was a serious
dearth of serious jazz criticism.
Few figures helped change that situa-
tion as much as Ralph J. Gleason, who was
arguably the first writer to cover jazz and
pop music for a mainstream daily newspa-
per, the San Francisco Chronicle, beginning Jason Palmer/
in the early 1950s. He had tastes that ex- Cdric Hanriot
tended beyond mainstream jazzhe inter- City Of Poets
viewed Frank Sinatra and Fats Domino, and WHIRLWIND 4687
he was one of the first critics to recognize
the genius of Lenny Bruce. He composed
+++
dozens of jazz album liner notes and he The case for City Of Poets revolves around a
co-founded the Monterrey Jazz Festival. He French/American jazz exchange program
was also an associated editor and critic for (involving the French-American Cultural
DownBeat.
Exchange and Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation),
Gleason had a deep love and under-
and is also based around Olivier Messiaens
standing of jazz, bringing a scholarly rigor clear in 1961 when he asked Horace Silver,
to his work. Conversations in Jazz: The When you write out new things for the seven modes of limited transposition, as well
Ralph J. Gleason Interviews (Yale Uni- group, how much is actually written? as American author Dan Simmons science-fic-
versity Press) collects fourteen in-depth Some interviews revolve around ex- tion series Hyperion Cantos.
interviews with legendary musicians he istential issuessuch as when Coltrane American trumpeter Jason Palmer and
conducted from his home in Berkeley, Cal- discusses whether he feels a sense of re- French pianist/composer Cdric Hanriot have
ifornia, between 1959 and 61with the sponsibility to the listener. The saxophon- created an improvisational concept that takes
exception of his talk with Duke Ellington, ist responds, clearly delving deep inside of mainstream jazz styles and links them to lit-
which occurred as part of a TV broadcast. himself: Ive found that sometimes just me erary and artistic archetypes, including the
The meticulous transcriptions indicate a having a good time isnt enough for people
poet, the detective and the soldier. The groups
remarkable level of respect the various sub- at all times. There are some things that have
other memberstenor saxophonist Donny
jects felt for GleasonEllington even says, I to be considered, too. Maybe I get a kick out
feel like Im on the same level with you be- of staying up playing the hardest song I can McCaslin, bassist Michael Janisch and drum-
cause you have proven that you are a great find or doing some things that are to me mer Clarence Pennhelp usher forth their col-
listener. Its extremely rare to encounter very clever, where this man here dont know leagues ambitious program in this live record-
interviews today where an artist shares as nothing about it ... As to what I want to ac- ing at Londons Pizza Express Jazz Club.
much as figures like John Coltrane, Sonny tually convey, what I really want to say with Everyone is fully present and in good form
Rollins and Bill Evans did with him. Indeed, the music, I havent gotten it together yet. on this album, and the live recording gives a
nearly all of these encounters feel much A similar sense of humility surfaces in real sense of presence. Opener The Priests Tale
more like conversations than interviews. the Rollins interview, where the saxophon- (Mode II) begins with Penns tart stick drum-
There are fascinating philosophical col- ist admits that bad performance can have
ming and a touch of funk. The lively waltz is a
lisions expressed by different subjects. Diz- an adverse affect on him: The other night,
good platform to introduce the players, espe-
zy Gillespie insists that solos shouldnt be for instance, I sounded bad to myself and I
extremely long, saying, Give me two and felt very depressed all night. cially McCaslin. The Poets Tale (Mode V)
a half choruses and thats it. On the oth- As illuminating as some of the inter- features Palmers fiery yet sweet trumpet and
er hand, Rollins mentions playing a single views are, others offer pure delight, such as McCaslins enjoyable low-key runs. The rhythm
piece for a whole set at Birdland, saying, If players like Connie Kay or Philly Joe Jones section playfully works around the duo, goos-
its good, the people dont even realize that spinning yarns and talking about formative ing the 5/4 vibe with aplomb.
its so long because theyre all engrossed. experiences. With certain figures who work At its best, City Of Poets beckons the listen-
Gleason probed into mildly technical out ideas as they speak, such as John Lew- er to activate their imagination, challeng-
questions about creativity that helped il- is, the interview transcriptions can make ing them to combine multiple art forms, see
luminate the artistic core of his subjects for difficult reading, but by and large these
characters come alive and invent their own
like asking Coltrane if he runs new tunes documents are as entertaining and grip-
informed storyline.
through his mind before playing them, or ping as they are historically valuable.
questioning Evans about if the endless striv- Time and again Gleason helps an artist John Ephland
ing for originality in jazz can inhibit a natural explain his essence at a crucial point in his City Of Poets: The Priests Tale (Mode II); The Soldiers Tale (Mode IV);
The Poets Tale (Mode V); The Scholars Tale (Mode III); The Detectives
way of playing. Over the last five-and-a-half career, capturing a very important moment Tale (Mode VII); The Shrike (Mode I); The Consuls Tale (Mode VI).
decades, so much about jazz practice has in time. DB Personnel: Jason Palmer, trumpet; Cedric Hanriot, piano; Donny
McCaslin, tenor saxophone; Michael Janisch, double-bass; Clarence
become well known, but things were less Ordering info: yalebooks.com
Penn, drums.
Ordering info: whirlwindrecordings.com

Nels Cline.
Bob Marleys Get Up, Stand Up, with vocals by Cibo Matto, Man In The Mirror with Becca
Stevens aping Michael Jackson, and a version of I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
that lacks the force of Nina Simones rendition are more typical of the sounds on this album.
j. poet
Song Of Lahore: Blue Pepper (Far East Of The Blues); Shelter From the Storm; Yes We Can Can; Man In The Mirror; Speak; (Whats So
Funny Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding; Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child/Mai Ni; Get Up, Stand Up/Shalamar; The Sound Of
Wonder (Dama Dam Mast Qalander); Loves In Need Of Love Today; Laila Lo Laila; I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free; Give Me Love
(Give Me Peace On Earth). (54:04)
Personnel: Baqir Abbas, bansuri flute, Hammond B-3, vocals; Asad Ali, guitar, vocals; Ballu Khan, tabla, vocals; Najaf Ali, dholak, gara;
Rafiq Ahmed, duff, dholak, naal; Nijat Ali, violin, harmonium, vocals, percussion; Mustafa Bahghat, sitar; Saleem Khan, violin; Michael Leon-
hart, keyboards, percussion; Bill Laurance, clavinet, Hammond B-3; Tim Luntzel, bass; Brian Wolfe, drums, percussion; Dave Eggar, cello;
Entcho Todorov, viola; Marika Hughes, cello; Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; Nels Cline, guitar, vocals; Derek Trucks, slide guitar; Sean Lennon
(6), Jim James (10), Miho Hatori (8), Yuka Honda (8), Susan Tedeschi (2), Bilal (3), Becca Stevens (4), Meryl Streep (5), Madeleine Peyroux (7),
La Marisoul (12), Seu Jorge (13), vocals.
Ordering info: thesachalensemble.com
The Sachal Ensemble

Song Of Lahore
UNIVERSAL MUSIC CLASSICS
++
In the 1960s and 70s, Lahore, Pakistans second
largest city, was the center of the countrys film
industry. The distinctive sound of Lollywood
rivaled Mumbais Bollywood for its mass
appeal. In 1977, a conservative regime enforced
Sharia Law and music was outlawed. Musicians
were persecuted.
At the turn of the new century, producer
Izzat Majeed put together The Sachal Ensemble,
a group of aging musicians intent on preserv-
ing their culture. With interest in tradition-
al music waning, they experimented with jazz
and Western pop.
After an arrangement of the Dave Brubeck/
Paul Desmond standard Take Five went viral
on YouTube, Wynton Marsalis invited them
to New York to play with the Jazz at Lincoln
Center Orchestra.
Documentary filmmakers followed the
group from Lahore to New York and the result-
ing film, Song of Lahore, tells the story of the
ensembles determination to keep playing
music in a hostile environment. While they
were in New York, they laid down some of
the tracks for this album, a collaboration with
American jazz, folk, blues and pop artists.
Unhappily, the back-story is more compel-
ling than the music. Most of the tracks present
world music tailored for Westerners who dont
want to leave their comfort zone. Exceptions
include Duke Ellingtons Blue Pepper, which
has a solid Pakastani rhythmic foundation and
beautiful solos from Marsalis on trumpet and
Baqir Abbas on bansuri flute, and Speak,
a piece based on a traditional tune featuring
Meryl Streep reading a poem by Faiz Ahmed
Faiz.
The folk song Laila Lo Laila features Ballu
Khans impressive tabla work and winning
vocals from Abbas. But the songs bright-
est moment is a steamy duel between Mustafa
Bahghats sitar and the electric guitar of Wilcos

Woodshed MASTER CLASS
BY JEB PATTON
Jeb Patton
Comping Rule #1: Make it Feel Good

A
bout eight years ago I started on a journey to uncover some of as part of a bigger musical picture, excels at comping. Being a great com-
the mysteries of jazz piano comping. More interested in the per means providing a groove and a rich harmonic backdrop, and main-
actual rhythms and voicings as played by the jazz masters them- taining the perfect balance between reacting, initiating and remaining
selves rather than generic voicings, I struggled to slowly transcribe com- staticall while remaining sensitive, creative and responsive.
ping from some of my favorite recordings. After years of going through Mulgrew Miller has an incredible YouTube video on this subject. In
this process and trying to fit what I transcribed with some of the jazz the- it, he demonstrates his love of the art of comping and states the impor-
ory I had learned from years studying and playing as a New York jazz tance of practicing comping alone. He then comps several choruses of F
musician, I came up with the idea of workbooks designed to help jazz blues by himself. Its a perfect illustration of perhaps the most important
piano students get better at comping. rule of comping: Make it feel good.
The basic idea: Comp along with classic jazz records using the exact This brings us back to the earlier question: How? One thing that
voicings and rhythms as played by pianists like Bud Powell, Barry can get you started in the right direction is to practice rhythmic phras-
Harris, Horace Silver, Tadd Dameron, Red Garland, Sonny Clark, Bobby es taken directly from the language of jazz piano comping. The jazz pia-
Timmons, Ahmad Jamal, Wynton Kelly, Hank Jones, Bill Evans, McCoy nists from the 40s, 50s and 60s were definitely using a shared comping
Tyner and Herbie Hancockand, at the same time, try to discern whats language that is still used today. Moreover, in the language are sever-
going on musically. This became the basis of my two books published al rhythms designed to give a dance-like feeling, deepen the groove and
by Sher Music: An Approach to Comping, The Essentials and Vol. 2, An make it feel good.
Approach to Comping, Advanced Concepts and Techniques.
In the end, the workbooks serve as a workout routine for pianistsas
something to inspire jazz piano students and at the same time put them Lets examine three of these groove-producing rhythms:
in the right frame of mind for accompanying. The books were never Rhythm 1: The Charleston (C). The Charleston is both a rhythm
meant to be how-to guidesthats something that may be forever elu- and a dance craze from the 1920s. The basic rhythm played over a generic
sive. There are too many variables, differing contexts and tastes to ever boogie-woogie left-hand figure is illustrated in Figure 1. The triplet nota-
break down jazz comping into a set of definitive steps. tion is meant to help with getting the right feel. Practice with a metro-
Still, I am always seeking ways to work on my own comping and nome or a drummer playing a shuffle rhythm. Make sure the hands line
challenge students to pay more attention to their comping. From my up rhythmically when practicing the following comping rhythms.
interviews with Tootie Heath, Renee Rosnes, Harold Mabern and Peter Rhythm 2: Bud Powell (BP). Im labeling two hits in succession off
Bernstein (which appear in the back of my workbooks), I was struck by a the beat as Bud Powell. In my studies, I discovered that the jazz piano
recurring theme: To be a good accompanist or comper requires a certain giant favored this comping rhythm as a way to propel the rhythm sec-
sensibility. It calls for someone who derives deep enjoyment from being a tion. See Figure 2.
supporting member of the group. Often, a player who loves the feeling of Rhythm 3: Who Parked the Car (WPC). This is in honor of my
accompanying, or someone who can hear him/herself in the background mentor, Paul Jeffrey. In my early days he would often tell me to play this

rhythm if I wasnt sure how to comp behind him. Who Parked the Car Figure 5 shows the Charleston in three-beat phrases applied to the
is analogous to Oop Bop Shbam from the bebop era. See Figure 3. first four bars of a blues. Notice how the harmony is anticipated up to a
Interestingly, Who Parked the Car is a composite of Bud Powell and beat early to accommodate the comping rhythm. In The Essentials youll
the Charleston if the rhythms are displaced. We will explore this sub- find Horace Silver uses a variation of this cross rhythm for two choruses
ject a little later. during Blowin The Blues Away.
For beginners, its fun to link together the three rhythms in their Figure 6 shows Bud Powell in three-beat phrases applied to the first
default positions. For example, you could comp the first four measures four bars of a blues.
of a C blues by linking together BP, C, WPC and a measure of rest. See Figure 7 shows Who Parked the Car in three-beat phrases applied
Figure 4. Now, instead of using triplet notation, the rhythms are writ- to the first four bars of a blues.
ten in eighth-note notation to make it easier to read. Instead of counting Now experiment with linking the three comping rhythms, this time
numbers, you can simply say, in rhythm, Bud Powell, Charl-ston, Who using them in their default position or displacing them. This means you
Parked (the) Car. In this way youre beginning to speak the comping lan- can start the Charleston rhythm on any downbeat or upbeat. BP and
guage of jazz. This is also a fun way to introduce jazz to kids. (Note: You WPC must start on an upbeat. For example, see Figure 8.
can vary the length of each hit. In the beginning its OK to play every-
thing short. As your comping develops, youll want to play a mix of long
and short notes.) Here are two comping games you can play with a horn player, or
Get creative. Experiment linking together the three comping using your right hand as the solo voice and comping with your left hand.
rhythms. Feel free to interject a measure of rest. Space is a valuable tool After each phrase the soloist (or your RH) plays, the comper (or LH)
when comping. Then apply the linked phrases to a 12-bar blues. answers with an upbeat, downbeat or comping rhythm.
More advanced students can experiment with displacement. To get Rule #1: No overlapping. The comper must wait for the soloist to fin-
started, try each comping rhythm in three-beat phrases. Then apply to ish the phrase and the soloist must wait for the comper to finish the com-
a blues, either with a rhythm section or alone with the left-hand boo- ping rhythm.
gie-woogie figure. Rule #2: The reaction time has to be quick. The comper must react
Figure 1: Charleston (C) Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 2: Bud Powell (BP)
Figure 8
Figure 3: Who Parked the Car (WPC)
Figure 9: Comping Game 1
Figure 4
Figure 10: Comping Game 2
Figure 5

within two beats from the end of the soloists phrase. words, do not comp on the downbeat immediately after a solo phrase
Comping Game 1: On the Beat/Off the Beat. To accurately play the ending on an upbeat. Figure 9 on the previous page shows an example of
three rhythms outlined above, it is important to practice downbeats and this kind of interchange during the first four bars of a blues between RH
upbeats, i.e. playing on the beat and off the beat. React to the soloist by (soloist) and LH (comper). In this case the solo phrases are short and the
answering his/her phrase within two beats with a hit on the beat or off reaction time is within one beat. Feel free to vary the lengths of phrases
the beat. If the solo phrase ends on the beat, you may play a hit an eighth and reaction times.
note, quarter note, dotted quarter note or half note after the end of the Comping Game 2: Charleston, Bud Powell, Who Parked the
phrase; if the solo phrase ends off the beat, you may play a hit a quarter Car. React to the soloist by answering his/her phrase with one of the
note, dotted quarter note or half note after the end of the phrase. In other three comping rhythms discussed earlier (C, BP or WPC), either dis-
placed or in its default position. Remember, the Charleston rhythm can
Figure 11: Horace Silver comps behind Miles Davis start on a downbeat or an upbeat; Bud Powell and Who Parked the
Car must start on an upbeat. Figure 10 on the previous page is an exam-
ple of this kind of interaction between soloist (RH) and comper (LH)
during the first four bars of a blues.
Advanced students can play the comping game by mixing the three
comping rhythms together with upbeats and downbeats to create an
extensive rhythmic palette.
At this time, we need to step back from the rhythmic details and see
the bigger picture. The comping transcriptions of the great jazz pianists
hold up as satisfying pieces of music in their own right. To the masters,
comping is not merely playing chords in rhythm, but rather its about cre-
ating in real time a beautiful, complete and tuneful accompaniment that
is well orchestrated and conceived.
This layer in the music should be able to stand on its own as a fully
developed musical statement. If you were to mute all of the other tracks
except for the piano comping track, it should sound complete. Hank
Jones comping on Falling In Love With Love from Kenny Dorhams
Jazz Contrasts (included in An Approach to Comping: Vol. 2, Advanced
Concepts and Techniques) immediately comes to mind, and is a shin-
ing example of this ideal. I find his comping to be hauntingly beautiful
by itself, as a solo piece. When playing it with Joe Magnarelli (as part of
the play-along/demo CDs accompanying the workbook), I was surprised
how well it fit with any solo Magnarelli played. He was freely improvising
as I was reading the transcription. Jones comping is so strong and cor-
rect, it seems to complement any solo played along with it. This also high-
lights the importance of providing the cushion for the soloist as opposed
to focusing only on reacting or initiating.
Finally, as proof that the rhythms studied above actually do come
from the post-bop comping tradition, lets examine an actual comping
transcription. The first chorus of Horace Silvers comping behind Miles
Davis on Airegin from the 1957 album Bags Groove on Prestige is illus-
trated in Figure 11. For clarity, the three rhythms C, BP and WPC are
labeled. As you can see, its chock-full of the Charleston, Bud Powell
and Who Parked the Car comping rhythms. To view the entire tran-
scription, see An Approach to Comping: The Essentials.
I strongly recommend playing the transcription along with the
record, as it allows you to get inside the music more completely. Its
almost like reading Horace Silvers mind and discovering how he feels
the rhythm and navigates the changes. All of the subtleties come to
light when you do this. You become aware of the time-feel, the touch,
the sound of the piano and the sound of the rhythm section. Notice
how the music locks up when playing along with Percy Heath and
Kenny Clarke. This feeling of swing is something rare these days.
Its not about playing hard or playing loud; its about intensity and
feeling. Its hard not to smileafter all, Horace Silver is making the
music feel good. DB
Jeb Patton has toured throughout the United States and abroad as the pianist with the Heath
Brothers, Charles McPherson, Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band,
Sachal Vasandani, Dmitry Baevsky and Roberta Gambarini, as well as with his own trio. Patton
has recorded two CDs as a leader: Shades And Tones (Cellar Live) in 2015 and New Strides
(MaxJazz) in 2009. In addition, he has written two books published by Sher Music: An Approach
to Comping: the Essentials and An Approach to Comping: Vol. 2, Advanced Concepts and
Techniques.

Woodshed PRO SESSION
BY ENOCH SMITH JR.
%ULQJLQJWKH*RVSHOWR-D]]$0LVWV7KHPH
I
love gospel music. Its haunting tones solicit a response like no other.
J. GABRIELLA SMITH
Somebody shout, Hallelujah! Can I get an Amen? Waitbefore
you do, lets explore this a bit more closely.
The gospel feeling found in jazz is heavenly to these ears, but gospel
music is quite the paradox. It comprises the musical spirit of a people kid-
napped from a beautiful homeland, enslaved, stripped of most of their
culture, language, separated from their families and introduced (many
forced to convert) to Christianity. Hence the religious term gospel.
Accordingly, before there was black gospel music, there was pain and
sorrow in the hearts of an oppressed people communicated through the
negro spiritual. Can you hear the music?
Sonny Stitt said in a 1965 interview with Les Tomkins: Theres no
new path to jazz. Jazz is jazz. They can mix the notes up however they
want to, but theres no way to change it. Theyve gained knowledge,
sure, but all this came from the servitude of the slaves. They used to be Enoch Smith Jr.
so unhappy theyd go down there and be moaning, and singing songs.
Thats all they could do. So thats how it started. Spiritual musicthatll up measure. In Example 4, we take beats 3 and 4 of the pickup measure
never change. (Source: The National Jazz Archive, United Kingdom.) and play:
Of course, brother Sonny was right on the money. These songs, I/III for one count.
chanted like healing incantations by converted slaves working in plan- IVm6 for one count.
tation fields, were thought to lift the spirit of those laboring. Those spiri- Another common variation is to begin on beat 2 of the pickup and
tuals later birthed the blues (an equally sorrowful song) and along came add a #IV diminished chord as shown in Example 5:
Thomas A. Dorsey, who brought blues and the negro spiritual, con- I/III for one count.
summated, to the black church. This sound is what became known as ii/IV for one count.
black gospel, with Dorsey credited as its father. While he created neither #IV diminished for one count.
the spiritual nor the blues, I believe it was his understanding of both that Examples 25 show a variety of combinations that can be played to
allowed him to fuse the two voices. You see, his father was a minister suit the tone of the gospel-infused song. A listen to some gospel record-
but his mother was a piano teacher and he learned to play the blues as a ings will reveal many different variations in meter, rhythm, harmony
young man. and tempo, including the use of dominant chords to replace some of the
I share this to offer insight into the rich and painful history of African minor ones.
music inspired by oppression in America. Before adding any technique
to your sound, there should be an understanding deep enough to form a
logical if not spiritual connection to its application. Some characteristics of the gospel-infused sound include a call and
That being said, Id like to share some concepts of the black gospel response-styled melody derived from the plantation field songs and later
style and their application to jazz. in prison chain gang chants. You can find this stylized in the classic
compositions Work Song by Nat Adderley and Moanin by Bobby
Timmons.
Very much like jazz standards, Thomas Dorseys gospel sound had a Ill use a portion of my original composition Mt. Olive Hop to
standard form derived partly from the traditional blues structure. demonstrate this idea. See Example 6.
See Example 1. At the end of this form is a turnaround that has become The first phrase begins with a syncopated call with a shorter group
common to gospel and can be applied to any song that contains a iii response. The second call phrase is a variation of the first with the
viiiVI harmonic structure. Lets use this common turnaround as an response from the group remaining the same.
example of how to use gospel sensibility in jazz harmony. You may find I use the same call-and-response pattern (like an escalating field
this most useful in song forms that contain blues or rhythm changes. chant) modulated up a minor third, then a whole step from there before
First lets play it as written in Example 2. breaking off into another staple of the gospel sound, the #IV diminished
Notice the turnaround chord changes are kept diatonic to the key. To chord. This typically resolves to I/V, but in this case I begin the turn-
add a gospel approach to this feel, we substitute as shown in Example 3: around in F, and through another iiV series we return to the key of C.
V/I replaces the iii chord. Although this is somewhat morphed from its original state, the con-
ii/vi for one count and ii/I for one count replaces vi. nections remain clear. The last bar includes a chromatic climb to the V7
iim7 becomes ii. chord (as in our previous example) before returning to the beginning of
iii/V for one count and ii/V for one count replace V. the form, much like the blues form. This same phrase can be found in
I to IV replaces the I chord and resolves (predictably) in the next Thomas Dorseys gospel composition Old Ship Of Zion and in reverse
measure. fashion in Its A Highway To Heaven, which also features a call-and-re-
This is the meat, but to truly complete this feel, we need to add a pick- sponse format.

ting to heaven and receiving their reward. It served as my first musical
My first year at the Berklee College of Music, I discovered the music training ground, and I was happy to participate in any capacity.
of Timmons. I was immediately drawn to the recognizable sound in his Later, I came to know this sound as Duke Ellington, Timmons,
melodies: gospel. Timmons compositions were said to have been sim- Jimmy Smith, Gene Harris, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Albert Ammons,
ple in form, and it was said that he did not like the assertion that he only Pete Johnson and, much later, Eric Reed and Cyrus Chestnut.
composed simple music. He was a misfit of sorts. However, I would The marriage of jazz and gospel is complicated at best and surely
counter that he made music in the tradition of his ancestors and left steeped in sorrow. It can encompass pure joy only because of those who
room for improvisation and development. toiled ground they could not own and laid the foundation for the song we
Its my belief that jazz would not exist in the form it does today if not sing. I envision this music as a vehicle for sharing that story, for passing
for black gospel music and its contributors. This may or may not ring on this complex historya history held together by tension from all sides.
true for you. I guess that depends on your particular jazz leanings and I neglected to mention something rather significant: Dorseys gos-
where you met this social music in the first place. pel music was not received well initially. Ministers did not want it sung
I met her at the Greater Adams Street Church of God By Faith, a in their churches because of its worldly tinge. Dorsey had to organize his
Pentecostal (or holiness) congregation where along with God and love, own gatherings to share the music in the early days. So it seems he was
music reigned supreme. I didnt recognize what I heard every Sunday as also a misfit until he wasnt. DB
jazz; to me it was church music. It was Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, James
Cleveland and Daryl Coley. It was the Mississippi Mass Choir and the Allentown, New Jersey-based pianist-composer Enoch Smith Jr.s musical approach is steeped
Georgia Mass Choir. It was the syncopation of Hammond organ, drums in his ongoing work as a church pianist and the sounds of such late gospel keyboard greats as
James Cleveland and Thomas Whitfield. His working quartet is at the core of his latest CD, Misfits
and bass. It was the moans of elderly grandmothers who sang about get- II: Pop (MisfitMe Music), as well as its predecessor, Misfits. He can be contacted at misfitme.com.
Example 1 Example 4
Example 5
Example 6
Example 2
Example 3

Woodshed SOLO
BY JIMI DURSO
MICHAEL JACKSON
Dr. Lonnie Smith
'U/RQQLH6PLWKV2UJDQ6ROR
RQ$QG7KH:RUOG:HHSV
A
nd The World Weeps, from organist Something else Smith does that adds to this
Dr. Lonnie Smiths 2009 album Rise sense of rhythmic freedom is ending phrases
Up! (Palmetto), is a slow march, like a after the downbeat. When a phrase concludes
funeral dirge. Its a heavily emotional song, and on the downbeat, it creates a strong sense of res-
deceptively simple. There are only three chords olution, especially on a chord change. By end-
(I, VI and V in Dm) played in an eight-bar ing phrases later, it produces more of a feeling
sequence. Smith sticks to quarter notes on the of delayed resolution, such as in measures 3, 5,
roots in his left hand, locking in with the drums 15, 17 and 28. The very end of his solo is a great
and adding to the heaviness of the mood. His example, where he lands on a G, the fourth of
improvisation occurs mostly in the low reach- the chord, on the downbeat, a very unresolved
es of the keyboard (the entire transcription is sound. He makes the listener wait until the
written an octave higher than it sounds), which third beat before he resolves down to the low
adds to the moodiness. root, giving us a delayed sense of finality.
The next thing to be aware of is how free Smith also builds the drama by using an old
Smith is with the rhythmic feel. At tempos this and common technique: He starts out with
slow, it can be quite effective to do as we hear slower rhythms and a lot of space, and plays
in this improvisation: playing sometimes ahead faster lines with less frequent rests and fewer
of the beat, sometimes behind it, and varying held notes as the solo progresses. Just compare
how much. The written rhythms should be seen the first four measures with the final four.
as approximations of what we hear, for even For melodic material, Smith stays mostly
though his left hand is rock-solid, Smiths right within the D blues scale. This is a particular-
hand floats freely above. For the fast lines, we ly effective scale for this progression, as the flat
hear Smith sometimes just cramming a bunch fifth (A/G#) is also the seventh of the VI chord
of notes into a beat, producing some odd rhyth- (B ). Smith leans on this note the first time this
mic groupings, such as in bars 22, 23 and 25. chord appears (measure 3), and favors this pitch

over the A natural when this chord next shows the fourth, leaving it harmonically vague, but
up (measure 11). This makes his lines fit the setting our ears up for something closer to D
harmony while still keeping it connected to aeolian or dorian, rather than the blues scale
the D minor tonality of the song. weve heard so much of.
In other spots, Smith deviates from the After moving through C, the top voice of
blues scale to fit the harmonies, as in bars this line drops down to B natural at the end of
56, when he leans on the E, the fifth of the the bar, but this immediately moves through
A7. He even throws in the third (C#). And the B on the way to A natural. This chromaticism
next time the A7 occurs (bar 13), he starts out creates a scalar ambiguity: Is the B natural a
with those same two notes, differentiating this passing tone in the D aeolian scale, or is the B
chord from the D blues scale. As the solo pro- a passing tone in the D dorian? Does it even
gresses, Smith deviates more frequently from matter?
the blues, adding more modal and chromat- Smith plays the BB A again, leaning on
ic ideas. Measures 2527, beginning his final this ambiguity, but makes it stronger by
time through the chord sequence, are a par- resolving to the A natural after the chord has
ticularly fine example. After starting out with changed to B 7, creating a strong dissonance.
the descending fifth of E and A (which implies He does resolve this to A (the seventh of the
an A chord, but playing them against the Dm chord) but then continues to G and F, bringing
creates a minor ninth sound), he moves this us back to the D blues scale. DB
interval down a whole step to D and G. So
even though the tension of the ninth has been Jimi Durso is a guitarist and bassist based in the New York
resolved to the tonic, the fifth has dropped to area. Visit him online at jimidurso.com.

Toolshed
Roland JUNO-DS
High-Performance Workstation
T
he JUNO-DS is Rolands newest performance workstation, and it internal vocoder, which sounds great.
comes in 61- and 88-key versions. I had the 88-key version for There are lots of other nice performance features included. The four
this review, and it is both light (35 pounds) and sturdy. It features knobs on the front panel can be set to control whatever parameters you
Rolands Ivory Feel-G keyboard, which has a light but pleasant action, and wish, and they have three-tier functionality, so you have command over
feels very good under the fingers. The JUNO-DS is mostly plastic con- basic filter functions and FX control with the touch of a button. The four
struction, but still feels very solid, and looks pro. The control panel features sliders are set up to control levels of the zones, the input and phrase pads.
a large LCD screen, four knobs and sliders for instant access to common The phrase pads are interesting: They can be set to control sequences,
sound design functions and performance parameters, and a set of phrase drum patterns, the arpeggiator and WAV playback. The pads can control
pads that can be used to trigger songs and samples. looping, tap tempo, muting and basic record functions, all depending on
The JUNO-DS features a whole new set of sounds designed for this how you press them.
series, including some really lovely pianos and organs, 30-plus drum kits The JUNO-DS has a built-in pattern sequencer thats great for getting
and the entire 1,000-plus sound set from the JUNO-DI. This brings the song ideas out quickly. It reminded me a little of the sequencers on
onboard sound total to more than 1,200, and users can download new the Ensoniq boards of the 80s and 90s in its ease of use. You can also
waveforms from the Roland website onto a USB drive and load them in record the arpeggiator into tracks, which is useful for creating interest-
(there are extra memory locations designated for this). You can even load ing textures. The arpeggiator in the JUNO-DS is robust and offers enough
in your own WAV files for playback. The sound set is widely varied and options to keep you playing around for hours.
represents high quality across the board. It is made up primarily of bread- The rear panel also has USB connectivity, and if you hook it up to your
and-butter sounds, but there are a few nice surprises, too. This machine is computer, the JUNO-DS has built-in DAW control on board. It comes
built to make sure that whatever genre you are performing, you have the with preset templates for Logic, Cubase and Sonar, but there are user slots
tools at your fingertips. that you can configure to the DAW of your choice. It can also function as a
This is a performance keyboard, so navigation has been well thought USB interface to your computer.
out for quick access. Sounds are divided into categories that are instant- Roland has done a nice job with the JUNO-DS of creating a mod-
ly accessible with a single button, and then you can quickly scroll through ern-sounding and modern-feeling workstation synth. It has all the bells
the sounds. Layering and splitting are set up in easy and intuitive ways, and whistles, but at its core, this is a very solid platform for performing
and the panel controls make it simple to adjust levels and mix on the fly. almost any style of music. Its extremely portable, even including battery
You can layer up to five sounds at once (called a Super Layer), so creating power, without giving up the feel of a professional keyboard. The sounds
huge pads and sequences is no problem, and you can create multiple zones are very good, as are the sequencer and arpeggiator, and at $999 for the
across the keyboard. There is also a mic input on the back that can process 88-key version ($699 for the 61-key), its worth a look if youre in the mar-
your vocal through internal effects (including pitch correction), alleviat- ket for a workstation. Chris Neville
ing the need for a separate PA on solo gigsa very nice touch, although it rolandus.com
is a quarter-inch input, so get your adapter ready. This input can

also be routed through the JUNO-DSs

Casio MZ-X500 Music Arranger
Workstation Technology Evolution
T
he first thing that stands out on Casios MZ-X500 is the pair of pow- everything from standard rock and pop grooves to modern dance-floor
erful 20-watt speakers sitting at either end of the 61-key worksta- pounders. The jazz settings are nice and include the necessary 5/4 option
tion. While not quite suitable for a full live-band setting, I can see for Dave Brubeck fans. Also included are a huge assortment of ethnic
these studio-quality speakers working well enough that you wouldnt need rhythms covering Latin, European, Middle Eastern and Asian styles.
to use additional amplification in smaller venues and solo settings. While On the modern tip, house and related styles are present, as well as some
that is what first grabbed my attention, there is much more that this porta- down-tempo and hip-hop. It seems like Casio really did its research.
ble professional keyboard can do. A welcome addition to the instrument are 16 MPC-type multi-pads
Billed as a music arranger, the MZ-X500 is part of Casios new flag- that are touch-sensitive and also respond to aftertouch. They can be used
ship MZ-X series (which also includes the slightly paired-down MZ-X300). to play samples, chord progressions, user-created phrases and articulations
It represents a major evolution in workstation technology. Some quick that affect the current sound being played from the keyboard. For instance,
highlights: a 5.3-inch color LCD touch-screen, 1,100 preset tones, 330 while playing a trumpet sound, a pad can be assigned to articulate slurs
rhythm patters, tone-wheel organ, MIDI and audio recorders, multi-pads and dives or other difficult-to-perform nuances.
for sampling, loop playback, articulation (with aftertouch for some nice Auto accompaniment is the bread-and-butter for this type of instru-
effects), and full USB support for MIDI/audio import and export. ment, and Casio has done some great work updating these features to make
This instrument seems to be designed for a couple different types of them quite powerful and musical (this is not your grandmas home organ).
consumers. First, I can see the one-person band getting a lot of mileage out Things mostly work as youd expect here with two intro buttons, four vari-
of the rhythm and auto-accompaniment features, which sound great and ations/fill-ins, break (which stops the current bar and starts back on the
offer a huge assortment of styles and sounds. Second, for the more casual 1a great time to hit some multi-pad samples), fade in/out (no more riding
or budding musician, this keyboard offers quite an array of fun and poten- the volume knob) and two ending variations. The Accomp button toggles
tially educational features. As a jazz pianist and educator, I can see many the harmonic accompaniment that will follow left-hand chords or single
applications in both learning by doing and more traditional pedagogy. notes. There is quite a bit of depth to this that goes well beyond the scope
That being said, this keyboard also makes it quite fun to jam and/or com- of this review. Casio has done a good job of keeping things simple, yet with
pose. While the keyboards piano-style touch is light, I was able to adjust the ability to go deep when needed.
my playing without experiencing any limitations. A few other noteworthy features are the 17-track MIDI recorder, which
The MZ-X500 covers a good swath of modern sonic territory. While should get you past any limitations to the auto accompaniment engine.
one might miss the ability to fully customize certain patches, that is not the Also unique to this model is HEX mode, which allows you to stack up to
domain of this type of instrument. Instead, one is free to explore in these six tones into one ensemble sound. This can be used, for instance, to cre-
categories: Piano, Organ, Guitar/Bass, Strings, Brass/Reed/Pipe, Synth, ate thick stabs that could then be sampled to a multi-pad or just played live.
Ethnic and Various (General MIDI sounds and drums). The grand piano Also, with a USB flash drive, one can easily make audio recordings of their
sounds are quite realistic and full. The 128-note polyphony really shines compositions/performances.
on the vibes and strings. While I didnt care for some of the wah set- Casio has certainly upped the ante in the world of music arrangers. The
tings, the electric pianos and clavinets are decent. Casio spent extra time MZ-X500 delivers in all the requisite areas and beyond. For someone who
on the organ setting, including nine physical drawbars (yeah!) and toggles spends a lot of time in a dark, basement studio, it was a joy to pick the
for slow/fast Leslie speed as well as second and third harmonics. While all keyboard up (with one armit weighs only 16.8 pounds) and make music
of this is appreciated and well done, dont expect it to replace a Hammond. in other, more inspiring places. Both pros and students will benefit from
The synth and bass sounds deserve credit for a nice sampling of modern the extensive rhythm and tone options. And the ability to create your own
and traditional sounds, and all can be experienced with good depth thanks compositions and then export to a flash drive is a huge plus.
to the hefty built-in speakers. Rick Gehrenbeck
In the rhythms department, the MZ-X500 has a huge assortment of casiomusicgear.com

Toolshed GEAR BOX
1. Keyboard Studies
Vandoren Pianists and keyboard players can sink their chops
into three new instructional publications from Hal
Leonard. 25 Great Piano Solos by Huw White provides
V16S+ Alto note-for-note transcriptions of improvisations by jazz

icons Duke Ellington, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Oscar
Mouthpiece
Peterson and many more, along with lessons on how
to play them. The books audio portion contains full-
band demo tracks and accompaniment-only tracks
Small Chamber Design for each solo. Songs include All Of You, Caravan,
Freddie Freeloader, Have You Met Miss Jones?,
Re-imagined If I Were A Bell, In Walked Bud, Night And Day
and others. Hal Leonard Jazz Piano Method by Mark
V
andoren has created a new design for Davis is designed for anyone interested in playing jazz
its small-chamber V16 alto saxo- pianofrom the novice to the more advanced player.
phone mouthpiece. The V16S+ model The book includes fun progressions and licks, and the 1
takes the place of the existing V16S model. accompanying audio includes demonstrations of all
written examples. Topics include essential theory,
According to Vandoren product specialist
chords and voicings, improvisation ideas, structure
Michael Fenoglio, when comparing the S+ to and forms, scales and modes, rhythm basics,
the original small chamber design, the inside interpreting a lead sheet and playing 2
shape allows for smoother airflow and solos. Hal Leonard Blues Keyboard
improved projection. Players can Method by Marty Sammon is a
guide to traditional and modern
achieve a tone that has more body, blues keyboard playing, with rhythm
depth and color. The S+ chamber and soloing concepts for piano and
design also allows the mouthpiece organ. Players can build their blues
to be used with a wider range of vocabulary with ideas for ensemble
playing; intros, turnarounds, licks
reed strengths.
and endings; piano and organ
I tried the V16S+ alto accompaniment; and phrasing and
mouthpiece in the prac- soloing. halleonard.com
tice room using Vandoren
Java (red box) #2 and #3 2. Virtual Pianism
Synthogy Ivory II VR is a portable synthesizer
reeds with a gold Vandoren unit whose detailed piano sample sets
M/O ligature. I took a lik- are paired with the Ivory II virtual piano
ing to the setup immediate- engine. It allows virtual piano sounds
ly. The tones coming from to be played at full resolution with no 3
sonic compromises. Synthogy Ivory II
my Mark VI alto were rich
VR features a front panel interface that
and responsive in all regis- gives players access to all presets and
ters. Low notes spoke with major controls. Additional control of the
ease, whether I was wail- interface is available through Wi-Fi or
ing in a loud, aggressive man- a hardwired ethernet device such as a
tablet, laptop, smartphone or desktop.
ner or cooling out down at the vixano.com
subtone level. The altissimo
range was clear and respon- 3. Analog Synth Module
sive, especially with the harder reed. Analogue Solutions Nyborg-24 is a Moog-
style, four-pole, 24dB/octave, low-pass-
The real test came playing lead alto with a
filter-equipped standalone monophonic
big band in an outdoor setting. I chose a size synthesizer module. It features real
6 tip opening (the V16S+ is available in sizes analog voice and modulation circuits and
59) and paired it with a #2 reed, which is hand-built using real transistors and op-
proved to be a comfortable combination. The amps. Its circuitry is based on distinctive-
sounding designs dating back to the late
tone quality was warm, and intonation was 1970s. analoguesolutions.com
dependable at all volume levels. The V16S+
projected well in shout choruses and solos, and 4. Steppin Out
it blended nicely with the rest of the sax sec- Yamaha has introduced an easy-to-install keytar
attachment for the companys line of reface mobile
tion. Articulation felt relaxed and responsive.
mini keyboards, which includes four different models
The mouthpiece facilitated effortless inflec- with built-in speakers and 37 HQ-mini keys. The keytar
tions in tone and pitch. attachment lets keyboard players step out from
The V16S+ is an outstanding alto saxo- behind their stage rig. It clamps onto both
phone mouthpiece. If you are already using a sides of the keyboard and includes
buttons to snap on a strap.
V16S, you might find that you like the new S+ usa.yamaha.com
design even better. Bruce Gibson
vandoren.com

Jazz On Campus School Notes
JIMMY KATZ
ANDREW CONDE/ST. FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Princeton Appointment: Princeton Uni-

versitys Department of Music has appointed
saxophonist-composer Rudresh Mahanthap-
pa as director of jazz. He starts in his new
Music Department Chair Kevin Brunkhorst (left) jams with Mike Stern during the superstar guitarists position as the Anthony H. P. Lee 79 Senior
visit to the St. Francis Xavier University campus.
Lecturer in Jazz Studies at the beginning of
the fall term, succeeding Program in Jazz
StFX Focuses on Solid Foundation Studies founder Dr. Anthony D.J. Branker.
Anchored by the 17-piece Concert Jazz
A PICTURESQUE CANADIAN TOWN OF is the opportunity to collaborate with students, Ensemble, the program is host to an array of
about 5,000 people, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, is Tynan said. Ive hired third- and fourth-year smaller groups including a Jazz Composers
about as far from the jazz mainstream as you students to play with me in Halifax. Its great Collective, Jazz Vocal Collective and Crossing
can get in North America. Despite its remote to stand up on the bandstand with them. That Borders Improvisational Music Ensemble.
princeton.edu
location, the town is home to a thriving jazz helps us celebrate their advancement through
program that will turn 40 next year. the program. Beantown Dual Degree: Harvard College
Founded in 1853 as a Catholic college, St. The environment gets more energized and BerkleeCollege of Music haveformalized
Francis Xavier University (called StFX by one when guest artists arrive six or eight times a a partnership to offer a five-year dualdegree
and all) now offers jazz studies that contrib- year for master classes. Among those who have that will enablestudents to earn a Bachelor
ute to three bachelor of arts degrees, a bache- participated in recent years are Dave Liebman, of Arts at Harvardand a Master of Music or a
lor of music and a two-year diploma program. Mike Stern, Joey Baron, Cyrille Aime, Tim Master of Arts at Berklee starting infall 2017.
Music Department Chair Kevin Brunkhorst Hagans, Jimmy Cobb and Andy LaVerne. To get into the program, studentsmust be
refers to the jazz program as both artisanal One of the advantages of our location and accepted toboth Harvard and Berklee inde-
and old-school. size is that students get a lot of personal inter- pendently, aswell as complete an audition
andinterview with Berklee.Harvard under-
We believe in mentorship and positive action with those guests, and that just adds to
graduates may alsoapply to the programas
attention, said Brunkhorst, a native of Iowa the overall learning experience, Tynan added. transfer students during their freshman or
who has been at the university for 12 years. We The program accepts about half of those sophomoreyears. berklee.edu; harvard.edu
still believe youve got to learn how to play your who apply, a high rate that Brunkhorst said
instrumentlearn voice-leading, harmony, all reflects his philosophy that promising students My Generation: Monterey Jazz Festival has
that basic stuff. A lot of the faculty came up that can flourish with the right kind of attention. selected the 21 members of its 2016 Next
way through the University of North Texas jazz Ambition and motivation are the first Generation Jazz Orchestra, a high school
program. My personal philosophy is that its things I look for when Im assessing applicants, all-star big band featuring some of the best
possible to get way too creative and ignore the Brunkhorst said. Because about half of our student jazz musicians in the country. After
touring Japan in late July and early August,
foundation. We dont do that. students come from Atlantic Canada, we get a
the orchestra is scheduled to perform two
Brunkhorst refers to the program as an lot of young musicians who havent had really gigs on Sept. 15: the 10th Jazz Legends Gala
oasis that has a lot of unity, and fellow UNT intensive high school music instruction. honoring Quincy Jones in Pebble Beach, Cali-
alumnus Paul Tynan talks about the pro- Well target a students weaknesses, fornia, as well as a free Concert for Kids at the
gramwhich has up to 85 students each year Tynan said. We spend a lot of time detailing Monterey County Fairgrounds. The orchestra
in terms of family. courses for specific students to give them what will appear on the Jimmy Lyons main stage
As soon as the new students come in, the they need. at the 59th Monterey Jazz Festival on Sept.
older ones take them under their wings, said Brunkhorst said his overall goal is two-fold: 18 with 2016 Artist-In-Residence Terri Lyne
Tynan, who teaches trumpet, jazz history and I want graduates to be able to accept any gig Carrington. montereyjazzfestival.org
arranging. We spend a lot of time hanging and without having to rely on a couple of Real
Keynote Kirk: Saxophonist Kirk Whalum
playing together. Books. Second, I want them to be able to create has been selected as the keynote speaker
Part of that is a function of being in a small something from nothingto get a gig, wheth- for the Jazz Education Network Conference
north Atlantic coast town. Local playing er its a wedding reception or a gallery opening, JENeral Session, to be held on Jan. 5, 2017.
opportunities off-campus are few, so students and lead a band. Write some tunes or arrange The conference runs Jan. 47 in New Orleans.
and faculty have to create their own scene. something. If they go out the door with those jazzednet.org
One of the best things about teaching here skills, weve done our job. James Hale

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DB Buyers Guide
3 Sixteen Records....................51 Guilherme Dias Gomes ........... 49 Music Dispatch .......................15

3sixteenrecords.com guilhermedg.com.br/en musicdispatch.com
816 Music ...............................49 Hot Shoe Records ....................51 New Jersey Performing Arts
816music.com hotshoerecords.com Center ...................................... 8
AAM Music ............................ 67 njpac.org
Hyde Park Jazz Festival ......... 63
aammusic.com hydeparkjazzfestival.org Nick Fraser Music .................. 53
Alessa Records ....................... 49 nickfraserthedrummer.com
alessarecords.at International Songwriting
Nonch Harpin Band ............... 53
All Parts ................................. 22 Competition........................... 73 nonch-harpin.com
allparts.com songwritingcompetition.com
Odradek Records ................... 43
Ark Ovrutski Music .................71 J Mood Records ......................51 odradek-records.com
arkovrutski.com jmoodrecords.com
P.Mauriat ...............................91
Between The Lines Records.... 49 Jazz Education Network ........ 87 pmauriatmusic.com
betweenthelines.de jazzednet.org
Palmetto Records .................. 59
BFM Jazz ................................ 73 Jim Hegarty Music..................51 palmetto-records.com
bfmjazz.com jimhegarty.com Ridgeway Records ................. 53
Blue Note Records ................... 5 JodyJazz .................................19 ridgewayrecords.com
bluenote.com jodyjazz.com Robertos ............................... 20
Cannonball Music .................... 7
Jordon Dixon Music ................51 robertoswinds.com
cannonballmusic.com
jordondixonmusic@gmail.com Sabian.................................... 35
Casio ....................................... 11
casiomusicgear.com Juilliard ..................................21 sabian.com/en
juilliard.edu/jazz Sam Ash .................................80
Chicago Symphony Center .... 54 samash.com
cso.org Justin Time Records ...............61
justin-time.com San Francisco Conservatory of
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clearwaterjazz.com Kari-On Productions ...............61 Music ....................................... 4
sfcm.edu
DAddario .............................. 92 karigaffney.com
daddario.com Santa Monica Press ............... 22
Kawai ......................................17
santamonicapress.com
Dave Steen Music .................. 49 kawaius.com
davesteen.com Scholz Productions ................ 28
Legere ...................................... 9
benjaminscholz.com
DC Jazz Festival ..................... 77 legere.com
dcjazzfest.org Skidmore Jazz Institute ......... 26
Little i Music ...........................51
skidmore.edu/summerjazz
DW Drums .............................. 25 littleimusic.com
dwdrums.com Smoke Sessions ...................... 57
Mack Avenue ......................... 33 smokesessionsrecords.com
Eagle Rock Entertainment ..... 49 mackavenue.com
eaglerockent.com Sunnyside Records ................ 27
Maggie Herron Music............... 52 sunnysiderecords.com
Eastman Music ........................ 2 maggieherron.com
eastmanstrings.com The Many Colors of a Woman
Markus Rutz Music ................ 52 Festival ..................................64
Eli Degibri Music .................... 22 markusrutzmusic.com themanycolorsofawomanincorporated.
degibri.com webs.com
Footprint Records .................. 53 Mehmet Sanlikol ....................18 Vandoren ............................ 3, 81
footprintrecords.com sanlikol.com
wearevandoren.com
Galaxy Audio ......................... 10 Mojo King Music .................... 53 Vision of Sound ..................... 53
galaxyaudio.com mojoking.com vision-of-sound.com
Guelph Jazz Festival .............. 34 Monterey Jazz Festival .......... 47 William Paterson ................... 23
guelphjazzfestival.com montereyjazzfestival.org wpunj.edu

Blindfold Test BY TED PANKEN
STEVEN SUSSMAN
George Coleman
T
his is the first Blindfold Test for tenor saxophonist George
Coleman, whose April release, The Master Speaks (Smoke
Sessions), marks the 2015 NEA Jazz Masters first leader album
since 1998. Colemans distinguished c.v. includes substantial gigs and
classic recordings with Max Roach, Slide Hampton, Miles Davis and
Elvin Jones, and a slew of quartet dates that showcase his harmonic acu-
men, mercurial phrasing and muscular yet fluid tone.
Houston Person
The Second Time Around (Something Personal, High Note, 2015) Person, tenor saxo-
phone; Steve Nelson, vibraphone; John DiMartino, piano; Ray Drummond, bass; Lewis
Nash, drums.
Sounds like Houston. Hes got quite a repertoire. The Second Time
Around. Ive never played it, but I know it. Houston is very melodic, very
expressive, and has a robust tone. He doesnt play a lot of notes, but the
ones he plays are good. He always has good players accompanying him.
Is Steve Nelson on vibes? 3.75 stars. Houston normally plays in the low George Coleman
register, with that great, mellow sound, but here he started in the upper
register, which was nice. I did with Miles Davis. One night! But thats not my forte. Im a
very harmonically inclined person and a swinging person. 4 stars
Threes Company because its Sonny.
Dark Eyes (Well Be Together Again, Chesky, 2016) Javon Jackson, tenor saxophone;
Ron Carter, bass; Billy Drummond, drums.
Harry Allen? Sounds like A minor, the way he played it. Is this one of the Archie Shepp Attica Blues Orchestra
The Cry Of My People (I Hear The Sound, Arch, 2013) Shepp, tenor saxophone; Am-
younger players? Whoever it is has a great sound, good technique and brose Akinmusire, trumpet; Amina Claudine Myers, piano; Daryl Hall, bass; Famoudou
good harmonic direction. 3 stars. Don Moye, drums; voices, big band and string orchestra.
The trumpet player is good, but didnt play in a style that I could iden-
Kenny Garrett tify his potential. I have no idea who the saxophone player is. Im
Beyond The Wall (Beyond The Wall, Nonesuch, 2006) Garrett, alto saxophone,
Pharoah Sanders, tenor saxophone; Mulgrew Miller, keyboards; Robert Hurst, bass;
mildly impressed, but not overwhelmingly. 3 stars. [aftter] Archies
Brian Blade, drums. cool. I might not like some of the things those guys do, but I always
The piano player has great technique. Is the alto player Mike DiRubbo? respect them.
Oh, I recognize Pharoah, so thats Kenny Garrett; I knew Pharoah and
Kenny had played together. To be frank, I havent heard a lot of Kenny, Joe Lovano
Ghost Of A Chance (Trio Fascination, Blue Note, 1997) Lovano, tenor saxophone; Dave
but hes a good player. Pharoah is always somewhat on the outside, but Holland, bass; Elvin Jones, drums.
whatever he plays, he keeps things in perspective. I liked the tunegood Ghost Of A Chance. Hes got that breathy thing, reminiscent of how
harmonically, not really complex. 4 stars. some of the older guys played back in the day. I dont know who it is.
Theyre in the key of C. He just played a high F-sharp. 3 stars. [after]
JD Allen Joes a good player. I figured the drummer might be Elvin. Hell swing
Tell The Truth, Shame The Devil (Americana: Musings On Jazz And Blues, Savant,
2016) Allen, tenor saxophone; Glenn August, bass; Rudy Royston, drums. you to death on sticks, but when he plays brushes you dont miss the beat.
Saxophone, bass and drums can bore me. Ive played in bands with no
pianoSlide Hamptons Octet and Elvins bandso Im familiar Reeds and Deeds
Amsterdam After Dark (Tenor Time, Criss Cross Jazz, 2011) Grant Stewart, Eric Alexan-
with that. But I like something that defines the music, and a harmonic der, tenor saxophones; David Hazeltine, piano; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth,
instrument like a guitar or a piano does that better. Of course, a play- drums.
er like Sonny Rollins can make that situation work, because he has so [Second saxophone solo.] Thats Eric. Was Grant Stewart first? He
much harmonic power and knows what to do. Its the blues, and the played a great solo. Hazeltine on piano? Its good to hear other peo-
saxophone player plays it well. Id like to hear more movement, more ple play your compositions. It doesnt happen a lot for me. Is this
swinging, but I wouldnt put it down. 3 stars. Joe? John Webber. Those are my boys. Everybody played great. The
arrangement shows a lot of imagination. The two tenors sound
Sonny Rollins bigger than they actually aretheres a nice blend, and they play
Sonny, Please (Sonny, Please, Doxy, 2005) Rollins, tenor saxophone; Clifton Ander-
son, trombone; Bobby Broom, guitar; Bob Cranshaw, electric bass; Steve Jordan,
good lines. Grant is one of my favorite saxophone players, com-
drums; Kimati Dinizulu, percussion. ing out of Sonnys bag. Eric is impeccable. He was great when I
Im not too interested in this one. Take it off. That was Sonny Rollins? met him, and hes blossomed through the years. 5 stars, not just
Put it back on! I would never have guessed. I should know Sonny. I because its my tune, but the musicianship and the two tenors. DB
hear him now, but I didnt before. Anything Sonny plays has musical
The Blindfold Test is a listening test that challenges the featured artist to discuss and
merit. I like hearing him in a setting like St. Thomas with Tommy
identify the music and musicians who performed on selected recordings. The artist is
Flanaganswinging, playing fast and all that. Hes playing free then asked to rate each tune using a 5-star system. No information is given to the artist
on this thing. I might play free if the situation calls for it, just like prior to the test.


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September 2016

President Kevin Maher

Record Companies & Schools

Musical Instruments & East Coast Schools

102 N. Haven Road, Elmhurst, IL 601262970

Jack Maher, President 1970-2003

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The Trailblazer Still Burns

KEYBOARD SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS

BENOIT ROUSSEAU/FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL

A Prayer for Peace

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Abbasis Not Shy

(Music For You).

International Jazz Day at the White House on

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Vzquez Keeps STEVEN SUSSMAN

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Scott, Guests Soar at

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Silva Seeks Chaos, Clarity

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DANTE BVW MEDIA GROUP

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In Jacob Colliers Room

Some listeners may jump to the conclusion that your ultra-re-

What would you say is your main musical instrument?

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That group (which often stretched the defini-

SIRIUS QUARTET elbows.

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T hey also seem to accommodate the trajec-

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G arretts influence in certain quarters of the

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Taking Charge, Taking Flight

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