Saturday, September 28, 2013

Oscar Castro-Neves 1940 - 2013




By Julio Maria at OEstadão
Após meses de luta contra um câncer, morreu ontem o músico Oscar Castro-Neves, aos 73 anos. Ele, que ajudou a divulgar a bossa nova no exterior, morava em Los Angeles, nos EUA. O tumor estava alojado inicialmente no estômago, depois tomou o fígado e passou por um processo de metástase, atingindo outros órgãos.
Sem a sofisticação de cabeças como a de Castro-Neves, formada por encadeamentos do jazz de Dizzie Gillespie e de Charlie Parker, a bossa nova seria reconhecida como um sambinha de luxo. Oscar não ficou como o nome de frente da turma por sua discrição – e por opção. Depois do histórico show da bossa nova no Carnegie Hall de Nova York, em 1962, ele foi um dos que preferiu não voltar ao País.
De Nova York, ele partir para a Califórnia, onde seguiu em excursão com o quinteto de Dizzie Gillespie, depois com o trio de Lalo Schifrin, o quarteto de Stan Getz e o quarteto de Laurindo de Almeida. Gravaria depois com Quincy Jones, com Ella Fitzgerald, com Herbie Hanckock, com Barbra Streisand e até com Michael Jackson. Ausente de sua terra, veria de longe a bossa ganhar muitos pais. João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Baden Powell, Vinicius de Morais, Carlos Lyra, Roberto Menescal. Talvez o menos lembrado seja Oscar Castro-Neves.
Seu instrumento era o violão e sua cabeça era de maestro. Cantava, mas não se considerava um cantor. Sentia-se muito mais em casa quando se apresentava como compositor, arranjador, produtor e instrumentista. Sempre esteve bem acompanhado, desde o nascimento, quando veio ao mundo trigêmeo, em 15 de maio de 1940.
Não havia quem não tocasse um instrumento em sua casa. Era tanta informação que o menino de 16 anos já tinha música demais querendo sair de sua cabeça. A primeira delas foi Chora Tua Tristeza, a estreia de um adolescente como gente grande. Ela lhe veio quando ele estava dentro de uma Kombi, uma lotação, no Rio de Janeiro. Guardou cada um dos acordes imaginários na memória até chegar em casa, pegar o violão correndo e dar vida àquela criatura.
Formou um grupo com os irmãos até descobrir que a turma da zona sul do Rio de Janeiro tinha as mesmas intenções que ele. Correu para lá. De parceria em parceria, ganhou nome o bastante para ser designado o homem que ensaiaria todo mundo para a apresentação estelar do Carnegie Hall de 1962.
A bossa nova atracou nos mares da MPB e Oscar Castro-Neves seguiu em frente, retornando ao Brasil algumas vezes até estabelecer-se de vez nos Estados Unidos. Já tinha nome suficiente quando os anos 1970 chegaram. A indústria de filmes o descobriu como autor de trilhas sonoras e o contratou par fazer Blame it On Rio; Gabriela; LA Story; He Said, She Said; Larger Than Life.
Fez valer as aulas de instrumentação e arranjo que um dia teve com Moacir Santos, tornando-se também diretos de musicais e produtor de discos. Em 1999, associou-se ao violoncelista Yo Yo Ma e dele produziu Soul of Tango, com o qual voltaria ao calor dos holofotes conquistando o prêmio de "melhor crossover clássico".
Assinou ainda, durante seis anos, a noite brasileira do super evento norte-americano Hollywood Bowl, em Los Angeles. Contudo, era definido por seus próximos como um gentleman.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

2 Sem 2013 - Part Eleven

David Newton/ Andrew Cleyndert/ Colin Oxley
Out Of This World 



By Dave Gelly
Piano, guitar and bass: one of the two classicjazz piano-trio formats. The other has drums instead of guitar and the difference is striking. With the three instruments on a more equal footing, and a generally cooler dynamic range, every note and phrase stands out clearly. It's the perfect set-up for these three. Newton, who spent 10 years as Stacey Kent's pianist, has a deliciously crystalline touch, well matched by Oxley's mellow guitar. Cleyndert is not only a masterly rhythm bassist; he produces a wonderfully rich cello-like tone with the bow. Outstanding tracks include a Gershwin rarity, Who Cares?, and two of Newton's own pieces, Valse Jaq and All Grown Up. No fireworks, but a set to relish.
Tracks:
1. Out of This World ; 2. Who Cares? ; 3. Valse Jaq ; 4. I'll Be Seeing You ; 
5. Por Toda Minha Vida/O Grande Amor ; 6. Laverne Walk ; 7. All Grown Up ; 8. Lament
9. Looking at You ; 10. A Felicidade ; 11. Why Did I Choose You?


Makoto Ozone/ Christian McBride/ Jeff "Tain" Watts
My Witch's Blue




By R. PeterssonA soft Makoto that highlights the tone and the melody. But be aware - there are also some upbeat that will take you away for a ride. But the main story here is a gentle Makoto Ozone with lovely intepretations of a well balanced bunch of tunes. Hank Jones is the name that comes to my mind if I have to compare his tone with someone. The rythm section is the best you can get and they do it. They really play as unit - a real trio recording in the good old school but with a great touch of modern playing. Highly recommended.
Recorded At – Avatar Studios
Mixed At – MSR Studios
Mastered At – Battery Studios, New York
Producer – Makoto Ozone, Makoto Shinohara
Recorded By, Mixed By – Joe Ferla
Mastered By – Mark Wilder
Recorded May 19-21, 2012
Tarcks:
Bouncing in My New Shoes; My Witch’s Blue; Gotta Get It !!; Longing for the Past
So Good!!; Take the Tain Train; Time We Spent Together; Nova Alvorada
Solo Improvisation “Continuum”; Satin Doll(An encore Track)


Alan Broadbent
Heart To Heart



By Dan Bilawsky
Pianist Alan Broadbent can't be accused of rushing to release his second solo piano album; Heart To Heart comes more than two decades after Broadbent initially took the solo plunge with Live At Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume 14 (Concord, 1991), but it was worth the wait.
While only Broadbent knows the exact reason for waiting so long to return to this format, it's safe to assume that it has something to do with his in-demand status in so many other musical arenas. Much of his work has been dedicated to the art of the trio, supportive sideman stints, and arranging jobs, leaving him precious little time to explore things on his own. Many people, in fact, aren't even aware of his pianistic prowess, knowing him only as the man who creates musical drapery for everybody from songbook kingpin Michael Feinstein to Natalie Cole to SirPaul McCartney; those people are missing out. Broadbent's piano work—solo or otherwise—is pure poetry in motion, filled with sophisticated musical trappings that tickle the ear and fuel the imagination.
The title of this album is a bit of a misnomer, giving the impression that Broadbent may be taking an introspective journey; that proves false from the get-go. Flowery gestures and stereotypical romantic notions are not sine qua non for solo piano success in Broadbent's world. He's far more likely to embark on a rhapsodic thrill ride than a ruminative walk on this one, and that's a good thing. He sprints along, as might be expected, on "Cherokee"; visits waltz territory with "Now And Then"; and plunges his hands into the heart of darkness on a riveting take ofOrnette Coleman's "Lonely Woman." A few numbers tend to be a tad more reflective than the rest, but none get bogged down in emotional indulgence; Broadbent is too good to fall into that trap.
Broadbent's bread and butter may be his arranging work, but his heart and soul have everything to do with his piano playing. Heart To Heart puts those thoughts in perspective for all to hear.
Track Listing: 
Hello My Lovely; Heart To Heart; Alone Together; Now And Then; Journey Home; Blue In Green; Love Is The Thing; Lonely Woman; Cherokee.
Personnel: Alan Broadbent: piano.


Pablo Ziegler & Metropole Orkest
Amsterdam Meets New Tango




By Scott Albin at JazzTimes
Pianist Pablo Ziegler will always be remembered for his auspicious role from 1978 to 1989 in Astor Piazzolla's transcendent New Tango Quintet. Upon Piazzolla's death in 1992, Ziegler became a key force in New Tango, his mentor's innovative blend of tango, jazz, and classical music. Ziegler plays both his own and Piazzolla's compositions in various settings while expanding upon Piazzolla's vision, and has drawn many jazz musicians into the fold, including Joe Lovano, Paquito D'Rivera, James Carter, Joe Locke, and Stefon Harris, all attracted by the challenge and passion of the music. This CD presents selections from a 2009 concert that brought together Ziegler's quartet with Amsterdam's Metropole Orkest, founded in 1945 and the world's largest pop and jazz orchestra, which has shared the stage with such artists as Andrea Bocelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, and Pat Metheny. It's a tribute to both the versatile musicianship of the Orkest's members, and Ziegler's ever-present inspiration, that the orchestra is able to play these arrangements of Ziegler's tunes with such conviction and authenticity. Ziegler's quartet includes Quique Sinesi on guitar, Walter Castro on bandoneon, and Quintino Cinalli on percussion and cajón, and while it's clear when someone from this group is soloing, this is not the case with the Orkest players since the CD notes provide no such details.
For "Buenos Aires Report," Ziegler's reverberating tones and the dissonance-tinged string section create a tense atmosphere to evoke "the chaotic, urban city of Buenos Aires." A magnetic uncredited trumpet solo, and Castro's fluid, expressive bandoneon outing precede Ziegler's energetic foray, as the Orkest blares behind him. A contrapuntal volley between strings and horns makes for an exciting finish capped by the pianist's jabbing, circular theme (first heard as the title tune of an earlier CD). The only non-Ziegler composition is Sinesi's "Milonga par Hermeto," dedicated to Hermato Pascoal, and it successfully captures Pascoal's harmonic and melodic personality. The infectious milonga rhythm builds up to the Orkest's interjection and the swirling them itself with Castro in the lead. The full textures at times give this piece a movie theme sound, but Sinesi's nimble, lucid solo, a brawny (uncredited) tenor sax statement, and Ziegler's prancing improv, with fiery orchestral support, bring things down-to-earth. The reprise has great climactic impact. Blues meets New Tango on "Blues Porteño." The initial bass ostinato is remindful of the one on the Beatles' "Come Together," and a darting Castro and bluesy Ziegler are backed by a sultry string orchestration that ebbs and flows gracefully. Sinesi contributes a subtle solo, while a saxophonist comes on more forcefully. Muted trumpets add to the overriding heady atmosphere.
"Desperate Dance" is in 7/4 rather than the usual 2/4 tango rhythm, as Ziegler visualizes "desperate dancers" trying hard to adjust to the novelty. His quartet and the Orkest have no such problem, with the dramatic, insistent pulse spurring a probing trombone solo, Castro's finely threaded trip, and an assertive trumpet turn. The zesty rhythmic framework serves as the main element of the arrangement's final section. The title "Murga del Amanecer" also defines a primitive rhythm from the 1920's of African origin. Ziegler's vamp and the strings lustily pave the way for Castro's recital of the celebratory theme. The Orkest appropriates the theme for itself in soaring fashion prior to dancing solos by Ziegler, Sinesi, and a trumpeter. The pianist entrances during the easing down of the out chorus. "Places" has a provocative melodic and rhythmic opening, and the variety of moods and harmonies in the sections that follow make this work very reminiscent of Piazzolla's modus operandi. Castro and Ziegler offer melancholy improvs prior to a more upbeat interlude sparked by the bandoneonist, Sinesi, and unyielding projections from the Orkest.
The slow waltz "Pájaro Angel" begins with interplay between Ziegler and Sinesi before romantic strings and horns emerge and oscillate around the pianist and guitarist's lyrical and thoughtful solos. This beautiful tune was originally written for a '70's episode of a popular Argentinian TV series of the same name, and was no doubt quite evocative of its subject matter. Ziegler composed "Buenos Aires Dark" during the tumultuous 2001 political crisis in Argentina. The orchestration is indeed dark and foreboding, with a biting Castro up front as he and the Orkest reach a crescendo that is transformed into a mournful interlude and then a staccato urgency that frames vibrant solos by a trombonist, Sinesi, and a tenor. Castro and Ziegler's tango rhythm launch the dramatic cry of protestation that comprises the finale. "Que Lo Parió" revolves around Malambo, an Argentinian folk rhythm danced to by the Gauchos, and is a tribute to the late author Robert "El Negro" Fontanarrosa and his comic strip "Inodoro Pereyra" that featured a Gaucho and his talking dog. The performance seems to portray the spirit and determination of the dancers, with Ziegler, Castro, and Sinesi cavorting gaily and a trombonist expounding with gusto. The Orkest's concluding passages mix whimsy with assertiveness to dizzying effect.


Lorenzo Tucci and Luca Mannutza
Lunar



By CDUniverse
Lunar is a journey into the magical freedom of Lorenzo Tucci and Luca Mannutza. Is there any need to say that 'Duke's Nightmare' is their eccentric and fascinating rework of 'Caravan', and Tucci at the drums delivers six minutes of pure magic? Hard to believe, there hasn't been any overdubbing. Is there any point in noticing that Mannutza switches from Lunar intro to Lunar , from piano to electronic keys and back with disarming simplicity? Or, is it pointless to mention their ability to express in music the uneasiness of a 'sidereal breakdown'? This musical journey at the end leaves us astonished and almost drunk, and exalts for the sureness with whom these musicians can afford unexpected drifts, swoops and loops....
Track Listing:
1 Jungle & Space; 2 Lunar Intro; 3 Lunar; 4 Moon Boots; 5 Voyager; 6 Avaria
7 Jet Leg; 8 Duke's Nightmare; 9 Tea for Two; 10 Earth; 11 Inception

2 Sem 2013 - Part Ten

Jeff Hamilton Trio
The Best Things Happen....



By Dr. Judith Schlesinger
The Best Things Happen' when you listen to Jeff Hamilton. He's universally acknowledged as one of the greatest drummers in jazz, whether he's swinging the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra or waking up a famous ghost band by sitting in—I witnessed that once, and the before/after difference was stunning. Unmatched for chops, ears, and flair, Hamilton has led his own trio for nine years. Previously with the superb Larry Fuller and maestro Lynn Seaton, it now contains players who all live in the same city. Pianist Tamir Hendelman's Eastman composition degree shows in his imaginative arrangements, and bassist Christoph Luty has a fat sound and unerring sense of melody. Together they balance, challenge, and support each other wonderfully, fulfilling Hamilton's mandate that a trio should consist of three equal parts.
But enough with the background. From the irresistible swing of its first track, "I Love Being Here with You," this CD is a first-class ticket to musical fulfillment. The journey includes new twists on old favorites—for example, "Poinciana," while explicitly honoring the historic Ahmad Jamal version, lifts and lightens its familiar beat. Luty's innovative arrangement gives "C Jam Blues" a langorous morning-after feel, all slow and stretchy. The spirit of Oscar P. hovers happily over Hendelman—check out his precise parallel octaves on the closing burner, Hoagy Carmichael's "L'il Old Lady." Hendelman also provides an intriguing new setup to the quietly lustrous "Skylark," and he wrote the jubilant "Bennissimo" in tribute to pianist Benny Green, who trio-ed with Ray Brown and Hamilton in the early '90s.
As for the leader' while he's long-celebrated as a fully frontal player, Hamilton's brushwork is exceptionally elegant and judicious. You can hear this most clearly on Larry Golding's lovely "Moonbird" and the graceful "We'll Be Together Again," where his contribution is both crucial and nearly subliminal. All told, this CD is a fabulous ride, and highly recommended.
Track Listing: 
I Love Being Here with You, I Concentrate on You, We'll Be Together Again, I Didn't Know What Time It Was, Like a Lover, Poinciana, Bennissimo, The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing, Skylark, Moonbird, C Jam Blues, L'il Old Lady
Personnel: 
Jeff Hamilton (drums), Tamir Hendelman (piano), Christoph Luty (bass)


Julia Hülsmann Quartet
In Full View



By John Kelman
There's no denying the benefit of stable longevity, but neither is there anything wrong with change. Following three ACT recordings that featured her trio—together since Scattering Poems (ACT, 2003)—supporting a series of vocalists, Julia Hülsmann moved to ECM, where the pianist was afforded greater freedom to more fully explore her trio's potential on 2008's The End Of A Summer and 2011's Imprint. Both albums presented a trio beyond anything left to prove and functioning in thoroughly egalitarian fashion, both compositionally and in performance.
In Full View ups the ante, expanding Hülsmann's trio to a quartet with the addition of British trumpeter Tom Arthurs. Continuing Imprint's more outgoing direction has not come at the expense of the gentle elegance endemic to the trio's ECM debut; instead, Arthurs' voice expands the group's reach without losing anything carved out since Hülsmann's move to the label.
It's hard not to feel ex-ECM alum (and fellow UK-resident) Kenny Wheeler's influence—not just on Arthurs' playing, but in the quartet's overall engagement. Avoiding Wheeler's signature intervallic/stratospheric leaps but referencing the Canadian expat trumpeter's rich tone and melancholic approach to lyricism, Arthurs' broader interest in contemporary classicism and Afro-centric music afford the younger trumpeter his own specificity.
Some of the vibe from Wheeler's early ECM recordings—in particular the similarly configured, award-winning Gnu High (1976)—imbues Hülsmann's quartet, especially on drummer Heinrich Köbberling's "Forever Old," which manages to swing gently despite being in 5/4, and an initially darker, rubato piano/trumpet intro that leads to bassist Muellbauer's similarly odd-metered but smoothly flowing and gradually intensifying "Meander," its simmering pulse strengthened by the bassist's robust foundation and Köbberling's subtle shadings. Arthurs' episodic "Forgotten Poetry" is also underscored by a Wheeler connection, its deceptively simple melody weaving through some change-heavy balladry, time briefly contracting and expanding before settling into some understated interplay between Arthurs and Hülsmann until the trumpeter removes himself, ultimately leaving the pianist to ruminate over Muellbauer and Köbberling's firm yet pliant support.
The group also simmers on Muellbauer's quirky "Dedication," Hülsmann constructing a solo of near-perfect poetry, while the initial melody of the pianist's title track is doubled on bass and flugelhorn before a stronger groove leads first to an even more serpentine theme, doubled on horn and piano, before solos from Hülsmann and Arthurs emerge, dichotomic paradoxes of restrained energy that ultimately unfold over more fervent propulsion.
Fiest's "The Water" is one of three covers on In Full View—another change over previous sets' sole non-originals— but it's the best-known. Still, just as Hülsmann's cover of Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" was an unexpected gem on The End Of A Summer, covering Feist here proves the pianist's quartet as capable with a simpler song form as it is more complicated fare.
Beyond the obvious addition of a fourth voice, there's a stronger sense of effortless collective aplomb on In Full View. If Wheeler's spirit looms large over the session, Hülsmann could certainly do far worse; and if Arthurs is a permanent addition to the pianist's decade-old trio, where this sublime quartet goes next will be well worth the attention.
Track Listing: 
Quicksilver; Dunkel; Gleim; Forever Old; Spiel; Richtung Osten; The Water; Forgotten Poetry; Dedication; Snow, Melting; Meander; In Full View; Nana.
Personnel: 
Julia Hülsmann: piano; Tom Arthurs: trumpet, flugelhorn; Marc Muellbauer: double bass; Heinrich Köbberling: drums.


Enrico Rava
Rava On The Dance Floor



By Thom Jurek
Enrico Rava isn't the first jazz musician to cover the music of Michael Jackson. Nor, at 70, is he the most likely. (Younger men like Nicholas Payton, Christian Scott, and Robert Glasper would seemingly be more obvious candidates.) That said, with On the Dance Floor, the Italian trumpet legend takes on an entire album of tunes associated with Jackson. According to Rava, he wasn't even really aware of Jackson's music until a few days after his death; his wife was watching a concert video, he haphazardly took a look and listen and was riveted to the point of obsession. On the Dance Floor is not the usual tribute then, because it's not wrapped in grief. Instead, it's the mark of one master musician celebrating another -- Rava rightfully considers Jackson to be among the most important musicians of the 20th century. Recorded live in Rome with the large ensemble, Parco della Musica Jazz Lab, under the direction of trombonist Mauro Ottolini, Rava takes on some of Jackson's biggest hits and some of his less familiar numbers. The set opens with a ponderous, laid-back reading of "Speechless," on which Rava uses his trademark spacing and lyricism to find room for improvisation that reflects the Italian jazz tradition, theatrical and cinematic music, and the source material. While the orchestra isn't up to playing at the communicative level of the trumpeter's smaller groups, they don't need to be. They understand how to bring the funk and make it bubble and boil on the medley of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"/"Smooth Criminal," "Thriller," and "Blood on the Dance Floor." That said, they also color ballads with enough emotion and sensitivity to allow Rava's own sense of exploratory admiration to come through as on the hinge piece, a beautiful cover of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" that reflects much of the tenderness Jackson imbued it with. The reading of "Little Susie" wonderfully balances drama and melody. On the Dance Floor doesn't come off as one of Rava's more disciplined recordings -- it may indeed be his loosest -- but that's by design. It's a laid-back, accessible tribute recording that celebrates Jackson's music as an achievement, and offers jazz fans of all stripes a way into it.
Track Listing: 
Speechless; They Don't Care About Us; Thriller; Privacy; Smile; I Just Can't Stop Loving You/Smooth Criminal; Little Susie; Blood on the Dance Floor; History.
Personnel: 
Enrico Rava: trumpet: Andrea Tofanelli: trumpet, flugelhorn; Claudio Corvini: trumpet, flugelhorn; Mauro Ottolini: trombone, tuba; Daniele Tittarelli: alto saxophone, flute; Dan Kinzelman: tenor saxophone, clarinets; Franz Bazzani: keyboard; Giovanni Guidi: piano, Fender Rhodes, toy piano; Dario Deidda: bass; Mercello Gianni: electric guitar; Zena de Rossi: drums; Ernesto Lopez Maturell: percussion.

Rosario Giuliani & Franco D'Andrea
Duets For Trane



By Scott Yanow
Altoist Rosario Giuliani is not well known outside of his native Italy, but he should be. On the inspired outing Duets for Trane, he performs nine songs composed by John Coltrane as duets with pianist Franco d'Andrea. The interplay between the musicians is reminiscent of Lee Konitz and Lennie Tristano; in fact, this set gives one an idea of what Konitz and Tristano might have sounded like if they had explored a full set of Coltrane tunes. Their interpretations are fresh and extend the ideas of the songs, which not only include the minor blues "Equinox" and "Giant Steps" but a 12-and-a-half minute rendition of the themes from "A Love Supreme." The memorable set concludes with Giuliani playing unaccompanied on "Solo for Trane." A classic of its kind.
Recording information: 
Interface Studio, Lavinio (06/17/1997). Photographer: Pieroni Carlo. Translator: Giordano Pietroni. Personnel: 
Rosario Giuliani (alto saxophone); Franco D'Andrea (piano). 
Liner Note Author: Paolo Piangiarelli.
Tracks:
1 Equinox ; 2 Countdown ; 3 Naima ; 4 Giant Steps ; 5 Central Park West
6 Some Other Blues ; 7 Love Supreme ; 8 Like Sonny ; 9 Lonnie's Lament ; 10 Solo for Trane


Denny Zeitlin
Both/And: Solo Electro-Acoustic Adventures 



By Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Denny Zeitlin has the distinction—among many others—of having written one of the loveliest of loves songs: "Love Theme From Invasion of the Bodysnatchers." The tune can be heard in its unadorned beauty on Zeitlin's Precipice (Sunnyside Records, 2010), the recording of an extraordinarily beautiful and adventurous solo concert. The original version of the tune, from the soundtrack of the 1978 movie, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers(1978)—a masterful remake of the classic 1954 science fiction film—was Zeitlin's lone effort at writing for film. Hired originally to do a "jazz" score, Zeitlin found it necessary—when plans changed—to convince the powers-that-be that he was indeed capable of writing music for symphony orchestra and electronics—the then-new-on-the scene synthesizers.
Zeitlin had experience with synthesizers. His Expansion (Arch Records, 1973) and Syzygy (Arch Records, 1977) had prepared the pianist for the electronics work. His preparation for working with a symphony orchestra? Essentially non-existent, until the opportunity presented itself with the soundtrack, which turned out to be a rousing success, a perfect accompaniment to one of the great sci-fi movies of all time.
But it was an enormous effort. Working with the cumbersome synthesizers of the day and directing a symphony orchestra had made it necessary for Dr. Denny Zeitlin to put another of his life's passions, his psychiatric practice, on hold for a time; so, in the wake of this successful foray, pianist Denny Zeitlin took a thirty-plus year hiatus from electronic and symphonic music and immersed himself mostly piano trio and solo work, acoustic style, offering up the previously-mentioned Precipice, Labyrinth (Sunnyside Records, (2011), and Wherever You Are: Midnight Moods for Solo Piano (Sunnyside Records, 2012), for a marvelous recent track record—totally acoustic—that makes Both/And, which is subtitled Solo Electro-Acoustic Adventures, such a surprise.
Zeitlin says he always wanted to be an orchestra. The new-millennial technological advances in the equipment for electronic music creation make that possible, on a CD that blends electric, electro-symphonic and acoustic sounds in fresh ways.
"Meteorology," a nod to the fusion group Weather Report, announces Zeitlin's artistic gear shift. A funky bass line is soon joined by towering electronics, majestic, glowing washes of neon color backed by zooming, precision, synthetic hand clap percussion, followed by a gorgeous and introspective acoustic piano interlude, with an electro-chorus singing in—a marvelous minor symphony adeptly done.
If the opener is a minor symphony, the thirteen minute "Dystopian Uprising" is a moody symphony. A masterpiece that evokes the unsettled mood of a world gone terribly wrong. Atmospheric and gloomy, full of impending dread, Zeitlin's acoustic piano backed by "strings" has the feeling of a soundtrack more perfect, perhaps, than even his "Bodysnatchers" work—a complex piece of music all the more beautiful for its mostly-restrained-but-vivid exploration of a darkening existence.
If "Dystopian Uprising" is a moody symphony, the five part,twenty-three minute "Monk-y Business Revisited" is a major one. Zeitlin has expressed—after thirty-plus years of working in the acoustic mode—some dissatisfaction with the timbrel limitations of he solo piano and piano trio formats. With synthesizer/electronics, the timbrel possibilities are pretty much endless, and Zeitlin exploits those possibilities very deftly, whether with the spacey harmonic glow on "Intro and Main Theme" of "Dystopian Uprisings," or the eerie electric warble of the opening of "Into the Funk;" or the same section's near-authentic—in terms of reproducing the acoustic sounds of that instrumentation—string and percussion work.
Electronics have been creeping into the world of jazz music bit-by-bit. Denny Zeitlin embraces the format and marries it to the acoustic side with a rare finesse. Both/And, is an extraordinary work of art. A masterpiece? Maybe. Time will tell. Denny Zeitlin is an orchestra, one that uses an acoustic/electronic blend with a master's touch, to transcend even the "timbrel limitations" of the orchestral format, creating his finest and most compelling work.
Track Listing: 
Meteorology; Dawn; Tiger, Tiger; Kathryn's Song; Dystopian Uprising; Charango Dream; Monk-y Business: Intro and Main Theme; Into the funk; Waltzing to Memories;Piano Seque; Audio Kaleidoscope and Finale.
Personnel: 
Denny Zeitlin: acoustic piano, synthesizers, keyboards.

Sunday, September 08, 2013

Sam Most 1930 - 2013




By Peter Keepnews on June 22, 2013
Sam Most, a flutist who helped bring his instrument into the modern jazz mainstream, died on June 13 in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 82.
The cause was pancreatic cancer, his twin sister, Ruth Labensky, said.
In 1952, when he recorded the flute feature “Undercurrent Blues,” Mr. Most was an accomplished jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who, like many reed and woodwind players, played flute only occasionally. Jazz flute was not much more than a novelty at the time, and it was virtually absent from recordings or performances in the modern style known as bebop. “Undercurrent Blues” displayed the instrument’s potential in a new way and, while not a big hit, caught the ear of many musicians.
“When I started playing jazz on flute,” Herbie Mann, the first jazz flutist to achieve widespread popularity, once said, “there was only one record out: Sam Most’s ‘Undercurrent Blues.’ ” By the early 1960s, flutes were almost as common as saxophones in jazz ensembles.
Mr. Mann and many other jazz flutists, including Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef and Hubert Laws, have acknowledged Mr. Most — and especially his unusual technique of humming into the flute while playing — as an early influence. Charles Mingus once called him “the world’s greatest jazz flutist.”
Samuel Most was born on Dec. 16, 1930, in Atlantic City, and grew up in the Bronx. His parents, Jacob Most and the former Dora Kaplan, were immigrants from Lithuania. His older brother, Abe, was a prominent jazz clarinetist while Sam was growing up.
Mr. Most studied at City College and the Manhattan School of Music and became a professional musician at 17. He spent time with the big bands of Tommy Dorsey, Don Redman and others before forming his own small group.
After recording prolifically as both a leader and a sideman and touring with Buddy Rich from 1959 to 1961, Mr. Most moved west and settled into lucrative but anonymous work in Los Angeles studios and Las Vegas showrooms. He continued to record in a jazz context on occasion and released a number of critically praised albums on the Xanadu label in the late 1970s. His later projects included an album of unaccompanied alto flute improvisations.
He was the subject of a 2001 documentary, “Sam Most, Jazz Flutist.”
In addition to Ms. Labensky, Mr. Most is survived by another sister, Frances Tutshen, and a brother, Bernard. His brother Abe died in 2002.

George Gruntz 1932 - 2013



By John Fordham
George Gruntz obituary
Swiss pianist, composer and bandleader famed for his innovative Concert Jazz Band


When the jazz pianist George Gruntz's Concert Jazz Band played at Ronnie Scott's club in London a dozen years ago, they caught listeners unawares with a blend of the ambiguities and mysterious undercurrents of Gil Evans's partnerships with Miles Davis, and the punch and power of a conventional swing group. Gruntz, who has died aged 80, was one of the few internationally acclaimed Swiss-born jazz musicians, and had an unusually broad vision.
It was his Concert Jazz Band – or just plain CJB – under Quincy Jones's baton that backed an ailing Davis in 1991, on the trumpeter's swansong visits to the classic scores from Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain. No bandleader could have been better suited than Gruntz to furnishing a premier-league international orchestra in his homeland for one of the historic events of late 20th-century jazz.
A native of Basel, Gruntz studied at conservatoires there and in Zurich. In his mid-20s he became a member of Swiss swing-to-bop saxophonist Flavio Ambrosetti's groups, and in 1958 he performed and recorded at the Newport jazz festival, as a member of American trombonist and educator Marshall Brown's International Youth Band. Gruntz played for the Youth Band's Yugoslavian representative, the trumpeter Duško Goyković (1960-61), and then in a bebop trio that accompanied American stars including Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon and Lee Konitz on their trips to Europe. From 1963 Gruntz – who had previously been supporting himself as a car salesman – devoted himself exclusively to music, touring with the vocalist Helen Merrill, and performing in the saxophonist Phil Woods' European Rhythm Machine (1968-69).
In 1964 he aired his classical-harpsichord skills on the crossover album Jazz Goes Baroque. Three years later he explored Middle Eastern instruments for the Bedouin-inspired project Noon in Tunisia, and showed his openness to free-jazz in 1969 in a brief partnership with Ornette Coleman's trumpeter Don Cherry. The restlessly energetic Gruntz was also music director of Zurich's Schauspielhaus theatre (1970-84), and artistic director of Berlin's prestigious international jazz festival, the Berliner Jazztage (1972-94).
Gruntz combined these assignments with a busy schedule as an innovative bandleader and player, working in the 1970s with his unique Piano Conclave – a six-piano band plus rhythm section, which at various times employed such European piano stars as Martial Solal, Joachim Kühn and Gordon Beck. He premiered his settings for The Rape of Lucrece at Southwark Cathedral in 1975, and two years later composed a complex percussion-orchestra piece for the Montreux jazz festival.
Principally, however, this was the period in which his most famous big-band creation, the CJB, came into its own. In 1972 Gruntz had become a co-founder of a large ensemble, the Band, with Ambrosetti, his trumpeter son Franco, and Swiss drummer and painter Daniel Humair. Six years later, Gruntz took over the group, renamed it, and made it a successful and stylistically broad outfit that toured the world, with American heavyweights including singer Sheila Jordan, guitarist John Scofield and saxophonist Dave Liebman in the lineup at various times. The band was augmented by former Evans sidemen for Davis's famous farewell at the 1991 Montreux jazz festival, and the following year they were invited to China, on the first official jazz tour of that country.
A democratic, charming and humorous bandleader, Gruntz meticulously wrote at least two featured spots per gig for all his soloists on the band's tours, frequently featured band-members' original compositions, and regularly picked up the tab for high-class restaurant evenings with his players on the road.
Gruntz also wrote Money: A Jazz Opera with the American poet Amiri Baraka in 1982 and the following year he wrote the oratorio The Holy Grail of Jazz and Joy. In 1988 he collaborated with the beat poet Allen Ginsberg on the opera Cosmopolitan Greetings. The most ambitious of these ventures was Chicago Cantata – commissioned by the city's jazz festival in 1991 – a mix of jazz, blues, soul and gospel music with the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors, saxophonist Von Freeman, and gospel stars Pops Staples and the Norfleet Family in the lineup.
Radio Days, a 10-CD retrospective of Gruntz's works, was released in 2007, and though in declining health, the irrepressible maestro performed in the US with the CJB late in 2012. The long-time Gruntz trumpeter Marvin Stamm described him as "the face of Swiss jazz, and a strong enough presence to gather a slew of top American and European players into his Concert Jazz Band, many of whom … returned again and again".
Gruntz is survived by his wife, Lilly, a son and a daughter.
• George Paul Gruntz, jazz pianist and bandleader, born 24 June 1932; died 10 January 2013