WORLDJAZZ TOP 10 - 2010

Jazz Record of 2010
- Carlos Franzetti: Mambo Tango

Top Jazz Records of 2010
- Marc Copland: New York Recordings, Vol.3 Night Whispers
- Laurence Hobgood & Charlie Haden: When The Heart Dances
- Denny Zeitlin: Precipice
- Aaron Goldberg: Home
- Fred Hersch: Whril
- Jason Moran: Ten
- Luca Mannutza Trio: Longin'
- Riccardo Arrighini: Vivaldi Jazz & Chopin in Jazz
- Manabu Onishi Trio: Wish
- Bill Mays Trio: Stuffy Turkey
- Vincenzo Danise: Immaginando Un Trio, Vol. 1



Vocal Jazz 2010

- Dee Alexander: Wild Is The Wind
- Paola Arnesano: The Police Songbook

Jazz Hors Concours 2010

- Alan Broadbent Trio: Live at Gianelli Square, Vol. 1

Artiste du Jazz 2010
Jason Moran & Fred Hersch

The Best in 2010 by JazzFriends

LAST, BUT NOT THE LEAST LIST
by Carlos Couto de Castelo Branco
CAROS !
Conforme prometemos, hole, dia 11 de janeiro de 2011, estamos divulgando oficialmente para a mídia a
LISTA DOS MELHORES CD's QUE OUVI EM 2010.
LOCAL: Iate Clube de Fortaleza( bar da praia) - cada convidado pagando o seu whisky.
HORA: à partir das 18 horas
RELAÇÀO DOS DEZ MAIS:
1.ALBERTO ROSEMBLIT - DE BEM COM A VIDA
pelos arranjos, e temas musicais, Rosemblit gravou um dos melhores CD's de bossa-nova da década.
2.OS CARIOCAS - NOSSA ALMA CANTA
continuam ótimos e fieis a velha e maravilhosa bossa-nova
3.JOÃO DONATO - SAMBOLERO
Ainda é o PROFESSOR como dizia o TOM
4.JOYCE & TUTY MORENO
Esta maravilhosa cantora merece maior reconhecimento por parte de quem faz divulgação na mídia.(rádio e TV)
5.SARA GAZAREK - YOURS
CD de 2005 dessa EXCELENTE cantora, considerada pelo LA Times como "a próxima cantora importante do jazz"
6.BILL MAYS - MAYS AT THE MOVIES
Entre os dois CD"s lançados em 2009, fico com este. Mays envolui em cada disco lançado. ÓTIMO
7.AHMAD JAMAL - A QUIET TIME
O verdadeiro. Não estou me referindo ao cearense. Criatividade incrível em harmonia.
8.DAN NIMMER - MODERN DAY BLUES
este menino vai loooonge. O CD tá ótimo com destaque para a composição de B.Powell - CLEOPATRA'S DREAM. Ouçam !
9.ETTA CAMERON - LADY BE GOOD
Esta senhora faz os fans e admiradores de SARA tremerem nas bases. INCRÍVEL . CD ÓTIMO.
10.EVA EMINGEROVÁ
ex-jogadora de volley ball da seleção da República Tcheca, agora cantando e acompanhando-se muito bem.

DESTAQUES 2010
DVD
- Bolanni carioca - destacando a faixa NA BAIXA DO SAPATEIRO
AIRTON ROCHA - LEMBRANÇAS - composições e histórias INCRÍVEIS.
EDU LOBO - TANTAS MARES
DORY CAYMMI - O MAR DE DENTRO
CB RECORDS - O MELHOR DA MPB e que não toca no rádio - destaque para a interpretação de NANÃ de Moacri Santos por WHITE CASTLE
RINGO STARR - SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY - cada música um arranjador. Muita saudade para quem curtiu este LP de 1972.


Best Jazz 2010
by MarcioTavora

Meus Amigos, descupem a demora, mas aí vai minha lista,
1 – PAOLO DI SABATINO – THE SWEETEST LOVE – 2009
2 – AHMAD JAMAL – A QUIET TIME – 2009
3 – BILL MAYS – THE BEST IS YET TO COME – 2009
4 – DAN NIMMER – MODERN DAYS BLUE – 2009
5 – ALBERTO ROSENBLIT – DE BEM COM A VIDA – 2009
6 – JOANIE PALLATTO – WORDS & MUSIC – 1999
7 – ETTA CAMERON – LADY BE GOOD – 2003
8 – EVA EMINGEROVA – SOPHISTICATED LADY – 2004
9 – TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO – AUTUMN IN SEATTLE – 2001
10 – BILL MAYS – MAYS AT THE MOVIES – 2009

DVDS
STEFANO BOLLANI – CARIOCA
MICHEL LEGRAND – MICHEL LEGRAND & FRIENDS – 50 YEARS OF MUSIC AND MOVIES
Abraços, MÁRCIO TÁVORA


Melhores de 2010
by Renato Barroso
Caros Amigos Jazzófilos,
Segue minha pequena lista dos Melhores de 2010. Entretanto, tenho plena confiança dos outros CD's escolhidos por vocês, que não as conheço:
- AHMAD JAMAL "A Quiet Time"
- MARC COPLAND "Night Whispers"
- AARON GOLDBERG "Home"
- FRED HERSCH "Whirl"
- ALAN BROADBENT "Live at Giannelli Square: volume I"
Um grande abraço em todos e um Feliz 2011!


OS MELHORES DE 2010
by Dr. Leandro "Leo" Rocha, The JazzMentor
01.CHOPIN-THE NOCTURNES- NELSON FREIRE
02.REFLECTIONS-KURT ROSENWINKEL STANDARDS TRIO
03.TANTAS MARÉS- EDU LOBO
04.SAMBOLERO- JOÃO DONATO
05.BAMBOO
06.DEPONTACABEÇA- ÁUREA MARTINS
07.PIMENTEIRA- PEDRO MIRANDA
08.NOSSA ALMA CANTA- OS CARIOCAS
09.DE BEM COM A VIDA- ALBERTO ROZEMBLIT
10.MUNDO DE DENTRO- DORI CAYMMI
11.ETTA CAMERON
12.JOYCE E TUTTY MORENO
13.OURO DE MINAS- DUDU LIMA
14.THE POLICE SONGBOOK-PAOLA DARNESANO
15.THERE,S A STORM INSIDE- CHICO PINHEIRO

Destaco ainda:
-ALEXANDRE GISMONTI
-LITORAL E INTERIOR- SERGIO SANTOS
-SOPA DE CONCHA- GERALDO E OS AMIGOS DO RUMO
-YAMANDU COSTA E VALTER SILVA
-PAPO DE PASSARIM- ZÉ RENATO E RENATO BRAZ
-WHAT LIES WITHIN- DENISE DONATELLI
-MOON RAY- NANCY KING

Para DVD do ano:
-CARIOCA- STEFANO BOLLANI
A TODOS VOCÊS UM SUPER 2011 !!!


WAITING FOR THE UPCOMING 2011
by Claudio Botelho
MEUS CARÍSSIMOS AMIGOS,
Conforme antecipei, minha lista sofre, agora, uma revisão. Sai Jason Moran,
entra Ted Resenthal. Não que um seja melhor do que outro no geral, mas, em
termos de me trazer lágrimas aos olhos, indiscutivelmente, o ? Impromptu ?
vence. O Moran, conforme mencionei, tem duas musiquinhas meio chatinhas,
mas, no resto, é muito bom. Sem dúvida é um trabalho mais original, mas,
para mim, arte é e será sempre emoção. Assim, perde de dez a zero (exagero...) para o outro.
Reouvi com mais calma o do Denny Zeitlin e, também, decidi incluí-lo na
lista, mas, tirar quem?... Não consegui excluir ninguém! O da Paola é
sensacional, mas sofre do mesmo problema do DZ.
Assim, insiro-os como ?extra-lista?. Seriam os * runners-up, * aliás, são de fato.
Quanto a compilá-los ou não, gostaria de ouvir a opinião de todos a esse
respeito, já que não estou só nesse excesso.
Recordo que, no ano passado, o Márcio, por extrapolação de indicações, teve
o valor de cada uma delas reduzido de modo que, somados, valeram apenas 10 pontos.
Como fazer? Deixo fora ou aplico um redutor?
Dito isso, eis a nova (e definitiva) lista:

1- AARON GOLDBERG - HOME. Saltem a primeira faixa e sigam em frente.
Uma volúpia israelense que me fez querer visitar Tel Aviv.
2- AHMAD JAMAL - A QUIET TIME. Gravação excepcional, elegância,*controle
* e bom gosto. Um dos melhores que ele já fez e o que me fez mudar a idéia
de que ele estava decadente. Nada disso!: aos oitentinha, está bombando!
3- BILL MAYS TRIO - STUFFY TURKEY. Com esse nome um tanto ridículo, o
velho Mays fez, aqui, um de seus melhores trabalhos de todos os tempos.
Ainda teve que superar concorrência própria, eis que me chegaram às mãos
mais três trabalhos seus deste ano. O segundo melhor seria o ?Movies?...
Esse é outro que é igual a vinho francês: só melhora com o tempo. Parece que
será o pianista do ano, heim Augusto?
4- CARLOS FRANZETTI - MAMBO TANGO. Magnetizante na sua simplicidade!
Somente um grande artista poderia fazer um trabalho como esse! É tudo de
bom. Com um bônus, um Fazioli de fazer qualquer Steinway se sentir um
Essenfelder. Um esplendor!...(Tenho esperanças que tenha se naturalizado americano...
5- TED ROSENTHAL - IMPROMPTU. Como bônus, uma japonesa (ou oriental,
sei lá) com um instrumento que deve ter sido fabricado, no mínimo, por um
primo do Stradivarius. Tem um sonzaço!...
6- LUCCA MANUTZA - LONGIN. Extraordinário vigor, num trabalho variado
e consistente. Segurança a dar com pau! Só mesmo alguém tão jovem poderia
empregar tanta força, tanto entusiasmo.
7- MANHATTAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA - SING, SING, SING - TRIBUTE TO BENNY
GOODMAN. Trabalho absolutamente despasteurizado, mostrando que ainda
existem arranjadores para big-bands. Uma brisa refrescante em meio ao
deserto. Parabéns para o David Matthews que eu considerava não mais do que
apenas um pianista mediano!
8- MARC COPLAND -NIGHT WHISPERS. Se jamais houve um ? colorful
drummer ?, ei-lo aqui. Por inteiro! Aqui estão os murmúrios mais expressivos que já ouvi.
9- RICCARDO ARRIGHINI -VIVALDI JAZZ -LE QUATTRO ESTACIONI. Este
(RA,lógico) já virou amigo e, como vocês sabem, amigos não tem defeitos. Como o
Zeferino, eu poderia listar, também, o Chopin que pode até ser melhor, mas
vou ficar com o Vivaldi mesmo, pois foi o que mais me intrigou e instigou.
10- VINCENZO DANISE -IMMAGINANDO UM TRIO VOL 1. Juntamente com o Piero
Frassi, a grande revelação do ano. Trabalho original, consistente e muito
bem executado. Originais verdadeiramente originais. Olhem, os músicos
precisam olhar mais as composições dos outros: esse CD está coalhado de belos temas.

RUNNERS-UP
1- DENNY ZEITLIN - PRECIPICE. Uma epifania Sonora! Um precipício da
Foz do Iguaçu! Extraordinário comando, simbioses de carros automáticos de
dez marchas (se é que existem...). Concentração, extremo foco (apesar das
camisas supercoloridas que gosta de usar...)
2- PAOLA ARNESANO - THE POLICE SONGBOOK. Se eu tiver de fazer um resumo
desse trabalho eu diria tratar-se de um monólito maravilhoso. É como se
fosse uma coisa só, una, pois tem tudo de bom (tanto artística, quanto
tecnicamente). Difícil destacar alguém! Mas o mérito maior, naturalmente, é
dela, pois, junto com o baterista, é o cérebro por trás de tudo. Como se
fosse pouco, parece ser uma das poucas cantoras de jazz da atualidade!
Sds,
Claudio.


By Augusto Cesar Costa
http://accosta.posterous.com/
Disco do Ano
1. Vincenzo Danise - Immaginando un Trio - Vincenzo Danise: piano / Ivo Parlati: bateria / Aldo Vigorito: contrabaixo / Stefano Costanzo: bateria (faixas 2,3,7) / Radar Edizioni Discografiche - RADAR 40009 - 2009
2. Aaron Goldberg - Home - Aaron Goldberg: piano / Reuben Rogers: baixo / Eric Harland: bateria / Mark Turner: sax tenor (faixas 1,5 & 9) / SUNNYSIDE COMMUNICATIONS - SSC 1232 - 2010
3. Yaron Herman Trio - Following the white Rabbit - Yaron Herman: piano (Steinway D, Hamburg) / Chris Tordini: contrabaixo / Tommy Crane: bateria / ACT 9499-2 – LC 07644 - 2010
4. Lee Konitz & Piero Frassi Trio - Chapter 1: Konitz plays Konitz - Lee Konitz: sax alto / Piero Frassi: piano / Filippo Pedol: contrabaixo / Andrea Melani: bateria /PHILOLOGY - W 443-2 - 2008
5. Denny Zeitlin - Precipice - Denny Zeitlin: piano solo / SUNNYSIDE COMMUNICATIONS - SSC 1253 - 2010
6. Luca Mannutza Trio - Longin’ - Luca Mannutza: piano / Gianluca Renzi: contrabaixo / Nicola Angelucci: bateria /WIDE SOUND - WD181 - 2009
7. Marian Petrescu Quartet - Thrivin’ - Live at The Jazz Standard - Marian Petrescu: piano / Andreas Öberg: guitarra, voz (My Romance) / David Finck: contrabaixo / Mark McLean: bateria / RESONANCE RECORDS - RCD-1014 - 2010
8. Bill Mays Trio - Stuffy Turkey - Bill Mays: piano / Mattias Svensson: contrabaixo / Joe La Barbera: bateria / Five Stars Records - FSY-512 - 2010
9. Carlos Franzetti - Mambo Tango - Carlos Franzetti: piano solo / SUNNYSIDE RECORDS - SSC 1230 - 2009
10. Ted Rosenthal Trio - Impromptu - Ted Rosenthal: piano / Noriko Ueda: contrabaixo / Quincy Davis: bateria / Playscape Recordings - PSR # 122109 - 2010

MELHOR CANTORA
Paola Arnesano - The Police Songbook - Paola Arnesano: vocal & arranjos / Mirko Signorile: piano / Giorgio Vendola: contrabaixo / Fabio Accardi: bateria & arranjos / Gaetano Partpilo: sax alto / FO(U)R (Contemporary Jazz) - CO405 - 2010

MELHOR DVD
Stefano Bollani - Carioca - Stefano Bollani: piano / Marco Pereira: violão / Jorge Helder: contrabaixo / Jurim Moreira: bateria / Armando Marçal: percussão / Zé Nogueira: sax soprano / Mirko Guerrini: sax tenor / Nico Gori: clarinete / ERMITAGE - FAB 651 - 2009

HORS CONCOURS
Fred Hersch - Whirl - Fred Hersch: piano / John Hébert: contrabaixo / Eric McPherson: bateria / PALMETTO RECORDS - PM2143 - 2010
Jessica Williams - Touch - Jessica Williams: piano solo / ORIGIN RECORDS - Origin 82566 - 2010


MELHORES de 2010
By Marcilio TheJazzMan
De forma apressada, por motivo de viagem, apresento minha relação daquilo que ouvi de melhor até o momento. Peço a D. Cláudio, coordenador desta lista, uma nova oportunidade em janeiro de 2011, visto que parte do meu material auditivo se encontrava na Capital Federal. Assim, muita coisa que já foi comentada e considerada de boa qualidade, e apesar dos CDs me pertencerem, e alguns casos, não tive tempo de avaliá-los.
CDs nacionais: destaco quatro, dois de cantores e dois instrumentais:
Áurea Martins - depontacabeça, selo Biscoito Fino
Mílton Nascimento - ... E a gente sonhando, selo EMI (a volta do velho Mílton, grande CD!)
Jovino Santos Neto - Veja o Som, selo Adventure Music
Bamboo, selo Brasilianos (grande CD instrumental, fantástico!)

CDs estrangeiros:
Vincenzo Danise - Immaginando un trio, vol. 1, selo RADAR (meu melhor CD do ano sem sombra de dúvidas. Os outros não estão em ordem de classificação).
Nico Gori Millenovecento(feat. Tom Harrel) - Shadows, selo Emarcy
Bill Mays Trio - Stuff Turkey, selo Five Star Records
Nuno Campos Trio - My debut for the ones close to me (Nuno é um baixista, mas o pianista Marco Mezquida é muito bom. Basta ouvir Letter to Evan).
Helen Sung - Going Express, selo Sunnyside (gravado ao vivo no Jazz Standard, em quarteto, com o sax de Seamus Blake, francamente em ascenção. E a pianista também).
Manabu Onishi Trio - Wish, selo Atelier Sawano
Marcello Tonolo Trio - Lazy Afternoon, selo Caligola Records
Piero Frassi Trio + Lee Konitz - Konitz plays Konitz, selo Philology
Paola Arnesano - The Police Songbook, selo Fo(u)r
Ted Rosenthal Trio - Impromptu, selo Playscape Recordings
Antonio Zambrini Trio - Songs from the Procol Harum Book, selo Abeat
Yoshio Suzuki - My dear pianists, selo One
Piero Frassi Trio, aquele CD que não me recordo o nome e nem o encontrei aqui em casa, mas tá aqui.

DVD DO ANO
Stefano Bollani - Carioca Live (o melhor DVD de JAZZ e MPB dos últimos anos, imperdível sob todos os aspectos).
Estarei de recesso até o dia 02/01/2011.
A todos os amigos um Feliz Natal e um 2011 com muita saúde e PAZ.
Marcilio

Dr.Billy Taylor 1921-2010

Jazz Legend Dr. Billy Taylor Dies at 89
By: Brian Scott Lipton · Dec 29, 2010 · New York
Billy Taylor ( July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010 )
Jazz legend Dr. Billy Taylor died in New York on December 28 of heart failure. He was 89 years old.
Taylor was a noted pianist, and was the house pianist at Birldand early in his career, where he performed with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. He also appeared on stage with Cozy Coles' Quintet in Billy Rose's show, The Seven Lively Arts, and played in the pit band for Ethel Waters' show, Blue Holiday.
During his lifetime, he composed over 350 songs, including "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," which became an anthem of the civil rights movement.
Taylor was the bandlander for TV's The David Frost Show, and also hosted and programmed such radio stations WLIB and WNEW in New York, and several award-winning series for National Public Radio. In the early 1980s, Taylor became the arts correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning.
In 1989, Taylor started his own "Taylor Made" record label to document his own music, releasing four albums, and in the late 90s, "Soundpost Records," releasing his two final recording.
He also served as the Artistic Advisor for Jazz to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he developed the Louis Armstrong Legacy series and the annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival.
His many honors included two Peabody Awards, an Emmy, a Grammy, and the National Medal of Arts.
He survived by his wife, Theodora and his daughter, Kim Taylor-Thompson.

2 Sem. 2010 - Part Twenty

Joyce & Tutty Moreno
Samba, Jazz & Outras Bossas






by Dr. Leandro "Leo" Lage, The MPB-Jazz Guru
Quando surgiu em 1968,grande parte da crítica torceu o nariz para ela: ninguém acreditava naquela compositora-cantora: seria uma "jogada" da gravadora porque ela era uma "gata"? Bom,os anos vieram provar que Joyce além de uma menina linda,também viria a ser uma de nossas maiores compositoras,ótima cantora,violonista talentosa,até hoje,firme na estrada como vem provar nesse seu último disco que divide com seu marido,obaterista e também saxofonista Tutty Moreno(este cara fez um disco irrepreensível chamado Forças da Alma,lembram-se ?). Nesse CD Joyce e Tutty comemoram 30 anos de casado e convidaram um time de músicos imbatível. Manjem só:Jorge Helder(baixo),Lula Galvão(violão),Nailor Proveta(sax alto),Teco Cardoso(flauta,sax barítono),Hélio Alves(piano),Vittor Santos(trombone),Jessé Sadoc(trumpete),Paulo Aragão(violão) e Henrique Band(sax tenor).
Querem ouvir jazz,bossa-nova e samba ? Tudo isso você encontrará aqui,da mais alta qualidade. Das 14 músicas 10 são de Joyce e as outras são de Moacir Santos(April child), da dupla Luiz Reis e Haroldo Barbosa(Devagar com a louça),Baden e Vinicius(Berimbau,num arranjo notável de Dori Caymmi) e Embalo(Tenório Jr. numa linda e comovente homenagem). Um dos pontos altos do disco é a participação desse grande pianista,Hélio Alves. No cair de 2010,eis que surge esse discaço. Não percam!


Dado Moroni Trio
Shapes




by Claudio Botelho
Some twenty years came by since Ron Carter presented this Italian piano player (and, now, singer…) to the American jazz aficionados. Last year, I listened to his “Solodado” (Abeat Jazz/2009), comprising solos of some well known songs and others of his make. Man, what a Yamaha was that piano! I never thought it could sound so good! Was the Bösendorfer, now owned by that Japanese company, the culprit? Maybe so, as Yamahas used to have a metalized signature.
Anyway, this time he is with another sound maven, acting as a bonus in what is already a very satisfying work.
It seems, he pays tribute to McCoy Tyner and Shirley Horn in his renderings of his own “Brother Alfred” (which could as well be named “Brother McCoy”) and “Here’s to Life” which, nobody can deny, has been a hallmark of that late diva. The veteran pianist was mentioned in Moroni’s acknowledgments. “Brother Alfred”was performed in an up tempo mood which wouldn’t be my preferred pace to homage Tyner, as his faster playing seems a little mixed up, presenting notes in excess. This distracts the listener from following the natural course of the song. Still, that is the way Tyner is more easily recognizable. It may explain the reason behind Moroni. I’d rather listen to McCoy Tyner in slower tempi…
“Here’s to Life” was sung in a respectful manner: the spirit of the song was judiciously followed and he decided not to abstract from its main line. It wasn’t jazz in fact, although he chose to sing it in a very particular way, which was faster than Horn’s, just bordering the line that would transform it altogether. But he succeeds very well in his kinda masculine rough singing: The message came out unaltered. If, as I guess, he was thinking of her, kudos for him! (I know, I Know: he said it was dedicated to Bobby Durham – “drummer extraordinaire” – but I couldn’t stop thinking of her…)
Every jazz musician is potentially a composer and a singer and, in this work, Moroni shows he’s not any different…
Two Brazilian gem songs from Lins (“Love Dance”) and Jobim (“Desafinado”) compose his portfolio and the trio presents them with panache, showing a right balance and a very interesting intro arrangement in its “Desafinado” presentation. It was never out-of-tune!
The welcome piece, a song from his make named “Ballade pour Gianni”, is uncommonly plenty of optimism for a ballad. I did not have the lucky of knowing that master sax man (Gianni Basso) but, judging by the easy flow of that song, he was really someone special!
Electronic Keyboards…Why use it here? I don’t know, maybe for a change… Listen to “For the time Being” and “Shark Attack”. They’re not bad, by any standards, but I would be happier with the other way. Anyway, listen to the fancy atmosphere of the first of these. In the following, the shark attacks first with a bass and the drums, then uses the keyboards. The danger prevails all the time…
You can also listen to the imaginative “the Duck and the Duchess”, also by him, and to “F.B.S”, which presents a piano-bass duel and, once more, Tyner arrived…
All in all, an excellent production from TCB, with a very important support from Zerodiecistudio of Genève.

Riccardo Arrighini - UmbriaJazz/Brasilia

by Claudio Botelho
No último dia 12, ao cair da tarde, tivemos o prazer de assisti-lo no auditório da Livraria Cultura, aqui em Brasília. Pequenino, com cerca de 150 lugares apenas, aquele ambiente nos proporcionou um clima bastante informal, pois ficamos muito próximo daquele artista que, de resto, pelo seu modo informal de ser, turbinou bastante a sensação de estar num clube de bairro, vendo alguém amigo fazendo arte (no bom sentido).
O repertório variou entre os luminares Verdi, Chopin e Vivaldi. Pessoal meio barra pesada, não?
Nosso grupo integrava a primeira fila, de modo que o palco ligeiramente elevado em relação ao nível dos assentos o deixava ainda mais perto da gente. Não mais que três metros nos separavam.
Na palco, um piano K.Kawai de cauda, postado em diagonal em relação à sala. E ele.
O músico de Lucca, na Itália, conterrâneo de um dos dois italianos supracitados (Verdi, salvo engano meu), iniciou seu trabalho de desconstrução e reconstrução dos temas, numa alternância pouco usual no jazz, pois, comumente, embarca-se no avião, levanta-se vôo para, lá na frente, pousar no mesmo aeroporto, numa espécie de vôo panorâmico.
Ele fez diferente: subia, descia no mesmo aeroporto, subia outra vez, voltava e seguia assim, sucessivamente, até o pouso final. Por vezes, nos perdíamos, mas as descidas constantes nos lembravam onde estávamos...
De formação clássica, já tendo feito vários trabalhos jazzísticos mais convencionais, me pareceu que ele, sendo bom filho, à casa paterna retornava. Teria sido, então, nesse amalgama que ele se encontrara em definitivo? O tempo é que vai dizer...
Como conhecíamos quatro CDs de sua lavra apenas de músicas de Jobim, ao final do concerto, um de nosso grupo pediu-lhe para tocar Luísa. Ele, simpatississimamente acedeu, mas esclareceu que conhecera a música apenas no estúdio, no momento da gravação de um daqueles quatro trabalhos, mas que iria tentar. Sentou-se novamente, iniciou, mas não deu conta. Lamentou, num tom decepcionado, mas brincalhão e, assim, todos fomos cumprimentá-lo, pedir autógrafos, tirar fotos, etc.
Naquele momento, havíamos acabado de assistir um grande artista que vibra com o que faz; que estava muito feliz e que havia homenageado, dentre os três escolhidos, alguém que considera o maior de todos os compositores: Chopin que, sendo austríaco, para ele transcendia, em sua musicalidade, qualquer barreira bairrista que ele pudesse levantar em proveito de tantos concorrentes fortíssimos que existem na Itália...
A música clássica foi homenageada e o jazz mais do que prestigiado, pois ali tínhamos testemunhado um grande artesão que soube fundir, como ninguém, duas das mais sublimes formas da comunicação humana!
Bravo, Riccardo!

Marambaia Quintet at UmbriaJazz/Brasilia

By Leonardo Barroso

Grupo de música instrumental brasileira formado em 2002 em Brasília. Marambaia é um quinteto que tem se apresentado pelo Brasil e exterior mostrando um pouco de suas composiçoes e arranjos de músicas das mais variadas origens (choro, rock & roll, MPB, ..). O grupo é formado por:

Alexandre Macarrão (baixo)

Célio Maciel (bateria)

Léo Barbosa (percussão)

Marcelo Lima (bandolim e violão)

Marcus Moraes (violão)

As fotos são do show feito pelo Marambaia na Livraria Cultura em Brasília ( dezembro/2010), como parte do projeto da UmbriaJazz da Italia, abrindo para o pianista Riccardo Arrighini.

http://www.marambaia.net/

www.myspace.com/marambaias

James Moody 1925 - 2010

James Moody 1925-2010




By Doug Ramsey / Rifftides
James Moody, 1925-2010
We knew it was coming. That doesn't make it easier. James Moody died this afternoon of the pancreatic cancer he had known about for nearly a year but did not make public until November. He was 85. Moody was in hospice in San Diego, his hometown for many years. His wife Linda was by his side, as she was almost every moment since they met.
Moody became famous for his solo on "Moody's Mood For Love," a record he made when he was 24. The lengthy obituary by George Varga in The San Diego Union-Tribune contains a passage about Moody's reaction to the fuss over the record. It captures the combination of modesty, confidence and kindness that endeared him to everyone with whom he came in contact.
"I don't pay any attention to that stuff," he said. "When I made that record, I was a tenor saxophonist playing alto for the first time on record and I was trying to find the right notes, to be truthful. People later said to me: 'You must have been very inspired when you recorded that.' And I said: 'Yeah I was inspired to find the right notes!' "
He recorded "Moody's Mood for Love" in Sweden in 1949, during a European visit that started as a three-week vacation and lasted several years. Being abroad was an eye-opening experience for Mr. Moody, who never forgot the racism he encountered here in his native country, both before and after his European sojourn.
"In America, I thought there was something wrong with me," said Mr. Moody, who recalled how, as an Air Force private in North Carolina, he was not allowed to eat in the same restaurants where German prisoners of war dined.
"In Paris, they treated me like they treated each other, which was altogether different from how they treated me here. When I was in France, I said: `Ah, it isn't me (that's the problem in America), it's them.' I felt good, and now I know there's no one in this world who's better than me. By the same token, I'm not better than anyone else."
Moody's funeral will be in San Diego on December 18. Details are in the Union-Tribune obituary. Peter Keepnews's obituary in The New York Times has an extensive review of Moody's career from his earliest days with Dizzy Gillespie's big band in the early 1940s. For previous Rifftides pieces about Moody, go here and here.
The last time we were together, we were in a roomful of friends enjoying dinner and one another's company. During a round of toasts I caught Moody raising his glass of water with lemon just after he said, "To us. To life."

2 Sem. 2010 - Part Nineteen

Marcello Tonolo Trio
Lazy Afternoon

by Claudio Botelho
The venerable Willis Connover and his Voice of America helped a lot to disseminate jazz through Europe and middle-Asia for over forty years, in the course of the last century. Jazz has crossed the Atlantic and now is firmly established in countries like Italy, for instance, where, today, there is a plethora of fine musicians. The jazz pianism, in those lands, has reached a level of excellence difficult to beat. Names like D’Andrea, Pierannunzi, and Bollani have been leading the way…
Those genius now have a following: Take Luca Manutzi; Ettore Carucci; the poets Vicenzo Danize and Riccardo Arrighini, just to name very few of them, and you’ll know that, at least in the land of the Fazioli’s, the elephants have all the reasons in the world to keep worried: There are many, many a finger eager to caress the ivories…
And, see, I’m not even talking about the sumptuosity of Rava or the PACEfulness of Tavolazzi!
Connover, in those days, speaked of a music that was “partially planned and partially spontaneous” which, in essence, described jazz as it should be. At least the more common –place jazz, as he wasn’t thinking of Cecil Taylor, for instance, or any other like this one.
The sad reality is that jazz, which someone very appropriately named “The American Classical Music”is mostly gone from America, having established itself firmly in Italy and, more recently, in Japan where it gets all the respect it deserves. My cannons, once settled to reach the land of the founders of that spontaneous art, are now firmly aimed to Eastern Europe, as I still have much ammunition to spend…
But, where are Mr. Marcello Tonolo and his “Lazy Afternoon” in the middle of all this? Comprised of eight well proven songs, this work was planned in excess and, so, gave little room to improvisation. If I were a bad boy, I would call it “soft jazz”. But I’m not, and so, just say: skip it, as Mr. Tonolo is not any newcomer and, as carefully prepared a recorded as this work was, it never reached the necessary degree of novelty to make it worthwhile. He can do better, if he wants to follow the paths so well established by his fellow countrymen.


Barbra Streisand and Quartet
One Night Only: At The Village Vanguard




by Leonardo Barroso
I was never a fan of Barbra Streisand. She sings songs that are not my cup of tea. So I was amazed to see this CD/DVD recorded at the Village Vanguard, with 123 seats filled, and a quartet with Tamir Hendelman on Piano & arrangments ( plus guitar, drums, bass ). Most of the songs are standards and two of her own.
Well what about the music ? Barbra is well known to sing for thousands of screaming fans, and now she's at the "Jazz Temple", with a true jazz quartet behind her. I felt she was nervous at the begining, but that was very good. She was almost a jazz singer !
This is the first time I really liked and enjoyed this set. And there is a plus: lots of VIP's having a great time ( Hillary,Chelsea and Bill Clinton/ Sarah Jessica Parker/ Alan and Marilyn Bergman).


by John Bush
Barbra Streisand’s first time back performing in the Village in almost 50 years is a special occasion, a fact obviously recognized by the thrilled audience that was jam-packed into the tiny Village Vanguard (barely ten dozen seats) as well as by Streisand herself, who expertly conjures the intimacy and tenderness needed for such a special program. Her song selection includes a few career touchstones ("Evergreen," "The Way We Were," "Make Someone Happy"), but also includes references to a host of Village or nightclub favorites, led by “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” and “Ne Me Quitte Pas” (the latter of which she uses to reminisce about seeing Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris). With backing from a quartet led by pianist Tamir Hendelman, Streisand sounds confident, energetic, and occasionally reflective about her career in music; she even reaches back to her '60s repertoire to perform a pair of Rodgers & Hart standards, "My Funny Valentine" and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." Granted, eight of the other numbers come from her 2009 studio outing, Love Is the Answer, although they're fairly unobtrusive being largely nightclub standards themselves. Surprisingly, the recording excises very little from the original program; Streisand frequently converses with members of the audience (many of whom hold special memories for her), introduces a string of celebrities, and even finds time to ask a young friend how old she is right in the middle of “In the Wee Small Hours” (which Frank Sinatra never would’ve tolerated). Streisand’s voice is peerless as well, and although nearing the age of 70 her strength with the high notes is waning, she remains the same expressive and endearing vocalist she was decades earlier.

2 Sem. 2010 - Part Eighteen

Marian Petrescu
Body and Soul



By Claudio Botelho, an old-goat jazz listener
The main (maybe the only) mission of art is to please the senses. Art is not technology; it doesn’t need to evolve; it doesn’t need to break records, as long as it brings emotions. Art Tatum, in those days of yore, made some art that some find unequalled.It seems to me the music critics (as much as any other art critics, it seems) need discovering new languages every time, as a mean to validate contemporaneous works: one cannot keep walking the same routes all the time. New ones must be forged. I don’t think so. Fangio could never win over Vettel, if each used their respective cars, but Tatum could do it over Mehldau working with an out-of-tune upright piano, couldn’t he? So…I’ve been listening to jazz, since my early childhood and was never mesmerized by any other kind of music save” The Sergeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band” and bossa nova which, in its way, is a kind of soft jazz. And the” Lonely Hearts” was something clearly detached from anything else any pop musician had ever done up to that moment…I’ve been mainly listening to the piano-bass-drum format for all these years and have been yearning for more all the time. And if the players decide to ask someone else to join them, they don’t count on my approval: much more often than not, the strange will detract from my pleasure.But this is a personal matter. What I mean is that the trio format, for instance, reinvents itself all the time, as long as it makes art to your heart; as long as it stays transforming beautifully a song in a new-old song as any good jazz should. And that is the main task of the players which will never be superseded by whatsoever new musical language one may create.So, by thinking all this, I invite you to listen “Body and Soul” from the Finnish-Romanian piano maven Marian Petrescu, stating that, in this time, his partner guitar player was NEVER a nuisance…


Marian Petrescu
Thrivin' - Live At Jazz Standard



By Francisco Claudio B Botelho
Marian Petrescu. His is from Romania, lives in Finland, is an enthusiastic educator and praises Oscar Peterson. Well, this one is not with us anymore. He left an extensive discography and impressed many with his amazing dexterity. Few could be his peer, if virtuosity was the main concern. This Marian is one of the very few of them. And more: if you’re not a Petersonian, he’ll deceive you into being him. How spooky to have Mr. Peterson alive, playing the piano in 2009! But such is the case: the unusually skin fingers of that big man is, again, touching the ivory keys…Along, you’ll find David Fink, on bass, Marl MacLean on drums and Andreas Oberg playing the guitar. The recording engineer is Aaron Nevezie, who captured beautifully the live show at The Jazz Standard, in NYC.The program comprises time proven songs, although some not so often performed like “On the Trail”, “Cakewalk” and “Blues Etude”. These last two from his mentor and may defy the chops of some. On them, Mr. Petrescu had the chance to sport the full arsenal of that great master. Nothing was subdued or left to our imagination: the spirit of that great piano genius prevails all the time.But, perhaps, the evanesque“Blue in Green” (sorry, Mr. Davis, but that song is his own), performed with all its great plangency (who would dare to do it differently?) is the highlight of the show and here Mr. Oberg more than justifies his presence…This is for the new breed o f jazz listeners: “Thrivin’” has an approach of the 60’s/ 70’s, but, as it shows in spades, can more than hold its own with anything representative of these days, from the modernity of a Jason Moran to the more brain-oriented playing of so many European musicians, if emotion is at stake…


Aisha Ruggieri Quartet
Playing Bacharach



By OnlineJazz
Il titolo dell’album non potrebbe essere più chiaro: una pianista ha il coraggio di affrontare il repertorio dovuto alla penna di Burt Bacharach e lo fa in quartetto con Gianluca Carollo tromba e flicorno, Edu Hebling contrabbasso e Mauro Beggio alla batteria. Operazione riuscita? Francamente è arduo fornire una risposta esauriente dal momento che ci troviamo dinnanzi a brani fortemente caratterizzati, che sono entrati nella nostra mente e nel nostro cuore grazie ad alcune straordinarie interpretazioni il cui livello è difficile da raggiungere. Ciò detto bisogna dare atto alla Ruggieri di essersi mossa bene all’interno di questo universo così complesso, di aver affrontato la prova con grande carattere evidenziando uno stile maturo frutto sia di studio classico sia di una profonda conoscenza di tutto il pianismo jazz ance se, nel suo periodare, è riconoscibile soprattutto l’influenza di Bill Evans specie dal punto di vista armonico. Bene ha poi fatto la pianista a scegliere anche brani poco battuti come “A House Is Not A Home” e “Magic Moments”. Ispirandosi al Maestro, la Ruggieri presenta anche due sue “ Afrodita’s Dinner” e “Thanatos”: nella prima in bella evidenza la tromba di Gianluca Carollo, mentre nella seconda si fa particolarmente ammirare il contrabbasso di Edu Hebling.


Vincenzo Danise
Immaginando Un Trio, Vol. 1



By Ageofaudio
Immaginando un trio – vol. 1” è un disco nato dall’immaginario artistico di Vincenzo Danise, che lo registra in pre-produzione da solo per poi proporlo ai musicisti che lo hanno inciso nella versione definitiva. E’ un disco che si ascolta volentieri: una scrittura non particolarmente tortuosa ma che propone suggestive e raffinate ambientazioni sonore in cui il pianoforte la fa da padrone senza cadere in un jazz “barocco”.
Il cd presenta sei brani originali intervallati da due classici napoletani arrangiati in chiave free jazz.
Packaging curato nei minimi dettagli, copertina “all b/n” per omaggiare le grandi passioni per pianoforte e matita, produzione targata Walex Tricot (che, insieme alla Radar Records, tiene la “Waltex Jazz Competition” di cui Danise ha vinto la seconda edizione). La prefazione, di tutto rispetto, è di Enrico Rava, seguita da Vincenzo De Gregorio: nessun risparmio su toni elogiativi dedicati al lavoro, all’artista ed ai musicisti.
Il primo brano – da cui prende nome il cd – ci conduce subito nell’ambientazione poetica che informa un po’ in tutta l’opera, intervallando temi sognanti a rapide scale jazz, “il sogno di un’armonia perfetta”, come scrive il compositore. In “Fuoco dal Mediterraneo” prende posto alla batteria Stefano Costanzo, con un’apertura trascinante e note incalzanti intrecciate in una sorta di tarantella jazz, con sonorità a metà tra Spagna e Napoli. Poi le note si fondono in accordi minori, il ritmo sfuma, un po’ di malinconia pervade il brano, ma è roba momentanea, un ardore soltanto sopito, come un fuoco dormiente pronto a rinvigorirsi al primo alito di vento.“Ares” è il dio greco della guerra, un dio del quale diffidare. Non diffidiamo affatto della terza traccia, invece, con le sue variazioni di una sequenza di accordi minori, a tratti minacciosi ed a tratti inquietanti, con un sofisticato intermezzo centrale ed un ritorno “in extremis” al tema principale, valorizzato dalla batteria di Stefano Costanzo che ne accresce la drammaticità. “Marte” è un brano interessante, di concezione eclettica, con cambi ritmici e armonici ricchi di suggestione, “una donna, un amore, le sue contraddizioni”. Il centro del cd è caratterizzato da due arrangiamenti di brani napoletani classici come “’A Vucchella” e “La rumba degli scugnizzi”, lenta la prima con una melodia che si intravede nel fraseggio morbido, ruvida la seconda con un sound più aggressivo e ritmato. “Santosa” è un brano di Costanzo (che continua a presidiare la batteria), eppure quasi non si avverte il cambio di mano rispetto al “concept danisiano” impresso nel resto dell’opera: un elaborato e delicato accompagnamento ritmico che segue i toni di una serenata elegante ed inquieta. “Good Bye” saluta malinconicamente l’ascoltatore, descrivendo “il racconto delle speranze e delle paure racchiuse in ogni distacco”, con qualche richiamo – soprattutto nella ritmica – al Pat Metheny di “The last train home” ed un finale trascinante dal sapore sudamericano.
Speriamo che sia un arrivederci al volume 2…
Vincenzo Danise che 2006 si afferma al Concorso Chicco Bettinardi, nuovi talenti del jazz italiano, nel quale, oltre ad aggiudicarsi il primo premio da parte della giuria, ha conquistato anche il premio del pubblico, dal 2007 suona con il sassofonista Marco Zurzolo con il quale gira il mondo esportando la tradizione napoletana in chiave jazzistica. Suona con Ares Tavolazzi storico bassista degli Area. Nel 2009 è vincitore della seconda edizione del Jazz Waltex Competition. Egea/Radar.

Tracks:
1 Immaginando un Trio (V. Danise); 2 Fuoco dal Mediterraneo (V. Danise)
3 Ares (V. Danise); 4 Marte (V. Danise); 5 ‘ A Vucchella; 6 La rumba degli scugnizzi
7 Santosa (S. Costanzo); 8 Good Bye (V. Danise)
Trio: 

Vincenzo Danise Piano, Ivo Parlati Batteria, Aldo Vigorito Basso e archi, Stefano Costanzo: Batteria track 2,3,7


Bruce Henri & Villa's Voz



By Dr.Leandro L. Rocha
Bruce Henri é um músico norte-americano que há muitos anos está no Brasil já tendo trabalhado com grandes astros como Nana Caymmi,Gal Costa entre outros. Há mais de dez anos não lançava um disco como titular e,como ele mesmo diz no encarte do cd,"normalmente quando preciso encontrar inspiração ou solução,vou pelos caminhos da natureza,seja na praia ou à beira do rio no meu sítio lá no mato. Desta vez,tudo me veio repentina e atipicamente quando me encontrava deitado numa cama de hotel em São Paulo". Bendito hotel que serviu de inspiração para a realização desse trabalho extraordinariamente belo onde Bruce mistura a música clássica suprema de Villa-Lobos com o jazz e com a polirritmia brasileira do que resulta um trabalho primoroso,digno dos grandes mestres da música. Os músicos participantes são: Bruce Henri(baixos,arranjos e transcrições),Fernando Moraes(piano),Ricardo Costa(bateria e percussão),Leo Ortiz(violino), Jessé Sadoc(trumpete e flugelhorn),Jorge Pardo(flauta) e David Ganc(naipe de flautas).
Com esse time vocês preparem-se para ouvir um "senhor" disco que eu considero um dos melhores já realizados no Brasil nos últimos anos. Como diz Turíbio Santos na capa do cd: "tremendamente criativo e feito com respeito pela obra e genialidade do compositor".


Manu Katche
Third Round



By Nenad Georgievski
The art of making music that engages both the head and the heart is evidently not hard to pull off, but can be potentially self-defeating. But Manu Katché's exuberant and playful albums set new standards for brainy, soulful, and funky jazz, by blending his strengths as a composer and instrumentalist. His work as a drummer/composer/bandleader, much of it for ECM, shows Katché at his creative peak, stretching his capabilities to dizzying heights.
The Third Round is the next step upwards on Katché's creative ladder, a release of the highest order that combines moments of supreme beauty with the drummer's keen musical intelligence. With each successive record, Katché changes personnel, this time joined by saxophonist Tore Brunborg, pianist Jason Rebello, guitarist Jacob Young, and, finally, unleashing his secret weapon, bassist Pino Palladino. Katché and Palladino have played on numerous sessions, as well as Katché's first solo album, It's About Time (BMG France, 1991), and they possess a rare, almost telepathic musical kinship.
Dialogue in jazz—or any other music—is an essential, but Katché balances it optimally here, where empathetic encounters are built upon the basis of his quartet's s chemistry. The combination of excitement, texture and melody, individual personality, and group simpatico makes Third Round stand out. Full of fragile beauty, the opening "Swing Piece" and "Keep on Trippin'" demonstrate an unhurried pace, with the musicians' antennas fully tune to the same wavelength. Brunborg, who plays the role of a colorist-in-action with his playful and wistful saxophone, shows a broad tonal range; on the lilting and joyful "Being Ben," Katché adds delightful colors and drive, while Brunborg resonates in layers over top.
But Katché is always the center of attention—setting the pace, driving the dynamics, and establishing the mood. He is a painter who generates understated, deceptively simple grooves, shaded with various flows and colorful treatments. The quiet, mid-paced "Springtime Dancing" is a perfect example of the broad palette of his playing. Katché's bond with Palladino is apparent throughout the disc, the bassist lending a special kind of support and foundation with his purring bass lines.Trumpeter Kami Lyle, who also sings on the beautiful ballad "Stay With You," is something of a novelty on a tune that is simultaneously tender and resilient.
Third Round is full, resonant and rich in details that are typical of the ECM style; the musicians subtly commenting on and amplifying one another's nuances. These elements, combined with brilliant musicianship and Katché's compositions, provide the sort of magic that leads to repeated listening.

Track Listing: 

Swing Piece; Keep on Trippin'; Senses; Being Ben; Une larme dans ton sourire; Springtime Dancing; Out Take Number 9; Shine and Blue; Stay With You; Flower Skin; Urban Shadow.
Personnel: 

Manu Katché: drums; Tore Brunborg: saxophones; Jason Rebello: piano, Fender Rhodes; Pino Palladino: bass; Jacob Young: guitars (2, 6, 10, 11); Kami Lyle: vocal (9), trumpet (9, 10).


Anat Fort Trio
And If



By Dan McClenaghan
Working with legendary drummer Paul Motian on her first ECM release, A Long Story (2007), must have been a formative experience for pianist Anat Fort. On And If, her second release for the German label, she opens and closes the set with two readings of "Paul Motian." These are inward, time-standing-still tunes, showcasing Fort's spare and spacious approach to her instrument, with the abstractly nuanced accompaniment of her regular trio-mates, bassist Gary Wang and drummer Roland Schneider.
By and large less gregarious than A Long Story, And If can bubble with forward-leaning energy, as it does on the ebullient "Clouds Moving." And the disc bristles with a dangerous-sounding vibe on "Nu." But ballad beauty makes up the majority of the music, with the wistful "Lanesboro," the gently-rolling "Minnesota," and the holy "En If," alongside the pensive "Paul Motian" twins.
"Something 'Bout Camels," reworked and stretched out from A Long Story's version, gathers into existence on an eerie whine, eventually punctuated by single piano notes, leading to an evolution into mystic trio effervescence.
A Long Story, not initially recorded for ECM but brought there by Motian for consideration, set the bar high for Fort. It received lots of positive press and found its way onto year end top ten lists. Her sophomore And If is every bit as beautiful and more personal, delivering on the promises made by Fort's wonderful debut.

Track Listing: 

Paul Motian (1); Clouds Moving; En If; Some; Something 'Bout Camels; If; Lanesboro; Minnesota; Nu; Paul Motian (2).
Personnel: 

Anat Fort: piano; Gary Wang: bass; Roland Schneider: drums 

2 Sem. 2010 - Part Seventeen

Vijay Iyer
Solo



By Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Vijay Iyer may be one of the great ones; only time will tell. The pianist has risen to become a critics' darling, mostly on the basis of his quartet outings, including the much-lauded Reimagining (Savoy Jazz, 2005) and Tragicomic (Sunnyside Records, 2008). He's worked a trio magic, to, -with his piano/saxophone/drums Fieldwork group, on the high intensity Your Life Flashes (Pi Recordings, 20002), Simulated Progress (Pi Recordings, 2005), and Door (Pi Recordings, 2008).
All of Iyer's recordings, pre-2009, have featured saxophonists: the innovative Rudresh Mahanthappa on the sets under his own name, and the equally-talented Aaron Stewart and Steve Lehman on the Fieldwork sets.
Iyer's Historicity (ACT Music, 2009)—a piano trio offering—and now Solo, indicate a paring down of the approach, and also a move into more non-original material, with marvelous results.
A good one-word description of Iyer's work, pre-Historicity would be "intense." The majority of his earlier offerings are full-speed-ahead, chip-on-the-shoulder, perhaps, with a tinge of anger—sounds that are looking to kick somebody's ass. The absence of the very aggressive saxophonists he employs seems to have injected some calm introspection into his artistry. He opens Solo with "Human Nature," the Michael Jackson hit that Miles Davis brought over to the jazz side. Iyer respects the beautiful melody, and gives it a restless quality.
The restlessness continues on Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy," a busy, clamorous rendition that leads into a tension-and-release of the American Songbook tune, "Darn That Dream." Iyer feels his way into the ruminative melody and adds dashes of Monk-like dissonance.
Iyer also proves himself a superb interpreter of Duke Ellington compositions. His take on "Black and Tan Fantasy" possesses a jaunty, devil-may-care, percussive strut. "Fleurette Africaine" drifts deep into a somber mood that suggests a fitful struggle in its more percussive sections.
Iyer's own compositions often have an inward, very personal quality to them. "Autoscopy" is a turbulent, bristling disturbance, with flashes of unfettered Cecil Taylor-like freedom before Iyer settles the sound into a soothing groove that he alternates with segments of high tension.
"Patterns" begins with a moment of peaceful reflection that builds to Iyer-esque, hard-charging intensity, while "Desiring" glows with an especially lovely and wistful mood of unrequited want.
By 2008, Vijay Iyer's work gave the feeling of an artist having reached a plateau, with a sense of sameness from one disc to the next. Now the pianist's vision expands. After the superb Historicity, the expectations for Iyer were high; with Solo, he has exceeded them .
Track Listing:

Human Nature; Epistrophy; Darn that Dream; Black & Tan Fantasy; Prelude: Heartpiece; Autoscopy; Patterns; Desiring; Games; Fleurette Africaine; One for Blount. 

Personnel: Vijay Iyer: piano.


Paczynski, Levinson, Jenny-Clark
Levin'song



By EastWind Import
A veteran French drummer who is recognized for his work both in jazz and classical music, Georges Paczynski recorded this album in 1994 with a stellar trio with pianist Jean-Christophe Levinson, who also composed all tunes, and wonderful bassist Jean-Francois Jenny-Clark, who sadly passed away in 1998.Originally released by a French minor label, this CD quickly went out of print but gained a cult status for its musical quality among Japanese jazz fans. Atelier Sawano has made this gem of an album available again, this time hopefully for a wider audience that it deserves.While clearly following the piano trio tradition pioneered by Bill Evans, these superb European musicians created wonderful music here. Their interaction is fierce and empathetic. Creative and ever-changing bass lines and dynamic drumming complement and challenge the pianist and elevate his performance. Even if you've never heard of them, it doesn't matter. This is great jazz. Highly recommended!Recorded in May 1994 in Paris. This Japanese edition was released by Atelier Sawano in August 2007.


Jean-Philippe Viret
Pour

By Citizen Jazz
Pour. Le mot tombe comme le plus fugace des éloges, comme une tendre et précise déclaration d’amour à la musique.Pour. Le mot claque comme une solide et galvanisante intention de donner du sens à la démarche. Il aura fallu Le temps qu’il faut pour que la phrase Indicible laisse planer, suspendue, la possibilité d’une dernière partie.Le temps qu’il faut pour... quoi d’ailleurs ? rêver ? s’évader ? Ou tout simplement façonner un univers comme l’ébéniste façonne le bois ?Le gracieux trio du contrebassiste Jean-Philippe Viret apporte via son sixième album un début de réponse en persistant dans une brèche où poésie de l’instant et élégante légèreté sont désormais une marque de fabrique patiemment élaborée.
Sur la pochette de ce Pour, les membres du trio sont superposés, comme pour illustrer l’harmonie homogène et la fluidité naturelle qui permet d’évoluer dans le souffle de l’illusion et le jazz des images. En témoigne l’ouverture alanguie, empreinte d’émotion - « Not Yet » - qui pourrait sortir tout droit d’un film noir. Le raffinement prend une dimension apaisée - voir la très belle « Barge rousse » - dans ces compositions nées sur scène, contrairement aux disques précédents, ce qui souligne encore le relief des teintes « spleen », entre ombre et lumière.
On se réapproprie avec plaisir l’alchimie créatrice qui unit contrebassiste et pianiste (le lyrique Edouard Ferlet et confère au trio une sonorité parsemé de réminiscences chambristes et de bribes de Debussy, de Ravel. Au centre, le batteur fait le lien ; musical et hypnotique, il s’attache davantage à la couleur qu’à la seule rythmique, pourtant subtile. Prenant la suite d’Antoine Banville, Fabrice Moreau - déjà remarqué sur Le temps qu’il faut- apporte beaucoup au disque, et notamment ce sentiment de concorde. Un disque tout entier imprégné par le timbre chaleureux de sa contrebasse, même si Viret, tout en restant aussi féru de jeux de mots, est plus parcimonieux que par le passé. Sur « Page 345 », par exemple, il laisse le champ libre à des discussions tout en astractions entre batteur et pianiste. Mais ailleurs, c’est une libre conversation à trois qui s’impose (« Le Ré grave », où la contrebasse, plus imposante, est magnifiée par la prise de son de Gérard de Haro, qui façonne depuis toujours le son du groupe).
Pourécrit un nouveau chapitre de l’aventure d’amitié qui évolue depuis près de dix ans. Nancy Huston dit joliment dans les notes de pochette que « Le trio, comme le tabouret tripode, est une structure solide » ; la contrebasse de Jean-Philippe Viret doit être faite de ces bois qui rendent les sièges plus robustes.


Espen Eriksen Trio
You Had Me At Goodbye



By Phil Johnson
This tasteful, ambient-friendly Norwegian piano trio offers an accessible, slightly poppy update on the examples of Tord Gustavsen and EST.
It's a familiar-enough method: strong melodies and sensitive playing favouring ensemble depth and textural detail rather than "Look at me, ma!" solos, although it's clear that all three have chops. Like Gustavsen, the governing mood is rather melancholy with a slightly funky edge. As the eight original Eriksen tunes total no more than 37 minutes, you're left wanting more rather than less.


Gianni Basso Quartet Meets Enrico Rava
Tea For Two



By Ken Dryden
Tenor saxophonist Gianni Basso is better known to European audiences, while trumpeter and flügelhornist Enrico Rava has had greater international exposure through recordings for more widely distributed labels; but they represent some of the top players on the continent. Joined by a superb rhythm section (pianist Andrea Pozza, bassist Luciano Milanese, and drummer Stefano Bagnoli), they cruise through a set focusing mostly on standards, ranging from the 1920s through the 1950s, with a couple of surprises. Among the highlights are two lilting takes of "Bye, Bye Blackbird," a pair of warm interpretations of "All the Things You Are" (where Rava is heard on both open and muted trumpet to good effect), a relaxed "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?," and a buoyant performance of the old warhorse "Tea for Two." Among the more interesting choices are the lush takes of "The Gypsy" (forever associated with Louis Armstrong) and Dizzy Gillespie's timeless ballad "I Waited for You." This is one of many gems that make the Philology label worth exploring at length.

2 Sem. 2010 - Part Sixteen

João Donato Trio
Sambolero



By Dr.Leandro Rocha,aquele que alçará voos mais altos no jornalismo on line
Trata-se de um dos raros e preciosos lançamentos realizados pela gravadora Dubas Música dentro do seu objetivo de só editar música de alto nível. O catálogo dessa gravadora é minúsculo mas de grande qualidade e o CD em questão não foge à regra. O trio é formado por mestres como João Donato(piano e autor de todas as músicas),Luiz Alves(baixo acústico) e Robertinho Silva(bateria) além de contar com as participações, em algumas faixas, de Sidinho(percussão),Ricardo Pontes(flautas),Paulinho Soares(cavaquinho),Zeca Pagodinho(voz) como também de cordas(violinos,viola e violoncelo). Embora o repertório seja bastante conhecido,os temas de Donato recebem um tratamento jazzístico e dançante,em muitos momentos,o que torna o disco bastante cativante,de fácil audição. É um disco prá cima !. Vale mencionar algumas faixas onde o piano balançado e inventivo de Donato mais se destaca: "Surpresa"(belíssima parceria com Caetano Veloso),"Sambolero"(com Carmen Costa onde dá vontade de sair dançando),"A rã"(parceria com Caetano Veloso),"Jodel" ou "Café com pão"( com Lysias Enio,irmão de Donato) e "Sambou,sambou"(parceria com João Mello onde se destacam o gostoso cavaquinho de Paulinho Soares além do vocal de Zeca Pagodinho duelando com Donato).Com todos esses ingredientes não foi à toa que esse trabalho ganhou, durante o 11º Grammy Latino, prêmio na categoria de Melhor Álbum de Jazz Latino.


Perrine Mansuy Trio
Alba



By EastWind Import
French pianist, lawyer and composer Perrine Mansuy debut with her trio in 1997 after graduating from the Marseille Jazz Conservatory at the top of her class. A modern and poetic jazz pianist with a prestine touch, she has a wide range of techniques--she even plays Sarangi, a bowed, short-necked lute of the Indian subcontinent.This is Ms. Mansuy's second CD released by Atelier Sawano of Japan, following her 2004 debut La Nuit. Recorded in 2006 with her regular trio with bassist Eric Surmenian and drummer Joe Quitzke, this album showcases her attractive original compositions as well as her interpretations of well-known songs. The materials are taken from a wide range of musical genres. She pays tribute to talented female musicians she admires by performing their compositions: Ricky Lee Jones's "On Saturday Afternoon in 1963", Carla Brey's "Major", Joni Mitchel's "Both Sides Now."The interactions among the three musicians are telepathic and delicate. They utilize the spaces between notes and sounds just as much as notes themselves. In some tunes they are not afraid to show their ultramodern sensibilities and a touch of avant-garde. The sound quality of the recording is very good, and adds value to this creative program. Recorded April 9-11, 2006.


Keisuke Ohta & Bill Mays
Blue Rondo à La Turk


By EastWind Import
Collaborations between American jazz pianist Bill Mays and Japanese independent label Five Stars Records have been very fruitful and produced several wonderful CDs. Mays met violinist Keisuke Ohta at the recording of guitarist Kazuhiko Tsumura's album Ole (FSY-509). They "clicked" musically and that led to the recording of this duo CD. Primarily known for his work in ethnic and avant-garde music, Ohta deeply loves and respects Stephane Grapelli and what he calls orthodox jazz violin. His beautiful, rich tone and passionate style, underlined by an amazing array of techniques, serve his interpretation and expression of music. Mays again proves his great skills as sensitve accompanist and imaginative soloist. The eclectic program consists of an original each by Ohta and Mays, compositions by George Shearing, Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellington, Django Reinharrdt, Dizzy Gilliepie and Astor PIazzolla, plus a free improvisation piece. Their chemistry and joy of making music together spontaneously are palpable, making this one of the best piano-violin duo albums I've heard to date. Strongly recommended! Recorded at Wang Guang RecLabs, Tokyo, on December 17, 2009.


Bill Mays Trio
Stuffy Turkey



By EastWind Import
Bill Mays, one of my favorite jazz pianists working today, has been the main star of Five Stars Records. Mays has been on at least five CDs from the small independent label based in Yokohama, Japan, both as leader and sideman/collaborator. Mays, veteran drummer Joe La Barbera and Swedish bassist Mattias Svensson had previously recorded a trio album for Five Stars, Head Up High, with Svensson as the leader. This time, the same partners in crime reunited under Mays' leadership and recorded a fabulous album. The label's producer Yoshie Mitsukoshi proudly tole me that this is the best CD she's produced yet, and I heartily agree! With firm roots in the traditional, straight-ahead jazz, Mays has impeccable technique, great taste and a streak of adventurous mind that makes his solos unpredictable and exciting. Svensson and La Barbera are perfect both as accompanist and soloist. This is a very satisfying and enjoyable trio album by a formidable pianist in his prime! Recommended! Recorded at Wang Guang RecLabs in Tokyo on December 21, 2009.


Steve Kuhn Trio
I Will Wait For You - The Music Of Michel Legrand



By EastWind Import
One of the veteran American pianists who release new recordings from Venus Records regularly, Steve Kuhn has been admired and loved by jazz fans both in the US and Japan. His latest release is a winning trio recording of the music of Michel Legrand. The lyrical, romantic and memorable melodies written by the French composer--many of which have become part of the standard jazz repertoire--are brilliantly interpreted and performed by a superb trio that includes George Mraz on bass and Billy Drummond on drums. Kuhn and co. add a muscular, driving sense of swing to the faster tunes while digging deep emotionally on beautiful ballads. A wonderful piano trio CD! Produced by Tetsuo Hara and Todd Barkan. Recorded at The Avatar Studio in New York on February 24 & 25, 2010. Engineered by Katherine Miller. Mixed and mastered by Tetsuo Hara.

TOP 10 JAZZ ICONS

Caros amigos du JAZZ,

Segue resultado dos TOP 10 Jazz Icons:

Bill Evans

John Coltrane

Miles Davis

Louis Armstrong

Charlie Parker

Thelonious Monk

Duke Ellington

Ella Fitzgerald

Tom Jobim

Billie Holiday

2 Sem. 2010 - Part Fifteen

Bamboo
Bamboo



by Dr.Leandro "Leo" Rocha
O grupo Bamboo é composto por Alex Buck(bateria),Bernardo Ramos(guitarra e violão),Bruno Aguilar(baixo acústico),Josué Lopez (sax tenor) e Vitor Gonçalves(piano e acordeon) e é um caso sério. Música da melhor qualidade,do mais alto nível. A faixa de abertura "Maracatu no bamboo" é de autoria de Bernardo Ramos como também mais 6 composições presentes nesse trabalho; esta música lembra aqueles maravilhosos temas compostos por Moacir Santos para o disco "Coisas". "Sem início,sem fim",a música seguinte, traz um vibrante solo de piano de Vitor Gonçalves,excelente pianista e acordeonista que arrasa também nas músicas "Gratidão"(lindo tema) e no final de "Nova Bossa"(tem a cara da Bossa Nova, uma beleza!).O sax tenor de Josué Lopez soa bem suave e belo no lindo tema "Eu te amo",logo seguido por um solo arrasador de guitarra por Bernardo Ramos. Outra faixa que merece destaque é "Márcio Bahia" onde Hamilton de Holanda comparece com seu genial bandolim e se junta ao acordeon de Vitor Gonçalves num duelo emocionante.
Sem dúvidas,um dos melhores trabalhos instrumentais desse ano.


Dudu Lima
Ouro de Minas


by Leandro "Leo" L. Rocha
"Quase caí duro quando o vi tocando contrabaixo". A afirmação é de Milton Nascimento e está estampada na capa do encarte do disco desse notável baixista mineiro,Dudu Lima que juntamente com Ricardo Itaborahy(piano acústico,teclados e escaleta) e Leandro Scio(bateria) compõem o Dudu Lima Trio. O disco conta ainda com as participações preciosas e luxuosas de João Bosco(voz e violão inigualáveis em "O ronco da cuíca"), Milton Nascimento(voz e violão em "Um cafuné na cabeça,malandro,eu quero até de macaco") e outros músicos convidados como: Dudu Viana(piano),Emmerson Nogueira(vocal),Fofinho Forever(percussão),Hermanes Abreu(vocal na obra-prima de Milton,"Cravo e canela"),Ivan Conti(bateria),Marcos Suzano(pandeiro,endiabrado,) e Weber Martins(bateria).
A performance do trio é precisa e inventiva,demonstrando o alto nível desses músicos que passeiam por três temas de João Boscoe Aldir Blanc ("Corsário","Bala com bala" e"O roco da cuíca"), três canções de Milton("Um cafuné...", "Cravo e canela" e "Fé cega,faca amolada") e ainda revivem a belíssima "Nascente" da dupla Flávio Venturini e Murilo Antunes. Há também três faixas da autoria do baixista líder do grupo. Enfim, o Ouro de Minas é garimpado aqui nesse CD que pode ser considerado como um dos melhores trabalhos instrumentais desse ano.


Fay Claassen
Sings Two Portraits Of Chet Baker - In Remembrance Of His 75th Birthday



by Jeffrey Epstein
This two-CD set, which comes with a lavishly appointed booklet and pictures, is intended as a tribute to Chet Baker (1929-1988) the famed trumpeter and singer of American jazz. Baker is considered to be a stylistic innovator, particular during his rise to fame in the bebop era of the 1950s. Although raised in Oklahoma, he was a global traveler, and particularly in the 1980s played mostly in The Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe. This project is a creation of some of the musicians he played with during that time. The Volume One CD contains instrumental pieces associated with Baker during his tenure in the Gerry Mulligan Quartet in the 1950s. Volume Two focuses on songs from his solo years when he began singing. Dutch vocalist Fay Claassen sings these, as well as performing bebop scat over the tunes in Volume One. Together, the discs comprise 25 tracks. The producers and musicians specifically disclaim any attempt at imitating Baker’s distinctive brass and vocal styles, a task that would be both impossible and perhaps degrading to his uniqueness as an artist. Since Baker was not a composer, however, we are then reduced to the awkward reality that this set contains no Chet Baker at all. Once the squirmy premise is set aside, we are left with the music on its own merits. The arrangements are inoffensive and generally well done, although a little of Claassen’s scat goes a long way. Her vocals on the second set are pleasant enough. The material includes many of the old standards Baker worked with, such as “My Funny Valentine” and “The Thrill Is Gone.” These tunes have been interpreted by many artists, and Claassen and company offer their interpretations here. But the end result will likely seem strange to anyone who remembers the originals. These tracks are neither an original declaration of a band nor an authentic reading of Baker. They are more like a scientist reading out a dead comedian’s jokes. Perhaps these so-called portraits will evoke memories of Chet Baker as the group intended. Still, given the man’s extensive discography, including anthologies, it would seem a much simpler matter to remember Baker by purchasing those discs that actually feature his own work.

Musicians:
Fay Claassen, vocals; Jan menu, baritone sax; Jan Wessels, trumpet; Karel Boehlee, piano; Hein Van de Geyn, double bass; John Engels, drums.



Francesco Cafiso
4 Out


By JazzLogical.net
Francesco Cafiso (sa, f, ss)Dino Rubino (p)Paolino Dalla Porta (ctb)Stefano Bagnoli (bat).
Escrevi há não muito tempo sobre Francesco Cafiso e eis que um novo disco me chega às mãos. Gravado já este ano com um trio de ilustres desconhecidos músicos italianos, o jovem Cafiso não pára de nos surpreender. 4 Out é a confirmação do que antes tinha observado, que Francesco Cafiso não é mais um subproduto artificial da indústria, mas que ganha a cada dia o seu espaço próprio no sobrelotado mundo dos saxofonistas. Ele é um parkeriano óbvio, mas creio que ninguém ousará já dizer que se trata de um clone. O que ele herdou de Bird é antes de mais um entusiasmo esfusiante e uma linguagem clara e exuberante, mesmo se este será porventura o mais contido dos seus discos. Classificar Francesco Cafiso de mero bopper poderá ser menorizador (mesmo se eu penso que o bop persiste a maior das escolas) e é claro que ele evoluiu muito rapidamente para um saxofonismo moderno. 4 Out balança entre os clássicos e alguns temas escritos por Cafiso onde o saxofonista parece procurar alguma atenção. Enigmatic night é uma balada lenta, iniciada com uma flauta dir-se-ia cinematográfica e um acompanhamento «exótico», completada no saxofone. Mais despretensioso e interessante é King Arthur que arranca com um inflamado solo do saxofone, e que se completa com um solo tayloriano do pianista Dino Rubino, seguido de dois outros curtos solos da bateria e do contrabaixo. O contrabaixista introduz Bach’s Flower, uma melodia simples interpretada por Cafiso no saxofone soprano, bastante radiofónica, mas que pouco acrescenta ao disco. Outra coisa são os clássicos: o disco começa com Everything I Love de Cole Porter, e outros standards são How About You de Gershwin, I Hear a Rapsody tocadas em tempos médios e um rapidíssimo Just In Time; todos eles em interpretações inspiradas, a revelar também a eficácia da secção rítmica.Nem sempre feliz nos temas próprios, 4 Out confirma Cafiso como instrumentista, mas adia um pouco mais a entrada no escalão seguinte dos saxofonistas contemporâneos. Apesar das reticências, um disco que se ouve com muito prazer.


Manabu Onishi Trio
Wish



By EastWind Import
Japanese pianist Manabu Ohishi's debut CD from Atelier Sawano marks a major milestone for Sawano: As the catalog number indicates, it's the 100th album released by the boutique jazz label.Label owner and producer Yoshiaki Sawano decided to do something special for this occasion. First he met and fell in love with the pianist who had never recorded for the label, and then he took him to France to record a trio date with his favorite bassist in the world, Jean-Philiippe Viret, and his bandmate and great drummer Simon Goubert. A very special Fazioli piano was prepared for this occasion. Aided with a superb rhythm section and the fantastic piano, Ohnishi performs a program consisting mostly of his original compositions (two exceptions are "My Foolish Heart," and a solo piano rendition of "What A Wonderful World") with deep lyricism and romanticism. His piano style is economical and elegant, and his touch is prestine. As is typical of Sawano's release, the recording quality is superb -- natural, detailed, delicate and dynamic. Strongly recommended to fans of lyrical piano jazz! Recorded May 8, 2010 in Paris, France.

2 Sem. 2010 - Part Fourteen

Nicki Parrott
Black Coffee



By Swing Journal
Australian-born and New York-based Nicki Parrot is a double threat: She plays the bass fabulously, and has a singing voice that shares the relaxed sexiness of Julie London and the coquettishness of Blossom Dearie. Since she's moved to New York, she has performed and/or recorded with the late guitar legend Les Paul, and pianists Rachel Z and Rossano Sportiello, among many others.Her two earlier albums released by Venus Records (Moon River and Fly Me To The Moon were met with wild popularity and critical acclaim, both of them becoming Swing Journal Gold Disc and receiving two Jazz Disc Awards in a row.Nicki's eagerly awaited third album is a sultry and attractive tribute to Peggy Lee and Julie London. She is againg surrounded by a hugely talented cast that includes pianist John di Martino, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen and guitarist Paul Myers as well as her sister Lisa Parrott who plays baritone and soprano sax and bass clarinet.Highlights include the title track which displays Nicki's tremendous vocal talent, whimsical "Dark Eyes" where Nicki sings in unison with her own arco bass, and "Fever" where she substitutes the famous vocal-drum duet section by Peggy Lee with a duet with her own bass! The audiophile recording enhances the value of this wonderful CD, too. Very highly recommended!Produced by Tetsuo Hara and Todd Barkan. Recorded at Avatar Studio in New York on December 17-19, 2009. Engineered by Katherine Miller. Mixed and mastered by Tetsuo Hara / Venus Hyper Magnum Sound Direct Mix. Swing Journal Gold Disc.


Seamus Blake Quintet
Live At Smalls



by CanadaCD
Seamus Blake, the Canadian-born tenor player, has been garnering an estimable reputation as a hard-edged modernist. He is a member of the award winning group The Bloomdaddies which he describes as “ a funky, alternative grunge jazz band”. For this live date he brings pianist David Kikoski, drummer Bill Stewart and guitarist Lage Lund, who is a real discovery and seems destined for guitar-hero status. The music is fresh and original with one standard “Stranger In Paradise” which gets treated in a sensitive, yet unconventional fashion. This is an exciting and original live project and one well worth listening to.


Vijay Iyer Trio
Historicity



by Michael G. Nastos
Vijay Iyer has captured the ears of critics and listeners like only a handful of the most elite jazz pianists since McCoy Tyner, Cecil Taylor, or Misha Mengelberg initially burst onto the scene. There's no other single player who sounds even remotely like him, few who can match his inventive and whimsical sense of play or seriousness, and absolutely nobody who presents the stunning, highly intelligent music he dishes out. With Historicity, he touches on many different levels of acumen, influenced by contemporary alternative rock, Motown, show tunes, pop fusion, the early creative music of the '70s, and ethnic strains. Iyer also revisits two of his older compositions, with the majority of this progressive jazz -- whether "covers" or originals -- done completely in his own scintillating style. Iyer's working/touring band of drummer Marcus Gilmore and bassist Stephan Crump is more than up to the task, with this well-rehearsed music retaining a spontaneous, liquid, chameleonic urgency that consistently staggers the imagination. Iyer's mind-blowing virtuosity on the title track/opener is loaded with mutated repeat phrases that tumble from his brilliant, busy hands. Clearly, he is not like all the others. His love for Andrew Hill is demonstrated during "Smoke Stack," a scattershot, inventive, tangential swinger, while Julius Hemphill's deeply bluesy and tribal "Dogon A.D." is perfectly interpreted in its thorny, craggy, unpredictable rhythmic base, as Crump's bowed bass and Gilmore's juggernaut funk stagger the mixed meters, very faithful to the original. M.I.A. fans are treated to "Galang" in a hardbound big beat with summarily contrasting bright or dark piano lines, while Stevie Wonder's "Big Brother" sports a tom-tom-fed New Orleans syncopation contrasting Iyer's strident piano. The suggestive, introspective original "Helix" is different for the pianist in a diffuse setting, and he conversely incorporates a circle-the-wagons approach on the romantic Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim evergreen "Somewhere," juxtaposed against a bluesy swing, again atypical. Perhaps the most unusual choice is R&B fusioneer Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew," a straight funky version, not at all smooth, but way cool. The recapitulated tracks include "Trident: 2010" in a roiling, nearly boiled motion, while "Segment for Sentiment #2" is magnificently spiritual, again a twist for Iyer's more animated notions. Crump's bass playing and especially his soloing should be something to marvel at for anyone who appreciates finely crafted, artistic jazz musicianship, while Gilmore is amazing in his ability to keep up and push the more complex sounds. Vijay Iyer has mad skills, overwhelmingly and powerfully demonstrated on all of his recordings, but especially this one. He's also maturing at a rapid rate, while at the height of his powers on this incredible effort that sounds like much more than a mere piano-bass-drums mainstream jazz trio. This is an incredible CD, and a strong candidate for best jazz CD of 2009.


Giuseppe Delre
Sings Cole Porter & The Beat Of A Yearning Desire



by Cinzia Guidetti/Jazzitalia
Affascinato dal mondo dei cantautori nel corso degli ultimi anni Giuseppe Delre si è avvicinato alla musica di Cole Porter. Cercando di approfondire alcuni degli aspetti stilistici e compositivi è rimasto affascinando dal tema del desiderio che aleggia nei versi del compositore.Così, coadiuvato da ottimi musicisti come il trombettista Luca Aquino, con una big band di dieci elementi, e un quartetto d'archi, ha dato vita a questo suo lavoro.
I brani, tutti di Cole Porter a esclusione di "In a Porter mood for love" dello stesso Delre, sono stati riarrangiati con gusto, riuscendo a coniugare tradizione e modernità grazie anche a un'interpretazione sobria e elegante. Si passa così da "Love for sale", a "I've got you under my skin", a "What is this thing called love?" fino a chiudere con "Night And Day". Curiosa la citazione di "Libertango" di Astor Piazzola in "Get out of town".
Il disco si presenta godibilissimo, energico e passionale come la musica dello stesso Porter.


Steve Turre
Delicious and Delightful



by Ethan Krow
Steve Turre, trombone & shells; Billy Harper, tenor saxophone; Larry Willis, piano; Russell Malone, guitar; Corcoran Holt, bass; Pedro Martinez, Bata & djembe drums; Dion Parson, drums.
On his latest release on High Note Records, Steve Turre surrounds himself with some familiar faces and, while keeping the relaxed and easy rhythms of his 2008 release Rainbow People, explores a variety of different compositions. Turre brings back Dion Parson on drums from 2006’s Keep Searchin’ and adds impressive newcomer Corcoran Holt on bass to round out his rhythm section. He completes the band with label mate Larry Willis on piano and old friend Billy Harper on tenor sax.The album starts with Light Within, composed by Harper. Turre opens in classic style, with light playing on three different types of shells. When Harper eventually comes in to double Turre on the main theme, the interaction of the two instruments is warm and lively. Harper has a laid-back solo, followed by Turre and then Willis. Turre’s solo especially plays off the tight rhythm section. Parson distinguishes himself with complex, energetic playing that effortlessly settles into a strong groove.Next is Duke Rays, which works off Ellington’s In a Mellotone. Turre starts off the track and settles the melody into its slow deep swing. Holt’s walking bass line is subtle and easily lost in the mix, but nevertheless forms the heart of the track‘s groove. Harper’s solo near the three and half minute mark is probably his best work on the album. Willis follows him with a brief, sparse solo. Towards the end of the song the band falls back and lets Holt take focus. Even when all of the attention is on him he continues to play subtly and quietly, and scores the best solo on the track. Dance Of The Gazelles is probably the best track on the record.. It begins with a funky rhythm line from Holt, upon which Willis lays a surreal and repetitive melody. This mysterious theme, aided by guest percussionist Pedro Martinez on Bata and Djembe drums, settle into a deep trance until Turre starts braying lightly over it. Martinez extends his solo by teasing it out instead off erupting with sound. Around the five and a half minute mark Willis has a superb, delirious and off-kilter solo. The title track, Delicious And Delightful, opens with guest Russell Malone on guitar, followed by the horns sections playing an energetic, upbeat theme. They riff on the theme for quite some time, until Turre has a chance to slow down and dissect it. Malone follows with a tricky playful solo, and Harper responds with the most frenetic playing on the album.Blackfoot starts with Holt playing a drum roll to announce that this will be his track. He takes center stage as the band plays between his drum breaks for about a minute until Harper lets loose with all of the energy that the composition has built up. His solo flies out like he is worried he won’t be able to finish in time. This forces Turre to up his game and he lets loose a furious solo. Toward the end of the song Parson takes control again, barely letting the band in between his intense drum breaks.Delicious and Delightful continues the string of quality records from Turre and will impress and delight any of his fans.TrackList: Light Within, Duke Rays, Speak To Me Of Love, Speak To Me Of Truth, Dance Of The Gazelles, Delicious And Delightful, Tenderly, Sunala Nobala, Blackfoot, Ray’s Collared Greens.