STEVE KUHN - JAZZ MASTER

photo by Robert Lewis

http://stevekuhnmusic.com

UNSUNG HERO

by Claudio Botelho

I won’t talk here about Ellington, Coleman, Davis, Monk, Armstrong, Mingus, Coltrane, Bird, Evans or any other sacred cow of jazz. They’ve talked about too often and their life and work have been more than extensively covered worldwide. Those who love jazz certainly have heard a lot about all of them and they deserve all the praise, hands down!

But, as we know, many times, history has been very unfaithful to some low profile personalities: that ones who, consciously or not, keep away from the spots. Many a great men passes through this life too silently; never calling attention to themselves, or, otherwise, never as they should. Well, in many instances, it may be a self decision: they just don’t like to call much attention; some just don’t stand their fan’s demands and decide to run more on the shadows… Others are intrinsically reserved by nature; keep faith on staying at the side, as they just don’t bother being much celebrated and even (who knows) find all this a nuisance, as they don’t take themselves much seriously. Although recognition is a human necessity, not everyone feels comfortable being praised too frequently and, past a certain point, misses the sometimes good feeling of anonymity. I feel some of the greatest of the human gender are just unknown entities…

I’ll pay homage here to someone who has been consistently doing very good jazz now for more than forty years and may fill one or more of the behaviors described above. Otherwise, those who love jazz own him much, much more recognition, for he’s someone who rarely, if ever, has done a lesser work and has been enhancing the life of this art listeners for as much time as he is on the road. 

Has he broken any established rules; the cannons so long crystallized in improvised music throughout his long career? I think not. Has he created any new form to express himself; to communicate to us all? Again, I don’t think so. Has he led any musical group long enough to be forever remembered in the annals of his art? Nope…

What he’s doing all these years is telling histories full of drama, enchantment, happiness, sadness, tenderness, anxiety, expectancy, hope, exhilaration, unpredictability, urgency and all the many other necessary ingredients they demand! His music is plenty of expressiveness; just like life.

For me, music is emotion; must have ups and downs, pianissimos and fortissimos; must be visceral, organic, emotive, and all this should be in the heart of the artist, or it won’t fulfill its mission. 

I crave emotional tales and, so, need some good story tellers and the artist heralded here is one of the best. 

His name is Steve Kuhn and he plays the piano!

Now you know that masterpieces like Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”aren’t just my cup of tea, as its composer assignment was to fight the king’s insomnia. Taking this into account, I’d say he was plenty successful and was surely very well rewarded by his majesty…

So, back to Mr. Kuhn!...

STEVE KUHN  SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY:

by Leonardo Barroso

Life´s Backward Glances - Solo and Quartet



by John Kelman
With an inestimable career largely spent in the service of interpreting the material of others, it's easy to forget pianist Steve Kuhn's equally valuable contributions as a composer. That he's turned almost exclusively to the venerable ECM label when either the spirit moves him to focus once again on his own writing, or when the label's head and primary producer Manfred Eicher feels it's time that the pianist consider doing so, the result has been a small but significant discography.
This began with the 1974 solo album, Ecstasy--recorded at Eicher's suggestion a day after the session that resulted in the 1975 group record Trance, reissued on CD by ECM in 2005. Kuhn has since released six more discs on ECM over the next three decades, the most recent being Promises Kept (2004), a rare meeting of jazz and strings that avoided all tendencies towards the saccharine while, at the same time, remaining deeply beautiful.
With only three of Kuhn's eight discs available on CD (four counting the limited edition Japanese release of Ecstasy), Life's Backward Glances - Solo and Quartet begins to right a major wrong by making Ecstasy, 1977's Motility with his Ecstasy quartet, and 1980's Playground, with vocal legend Sheila Jordan, available as a three-CD box set, complete with liner notes by Bob Blumenthal. There's considerable cross-over of material; Kuhn's not a prolific writer, but he has managed to turn a relatively small repertoire into a profoundly meaningful one.
With two very different quartet contexts augmenting the solo disc--both featuring a traditional piano-bass-drums foundation, but one featuring woodwind multi-instrumentalist Steve Slagle, and the other with Jordan bring a lyrical interpretation to Kuhn's writing--Life's Backward Glances refracts Kuhn's music through three very different prisms, each with its own set of colors and undeniable charm.

ECSTASY
Recorded the day after the sessions for Trance--featuring bassist Steve Swallow, drummer Jack DeJohnette and percussionist Sue Evans--was complete, it's no surprise that Kuhn would revisit some of the same material, but this time in the more liberated context of a solo recording. By this time ECM had almost single-handedly revived the art of solo recording--piano in particular, with seminal entries from Keith Jarrrett (1972's Facing You), Chick Corea (1970's Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 and 1972's Piano Improvisations Vol. 2) and Paul Bley (1973's Open, To Love)--and Kuhn's addition to ECM's canon, not surprisingly, possesses its own unique personality.
Kuhn's writing--always lyrical, sometimes melancholy and always bearing the potential for descent into a tumultuous maelstrom--is a dramatic, swirling chaos but one from which Kuhn invariable manages to escape, returning to the vivid melodies that define his compositions. The opening "Silver" is also performed solo in Trance, but here he extends it to nearly triple the length, beginning in spare impressionism before gradually introducing a kind of flexible time. Dark-hued, Kuhn's free association allows this initially poignant lament to gradually turn more forceful, while never losing its evocative core.
"Prelude in G" is a spontaneous creation yet, much like Jarrett, Kuhn possesses a remarkable ability to pull form from the ether, with a simple arpeggiated pattern gradually dissolving into greater anarchy, building to a turbulent climax that ends almost as suddenly as it begins. "Ulla," which would resurface years later as the title track to his return to ECM, Return to Tomorrow (1996), holds the closest markers to the jazz tradition. At a time when artists were oftentimes turning away from that tradition, for Kuhn it was always a fundamental component of who he was. Still, its changes--linked by passing notes to create a chordal foundation for Kuhn's singable theme--feel somehow inevitable even as they sound new and fresh.
A 12-minute combination of the introspective "Thoughts of a Gentleman" (later revisited as "Gentle Thoughts" on Playground), and even more melancholic "The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers" (later to become "Poem for No. 15" on Playground), an oblique reference to the tragic plane crash that took the life of New York Yankees catcher Thurston Munson, again visit Kuhn's penchant for moving from impressionism to expressionism, as the violent resonance of "Crabfeathers" continues to descend into greater turmoil, unsettlingly alternating with sudden returns to form. Kuhn's disposition for high drama is marked by a surprising ability to avoid blatant melodrama, instead mining emotions ranging from refined elegance to raw catharsis.
"Life's Backwards Glance"--perhaps Kuhn's most often-recorded original (appearing on Trance, Ecstasy, Playground, Remembering Tomorrow and Promises Kept)--is, like a well-heeled standard, a song that provides expansive grist for constant reinterpretation. It's also one of a number of songs that, while interpreted here instrumentally, have provided Kuhn a vehicle for his poetic muse. A rubato tone poem on Trance, a day later it becomes a stream-of-consciousness forum for Kuhn, while ultimately evolving into a similar space, Kuhn's virtuosic cascading lines creating the same sense of power that it took an entire rhythm section to evoke on Trance.

MOTILITY
Motility debuts Kuhn's working band Ecstasy, featuring saxophonist and flautist Steve Slagle, bassist Swartz (later to become simply Harvie S.) and drummer Michael Smith, who would be replaced by Bob Moses for the group's follow-up, 1978's Non-Fiction. While working in a group context inherently imposes certain structural necessities, Ecstasy managed to retain much of the temporal elasticity and broader impressionistic ambience of Kuhn's solo effort. While everyone shines on Motility--perhaps most notably Smith, if only because he's as paradoxically powerful yet empathically sensitive as other drum mainstays of the label at that time (DeJohnette, Jon Christensen and Michael DiPasqua), who after this recording appears to have disappeared off the face of the planet-- but more in the "everyone soloing and nobody soloing" manner that the late Joe Zawinul used to describe his longstanding group, Weather Report.
That said, other than a collective approach to interpreting Kuhn's six compositions and Swartz's two, there's little to link Ecstasy with Weather Report--even the early, more spontaneously improvisational version responsible for the 1971 self-titled debut and 1972's I Sing the Body Electric, both on Columbia/Legacy. Kuhn's ability to evoke vivid imagery hits with the album opener, the aptly-titled "Rain Forest," where Kuhn's delicate pianism interacts with Slagle's flute to create a cinematic vision, Swartz's deep arco anchoring this rubato excursion into collective interaction. "Oceans in the Sky" is more dramatic, an ideal follow-on to "Rain Forest," that takes similar ideas and infuses them with greater power, as Smith's dry cymbal work and fervent rolls around the kit create a paradoxically ethereal yet unmistakable sense of forward motion that, coupled with Kuhn's cascading lines, conjures up images white-capped waves. Slagle, this time on soprano sax, provides the melodic strength even as he plays with Dave Liebman-esque energy and expressionism.
Swartz, who would also appear on ECM with his own collaborative group Double Image for its sophomore release, Dawn (1979), would go on to focus his energies on Latin jazz, but here--as well as on a series of duet albums with Jordan that took place after their first encounter in Kuhn's group on Playground and its follow-up, the live Last Year's Waltz (ECM, 1982)--he's more stylistically expansive. He's also far more than a rhythmic anchor in a group that encourages interplay and democracy. His two compositional contributions to Motility--the bold yet lyrical "Catherine" and high velocity album closer, "Places I've Never Been"--a burning samba that foreshadows things to come--demonstrate an already well-developed writer (he was under 30 at the time of this recording), and a virtuoso player capable of blinding speed who, rather than using it as an end unto itself, never abandons finding imaginative expansions on the essence of song.
The collaborative nature of Motility doesn't mean there aren't impressive solos peppered throughout the disc. Both Kuhn and Swartz deliver fiery solos on "Places I've Never Been," while Slagle is at his hottest on "Bittersweet Passages," where the solo may revolve around a pedal point, but the saxophonist moves in, out and around that sparest of contexts to create a solo of surprising invention. Swartz also takes an impressive solo on Kuhn's wry "Deep Tango," before the pianist's own solo cleverly juxtaposes near chaos with potently romantic melodicism.
Stormy weather also imbues the high energy title track, which ultimately swings hard, once again referencing Kuhn's unmistakable roots in the jazz tradition. So, too, does the disc's one solo piano piece, "A Danse for One," which is filled with skewed and direct references to blues and barrelhouse, all the while feeling completely connected to the rest of the album, as the pianist shifts from the straightforward to the anarchic at the drop of a dime.
As strong as Trance is, there's more of a group feel about Motility, perhaps because Kuhn, Slagle, Swartz and Smith had already been working together as a unit prior to its recording. It's a strong debut, but Non-Fiction edges it out by a nose, and hopefully will receive similar reissue treatment before too long.

PLAYGROUND
Kuhn may have managed to get one example of his odd poetry out on Trance ("Life's Backward Glance"), and had already recorded an album with Karin Krog singing a number of his songs (We Could Be Flying, P-Vine, 1974), but it wasn't until he took his group with Swartz and Moses, and replaced Slagle with Sheila Jordan, that he was able to record an entire album devoted to his music and lyrics. Four of the tunes had already appeared on previous ECM discs--"Gentle Thoughts" (as "Thoughts of a Gentleman"), "Poem for No. 15" (as "The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers"), "Deep Tango" and the perennial "Life's Backwards Glance." But the two other tracks on Playground--"Tomorrow's Son" and "The Zoo"--had past lives under different names as well. But with the inclusion of a vocalist, Kuhn's approach to the material had to change significantly, most notably with a firmer, more clearly defined pulse--at least during the passages where Jordan was singing.
Kuhn's lyrics ranged from the absurd ("The Zoo") to the more personal ("Tomorrow's Son," "Thoughts of a Gentleman"), the latter relating to a time in his life where, as he confesses in the liner notes, following the end of a love affair with Swedish singer Monica Zetterlund, Kuhn was "a very unhappy young man." Still, while Kuhn will undoubtedly be remembered more for his music than his lyrics, the stream of consciousness nature of some of his poetry is compelling enough, and certainly substantial enough to give Jordan, a deeply expressive singer, plenty to work with.
Despite the inherently more structured form of Playground, when Jordan sits out and the trio gets the chance to expand, there's plenty of the bold impressionism and powerful drama of the trio's work in Ecstasy. "Gentle Thoughts" may largely be a ballad, but its ending is filled with the same turbulence as that found on other discs in the set, just performed in a more controlled fashion.
The group also swings more, and while ECM at that time in particular was known for its almost intentional avoidance of such traditional markers, in the context of Kuhn's music it worked because it was only a part of what he was doing. Still, "Gentle Thoughts," which begins as a rubato duet between Kuhn and Jordan that finds the singer at her subtlest and most nuanced, ultimately kicks into an amiable, mid-tempo swing for Kuhn's lazy, behind-the-beat solo that's sparer and more percussive than usual as Jordan occasional joins in for some in tandem improvisation.
Swartz's opening solo on "Poem for No. 15" leads into a duet with Jordan that may well have been the germination of future, more exclusive duet efforts. Regardless, the song ultimately morphs into another example of Kuhn's ability to create dynamic juxtaposition, impressively bolstered by Swartz and Moses, who again act as equal partners rather than simply supporting roles. "Deep Tango" receives a lengthier treatment than on Motility, with Jordan's wry delivery matching Kuhn's clever lyrics and the trio's buoyant performance. Curiously, while Kuhn's lyrics to "Life's Backward Glance" on Trance take the form of a spoken word narrative that sets up the music to follow as a story to be told, here it's done in reverse--the instrumental intro takes up more than half the tune's five minute duration, with Jordan entering close to the song's end with a completely different set of lyrics that more directly address its title.
The group's follow-up, which, like Non-Fiction, will hopefully see first-time issue on CD as well before long, changes the complexion--a set of ten tunes, only half of which are Kuhn's--making Playground significant as the only album to focus exclusively on the pianist's music and lyrics. Playground's exclusivity also makes it the perfect match for Motility and Ecstasy. Combining these three albums in one box undeniably helps get out some of ECM's remaining discs yet to see the light of day on CD. But it's the box's emphasis on Kuhn the writer that makes Life's Backward Glances - Solo and Quartet an important release that will introduce an significant aspect of Kuhn's talent to an audience largely unaware that he's far more than a relentlessly talented interpreter of other peoples' material.
Tracks: CD1 (Ecstasy): Silver; Prelude in G; Ulla; Thoughts of a Gentleman/The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers; Life's Backward Glance.
            CD2 (Motility): The Rain Forest; Oceans in the Sky; Catherine; Bittersweet Passages; Deep Tango; Motility/The Child is Gone; A Danse for One; Places I've Never Been.
            CD3 (Playground): Tomorrow's Son; Gentle Thoughts; Poem for No. 15; The Zoo; Deep Tango; Life's Backward Glance.
Personnel:
Steve Kuhn: piano; Steve Slagle: soprano and alto saxophones (CD2), flute (CD2); Harvie Swartz: double-bass (CD2, CD3); Michael Smith: drums (CD2); Sheila Jordan: voice (CD3); Bob Moses: drums (CD3).


Mostly Coltrane



By Troy Collins
Mostly Coltrane is pianist Steve Kuhn's venerable ode to his onetime employer, John Coltrane, with whom he played for eight weeks in early 1960 at New York City's Jazz Gallery. Kuhn revisits those seminal days without ignoring Coltrane's later period advancements, extrapolating his controversial innovations with rare lyricism and tenderness--a uniquely beautiful tribute unencumbered by nostalgic sentimentality.
Mirroring the instrumentation of Coltrane's Classic Quartet, (which featured pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones), Kuhn is joined by his regular associate, bassist David Finck, veteran tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, and in-demand drummer Joey Baron.
Expanding on the Classic Quartet's advancements in modal harmony and rhythmic displacement, Kuhn, Lovano, Finck and Baron balance individual expression with focused group interaction. Digging into these sonorous themes with simmering intensity, they expound on the original Quartet's collective spiritual fervor with restrained dynamics.
One of Coltrane's most elegant compositions, “Welcome” from Kulu Se Mama (Impulse!, 1965), opens the album, followed by an inspired version of “Song of Praise,” setting a stately tone for the majority of the session. Kuhn also returns to the standard tunes he played with Coltrane--”Central Park West,” “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” and “I Want To Talk About You,” highlighting the quartet's congenial rapport and effervescent lyricism.
Surveying the untapped potential of Coltrane's late period, the quartet covers a number of recently discovered tunes. “Configuration” and “Jimmy's Mode” made their premier on Stellar Regions (Impulse!, 1967), posthumously released in 1994, while “Living Space” was recorded in 1965--with the album of the same name unreleased until 1998. Although the majority of this date elicits a serene, ruminative view of Coltrane's legacy, there are moments of unfettered bliss that acknowledge the master's move towards abstraction. “Configuration” is the most visceral--a bristling excursion fraught with Baron's pneumatic salvos, the leader's quicksilver cadences and Lovano's intervallic torrents.
Interestingly, Kuhn shares none of the stylistic traits of Coltrane's primary pianists, sounding unlike Tyner or Alice Coltrane. Kuhn's feathery touch and delicate, dancing filigrees amplify the melodious lyricism at the core of Coltrane's most impassioned work with a harmonic density that maintains crystalline clarity, even in the most frenetic passages. Kuhn's original contributions, “With Gratitude” and “Trance”--introspective solo piano meditations that ebb with timeless beauty--reveal the master's influence without resorting to imitation.
A heartfelt, regal homage to one of the idiom's most celebrated artists, Mostly Coltrane is a superlative tribute album, breathing new life into acknowledged masterworks.
Track Listing:
Welcome; Song of Praise; Crescent; I Want To Talk About You; The Night Has a Thousand Eyes; Living Space; Central Park West; Like Sonny; With Gratitude; Configuration; Jimmy's Mode; Spiritual; Trance.
Personnel:
Steve Kuhn: piano; Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone, tarogato; David Finck: bass; Joey Baron: drums.


Live At Birdland



by Jeff Tamarkin

Steve Kuhn has been recording professionally for close to five decades, most of which time he's operated stealthily, rarely achieving the level of recognition he so richly deserves for contributing his immaculate pianistry to a range of jazz greats who have included John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Ornette Coleman, Art Farmer and others, or for leading his own diverse bands. In the mid-'80s Kuhn worked briefly in a trio setting with bassist extraordinaire Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster, cutting a pair of releases, The Vanguard Date and Life's Magic. Two decades later, that trio reconvened at New York's Birdland, and this exquisite aural document of their performance serves as a reminder that, at close to 70, Kuhn is one of jazz piano's unheralded giants. He is as sharp, imaginative and dexterous as he was during his younger years, and with Carter and Foster he is at home -- the musicians reportedly didn't rehearse for these shows, yet they sound as if they'd been at one another's sides for the past 20 years. At Birdland, the trio revisited four compositions that appeared on the earlier albums: Kuhn's own "Clotilde" and "Two by Two," Carter's "Little Waltz" and the Fats Waller standard "Jitterbug Waltz," the latter deconstructed into an 11-minute tour de force that, like much of the music in the set, allows the three musicians to explore a number of tempos, moods and tones. Kuhn, Carter and Foster alternately strut individually and lock intuitively into an airtight groove that takes surprising and pleasing twists before returning to the initial theme. Whether on the opening track, Frank Loesser's "If I Were a Bell," the fusing of Debussy's "La Plus Que Lente" and Billy Strayhorn's "Passion Flower," or the closer, Charlie Parker's "Confirmation," Kuhn establishes a template with light and sensitively executed solo figures before opening things up for all to take off to places unknown. There's a fine balance of simplicity and complexity at work here, but perhaps because he no longer needs to prove anything at this stage in his career, Kuhn seems to have lightened up -- the experimentalism of his ECM period has given way to an approach that is, while still at times blindingly intense, simultaneously light and playful. It's not a bad place for a master to be. 

Two By 2

by Michael G. Nastos

The verve of a duet recording between pianist Steve Kuhn and electric bass guitarist Steve Swallow cannot be underestimated. An inherent telepathy, shared concern for beauty, and high level of musicianship should lead one to believe, on paper, that this would be a perfect joining, and indeed it is. So many outstanding pieces highlight this disc, especially considering they play no standards. Of Kuhn's compositions, you get the stunning "Deep Tango," with its stop-start tendencies, and Kuhn vocally reciting "Poem for #15" (never previously recorded with the verse), also known as "The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers." Both of these classics were previously heard on the ECM recording Playground, which Kuhn did in collaboration with Sheila Jordan. There's the bluesy title selection, the fun "Mr. Calypso Kuhn" (rivaling the Sonny Rollins evergreen "St. Thomas"), and the utterly gorgeous "Gentle Thoughts." Swallow assimilates legitimate single-string high-octave guitar leads on "Deep Tango" and "Gentle Thoughts," but sticks with traditional basslines on most of the record, and he is an unquestioned master at that. His compositional contributions are his more famous than ever melody of "Eiderdown" (a great rendition), the noir drama samba "Ladies in Mercedes" (popularized by Carla Bley), and the spirit waltz "Remember." All pieces are played with a modern luster and shine rivaling a mirror-like polished piece of chrome. Whether pristine and pretty, pensive and moody, or bright and bouncy, Kuhn and Swallow consistently deliver a timeless recording that should stand all tests of time, and is definitely recommended. 

Oceans In The Sky



By Dr. Judith Schlesinger
Recorded in 1989 for Owl Records and finally reissued, Oceans in the Sky is a timeless gem from impressionistic veteran pianist Steve Kuhn. Although he was John Coltrane's original pianist and worked with Stan Getz and Art Farmer, Kuhn's detour into electric piano, commercial music and accompaniment (most notably for Sheila Jordan) has to some extent diluted his pedigree. It's good to be reminded of his gifts, which include lyricism and taste and composition; his title track is powerful and harmonically intriguing, and “Ulla” is lovely.
Kuhn's tastefulness is also evident in his choice of, and approach to, material. Frank Lacey's thoughtful and pretty “Theme for Ernie” is rarely covered; the Jobim he picks is “Angela,” one of the less hackneyed in the pantheon; and he gives a new pulse to “The Island.” Being a third-stream fan, I especially enjoyed how he wove Debussy's “La Plus Que Lente” into a samba version of Ellington's “Passion Flower” with no seams showing; he also pairs “His Is the Only Music That Makes Me Dance” with Satie's “Gymnopedie,” while straining all the Streisand schmaltz out of Jule Syne's beautiful Broadway showstopper.
Kuhn swings hard on Dorham's “Lotus Blossom” and subtly on Brubeck's “In Your Own Sweet Way.” Drummer Aldo Romano contributes the pretty “Do” as well as sensitive and unobtrusive percussion. It's good that Miroslav Vitous is a strong bassist, since Kuhn tends to lean towards the treble side of things. Oceans in the Sky is an understated and graceful outing – delicious.
Track Listing:
The Island, Lotus Blossom, La Plus Que Lente [Debussy]/Passion Flower, Do, Oceans in the Sky Theme for Ernie, Angela, In Your Own Sweet Way, Ulla, The Music That Makes Me Dance
Personnel:
Steve Kuhn (piano), Miroslav Vitous (bass), Aldo Romano (drums)

Promises Kept

By Mark Saleski from Something Else! 2011
I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of jazz “with strings” records that 'work' for me. This is a somewhat mysterious phenomenon as jazz and improvised music is food to me. As necessary as oxygen. Along those lines, a good string quartet is a thing not only of beauty ... it is beauty.
But then you go and mix these things together and, well, they don't wanna mix. Here I'm thinking of many of the musics labeled “Third Stream.” This was jazz mixed with classical. In its more knotty forms it was a load of fun. But sometimes, that stuff just didn't want to be blended and the result was dense, turgid and waaaay too serious. There are of course, counterexamples in jazz. Take Charlie Parker with Strings. It's basically flawless. I mean, it is Charlie Parker.
So, you might be thinking: Steve Kuhn? Yeah, not exactly a household name to the casual jazz fan. This is too bad though, as Kuhn has written some fantastic music over the years and has played and recorded with an impressive list of jazz stars including Kenny Dorham, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Steve Swallow, Tom Harrell and Joey Baron.
Promises Kept features seven new compositions written with string arrangements in mind, as well as three older Kuhn pieces reworked for that context. What makes this album 'work' is Kuhn's romantic and expressive melodies and chord structures. The melodies, with Kuhn at the piano, really do 'tell a story.' So much so that the string arrangements fit effortlessly. This was not accidental. From Bob Blumenthal's (excellent as always) liner notes:
"  While the rhythmic power of his music is represented by “Trance” and “Oceans in the Sky,” it is the emotion in Kuhn's melodies that is the focal point here. “As I've gotten older and gone through deaths and losses, as well as open heart surgery, and at the same time come to appreciate the love and the positive influences in my life, I find myself responding more emotionally.”
Kuhn goes on to say that the strings seem to bring out the emotion in the music. I couldn't agree more. This is a sort of musical travelog through Steve Kuhn's life. It obviously means a lot to him, but we can all take something from it.

by Thom Jurek

The lineup on Promises Kept says it all: Steve Kuhn with strings. Kuhn is a jazz pianist whose recordings may have been out of the jazz mainstream for most of the five decades his career has spanned, but it hardly matters. Kuhn's style is signature, though his explorations have taken him to many different terrains in the world of jazz, from knotty post-bop to pointillism and modalism and through the nefarious world of 20th century vanguard composition to the place where listeners find him now: the place of a supreme and unabashed lyricism that is as sophisticated and forward-looking as it is historical and inclusive. Bassist David Finck is also present here; his trademark loping style has been a fixture on Kuhn's recordings since 1986. Conducted and orchestrated by Carlos Franzetti, this 15-piece string orchestra offers a lush yet poignant collaborative sphere for Kuhn to work his considerable harmonic magic. Kuhn composed all ten pieces. Some are well-known items in his oeuvre; others were written specifically for this recording. They vary in range, mood, texture, and depth of field. The album opens with "Lullaby," its sheer nocturnal elegance kissed by quiet joy. The bittersweet emotionalism of his classic "Life's Backward Glance" becomes a credo for the entire album. Beginning with a series of brooding washes by the cellos and tempered by a pastoral reflective series of chords and ostinatos, it becomes the haunted song of reverie as tempered by a sense of the fleeting present. "Trance" offers an elongated string introduction, whereby the feeling of time's suspension pervades in the violas and cellos until the repetitive, songlike melody line slips into the middle between them and the violins caress the entire mix. Here romanticism and jazz entwine in the body of Kuhn's harmonic structures, shimmering through a luxuriant mirror of musical history. And the title track, an homage to Kuhn's Hungarian immigrant parents, waltzes and glides between Old Europe and a far more romantic vision of America than exists today. It is formal and carries within it a wistful kind of romanticism that is seldom heard in modern music. In sum, this is one of the finest recordings Kuhn has ever issued. Simply put, for all the decades spent adventuring on the boundaries where various traditions blur, the pianist and composer articulate direct emotion as the most effective communicator here, no matter what terrain is navigated in form. A breathtaking and intimate outing, this is a career-topping effort. 

Looking Back

by Ken Dryden

Steve Kuhn is in a fun-loving mood on this trio date from 1990, accompanied by bassist David Finck and drummer Lewis Nash. His one original of the session, "Looking Back," is full of humorous moments in a driving post-bop setting, and his lagging a bit behind the beat while giving Dave Brubeck's "The Duke" a bit of an oriental sound at times is almost tongue-in-cheek. But not everything is played with a twinkle in his eye; "Stella by Starlight" is lush and dramatic, as is Michel Colombier's pretty ballad "Emmanuel." Kuhn captures the droll mood of the golden oldie "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" with a campy, almost country-flavored approach. This is an outstanding date by a veteran musician who's always deserving of wider recognition for his efforts. 

Live At Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Thirteen

by Ken Dryden

Steve Kuhn is generally not thought of as a solo pianist because he has rarely recorded in that format, but this 1990 concert at Maybeck Recital Hall is one of his most memorable releases. "Old Folks" is a chestnut favored by a lot of swing and bop pianists, but Kuhn's unique approach to it explores a larger range of the keyboard than most players, while powering it with a striding bassline that alternates a lot more than one would expect. He has a lot of fun introducing Miles Davis' "Solar," at first playing around with what sounds like a Scottish dirge and sneaking into a bit of the song while giving it an Oriental flavor, before getting down to business. Both "I Remember You" and "Autumn in New York" are long but fascinating interpretations, as the pianist deconstructs and rebuilds each of them with very fresh approaches. This very satisfying concert CD is well-worth acquiring. 

Years Later

by Ken Dryden

Steve Kuhn shares some of his personal favorites, joined by bassist David Finck and drummer Lewis Nash during this 1992 studio session. Branislaw Kaper's "Gloria's Theme" is an overlooked gem originally written for the movie Butterfield 8; the trio's strutting take exudes a confident air. The pianist reworks "Upper Manhattan Medical Group" into a bop setting, while occasionally adding tension equal to awaiting a doctor's opinion. "In a Sentimental Mood" is rather deliberate, enhancing its already romantic quality. "Sometime Ago," a piece beloved by both Art Farmer and Bill Evans, is also slowed down considerably, showcasing its lyrical theme with a beautiful solo by Finck. In addition to inspired treatments of Tadd Dameron's "Good Bait," Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes," and Mel Tormé's "Born to Be Blue," his original "Years Later" is an absolute treat. Recommended. 

Seasons Of Romance

By Glenn Astarita

The great jazz pianist Steve Kuhn tackles well-known standards and not so familiar compositions by performers such as Brazilian guitarist Dori Caymmi, bassist Steve Swallow and a contribution from saxophonist Bob Mintzer on Seasons of Romance.
The opener, saxophonist Bob Mintzer's piece titled, “Six Gun” is an ebullient, mid-tempo swing while Kuhn's easily-recognizable or patented elegance and signature style is notably portrayed from the onset. Kuhn's flair and casual poise ride atop the skillful rhythmic articulations by veteran and highly esteemed bassist George Mraz in collaboration with the inimitable jazz session drummer, Al Foster. Here, Kuhn's intelligent comping and sweeping lines aid Mintzer's breezy and lyrically rich tenor sax solo. Kuhn displays his romantic side on Dori Caymmi's touching, “Romance” while trumpeter Tom Harrell joins Kuhn, Mraz and Foster on his original composition, “Visions of Gaudi.” The trumpeter's majestic yet smooth, sleek tone and poignant phrasing equalize Kuhn's reflective or soul-searching performance as they comfortably dance through another persuasively memorable composition. Kuhn is in stellar form on Steve Swallow's piece, “Remember” while demonstrating impeccable technique and emotive characteristics via stylish utilization of tremolo, subtle inflections, swirling chord progressions yet most of all, the remarkable synergy he and Harrell enjoy as the primary soloists. Kuhn directs the rhythms with an active left hand on his swinging original “Looking Back” as the pianist and Harrell once again engage in smooth, airy interplay while Kuhn pushes and prods the band in a quiet sort of way!
Steve Kuhn's remarkable inventiveness, truly distinctive sound and style, melodic gifts and cultivated approach place him among the vanguard of modern day jazz pianists. Seasons of Romance proves that notion in elevated fashion!
Personnel:
Steve Kuhn: piano: Bob Mintzer: tenor saxophone; Tom Harrell: trumpet; George Mraz: bass; Al Foster: drums.


Remembering Tomorrow



by Leonardo Barroso
I met my friend, Mr. Carlinhos C.B., at a local record shop, and while he was checking out some cd's, there was a copy of Steve Kuhn "Remembering Tomorrow", from ECM.
He asked me if it was good ? I told him that if there was only one to buy, Mr. Kuhn' s was the right choice.
All songs are originals from SK, except the track "Emmanuel"; each one beautifully played by the pianist, in company of two super musicians: bassist David Finck and drummer Joey Baron, by the way this is one Mr. Baron's best recording, it's just superb !
This recording is a true masterpiece ! A great trio at their peak !
If you don't know this release, I urge you to buy, clone, borrow, etc.
A must have !!!!


Dedication

by Ken Dryden

The first of Steve Kuhn's several CDs for Reservoir is a multifaceted trio session with bassist David Finck and drummer Billy Drummond. Kuhn opens with a pair of enjoyable originals, the gliding post-bop "Dedication" and "The Zoo," cast as a melancholy bossa nova. He does justice to two compositions by bassist Steve Swallow, the well-known "Eiderdown" and the more obscure "Please Let Me Go," both of which prominently feature Finck's superb playing. His fresh, somewhat darker approach to Kenny Dorham's catchy "Blue Bossa" starts subtly but grows in intensity. Nor does the leader ignore standards. His bright, swinging take of "It's You or No One," the lush setting of "For Heaven's Sake," and a loping waltz treatment of "Like Someone in Love " all merit high praise. 

Countdown

by Michael G. Nastos

A neglected figure in the overall scheme of modern jazz, perhaps this magnificent recording from the veteran pianist Kuhn will somewhat salve that wound. He is masterfully impressionistic, skillful as any, extra-lyrical, and his talent is in full array with substantive help from bassist David Finck and drummer Billy Drummond. In his flowery liner notes, Rafi Zabor refers to Kuhn's sound as that of utter "refracted beauty" -- a concise and apt a description for Kuhn's consistently brilliant musings. The bulk of the program is standards, reharmonized as the quick-witted John Coltrane title track, the lilting endless melody streams tacked on to "Four," or the "Milestones"-tagged version of "Speak Low" showing that as Kuhn is deep, he's also clever. Adapting "Why Did I Choose You?" as if walking on eggshells with a slight samba beat, Kuhn's dancing figures are steps he invents. Finck's singing bass solo accents the laid-back Benny Carter evergreen "When Lights Are Low," and Kuhn's take on "She's Funny That Way" expands further on this already exceptional melody. There are three of Kuhn's originals, totaling a mere 12 minutes. A recap on the piece from his Sheila Jordan phase, "Last Year's Waltz" gets a regret-filled rubato treatment seen through lavender-colored glasses. "Chalet" is as elegiac as any snow covered mountain home, while "Tomorrow's Son" is a rhapsodic, free entity with more cascading piano. Steve Swallow's "Wrong Together" is also included, weeping with even-keeled swing and repeated inquisitions as to why. This music clearly inspires all kinds of lush, regal imagery. It is Kuhn at his best, one of the more soul-stirring piano trio CDs of recent hearing, and a joy to listen to more than just once. 

The Best Things

By C. Andrew Hovan

For the past several years, the Reservoir label’s New York Piano Series has been the forum for some of the best piano trio records in recent memory. Although earlier presenters in the cycle included Kenny Barron, Rob Schneiderman, John Hicks, and Hod O’Brien, Reservoir has really hit a gold mine by signing on Steve Kuhn. Although not as well known as let’s say Hank Jones or Tommy Flanagan, Kuhn is equally proficient at exploiting the piano trio format for all it’s worth.
A superb follow-up to his previous two Reservoir sides, Dedication and Countdown (both come highly recommended if you don’t already own them), the trio assembled for The Best Things is a working band with David Finck on bass and Billy Drummond on drums. These three men were all on the same page after the week in the clubs that preceded this recording session and you can tell that they delved into the material, hand-selecting new phrases and developing a three-way conversation that reveals true craftsmanship of the highest order.
A highly original player, Kuhn’s style is characterized by a synthesis that takes the best of the be-bop language and borrows emotionally and structurally from such contemporary composers as Bartok, Milhaud, Stravinsky, and the like. A case in point, Kuhn’s marvelous re-working of Bird’s “Confirmation,” which opts for an opening that recalls a proper British march (maybe Percy Grainger?), only later to ignite with furious bop-inflected passages and Drummond’s solo fireworks. By contrast, “A Portrait of Jennie” is delicate bliss, Kuhn’s statements unfolding with sophistication and poise. The closing “Adagio” also should be mentioned, as it makes thoughtful use of Luciana Souza’s wordless vocals, Norma Winstone’s comparable work with Kenny Wheeler being an obvious influence.
Great jazz, such as this, always maintains its longevity because each new hearing reveals added nuances and further pleasures. While forgiving the obvious pun, The Best Things certainly lives up to its title while currently holding its position as one of the best piano trio discs to come along in 2000.
Track Listing:
The Best Things in Life Are Free, Luiza, Two By Two, Portrait of Jennie, Confirmation, Poem For #15, Adagio (53:48)
Personnel:
Steve Kuhn- piano, David Finck- bass, Billy Drummond- drums, Luciana Souza- vocal (track #7 only)


Pastorale



By Brandt Reiter
Though he's been an inimitable sideman for jazz legends like John Coltrane, Stan Getz and Arts Farmer and Blakey and though he's been leading his own first-rate groups for decades, Steve Kuhn has never become a household name. Like his frequent (and equally idiosyncratic) collaborator Sheila Jordan, he's better known abroad than here, both in Europe and Japan--which is where this new disc comes in. For Pastorale, actually, is not new--it's the overdue American release of a superb trio session done five years ago for the Japanese label Venus, under the title Waltz (Red Light). That Sunnyside has taken it upon itself to release it here and at a reasonable price (until now, it was only available as a costly import) is a terrific service to both Kuhn and his listeners. The only complaint is, what took so long?
Kuhn's dabbled in many forms over his forty-year career but the one that seems dearest to his heart is the classic bop trio, as defined by Bill Evans in the early 1960s. (In Getz's group, Kuhn played alongside Evans' genius bassist Scott LaFaro, and the experience deeply marked him.) Evans, in fact, can be heard all over Pastorale: in the close adhesion of the players; in the disc's lovely, swinging lyricism; and in the easy, forward flow of the music. The presence of Eddie Gomez, who logged a decade with Evans after LaFaro's tragic death, only brings the late, great jazz idol further to mind.
And yet, as strong as the Evans influence is, it's a touchstone and nothing more; on Pastorale--as always--Kuhn remains steadfastly himself. Even at his most sweepingly romantic--as on Walter Donaldson's “I'll Take Romance or the wistful Kuhn title composition which closes the disc--Kuhn never slips into sentimentality. (Indeed, few other pianists could invest Henry Mancini's “Charade with this much melancholy and not have it drift into shameless self-pity.) And the joyous, tripping swing that floats standards like Irving Berlin's “Remember and Jack King's “How Am I To Know has a plush ebullience that's all Kuhn's own.
Anyone who has seen Kuhn live knows the jaw-dropping fireworks of which he's capable. Pastorale, in contrast, is a quiet disc, never rising above a mid-tempo lilt. But it doesn't have to. Listen closely and all the same Kuhn pyrotechnics are subtly there: the abrupt tempo changes within a single measure; the sudden plonking of a sole, indispensable note; the razor-sharp harmonic intelligence; the formalist's attention to space and dynamics; the deep dollops of blues; the tossed-off, tightly crunched flourish. And, no surprise, he's exquisitely matched here by old hand Gomez, whose solos are models of graceful conciseness and veteran skinsman Billy Drummond, who punctuates and colors with wondrous elegance. In sixty minutes there's barely a wasted note and the three musicians play with the telepathic rapport that's both expected and essential in this kind of work.
Track Listing:
Charade; Remember; Years Later; Once Upon A Summertime; How Am I To Know?; My Buddy; I'll Take Romance; I'm Glad There Is You; Pastorale.
Personnel:
Steve Kuhn: piano; Eddie Gomez: Bass; Billy Drummond: drums.

2 Sem 2011 - Part Six

Stephane Kerecki & John Taylor
Patience


by Guillaume de Chassy
Translation: Charles Johnston
‘For jazz musicians, the duo of piano and double bass is a perilous exercise in tightrope-walking, reserved for enthusiasts of extreme refinement, those who like to dance on the edge of abysses. Its alchemy is mysterious. It cannot be commanded; it exists right from the start, or will never exist at all; which is probably why examples of it are not exactly abundant in the discography.
The tandem formed by Stéphane Kerecki and John Taylor now marks a new landmark in the genre. Between these two musicians, the osmosis was immediate, self-evident, thanks to a set of qualities rarely assembled: fluidity of dialogue, beauty of sound, sobriety of gesture . . . and total confidence in each other, a solidarity which removes fear of the void, of missing one’s footing. From this vivid double bass and this colouristic piano emerges music that burns with a tranquil flame; music to get through the night. One might almost forget that it is invented on the razor’s edge . . .
Like close friends reunited after a long separation, the two musicians – who in fact hardly knew each other – at once start revealing their secrets. Their nocturnal conversation describes imaginary landscapes sketched out by the bassist’s pen, conjuring up in passing the presences of some poets of jazz: Bill Evans, Scott La Faro, Ornette Coleman, Paul Bley, Gary Peacock . . .
Serene though it is, it never flags, such is its underlying rhythmic energy. It drifts off to adventurous terrains where the unexpected lurks in each silence. By releasing the account of his brief encounter with John Taylor, Stéphane Kerecki does more than merely delight music-lovers; he proves once again that jazz cannot exist without sometimes flirting with the void.’


Ken Peplowski
In Search Of.......



by Susan Frances
Reed instrumentalists Ken Peplowski creates an eclectic world of swing-inspired motifs, entrancing soundscapes, soft roasted blues, and balladry sweeps on his new CD, In Search of… from Capri Records. This is his second effort as a bandleader following his previous Capri Records release Noir Blue. The album features compositions recorded from two different sessions and with two different sets of musicians.
The first nine tracks were recorded on February 21, 2010 with Peplowski at the helm and accompanied by pianist Shelley Berg, bassist Tom Kennedy, and drummer Jeff Hamilton. These tracks flow naturally and show signs of Peplowski’s predecessors some of whom he has been fortunate enough to play with including Mel Torme, Benny Goodman, and Rosemary Clooney.
The brisk twirls of Peplowski’s clarinet are garnished in sprinting drum rolls along “Falsa Baiana”, while the clarinet’s sleek strolls across “When Joanna Loved Me” are nestled in Berg’s tranquilizing piano melody. The rhythmic interpoles made along “The Thespian” generate stimulating moments between the piano, bass, and drums, and morph into a soft bluesy swing pulse through “Love’s Disguise”.
The latter half of the album, tracks 10-12, was recorded on April 2, 2017 and stylized with Greg Cohen on bass, Joe Ascione on percussion and drums, and Chuck Redd on vibraphones. The cabaret-toned ambience of “No Regrets” is wreathe in a ring of puffing twitters from the clarinet, which slide into ascending phrases along “Within You and Without You” as the jiggling notes of the vibes produce an ethereal sheath. The upbeat stride of “Rum and Coco Cola” is strapped to buoyant percussions and a springy delivery from Peplowski’s clarinet which is partial to embracing a polka libretto.
Though Peplowski plays with two entirely different sets of musicians, the album has a cohesive seal that allows the tracks to move seamlessly. It’s a testament to Peplowski’s ability to be flexible and effective in any environment that he is thrown into, and proudly, his clarinet shines while encouraging his band to join him in the spotlight.
Personnel:
Ken Peplowski - clarinet, Shelley Berg - piano, Tom Kennedy - bass, Jeff Hamilton - drums, Greg Cohen - bass, Joe Ascione - percussion and drums, and Chuck Redd - vibraphones
Tracklisting:
The Thespian, Lover’s Disguise, When Joanna Loved Me, Falsa Baiana, A Ship Without A Sail, With Every Breath I Take, In Flower, Peps, This Nearly Was Mine, No Regres, Within You And Without You, Run and Coco Cola


Omer Avital Quintet
Live At Smalls
 
 By Sharonne Cohen
The ever-evolving groups led by Israeli-born, NYC-based bassist Omer Avital are entwined with the institution that is Smalls. A member of the now-legendary Jason Lindner Big Band, its seven-year Smalls residency serving as a hotbed for a host of up-and-coming musicians, Avital co-led the Smalls jam session for a time, in addition to his own ensembles. This live album captures his longstanding collaboration with Lindner, trumpeter Avishai Cohen (also a member of Lindner’s Big Band), saxophonist Joel Frahm and drummer Johnathan Blake.
Avital’s tight-knit quintet blazes through a set of his captivating originals, opening with the doleful yet hopeful “Theme for a Brighter Future.” At 14:25, “Magic Carpet,” driven by a North African gnawa beat, offers everyone plenty of room to shine, with some wonderful interaction between Cohen and Frahm and a scorching solo by Lindner. “One” draws on Avital’s Middle Eastern heritage, and “Bass Intro to Anthem to Life” illustrates the multifaceted nature of Avital’s sound and the broad range of textures and moods he draws from his bass—from bluesy melancholy to classical and Arabic hues. The soul-stirring “Anthem to Life” is infused with a deep gospel feeling, while the closing “(Just Some) Smalls Time Shit” rides a rock vibe, the band and audience joining Avital’s durable vocals.
This live recording captures the quintet’s remarkable synergy and palpable energy, the unique Smalls ambience, and the audience’s enthusiastic response to the stellar musicianship soaring throughout.


Bruce Barth Trio
Live At Smalls



By Bill Beuttler
Bruce Barth is a jazzman’s jazzman (and a pianist’s pianist) in much the same way certain authors are known as writer’s writers: much-admired by his peers and the cognoscenti but largely unknown to the wider public. Still, even without the recognition he deserves, Barth has kept busy, putting out 12 CDs under his own name over the past couple of decades and several dozen more backing others. He has accompanied singers (Karrin Allyson, Luciana Souza, Tony Bennett) and fellow instrumentalists (Stanley Turrentine and Terence Blanchard were early employers; lately he has worked most often with Steve Wilson and Terell Stafford).
And Barth often leads trios in club appearances. Live at Smalls was recorded over a couple of nights last September. Barth’s sidemen are players who keep similarly busy, bassist Vicente Archer dividing his time primarily between Robert Glasper and Nicholas Payton, drummer Rudy Royston splitting his between Bill Frisell and JD Allen. Here the three blend beautifully on a program consisting almost entirely of Barth originals.
“Oh Yes I Will” starts things off at a quick tempo, with the later “Almost Blues” the most straight-ahead jazz workout on the disc, Archer’s walking bass and Royston’s propulsive drums driving the rhythm along nicely beneath Barth’s piano. The pleasantly lyrical waltz-time “Sunday” slows things down momentarily before kicking into overdrive for the tune’s midsection. “Peaceful Place” is airily pretty, with gospel accents and a splendid solo by Archer. “Wilsonian Alto,” named for Steve Wilson, explores Brazilian rhythms; “Afternoon in Lleida” opens with a quiet drum intro paired with a bass ostinato that glides into slow swing. The standard “Good Morning Heartache” is the only tune not written by Barth, but his arrangement is exquisite—the tempo slowed, new harmonies added, the support from Archer and Royston kept subtly understated. Here, especially, Barth’s refined touch as pianist, composer-arranger and leader is unmistakable.


Denny Zeitlin
Labyrinth



by Ken Dryden
Since the mid-'60s, Denny Zeitlin has balanced his multiple careers as a psychiatrist, medical school professor, and jazz pianist/composer. Late in his career he has focused more frequently on solo piano, including this second live CD for Sunnyside of unaccompanied performances, drawn from concerts in 2008 and 2010. Zeitlin's touch is so distinctive that his longtime fans will recognize his playing immediately, particularly in his introspective, inventive approach to Wayne Shorter's modal masterpiece. Zeitlin strums and hand mutes the piano's strings, interweaves magical improvised lines, and keeps this familiar work fresh with his dramatic interpretation. His lyrical take of trumpeter Tom Harrell's "Sail Away" is a masterful, subtle exploration. The pianist's galloping treatment of John Coltrane's "Lazy Bird" is similar to his earlier version on his CD At Maybeck, though he takes even more chances this time around. Zeitlin is also at home with standards, offering a lush, spacious treatment of "As Long as There's Music" and a slow, shimmering setting of "People Will Say We're in Love." The pianist's originals are just as striking. Zeitlin has recorded his infectious "Brazilian Street Dance" on several CDs, though this playful version includes a subtle introduction with the pianist strumming and tapping the beat on the piano strings, then becoming a one-man Brazilian band with his rhythmically charged performance. For the other two originals, he revisits works he wrote early in his career. The eerie "Labyrinth" keeps the listener guessing as to its direction, often sounding as if it was a totally improvised piece. Zeitlin's edgy "Slipstream" blends an improvised introduction and a wide-ranging exploration incorporating adept use of dense chords, pedal technique, and string manipulation in a breathtaking finale. Like the vintage wines that Denny Zeitlin collects, the masterful pianist keeps getting better with age.

2 Sem 2011 - Part Five

Dmitry Baevsky
Down With It




By David A. Orthmann
As jazz moves in many different directions and breaks free from the all too familiar and readily categorized sounds of its first century, how does an artist make bebop sound like something other than an exercise in nostalgia or an academic pursuit? In the hands of the thirty-four year-old alto saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky, bop is still a vein worth mining. Down With It, Baevsky's third date as a leader, contains an inspired selection of material, smart execution, and some marvelously telling details.
Each member of the quartet, with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt joining them on four of the nine tracks, plays his role to perfection. In nailing a ludicrously fast tempo on the head of “Down With It,” bassist David Wong and drummer Jason Brown show no signs of strain. Baevsky's keening alto states Bud Powell's edgy, crackling melody with crisp economy. Pianist Jeb Patton dogs Baevsky every step of the way and, despite the band's wicked pace, sometimes his chords jump out and take on a life of their own. Brown's brief, flickering snare fills add just a little more thrust to the proceedings. All in all, the band's performance serves as a reminder that, at its best, bebop is truly a joyous, playful music.
Another highlight of a record which contains no mediocre tracks is Gigi Gryce's “Shabozz.” The head makes a smooth transition from a sixteen bar Latin intro to medium tempo swing. Wong's walking bass line gives the band the right amount of lift. Goosed by Brown's snare drum accents--some of them more felt than heard--Pelt's solo is short on pyrotechnics and long on melodic invention. Every note sounds like it's played with Wong and Brown in mind. Baevsky takes a more aggressive stance. He balances long, twisting passages and shorter thoughts which adhere to the rhythm section's firm foundation.
Sonny Rollins' “Decision” contains some of Baevsky's finest improvising of the set. Once again, there's a palpable connection between his alto and the rhythm section--one really can't be separated from the other. The tune is taken at what Kenny Washington once referred to as an “adult tempo,” a pace somewhere between slow and medium which requires patience seldom found in the young. Though Baevsky eventually builds to a satisfying climax, what stays in mind is the way--particularly during the first chorus--he delivers a short phrase, briefly pauses to let it take effect, and then finds another one.
To their credit, Baevsky and his cohorts don't invite facile comparisons to giants from a bygone era. Down With It is an excellent recording that stands on its own merits.
Track Listing: Down With It; Mount Harissa; We See; LaRue; Shabozz; Last Night When We Were Young; Decision; Webb City; I'll String Along With You.
Personnel: Dmitry Baevsky: alto saxophone; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8); Jeb Patton: piano; David Wong: bass; Jason Brown: drums.


Art Hirahara
Noble Path






by Phil Freeman
The latest CD by Bay Area pianist Art Hirahara asks the question "Yes, but why?" It's a tasteful, swinging, well-played piano trio disc that features four standards (Arthur Altman's "All or Nothing at All," most strongly identified with Frank Sinatra; Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma"; Duke Ellington's "Isfahan"; and Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye") sprinkled among eight Hirahara originals. The rhythm section -- bassist Yoshi Waki and drummer Dan Aran -- swings with subtle force, keeping the music moving forward at all times, even during ballads. Hirahara's playing is lyrical and yet somewhat middle of the road, somewhere between Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, displaying plenty of technique and ably blending melody and groove. There's very little here that will convince any listener that he's an indispensable figure in jazz, though. He's just a capable pianist with a decent compositional voice, and this disc is the kind of thing one can put on in the background at a party without disturbing anyone's conversation.


Eric Reed
The Dancing Monk


 
By Ron Wynn
Pianist Eric Reed has a striking, identifiable style that is expressive and swinging yet can also be lyrical or introspective. Whether part of Wynton Marsalis’ band or working with great singers (Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves) and jazz giants (Benny Carter, Clark Terry), Reed’s solos and accompaniment always seem to add a fresh, vital component. On this collection of Thelonious Monk repertoire, he carefully balances personal touches with the signature twists, changes and melodic quirks that are part of the icon’s appeal. He also deftly balances lesser-performed pieces (“Ask Me Now,” “Ugly Beauty,” “Reflections”) with familiar selections (“’Round Midnight,” “Blue Monk”), while foregoing a couple numbers that usually appear on this type of session (“Straight No Chaser,” “Epistrophy”).
Reed has ideal mates in bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer McClenty Hunter; Wolfe’s playing is easy and fluid, Hunter’s flexible and steady. Whether the song requires aggression (“Eronel,” “The Dancing Monk”) or complementary embellishment (“Light Blue,” “Blue Monk,” “Ruby, My Dear”) they mesh effortlessly in ensemble parts and also excel in solo sections. While Reed will occasionally accelerate a tune’s pace or add some extra rhythmic punch, he doesn’t tamper with Monk’s beloved melodies. The flourishes most often arrive near the end or in the midst of solos, when he scampers through changes and eases his way back into the original’s familiar patterns.
Ultimately Eric Reed honors Monk’s compositions without resorting to straight repertory, blatant imitation or exaggerated treatments. It’s a respectful yet inventive method, and his disc represents the finest possible tribute to a genius and innovator.


Scott Hamilton & Rossano Sportiello
Midnight At Nola's Pethhouse



 
by Ken Dryden
Scott Hamilton emerged in the mid-'70s as a player who had a gift for creating a lush, swinging sound, regardless of the tempo or style. His partner on this 2010 studio session, Italian pianist Rossano Sportiello, is two decades younger, but the perfect partner. Their program includes a mix of standards and lesser-known songs, all played with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of beauty. "A Garden in the Rain" isn't the first ballad one would expect a jazz duo to choose, but the lush interpretation here could launch others into investigating its potential. Hamilton's boisterous playing is boosted by Sportiello's driving accompaniment, with the influence of the late Dave McKenna apparent. "Big Butter and Egg Man" is rarely played outside of traditional jazz/New Orleans jazz, but their brisk, lyrical interpretation should open some ears. They also sizzle with their driving rendition of "All God's Chillun' Got Rhythm," with plenty of fireworks as they trade the lead. This rewarding date deserves a follow-up meeting.


Gerald Clayton
Bond: The Paris Sessions





by Ken Dryden

Gerald Clayton has been one of the bright lights of his generation, playing with the Clayton Brothers (co-led by his father and uncle), accompanying instrumentalists (Roy Hargrove, Don Braden, and Ambrose Akinmusire), jazz vocalists (Roberta Gambarini, Diana Krall, and Melissa Morgan), jazz-pop singers (Michael Bublé and Reneé Olstead), in addition to leading his own band and composing. His second release as a leader is a trio session with bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown, plus some solo piano tracks. His interpretations of standards are remarkably fresh, considering how often they have been recorded in a jazz setting. He sets up "If I Were a Bell" with a subtle vamp as he slowly works his way into it, delivering a witty performance well supported by his sidemen. Clayton eschews the famous introduction to "All the Things You Are" added by Dizzy Gillespie, preferring to delve directly into the song, with a tense, understated approach that simmers but never reaches the boiling point. His solo take of "Nobody Else But Me" is full of intricately interwoven lines while still swinging like mad. Where Clayton really stands apart from young musicians of his generation is as a composer. He shows a surprising maturity for his age, as his pieces display a wealth of stylistic influences yet retain memorable themes that hold one's interest as well. Highlights including his dramatic three-part suite, his Impressionist "Sun Glimpse," and the touching lyrical ballad "Hank."

Jazz and Concord's Live At Maybeck Recital Hall

 Maybeck Recital Hall

by Leonardo Barroso
What is Jazz ? It's a music style ? It's the same as blues ?
Many ask these questions, but only a few unfortunately know the true meaning of Jazz !
Jazz is not a style or any kind of.
Jazz is music; the true, honest, sincere and free way to play it.
Through jazz you can play any "kind" of music (rock,pop,bossa-nova,country,classical,blues,....).
With Jazz the musician can put and bring his/hers best. But to embrace Jazz, the artist must be strong and loyal to his/hers art-form, must be at the top of their playing, because having the freedom to create music, is one the great pleasures in life.
For us listeners/aficionados/consumer, is just the opportunity we have, to be amazed and unsure of what the next note will be, for this note, is giving us the chance of hearing a moment of bliss, that is translated to ( a now famous by my great jazz mentor Mr. Bob Barroso ) EARGASM !!!!!
Well, one of the ways to experience the beauty and freedom of Jazz/music, are the recordings made live at Maybeck Recital Hall. From 1990 to 1996, there were 42 Pianists playing at the same place, same piano ( Yamaha S-400B and C7-FII on some Duo recordings ) and on different dates. No artist sounds tha same or even the piano sounds the same, one completely different from the other.
This is music, this is Jazz ! No one can label the beauty of these recordings.
Beside all this great 42 CD's released by Concord Jazz, they recorded 10 more entitled: Concord Duo Series, at the same magnificent place, everyone produced by the late Carl E. Jefferson.
I do urge everyone, to ask Concord Jazz to re-release all 52 recordings and it's true legacy to music, to JAZZ !

http://www.concordmusicgroup.com

Concord’s
Live At Maybeck Recital Hall Series

Volume         Artist

1              Joanne Brackeen
2              Dave McKenna
3              Dick Hyman
4              Walter Norris
5              Stanley Cowell
6              Hal Galper
7              John Hicks
8              Gerry Wiggins
9              Marian McPartland
10            Kenny Barron
11            Roger Kellaway
12            Barry Harris
13            Steve Kuhn
14            Alan Broadbent
15            Buddy Montgomery
16            Hank Jones
17            Jaki Byard
18            Mike Wofford
19            Richie Beirach
20            Jim McNeely
21            Jessica Williams
22            Ellis Larkins
23            Gene Harris
24            Adam Makowicz
25            Cedar Walton
26            Bill Mays
27            Denny Zeitlin
28            Andy LaVerne
29            John Campbell
30            Ralph Sutton
31            Fred Hersch
32            Roland Hanna
33            Don Friedman
34            Kenny Werner
35            George Cables
36            Toshiko Akiyoshi
37            John Colianni
38            Ted Rosenthal
39            Kenny Drew, Jr.
40            Monty Alexander
41            Allen Farnham
42            James Williams


Concord Duo series

Volume            Artist

1.             Roger Kellaway & Red Mitchell
2.             Dave McKenna & Gray Sargent
3.             Ken Peplowski & Howard Alden
4.             Alan Broadbent & Gary Foster
5.             Adam Makowicz & George Mraz
6.             Ralph Sutton & Dick Hyman
7.             Bill Mays & Ed Bickert
8.             Hal Galper & Jeff Johnson
9.             Michael Moore & Bill Charlap
10.           Chris Potter & Kenny Werner

2 Sem 2011 - Part Four

Luigi Martinale Trio
Le Sue Ali



By Dusty Groove America
A trio date, but one with a really fresh feel – kind of its own mix of lyrical energy and rhythmic pulse – in ways that remind us of some of our favorite French piano sessions of the past decade or two, but with some distinctly original touches as well! Luigi Martinale's got a wonderful command of the keys – stepping forth in ways that warm things up while still swinging hard – thanks to this natural rhythm that seems to bubble forth even during more melodic moments – a bit hard to peg in words, but it will grab you right from the get-go when you give the set a listen. Other players fall right in line with this great approach – and include Drew Gress on bass and Paolo Franciscone on drums – on titles that include "Dancing In A Ring", "Soft", "Le Sue Ali", "Beyond The Door", "Sno Peas", "African Flower", and "Falling Grace".


The Impossible Gentlemen



By Chris May
You may not have heard of The Impossible Gentlemen, for this is the group's first album, and you may not have heard of one of its two chief protagonists, as he has chosen to spend most of his career away from the metropolitan center of things. So here's a map reference, crude and approximate, but one that gets close to the buried treasure. Imagine guitarist Pat Metheny's trio masterpiece, Day Trip (Nonesuch, 2007), add a pianist of commensurate genius, and you are banging on the disc's front door. It is that good.
The Impossible Gentlemen is an Anglo-American quartet which got together in 2009. From Britain, pianist Gwilym Simcock and guitarist Mike Walker, who conceived it, and from the US, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Adam Nussbaum. Its London launch at Ronnie Scott's Club in May, 2010, was generally agreed to have been one of the year's landmark events. The debut album lives up to the considerable expectations which have preceded it, and may seal the arrival of a major new guitar star—"new," that is, after three decades at the coalface. About this, more in a moment.
It is, of course, at least borderline offensive to liken four musical characters as strong as Walker, Simcock, Swallow and Nussbaum to anyone else, and, in any case, the comparison needs to be thrown away as soon as the map reference is suggested. For although The Impossible Gentlemen is, like Day Trip, a gutsy, gloriously lyrical, guitar-led romp in the acoustic jazz tradition, ranging from the filigreed to the full-tilt, and with a twist of fusion thrown in, it has a personality all its own.
While the first musician to be listed in the credits is Simcock, much of that personality comes from Walker, the least internationally celebrated member of the lineup. Like Simcock, Walker, almost 20 years his senior, is from Manchester, in the north of England. Unlike Simcock, he's never left the area, which partly explains his relative obscurity, for England's music business is still overwhelmingly London-centric. Born in 1962, Walker came to local attention with the fusion band River People. Asked to deputize for John Scofield in trombonist/pianist Michael Gibbs' band, he was heard by trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, who recruited him to his big band. In the early 1990s, he toured the UK extensively with saxophonist Tommy Smith, and has since performed or recorded with a mini-galaxy of stars, including pianist John Taylor, bassist Dave Holland, bassist Arild Andersen, trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg, saxophonist Tim Berne and keyboardist George Russell. Walker toured the US and much of Europe with Russell, but he's yet to make a headline splash in his own right, either with his own or a cooperatively-led band.
The Impossible Gentlemen should help change that. Not only does Walker share at least half the soloing space with Simcock—occasionally playing acoustic guitar, he mostly goes electric—he also wrote four of the eight pieces (to Simcock's three). His writing displays a penchant for odd time signatures and idiosyncratic structures, platforms for streams of exquisite melodicism, sometimes easygoing, sometimes urgent, always fast-flowing. Walker's lyrical gift is certainly the equal of Metheny's, but his style has rougher, tougher edges, heard throughout the album and most lengthily on the closing blues, Nussbaum's "Sure Would Baby."
None of this is intended to belittle Simcock's contribution, or those of Swallow (at 70 years the don of the group) and Nussbaum. All three shine—Simcock with lyricism, Swallow and Nussbaum with rhythmatism—but they need less of an introduction in these pages. Unexpectedly, Swallow, a regular partner of Nussbaum's since the early 1980s, takes no writing credits.
In the iPod age, album cover semiology is in danger of becoming a lost pleasure. But the group photos in the booklet speak clearly: here is a band which is having an absolute ball. As you almost certainly will too, if, after finding the approximate map reference given above to be potentially attractive, you hear The Impossible Gentlemen.
Tracks:

Laugh Lines; Clockmaker; When You Hold Her; You Won't Be Around To See It; Wallenda's Last Stand; Gwil's Song; Play The Game; Sure Would Baby.
Personnel: 

Gwilym Simcock: concertina (5), piano; Mike Walker: guitar; Steve Swallow: bass; Adam Nussbaum: drums.


Kit Downes Trio
Golden



By Bruce Lindsay
Golden is the first album by the Kit Downes Trio--and it provides plenty of evidence to support the growing reputations of these three young musicians. The trio, led by pianist Kit Downes, has been together since 2005 when its members were in the early stages of their studies at the Royal Academy of Music. The quality of writing and performance on this album so soon after the players' graduation demonstrates their huge potential and ensures that the album itself is one of the finest debut recordings of 2009.
Downes wrote seven of the eight tunes, with bassist Calum Gourlay contributing “Roots.” Drummer James Maddren has no writing credits, but his distinctive percussion style is central to the trio's sound--something which is most apparent on the title track where his hypnotic and controlled drumming is almost counter-intuitive but strikingly effective.
Golden opens and closes with two extremely beautiful tunes: “Jump Minzi Jump” and “Tom's Tune.” Both pieces are characterised by lovely, delicate melodies that are immediately accessible but endowed with enough depth and complexity to repay repeated listening. “Jump Minzi Jump” does lose focus in its mid-section before Downes returns to its melody line but “Tom's Tune,” dedicated to Downes' tutor and fellow pianist Tom Cawley, stays strong throughout with Downes' piano weaving in and out of a swinging and seemingly effortless groove from Gourlay and Maddren.
The musicians are capable of powerful and intense playing--on “Power and Patience (the bear)” for example--but they excel in more restrained and delicate compositions where their ability to display emotion and empathy belies their relative inexperience. “Madame” is a prime example of this quality--a “love song with no words” according to Downes' liner notes, it opens with Gourlay's simple but emphatic bass line before Maddren and Downes enter and Downes' piano takes charge of the tune. There are no unnecessary flourishes from any of the musicians: every player is precise, delicate, and supportive of the others and the result is a triumph.
Each of these musicians is already in constant demand and is building up an impressive resumé. Talented and versatile musicians such as these deserve this success, but hopefully this group will remain a priority for all three of its members. Golden is a genuine pleasure, and hints strongly that there is more great music to come from the Kit Downes Trio.
Track Listing:

Jump Minzi Jump; Golden; Homely; Power and Patience (the bear); Madame; A Dance Took Place; Roots; Tom's Tune.
Personnel: 

Kit Downes: piano; Calum Gourlay: double bass; James Maddren: drums.


Dan Tepfer Trio
Five Pedals Deep


By Jacob Teichroew, About.com Guide
Dan Tepfer’s Five Pedals Deep, a trio album that features bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Ted Poor, is permeated by a contemplative, pensive mood. The trio, without much surface grandeur, sustains long-arching growth, at the root of which often lies simple and repeated melodies. The piano trio is one of the most vibrant and rich forms of the contemporary jazz ensemble, in part due to the innovations of Brad Mehldau, and stepped up recently thanks to Aaron Parks and his Invisible Cinema, which added elements of refined rock to a genre that seems increasingly to value the phrasing and character of classical music.
On Five Pedals Deep, rock and classical elements are both present. The driving rhythm and headlong chords in “Peal, Repeal,” blossom or erupt into fits of uncontainable melancholic frustration. “The Distance,” with a similar brooding sentiment, Tepfer originally composed as part of a piano concerto. With its glacial growth and subtle emotional shifts, it eschews the charms of immediacy and embraces an aesthetic that is more akin to symphonic works.
Despite the wide use of influences that often occupy the space outside of jazz, swing is still present, and the trio uses it as a tool, just as effective as any other, in conveying the dim and agitated emotional atmosphere that cloaks Five Pedals Deep. “Diverge” teases out a buoyant swing, accented with pointed and dissonant melodic gestures. The last piece on the album, a solo rendering of “Body and Soul,” uses nostalgic phrasing and elaborations of the melody, although both are immersed in fresh harmonies.
The highlight of Five Pedals Deep is an original composition called “I Was Wonderin,’” a playful piece that is untethered to any of the aforementioned genres. There are hints of swing, rock, and even classical music, but insofar as they are all there simply to service the nuanced shading of the piece, they are hardly worth mentioning.


Colin Vallon Trio
Rruga

By John Kelman
As much as many artists have a clear idea of where they are and where they're going, there's no denying the value of a strong producer. Colin Vallon's first two trio discs—2004's Les Ombres, on the small Swiss NotsiNOISY label, and 2007's Ailleurs, on the more widely distributed Hatology label—both demonstrated plenty of promise, albeit in contexts where it seemed as though the young Swiss pianist was like a kid in a stylistic candy store. Vallon's classical background clearly informed the music, but so, too, did an allegiance to the American tradition, through Paul Bley and, in particular, Keith Jarrett's American Quartet of the mid-1970s, with plenty of freedom thrown into the mix. What elevates Rruga, the now 30 year-old pianist's debut on the even more venerable ECM label, is its clearer sense of focus and direction, two characteristics that producer Manfred Eicher has brought to hundred of jazz sessions over the last four decades.
Not that Vallon and his trio—which includes percussionist Samuel Rohrer, familiar to ECM fans for his work on pianist Wolfert Brederode's Currents (2008) and their work with singer Susanne Abbuehl on her label debut, the stunning April (2001)—are lacking in direction, but their first recording for ECM has a greater sense of unity, a more consolidated voice that also speaks to the trio's greater longevity, with Rruga reuniting the same lineup as on Ailleurs, also featuring bassist Patrice Moret, a participant on reed man Domenic Landolf's similarly empathic New Brighton (Pirouet, 2010).
The greater unity of Rruga is all the more curious for its fundamental shift in compositional input. Vallon remains its titular leader, but Rruga is the first to introduce writing from his trio mates. Rohrer contributes three tunes: "Polygonia," where a brooding intro leads to a moment of absolute silence, the trio emerging, like soft rays of sunshine with a stronger allegiance to time, and Vallon and Moret equal thematic partners; the simmering "Noreia," its gentle song form and intrinsic lyricism driven by a pulse from Vallon's left hand and Rohrer's consummate balance of timbre and tempo; and the closing "Epilog," with Moret's softly spoken bass intro foreshadowing its melancholy melody, dark-hewn by Vallon's languid but note-perfect performance.
Playing what the music demands—nothing more, and nothing less—seems to be a defining marker for Vallon and his trio. Moret's two contributions—the slow, repetitive build of the opening "Telepathy," and the sparer "Fjord," where slow arpeggios from Vallon are injected with occasional unison punctuations from the pianist and Moret—are open-ended, to be sure, but rely on the inherent chemistry of the trio for their dramatic arcs. And while "Iskar" is a group improvisation, it's not without a basis—Stefan Mutafchiev's folk song, "Shope Shope," though it's unlikely the Bulgarian would ever have envisioned Rohrer's small tuned gongs and deliberate but largely suggestive pulse, or Vallon's ability to gradually unveil a brief window of form, before dissolving, once more, into ethereality, coupled with Moret's sweeping, harmonic arco.
Vallon's title track—and its later variation—ebb and flow with a series of changes; materializing with dynamic movement, but avoiding the melodrama towards which such elemental melodism often leads in lesser hands. "Eyjayjallajökull" is an exercise in stasis, free expression and tonal experimentation, while "Meral" is more direct, though never approaching obvious virtuosity; instead, it's in Vallon's chiming outro, that it becomes clear how he, along with his trio mates, places greater emphasis on exploration of sound and service of song, rather than any kind of coarse, overt impression.
ECM has always held a special place for the piano trio, and its rich catalogue has successfully managed to avoid the trappings that stifle so many of this staple jazz format. Instead, its roster—the past twelve months seeing compelling and unmistakably different titles from Julia Hülsmann, Anat Fort and Marcin Wasilewski—continues to find new nooks and crannies to explore, adventuresome explorations of a format that, for some, has become tired and staid, but here remains as vital and forward-looking as ever. With Rruga, Vallon and his trio joins an elite group of piano trios that, despite a clear reverence for what has come before, focus more decidedly on what's to come.
Tracks: 

Telepathy; Rruga; Home; Polygonia; Eyjayjallajökull; Meral; Iskar; Noreia; Rruga, var.; Fjord; Epilog.
Personnel: 

Colin Vallon: piano; Patrice Moret: double-bass; Samuel Rohrer: drums.


Dee Dee Bridgewater
Eleanora Fagan(1915-1959) To Billie With Love From



By Jeff Tamarkin
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Dee Dee Bridgewater chose to record a tribute album to Billie Holiday. In quick succession beginning in the mid-'90s Bridgewater cut tribute albums to Ella Fitzgerald, Horace Silver, and Kurt Weill, and prior to that, in the late '80s, she was nominated for an award for her one-woman star turn in a European theater production of Lady Day, the Holiday story. That Bridgewater would eventually turn to Holiday (whose given name of Eleanora Fagan explains the title) for an album-length exploration was almost a given -- it was just a question of when. It's one of her grandest efforts, too. With arrangements by Edsel Gomez (who also provides piano) and a stellar cast of participants including bassist Christian McBride, saxophonist/flutist/bass clarinetist James Carter, and drummer Lewis Nash, Bridgewater doesn't attempt to mimic Holiday's mannerisms or inflections but, as one would expect of such a gifted artist, to absorb and reframe Holiday -- this is pure Bridgewater, not another performance of Lady Day. Gomez, for his part, quite often pulls the arrangements squarely away from Holiday territory to reinvent these classic songs for a modern audience. The opening "Lady Sings the Blues" is both instantly recognizable yet freshly reconceived as something of an uptempo blues packed with polyrhythmic punch. "All of Me," which follows, is taken at near-breakneck speed, Bridgewater jumping ahead of the beat, following Carter's thrilling soprano sax solo with a raging scat that's more Ella than Billie. Not everything is meant to redefine, though: "God Bless the Child" is mostly true to the original, though Carter's soprano solo again brings the tune into the new century, and "Lover Man," though livelier than Holiday's take, is offered in a somewhat timeless and straightforward manner. As one might expect, there's no way a singer with Bridgewater's commitment to jazz history could release a Holiday tribute without tackling "Strange Fruit," the controversial anti-lynching landmark that remains Holiday's most daring moment, and it's saved for last here. It's an eerie, ominous interpretation, Bridgewater's raw vocal up front and fraught with emotion. Carter's brooding bass clarinet and McBride's bass lend a foreboding quality to the take, Nash relies heavily on his cymbals to dramatic effect, and Gomez's piano is subtle, allowing the nakedness of Bridgewater's voice -- at times unaccompanied -- to retell this story that can never be told enough. It's a stunning finale to one of the finest Billie Holiday homages ever recorded.

2 Sem 2011 - Part Three

Anthony Principe Trio
New And Old Swing



by Veronica Timpanelli
His playing is passionate and exciting, filled with fervor and zeal. Although he doesn´t merely tickle the ivories, (he practically pounds and punches them) his style is not rough and choppy as one might expect. He portrays both the strength and forceful nature of the music, as well as the softer, gentler side with equal grace and technical elegance. Accompanied by Mauro Sereno on bass and Sergio Mazzei on drums, Principe´s first release proves to be a very exciting disc, with original and unique arrangements. Principe takes well-known standards and plays them the way he feels them, producing a sound and an atmosphere that is charged and driving.
Principeâs choice of tunes is interesting. For example,"I Remember April" is one example of a standard that has been played and played again, but with Principeâs flair and pizzaz, this version is surely one that will never be forgotten. It is probably one of the most stunning interpretations one will ever hear and includes a great drum solo by Mazzei.
One wouldnât expect a pianist as hard-playing as Principe to choose a tune like "The Man I Love" but somehow he manages to pull it off. You have to give him credit for that.
Of special note is "Cheek to Cheek" normally an upbeat, romantic song, transformed into a fast-moving and explosive romp that elicits much more than an easy-kind-of-love feeling. This interpretation expresses the fireworks and burning, insatiable desire of love. Serenoâs bass here is superb.
Another track of note is "Stella by Starlight" which, lingering in all the right places, proves Principe does have a softer side. Highlighted by bass and percussive accents, the tune picks up momentum, depth, and raw emotion and then eases off into another great bass solo by Sereno.
Principe also does an amazing version of Herbie Hancock´s "Dolphin Dance".
A seriously commendable first effort from Anthony Principe â a name the jazz world will certainly be hearing a lot more from. Bravo!


Gino Paoli,Flavio Boltro,Danilo Rea,Rosario Bonaccorso,Roberto Gatto
Un Incontro In Jazz




Questo album rappresenta un incontro magico tra musica d’autore e jazz. Gino Paoli, uno dei cantautori che ha scritto alcune tra le più belle pagine della musica italiana, tra cui "Senza fine", "Sapore di sale" e “La gatta”, è il protagonista di un lavoro all’insegna della musica jazz in cui interpreta brani inediti, grandi classici della canzone internazionale e alcuni brani del suo repertorio riarrangiati. Al suo fianco troviamo alcuni tra i migliori jazzisti italiani dei nostri giorni: Danilo Rea al pianoforte, Rosario Bonaccorso al contrabbasso, Roberto Gatto alla batteria e Flavio Boltro alla tromba. Con questo progetto, Gino Paoli si conferma un autentico protagonista della scena musicale italiana, sempre capace di rinnovarsi, pur mantenendo le forme e i contenuti cantautoriali che da sempre lo contraddistinguono. Coadiuvato dall’eleganza di Flavio Boltro, dalla liricità di Danilo Rea, dalla precisione di Rosario Bonaccorso e dall’esuberanza ritmica di Roberto Gatto, Paoli ci regala un album raffinato ed elegante, in cui la sua indubbia classe si mescola ad un instancabile desiderio di sperimentazione. Registrato tra il 26 e il 28 Dicembre 2010 presso l’Auditorium Parco della Musica di Roma, l’album inaugura la collana “Recording Studio”, una nuova iniziativa della Fondazione Musica per Roma che dà la possibilità a pubblico e appassionati di entrare in studio di registrazione con gli artisti della Parco della Musica Records, seguendo e ascoltando dal vivo l’incisione di nuovi dischi.


DiLiberto/Cossu/Russo
Memorie Di Standards




by Roberto Paviglianiti
Emozionante è forse l'aggettivo più adatto per definire il contenuto di Memorie di Standards, l'album firmato da Alessandro Di Liberto, Nicola Cossu e Daniele Russo, tre musicisti cagliaritani in vena di prelibatezze jazzistiche.
Il loro è stato un percorso costruito con pazienza e intelligenza attorno a una manciata di standard, che in questa occasione non sono riproposti in maniera scontata, ma con l'aggiunta di elementi personali e inquadrati da un punto di vista inedito e quindi originale.
Un'ora di musica elegante, da ascoltare senza inutili frenesie, che si apre con “All the Things I Have,” brano dove sono subito in evidenza le doti pianistiche di Di Liberto, autentica punta di diamante del trio, il quale snocciola melodie sinuose, fatte di note cristalline, dal timbro pulito e deciso. Al suo fianco si muovono senza mai invadere troppo la scena Russo e Cossu, i quali - soprattutto nel up-tempo “Easy Living” - riescono a innescare uno scintillante interplay che si respira per l'intera durata dell'incisione.
Tra i momenti di maggiore introspezione va segnalata “Brazilian Sound,” tema che si muove con estrema grazia tra classicismo e jazz in senso stretto, e la conclusiva “Blues #2,” per la brillantezza esecutiva e per la riuscita d'insieme.
Visita il sito di Alessandro Di Liberto.
Elenco dei brani:
1. All The Things I Have; 2. Days of Empty Bottles; 3. Above All; 4. Eiderdown; 5. Easy Living; 6. Blues #1; 7. Sometime Ago; 8. Brazilian Sound; 9. Sulla scia dei delfini; 10. In ricordo di Stella; 11. Blues #2.
Musicisti:
Alessandro Di Liberto: pianoforte; Nicola Cossu: contrabbasso; Daniele Russo: batteria


Stefano Bollani Big Band !
Live at Hamburg with The NDR BigBand




A pochi mesi dal clamoroso exploit di "Rapsodia in blue" che, con oltre 25 settimane di permanenza nella classifica Top100 GFK/FIMI (e con 3 settimane di permanenza nella "Top 10" e 55.000 copie vendute in Italia!), ha rappresentato il caso discografico dell'anno, Stefano Bollani pubblica un nuovo album e, come sempre, ci sorprende ancora una volta.
Big Band! è il primo album registrato dall’artista con un ensemble allargato, e rappresenta il debutto dell'artista per la celebre etichetta Verve.
Inciso dal vivo ad Amburgo il 10 e 11 giugno 2010 nella sede della NDR, con pubblico in studio, l'album vede la partecipazione della Bigband NDR.
Caratterizzata da un'attività concertistica molto fitta, la big band della NDR ha fra le sue file musicisti favolosi di diverse nazionalità (tedeschi, americani, argentini, svedesi). Per l'occasione Stefano Bollani ha voluto al suo fianco anche un "vecchio amico d'eccezione", Jeff Ballard, alla batteria: "uno dei più grandi al mondo", secondo le parole dello stesso Bollani.
L'album è nato da una idea del coordinatore artistico della big band, Stefan Gerdes, che già due anni prima aveva invitato Bollani con il quintetto I visionari.
I brani sono arrangiati da Geir Lysne, bravissimo sassofonista norvegese.
Come dichiarato da Bollani, Geir è "distante dalla mia musica, ma ha aderito con entusiasmo pazzesco, reinventando i miei brani, utilizzando anche alcuni passaggi dai miei assoli del disco I visionari e creando tante atmosfere diverse, all' interno delle quali mi sono poi inserito a mia volta".
Va segnalato da ultimo che le grafiche dell'album vedono la presenza di alcuni disegni del celebre Leo Ortolani.


Danny Grissett
Stride




by Challenge Records
On Stride, his fourth Criss Cross leader date, pianist Danny Grissett returns to the trio format he navigated with such panache and imagination on his first two outings for the label. Long-time bass partner Vicente Archer and top-of-the-class drummer Marcus Gilmore join Grissett in a fluent three-way conversation on a reflective program that incorporates the American Songbook, the European canon, original tunes by trumpeters Nicholas Payton and (his current employer) Tom Harrell, and three heady Grissett originals. As always, the leader’s playing is melody-driven, harmonically acute, swinging and focused; he again proves himself one of the major voices on his instrument among the under-40 crowd.

2 Sem 2011 - Part Two

Enrico Zanisi Trio
Quasi Troppo Serio



In Quasi Troppo Serio, il primo lavoro discografico di Enrico Zanisi, gli ingredienti per la ricerca di un immediato consenso ci sono tutti: talento, padronanza della tecnica, idee musicali di grande afflato melodico, trattamento brillante del pianoforte, tocchi di delicatezza luminosa - come in Corale, Il Volo, Il Caso Pone che portano la firma dello stesso Zanisi - studio e approfondimento del repertorio jazz (e non solo) raffinato attraverso un filtro del tutto particolare. Indole positiva e trasparente e un curriculum tale da alimentare ben pochi dubbi, a diciannove anni Enrico Zanisi sta in scena da grande artista. E’ interessante poi che un pianista e compositore così giovane sappia dare volto nuovo a brani come Just in Time (Berlin/Styne), Easter Eggster (Burk), Alfie (Bacharach), dialogando alla pari con musicisti formidabili e di consumata esperienza come Ettore Fioravanti (batteria) e Pietro Ciancaglini (contrabbasso), proponendo insieme ai due “veterani” del jazz quasi un tema di conversazione di grande equilibrio tra improvvisazione e contrappunto - ne è un esempio l’articolatissima Isidore firmata da Ettore Fioravanti - tra rarefazioni ed esuberanza ritmica, e allo stesso tempo con abbinamenti fantasiosi ed eleganti. Zanisi alla fantasia e all’eleganza affianca anche leggerezza, sa offrire una musica ad alto potenziale emotivo che si racconta amabilmente da sola, grazie anche alla ripresa naturale e ben definita in tutta la gamma realizzata nello studio di registrazione di Nuccia. Gli strumenti rimangono pianoforte, contrabbasso e batteria, suonati con grande veemenza, eppure la scrittura è decisamente corposa quasi orchestrale, e ognuno degli undici brani ha una forte ragione d’esistere, un quid che subito ne rivela un perché, salvo poi aggiungerne altri ancora, stratificati più sotto o poco più in là. Traccia dopo traccia si ha la sensazione che, oltre a confezionare un prodotto che riesce a scavare nell’intimo e a spiazzare per eclettismo, tensione e volontà di comunicare, tutti si siano divertiti, da una parte e dall’altra del mixer. Il giovanissimo Zanisi, dopo il successo ottenuto all’ European Jazz Expo 2009 di Cagliari e il concerto (sold-out) di presentazione del nuovo album tenutosi alla Casa del Jazz di Roma, sembra avere tutte le carte in regola per indirizzare il proprio mestiere verso approdi decisamente interessanti.


Anthony Wilson
Campo Belo

by Phil Freeman

The 2011 CD by guitarist Anthony Wilson is a gentle, thoughtful collection of tunes for guitar, piano (and sometimes accordion), bass, and drums, plus the occasional dash of clarinet. It's sunny, pleasant music that could easily have been released on ECM. Wilson's ultra-clean playing style falls into the Jim Hall/Joe Morris range, which makes it simultaneously quite pretty and kind of forgettable once the track in question is finished playing itself out. A little more of a Grant Green-style bite might have made this record more than a nice soundtrack to a late spring brunch. That's the problem with so much Brazilian music, though, it's so light and fluffy, it just drifts away while you're listening to it. Jazz listeners who aren't looking for a record that will sink its claws into their heart and never let go, or leave them breathless in the face of its virtuosity, but who, instead, just want to hear some nice, pretty songs for an hour or so could do a whole lot worse than this very well played, carefully arranged, and impeccably produced set of tunes.

Andrea Pozza Trio
Blue Daniel




Andrea Pozza Trio opens its new work with the grace of Sem Palavras's crystal scales. Without words, the only thing speaking all throughout the record is pure music, springing from Andrea Pozza's piano, accompanied by Aldo Zunino's double bass and Shane Forbes's drums. After Drop This Thing, the trio is involved for the second time in a Dejavu Records production. With this label they experiment an effective and original mixture of modern jazz with a more traditional one, particularly convincing in this album. After all, Pozza is one of the most acclaimed young Italian pianists, according which tradition is an important reference point, and it's not a case that the last track, The Duke, is undoubtedly a homage to Ellington, to his melodies and to his dim lights. Furthermore it is not to be forgotten his background and his countless collaborations with some of the most important jazz artists: as soon as he finished his classical studies, Pozza devoted himself to jazz and from that moment on he played with some heavyweights like Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Scott Hamilton and Massimo Urbani; for four years he was part of Enrico Rava's quintet, played in Steve Grossman's quartet and for over twenty years he was abreast with Gianni Basso, one of the figures that contributed to write the history of Italian jazz. A rich, intense and eclectic experience merges into the personal composition of this young pianist from Genoa, in a balanced coexistence of new and classic. Differently from the previous record, he prefers soft lighting atmospheres and delicate colors that definitely connote this storyboard, rather that nu-jazz rhythms. Listening to the eight tracks of Blue Daniel, one has the impression to follow a path: the tracks slip one after the other in a compact and fluid way, starting from the involving incipit of Sem Palavras, and floating on the elegant atmospheres of Naima, to the freshest and most playful ones of Children Games, from the intimate mood of Blue Daniel to a more variegated one, supported by a faster rhythm of Three Slices of Bread, leading to the impassive calm and the tranquil notes of The Duke, that wittingly close a tale softly played by the main character, accompanied by the lightness of the co-stars and capable of deeply soliciting the sensitivity of the listeners.

Patrick Williams Big Band
Aurora

 

By Bill DeMain

Big-band jazz may have peaked in popularity in the 1930s, but Patrick Williams is out to prove it can still be vital. He did it once before with his Grammy-winning 1974 album Threshold, and this return to the bandstand is equally satisfying.

Williams, best known as a composer-arranger for TV and film (Columbo, Mary Tyler Moore) brings the right mix of retro and innovation to his latest project. Recorded live at Capitol Studio A with the great Al Schmitt engineering, it features an all-star cast of vets such as Hubert Laws, Tom Scott, Dean Parks, Gene Cipriano and Peter Erskine. But from the opening title track’s 2001: A Space Odyssey-goes-Cuban groove, and angular soloing from Bob Sheppard and Chuck Findley, it’s obvious that this isn’t your granddaddy’s big band. Williams has upped the ante by adding French horns and percussionists to his 21-piece band, and rather than rely on a safe repertoire of standards, he features self-penned material that has more in common with Steely Dan than with Glenn Miller.

With his flair for scoring, the best pieces unfold like little movies, with stirring mood shifts. The labyrinthine melody on “Heat” evokes a murder mystery before coasting into a top-down cruise that is pure private shamus. “Song for a Pretty Girl” is a sun-dappled reverie full of soft woodwinds and September kisses, and the brassy kaleidoscope of “The Sun Will Shine Today” evokes synchronized Chicago-style dance routines, all sizzle and cascading limbs.
Williams—with the financial patronage of movie producer Sidney Kimmel—has turned back the clock, but in a way that sounds both nostalgic and new.


Ann Malcolm
The Crystal Paperweight



by abeat
Ann Malcolm è straordinaria singer americana da alcuni anni residente in Svizzera con alle spalle pubblicazioni di grande pregio internazionale ( per esempio al fianco di Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, Keith Copeland, Brian Lemon, Szakcsi, Robi Lakatos, Vince Benedetti, Junior Mance, Reggie Johnson ed altri ancora ).
“ The Crystal Paperweight ” rappresenta per Ann Malcolm una delle più esaltanti realizzazioni di sempre ed ha caratteristiche davvero speciali: innanzitutto vede Tom Harrell coinvolto non solo in qualità di trombettista ( dalle doti uniche al mondo) ma anche di arrangiatore dell’intero disco e compositore. Ann Malcolm ha realizzato alcuni testi che per la prima volta affiancano alcune notissime composizioni dello stesso Harrell: ciò costituisce un notevole valore aggiunto se si considera che nella storia compositiva di Tom Harrell è cosa raramente concessa.
Il disco offre una varietà stilistica e di sound notevole rimanendo sempre elegantissimo e curato. Le spiccati doti di sensibilità ed espressione della Malcolm nonchè la maestria degli arrangiamenti hanno permesso di oscillare da esecuzioni mainstream a jazz ballad sino ad ammiccare al pop ed al soul di "Remember The Time "( M. Jackson).
Ann Malcolm è l'incarnazione della cantante jazz femminile odierna , sofisticata e potente allo stesso tempo, con eccellente e plastico timbro . Ann Malcolm è nato in Iowa, Stati Uniti .

João Bosco & NDR Big Band

JOÃO BOSCO – SENHORAS DO AMAZONAS

                                                      (REVISITING...) by Claudio Botelho

This CD has been reviewed in these pages before, by our dear friend and Brazilian music guru Leandro Lage Rocha. Although a laudable review – a very commendable one, in fact -, his efforts to communicate the excellence of that work, in my view, failed a bit: he was economical in his words; perhaps, by the time he was evaluating this job, who knows, he was, at the same time, indulging in other works or even in front of something even better… About this, I must be cautious, as that man knows every and each good music that was produced in this country for the last 80 years or so! Thus, he could really be, in that moment, in from of something even better!
But, for the rest of us, Senhoras do Amazonas is an awfully damn good work. It displays one of the best jazz singers around, together with one of the most tuneful orchestras ever assembled. The compositions are either from Bosco himself or Tom Jobim. No complaints here…
The band (NDR Big Band) has everything a band should have and none It shouldn’t: never aggressive, superbly arranged by the late Steve Gray (who died tragically before listening his finished product) and, most of all, perfectly complementary to the other orchestra: that one named João Bosco who, along with his acoustic guitar, can be much more than a man and a musical instrument.
The ten songs rendered are presented as every CD should and, for me, in a kind of “golden rule” which alternates fast and slow tempo musics: larghissimo always before a prestissimo, and so it goes… The total time follows another golden: less than sixty minutes, which makes it a breeze to listen. In no time, it ends and you find yourself get begging for more…
I, who generally prefer slow and medium tempo, would choose “Bodas de Prata”, “Desafinado” and “Angela” as the pièce-of-résistence of the CD, but you could, as well, choose any other. I wouldn’t dare say which music is better, such is the solidity of this brilliant work which does full justice to the excellence of the orchestra, his arranger and that man named João Bosco who, besides being one great composer, is an orchestra himself and more: one of the best jazz singers I know.
All told, the best CD I’ve heard so far in this year. He deserves from me all the praises in the world. Long life for you, Mr. Bosco!

/////////////////////////////////////////////////

by Dr. Leandro Rocha
O mineiro João Bosco surpreende mais uma vez ao lançar esse disco gravado na Alemanha acompanhado da NDR Big Band formada por músicos competentíssimos que souberam se adequar perfeitamente às harmonias fantásticas da música desse genial compositor. O CD tem 10 músicas,das quais 7 são de Bosco e 3 de Tom Jobim,o grande homenageado,revisitado através de Desafinado(com Newton Mendonça) numa performance estonteante de João,Chega de saudade(com Vinicius de Moraes) e Angela,numa interpretação arrasadora! Os temas de autoria de João já são conhecidos mas recebem um tratamento diferente das gravações originais. O clima é jazzístico,muitas vezes,desde o rock Bate um Balaio(uma homenagem a Jackson do Pandeiro) ,passando pelos sambas empolgantes como Nação e Pretaporter de tafetá até às baladas (João Bosco é mestre nelas) Bodas de prata,Saída de emergência e Senhoras do Amazonas. Embora não encontremos nenhuma música inédita,o encontro de João Bosco com a NDR Big Band foi revigorante para a música desse extrordinário compositor,cantor e violonista. Nossos ouvidos e nosso espírito agradecem.

2 Sem 2011 - Part One

Jessica Williams

Freedom Trane

by Alex Henderson

John Coltrane tributes are not hard to find in the jazz world, and different tributes will celebrate different periods of the saxophone innovator's career. Some tributes pay homage to Coltrane's hard bop period (as in "Giant Steps," "Moment's Notice," and "Lazy Bird"), others pay homage to his modal post-bop period of roughly 1960-1964, and some pay homage to his radically avant-garde free jazz period of 1965-1967 (the last few years of his life). Jessica Williams' Freedom Trane, it turns out, is essentially a tribute to modal post-bop Coltrane on Atlantic and Impulse, and the acoustic pianist leads an intimate trio that employs Dave Captein on upright bass and Mel Brown on drums. The thing that separates Freedom Trane from many of the other tributes to modal post-bop Coltrane is the fact that Williams offers a combination of familiar Coltrane compositions and original material. She puts a piano-trio spin on the Coltrane pieces "Naima," "Lonnie's Lament," and "Welcome," but she also plays four original compositions that are mindful of Coltrane's modal period -- "The Seeker," "Just Words," "Prayer and Meditation," and the title track -- and she demonstrates that a session can be Coltrane-minded even without the presence of a saxophonist. That said, Williams never allows her own personality to become obscured on Freedom Trane; this 2007 date always sounds like a Jessica Williams project even though she is fondly remembering the contributions of an iconic jazz master. And one of the ways in which Williams fondly remembers Coltrane is by celebrating the spiritual aspects of his playing and composing. It's no secret that Coltrane was greatly influenced by eastern religion in the '60s; Williams is obviously well aware of that fact, and in the CD's liner notes, she writes, "Right now, John's beautiful album, A Love Supreme (on Impulse), is on my CD player. I've lit a few candles and am burning some incense." And that imagery from Williams really speaks volumes about the way she identifies with Coltrane's spirituality on Freedom Trane, which finds the pianist in consistently excellent form.

Dave Peck

Modern Romance

by Let’s Play Stella Records
Dave Peck’s newest recording, "Modern Romance". Recorded live at Jazz Alley in Seattle in the fall of 2007 this set of standard songs from the Great American Songbook continues the trio’s exploration into the reinvention of the jazz piano trio.
Joining Dave is Jeff Johnson on bass and Joe La Barbera on drums. Both rhythmic and romantic, the trio uses the standard repertoire as a framework for new composition and form. Their work is rich, intuitive, and harmonically complex with a unique and signature sound. Peck who is known for his deeply introspective and passionate style and for his focus on the profound beauty he finds in the narrative of this music has been lauded by the jazz press for his award winning CD’s.
On "Modern Romance" Dave and the trio bring to this set of familiar standards a modern and fresh approach. Included are "Bye Bye Blackbird", "East of the Sun", "Lover Man", "They Say it’s Wonderful", "If I Should Lose You", "I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good". The music is surprising and beautiful and comes to the listener in a swinging and easy way. The songs are love songs, old love songs but the interpretation is distinctly contemporary.
Peck and Johnson have each discovered creative ways of playing. They have conceived their own dialect which they speak at every moment with true and pure improvisation. With the addition of Joe La Barbera the trio becomes grounded but not contained. Three original voices thoroughly influenced by the past and by their experience and yet newly invented at each performance. This is jazz.

Yakov Okun

New York Encounter

by Criss Cross
A major force in Russian Jazz since the mid ‘90s, pianist Yakov Okun, finally places himself on the international stage with his Criss Cross debut, a trio date with world-class bass-drum team Ben Street and Billy Drummond, on which he mixes challenging original material with strong arrangements and less traveled Songbook repertoire and tunes by Sonny Rollins and Fats Waller.
At 38, Okun is an individualistic voice, an important player, able in his improvisations to refract an entire timeline of jazz vocabulary in a cogent, compositional manner.

1. Pent-Up Chaos (Sonny Rollins / Yakov Okun)
2. Kind Bug (Antonio Spadavecchia)
3. Spillikins (Yakov Okun)
4. Jitterbug Waltz (Fats Waller)
5. Eric Dolphy's Tomb (Yakov Okun)
6. Falling In Love Again (Frederick Holllander)
7. Plain Jane (Sonny Rollins)
8. Giant Steps (John Coltrane)
9. Heaven (Duke Ellington)
Total Time: 57:04
Recorded November 11, 2010 in Brooklyn, NY, USA by Joe Marciano

Dado Moroni

Live In Beverly Hills

by Ken Dryden
Dado Moroni has had an impressive career since emerging on the European jazz scene in the early 1990s, having recorded as a sideman with Clark Terry, Tom Harrell, and extensively with Swiss alto saxophonist George Robert, in addition to his work as a leader. Live in Beverly Hills is his first opportunity to record as a leader for an American label, featuring the pianist with veteran drummer Peter Erskine and bassist Marco Panascia, recorded and videotaped at the Rising Jazz Stars over two nights in early 2010. Among the highlights is his lively bossa nova setting of John Lewis' "Django," the intimate interpretation of Lionel Bart's "Where Is Love" (from the musical Oliver!), Ron Carter's playful bop vehicle "Einbahnstrasse," and the leader's infectious "Ghanian Village," the latter buoyed by Erskine's versatile drumming. The bonus DVD disc (which is Blu-Ray) contains all of the CD selections plus two bonus tracks, an impromptu blues, and a brief piano solo. In spite of the difficulty of videotaping on a cramped stage in a crowded nightclub, the camera angles are excellent, with numerous closeups where one can see both Moroni and his handiwork on the keyboard, while the editing is tight without excessive jumping around between different camera angles.


Bob Brookmeyer

Music For String Quartet and Orchestra

by Ken Dryden
Bob Brookmeyer has long been an important jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger, recording many of his own albums, in addition to working with Gerry Mulligan, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, and many others. But he also began writing for classical ensembles during the '80s, so when he was approached about a commission to write for the Gustav Klimt String Quartet, he jumped at the chance. After some initial recording, he decided to write an additional work and the Metropole Orchestra was added to the project, necessitating the re-recording of everything, with Brookmeyer conducting. Anyone who has heard Brookmeyer's compelling work New Works Celebration (which was written for Mulligan to perform with a large orchestra) will recognize the composer's style immediately. The opening track, "Fanfares and Folk Song," is a furious, exuberant number showcasing the full orchestra, then ending with just the string quartet and an unidentified pianist. The somber "American Beauty" initially sounds like a requiem, with its mournful feature for cello, though it blossoms into a tender tone poem. The complex yet joyous "A Frolic and a Tune" is full of surprising twists, while the tense "Wood Dance" provides a dramatic closing. Arguments may ensue among listeners as how to label this enticing music, but Duke Ellington's favorite description of works he enjoyed hearing as "beyond category" is more than sufficient.

Kit Downes Trio

Quiet Tiger

By Bruce Lindsay
The Kit Downes Trio's first album, Golden (Basho Records, 2009), won a Mercury Music Prize nomination and put the group firmly at the forefront of British jazz. Quiet Tiger finds the Trio eager to move forward, redefining its sound. Not content to rest on the laurels garnered by Golden, pianist and composer Downes has augmented the band, expanding its musical palette with the unusual addition of tenor saxophone, bass clarinet and cello.
At heart, though, this is still a trio, and bassist Calum Gourlay and drummer James Maddren remain central to the band's identity. Gourlay is an undemonstrative but focused player who seems to radiate calmness. Maddren is one of the most distinctive drummers around, his inventive playfulness ensuring that his percussion constantly surprises. Downes' playing is considered, thoughtful and often exquisite; his writing equally inventive and intriguing.
The new instrumentation is provided by reed player James Allsopp--leader of The Golden Age Of Steam, in which Downes plays Hammond organ and Wurlitzer--and cellist Adrien Dennefeld. They appear on all but three of the tunes, and their impact is undeniably effective, lending an air of mystery and suspense to the music. Dennefeld, like Gourlay, tends to shun the musical limelight; his presence is not always obvious, but his understated performances are incisive. Allsopp is much more upfront, often overdubbing his two instruments to add depth to his sound.
On “Attached,” Allsopp and Dennefeld create a somber, melancholy atmosphere through the use of long, wave-like phrases. “Wooden Birds” is a curious, dreamlike tune featuring Downes' tinkling, bright, piano patterns. “Skip James” is languid, reflective and sad--the title suggesting a tribute to the great bluesman--but it could well be Downes' instruction to Maddren, and features some rolling piano phrases and a plaintive bass solo. “The Wizards” opens with a duet between Allsopp, on tenor sax, and Maddren, with Allsopp keeping things fairly simple as the drummer jumps and swings across the kit.
Of the trio numbers “In Brixen” is the most beautiful: a lyrical and flowing tune underpinned by Gourlay's lovely bass groove. On “Fonias” Downes' piano playing is spacious and delicate, the most classical-sounding and romantic playing on the album. “Frizzi Pazzi” finds Downes firmly in Thelonious Monk territory, with phrases reminiscent of Monk's “Suburban Eyes.”
The cover of Quiet Tiger is absolutely gorgeous, the work of Scottish artist Lesley Barnes, who is collaborating with the band on an animation project--another indication of Downes' ambition and exploratory energy. Golden was an emphatic debut, and Quiet Tiger takes things onward and upward: refusing to simply recreate the debut's successful formula, Downes and his fellow musicians are moving in fascinating and engaging new directions.
Track Listing:Boreal; Tambourine; With a View; Frizzi Pazzi; Attached; In Brixen; Wooden Birds; Fonias; The Wizards; Skip James; Quiet Tiger.
Personnel: Kit Downes: piano; Calum Gourlay: double-bass; James Maddren: drums: James Allsopp: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Adrien Dennefeld: cello.    

Rick Germanson Trio
Off The Cuff



By John Kelman
With so many mainstream piano trios flooding the market, it's increasingly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. It's easier when, in the instance of a Brad Mehldau, John Taylor or Enrico Pieranunzi, the artist's voice is so distinctive and approach so readily identifiable that there can be little doubt of its relevance. It becomes a greater challenge with pianists working this space who combine original composition with the Great American Songbook and, occasionally, more contemporary popular sources. Still, there are pianists who, in their unassuming honesty, feel and touch, rise above the crowded arena. Like Lenore Raphael, who brings elegance and charm to everything she touches, Milwaukee native/New York resident Rick Germanson is a straight-ahead player who may not move the music forward in great leaps, but plays without presumption, approaching everything he touches with heart, soul and improvisational élan.
Off the Cuff features Germanson's new trio, with Gerald Cannon back from You Tell Me (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2005) and Louis Hayes replacing the more outgoing Ralph Peterson. Hayes' more delicate approach may contribute to Off the Cuff's more graceful experience, but the trio can when it wants to, as it does with aplomb on the short but sweet Arlen/Mercer classic, “The Dream's On Me.” The veteran Hayes who, over the course of 40 years, has played with legends including Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley, Woody Shaw and McCoy Tyner, approaches the music with a largely light touch, although he hits hard on his equally brief and impressive solo over the ending ostinato of “The Dream's On Me,” a clear album highlight along with his intro to Germanson's fiery “Brick.”
Cannon's a younger player with a less extensive pedigree, but with work ranging from Roy Hargrove and Peterson to Sherman Irby and Steve Turré, it's clear that he's a capable player who can (and does) work hand-in-glove with Hayes as a strong rhythm partner, while delivering his own share of strong and confident solo work on tunes including Germanson's ambling “Daytona,” where the pianist's riff-based intro leads into a comfortable swing to provide the bassist all the freedom he needs. There may be clear delineation of solos on the disc, but when Cannon and Hayes enter on Germanson's challengingly fervent “Jill's Song,” it's clearly an egalitarian unit with strong ties to the Bill Evans school.
Germanson, whose history includes work with Pat Martino, Eddie Henderson and Tom Harrell, may fit firmly in the mainstream, but his harmonic sophistication places him a little more left-of-center than many. His solo piano feature, “The Way of Water,” combines abstract impressionism and brief moments of more vibrant expressionism, while he exercises just the right combination of reverence and flexibility on Vernon Duke's enduring ballad, “Autumn in New York,” stretching it out to become the disc's longest track without ever overstaying his welcome.
Germanson may not rattle any revolutionary cages with Off the Cuff but it's a compelling set, played with heart and honesty, that demonstrates why mainstream jazz and the music at its foundation continues to possess popular appeal.
Track Listing:Quagmire; Jill's Song; Daytona; Up Jumped Spring; The Time the Dream's on Me; Wives and Lovers; The Way of Water; Autumn in New York; Brick; Any Thoughts?
Personnel: Rick Germanson: piano; Gerald Cannon: bass; Louis Hayes: drums.

        
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
That's How We Roll



by Alex Henderson
Upon seeing the title That's How We Roll, people who don't know anything about the history of pianist/tenor saxophonist Gordon Goodwin and his Big Phat Band might assume that this is a hip-hop recording. "That's how we roll" is a popular expression in hip-hop circles (at least as of 2011), but like a lot of the bebop and hipster slang of the '40s and '50s, hip-hop slang often reaches people who aren't necessarily part of hip-hop's core audience, and that includes a jazz instrumentalist like Goodwin, who is jazz-oriented on this 67-minute CD but doesn't conduct himself like a jazz purist from start to finish. Goodwin has his traditional big-band influences (Count Basie, Buddy Rich), but it's obvious that he also has a taste for soul and funk; in fact, some of the horn arrangements on That's How We Roll successfully find the link between Basie's funkiness and the funkiness of '70s funk/soul bands such as Parliament/Funkadelic, Tower of Power and Earth, Wind & Fire. That's How We Roll has its share of tracks that could easily be described as big-band soul-jazz, including "Rippin' n Runnin'," "Howdiz Songo?," and the title tune. But "Race to the Bridge" and "Gaining on You" have boppish melodies, and Goodwin's hard-swinging arrangement of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" (which is the only song on this 2011 release he didn't compose) is quite Basie-minded. Meanwhile, the least jazz-friendly track is "Never Enough," which features Take 6 and is the only vocal offering on a predominantly instrumental CD; "Never Enough" is the only time the album ventures into outright funk (as opposed to jazz-funk or soul-jazz). That's How We Roll is not an album that was recorded with jazz purists in mind, and at the same time, there is way too much improvisation for the smooth jazz crowd. But this is an enjoyable outing if one is seriously into big-band jazz and also has a strong appreciation of soul and funk.