B.B. King: In France: Live at the 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival

  The mighty guitarist and great blues singer B.B. King enjoyed one of the more fascinating careers in the music business. Starting out on the radio in Memphis at the end of the Forties, B.B. King had his first hit in 1951 with 3 O’Clock Blues. Touring the USA in a bus with his band, and playing almost exclusively to African-American audiences, he continued to have success through the Sixties. But the scene had started to change, and under the direction of Sid Seidenberg, his new manager towards the end of the Sixties, King benefitted from a new wave of interest in the blues on the part of the largely white rock and roll audience. His music didn’t change much, and on the newly released In France: Live at the 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival, there are still a couple of songs in the set that go back to the Fifties, like Sweet Little Angel and Sweet Sixteen. The wonderfully paced program also features his biggest hit, The Thrill Is Gone, an extended version of Brook Benton’s 1959 hit It’s Just a Matter of Time, the perennial live favorite Why I Sing the Blues, and To Know You is to Love You, a song by Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright that was the title track on a 1973 King album. The most remarkable thing about King’s live performances is that whether he’s playing for theater audiences in Chicago or a jazz festival in Europe, he and his band stay true to themselves and make the crowds meet them on their own terms. It’s a measure of King’s character that he doesn’t hog the spotlight and takes every opportunity to introduce the members of his group, many of whom stayed with him for years. He even gives second guitarist Milton Hopkins a few chances to strut his stuff. Liner notes by French journalist Jean Buzelin provide context for King’s European appearances, and the photos of King on stage in Nancy are an added attraction. It would be nice if King’s vocals and guitar were more upfront in the mix, but the band and B.B. King are rocking the house, so there really isn’t much to complain about. As King sings in Why I Sing the Blues, “I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve really paid my dues,” and that’s the truth. Happily recommended.

Deep Digs DD003 (CD or 2 Lps); Eddie Rowe (tpt) Cato Walker III (as) Walter King (ts) James Toney (org) B.B. King (g, vcl) Milton Hopkins (g) Joe Turner (b) Calep Emphrey, Jr. (d); Nancy, France, October 7, 1977; Medley: Blue Monk, Caldonia/ Sweet Little Angel/ I Like to Live the Love/ It’s Just a Matter of Time/ Why I Sing the Blues/ I Got Some Outside Help (I Don’t Really Need)/ The Thrill is Gone/ I Need My Baby/ Sweet Sixteen/ Blues Instrumental/ To Know You is to Love You/ When I’m Wrong/ Have Faith/ Outro Blues Instrumental; 79:12. www.elemental-music.com

Emily Remler: Cookin’ At The Queens

  From a commercial standpoint, it makes sense that the vast majority of historical jazz releases contain music by the biggest stars, collections that fill in details of generally lengthy careers. Just in the last few years, we’ve seen the release of previously unheard music by such famed players as Art Tatum, Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, and Bill Evans, to name a few. It’s the rare release that offers a genuine revelation to the listener. But the first issue of newly heard music in 33 years by the guitarist Emily Remler, who died on a 1990 tour in Australia at the age of 32, offers the kind of surprise that can be truly rewarding. Coming up at a time when female instrumentalists were a rarity, Remler was an exciting and dynamic performer. Herb Ellis referred to her as "the new superstar of guitar" and as she herself told People magazine in 1982, "I may look like a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey, but inside I'm a 50-year-old, heavy-set black man with a big thumb, like Wes Montgomery." Co-produced by Zev Feldman and Bill Milkowski, who contributes a lengthy essay to the 19-page booklet, Cookin’ At The Queens compiles 160 minutes of music (on 2 CDs or 3 Lps) from a pair of gigs in Las Vegas. In 1984, Remler performs in a quartet format. Four years later, it’s just a trio with bass and drums. Bassist Carson Smith, who was first heard in Gerry Mulligan’s quartet in the early Fifties, is on hand with both units. Drummer Tom Montgomery in the 1984 quartet, seems to have settled in Las Vegas around 1960, as all his subsequent recording credits attest. The live repertoire is a blend of standards, jazz compositions like Bobby Timmons’ Moanin’ and Wes Montgomery’s D-Natural Blues, and bossa novas like How Insensitive (Insensatez) and Samba de Orfeo. She also liked to plays medleys of songs and their contrafacts. On the 1984 show, she couples Tadd Dameron’s Hot House with Cole Porter’s What is This Thing Called Love? In 1988, Miles Davis’ So What is joined with John Coltrane’s Impressions. Just one listen to the opening track, a nearly 10-minute workout on Moanin’ is all you really need to know that she was the real deal. A boldly imaginative and harmonically fluent soloist, with a beautifully flowing rhythmic sense, Remler is simply a joy to listen to. Three cheers for Zev Feldman rescuing these fine performances and reviving interest in a guitar great who left the scene too soon. 

Resonance HCD-2076; Emily Remler (g) with Cocho Arbe (p) Carson Smith (b) Tom Montgomery (d); Las Vegas, NV, May 28, 1984 (Disc 1 plus Out of Nowhere); with Carson Smith (b) John Pisci (d); Las Vegas, NV, September 19, 1988 (balance of Disc 2); Disc 1 (80:53): Moanin’/ How Insensitive (Insensatez)/ Autumn Leaves/ Polka Dots and Moonbeams/ Samba de Orfeo/ Hot House; What is This Thing Called Love?/ You Don’t Know What Love Is/ West Coast Blues/ Tenor Madness. Disc 2 (78:10): Out of Nowhere/ Manha de Carnaval/ Cisco/ Yesterdays/ All Blues/ Someday My Prince Will Come/ So What; Impressions/ D-Natural Blues. resonancerecords.org

Thumbscrew: Wingbeats

 

City of Asylum in Pittsburgh, PA, described as the world's largest sanctuary for writers in exile, hosts musicians as well. The cooperative trio Thumbscrew (Mary Halvorson on guitar, Michael Formanek on bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums and vibraphone) has enjoyed a series of weeks-long residencies there over the years, with an eye to developing new material. Their latest endeavor is Wingbeats, their eighth album, with just over an hour of stirring originals by each member of the group, plus their take on Charles Mingus’ Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk. The combination of intense workshopping at their residencies and the musicians’ dedication to composing specifically for this grouping results in music of impressive resilience and power. Their nuanced interactions and the freshness of their improvisations make for a genuinely stimulating musical experience. Fujiwara’s xylophone-like sound on the vibes provides a fresh angle to the ensemble. His work on Formanek’s mildly chaotic Somewhat Agree is especially impressive. I’m also drawn to the groove of Formanek’s How May I Inconvenience You Today?, the peaceful aura of Fujiwara’s Irreverent Grace with a soulful Formanek solo, and Halvorson’s sinuous solo on Fujiwara’s Knots. Their arrangement of the Mingus tune, with its myriad parts that somehow all fit together, is perfectly suited to the band’s talents and sensibilities. Wingbeats is a winner from start to finish. Highly recommended! 

Cuneiform Rune 520; Mary Halvorson (g) Michael Formanek (b) Tomas Fujiwara (d, vib); Brooklyn, NY, September 21-22, 2023; Wingbeats/ Greenish Tents/ How May I Inconvenience You Today?/ Irreverent Grace/ Pyrrhic/ Wayward/ Knots/ Singlet/ Somewhat Agree/ Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk; 61:15. www.cuneiformrecords.com

Rich Halley 4: Dusk And Dawn

  Portland, Oregon saxophonist Rich Halley has the best of two worlds in the Rich Halley 4. On Dusk And Dawn, he gets to collaborate with his son Carson Halley on drums, and with a pair of very long-term (26 years and counting) musical companions in the persons of trombonist Michael Vlatkovich and bassist Clyde Reed. That’s a lot of experience to pack into this energetic collection of four Halley originals alternating with a trio of group improvisations. I’ve been fortunate enough to hear all of these musicians live many times over the years, and it’s always a joyous occasion to spend time with them. The combination of Halley’s tenor roar, Vlatkovich’s sly trombone, Reed’s grounded bass, and Carson Halley’s uncluttered but forceful drumming gives the music an undeniably positive and searching spirit. The original compositions leave plenty of room for improvising within the form. The group improvisations, on the other hand, allow for spontaneously generated melodies. At times, it is easy to be unsure of whether or not the underlying structure was written or improvised. But it doesn’t really matter, since the music maintains its grasp on the listener at all times. Especially remarkable passages include the unaccompanied trombone and bass dialogue in Retrograde, the soothing opening section of After Dawn, the swaggering Spatter with a typically rapturous tenor solo and a talkative trombone solo, and Carson Halley’s superbly constructed drum solo on Stretching the Sinews. Dusk And Dawn is. for this listener, a gas from start to finish. Check it out and you’ll probably agree. 

Pine Eagle 016; Michael Vlatkovich (tbn) Rich Halley (ts) Clyde Reed (b) Carson Halley (d); Portland, OR, November 18-19, 2023; Spherical Aberaton [sic]/ The Return/ Retrograde/ After Dawn/ Spatter/ Stretching the Sinews/ The Hard Truth; 52:46. richhalley.bandcamp.com

Randy Ingram: Aries Dance

  On the wholly enjoyable Aries Dance, pianist Randy Ingram and his trio with Drew Gress on bass and Billy Hart on drums straddle the line between the early paradigm of piano with accompaniment and the more modern approach of engaged interaction among the players as pioneered by Bill Evans and his trios. The program consists of six originals, a pair of well-chosen standards, and Wayne Shorter’s Penelope. Ingram notes that he “wanted to make [his] compositions as streamlined as possible, to give Billy and Drew room to interpret.” It’s clear from the start of his Toward Polaris, an elegant and mellow waltz, that the musicians are highly attuned to the nuances of one another’s playing. The impeccable Drew Gress has recorded a couple of sessions previously with Ingram, in duo and trio formats. The propulsive and sensitive Billy Hart happened to catch Ingram in performance in New York and was attracted to his style. The pianist’s graceful and subtly swinging approach to the piano and the quality of his tunes give the whole date a genuinely warm and relaxed feeling. It no doubt helped the project that they played a club gig before recording, and had the services of esteemed recording engineer James Farber in the studio. Aries Dance is a delightful listening experience. Recommended. 

Sounderscore SO 008; Randy Ingram (p) Drew Gress (b) Billy Hart (d); NYC, May 3, 2024; Toward Polaris/ Para Milton e Pedro/ Into the Night/ You and the Night and the Music/ Penelope/ Aries Dance/ Castle and Fog/ Guimarães/ Dedicated to You; 46:44. www.sounderscore.com

Darius Jones: Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye)

  Alto saxophonist Darius Jones conjures a pungent and complex tone out of his horn, with forceful lines and a genuinely exciting way of moving from phrase to phrase. On Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye), he gets astute accompaniment from bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Gerald Cleaver. The results are magically entrancing as Jones plays like a man possessed. In a brief liner note, he writes that the “stigmatization of trauma and mental health prevented me from getting the help I needed to start healing my wounds ... Just as we do for our physical health, we must create space for our mental health.” A large portion of Jones’ healing process consists of his ambitious Man’ish Boy project. Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) is the seventh of nine CDs. Each album features a different line-up, and all, except for his solo effort on Northern Spy, have been released on the critically acclaimed AUM Fidelity label. Jones composed all the pieces here, except for his inspired arrangement of No More My Lord, “based on a prison song recorded by Alan Lomax in Parchman, MS.” Jones is at his most fervent on this piece, buoyed by Lightcap’s resonant and plangent arco bass and Cleaver’s clattering drums. Another standout track is We Outside, structurally intriguing and powerfully executed by the trio. It starts out as a dialogue for Lightcap and Cleaver with occasional bursts of Jones’ alto sax as commentary. Jones takes charge around the half-way point of the eleven minute track, building an ornate and increasingly authoritative solo. For a delicious contrast, We Inside Now follows. As the title suggests, this is a sweet ballad, lovingly limned by the trio in an ultra-slow tempo. While Jones’ sometimes daunting intensity brings to mind such luminaries of the alto sax as Jimmy Lyons and Marshall Allen, on We Inside Now, he displays his softer and more vulnerable side. Jones’ epic project puts Albert Ayler’s dictum that “music is the healing force of the universe” into practice. Heartily recommended. 

AUM Fidelity AUM120; Darius Jones (as) Chris Lightcap (b) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, no dates specified; Affirmation Needed/ Another Kind of Forever/ No More My Lord/ We Outside/ We Inside Now/ Motherfuckin Roosevelt; 55:17. aumfidelity.com

Denny Zeitlin: Panoply

  Pianist Denny Zeitlin has worn a lot of musical hats since his debut in a trio format on Columbia in 1964. Over the years, he’s performed as a soloist, as leader of a trio, and, adding synthesizers, in a series of duets with percussionist George Marsh. Typically, these are discrete projects, but for his latest Sunnyside release, Panoply, he’s decided to program a lengthy CD with previously unissued music from a variety of sessions. Zeitlin’s latest trio features Buster Williams on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. They’re heard on four tracks that were performed in New York at Mezzrow’s, a 2019 gig that previously resulted in the Live At Mezzrow CD. The trio leads off the disc with a gently swinging version of Gershwin’s I Was Doing All Right. Next up is the heavily electronic Excursion, the first of five improvised duets with Marsh. The duets were selected from a decade of sessions held at Zeitlin’s home studio in California. As much as I love Zeitlin’s acoustic work, I’ve never really warmed up to the music that’s resulted from what Zeitlin describes as “a marvelous adventure.” But with the duos interspersed among the trio and solo selections, I expect that they will start to make more sense to me. The three solo pieces that are present were recorded at Zeitlin’s annual gig at the Piedmont Piano Company in December 2012. Among the standout tracks in this carefully selected and intelligently sequenced disc are the tender and boldly romantic solo treatment of Bill Lee’s Only One, the hyper-speed romp through Cherokee (another solo), the duo’s soothing A Raft, A River, and the trio’s emotional journey through Stordahl and Weston’s I Should Care. Panoply offers a heartily enjoyable listening experience. Definitely recommended. 

Sunnyside SSC 1741; Denny Zeitlin (p; p, hardware, & virtual synthesizer on duo selections) George Marsh (d, perc on duo selections) Buster Williams (b on trio selections) Matt Wilson (d on trio selections); solos, Oakland, CA, December 1,2012; duos, Kentfield, CA, 2013-2023; trios, NYC, May 3-4, 2019; I Was Doing All Right (trio)/ Excursion (duo)/ Only One (solo)/ Ambush (duo)/ Music Box (duo)/ Cherokee (solo)/ Regret (duo)/ Weirdo (trio)/ A Raft, A River (duo)/ Limburger Pie and Beeswax Crust (solo)/ I Should Care (trio)/ Johnny Come Lately; 77:32. sunnysiderecords.com