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

Jim Witzel Quartet:

  It doesn’t take very long to discern the compatibility and unified purpose of a group like the Jim Witzel Quartet. Except for a rather drab guitar-piano duet version of Paul Simon’s Old Friends, from Simon & Garfunkel’s Bookends (1968), the program on Breaking Through Gently is comprised of original compositions by guitarist Witzel and pianist Phil Aaron. On bass is Dan Feiszli, who also recorded and mixed the CD. The drummer is accomplished Bay Area stalwart Jason Lewis. Witzel has recorded infrequently since his debut on record with saxophonist Dave LeFebvre back in 1981. He’s been woodshedding and gigging with pianist Aaron since sometime in the Nineties while Aaron was in the Los Angeles area. Breaking Through Gently is the first documentation of their collaboration. Witzel’s clear tone and flowing solos mesh very nicely with Aaron’s sparkling solos and tasty comping. Feiszli and Lewis make a fine team, swinging hard from start to finish. The whole ethos of the music’s feeling can be summed by one of Aaron’s titles, Hello My Friend. Witzel and Aaron sound genuinely happy to be playing together, and that feeling comes through loud and clear. Recommended. 

Joplin Sweeney J&S 203; Jim Witzel (g) Phil Aaron (p) Dan Feiszli (b) Jason Lewis (d); Berkeley, CA, July 26-27, 2023; My Compass/ Firefly Waltz/ The Celebration/ Abjohn/ Hello My Friend/ The Little Dragon/ Old Friends/ Breaking Through Gently; 45:02. www.jimwitzelmusic.com

Day Dream: Duke And Strays Live

  It’s hard to go wrong with a program devoted to the works of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. On the eminently pleasing Duke And Strays Live, drummer Phil Haynes’ Day Dream trio is captured in performance at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA. Beginning with the gentle ballad African Flower, the trio of Haynes, pianist Steve Rudolph and bassist Drew Gress elucidates the melodic contours of the music with flair and a deeply rooted sense of swing. The connection between Haynes and Gress goes all the way back to the drummer’s first album in 1986, and they’ve performed together on a wide range of projects since then. A pianist with a deft touch and a pleasing warmth to his improvising, Rudolph works beautifully with Gress and Haynes to illuminate these well-known compositions. Generally, the arrangements are direct and unfussy interpretations. Among the highlights are the extended treatment of Come Sunday, Strayhorn’s Lush Life featuring Gress’ rich arco introduction, and the closing medley of My Little Brown Book and the Ellington band’s theme song, Take The ‘A’ Train, played with exciting and unexpected shifts in tempo. The close-miked recording is especially kind to Haynes’ delicate cymbal work, though it leaves the audience sounding very far away. All in all, an extremely enjoyable release, quite happily recommended. 

Corner Store Jazz CRJ-0140+0141; Steve Rudolph (p) Drew Gress (b) Phil Haynes (d); Lewisburg, PA, September 10, 2023; Disc 1: African Flower; Perdido; Single Petal of a Rose/Sophisticated Lady; U.M.M.G.; Lush Life. Disc 2: Come Sunday; Rockin’ in Rhythm; T.G.T.T.; Lotus Blossom; My Little Brown Book/Take the ‘A’ Train. Total time: 77:27. cornerstorejazz.com

Steph Richards: Power Vibe

  Trumpeter and flugelhornist Steph Richards combines commanding technique with a bountiful musical imagination on Power Vibe. She gets devoted assistance from her band, with the versatile Joshua White on piano, the always impressive Stomu Takeishi on acoustic and electric basses, and the highly skilled Gerald Cleaver on drums. There’s also Max Jaffe, who supplies “sensory electronics” triggered by drum-mounted sensors on the studio tracks. He gets behind the drumkit for Supersense, the final track, recorded in concert in Bolzano, Italy. Richards’ original compositions put a lot of faith into her bandmates, with anyone in the group free to move the music into another direction. The results are absorbing and playful, with Jaffe’s generally subtle electronic textures adding another element of unpredictability into the music. There’s an appealing spaciousness in the ensemble’s sound, with almost endless possibilities as the tunes develop. One of the standout pieces is Moutons, where bold trumpet lines are surrounded by tinkly piano, bass rumbles, excitable drums, and a dollop of mild electronics. But on every piece, there’s obvious trust among the musicians that something very interesting is going on, and astute listeners will find plenty to enjoy. Recommended. 

Northern Spy NS 164; Steph Richards (tpt, flgh) Joshua White (p) Stomu Takeishi (b, electric bass guitar) Gerald Cleaver (d, exc on *) Max Jaffe (sensory electronics; d on *); Brooklyn, NY, no dates indicated; Prey/ Power Vibe/ October to July/ Moutons/ Reculez/ Supersense (Live in Bolzano)*; 40:06. northernspyrecs.com