Phillip Golub: Partisan Ship

      Descriptions like busy, complex, and synth-driven only begin to characterize keyboardist and composer Phillip Golub’s latest project, the boldly inventive Partisan Ship. To broaden the instrumental range of the music, Golub has enlisted the talents of some of the forward-looking musicians in New York City, including saxophonists Anna Webber, Yuma Uesaka and David Leon, trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, and 5-string violinist Layale Chaker. Each of them drops in the mix here and there to contribute a solo. The spare but effective soloing by ElSaffar, who’s feeling quite at home in the electronic haze on loyalty oath, alto saxophonist Leon and Chaker on the murky and vaguely Middle Eastern blue-orange reflections, and Anna Webber, throaty and angular on cries of the initiated, are worth noting. But the real star of the show is the rhythm section, with Golub with his Flexichord virtual piano and synthesizers, Elias Stemeseder and his synthesizers, bassist Sam Minaie and percussionist Jon Starks. Together, they create a densely textured symphony of beeps, bloops, mini-explosions, ghostly piano tinkling, and much more. Since the individual tracks all run into the next piece without a pause, the three-quarters of an hour running time of Partisan Ship is seemingly designed to be listened from start to finish. While I’m especially fond of the tricky rhythms of loyalty oath, the glorious cacophony of cries of the initiated and the warped ballad utopian micronation, it’s the overall effect that is especially impressive. Partisan Ship is a fascinating album, and is heartily recommended. 

Berthold Records; Phillip Golub (Flexichord virtual piano, Behringer Neutron, Arturia Digital synths) Yuma Uesaka (cl, bcl, cbcl, ts, bass ‘clariflute’ on 1, 3, 5, 8, 10) Amir ElSaffar (tpt on 1, 3, 5, 9) Anna Webber (fl, ts on 3,5,8) David Leon (as on 7,9) Layale Chaker (5-string violin on 7) Elias Stemeseder (Prophet VI, Moog Minitaur, Modular Synths on 1,3,5,6) Sam Minaie (b on 3,5,8) Jon Starks (d, sensory perc, snaps, drum machine on 1-3, 5, 7-10; elec on 2); Brooklyn, NY & NYC, no dates specified; 1 loyalty oath/2 interlude (aboard)/ 3 partisan ship/ 4 interlude (adorn)/ 5 mutiny meeting/ 6 interlude (adrift)/ 7 blue-orange reflections/ 8 cries of the initiated/ 9 utopian micronation/ 10 afterword: partisan session; 44:46. phillipgolub.bandcamp.com

Carla Bley: Joyful Noise

     Back in March 1984, keyboardist/composer/arranger/bandleader Carla Bley took her 10-piece orchestra into NDR’s Studio 10 in Hamburg for a concert. The two CD set released as Joyful Noise marks the first time this music has been available. Bley comes on stage to enthusiastic applause and tells the audience that she asked around about “what kind of music would appeal to the people in Hamburg, and this is what is they told me.” She’s already getting laughs before anyone in the audience could know what was coming next, but Bley’s deadpan announcement no doubt has some seasoned fans with minds racing to guess what the song might be. Complete with a “ha ha fooled you” opening, it turns into a totally danceable version of La Paloma, a popular song from around 1860 (!). Aside from an elaborate arrangement of Thelonious Monk’s Misterioso, the balance of the program is stocked with original Bley compositions. Bley, who recorded mostly at the piano, plays organ and glockenspiel here, with the little-known Ted Saunders on piano. The rhythm section is completed by two masters of the art, Steve Swallow on electric bass and Victor Lewis on drums. The brass section consists of Michael Mantler on trumpet, Gary Valente on trombone, the inimitable Bob Stewart on tuba, and Vincent Chancey on French horn. The two-man reed section is Steve Slagle on alto & soprano saxes and flute, with Tony Dagradi on tenor sax and clarinet. Bley as arranger mastered the knack of making the ensemble sound bigger than it really is. Having an array of expert musicians to execute her charts certainly didn’t hurt. The band is impeccable as Bley’s compositions make the most of their talents. Since many of these musicians were in her bands over a period of years, Bley likely composed much of her work with these individuals in mind. It’s the factor that provides that extra kick of individuality to the collective endeavor. While it truly is a fool’s game to pick favorites from a Carla Bley performance, since every track has so much to say and so much to recommend it, I’ll go out on a limb and single out the slow drag The Lord is Listenin’ To Ya, Hallelujah! This gospel-oriented piece features a long and testifying solo from trombonist Valente, who returns for a big crowd-pleasing finish after a short organ interlude. From Bley’s comments, this has clearly been released in the original performance sequence. With several Bley pieces that were not recorded elsewhere, Joyful Noise is a valuable addition to the discography of one of the most consistently intriguing composers and arrangers of her era. Happily recommended. 

MIG M1230; Michael Mantler (tpt) Gary Valente (tbn) Vincent Chancey (Fr hn) Bob Stewart (tba) Steve Slagle (as, ss, fl) Tony Dagradi (ts, cl) Carla Bley (org, glockenspiel) Ted Saunders (p) Steve Swallow (electric bass) Victor Lewis (d); Hamburg, West Germany, March 14, 1984; Disc 1 (49:10): La Paloma/ Talking Hearts/ Joyful Noise/ The Lord is Listenin’ To Ya, Hallelujah!/ Light or Dark/ Misterioso. Disc 2 (67:28): Venus Fly Trap/ Nu Derection/ Ending It/ Starting Again; Ups and Downs/ Battleship/ Copyright Royalties. www.mig-music.de/en/mig-music 

Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, & Ben Riley: So Many Lovely Things: Live In Brecon

 

   Yusef Lateef, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Booker Ervin, Stan Getz: just a small sampling of the illustrious jazz figures who have given pianist Kenny Barron plenty of work since his recorded debut on brother Bill Barron’s 1961 Savoy album The Tenor Stylings Of Bill Barron. Besides being a much in demand sideman, Barron has also recorded over 50 albums as leader. A new addition to his discography is the recently unearthed So Many Lovely Things: Live In Brecon, a 1995 performance featuring the impeccably balanced trio of Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, & Ben Riley. Recorded before an appreciative audience in the 400-seat Christ College Auditorium in Brecon, Wales, this set offers over 90 minutes of pure enjoyment. Barron, whose exquisite touch and elegant sense of swing are in evidence from the first note, starts off the show with Oh, Look at Me Now, a melody by Joe Bushkin that goes back to the early 1940's. Barron must have spending some time listening to the Tommy Dorsey band. That song, and the contemporaneous Bob Russell composition Time Was are the oldest songs in the program. Like most well-traveled pianists, Barron probably knows hundreds of tunes, and he writes some of his own as well. He plays two originals for the Welsh crowd. His gently relaxed Silent Rain is a solo piano feature, while the enchanting Nikara’s Song is explored at length by the trio. The balance of the program includes Freddie Hubbard’s Up Jumped Swing, two pieces by Thelonious Monk (a solo excursion on Shuffle Boil, and a mildly uptempo trio version of Ask Me Now), and three well-loved standards. As bassist Drummond comments to Ted Panken in the liner notes, “Kenny’s universe includes many dimensions.” Barron himself notes that he “likes music, and I like all of it.” And he loves to play all of it, too, as this lovely set proves. Happily recommended. 

Elemental 5990464 (Lp and CD); Kenny Barron (p) Ray Drummond (b) Ben Riley (d); Brecon, Wales, August 12, 1995; Disc 1 (54:08): Oh, Look At Me Now/ Up Jumped Spring/ Shuffle Boil/ Time Was/ Silent Rain/ Ask Me Now. Disc 2 (53:40): Nikara’s Song/ The Surrey With the Fringe on Top/ The Very Thought of You/ Canadian Sunset. www.elemental-music.com

Charles Downs Quartet: Inner

   

      The music of the Charles Downs Quartet on Inner is precisely what you’d expect from the storied ESP-Disk label: unfettered free improvisation that employs a broad range of strategies to move the music forward. Drummer/leader Downs, now 82 years old, performed under the name Rashid Bakr for most of his career, playing with several editions of Cecil Taylor’s bands, as well as with Jemeel Moondoc and Other Dimension In Music. He reverted to his birth name earlier this century, playing in the Flow Trio with Joe Morris on bass and Louie Belogenis on tenor sax, and with multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee. Morris joins him for this outing, Downs’ very first release as leader. Jamie Saft, whose musical résumé is dauntingly lengthy, plays piano, and Hery Paz is out front on tenor saxophone. Downs’ nuanced drumming, dynamic control, and polyrhythmic expertise serve to energize his companions. Paz’s growly sound and quick reflexes are complemented by Saft’s incisive piano lines and Morris’ adventurous bass. The exemplary ebb and flow of this session makes for a wholly enjoyable recording. Recommended. 

ESP-Disk’ ESP5044; Hery Paz (sax) Jamie Saft (p) Joe Morris (b) Charles Downs (d); Brooklyn, NY, December 16, 2024; Inner, parts 1-5; 58:02. espdisk.com

Rob Garcia: Sizzle Ensemble

     I’ve always appreciated truth in advertising, so I’m happy to report that the Sizzle Ensemble helmed by drummer Rob Garcia makes good at the promised excitement of the name. The quintet, an A-team line-up with Shane Endsley on trumpet, Noah Preminger on tenor, Gary Versace on pianos, and Kim Cass on bass, is clearly having a ball right from the start, with their novel arrangement of Thelonious Monk’s theme song, Epistrophy. That’s one of three cover versions in the set, along with Marcus Miller’s Tutu, a staple in Miles Davis concerts in the last part of his career, and Herbie Hancock’s 1965 classic Maiden Voyage, played here with Versace on funky electric piano and bluesy solos from Preminger and Endsley. Garcia composed all the rest, save for Sizzle, a lively group composition and one of the two bonus tracks, noted as “not on the digital release.” The first of his pieces, Early Celebration, captures the raucous energy and cross-conversations of a great party. The tempo accelerates and decelerates, just like the ebb and flow of a convivial gathering. And in truth, the session sounds like just that kind of party. It no doubt helps that Preminger and Cass have been playing and recording together for over a decade, while Garcia and Preminger have collaborated on seven projects since Garcia’s Perennial CD (2009). The versatile multi-keyboard artist Gary Versace is ubiquitous, with well over 150 sessions to his credit since 2000. Trumpeter Endsley, with a bold, fluid sound, has worked with a wide array of musicians since 1996, including Steve Coleman, Ralph Alessi, Ben Allison, and as a member of Kneebody. Maybe all you need to know about Rob Garcia is that he might be the only drummer who’s worked with both Joseph Jarman (LifeTime Visions, 2000) and Woody Allen (soundtrack to Wild Man Blues). Among the many high points are the uptempo strut of Autumn Mischief, the deceptively simple Department of Peace, and the artful groove of Dreambreaker, with Cass setting the pace amid more powerhouse soloing from Preminger and a typically inventive Garcia solo. With each member of the band having worked in many disparate styles of jazz, it gives the members of the Sizzle Ensemble a potent and refined group sound. Seriously recommended. 

Connection Works; Shane Endsley (tpt) Noah Preminger (ts) Gary Versace (p, el p) Kim Cass (b) Rob Garcia (d); New Jersey, November 15, 2025; Epistrophy/ Early Celebration/ Tutu/ Autumn Mischief/ Department of Peace/ River/ Bully/ Maiden Voyage/ The Shadow Nose/ Dreambreaker/ Ghosts Present/ Follow the Thread*/ Sizzle*; 68:37; Tracks marked * are “bonus tracks not on digital release.” www.connectionworks.org

Tribute Albums From Bobby Broom, Richard Baratta, & Gregory Hutchinson

     The tribute album is a format that’s likely to never go out of style, especially since there are so many major figures to pay homage to. 

     Guitarist Bobby Broom had two five-year stints in the Sonny Rollins band (from 1982 to 1987, and again in 2005-2010), and is clearly attuned to the breadth of Rollins’ compositions over the decades. With Dennis Carroll on bass and another Rollins alumnus Kobie Watkins on drums, Notes Of Thanks offers potent renditions of nine Rollins originals, plus Carroll’s gently swinging Me Time. Broom, Carroll, and Watkins have been recording as a trio on and off since 2005. They’ve achieved the state of instant communication that locks the musicians into one another’s sounds. Especially worthy of note are The Freedom Suite (part 1) from 1958, Allison from 1987, and, all from 1956, an elegant version of Paul’s Pal, a thoughtful look at Strode Rode, and the upbeat Pent Up House. In one sense, the whole album is a highlight by spotlighting Sonny Rollins’ enduring compositions; in a more important way, Notes Of Thanks offers nearly an hour of unfailingly lively group interplay. Warmly recommended. 

Steele SR 008/Clean Sweep Music CSM 122; Bobby Broom (g) Dennis Carroll (b) Kobie Watkins (d); Chicago, IL, September 30 & October 1, 2025; Alfie’s Theme/ The Freedom Suite (part 1)/ Doxy/ Allison/ Kim/ Me Time/ Paul’s Pal/ Strode Road [sic]/ Pent Up House/ Valse Hot; 53:54. www.bobbybroom.com

    Another Kind Of Bird (Reimagining Charlie Parker) is an pleasing collection of tunes that most jazz fans will know. Drummer and bandleader Richard Baratta has gathered a crew of four respected saxophonists, placed them in various combinations with a versatile five-piece rhythm section, and set the ensemble loose on fresh arrangements of Parker compositions (plus one standard). The charts are by pianist Bill O’Connell, known for frequently working in a Latin jazz context. There have been countless tributes to Parker since he passed away in 1955, an acknowledgment of his vast influence. But there’s always room for another thought-provoking tribute to this seminal figure. The presence of altoist Vincent Herring is the one constant of this session. When he’s joined by Eric Alexander, Craig Handy, and Abraham Burton on the first four tracks, there’s a hint of the 70's era Supersax, though O’Connell’s arrangements largely eschew their harmonized sound in favor of a jam session feel. Highpoints include Herring’s tender balladry on Gershwin’s Embraceable You, a Parker favorite, a Latin styled version of Little Suede Shoes with Handy on flute, a funkified Ah-Leu-Cha complete with a hot guitar solo by Paul Bollenback, and the hard-driving version of Yardbird Suite with some forceful drumming from Baratta. While I prefer the second half of the disc, with Herring as the sole horn, there’s something here for everyone, since everybody is a Bird fan right? As with all successful tribute albums, this one made me want to listen to some Charlie Parker music. Recommended. 

Savant SCD 2229; Vincent Herring (as) Craig Handy (ts on 1,2; fl on 3; ss on 4) Abraham Burton (ts on 1,4) Eric Alexander (ts on 1,4) Bill O’Connell (p, el p) Paul Bollenback (g) Michael Goetz (b) Richard Baratta (d, perc) Paul Rossman (cga, perc); Paramus, NJ, October 10-11, 2025; 1.Donna Lee/ 2.Ornithology/ 3.Little Suede Shoes/ 4.Ah-Leu-Cha/ 5.Embraceable You/ 6.Now’s the Time/ 7.Moose the Mooche/ 8.Yardbird Suite/ 9.Segment/ 10.Au Privave; 56:51. www.jazzdepot.com

     Miles Davis was at the forefront of the latest developments in jazz for many decades, from bop to fusion and beyond, which makes him a tricky subject for a tribute album. The choices of material and instrumentation are nearly endless. In his forward-looking stance towards compositions that in some cases are decades old, drummer Gregory Hutchinson takes a particularly Milesian path on Kind Of Now : The Pulse of Miles Davis. He's put his extraordinary septet to work on a choice selection of tunes associated with Miles in various phases of his discography. Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and saxophonist Ron Blake share the front line of this multi-generational lineup, with guitarists Jakob Bro and Emmanuel Michael, pianist Gerald Clayton, and bassist Joe Martin joining Hutchinson in the rhythm section. Among the numerous highpoints are the spunky treatment of Charlie Parker’s Ah-Lu-Cha, first recorded by Miles with Bird in 1948, a mellow version of Fran-Dance that’s largely a feature for pianist Clayton, Akinmusire’s a cappella opening and brief but potent solo on Wayne Shorter’s Orbits, the irresistible blend of Akinmusire and Blake on Water Babies, another Shorter composition, Blake’s smoking solo on a romping version of Victor Feldman’s Seven Steps to Heaven, and the dub-flavored reconstruction of Bitches Brew with more incisive trumpet from Akinmusire. Hutchinson contributes a few of his own pieces to the program. He name-checks influential drummers of the past and present over a web of drums and electronics on The Masters, takes over the spotlight for a drum solo on Ellehcem’s Time, and whips up a backwards tape loop for the brief I’m Done. Akinmusire’s brilliant playing and Blake’s powerhouse tenor saxophone might be the main reasons to grab this one, but the well-curated selection of tunes and the potent ensemble work make Kind Of Now a exemplary tribute to the great Miles Davis in his centenary year. Recommended. 

Warner Music (LP & CD): Ambrose Akinmusire (tpt) Ron Blake (ts, bcl) Jakob Bro, Emmanuel Michael (g) Gerald Clayton (p) Joe Sanders (b) Gregory Hutchinson (d); NYC, July 1-2, 2025; Ah-Leu-Cha/ Fran-Dance/ Fall/ Orbits/ The Masters/ Feio/ Water Babies/ Seven Steps to Heaven/ Bitches Brew/ Black Comedy/ Ellehcem’s Time/ Circle in the Round/ I’m Done; 57:19. 

Timely Music From Civil Disobedience & Tyshawn Sorey

     Jazz has always reflected the social situation in which it is created. In these troubled times, that engagement with the world is inescapable, and different bandleaders have taken several approaches to that necessity. Here are two. 

    Civil Disobedience is a quintet spearheaded by bassist David Ambrosio. The band’s debut release features cover versions of five jazz compositions originally recorded for Blue Note Records in the late Sixties but unreleased at the time. It was a difficult period for the company and for jazz records in general. Many albums were taped, sequenced, prepared for release, and then shelved. It took the late Michael Cuscuna to dig into the Blue Note vault and produce dozens of previously unissued albums, first on Lp and later on compact discs. The band’s debut release seeks to remind the listening audience of both the civil turmoil of the era and some of the compositions neglected due to the circumstances of their appearances in the marketplace. The quintet succeeds on both counts, doing justice to tunes like Bobby Hutcherson’s For Duke P., James Spaulding’s A Time to Go (from Hutcherson’s Patterns album), and two from drummer/composer Joe Chambers, Irina and Ankara. The most explicitly political tune is Harold Land’s Poor People’s March, first heard on another Hutcherson album, Spiral. With trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Donny McCaslin in the front line, plus a rhythm section of Ambrosio, pianist Bruce Barth, and veteran drummer Victor Lewis, Civil Disobedience is perfectly positioned to do justice to these unfairly passed-0ver tunes. The astute selection and arrangements deliver a solidly enjoyable musical experience along with a jolt of political resonance. As the record jacket says, “There may not be a more crucial moment to examine the windows of history in order to comprehend the current situation in America. The music featured [here] serves as one such window.” Recommended listening. And a special shout-out to the great Victor Lewis, who shines on this date as he did so many times before, beginning with his 1974 appearance on Woody Shaw’s The Moontrane. Because of some physical problems he’s been having recently, Civil Disobedience is probably his last recording. 

Blue Frog BF2501 (Lp); Ingrid Jensen (tpt) Donny McCaslin (ts, ss) Bruce Barth (p) David Ambrosio (b) Victor Lewis (d); NYC, February 2, 2025; For Duke P. (a/k/a XYZ)/ A Time to Go/ Irina/ Poor People’s March/ Ankara; 35:54. bluefrogrecords.com

 

    Where Civil Disobedience delivers fresh versions of compositions from the Sixties, more or less in the progressive bop style of the era, the multi-faceted Tyshawn Sorey has radically recast the songs from Max Roach’s 1968 Atlantic album Members, Don’t Git Weary into a suite titled Members... Don’t! Roach was one of the more outspoken musicians of the Fifties and Sixties, particularly about racial issues. His classic 1960 Candid album, We Insist ! - Freedom Now Suite, with an ensemble that included Coleman Hawkins, Booker Little, and Abbey Lincoln, is probably his best-known politically oriented release. In contrast, Members, Don’t Git Weary is more oblique in its implications. Roach’s band consisted of Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Gary Bartz on alto saxophone, Stanley Cowell on piano, and Jymie Merritt on electric bass, with a vocal by Andy Bey on the title track. Merritt was just a couple of years younger than Roach, but the rest of the band was considerably younger, in the great jazz tradition of bandleaders hiring the new generation of musicians to help stay current. (As the great drummer and bandleader Art Blakey once said, "young cats keep me young. I learn from them just like they learn from me.") Sorey, the much-praised drummer, pianist, composer and bandleader, follows in that tradition, putting together his quintet with a similar age distribution. The broadly experienced tenor saxophonist Mark Shim is the oldest member of the ensemble. But trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, pianist Lex Korten, and bassist Tyrone Allen II are much younger and starting to make names for themselves. Sorey’s quintet played two sets a night for three nights before recording the fourth and final night for this release. As Sorey told Nate Chinen for the liner notes, “It took that four-night run for us to arrive at being able to confidently perform the suite, but without having to spend extensive time rehearsing it.” In addition to Sorey’s expansion and resequencing of the original material, he’s arranged it all in one long medley laced with the occasional quiet passage to allow the musicians to take a tiny break. The band settles in quickly at the start of Stanley Cowell’s Abstrusions, the leadoff track to the Roach album and one of his three compositions, along with Effi and Equipoise. (Bartz composed Libra, and Merritt wrote Absolutions.) From there, the music ebbs and flows for 95 minutes, more than three times as long as the source material. The music stays the course as themes come and go, anchored by Korten’s calm style at the piano and propelled by Sorey’s magnificent drumming. There are some potent solos by O’Farrill and Shim, but it’s the ensemble as a whole that really shines. Sorey declares the title track of Roach’s album, “to be the apex of the original release” and that he wanted to “present an experience where all of the other music decisively arrives at Members, Don’t Git Weary.” Sound artist Fay Victor applies her avant-blues vocal to the song, credited to Max Roach and based on the traditional song Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning. Victor’s histrionics are not usually my cup of tea, but she nails this performance in a cathartic climax to the forceful and impassioned music that leads up to it. Definitely one of the best albums of the year. 

Pi Recordings PI112; Adam O’Farrill (tpt, elec) Mark Shim (ts) Lex Korten (p) Tyrone Allen II (b) Tyshawn Sorey (d) Fay Victor (vcl on *); NYC, June 14, 2025; Disc 1 (52:09): Abstrusions/ Effi/ Absolutions/ Equipoise (Part 1). Disc 2 (43:46): Equipoise (Part 2)/ Libra/ Members, Don’t Git Weary*. pirecordings.com