Mars Williams: Presents An Ayler Xmas, Volume 2

One of the wildest discs to come my way lately is led by the versatile and excitable Chicago saxophonist Mars Williams, who Presents An Ayler Xmas, Volume 2 to grace the holiday season. I’m not at all interested in Christmas music, but than again, except for Volume 1 (2017), Xmas albums don’t usually sound anything like this. In one sense, the combination is a no-brainer, given Ayler’s folk-song tendencies, but it does take a rather special sensibility to come up with the concept and make it work. Three of the tracks were recorded live in Chicago with Williams’ Witches & Devils ensemble, featuring a cohort of the Windy City’s premier improvisers. The other two pieces are taken from a gig with local musicians at Porgy & Bess, a nightspot in Vienna. Every track is a medley with Ayler’s pieces embedded in Christmas standards. If you’ve ever wanted to hear O Tannenbaum, sung here in a quivering voice by Christof Kurzmann, combined with Spirits, one of Ayler’s best-known tunes, then this CD is what you’ve been waiting for. Williams makes it all work surprisingly well, so if this concept intrigues you, you’ve got some new and radically different sounds to enjoy on Christmas eve.
ESP-Disk’ ESP5030/ Soul What SWR 0004; Mars Williams (sax, toy instruments) on 1, 3 & 4 with Josh Berman (cnt) Jeb Bishop (tbn on 1) Fred Lonberg-Holm (clo) Jim Baker (p, Arp synth, vla) Kent Kessler (b) Brian Sandstrom (b, g, tp) Steve Hunt (d, perc); on 2 & 5 with Thomas Berghammer (tp) Hermann Stangassinger (b) Didi Kern (d, perc) Christof Kurzmann (lloopp, vcl); 1,3,4: Chicago, IL, no date specified; 2 &5, Vienna, Austria, no date specified; 1. Xmas Medley/ 2. O Tannenbaum/ Spirits/ 12 Days of Christmas/ 3. Love Cry/ Christmas Wrapping/ 4. Carol of the Drum/ Bells/ O Come Emmanuel/ Joy to the World/ 5.Universal Soldiers/We Wish You a Merry Xmas; 53:45. espdisk.com

Thumbscrew: Ours/Thumbscrew: Theirs

They each lead a number of bands and play in other groups, but when guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara convene as Thumbscrew, the collective identity of the trio becomes the key to the enterprise. The band had a pair of well-received discs on Cuneiform (skremsky.tumblr.com/search/thumbscrew) before the label decided to go on hiatus. But Thumbscrew persisted, convincing label owner Steve Feigenbaum to put out not one but two new releases recorded during a June 2017 residency at Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum. Ours, a collection of original songs by each of the three bandmembers, and Theirs, a selection of covers by disparate composers including Stanley Cowell, Misha Mengelberg, Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, and Julio De Caro, form a matched pair with 100 minutes of dynamically balanced and lively creativity. Start with Theirs, a carefully sequenced program of some truly lovely compositions. Does anyone ever tire of hearing expressive renditions of Herbie Nichols’ exquisite House Party Starting or Jimmy Rowles’ The Peacocks? I hesitate to pick any favorites from this bounty of stimulating performances, but I’m quite partial to their unusual high-spirited treatment of Brooks Bowman’s East of the Sun and the unstoppable groove the trio applies to Cowell’s Effi, first released on Max Roach’s Members, Don’t Get Weary album from 1968.

The equal balance of the playing extends to the composing chores on Ours, with each member of the band contributing three pieces specifically designed for this group. Halvorson’ Snarling Joys lead off the disc with a snaky low-key groove that provides a fine occasion for a lovingly textured Formanek bass solo. Fujiwara’s Saturn Way features some energetic drumming and some of Halvorson’s delicately spiky playing. Her crafty playing emphasizes the acoustic properties of her hollow-body electric guitar, with subtle sculpting by way of sparingly used effects. Formanek’s warm arco bass plays a big role here as well. The bassist’s jittery Cruel Heartless Bastards is up next, with staggered rhythms that evoke a mutant surf sound. Halvorson’s Smoketree is a slightly bittersweet ballad at first before the beat moves things in a heavier direction. There’s more of Halvorson’s innovative guitar spirit in a wild solo full of unexpected leaps, and an energetic Formanek bass solo is also prominent. Her piece Thumbprint is similarly digressive while mostly keeping the focus on Halvorson’s angular guitar lines. A pair by Fujiwara follow. One Day is hushed at first before Fujiwara moves from brushes to sticks and the piece blossoms into a mid-tempo romp. The fairly mellow Rising Snow gives Halvorson a chance to stretch out with a crisply understated solo. The final two pieces are by Formanek. His Words That Rhyme puts the emphasis on the group’s interaction with a stop/start structure that might falter without the dynamic elucidation that this tightly integrated unit provides. Unconditional closes the program with what may be the most conventional music of the date, a gently loping and restful ballad. Halvorson is impressive on this one, with an engaging solo over Fujiwara’s mallet work and Formanek’s measured walking bass. Somehow Halvorson, Formanek and Fujiwara successfully balance their fierce individuality with an equally unrelenting commitment to the collective and the music, and they make it work every time. Ours and Theirs are triumphs of creative music-making, and both are strongly recommended. 

Ours: Cuneiform Rune 439; Mary Halvorson (g) Michael Formanek (b) Tomas Fujiwara (d); Pittsburgh, PA, June 22-25, 2017; Snarling Joys/ Saturn Way/ Cruel Heartless Bastards/ Smoketree/ Thumbprint/ One Day/ Rising Snow/ Words That Rhyme with Spangle (angle bangle dangle jangle mangel mangle strangle tangle wangle wrangle)/ Unconditional; 55:54. 

Theirs: Cuneiform Rune 441; Mary Halvorson (g) Michael Formanek (b) Tomas Fujiwara (d); Pittsburgh, PA, June 22-25, 2017; Stablemates/ Benzinho/ House Party Starting/ The Peacocks/ East of the Sun/ Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)/ Buen Amigo/ Dance Cadaverous/ Effi/ Weer is een dag voorbij; 46:07. www.cuneiformrecords.com

Akira Sakata, Simon Nabatov, Takashi Seo, & Darren Moore: Not Seeing Is A Flower

The international quartet of Akira Sakata, Simon Nabatov, Takashi Seo, & Darren Moore did a short tour of Japan, culminating in Not Seeing Is A Flower, a live recording made at Jazzspot Candy in Chiba, near Tokyo. The disc documents the first set and “abridged second set.” Given the explosive nature of saxophonist Sakata and pianist Nabatov, we would expect many boldly intense passages, and indeed by the five minute mark of Surge, the saxophonist is wailing, the pianist is pounding away, bassist Seo is contributing swirls of sound, and Moore is using his drums and cymbals to kick everything into a more frenetic and chaotic realm. But it’s not all so frenzied, as the collective mind of the quartet allows the music to ebb and flow in a natural fashion. The almost imperceptible shifts in tempo and attack result from the deep level of understanding that the musicians seem to have developed in a relatively short time on bandstands around Japan. Although the track titles indicate a certain attitude towards the music, divisions between “tunes” are rather arbitrary as the music just flows along. I could do without Sakata’s throaty shouts on Ritual, though it might have been fun to watch. I’m much more partial to his voluble reed work, like the roller-coaster ride of a clarinet solo he uncoils on Resolve. He’s working against Nabatov’s countermelodies, hurled out with great panache, Seo’s conversational bass, and the rollicking drums of Moore. The quartet brings the music to a quiet close, and a brief resolution. Abscond picks up where they left off, as a soaring Sakata, now on alto, slowly raises the heat to full boil. Not Seeing Is A Flower offers a largely satisfying program of free and unpredictable improvisations.
Leo CD LR 843; Akira Sakata (as, cl, vcl, perc) Simon Nabatov (p) Takashi Seo (b) Darren Moore (d, perc); Chiba, Japan, November 27, 2017; Surge/ Retreat/ Uncoil/ Ritual/ Resolve/ Abscond; 51:39. www.leorecords.com

Rich Halley 3: The Literature

From the beginning of his recording career in August 1981, West Coast saxophonist Rich Halley has either played his own compositions or delved into free improvisation. With The Literature, new from the Rich Halley 3, Halley and long-time companions Clyde Reed on bass and Carson Halley on drums dip into material by some of his influences, which range from Ornette Coleman and Thelonious Monk to the Carter family and country singer Jimmie Rodgers. The results are consistently inspired renditions of classic compositions, no matter the source. The trio tears right into Miles Davis’ Little Willie Leaps to establish their working method of putting their own modernistic spin on familiar melodies. Coleman and Monk get two selections each, and we’re also regaled with tunes by Duke Ellington (a starkly beautiful Mood Indigo), Charles Mingus (a sensitive reading of Pussy Cat Dues), Sun Ra (a snappily swinging version of Kingdom of Not from Super-Sonic Jazz), and others. The trio attacks it all with a stirring mix of respect and reinvention. There are many special moments scattered among the 57 minutes, including Reed’s forceful bass solo on Monk’s Misterioso, Carson Halley’s rollicking drum solo on Mongo Santamaria’s Chano Pozo, the trio’s unified strut on Coleman’s Broad Way Blues, and Rich Halley’s powerfully angular solo on Monk’s Brilliant Corners. I highly recommend adding The Literature to your collection and finding your own favorites.
Pine Eagle 011; Rich Halley (ts, clapping) Clyde Reed (b) Carson Halley (d, clapping); Portland, OR, August 26-27, 2017; Little Willie Leaps/ Misterioso/ Chano Pozo/ Broad Way Blues/ High Powered Mama/ Mood Indigo/ Brilliant Corners/ Motherless Children/ Pussy Cat Dues/ Kingdom of Not/ Someday You’ll Call My Name/ Law Years; 57:53. www.richhalley.com

Jared Gold: Reemergence

Organist Jared Gold’s Strikezone release Reemergence, his ninth CD, kicks off with his original title track. It’s deep in the pocket, and the music pretty much keeps that groove going all the way through the nicely varied program. In part, we’ve got drummer Billy Hart to thank for that, a much-recorded veteran who played with Jimmy Smith back in the Sixties. Gold’s regular employer, guitarist Dave Stryker, who also produced the date, is another key to the success of this outing, and the addition of trumpeter Jeremy Pelt on 3 tracks was an inspired idea. The eclectic repertoire is a mix of Gold originals, a couple of standards, and tunes by Stryker (Nomad), Ornette Coleman (Blues Connotation), Stevie Wonder (Lookin’ For Another Pure Love), and gospel composer Doris Akers (Sweet Sweet Spirit). Perhaps the most surprising selection is the Lennon-McCartney song She’s Leaving Home, never one of my favorite Beatles tunes, but beautifully done here. It seems that the organ trio will never go totally out of style as long as there are practitioners who reimagine the sometimes hackneyed format, and the solidly swinging Gold is absolutely one of the cats that will keep this genre thriving. Recommended. 

Strikezone 8817; Jared Gold (Hammond B3 org) Dave Stryker (g) Billy Hart (d) Jeremy Pelt (tp & flgh on *); Paramus, NJ, January 22, 2018; Reemergence*/ It Ain’t Necessarily So/ Lookin’ for Another Pure Love*/ She’s Leaving Home/ One For John A*/ How Long Has This Been Going On/ Blues Connotation/ Sweet Sweet Spirit/ Nomad; 51:19. www.facebook.com/StrikezoneJazz/

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 6

Joe Morris moves over to acoustic bass for the final Volume 6 of Ivo Perelman's The Art Of The Improv Trio, a live date recorded at a club in Brooklyn. (Click here for previous volumes.) Tenor wizard Perelman is in a positively jaunty mood to open the lengthy Part 1, with a vividly energetic Gerald Cleaver providing rhythmic excitement and a deep groove. Morris, whose attack on guitar is jittery and anxious, plays the bass with a smoother approach to sound, although he retains much of his fractured approach to rhythm. The on-stage nature of the performance gives the trio plenty of opportunities to react both to one another and to the energy of the audience. As you might expect, the 42-minute Part 1 goes through a lot of changes in tempo, volume, and dynamics, along with a few embedded solos and duos. The only constant is the restless exploration of pure improvisation. exhilarating as ever, and with a brief, boisterous encore, this rare concert appearance by a Perelman ensemble makes a fitting conclusion to The Art Of The Improv Trio series.
Leo CD LR 776; Ivo Perelman (ts) Joe Morris (b) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, July 2016; Parts 1-2; 46:42. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 5

In a brief statement that appears in Ivo Perelman’s The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 5, Joe Morris writes “Improvising is action ... informed by a philosophical and aesthetic disposition.” Morris wields his main instrument, the electric guitar, on this release, with drummer Gerald Cleaver aboard as well. The utter freedom of a Perelman date (previous volumes in this series are here) encourages the musicians to explore a variety of improvisational strategies during the nine numbered sections. Starting with the robust Part 1, which effectively marks the territory, the trio moves into the slow moving Part 2. Cleaver largely goes his own way while tenor and guitar compete for attention. Part 3 features Perelman and Morris playing a rapid call and response game, while contrastingly, Part 4 is denser and spikier, with descents into gloomy commentary, plenty of scrabbly interplay and, in the last few minutes, an understated duet between Morris and Cleaver. Part 5 is a moody four minutes of call and response by Morris and Perelman with minimal commentary by Cleaver. The quickly mutating Part 6 starts out rather pointillistic and atomized before settling down a little into a recognizably conversational mode. Perelman’s playing on this one exploits his range, with a long stay in the lower registers of the tenor before leaping up to the high end. If Part 6 displays the wide timbral extent of Perelman’s tenor, in Part 7 he mostly stays up in the extreme highs of the altissimo range that he can commandingly elicit from the horn. Morris follows him up the fretboard at first before weaving his own counter-spell. The longest piece is Part 8 which finds the trio in their most congenial mood. Their simultaneous solos bounce off one another with a steady pulse to guide them on this beautifully realized excursion. As a coda, the brief finale carefully limns the high end in a quietly meandering fashion. Volume 5 is often quieter than you might expect with an electric guitar in the line-up, but as always with Perelman and friends, the intensity and honesty are impressive, and this installment is well worth your time.
Leo CD LR 775; Ivo Perelman (ts) Joe Morris (el g) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, July 2016; Parts 1-9; 51:27. www.leorecords.com