Mahobin: Live At Big Apple In Kobe

Mahobin literally means “magic bottle” in Japanese and is used as the word for a Thermos bottle. To keep the musical proceedings both hot and magical, Satoko Fujii is using it as the name of a new quartet with Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Lotte Anker on saxophone, and Ikue Mori on electronics. Their first release, and the eighth in Fujii’s 2018 marathon, is Live At Big Apple In Kobe. The disc offers a free-wheeling soundscape conjured by Tamura’s brash trumpet, Anker’s passionately fluid sax, Fujii’s complex piano stylings, and the utter unpredictability of Mori’s electronic manipulations. It all makes for an indescribable brew with new adventures in improvisation coming at you all the time. Most of the disc’s time is given over to a piece that they call Rainbow Elephant, an instantaneous concoction that finds its own balance in a natural blend of solo and collective improvisation. The comparatively brief Yellow Sky is edgier, a sort of sonic game with the players maneuvering to bounce the listener’s focus quickly from event to event. It all sounds like it was a great night for improvising at the Big Apple, with music now happily available for repeated home enjoyment.
Libra 204-050; Natsuki Tamura (tp) Lotte Anker (sax) Satoko Fujii (p) Ikue Mori (elec); Kobe, Japan, February 23, 2018; Rainbow Elephant/ Yellow Sky; 49:32. www.librarecords.com

top 13 + 4 more for 2018

yes, it’s time once again for a year-end list. here are the CDs i most enjoyed in 2018

first, a baker’s dozen of new releases, in alphabetical order:

Andy Biskin - 16 Tons - Songs From The Alan Lomax Collection (Andorfin)

Black Art Jazz Collective - Armor Of Pride (HighNote)

Samuel Blaser - Early In The Mornin' (Out Note)

Frank Carlberg/Noah Preminger - Whispers And Cries (Red Piano)

Nels Cline 4 - Currents, Constellations (Blue Note)

Steve Coleman & Five Elements - Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 

(The Embedded Sets) (Pi Recordings)

Benjamin Deschamps - No Codes (Multiple Chords)

Fred Hersch Trio - Live In Europe (Palmetto)

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints - Scandal (Greenleaf Music)

Jamie Saft Quartet - Blue Dream (RareNoise)

Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band - West Side Story Reimagined (Jazzheads)

Thumbscrew - Theirs (Cuneiform)

Denny Zeitlin - Wishing On The Moon (Sunnyside)

and here are some historical and reissue highlights:

Miles Davis & John Coltrane - The Bootleg Series, Volume 6: The Final Tour (Columbia/Legacy)

Frank Morgan/George Cables - Montreal Memories (HighNote)

Teddy Wilson - Classic Brunswick & Columbia Sessions 1934-1942 (Mosaic)

Various Artists - The Savory Collection 1935-1940 (Mosaic)

and thanks to all the labels and publicists who keep me busy,

and especially to all the people who actually make the music!

Richie Cole: Cannonball

Alto saxophonist Richie Cole has been on the jazz scene since the late Sixties when he was a member of the Buddy Rich Orchestra. He came to prominence with his Alto Madness ensembles and an association with vocalist Eddie Jefferson in the Seventies. Since then he has never stopped playing and recording, both with his own bands and as a guest artist. Now based in the Pittsburgh area, Cole has been leading a quintet with guitarist Eric Susoeff, pianist Kevin Moore, bassist (and album producer) Mark Perna, and drummer Vince Taglieri for the past few years. His latest opus is Cannonball, featuring his band and guests performing a number of pieces associated with the great alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. Trombonist Reggie Watkins plays on every track, and there are appearances by drummer Roger Humphries, a member of the Horace Silver group in the Sixties who performs on Sack o’ Woe; vocalist Kenia, who sings Save Your Love For Me twice, once in English and once with her own Portuguese lyrics; and a few horns added here and there to fill out the sound. Cole is in fine form, with a bright tone and a crisply swinging approach that soars through the changes. You have to play Stars Fell on Alabama on a Cannonball tribute, and Cole does the theme justice. While Adderley’s influence is clear, Cole is by no means a copycat. His own brashly excitable sound is quite effective on such Cannonball staples as Duke Pearson’s Jeannine, brother Nat Adderley’s Jive Samba and Victor Feldman’s Azule Serape. Trombonist Watkins’ smooth lines make him an immensely supportive front line partner for Cole, and the rhythm section is superlatively swinging. That kind of backing and a stack of prime material is pretty much all Cole needs to sound his best, and on Cannonball, those conditions are just about perfect. A delightful session.
Richie Cole Presents RCP 003; J.D. Chaisson (tp on 2-5) Reggie Watkins (tbn) Richie Cole (as) Tony Campbell (as on 12) Kenny Blake (as on 13) Rick Matt (ts on 2-5) Eric Susoeff (g) Kevin Moore (p, el p) Mark Perna (b) Vince Taglieri (d, exc. on 8) Roger Humphries (d on 8) Kenia (vcl on 10,14); Aspinwall, PA, February 6, March 20 & 27,(2018 ?); 1.Del Sasser/ 2.Dat Dere/ 3.Stars Fell on Alabama/ 4.Matchmaker, Matchmaker/ 5.Jeannine/ 6.Jive Samba/ 7.Bell of the Ball/ 8.Sack o’ Woe/ 9.Mercy, Mercy, Mercy/ 10.Save Your Love For Me (Portuguese)/ 11.Toy/ 12.Azule Serape/ 13.Unit 7/ 14.Save Your Love For Me (English); 65:12; www.markpernamusic.com

Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Bootleg Series, Volume 6: The Final Tour

While all of the material on The Bootleg Series, Volume 6: The Final Tour, credited to Miles Davis & John Coltrane, has been issued on various bootlegs over the years, this is the first official release for music from the spring 1960 European tour by the Miles Davis quintet - the trumpeter’s first Continental tour with his own group. Tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, in the process of getting his own band together, didn’t really want to go, but Davis could be persuasive. Some extra money from tour producer Norman Granz certainly didn’t hurt. Historian and journalist Ashley Kahn offers a lot of details in his extensive notes for the 32-page booklet, which also includes both on and off stage photos from the tour. The quintet’s European jaunt began in Paris on March 21 (heard on disc 1 & part of disc 2), and ended in Stuttgart on April 10. The Copenhagen show of March 24, the only show taken from the “original radio source,” fills the rest of disc 2. Two concerts in Stockholm on March 22 are on the third and fourth disc, with a 6-minute radio interview with Coltrane as a bonus at the end. 

At this point, Miles was fifteen years into his career, with major successes behind him. He had already established a pattern of his music changing and developing. Coltrane was a comparatively late starter, and while his music was changing rapidly in this period, he was headed in a different direction than Davis. On every song in this set, we hear Coltrane bursting out of the chord changes, trying everything all at once with an unusually harsh sound and a newly fractured style of improvising. Besides the utter rawness and grit of Coltrane’s horn as he stretches out, even drawing some catcalls in Paris, it’s the total aplomb and maximum swing imparted by the rhythm section of pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb that’s truly impressive. Wherever ‘Trane goes, they’re right there with him. To put things into historical perspective, note that at Coltrane’s last recording session before this tour, in December 1959, he had recorded original compositions including Like Sonny, Harmonique, & Naima, with the same nonpareil rhythm team. After returning to New York after the tour, the next sessions that the saxophonist did were with Don Cherry in June and July for The Avant-Garde on Atlantic. When Miles went on another European tour in the fall, Sonny Stitt took over on saxophone. 

While Coltrane is tearing it up night after night, Miles Davis stays as cool as ever, improvising at length in tip top shape. The quintet concentrated on a fairly limited repertoire for these shows, with So What, On Green Dolphin Street, and All Blues each making multiple appearances. The sound is excellent mono, with the Paris show having the best instrumental balance. Much more than a mere collection of live recordings, The Final Tour is history in the making, and invaluable documentation of the incendiary sounds generated by these giants of modern jazz. Not to be missed. 

Columbia/Legacy 88985448392; Miles Davis (tp) John Coltrane (ts) Wynton Kelly (p) Paul Chambers (b) Jimmy Cobb (d); Paris, France, March 21, 1960: Disc 1 (61:04): 1st concert: All of You/ So What/ On Green Dolphin Street; 2nd concert: Walkin’. Disc 2 (71:04): Bye Bye Blackbird/ ‘Round Midnight/ Oleo/ The Theme. Copenhagen, Denmark, March 24, 1960: Introduction by Norman Granz/ So What/ On Green Dolphin Street/ All Blues/ The Theme (inc.). Stockholm, Sweden, March 22: Disc 3 (36:24): 1st concert: Introduction by Norman Granz/ So What/ Fran Dance/ Walkin’/ The Theme. Disc 4 (52:24): 2nd concert: So What/ On Green Dolphin Street/ All Blues/ The Theme/ John Coltrane Interview. legacyrecordings.com

Samuel Blaser: Early In The Mornin’

Trombonist Samuel Blaser’s Early In The Mornin’ is soaked in the blues. The basic quartet of Blaser, keyboardist Russ Lossing, bassist Masa Kamaguchi, and drummer (and harmonica player!) Gerry Hemingway is augmented on three tracks by trumpeter Wallace Roney and alto saxophonist Oliver Lake, separately and apart. Half of the tunes on the disc are traditional tunes, Lonesome Road Blues is credited to Sam Collins, and the balance are perfectly fitting Blaser originals. Lake’s guttural alto is the first thing we hear to open the disc. The rest of the band drifts into the picture, with Lossing’s electric piano supporting the entwined horns of Lake and Blaser as the piece develops. The broad tones of Kamaguchi and the chatty, interactive drums of Hemingway keep things moving right along. Blaser’s Creepy Crawler showcases the big sound of his trombone and Lossing’s electric keyboards provide the right atmosphere for this snaky composition. Truth to tell, every track here has something special going on, and I could spend a lot of time raving about specifics, like the vocal qualities of Blaser’s solo on Tom Sherman’s Barroom, Wallace Roney’s beautiful solo on The House Carpenter, the slithering trio of horns that enlivens the classic blues Levee Camp Moan Blues, or the mutant Sixties vibe that Lossing’s electric keyboard introduces into Blaser’s Klaxon. But I’d rather urge you to get a copy of this CD and discover its wonders for yourself. Like Andy Biskin’s recent 16 Tons project, Blaser draws on the famed Alan Lomax Collection for material, a staggeringly rich source of country blues, jazz, and folk music from around the world. (Currently online at www.culturalequity.org, where there are more than 17,400 audio files.) It’s a deep well that may never run dry, so long as talents like Samuel Blaser and his crew continue to dip into it and make it all new again. Heartily recommended. 
Out Note OTN 626; Samuel Blaser (tbn) Russ Lossing (p, Fender Rhodes & Wurlitzer el p, clav, minimoog, Hammond B3 org) Masa Kamaguchi (b) Gerry Hemingway (d, hca) Wallace Roney (tp on *) Oliver Lake (as on #); Hoboken, NJ & NYC, January 2017; Early in the Mornin’#/ Creepy Crawler/ Tom Sherman’s Barroom/ The House Carpenter*/ Levee Camp Moan Blues*#/ Klaxon/ Mal’s Blues/ Black Betty/ Lonesome Road Blues; 58:30. www.outhere-music.com

JP Schlegelmilch, Jonathan Goldberger and Jim Black:

JP Schlegelmilch, Jonathan Goldberger and Jim Black team up to update the organ trio format with Visitors. Black’s big beat, Goldberger’s savage guitaristics, and Schlegelmilch’s enveloping organ sounds combine in a seductive mélange of upbeat and bluesy grooves. Keyboardist Schlegelmilch and guitarist Goldberger co-composed all the songs, a series of straight-ahead melodies that give the musicians plenty of space for elaboration and exploration. The title track and Chiseler open the disc with a bang. Ether Sun is more relaxed, a little too slow in fact, and without much substance to justify the more than 5 minute running time. The trio bounces back with the tasty groove of Corvus, full of ominous guitar lines and spooky organ. The first part of Lake Oblivion rocks hard at first, then settles down to a swampy maze of beats and boings and washes of sound before rising out of the mist with an anthemic melody and then dissolving. Part two leads off with the strumming of an acoustic guitar, then sails off into the psychedelic stratosphere. Terminal Waves has a slow blues feel at the start, then oozes into the slowly moving world of Schlegelmilch’s keyboards and reverb before some penetrating guitar by Goldberger kicks in. That leads the trio into a Pink Floyd-like chord sequence with plenty of guitar heroics and an amped-up Jim Black. The very pretty, and rather brief, ballad Island ends the set, but leaves the music unresolved, and the listener wanting more. Guess I’ll have to wait for their next effort, and since Schlegelmilch, Goldberger and Black seem thoroughly compatible with one another, it’s a good bet that there will be more from this trio. Definitely worth a listen.
Skirl 39; JP Schlegelmilch (org, kybs) Jonathan Goldberger (g) Jim Black (d); Brooklyn, NY, no dates specified; Visitors/ Chiseler/ Ether Sun/ Corvus/ Lake Oblivion I/ Lake Oblivion II/ Terminal Waves/ Island. 35:21. www.skirlrecords.com

Walter Faehndrich, Christy Doran, Remo Schnyder, & Samuel Wettstein: Âme Sèche

On a baker’s dozen of unnamed tracks, the quartet of Walter Faehndrich, Christy Doran, Remo Schnyder, & Samuel Wettstein gets down to some serious business on Âme Sèche. The freely improvised music of Faehndrich on viola and occasional vocal, Schnyder on saxophone, Doran on electric guitar and Wettstein on synthesizer is a mesmerizing jumble of sounds, some identifiable and some not. Âme Sèche, “dry soul” in English, is the perfect title for the grave and unemotional attitude of the music. The quartet’s primary commitment, it seems, in tracks that mostly last between 2 and 5 minutes, is to the purity of free improvisation with no preconceptions. The results are generally on the quiet side, with an easy-going camaraderie that only sometimes grows ornery. An intriguing session indeed, and ripe for some late-night headphone listening.
Leo CD LR 827; Walter Faehndrich (vla, vcl) Remo Schnyder (sax) Christy Doran (el g) Samuel Wettstein (synth); no recording information; 13 untitled tracks; 53:03. www.leorecords.com

Frank Morgan/George Cables: Montreal Memories

Just about anyone interested in modern jazz is a George Cables enthusiast. Dexter Gordon was a big fan of the pianist, and so was Art Pepper, good company to keep. Alto saxophonist Frank Morgan was also a devotee of Mr. Cables, and he had a following when he reappeared on the scene after a lengthy incarceration. Which makes the appearance of Montreal Memories, with the Frank Morgan/George Cables duo captured live on stage, a cause for real celebration. Appearing at the Théatre Port-Royal as part of the 1989 Montréal Jazz Festival, the pair’s enthusiasm, superb musicianship and intimate rapport are apparent from the first bars of Now’s the Time. That’s the first of three Charlie Parker compositions in the set, along with Confirmation and Billie’s Bounce. And of course Parker, the key influence on Morgan’s music, frequently performed Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night in Tunisia and Monk’s ‘Round Midnight, two other duo selections. There are also two Cables originals, Lullaby and his best-known piece, the enduring Helen’s Song, first recorded on an album by California guitarist Bruce Forman in 1984. Blues For Rosalinda, an original blues by Morgan, dedicated to his long-time companion, artist Rosalinda Kolb, the Kern-Hammerstein evergreen All the Things You Are and Wayne Shorter’s Nefertiti, in a medley with Billie's Bounce, complete the program. Morgan, who called the tunes for the pair, was acutely interested in melodies, and he picked some of the best for this gig. As Cables tells Patricia Willard for her liner notes, he was “the guy dealing with energy” while Morgan was “dealing with lyricism.” The two men had an exceptionally beautiful musical relationship, and it’s all here. Highly recommended.
HighNote HCD 7320; Frank Morgan (as) George Cables (p); Montréal, Canada, July 1, 1989; Now’s the Time/ All the Things You Are/ A Night in Tunisia/ ‘Round Midnight/ Confirmation/ Blues For Rosalinda/ Helen’s Song/ Lullaby/ Medley: Nefertiti; Billie’s Bounce; 61:07. www.jazzdepot.com