Joe Fiedler: Open Sesame

Open Sesame, new from trombonist Joe Fiedler, is a jazzy look at songs from the long-running children’s television show Sesame Street. The broadly experienced Fiedler is currently the program’s music director and arranger, a task he juggles with performing in his own bands and working as a sideman with the likes of Satoko Fujii and Eddie Palmieri. For this date, he’s enlisted the help of trumpeter Steven Bernstein as special guest with his regular quartet of saxophonist Jeff Lederer, electric bassist Sean Conly and drummer Michael Sarin. The band is clearly having a lot of fun with this material, just as Fiedler intended when he began the project. The quintet’s vibe is infectious, even when Lederer injects some free jazz style into his solo on songs like Bein’ a Pig or The Batty Bat. Those pieces, and many of the others, were composed by Joe Raposo, who, with Jeffrey Moss, was one of the show’s songwriters and musical directors in the early years. It takes a special attitude to compose music designed specifically for young ears, and the long run of Sesame Street, now half a century old, is a testament to their success. Fiedler and company pay creative homage to the trombonist’s predecessors on the show, putting their own spin on these genially melodic songs. Listening to Open Sesame is a wonderful experience, from the opening entreaty Somebody Come and Play to the brief Jazz Alphabet that closes the disc with the band chanting their ABCs. Happily recommended.
Multiphonics Music MM 004; Steven Bernstein (tpt, slide tpt*) Joe Fiedler (tbn) Jeff Lederer (ss, ts) Sean Conly (el b) Michael Sarin (d); Mount Vernon, NY, May 31-June 1, 2018; Somebody Come and Play/ Sesame Street Theme/ Doin’ the Pigeon/ Rubber Duckie*/ Sing/ Has Anybody Seen My Dog/ Pinball Number Count/ Pigs Love Song (I Love Being a Pig)/ Pig Interlude/ Magic Pig/ Pig Interlude 2/ Bein’ a Pig/ Jazz #10/ The Batty Bat/ People in Your Neighborhood/ Put Down the Duckie/ Jazz Alphabet; 65:16. www.joefiedler.com

Oogui: Travoltazuki

Oogui is a new trio combining the talents of keyboardist Florence Melnotte, electric guitarist Vinz Vonlanthen and percussionist Sylvain Fournier. For their Leo album Travoltazuki, they’ve concocted a bonkers mash-up of disco, funk, free jazz, electronics, and rock with an overlay of Dadaist absurdity. Dada began as an art movement in Zürich in 1916, and just over a century later in Geneva, only 172 miles away from the Cabaret Voltaire, Oogui revisits Dadaist sound poetry and bends it for their own needs as the spice for these ever-surprising compositions. The band’s name means “glutton” in Japanese, where “big eaters” seem to have a devoted following. Metaphorically speaking, it seems that Melnotte, Vonlanthen, and Fournier are “big eaters” of musical genres, blending them into a continuously changing and brashly unpredictable stew. All the tunes are original compositions by the members of the trio, mostly separately but the four shortest tracks, which don’t sound like improvisations, are credited to all three. It’s all pretty crazy, and a whole lot of fun.
Leo CD LR 861; Florence Melnotte (p, kybd, kaossilator synth, vcl) Vinz Vonlanthen (el g, vcl) Sylvain Fournier (d, perc, vcl); Geneva, Switzerland, September 7-8, 2017; Mupulupu/ Fournibus/ Shitimogo/ Sprung/ Melnottika/ La Brignoire de Claude/ Vinz Day/ Toigrandebrute/ Grugenbulles/ Night Fever/ Réminiscence Acid Dance Floor/ Gatogato; 53:51. www.leorecords.com

Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan: Epistrophy

The Village Vanguard will never be mistaken for anyone’s back porch, but if you kept your eyes closed when the guitar and bass duo of Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan took the stage at the venerable New York nightspot in March 2016, you might have felt yourself transported to a backyard space somewhere out of the city. ECM Records recorded the gig, and the acclaimed Small Town came out the following year. Now comes Epistrophy with another helping of intimate duets from the same week. A wide range of songs, including Kern-Hammerstein’s seldom played All in Fun, two Thelonious Monk compositions and the Fifties pop classic Save the Last Dance For Me, by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, gives the pair plenty of opportunities to commune with the music and support one another at length. A friendly and relaxed vibe permeates the performances, as the instrumental focus changes almost imperceptibly between Frisell’s gently floating electric guitar and Morgan’s lyrical bass. The two men were first heard on record together on Paul Motian’s 2010 release The Windmills Of Your Mind, and Morgan appeared on Frisell’s When You Wish Upon A Star in 2015. Obviously, they’ve established considerable rapport in those encounters, as demonstrated time and again throughout the nearly 70 minutes of Epistrophy. Particular high points include Motian’s Mumbo Jumbo, a tricky number first heard on a live 1990 recording, also at the Vanguard, by a trio of Motian, Geri Allen and Charlie Haden, Billy Strayhorn’s ever-beautiful Lush Life, a playful dissection of Monk’s theme song, Epistrophy, and the luminous closer, David Mann and Bob Hilliard’s perennial favorite In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning. Epistrophy is a truly lovely collection showcasing the manifold delights of the Frisell and Morgan pairing. Don’t miss it.
ECM 2626; Bill Frisell (g) Thomas Morgan (b); NYC, March 2016; All in Fun/ Wildwood Flower; Save the Last Dance For Me/ Mumbo Jumbo/ You Only Live Twice/ Lush Life/ Epistrophy/ Pannonica/ Red River Valley/ In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning; 69:12. www.ecmrecords.com

Jeff Morris: Interfaces - Jazz Meets Electronics

Jeff Morris begins his liner notes for Interfaces - Jazz Meets Electronics with a friendly warning that the listener “is going to experience some unfamiliar musical moments” as Morris wields his real-time sampling apparatus in a series of free-wheeling trios with veteran Karl Berger, playing both vibes and piano, and percussionist Joe Hertenstein. He’s right about the unfamiliar part, as the textures and colors that this unit creates are indeed quite unusual. In his notes, Morris goes into some details about his setup and methods, but that kind of information is really just for musicians. For the rest of us, what matters are the sounds and how they make you feel. I’m happy to report that this is an attractively wild collection of genuinely improvisatory electronic music. Berger has been at the forefront of the improvised music scene for a long time now, both as a recording artist and as the creative leader of the Creative Music Studio in upstate New York. The CMS slogan is “Music Without Borders,” which could also serve as the motto for this project. The pieces are surreal blends of recognizable and unrecognizable sounds, as Morris’ rig twists, loops and manipulates what Berger and Hertenstein are playing into a variety of unexpected shapes. If you enjoy being surprised by your listening choices, the wacky and frequently humorous sound collages of Interfaces will definitely fit the bill.
Ravello RR7998; Karl Berger (vib, p) Joe Hertenstein (d, tabletop perc) Jeff Morris (live sampling); Woodstock, NY, September 25-27, 2017; Upzy/ A Solo is the Nth Melody/ In Which/ Rondo/ Into/ Three at One/ Unwind/ Clocksays/ Inderneath/ Dot (Dot Dot); 51:29. www.morrismusic.org

Bruno Råberg Trio: Tailwind

The Bruno Råberg Trio jumps right into the hard charging Message XII to lead off Tailwind, bassist Råberg’s tenth CD as a leader. Here he joins veteran pianist Bruce Barth and drummer Adam Cruz for a fruitful journey into the realm of sensitive and deeply swinging piano trios. The Swedish-born bassist’s career was first documented with the Eje Thelin group in Stockholm in late 1974. He emigrated to the United States in 1981, and has been a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston since 1986. His formidable presence with a warm and resonant tone is one of the key attractions here, along with Barth’s sparkling solos and Cruz’s enthusiastic support. Barth and Råberg first played together in the Boston-based ensemble Orange Then Blue, and Barth and Cruz have previously recorded together on a number of occasions, so the group chemistry is there, ready to be called upon. With the sole exception of Here’s That Rainy Day, the repertoire consists of a varied batch of Råberg’s originals, some recent work and a few that go way back. These days, he sometimes writes on the run between classes at Berklee, like the charming Paris Window or Message XII, which he sang into his phone and transcribed later. A Closer Look receives its first recording, though the piece dates from 1985, when roommates Barth and Råberg would play it as a duet. And Le Candide, also new to record and appearing here in two different treatments, is one of Råberg’s earliest tunes, dating back to his first year as a student at the New England Conservatory. I’m especially enamored of the title track, with its lovely melody and flowing rhythms, and Rainy Day Farewell, a sinuous groover based on the opening vamp to Here’s That Rainy Day. Tailwind is a winning effort, worth hearing again and again. Red Piano RPR 14599-4435; Bruce Barth (p) Bruno Råberg (b) Adam Cruz (d); Brooklyn NY, January 27, 2018; Message XII/ Song For Dolphy/ A Closer Look/ Le Candide II/ Tailwind/ Lone Tree Hill/ Paris Window/ Here's That Rainy Day/ Rainy Day Farewell/ Le Candide I; 55:49. www.redpianorecords.com

Dave Young: Lotus Blossom

Canadian bassist Dave Young has played with everyone from Oscar Peterson to Lenny Breau to, well, just about every prominent Canadian jazz musician since his recording debut with Moe Koffman back in 1969. On his latest album, Lotus Blossom, he’s built the music around his trio with guitarist Reg Schwager and drummer extradordinaire Terry Clarke, with guest appearances by pianists Renee Rosnes and Bernie Senensky on two tracks apiece, and, on one song, trumpeter Kevin Turcotte and tenor saxophonist Perry White. Billy Strayhorn’s timelessly beautiful Lotus Blossom starts the set, and immediately you feel like you’re in good hands. The nicely balanced program includes tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim (Modinha), Charlie Parker (Red Cross), Cedar Walton (Bolivia), and Dexter Gordon (Fried Bananas). They leave a pair of standards for the end. Bernie Senensky joins the trio for a eminently tasty stroll through the 1939 Van Heusen-Mercer song I Thought About You and the horns finally make their appearance on Romberg and Hammerstein’s Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise. Perhaps Turcotte and White were shown the arrangement as they walked into the studio, since neither man sounds entirely at home with the chart. In spite of the hesitancy in the front line, Young and Clarke save the day, bringing an end to a beautifully swinging date that will bring a smile to your face and set your toes a-tapping.
Modica Music; Kevin Turcotte (tpt on 7) Perry White (ts on 7) Renee Rosnes (1,2) or Bernie Senensky (5,6) (p) Reg Schwager (g) Dave Young (b) Terry Clarke (d); Toronto, ON, no dates specified; 1.Lotus Blossom/ 2.Modinha/ 3.Red Cross/ 4.Fried Bananas/ 5.Bolivia/ 6.I Thought About You/ 7.Softly As in a Morning Sunrise; 41:20. daveyoung.ca

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 7: Dione

The first six discs in Ivo Perelman’s The Art Of Perelman-Shipp series bring together in varying combinations musicians with whom Perelman has worked with in the past. Volume 7: Dione ropes a new player into Perelmans’ orbit, the esteemed drummer Andrew Cyrille. Knowing his work over more than half a century of recording activity, you would fully expect his presence to exert a strong influence on the music, and you’d be spot on with that observation. Perelman himself seems a trifle surprised, telling Neil Tesser that “Cyrille managed to influence our playing and take it to another level.” And as Tesser accurately notes, it’s immensely difficult to determine exactly how Cyrille acts as a “catalyst to quantitatively affect” the relationship between Shipp and Perelman. It’s just something that they felt strongly at the recording session, and that you can feel as you listen to the 8 sections of Dione. Cyrille’s complete mastery of rhythms and time, and his uncanny sense of what to play and when to play it, are in evidence throughout. His playing is often surprisingly delicate, and he repeatedly draws out the gentler side of the Shipp-Perelman axis. That’s not to say that Dione is lacking in intensity, just that there’s more subtlety and nuance in the improvisations than is usually demonstrated on a Perelman session. Favorite passages include Cyrille’s lovely cymbal solo in Part 3, the swirling opening to Part 6 as seemingly disparate parts come together, and the exquisite tension that the trio maintains for all 8 minutes of Part 7. Spend the better part of an hour with Perelman, Shipp, and Cyrille to find the moments that move you the most. You’ll be glad you did.
Leo CD LR 799; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Andrew Cyrille (d); Brooklyn, NY, November 2016; Parts 1-8; 56:32. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 6: Saturn

As Ivo Perelman describes it, his connection with pianist Matthew Shipp “is the core of everything.” The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 6: Saturn is the only duo recording in this group of seven albums. It represents, in Perelman’s rich metaphor, the planet around which the other six volumes revolve. Saturn, in this case, relates to the astrological concept of the Saturn Return, as explicated by Chris Flisher in a lengthy liner note that follows Neil Tesser’s typically eloquent notes in the booklet for this volume. However one explains the uncanny musical connection that Perelman and Shipp continue to draw upon and develop, there is no denying the seamless improvisatons that the two men are able to spin at every moment. The 50 minutes of this set, spread across 10 sections, find them bouncing ideas back and forth in musical episodes that range from the frantic Part 5 to the ornery call and response of Part 6 to the precarious serenity of Part 8. Shipp’s playing seems more assertive in the duo context than in the trios and quartets that surround Saturn, but that just may be because the piano is more upfront in the mix here. The pair’s music grabs you from the start and never lets go on this deeply exploratory and boldly inventive duet. Heartily recommended.
Leo CD LR 786; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, November 2016; Parts 1-10; 50:25. www.leorecords.com