Jay Anderson: Deepscape

Every once in a while, I suspect a hidden competition among musicians to find the widest possible range of composers for an album project. Bassist and recording engineer Jay Anderson makes a strong bid for the prize on his latest SteepleChase release Deepscape. Who would expect to find two mid-Seventies tunes by Keith Jarrett, Jim Pepper’s anthemic Witchi-tai-to, Branford Marsalis’ The Mighty Sword, Gil Evans’ Time of the Barracudas, and that good old Tennessee Waltz on the same program as compositions by Morton Feldman and Billy Joel? Add a pair of Anderson originals and the popular standard Sweet and Lovely and you’re got one of the most eclectic releases of the year, at least so far. Of course, none of that would matter if the performances weren’t as thoroughly committed and eloquent as they are here. Anderson’s opening solo improvisation, with four layers of bass, sets an exploratory and lyrical tone for the entire program. Jarrett’s seldom performed Shades of Jazz sounds great, with dynamic solos by cornetist Kirk Knuffke and saxophonist Billy Drewes. Take some time to marvel at Anderson’s forceful bass line, egged on by drummer Matt Wilson. Anderson’s long-time relationship with SteepleChase Records owner Nils Winther led directly to this project. Anderson also has extensive playing experience with the musicians he’s gathered for Deepscape, and that kind of deep fellowship is both an inspiration and a challenge not to repeat himself. It’s a challenge that Anderson meets head-on, using strategies that include using Frank Kimbrough only on harmonium instead of his usual piano, overdubbing a Tibetan singing bowl on Feldman's Rothko Chapel, and playing Billy Joel’s And So it Goes as a lyrical bass solo, sounding a bit like Charlie Haden. It’s hard to pick favorites when the menu is so varied, but the Jarrett pieces are particularly fine, the standard Sweet and Lovely more than lives up to its name, and the finale of Tennessee Waltz, played as a bass and harmonium duet, is guaranteed to bring a broad smile to anyone’s face. Spend a fruitful hour with Jay Anderson and friends, then pick your own special moments. Cheerfully recommended.
SteepleChase SSCD 31870; Kirk Knuffke (cnt on 2,4,6-8,10) Billy Drewes (as, ss, bcl on 2-4,6,8-10) Frank Kimbrough (harmonium on 3,9,11) Jay Anderson (b, Tibetan singing bowl on 3) Matt Wilson (d on 2-4, 6-10) Rogerio Boccato (perc on 3,6,7,9); New Paltz, NY, May & June 2018; 1.Deepscape/ 2.Shades of Jazz/ 3.Rothko Chapel/ 4.Southern Smiles/ 5.And So It Goes/ 6.Time of the Barracudas/ 7.Sweet and Lovely/ 8.Momentum/ 9.Witchi-tai-to/ 10.The Mighty Sword/ 11.Tennessee Waltz; 60:59. www.steeplechase.dk

Francesca Prihasti: Adriana

On her self-produced Adriana, pianist Francesca Prihasti offers a batch of smart compositions that make good use of the instrumentation she’s assembled for the project. Born in Indonesia, Prihasti studied in Australia before moving to New York. This is her third release since 2015. For this outing, she’s recruited a stellar septet with brassmen Mike Rodriguez and Alan Ferber, saxophonist Dave Pietro, guitarist Nic Vardanega (who’s been on all three discs), first-call bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Josh Roberts. The prevailing mood is thoughtful reflection, with fine solo work by all hands. The slow groove of Johnny gets things off to a good start, with concise solos by Prihasti (spacious and conversational), Gress (warm and expressive), Vardanega (appealingly melodic) and Ferber (smooth and well-constructed). Saxophonist Pietro takes an invitingly warm alto solo on Time Traveller, with a thoroughly engaged Prihasti in support. She follows with another sparkling piano solo. It’s clear from her crisp attack and provocative comping that she’s learned a lot from studies with pianists Mike Nock, Kevin Hays and Alan Broadbent. With her careful writing and accompaniments, Prihasti’s approach to small group dynamics makes her bandmates sound good, and they return the favor. All of which makes Adriana a solidly entertaining collection of tunes, and a disc well worth hearing.
Self-produced; Mike Rodriguez (tpt, flgh) Alan Ferber (tbn) Dave Pietro (as, ss) Francesca Prihasti (p) Nic Vardanega (gtr) Drew Gress (b) Josh Roberts (d); NYC, May 14, 2018; Johnny/ Time Traveller/ Stargazer/ Verano/ Adriana/ The Wind Chimes/ The Emperor; 45:31. francescaprihasti.com.au

Ehud Asherie Trio: Wild Man Blues

The Ehud Asherie Trio teams pianist Asherie with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Rodney Green for a straightforwardly swinging program on Wild Man Blues. Their well-chosen repertoire includes gems like Louis Armstrong’s title track, first recorded by Johnny Dodd’s Black Bottom Stompers in 1922, two pieces by Charlie Parker (Parker’s Mood and Chasin’ the Bird), Dizzy Gillespie’s mid-Sixties composition And Then She Stopped, a few uncommon standards, and Ary Barroso’s 1938 tune Na Baixa Do Sapateiro. A few tracks are a bit on the sedate side, like the title track and Autumn Nocturne. The more energy that the trio displays, the better the result. Flyin’ Down to Rio, for one example, zooms along in a very satisfying way. So does the Barroso song, with an especially chipper Rodney Green stoking the fires. The Gillespie tune ends the set with flair, as the impeccable bassist Washington and a deep in the pocket Green prod Asherie into sailing through the performance with casual abandon. Wild Man Blues is a delightful helping of lucid and radiant music from a crisply balanced piano trio. It’s well worth hearing.
Capri 74153; Ehud Asherie (p) Peter Washington (b) Rodney Green (d); Brooklyn, NY, March 2, 2018; Wild Man Blues/ Parker’s Mood/ Flying Down to Rio/ Autumn Nocturne/ Chasin’ the Bird/ Na Baixa Do Sapateiro/ Oh, Lady Be Good/ And Then She Stopped; 47:14. www.caprirecords.com