Joshua Breakstone Trio: Children Of Art

The Joshua Breakstone Trio, with the journeyman guitarist joined by bassist Martin Wind and drummer Eliot Zigmund, pays tribute to the great drummer Art Blakey and his Jazz Messenger bands on the enjoyably swinging Children Of Art. It’s hard to go wrong with tunes by the likes of Lee Morgan (The Witch Doctor), Cedar Walton (Holy Land) and Benny Golson (the durable Stablemates). Stretching out at finger-snapping tempos, the trio provides a fresh perspective on pieces originally performed in quintet and sextet formats. By comparison, the session’s two down-tempo numbers, Horace Silver’s Lonely Woman and Breakstone’s own title track, seem tired and uninspired. Stick with the more quickly paced songs and you’ll be happy.
Capri 74151; Joshua Breakstone (g) Martin Wind (b) Eliot Zigmund (d); Teaneck, NJ, January 10, 2018; The Witch Doctor/ Splendid/ Holy Land/ El Toro/ Lonely Woman/ Stablemates/ Breakthrough/ Children of Art; 57:29. caprirecords.com

Ensemble 5: The Collective Mind, Volumes 1 & 2

   A deep-seated commitment to close listening and instant reactions characterize the stalwarts of Ensemble 5. Trombonist Robert Morgenthaler, pianist Reto Staub, bassist Fridolin Blumer, and drummer/organizer Heinz Geisser have been working as a unit for years, and the band has a regular gig in Zürich. Each month, the quartet invites a different guest to join them for an evening of improvisation. The regularity of their performances combined with the fresh outlook of a new player each month puts the musicians in a very special place of getting comfortable with one another but with the wild card of unexpected ideas. There are no guests on the two volumes of The Collective Mind, recorded on a single day in March 2018, but there are plenty of surprising twists and turns in the richly nuanced and deceptively simple call and response structures that the ensemble favors. Morgenthaler’s smoothly conversational trombone, Staub’s fragmented attack on the piano, Blumer’s stately pizzicato or rich arco playing, and Geisser’s carefully modulated drumming coalesce in a sound world of continuing fascination. Free improvisers have been known to play at great length, but Ensemble 5 prefers to keep their instant compositions generally on the short side, with only one piece (No bones about it on Volume 2) breaking the nine-minute mark. That approach, at least to the recording process, leads to a degree of self-editing and concentration that definitely works to the benefit of the listening experience. In a sense, Volume 2 picks up right where Volume 1 leaves off, with another robust batch of absorbing free improvisations. Definitely recommended.
Volume 1: Leo CD LR 858; Robert Morgenthaler (tbn) Reto Staub (p) Fridolin Blumer (b) Heinz Geisser (perc; waterphone on *); Maur, Switzerland, March 18, 2018; Hidden corners/ Spreading the envelope/ Seeing with the inner eye/ Lotus garden*/ The collective mind/ The thread of continuity/ High-Wired/ As in a dream; 48:04.
Volume 2: Leo CD LR 864; Robert Morgenthaler (tbn) Reto Staub (p) Fridolin Blumer (b) Heinz Geisser (perc); Maur, Switzerland, March 18, 2018; Peacock dance/ Trompe-l’oeil/ What if?/ No bones about it/ 4+1/ Coco/ Blue-shifted; 39:32. www.leorecords.com

The music I most enjoyed in 2019

another year, another list ...

here's an alphabetical list of the releases of 2019 that I most enjoyed:

Whit Dickey - Tao Quartets (AUM Fidelity)

Dave Douglas - Devotion (Greenleaf Music)

Lafayette Gilchrist - Dark Matter (Lafayette Gilchrist Music) 

Iro Haarla/Ulf Krokfors/Barry Altschul - Around Again: The Music of Carla Bley (TUM)

Rich Halley - Terra Incognita (Pine Eagle)

Lapis Trio - The Travelers (Shifting Paradigm)

Matt Mitchell - Phalanx Ambassadors (Pi Recordings)

Miles Okazaki - The Sky Below (Pi Recordings)

William Parker/In Order To Survive - Live/Shapeshifter (AUM Fidelity)

Tomeka Reid Quartet - Old New (Cuneiform)

Steph Richards - Take The Neon Lights (Birdwatcher)

Adam Rudolph’s Go:Organic Orchestra/Brookyn Raga Massive - Ragmala (Meta/BRM)

Tyshawn Sorey/Marilyn Crispell - The Adornment Of Time (Pi Recordings)

Dan Weiss Trio Plus 1 - Utica Box (Sunnyside)

and let's not forget some reissues and historical releases:

John Coltrane - Blue World (Impulse!)

Eric Dolphy - Musical Prophet : Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions (Resonance)

Bill Evans - In London (Resonance)

Esbjørn Svensson Trio - e.s.t. Live In Gothenburg (ACT Music)

special thanks to all the labels, publicists, and musicians for 

persevering in such dark times

Miles Okazaki: The Sky Below

Guitarist Miles Okazaki enlists keyboardist Matt Mitchell plus two of his long-time bandmates in Steve Coleman’s Five Elements, electric bassist Anthony Tidd and drummer Sean Rickman, for the distinctly absorbing The Sky Below. This new collection of original songs is derived somewhat mysteriously from the tunes on his 2016 release Trickster (Pi Recordings), coupled with the influence of the guitarist’s deep dive into the music of Thelonious Monk that resulted in a much-praised collection of solo versions of Monk’s complete works. As Okazaki explains it, “If Trickster was the introduction to the characters, the songs on this album are their children, bearing their features but finding their own way.” While there’s plenty of available information about how this thoughtful composer got from one set of compositions to the next, or details about the “virtual instruments” he designed via software, or his own musings about the myths and characters behind the songs, none of that would matter if this wasn’t beautifully realized music that thrills from the get-go. The rhythmic lock that Tidd and Rickman provide keeps things popping all the way through. Okazaki, using an array of effects and computer-generated sounds, and Mitchell, switching off between acoustic and electric pianos plus a synthesizer, trade solos in brisk and ever-surprising interactions. From the jittery wake up call of the cannily arranged Rise and Shine through the quietly intense Seven Sisters, the uptempo electronics of Monstropolous, the deliciously laid back feeling of The Castaway and on to the mostly peaceful lullaby To Dream Again that closes the set, there’s a genuine depth to the writing and playing that will surely keep listeners enthralled for a long time. Absolutely recommended.
Pi Recordings PI84; Miles Okazaki (g, elec) Matt Mitchell (p, Rhodes el p, Prophet-6 synth) Anthony Tidd (el b) Sean Rickman (d); Astoria, NY, June 13-14 & June 29, 2019; Rise and Shine/ Dog Star/ Anthemoessa/ Seven Sisters/ Monstropolous/ The Castaway/ The Lighthouse/ To Dream Again; 40:31. pirecordings.com

Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive: Ragmala: A Garland of Ragas

Under the influence of George Harrison and the Beatles, I became interested in Indian music for a few years before I started to seriously listen to jazz. So I’ve long been primed for the recent explosion of “crossover” music involving Indian music and jazz improvisation. One of the latest developments is Ragmala: A Garland of Ragas, a powerful two-CD set of music by the combined forces of Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive. A pioneer of “world music,” percussionist Adam Rudolph has been active in a variety of contexts since his recording debut in the mid-Seventies. With kora master Foday Musa Suso and fellow percussionist Hamid Drake, Rudolph co-founded The Mandingo Griot Society in 1978 and began a lengthy association with Yusef Lateef in 1988. He has led a number of unclassifiable ensembles over the years, frequently including Drake, who plays drums on this release. For Ragmala, Rudolph has allied his Go: Organic Orchestra with Brooklyn Raga Massive, self-described as “an artist collective dedicated to creating cross-cultural understanding through the lens of Indian classical and Raga inspired music.” This huge cast of musicians, about 40 strong, is heard in music composed and “improvisationally conducted” by Rudolph. With instrumentation that includes various flutes, brass and reeds, a string section, keyboards, guitars, sitars, drums and a wealth of percussion from around the globe, plus vocalists including Gnawa singer Hassan Hakmoun, there are a multitude of textures and endless timbral combinations for Rudolph to draw upon. It’s a testament to his vision, and to the skills of the assembled players, that the music never descends into chaos. In tracks that run anywhere from just a minute or two to a couple of pieces that break the 11-minute mark, Rudolph’s instincts lead him to spread the joy around and allow everyone in the room some space in which to shine. Particular favorites include Rotations with its overlapping polyrhythms and wild horn parts, the lengthy Savannahs featuring yearning violin, harp, clarinets, voices and more over a simple drone, Seven Pearls and its dancing percussion, Turiya, deeply into a spiritual groove, and Africa 21, a health dose of sitar-inflected Afro-funk. As violinist Arun Ramamurthy, a co-founder of Brooklyn Raga Massive, told Shaun Brady for his liner notes, “the individual sounds and different backgrounds” of the musicians are “all melding together in this beautiful union. It was a match made in heaven.” Ragmala is nearly irresistible, and totally recommended.
Meta/BRM 023; Graham Haynes (cnt, flgh, kudu horn, bamboo vaccine) Stephen Haynes (cnt, flgh, solo alto, pocket tpt, didgeridoo, conch, kudu horn) Peter Zummo (tbn, didgeridoo, conch, kudu horn) Libby Schwartz (Fr hn) Kaoru Watanabe (C flute, fue, noh kan) Michel Gentile (C flute) Sylvain Leroux (chromatic tambin, tambin, c flute) Ze Luis (C and alto flute) Mariano Gil (bass flute) Avram Fefer (ts, bcl) Sean Sonderegger (bcl, cbcl, ss) Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon) Ivan Barenboim (Bb clarinet) Jay Gandhi (bansuri) Arun Ramamurthy, Trina Basu (vln) Samarth Nagarkar (vcl) Neel Murgai (rhythm sitar, overtone singing) Sameer Gupta (tabla) David Ellenbogen (electric rhythm guitar) Abhik Mukherjee (sitar) Bala Skandan (mridangam) Mari Tanaka (tanpura) Charles Burnham, Julianne Carney-Chung, Sana Nagano, Gwen Laster, Richard Carr (vln) Stephanie Griffin (vla) Mia Theodoratus (harp) Marco Cappelli (el & ac guitars) Alexis Marcelo (kybds) Leco Reis (b) Damon Banks (el b) Harris Eisenstadt (bata [iya, itotele, okonkolo)] Rogerio Boccato (caxixi, mineiro, temple blocks, bells, wood box surdo) Hamid Drake (drum kit, okonkolo) Adam Rudolph (iya, itotele) Hassan Hakmoun (sintir, vcl) Abderahim Hakmoun (qarqaba, vcl); West Orange, NJ, December 2018; Disc 1 (57:06): Mousa Azure/ Rotations/ Ecliptic/ Savannahs/ Shantha/ Wandering Star/ Ascent to Now/ Lamentations/ Dialectic/ Thirteen Moons. Disc 2 (60:41): Glare of the Tiger/ Reflective/ Seven Pearls/ We Grieve/ Chakawali/ Turiya/ Syntactic Journey/ Sunset Lake/ Africa 21/ Gone to Earth. metarecords.com www.brooklynragamassive.org

Roberta Piket: Domestic Harmony

Among musicians, Billy Mintz has a reputation as an excellent drummer. But it turns out that he’s also a composer, and pianist Roberta Piket, who also happens to be his wife, is the right person to showcase his talent for writing lovely melodies. On the perfectly titled Domestic Harmony, Piket presents her husband with the gift of ten solo renditions of his original compositions. As she notes in her liner essay, his tunes “have an open quality which gives the performer the freedom to put forth her own viewpoint.” Her assured touch at the piano and her musical imagination stand her in good stead for this thoroughly enjoyable program. Mintz’s tunes come from a variety of inspirations, from the drum sticking pattern that informs the upbeat groove of Shmear to the look of a New York City sidewalk that led to Looking Down at the Stars. Many of these pieces have been performed on Mintz’s three CD’s as a leader, but this is a good opportunity to hear them stripped down to their essence. It’s a beautifully conceived and executed program, originally intended as a private recital for Mintz. Piket wasn’t thinking of releasing it until after the whole project was complete, but now we can all join her in wishing Billy Mintz a very happy birthday!
Thirteenth Note TNR-012; Roberta Piket (p; vcl on *); Paramus, NJ, no dates indicated; Ghost Sanctuary/ Beautiful You/ Looking Down at the Stars/ Shmear/ Flight/ Destiny*/ Your Touch/ Blinds Eye/ Ugly Beautiful/ Cannonball; 54:28. www.robertajazz.com

Esbjörn Svensson Trio: e.s.t. Live in Gothenburg

The members of the Esbjörn Svensson Trio were very pleased with their October 2001 performance in Sweden, and now, with the release of e.s.t. Live in Gothenburg, we get the opportunity to hear e.s.t. on an extraordinarily good night. Recorded with great clarity and precision by the trio’s long-time sound engineer, Åke Linton, pianist Svensson, bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Öström were then between their fifth and sixth studio releases after playing together for eight years. The late Svensson was a boldly talented keyboard artist, with a style that had echoes of Keith Jarrett, classical music, Monk, Bill Evans, the blues, and much more. For this hard-working unit, Svensson provided plenty of original melodies, drawn on this night from 1999's From Gagarin’s Point Of View and 2000's Good Morning Susie Soho. As he told an interviewer in 2004, he’s “the composer of the songs. I work with the material, basically at home.” The trio would then steer the tunes in different directions in the studio, then tinker and reinvent them further in performance. On this night in the Gothenburg Concert Hall, the band sounds truly inspired. The playing sparkles, the unit's interactions are playful and lively, and the energy of an engaged and enthusiastic audience is clearly felt. Not to be missed by anyone with any interest in the possibilities of the piano trio. Strongly recommended. ACT 9046; Esbjörn Svensson (p) Dan Berglund (b) Magnus Öström (d); Gothenburg, Sweden, October 10, 2001; Disc 1 (46:48): Dating/ Somewhere Else Before/ The Rube Thing/ From Gagarin's Point Of View/ The Wraith. Disc 2 (60:00): / Providence/ Good Morning Susie Soho/ The Chapel/ Bowling/ The Second Page/ Dodge The Dodo. actmusic.com

Tyshawn Sorey & Marilyn Crispell: The Adornment Of Time

Tyshawn Sorey & Marilyn Crispell approach one another warily and respectfully on their perfectly poised duo release The Adornment Of Time. As Sorey writes, this 65 minute performance at The Kitchen in New York “represents the culmination of the several journeys” that the pair have made together since their first encounter at the Creative Music Studio in 2014. Pianist Crispell is well regarded among creative musicians for, in Sorey’s words, “her mindful decision making, intense listening, and the profound clarity” of her creative responses. For his part, Sorey has been attracting a lot of attention for his composing as well as his exquisite percussion work. There’s a spacious luminosity to this extended improvisation. As you would expect, the pair explores a broad range of instrumental colors and tempos. Particularly fine passages include Crispell’s rhapsodic interlude at around the 18-minute mark, the pair’s delicate call and response around 23 minutes into the piece after a minute or so of silence, the invigorating appearance of tuned bells at the half-way point, a deliciously intense passage in the second half of the piece, some creaky sounds from inside the piano, and the magnificent rave-up that brings things to a close. Absolutely recommended. And is there a better title for creative improvisation than The Adornment Of Time?
Pi Recordings PI83; Marilyn Crispell (p) Tyshawn Sorey (d, perc); NYC, October 21, 2018; The Adornment of Time; 64:57. pirecordings.com