Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Piano Trios, Part 3: Shipp, Thollem, Yonezawa

Moving to the outside, with three ESP-Disk releases ...

The boundless empathy of the Matthew Shipp Trio is what’s most striking about the title track that opens Signature. Pianist Shipp, bassist Michael Bisio, and drummer Newman Taylor Baker first recorded as a unit in 2015 and again a year later, both times for the Thirsty Ear label, and they’ve established a searching, exploratory group identity. Their lope into the tune eases the listener into the graceful intensity of the music. Next up is Deep to Deep, just Bisio with his bow, pulling a dark sound from his bass for 47 seconds. The crackling Flying Saucer, with its quick-change dynamics, drum interjections, and left hand rumbling from Shipp, is a romp. Baker’s cymbal work is exceptionally fine on this one. The drummer’s turn in the solo spotlight comes with Snap, a two minute drum solo with Baker concentrating on his snare drum. The Way starts out with Shipp moving intricately through time and space. He’s then joined by throbbing bass from Bisio plus taps on drums, rims and cymbals by Baker. The trio proceeds to ponder the situation at length, with each musical gesture leading naturally to the next and yet remaining unpredictable in the richness of its details. It’s a winning and engaging performance. Stage Ten has a percolating R’n’B feel, with a sinuously convoluted melody and slightly aggressive drumming by Baker. There’s an added bonus of some prepared piano interjecting fresh colors. The ruminative Speech of Form has previously been recorded twice by the trio of Shipp, violist Mat Maneri, and bassist William Parker. In this unit’s hands, it becomes a sort of ballad, with Bisio and Baker playing quietly in support of Shipp’s peaceful meanderings. The busy and interactive Zo #2 reprises a tune that first appeared on Zo, a 1994 duet with William Parker on bass. Here, it becomes the occasion for some frisky and good-natured interplay. New Z is nearly four minutes of thoroughly mysterious sounds, with tinkling bells, rattles, cymbal crashes, and all sorts of nameless percussion. The relatively quiet aura of New Z sets the listener up for the long finale, This Matrix, which finds the trio in perfectly balanced form. The piece features a long and busy bass solo before Shipp returns to finish the track in a reflective mood. Shipp, who has played on scores of albums since his first recording in 1987, is always on the verge of bowing out of recording new material. So far, he’s always changed his mind. As the pianist’s long time collaborator William Parker once told liner note writer Mark Jacobson, Shipp “has a lot of ideas and he’s not shy about expressing them. The lucky thing is you want to hear what he has to say.” The always articulate Parker is, of course, totally correct, as he usually is when it comes to musical matters. Shipp is one of the great disrupters when it comes to creative music. He is always worth hearing, and the riveting Signature is no exception.
ESP-Disk’ ESP-5029; Matthew Shipp (p) Michael Bisio (b) Newman Taylor Baker (d); Brooklyn NY, July 9, 2018; Signature/ Deep to Deep/ Flying Saucer/ Snap/ The Way/ Stage Ten/ Speech of Form/ Zo #2/ New Z/ The Matrix; 62:23.

The Thollem/DuRoche/Stjames Trio stretches out on three extended improvisations on Live In Our Time. According to his website, pianist Thollem McDonas “has been continuously on the road since 2006 throughout N. America and Europe,” playing with like-minded musicians at every stop. In Portland, Oregon, in 2015, he hooked up with the late bassist André St. James and drummer Tim DuRoche. The results are loose and flowing, as befits a pickup ensemble playing in what’s described as “a community gathering place.” Persisted Resistance opens the session as the three men try and figure out what they can achieve together. They hit a together groove around the half-way point, but of course, in time-honored free improvisation fashion, they move on from there into another zone. The last third of the track is quieter and sparser, with a focus on St. James’ conversational bass lines. The organic ebb and flow of Reparation Apparition builds and builds, erupting into a quick-step tangle of rapid musical gestures. A quiet middle section puts the spotlight on St. James once again. After a brief arco solo, the music falters a bit, effectively treading water until the next inspiration hits. It takes a few minutes, but Thollem starts to play more forcefully for a spell. St. James returns to the forefront with more of his melodic soloing. The finale, Sunshine Pipeline, is mellow and elegiac at first, giving us another chance to admire the playing of André St. James, a Portland mainstay and a respected figure on the local scene, who passed away in May 2018. Thollem McDonas, generally thought of as a strong and relatively vigorous performer, seems more laid-back than I was expecting here, although maybe that the fault of the recorded balance which places his piano down in the mix. Not essential, perhaps, but a fitting tribute to one of Portland’s favorites.
ESP-Disk’ ESP-5020; Thollem McDonas (p) André St. James (b) Tim DuRoche (d); Portland, OR, July 11, 2015; Persisted Resistance/ Reparation Apparition/ Sunshine Pipeline; 45:03.

Boundary is the initial release by the trio of Megumi Yonezawa, Masa Kamaguchi & Ken Kobayashi. Bassist Kamaguchi has the highest profile in the group. He first recorded in a group led by drummer Jimmy Weinstein in 1993. Since then, he’s worked with such notables as trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, saxophonists John O’Gallagher and Sonny Simmons, and pianists Frank Kimbrough, Satoko Fujii, and Russ Lossing. Pianist Yonezawa has participated in five previous releases, notably with saxophonist Greg Osby on Public in 2004, while drummer Kobayashi has appeared on four sessions since his debut in 2006. The lead-off track, which gives the album its name, starts calmly with the resonance of a single piano note. A three-way musical conversation ensues that, ever so slowly, builds in intensity and density in an impressive display of improvisatory gusto. That’s the way that the trio rolls: starting simply and seeing where things lead. Typically, pianist Yonezawa sets the mood by herself, with bassist Kamaguchi usually joining in before drummer Kobayashi enters the fray. The fleet Meryon is a prime example of the power and grace exhibited by this impressively together trio. Another fast number, Wavelength, offers Kobayashi, an especially relaxed percussionist, a chance to cut loose. Only Onement fails to excite, getting on my nerves as it relies on a maniacally repeated piano note that made my head hurt. There is one standard peeking out from the set list, Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal’s 1938 song I’ll Be Seeing You. In their hands, this classic tune, familiar from famous versions by Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, becomes a vehicle for spacious piano from Yonezawa with sympathetically melodic playing by Kamaguchi and deftly understated drumming by Kobayashi. As pianist Matthew Shipp observes in his characteristically astute liner notes, this trio “sounds like they were destined to play together since time began ...,” which says a lot from someone with his impeccable credentials. Characterized by deep listening and instant reactions to the musical environment, Boundary is a fine example of the way that like-minded musicians create highly effective and enjoyable music by merely (merely!) setting up and playing. I’m in agreement with Shipp on this one: “Sit back and enjoy the ride.”
ESP-Disk’ ESP-5023; Megumi Yonezawa (p) Masa Kamaguchi (b) Ken Kobayashi (d); Brooklyn, NY, June 4, 2017; Boundary/ Alchemy/ Tremor/ Meryon/ I’ll Be Seeing You/ Reef/ Veil/ Onement/ Wavelength/ Nostalgio; 66:20. www.espdisk.com

Friday, January 10, 2020

Piano Trios, Part 2: Eckemoff, Weiss, Magris, Goldberg, Meder

Sometimes a trio is not just a trio ...

For her latest recording, Nocturnal Animals, pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff is joined by bassist Arild Andersen and two drummers, Jon Christensen and Thomas Strønen. The set was recorded in Oslo’s Rainbow Studio, the location of many ECM releases, including a number with Andersen and Christensen onboard, and the music does have some of the artful poise of the famed label. This is Andersen’s sixth project with Eckemoff since 2012's Glass Song, and they’ve established a rich and fruitful rapport. But that’s nothing compared to his relationship with drummer Jon Christensen. Both men played and recorded with saxophonist Jan Garbarek starting in the late Sixties, and they’ve crossed paths many times in the intervening decades. Second drummer Thomas Strønen limits himself to adding subtle percussive textures to the mix. Fourteen new songs are presented, each named for an insect, mammal, or bird that comes out at night. Even with her poems of the same names that are printed in the booklet, I have a lot of trouble sussing out the connection between, for instance, the music of Fox and the creature itself. (Maybe I’ll listen to the track the next time I have a fox in my back yard and see if that helps!) But no matter: Eckemoff’s bright and attractive melodies, committed playing and command of the music’s flow make her private meanings besides the point. Andersen, a potent and commanding soloist, is given plenty of space in Eckemoff’s supple arrangements. Standouts include the quietly blues-like Walkingstick, the enchanting Rattlesnake with powerful solo work by Andersen, the exuberant dance of Lynx, and the hypnotic rhythms of Owl. Nocturnal Animals is an enchanting project, well worth your time and attention.
L & H Production cd806151-29; Yelena Eckemoff (p) Arild Andersen (b) Jon Christensen, Thomas Strønen (d, perc); Oslo, Norway, April 16-17, 2018; Disc 1 (45:14): Cicada/ Bat/ Walkingstick/ Fox/ Grizzly Bear/ Rattlesnake/ Wolf. Disc 2 (42:11): Hedgehog/ Toad/ Lynx/ Scorpion/ Firefly/ Owl/ Sea Turtle. yelenamusic.com
Dan Weiss is one of the most fascinating percussionists on the scene today, with interests as varied as heavy metal (his Starebaby group) and Indian music (he’s a skilled tabla player), plus work as a sideman for leaders including Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, David Binney, and Rez Abbasi. He leads his Dan Weiss Trio Plus 3 through a varied set of original compositions on Utica Box. Jacob Sacks is on piano, and the “plus 3" part is the inclusion of two bassists in the group, Thomas Morgan and Eivind Opsvik. Duke Ellington’s orchestra used two bassists at times in the late Thirties, and John Coltrane did the same in some of his early Sixties projects. I’m sure Weiss has spent some time absorbing the lessons of the double double bass lineup, since Morgan, playing pizzicato, and Opsvik, using the bow, get right to the broad expansion of the bottom end on the opening title track. The loping movement of Utica Box is downright hypnotic for the first four minutes, with Sacks playing repetitive patterns on piano and Weiss keeping a steady beat with occasional accents while the bassists bounce lightly off of one another. After that, this lengthy episodic piece breaks down into a passage of quiet ruminations before Weiss reasserts the circular groove of the opening section and builds it into a frenzy of aggressive sound, only to turn it down again. Melodic invention is at the heart of the brief and straight-ahead Jamerson, dedicated to the great Motown bassist James Jamerson. Rock and Heat starts off with a spirited bass duet before Weiss kicks in with a hard swinging attack. Eventually Sacks joins the fray before the music breaks down in surprising ways. Orange is a sort of ballad, unwinding very slowly with knife-edge timing and surprising silences. Delicacy is the key here, with a careful Sacks and Weiss’ tightly modulated drumming commanding equal attention most of the way. It’s overlong at eleven and a half minutes and somewhat off-putting at first listen, but Orange is a well-mannered exploration of the porous boundary between improvisation and composition. Please Don’t Leave is a gas, with a funky Afro-Cuban beat from Weiss, lush chords from Sacks, and dual bass commentary. Last Time One More Time is far and away the prettiest melody of the date, a hushed lullaby and another chance for Morgan and Opsvik to blend their basses in song. The finale is dedicated to Led Zeppelin’s drummer. The 16 minutes of Bonham moves through a number of sections, usually with Weiss’ drumming as the focus. This is a piano combo that sounds like no other, thanks both to Weiss’ iconoclastic composition style and subtle realignment of instrumental roles within the band. Utica Box offers a provocative and fresh approach to small group improvisation; well worth a listen.
Sunnyside SSC1573; Jacob Sacks (p) Thomas Morgan, Eivind Opsvik (b) Dan Weiss (d); Brooklyn, NY, April 15, 2015; Utica Box/ Jamerson/ Rock and Heat/ Orange/ Please Don't Leave/ Last Time One More Time/ Bonham; 64:48. www.sunnysiderecords.com

Pianist Roberto Magris adds percussionist Pablo Sanhueza to his trio with bassist Dominique Sanders and drummer Brian Steever on the thoroughly enjoyable World Gardens. Magris gathers his repertoire from all over, getting to the heart of material as disparate as adaptations of folk songs from Yunnan (the tender Blue Bamboo with its mysterious opening section) and Slovenia (the rhapsodic solo feature Vse Najlepse Rozice (All the Most Beautiful Flowers), and Clifton Davis’ smash hit for the Jackson 5 (the lead-off Never Can Say Goodbye). There are also a few originals, a couple of standards including a particularly moving version of I’m Glad There is You, and more, generously spread over 74 minutes. If Magris has a signature tune, it’s Song For an African Child. I’ve heard it on two other Magris releases, in trio and sextet renditions, and with its hopeful melody and uplifting high-life feel, it always puts a smile on my face. The feeling of the blues is never far when Magris sets up to play, and two of his originals, the down-home Another More Blues and the intricate Blues at Lunch!, are among the disc’s highlights. Another is the adventurous outing by the band on Andrew Cyrille’s High Priest, a surprising choice that’s done justice by the energizing congas of Sanhueza coupled with the simmering drumming of Steever and Magris’ percussive attack. Magris and friends seem to delight in making music, and their pleasure is easily transmitted to the listener. My only problem with the set is the last track, titled Audio Notebook, where executive producer Paul Collins talks for a few minutes about the music we’ve just heard. It seems totally unnecessary, but since it’s at the end, it’s easy to skip. Apart from that, World Gardens is warmly recommended.
JMood JM-016; Roberto Magris (p) Dominique Sanders (b) Brian Steever (d) Pablo Sanhueza (congas, perc); Lenexa, KS, September 29, 2015 or *November 1, 2016; Never Can Say Goodbye*/ Pilgrim*/ Blue Bamboo*/ Another More Blues/ Song for an African Child/ Blues at Lunch!*/ Vse Najlepse Rozice (All the Most Beautiful Flowers)/ High Priest/ I’m Glad There is You*/ Stella by Starlight/ Audio Notebook; 77:01. www.jmoodrecords.com

To start, pay no attention to the cover photos of pianist Brandon Goldberg on his debut release, Let’s Play! Just put the disc in your player and press play. As drummer Donald Edwards leads the way into Thelonious Monk’s Well, You Needn’t, and as the trio starts to really swing, it might just be time to glance at the cover. Yes, he’s really that young. Goldberg was just 12 at the time of recording (he turns 14 early in 2020), though you wouldn’t guess that by listening. He’s got a nice touch at the keyboard, a bouncy rhythmic attitude, and he interacts very well with Edwards and bassist and producer Ben Wolfe. Evidently, he knocks out everyone who has the opportunity to hear him perform, with appreciations by pianist Monty Alexander and Vita Muir of the Litchfield Jazz Festival printed in the booklet along with informative liner notes by veteran jazz journalist Bob Blumenthal. Tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland adds his distinctive voice to two tracks. First we hear from him on the funky You Mean Me, an original composition by Goldberg that mirrors Monk’s I Mean You. The astute youngster explained to Blumenthal that he realized that he “should do to one of Monk’s tunes what he did to jazz,” and it works out very well. Strickland’s other appearance is on Goldberg’s subdued arrangement of Herbie Hancock’s Dolphin Dance. The deeper you get into Let’s Play!, the more you sense that this newcomer is astonishingly gifted and that it isn’t just technique. Displaying such technical prowess at a young age is inspiring enough, but the emotional depth that he displays as the trio plays a very slowly paced version of the standard Angel Eyes is deeply impressive. Goldberg also wrote the charts for all the songs, quite successfully. Only the version of the Duke Ellington-Juan Tizol tune Caravan, with some unappetizing tricks with the rhythm and some cheesy electric piano, fails to connect. His solo performance of another Ellington song, In a Sentimental Mood, is quite lovely, and will make a great blindfold test recording for some unlucky pianist in the years ahead. Pay a lot of attention to Brandon Goldberg and Let’s Play! You’ll be amply rewarded. Happily recommended.
Brandon Goldberg Music BSG1001; Brandon Goldberg (p; Rhodes el p on #) Ben Wolfe (b) Donald Edwards (d) Marcus Strickland (ts on *); Astoria, NY, January 19-21, 2018; Well, You Needn’t/ Blackbird/ You Mean Me*/ Angel Eyes/ The Understream#/ Dolphin Dance*/ Caravan#/ In a Sentimental Mood/ McCoy; 52:07. www.brandongoldbergpiano.com
Passage leads off with pianist Dave Meder having some fun with Thelonious Monk’s Work. It sounds more like play when Meder, bassist Tamir Shmerling, and drummer Kush Abadey pull it apart and put it back together. The Old Rugged Cross, a lovingly played hymn by George Bennard that’s more than a hundred years old, and Meder’s closing solo vehicle, the Gershwin brothers’ For You, For Me, For Evermore from the mid-Thirties, are joined by seven of Meder’s engaging original compositions. The pianist has enlisted a couple of prominent musicians as guests for one track apiece. Alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón brings his intense sound to This Road, while the versatile Chris Potter, on tenor, is poignant and forceful on Elegy. The twisty blues that Meder calls Break Points is particularly moving, a performance with nearly perfect dynamics that lives up to its title. Consciously sequenced to make the music flow with a kind of story arc devoted to “those central moments and transitions ... in your life journey,” Passage is one of those relatively rare discs that starts out well enough and just gets better and more involving the more you listen. That’s even more unusual for a debut, which makes this release happily recommended.
Outside In Music; Dave Meder (p) Tamir Shmerling (b) Marty Jaffe (b on #) Kush Abadey (d) Miguel Zenón (as on *) Chris Potter (ts on #); Brooklyn, NY, February and June 2018; Work/ For Wayne/ The Old Rugged Cross/ This Road*/ Break Points/ Golden Hour/ Passage/ Healing Heart/ Elegy#/ For You, For Me, For Evermore; 49:10. www.outsideinmusic.com

Monday, January 6, 2020

Piano Trios, Part 1: Petrucciani, Williams, Harris Jr., Hoefner

The relatively simple design of the classic piano trio lends itself to an almost endless stream of interpretative approaches. Every year there are new players, new songs, and fresh combinations of musicians and material to entice and entertain fans. 2019 was no exception, with more than a few notable releases.

But first let’s go back to the Eighties, where the fabulous trio of Michel Petrucciani, Gary Peacock, & Roy Haynes were recorded on a European tour One Night In Karlsruhe. Bassist Gary Peacock has proved to be a perfect piano trio partner as a member of the Keith Jarrett trio since 1983. Drum master Roy Haynes, still going strong at the age of 94 (!), fits in beautifully in any context at all. The stellar pianist Michel Petrucciani performed with a number of strong partners before his untimely death at the age of 36, and this unit was one of his best showcases. For this show, the band takes a lengthy excursion into well-loved standards (There Will Never Be Another You, Embraceable You, and My Funny Valentine), a pair of famous jazz songs (Ellington’s In a Sentimental Mood and Coltrane’s Giant Steps), and five Petrucciani originals. The trio’s solid commitment to hard swinging and dynamic interplay is in evidence from the start. High points, and there are many of them, include the scorching bass and drum trades on There Will Never Be Another You, Peacock’s tasty solo on Embraceable You that provokes some lovely rhapsodic playing from Petrucciani, and the deliciously funky She Did It Again. The fiercely driven Petrucciani was in great form on this night, with superb partners on stage and a wildly appreciative audience. Recommended without reservation.
Jazzhaus JAH-476; Michel Petrucciani (p) Gary Peacock (b) Roy Haynes (d); Karlsruhe, West Germany, July 7, 1988; 13th/ There Will Never Be Another You/ In a Sentimental Mood/ One For Us/ Mr. K.J./ Embraceable You/ She Did It Again/ La Champagne/ Giant Steps/ My Funny Valentine; 77:34. www.swrmusic.de/index.htm

Drummer Jeff Williams leads a trio with pianist Carmen Staaf and bassist Michael Formanek on Bloom. Williams has worked with such notables as Stan Getz, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, and John Abercrombie. He’s been friends with Formanek since the Seventies, playing with him in New York and on a handful of albums over the decades. When Williams played a gig as a member of saxophonist Dan Blake’s band, with pianist Staaf as a sub, he says that he “felt a real connection with her playing” and so the next time he ran into Formanek, the idea for this trio was hatched. That it was a good idea is apparent from the start, as the trio runs down Scattershot to get the headphone mix set at appropriate levels, and it’s a complete take, tightly focused and admirably swinging. Throughout the session, Staaf’s playing sparkles. She’s consistently impressive, full of surprising turns in her soloing, whether she’s pushing ahead with great feeling (on Williams’ Scrunge - Search Me) or being dreamily atmospheric (on Formanek’s Ballad of the Weak). The redoubtable Formanek never fails to impress with his big sound, casual intensity, and astute note choices. Williams displays great control of the trio’s dynamics, and the music as a whole reflects his eminently tasteful style. Especially fine are Staaf’s bluesy New York Landing, a fresh version of Buster Williams’ sweet ballad Air Dancing, dating from the late Eighties, and the closing Chant, a peaceful landing after an hour of finely wrought creative music. Definitely recommended.
Whirlwind WR4737; Carmen Staaf (p) Michael Formanek (b) Jeff Williams (d); Astoria, NY, August 17, 2018; Scattershot/ Another Time/ Short Tune/ Scrunge - Search Me/ Ballad of the Weak / New York Landing/ She Can't Be A Spy/ Air Dancing /A Word Edgewise/Northwest/Chant; 60:37. www.whirlwindrecordings.com

Feeling down lately? Pianist Lafayette Harris Jr. is here to help, proclaiming that You Can’t Lose With The Blues. And you really can’t lose when your trio partners are bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash, and Houston Person is overseeing the proceedings at the Van Gelder Studio. Harris has a varied résumé, including studies with Kenny Barron and Barry Harris, a lengthy association with Ernestine Anderson, and he’s currently working steadily in Houston Person’s bands. The repertoire here is similarly broad in range, featuring a few well-chosen standards, tastes of Ellington (Things Ain’t What They Used to Be) and Charlie Parker (a smoking version of Bloomdido), modern R’n’B from DeBarge (Love Me in a Special Way) and “old school” sounds from Percy Mayfield (Please Send Me Someone to Love in a lovely solo treatment), and a trio of original blues compositions by Harris. The playing is spirited, the interplay is lively, and the blues feeling is strong from start to finish. If anybody tries to tell you that they don’t make music like this anymore, prove them wrong with You Can’t Lose With The Blues. Warmly recommended.
Savant SCD2178; Lafayette Harris Jr. (p) Peter Washington (b) Lewis Nash (d); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, May 3, 2018; He’s My Guy/ I Love You, Yes I Do/ Blues for Barry Harris/ Don’ Let the Sun Catch You Crying/ Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye/ Things Ain’t What They Used To Be/ Love Me in a Special Way/ Bloomdido/ You Can’t Lose With the Blues/ Wonder Why/ Please Send Me Someone To Love/ The Juicy Blues; 57:07. www.jazzdepot.com

The warm embrace of the Florian Hoefner Trio on First Spring is emblematic of the band’s well-balanced cohesion as well as the companionable material that pianist Hoefner selects or writes for them. Bassist Andrew Downing and drummer Nick Fraser are clearly on the same wavelength as Hoefner, happily improvising on folk song oriented material that’s a bit unusual for this context. First up is a reel, Rufus Guinchard’s Hound’s Tune. Guinchard was a fiddler from Newfoundland who passed away in 1990, and this simple song was originally played for dances. Hoefner’s arrangement adds some rhythmic complexity to the basic melody, leading to a stirring performance. Calvary, written by Byron Isaacs for Levon Helm’s 2007 Dirt Farmer album, is next in a soothing rendition with reharmonized verses featuring what Hoefner describes as “increasingly dramatic chords to preserve the slightly dark and raw atmosphere of the original.” Loosin Yelav was first an Armenian folk song adapted by Luciano Berio for a song cycle. Hoefner, who first heard it on a recording by Dawn Upshaw, has used Berio’s melody but written new chord changes in adapting it for the trio. Interestingly, that’s the reverse of the bebop revolution’s use of contrafacts to create new material. The result is a moody and subdued journey, delicately limned by the band. Bassist Downing’s smooth arco sound is featured on Short Life, the first of two songs by American folk performer Sam Amidon. The other is Rain and Snow, with an arrangement by Hoefner based on Amidon’s “colourful take” of a traditional song. Vital to the success of this session is the trio’s ability to stay convincingly on track at any tempo. On Hoefner’s original title song, and again on the bluesy closer, Rain and Snow, the pace is very slow, and yet the band is so tight that the groove stays intact. On faster numbers, like the zooming Solstice, an original dedicated to mandolin whiz Chris Thile, or the upbeat reconstruction of the folk song The Maid on the Shore, the trio is equally authoritative. First Spring is an immensely appealing piano trio session, heartily recommended.
Alma ACD83092; Florian Hoefner (p) Andrew Downing (b) Nick Fraser (d); Toronto, ON, July 4-5, 2018; Hound’s Tune/ Calvary/ First Spring/ Maid on the Shore/ Winter in June/ Loosin Yelav/ Short Life/ Solstice/ Rain and Snow; 59:48. almarecords.com

Friday, January 3, 2020

DSC (Dorsey, Skaff & Clark): MonkTime

DSC is the trio of Leon Lee Dorsey on bass, Greg Skaff on guitar, and Mike Clark on drums. Dorsey, who was a member of the Jazz Messengers in 1988, has been away from the recording studios for some time, teaching at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. This new unit was his idea and MonkTime is their first effort. An entire set of compositions by Thelonious Monk is not uncommon these days, but these songs are seldom heard in the guitar trio format. Guitarist Skaff has played with Bobby Watson, been a member of the coop band Full House with trumpeter Jim Rotondi and keyboardist David Hazeltine, and led his own sessions for the Zoho label. The versatile drummer Clark first recorded with Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters bands in the early Seventies. I read somewhere recently that in the Sixties, Monk would only rehearse with Charlie Rouse and just tell the bass player and drummer to swing as hard as they could. Listening to DSC take on eight of the maestro’s gems makes me think they read the same comments before this recording and took the words to heart. DSC pays a warm tribute to Mr. Monk by treating his tunes with the respect and care that they deserve. MonkTime is a winner from start to finish, and it is warmly recommended.
JazzAvenue1; Greg Skaff (g) Leon Lee Dorsey (b) Mike Clark (d); NYC, no dates specified; Well You Needn’t/ Monk’s Dream/ Monk’s Mood/ Blue Monk/ Little Rootie Tootie/ Ugly Beauty/ We See/ Epistrophy; 42:20. leonleedorsey.com