The music that kept my spirits up in 2022

Albert Ayler proclaimed that Music is the healing force of the universe.

Some of the best medicine of 2022 came from these new releases: 

Patricia Brennan – More Touch (Pyroclastic)

Whit Dickey Quartet - Root Perspectives (TAO Forms)

Avram Fefer Quartet - Juba Lee (Clean Feed)

Tomas Fujiwara’s Triple Double - March (Firehouse 12)

Just Jones - Just Justice (ESP-Disk’)

Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp - Fruition (ESP-Disk’)

Enrico Rava and Fred Hersch - The Song is You (ECM)

Matthew Shipp Trio - World Construct (ESP-Disk’)

Wadada Leo Smith – Emerald Duets (TUM)

Tyshawn Sorey Trio - Mesmerism (Yeros7 Music)

Tyshawn Sorey Trio +1 - The Off-Off Broadway Guide to Synergism (Pi Recordings)

Dan Weiss Trio – Dedication (Cygnus)

Megumi Yonezawa - Resonance (Sunnyside)

It was also another banner year for archival and historical projects:

Albert Ayler - Revelations (Complete ORTF Fondation Maeght Recordings) 
(Elemental Music)

Joe Henderson - The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions - (Mosaic)

Freddie Hubbard - The Complete Blue Note & Impulse ‘60s Studio Sessions - (Mosaic)

Ahmad Jamal - Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1963-1964 and 1965-1966  (Jazz Detective)

Elvin Jones - Revival : Live At Pookie’s Pub (Blue Note)

Charles Mingus - The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott's (Resonance)

Mal Waldron - Searching in Grenoble : The 1978 Solo Piano Concert (Tompkins Square)

And many thanks to the publicists and record labels who keep my in-box full. 

Above all, grateful thanks to all the musicians!!

Bobby Broom: Keyed Up

  Guitarist Bobby Broom played with Sonny Rollins from 1981-1986 and again from 2006-2009. On record, he’s appeared with organist Charlie Earland, saxophonists David Murray and Eric Alexander, and New Orleans star Dr. John. Broom has also found the time to lead his own groups, mostly in a trio format. Since his 2001 session on Premonition Records, his bandmates have been Dennis Carroll on bass and Kobie Watkins on drums. For his latest project, Keyed Up, Justin Dillard joins the group on piano and organ, fitting in well and thickening the group sound. Broom’s pungent tone and quickly flowing single note runs full of surprising twists and turns are always a delight. For this date, he’s picked some fine material to showcase, with all but one of the tunes written by pianists. In his liner notes, Broom wrotes that the “occurrence of high-caliber pianists who saw something in my playing that caused them to want to support and collaborate with me is a recurring theme in my musical life.” He discusses the role of James Williams, who composed the relaxing ballad Soulful Bill. He was a mentor to Broom, and the reason he got an opportunity to perform with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1980. Curiously, though, aside from this mention in the liner notes, there are no composer credits on the package. Bud Powell’s Hallucinations (a/k/a Budo) leads things off with a potent dose of hard-driving swing. That’s just one of the high points of the set. Another is Horace Silver’s Quicksilver, with a pair of exuberant guitar solos sandwiched around a chorus from Dillard’s piano. One of everybody’s favorite tunes is Erroll Garner’s Misty, with nearly one thousand renditions listed in the online Jazz Discography. Keeping their emphasis on the attractive melody, Broom and crew take it nice and slow. The guitarist solos first before turning the spotlight over to Dillard on piano. Broom then plays a second, more exploratory solo to take the song out. A romp through Herbie Hancock’s Driftin’ has Dillard moving over to organ, with a sound closer to a Rhodes electric piano than a Hammond B-3. It’s great to hear the quartet get into a bluesy groove for Scoochie, a Booker Ervin composition, and the only song here not written by a pianist. McCoy Tyner’s Blues on the Corner, frequently revived since it first appeared on The Real McCoy (Blue Note, 1967), is heard in two takes. The second take finds the band digging into the groove with more authority and grit than on the first go-round, with Carroll and Watkins making the most of their solo spots both times around. Keyed Up is a real pleasure from start to finish. 

Steele Records SR 002/CSM 0119; Bobby Broom (g) Justin Dillard (p, Hammond SKX org) Dennis Carroll (b) Kobie Watkins (d); August 31-September 3, 2021; Hallucinations (a/k/a Budo)/ Second Thoughts/ Humpty Dumpty/ Soulful Bill/ Quicksilver/ Misty/ Driftin’/ Blues on the Corner (take 2)/ Scoochie/ Blues on the Corner (take 1); 57:05. www.bobbybroom.com

Mal Waldron: Searching In Grenoble: The 1978 Solo Piano Concert

  Mal Waldron is one of my favorite pianists. In the first part of his career, he was the “house pianist” for Prestige from 1956-1958 and accompanied Billie Holiday from April 1957 until her death in 1959. After a mental breakdown in 1963, Waldron slowly reacquainted himself with the piano, developing a different style with a more obsessive focus than he’d displayed in the Fifties. Perhaps making up for lost time, he proceeded to record prolifically starting in the late Sixties, as a solo pianist, as a bandleader, and frequently with soprano saxophone specialist Steve Lacy. I had the good fortune to be around Keystone Korner in the late Seventies, and one of my fondest memories of that time is a magnificently transfixing hour solo by Waldron as part of an evening of solo and trio performances by Waldron and Jaki Byard. To say that I’m thrilled to welcome Searching In Grenoble: The 1978 Solo Piano Concert into my record library is to state the obvious. Waldron is in top form, and the quality of the tapes, professionally recorded by the French INA (Institut national de l'audiovisuel). is superb. Waldron starts out with a vigorous 23-minute medley of his original compositions Mistral Breeze and Sieg Haile. For the rest of this beautifully paced program, Waldron performs a few standards and looks back to the Fifties with explorations of his well-known compositions like Fire Waltz, All Alone, and Soul Eyes. Also on offer are newer pieces like Snake Out (first recorded in 1973) and Russian Melody (1974), plus two other previously unrecorded originals, Here, There and Everywhere and Petite Gémeaux. This Tompkins Square release is yet another production of the apparently indefatigable Zev Feldman. The booklet, well-illustrated as usual with his projects, includes remarks from the pianist’s daughter Mala Waldron, Parisian journalist Pascal Rozat on the Grenoble jazz scene, and liner notes on the music by Adam Schatz. Best of all are the brief interviews Feldman conducted with two pianists of different generations, Ran Blake and Matthew Shipp. Blake first heard Waldron when he has “a waiter at the Jazz Gallery and every night for six weeks, [and] we heard Straight Ahead and the Freedom Now Suite” by Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln. Blake later studied briefly with him. What he wants the world to remember about Waldron is his “great kindness. And his brilliance.” Matthew Shipp, who says “I just love his overall sound world,” also makes note of the “very spiritual, full, Black sound in his playing.” Adam Shatz appraises this recording as “jazz, and art music, of the highest order.” I couldn’t agree more. Absolutely recommended. 

Tompkins Square TSQ5906 (cd, vinyl); Mal Waldron (p); Grenoble, France, March 23, 1978; Disc 1 (65:34): Medley: Mistral Breeze; Sieg Haile/ Here, There and Everywhere/ Russian Melody/ Petite Gémeaux/ Fire Waltz/ You Don’t Know What Love Is/ Soul Eyes. Disc 2 (37:50): It Could Happen to You/ Russian Melody/ I Thought About You/ Snake Out/ All Alone. www.tompkinssquare.com

Elvin Jones: Revival: Live At Pookie’s Pub

  Drummer Elvin Jones was a true force of nature. One of the stupidest things I’ve ever done in my life was to leap out of my seat at Keystone Korner at the end of a set by the Jazz Machine in the late Seventies and shake the hand of Elvin Jones as he walked straight to the bar. I hadn’t reckoned with the sheer strength of the man right after he was done playing. I thought my hand would crumble into dust. A new Blue Note release, Revival: Live At Pookie’s Pub, is a potent reminder of the power and volcanic energy of Mr. Jones with just one tune: the opening 21-minute rendition of Keiko’s Birthday Song. After Joe Farrell on tenor and Billy Greene at the piano have their says, Elvin embarks on a fabulous long drum solo, one of the greatest displays of his poly-rhythmic and forceful style I’ve ever heard. The first track alone is a treasure, but there’s a whole lot more to enjoy on this compilation drawn from three nights at the small and obscure New York City venue. The origin of the tapes is a cool story, told by Bob Falesch, who met Jones one night while wandering into Pookie’s one night. While sitting a few feet away from the floor tom-tom, Falesch and Jones seemed to make some kind of unspoken connection. Falesch writes that “At the end of the set, he came right over, sat down next to me, and ordered another drink.” The pair proceeded to have a long chat, and after Falesch mentioned his job at Ampex Stereo Tapes, the drummer suggested coming back to the pub sometime to record the proceedings. Falesch took him up on his offer, and here we are, fifty-five years later and the music is finally out there. To put these performances into a key aspect of the historical context, it’s critical to note that John Coltrane had died earlier in the month, on July 17. Jones, of course, played in Coltrane’s group from 1960-early 1966, and ‘Trane’s death must have weighed heavily on him when these performances were recorded near the end of the month with Joe Farrell on tenor sax and flute, the obscure Billy Greene on piano, and Wilbur Little on bass. Revival is another Zev Feldman production, and he’s outdone himself for the documentation this time around. The centerpiece is a lengthy essay by Ashley Kahn on the background of Pookie’s Pub and the circumstances of Elvin Jones’ long residency there, from May 1967 through the end of the year. He also talked to musicians who dropped by to visit or sit in about their memories of the room and their feelings about Elvin Jones. Kahn’s long piece includes quotes about Elvin and the scene at Pookie’s from bassists Richard Davis and Gene Perla, saxophonist George Coleman, trumpeters Jimmy Owens and Randy Brecker and drummer Jimmy Madison. In his own series of interviews, Feldman has talked to drummers Alvin Queen and Michael Shrieve, who tells a great story about meeting Jones and bassist Jimmy Garrison in the Coltrane quartet by crashing through a skylight into their dressing room. There are also reminiscences by Elvin Jones alums Perla, Pat LaBarbera and Dave Liebman, as well as pianist Richie Beirach, who lived across the street from Pookie’s. Every story I’ve ever heard, and the recollections of these musicians, paints a picture of a caring and intelligent man who just happened to be one of the greatest drummers in jazz history. Give a listen to Revival: Live At Pookie’s Pub and you’ll surely agree. Absolutely recommended. 

Blue Note (cd, vinyl); Joe Farrell (ts, fl) Billy Greene or Larry Young* (p) Wilbur Little (b) Elvin Jones (d); NYC, July 28-30, 1967; Disc 1 (75:05): Keiko’s Birthday March/ Gingerbread Boy*/ 13 Avenue B/ My Funny Valentine/ M.E. Disc 2 (58:26): On the Trail/ Softly as in a Morning Sunrise/ Raunchy Rita/ Oleo. www.bluenote.com

Houston Person: Reminiscing At Rudy’s

  Judging by his deeply soulful sound on the tenor saxophone, octogenarian Houston Person sounds like a warm and friendly soul, the kind of guy you’d love to buy a coffee and hang with for a while. Reminiscing At Rudy’s is his latest HighNote effort, featuring his usual tasteful selection of tunes and a thoroughly compatible group to play them. Russell Malone is on guitar, Larry Fuller is on piano, Matthew Parrish is on bass, and Lewis Nash is on drums. Nash also contributes a vocal, on Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You, a 1956 hit for Nat “King” Cole. This was a pretty sappy song back then, and it has not improved with age. Person’s first album as a leader was the 1966 Prestige release Underground Soul. Like so many of his projects since that Lp, it was recorded in the same Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, studio run by the late Rudy Van Gelder. The studio is now under the guidance of Maureen Sickler, who assisted Van Gelder in his final years and who recorded and mixed Reminiscing At Rudy’s. The saxophonist has got quite a few memories of Rudy and the studio to call to mind when he starts to play in that familiar room. Perhaps in deference to Person’s elder status, the tempos here tend to be relaxed and laid-back, making a perfect setting for Person’s eloquence and melodic invention. Highlights include a snappy Moon River, an exquisitely tender version of Paul Anka’s Put Your Head On My Shoulder, a sweet stroll through Cedar Walton’s I’ll Let You Know, and the gut-bucket beat that the band applies to the Percy Mayfield classic Please Send Me Someone to Love, complete with a biting Malone guitar solo. The disc concludes with the title track, an upbeat original blues by Person that offers more fine blowing by the saxophonist. I’ve been trying hard to cut my music collection down to a manageable size, but this inspired date will surely make the cut. Recommended, for sure. 

HighNote HCD 7343; Houston Person (ts) Russell Malone (g) Larry Fuller (p) Matthew Parrish (b) Lewis Nash (d, vcl on *); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, July 19, 2022; At Long Last Love/ Again/ Moon River/ Put Your Head on My Shoulder/ Why Did I Choose You/Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You*/ My Romance/ I’ll Let You Know/ Please Send Me Someone to Love/ Reminiscing at Rudy’s; 57:26. www.jazzdepot.com

Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights

  Piano stylist supreme Ahmad Jamal is the star of the first releases by the new Jazz Detective label. A pair of complementary double-CD sets, Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1963-1964 and Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse 1965-1966 document parts of his sets that were broadcast and recorded by the club. Over the past few years, the Penthouse tape collection has yielded a number of impressive releases, including such stars as Johnny Griffin & Eddie Lockjaw Davis in 1962, Cannonball Adderley in 1966 and 1967, Bill Evans in 1966 and Wynton Kelly with Wes Montgomery in 1966. Zev Feldman has been instrumental in bringing this material, and a lot more, out of the vaults and into the world. This new joint venture with Spain’s Elemental Music label takes its name from his nickname of the Jazz Detective. For this project, he consulted the 92-year old Jamal. The Ahmad Jamal trio stunned the music world with the massive success of the 1958 Argo album Live At The Pershing: But Not For Me. By 1994, this piano trio date had sold over a million copies. Jamal and his groups were quite popular at Seattle’s Penthouse nightspot, and this pair of releases presents music from seven different broadcasts from 1963-1965. (There’s another compilation of Jamal at The Penthouse in preparation.) Each set gets the usual Feldman treatment. The booklets each include period photos, an introduction by the producer, remarks by Jamal extracted from recent interviews, brief notes by Jim Wilke, the on-air host for KING-FM, and Charlie Puzzo, Jr., son of the club owner, and charming recollections by Marshall Chess of Chess Records. Argo was Chess Records’ jazz imprint, and Live At The Pershing was, he says “a viral hit” for the company when a 16-year old Marshall Chess first met Jamal. Eugene Holley, Jr. contributes liner notes for each volume, discussing both the songs and the backgrounds of the bassists (Richard Evans and Jamil Nasser) and drummers (Chuck Lampkin, Vernel Fournier, and Frank Gant). Finally, a batch of pianists weigh in on Jamal’s powerful influence. We hear from Jon Batiste, Kenny Barron, and Aaron Diehl in the 1963-1964 booklet. The 1965-1966 compilation features reminiscences by the late Ramsey Lewis and Hiromi Uehara. As both Uehara and Barron note, active participation in the music by the bass and drums make the band sound, in Uehara’s words, “like one cohesive unit.” Spending some time with these discs provides an opportunity to listen to how the music is ever so slightly altered with different bandmates. But the best thing about these broadcasts is the sheer pleasure of Jamal’s magnificent improvisations on (mostly) popular songs, and his unfailingly à propos rhythmic shadings. Absolutely recommended. I can’t wait to hear what else Jazz Detective has in store for the future. On a personal note, this former tape archivist really appreciates the photographs of tape boxes! 

Jazz Detective DJDD-004; Disc 1 (34:23) Ahmad Jamal (p) Richard Evans (b) Chuck Lampkin (d); Seattle, WA [all tracks], June 20, 1963; Johnny One Note/ Minor Adjustments/ All Of You/ Squatty Roo. Disc 2 (56:27) Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Chuck Lampkin (d); March 26, 1964; Bogota/ Lollipops & Roses/ Tangerine. Same trio; April 2, 1964; Keep On Keeping On/ Minor Moods/ But Not For Me. 

Jazz Detective DJDD-005; Disc 1 (40:29) Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Chuck Lampkin (d); March 18, 1965; I Didn’t Know What Time It Was/ Who Can I Turn To?. Same trio; March 25, 1965; My First Love Song/ Feeling Good. Disc 2 (37:42): Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Vernel Fournier (d); October 28, 1965; Concern/ Like Someone In Love. Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Frank Gant (d); September 22, 1966; Invitation/ Poinciana/ Whisper Not. www.deepdigsmusic.com

Whit Dickey Quartet: Root Perspectives

  Drummer Whit Dickey has said that he got into music “by accessing a vibration.” His latest effort, on his own TAO Forms imprint, is the constantly surprising and deeply intense Root Perspectives by the Whit Dickey Quartet. He notes that this album was conceived “off of a vibration” that he felt fully fifteen years ago, in a period when he was “obsessively listening” to the title track on John Coltrane’s Crescent album. That obsession has generated this bold and serious music that acts in part like a commentary on the Coltrane song but mainly as an imaginative extension. The opening track, Supernova, starts out in quietly angular fashion, rapidly growing in power over the course of eleven minutes. The piece clearly evokes the later work of the Coltrane quartet. It’s the first of four extended performances that ebb and flow in a sensually organic way. Tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby’s gruffly expressive and fluid playing is definitely influenced by ‘Trane, not in his sound so much, but more in his ever-searching and spiritually oriented attitude. Pianist Matthew Shipp has amassed many hours of playing with Dickey over the last thirty years in bands led by David S. Ware, Ivo Perelman, and Shipp’s own efforts, among others. Naturally enough, he sounds thoroughly at home here. His use of dynamics and waves of sound mirrors Dickey’s loose-limbed approach to the drum kit. Although the fourth member of the band, bassist Brandon Lopez, is a relative latecomer to the scene, his fidgety style and the complexity of his time sense make him a natural for this band. The pieces here fit together perfectly, with the individual proclivities of the musicians in uniform dedication to the exigencies of Dickey’s compositions. All told, Root Perspectives is a fascinating listen, strongly recommended. 

TAO Forms TAO 12; Tony Malaby (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Brandon Lopez (b) Whit Dickey (d); Brooklyn, NY, May 7, 2022; Supernova/ Doomsday Equation/ Swamp Petals/ Starship Lotus; 50:34. aumfidelity.com/collections/tao-forms

Tyshawn Sorey Trio + 1: The Off-Off Broadway Guide To Synergism

  “Synergism” is defined as “the interaction of discrete agencies, agents, or conditions such that the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects.” You could hardly find a better musical illustration of the concept than The Off-Off Broadway Guide To Synergism, an expansive 3-CD project by the Tyshawn Sorey Trio + 1. Sorey’s Mesmerism was a gem of relaxed trio interaction. From that trio session, pianist Aaron Diehl is back on piano, Russell Hall replaces Matt Brewer on bass, and the “plus one” is alto saxophonist Greg Osby. The live format gives the band plenty of room to stretch out, and they take maximum advantage of the environment to deliver extended meditations on a remarkably wide variety of tunes. The band is burning from the start, with their 17 minute exploration of Night and Day. Diehl, perhaps best known for working with vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, performs with plenty of grit and a boundless imagination. Hall is a steady and responsive bassist in the ensembles and an impressive soloist. Sorey’s superb drumming “lifts the bandstand,” as Monk used to say. His fills and perfectly timed accents are continually feeding and directing the energy of his bandmates, with nary a drum solo in sight. Osby is in peak form, playing with fiery fluidity and grace. He contributes one original composition to the proceedings, Please Stand By. It was first heard on his Channel Three album (Blue Note, 2005), and touched on twice in the three sets. The balance of the repertoire is drawn from jazz composers as varied as Billy Strayhorn (Chelsea Bridge), Fats Waller (Jitterbug Waltz), Ornette Coleman (Mob Job, also played twice), Miles Davis (Solar), McCoy Tyner (Contemplation), and Andrew Hill (Ashes). Each disc also features at least a couple of long-familiar standards, touchstones for their collective improvisations. This includes Out of Nowhere, It Could Happen to You, and Three Little Words. The trio on Mesmerism liked to sneak up on melodies. This quartet operates in the same way, merely glancing at the melodies and using the underlying structure and harmony to build their impressive improvisations. An additional strategy, suited to the live performance situation. is the linkage of tunes into a flowing sequence of musical events. According to Sorey, there was hardly any discussion before they hit the stage. “All I suggested” says the drummer “was a starting point and an ending point, and wherever we went, we went.” The success of that approach depends on a deep well of songs and jazz compositions that they share, amply demonstrated here. From the occasional exclamations of encouragement and surprise we can hear coming from the bandstand, it’s readily apparent that the musicians are having a great time playing together. And of course, the enthusiastic audience contributes to the creative atmosphere. The home listener might be applauding the band as well; it’s that good. Definitely recommended. 

Pi Recordings PI96; Greg Osby (as) Aaron Diehl (p) Russell Hall (b) Tyshawn Sorey (d); NYC, March 3-6, 2022; Disc 1 (76:29): Night and Day/ Please Stand By/ Chelsea Bridge/ Three Little Words/ Mob Job/ Ask Me Now. Disc 2 (75:50): Out of Nowhere/ Ashes/ Please Stand By/ Three Little Words/ Jitterbug Waltz/ Mob Job/ It Could Happen to You. Disc 3 (74:17): I Remember You/ We’ll Be Together Again/ Contemplation/ Out of Nowhere/ Solar/ Ask Me Now. pirecordings.com 

Miles Davis: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: That’s What Happened 1982-1985

In 1955, Miles Davis and his quintet could show up in the Van Gelder studio, pretend they were playing a club set, and reel off song after song in marathon sessions to close out his contract with Prestige Records. By the early 1980s, not only the music, but recording technology and production techniques had changed radically. By the time the music on the latest installment of The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: That’s What Happened 1982-1985 was recorded, as John Scofield relates in his commentary in the 48-page booklet, Miles “would record the rehearsals and the gigs and listen to everybody’s solos - including his own - and take the parts he liked and have Gil Evans transcribe the solo. Then that would become a new tune ... The tapes were always supposed to be running ... ”The three disc package presents two CDs of previously unreleased fragmented jams from sessions for the Star People, Decoy and You’re Under Arrest albums, with the third disc devoted to the sextet’s performance at the Montréal Jazz Festival in July 1983. Molding a finished piece from a pre-existing song is considerably different than jamming in the studio and trying to come up with something good. While there are plenty of fine moments sprinkled through the selections on the first two discs, it’s not too surprising that the most satisfying performances are the alternate takes of Time After Time and Human Nature, the nine minutes of the full studio session for Time After Time, and the sole take of the Tina Turner hit What’s Love Got To Do With It. To a Miles Davis devotee, every scrap is worthy of hearing, which I wouldn’t dispute. But when this box set gets pulled off the shelf, it’s likely to be those tracks that get played the most. The booklet includes reminiscences by Scofield, bassists Darryl Jones and Marcus Miller, guitarist Mike Stern, and drummer Vince Wilburn, Jr., plus an essay by the late Greg Tate, along with numerous photos of Miles and the band on stage. The concert on disc 3 was performed just a couple of weeks after the session that produced Freaky Deaky, the piece that ends disc 1. The live set features songs from the Star People album. The consistently exciting guitarist John Scofield gets a lot of solo space, as does a boisterous Bill Evans on saxophone. The thumping rhythm team of Darryl Jones on electric bass and Al Foster, a stalwart on drums, brings the funk. Miles himself spends a lot of time directing the flow from his keyboards, popping out for beautifully nuanced trumpet solos. Edits of Speak (That’s What Happened) and What It Is totaling around eight minutes were issued on the Decoy album, but this is the first release of the complete show. While the set list remained fairly consistent between the summer of 1982 and the end of 1983, the dynamic Creepin’ In, which closes the show with Evans on flute and a bass solo by Jones, was played just this one time. Over the course of 78 minutes, there are a few moments of the band treading water while waiting for the next wave of inspiration, but the enthusiastic audience never seems to mind. And if electric Miles Davis music is your thing, you won’t mind either. Recommended. 

Columbia/Legacy 19439863852; Collective personnel on Discs 1 and 2: Miles Davis (tpt, kybds) J.J. Johnson (tbn) Bill Evans (ss, ts) Bob Berg (ss) Mike Stern, John Scofield, John McLaughlin (g) Robert Irving III (kybds, drum pgm) Marcus Miller, Darryl Jones (el b) Al Foster (d) Vince Wilburn, Jr., (d, drum pgm, perc) Steve Thornton, Mino Cinélu (perc) Disc 1 (66:19): Santana (1/1 or 1/2/83)/ Minor Ninths, Part 1/ Minor Ninths, Part 2 (10/20/82)/ Celestial Blues, Part 1 Celestial Blues, Part 2/ Celestial Blues, Part 3 (10/20/82)/ Remake of OBX Ballad/ Remake of OBX Ballad (full studio session) (10/11/82)/Freaky Deaky, Part 1/ Freaky Deaky, Part 2 (6/30/82). Disc 2 (61:43): Time After Time (alternate)/ Time After Time (full studio session) (1/26-29/84)/Theme From Jack Johnson (right Off); Intro (1/27/84)/ Never Loved Like This (studio session demo) (1/84)/ Hopscotch (slow)/ Hopscotch (fast) (12/27/84)/What’s Love Got to Do With It (12/26/84)/Human Nature (alternate) (12/26/84)/ Katia (full studio session) (1/85). Disc 3 (78:36), Miles Davis (tpt, kybds) Bill Evans (ss, ts, fl) John Scofield (g) Darryl Jones (el b) Al Foster (d) Mino Cinélu (perc); Montréal, July 7, 1983; Speak (That’s What Happened/ Star People/ What It Is/ It Gets Better/ Hopscotch/ Star on Cecily/ Jean-Pierre/ Code 3/ Creepin’ In. www.legacyrecordings.com

 

Bruce Forman: Reunion!

  The latest release by journeyman guitarist Bruce Forman on his own B4Man-Music imprint is called Reunion!, a fine trio session with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The reunion in this case is the actual instruments they all brought to the studio: Forman is playing Barney Kessel’s guitar, Clayton wields a bass that was owned by Ray Brown, and Hamilton sits at Shelly Manne’s drum set. As a recording unit for Contemporary Records, Kessel, Brown, and Manne were known as The Poll Winners. You could call them the New Poll Winners, I suppose, but there’s nothing revivalist about this trio. What they do have in common with those well-respected forerunners is irresistible swing, great taste in material, a knack for just the right tempos, and the impeccable solo work. Forman writes that the session was “like kids getting together and playing their parents’ instruments.” That’s a warm feeling that comes through on every track of this immensely pleasurable session. Definitely worth seeking out. 

B4Man-Music; Bruce Forman (g) John Clayton (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); no recording information; Rope-A-Dope/ This is New/ Feel the Barn/ Gravy Waltz/ Barney’s Tune/ April in Paris/ Hammer’s Back in Town/ BRS/ Stardust/ On Green Dolphin Street/ The Daze/ Love Potion #9; 46:42. www.bruceforman.com

Piano Trios!! (Part 4): Craig Davis, Matthew Fries, Chris Parker

  According to the online Jazz Discography, pianist, composer, and arranger Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa participated in 140 sessions, at first with big bands led by Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, and Artie Shaw, and in small groups like Shaw’s Gramercy Five and various Slim Gailliard ensembles. He played with both Lester Young and Charlie Parker, made trio recordings for Dial in 1947, and did some small band record dates in the Sixties for Argo and Prestige. Obviously, he was very well-respected by his contemporaries, and yet today he’s mostly remembered for his name. Pianist Craig Davis is out to change that, and he’s enlisted the non-pareil bass and drums team of John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton to assist him on Tone Paintings: The Music Of Dodo Marmarosa. Clayton and Hamilton first recorded together as members of the Monty Alexander trio in May 1976. Over the forty-plus years since that date, they’ve teamed on a vast number of record dates, and they’ve co-led The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra since 1989. Having them on a session ensures an endless source of solid swing. Along with ten of Marmarosa’s delightful originals, all first recorded between 1945 and 1947, Davis has written one tune for the project, A Ditty For Dodo, which fits snugly in the middle of the set. He’s a gifted pianist, with a bouncy and propulsive rhythmic sense, and an elegant style reminiscent of Hank Jones and Barry Harris. If these deeply felt and passionate renditions of Marmarosa’s bop-era tunes don’t start to encourage more musicians to play them, it won’t be for lack of trying. Tone Paintings will keep your toes tapping and your spirit lifted. Definitely recommended. 

MCG Jazz MCGJ 1056; Craig Davis (p) John Clayton (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); Glendale, CA, May 1-2, 2021; Mellow Mood/ Dodo’s Bounce/ Dodo’s Blues/ Escape/ A Ditty For Dodo/ Opus No. 5/ Compadoo/ Dary Departs/ Tone Paintings I/ Battle Of The Balcony Jive/ Dodo’s Lament; 50:53. www.mcgjazz.org

Pianist Matthew Fries is joined by the stalwart bassist John Hébert and the experienced drummer Keith Hall for Lost Time, performing a batch of beguiling original tunes. The eminently tasteful Fries and Hall have worked together backing vocalist Curtis Stigers starting in 2004, so their rapport comes as no surprise. While Hébert is probably most known for his work in Mary Halvorson’s bands from 2008 to 2015, he’s played on dozens and dozens of record dates since first recording with a large Peter Herborn ensemble in 1997. His connection to saxophonist Andrew Rathbun, who produced this session, goes back to 1998. In spite of the pandemic isolation, where one might expect music reflecting feelings of introspective morosity, the mood of Fries’ tunes is often upbeat, like the solidly swinging Quarantine. There’s plenty to enjoy here, including The Fog, which opens the set with an immediate sense of the musicians functioning as equals in the music; the absorbing Heroes, with its multiple tempo shifts handled with imperturbable aplomb by the trio; the introspective ballad Continuum, which features one of several fine bass solos by Hébert; and the wistful and delicate Lost Time, which closes the vinyl version of this music. Two songs (another pretty ballad called Nine Robins and the jaunty June Blues) are available only for downloading or streaming. Happily recommended. 

Xcappa XCP1005 (vinyl, download and streaming); Matthew Fries (p) John Hébert (b) Keith Hall (d); Chicago, IL, July 21, 2021; The Fog/ Insomnia/ Quarantine/ Heroes/ Continuum/ Lost Time/ Nine Robins*/ 8 June Blues*; 55:44. (* tracks are download or streaming only) xcappa.com

Watching the Chris Parker Trio at work in the studio on a video press release while they were recording Tell Me, I was struck by the sheer joy that was obvious on the faces of pianist Kyoko Oyobe, bassist Ameen Saleem, and drummer/leader Chris Parker as they played. The veteran Parker, who’s played with everyone from the Brecker Brothers, Lionel Hampton, and Gato Barbieri to Cher, Bob Dylan, and Aretha Franklin, sounds totally relaxed in the trio format, giving his partners plenty of solo space. The deep pleasure that I saw on the video is evident in the music. Saleem has a powerful sound. He generally keeps his solos short and to the point, seamlessly shifting from soloist to accompanist. Oyobe, with only a few previous recordings to her credit, seems like the real deal. She’s got a great sense of time, technique to spare, and a penchant for long flowing lines. Her standout solo comes on Tophland, where she dazzles as she rides the waves of Parker’s propulsive drumming. The trio is equally effective at tempos like the brisk Coolypso, adapted from Monk’s Let’s Cool One or the deliberate pace of Dwa Serduzska, Parker’s delicate arrangement of a Polish folk song, which makes for an engrossing listening experience. The trio set ends with the title track, Tell Me, and everyone has their say on this happy swinging tune. Parker has placed a quartet track at the end of the CD, Title Waived. Steven Bernstein gives it atmosphere with a slew of brass instruments, guitarist Chris Biesterfeldt and bassist David Finck bring the funk, and the whole thing has a late-night slow groove. Not bad, really, but out of place just the same. But that’s no reason to ignore the trio material, which is well worth hearing. 

M’Bubba; Kyoko Oyobe (p) Ameen Saleem (b) Chris Parker (d) on * only: Steven Bernstein (tpt, slide tpt, tbn, euph) Chris Biesterfeldt (g) David Finck (b) Parker (d); NYC, no dates indicated; Coolypso/ Desaparecido/ Inferno Avenue/ Dwa Serduzska (for Hanna)/ Minky, Don't You Weep/ Nippon Days, Nippon Nights/ Tophland/ West Cornwall Bridge/ Tell Me/ Title Waived*; 59:24. www.chrisparkerdrums.com

New Candid Reissues

  Archie Bleyer owned Cadence Records, a pop music label that had a number of hits in the Fifties. He set up Candid Records as a subsidiary, hiring the well-known jazz writer and activist Nat Hentoff to run it. Starting with Otis Spann Is The Blues by the eminent Chicago blues pianist, Hentoff produced 34 albums before Bleyer threw in the towel, and sold Cadence and Candid in 1964. Hentoff had superb taste in jazz and blues, and he also knew that allowing musicians creative freedom in the studio was bound to resulting in some great music. He was right about that, and much of the original Candid catalog has remained in print for decades, under various owners. The current steward of Candid Records is Exceleration Music, which has been reissuing the catalog on vinyl, CD, and on streaming services. The latest batch of five jazz titles is illustrative of the quality and varied styles that the label offered. I’ve arranged these albums in order of recording dates, from Cecil Taylor in October 1960 to Booker Little in April 1961.

The World Of Cecil Taylor presents the iconoclastic pianist Cecil Taylor in trio and quartet formats. At the time this session was taped, bassist Buell Neidlinger and drummer Dennis Charles were performing with Taylor in Jack Gelber’s The Connection, and the rapport they established on the theater stage carried over into this studio recording. Saxophonist Archie Shepp, making his recording debut, appears on two tracks. It’s been over 6 decades since this session, but the music remains totally fresh and vibrant. While this reissue includes the original liner notes by Neidlinger and jazz critic Martin Williams, it somehow omits the recording dates and doesn’t add any of the alternate takes that have surfaced over the years. Still, this release is one of the gems of Taylor’s extensive discography. Candid CCD 30062; Archie Shepp (ts on *) Cecil Taylor (p) Buell Neidlinger (b) Dennis Charles (d); NYC, October 12-13, 1960; Air*/ This Nearly Was Mine/ Port of Call/ E.B./ Lazy Afternoon*; 48:41. 

Trumpeter Clark Terry had a long and distinguished career, with nearly one thousand entries in the online Jazz Discography. It would take an herculean effort to absorb all the music, but I think it’s safe to say that Color Changes, his 1960 Candid album, constitutes one of his best albums. Leading a octet that features multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, the album’s title perfectly captures the variety of sounds the band evinces over the course of 42 minutes. Four of the pieces are by Terry, and they’re joined by Bob Wilber’s Blue Waltz, Duke Jordan’s No Problem, and Lateef’s tribute to the bandleader, Brother Terry. Good material, with crisp arrangements by a variety of hands (including Al Cohn and Budd Johnson), and spirited playing by Terry, Lateef, trombonist Jimmy Knepper, and pianist Tommy Flanagan make this set worthy of revisiting again and again. Candid CCD 30092; Clark Terry (tpt, flgh) Jimmy Knepper (tbn) Julius Watkins (Fr hn) Seldon Powell (ts, fl) Yusef Lateef (ts, fl, Eng hn, oboe) Tommy Flanagan or Budd Johnson *(p) Joe Benjamin (b) Ed Shaughnessy (d); NYC, November 19, 1960; Blue Waltz (La Valse Bleue)/ Brother Terry/ Flutin’ and Fluglin’/ No Problem/ La Rive Gauche/ Nahstye Blues*/ Chat Qui Pèche (A Cat That Fishes); 42:03. .

Tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin has been a personal favorite since I first heard him as a member of Charles Mingus’ Jazz Workshop. That’s It! was his third album as a leader, with a hand-picked quartet featuring pianist Horace Parlan, bassist George Tucker, and drummer Al Harewood. They supply immaculately swinging support on four Ervin originals plus the ever-popular Poinciana and the even more frequently performed Speak Low by Kurt Weill. Ervin was totally serious about his music, and all of his recorded work is well worth hearing. As he told Nat Hentoff in the liner notes, “Music means so much to me that it wouldn’t figure to play like anyone but myself.” In addition to the Mingus connection, Ervin’s is often remembered for the superb series of albums he made for Prestige later in the Sixties. But don’t miss That’s It!, a wonderful session that presents one of the most distinctive tenormen of his era in full command of his instrument, his material, and his sidemen. Absolutely recommended. Candid CCD 30142; Booker Ervin (ts) Horace Parlan (p) George Tucker (b) Al Harewood (d); NYC, January 6, 1961; Mojo/ Uranus/ Poinciana/ Speak Low/ Booker’s Blues/ Boo; 43:13. www.candidrecords.com

Hentoff moved back to the swing era the month after the Ervin date with Jazz Reunion, a nearly perfect album with a septet helmed by Pee Wee Russell & Coleman Hawkins. Clarinetist Russell and tenor saxophone giant Hawkins were members of the Mound City Blue Blowers when the group recorded the famous and oft-anthologized Lola and If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) in November 1929. They played together with Henry “Red” Allen on the 1957 Sound Of Jazz broadcast on CBS, and again in 1958 on Art Ford’s Jazz Party, bootlegged on various issues. For this date, with pianist Nat Pierce supplying the arrangements, Milt Hinton on bass and the redoubtable Jo Jones on drums, and a brass section of Emmett Berry and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, Russell and Hawkins were inspired to create a real classic. From the opening reprise of If I Could Be With You to the ultra-relaxed swing of the closing What Am I Here For?, there is no shortage of gorgeous moments. Hawkins is in top form, and his sound is finely captured by Bob D’Orleans at New York’s Nola Penthouse Studios (where all five of these Candid albums was made). The less-celebrated Russell fares very well indeed. His solo feature, Mariooch, performed just with the rhythm section, is a gem of bluesy clarinet playing, and one of the high points of his lengthy musical career. Recommended? You bet. Candid CCD 30202; Emmett Berry (tp) Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb) Pee Wee Russell (cl) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Nat Pierce (p, arr) Milt Hinton (b) Jo Jones (d); NYC, February 23, 1961; If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)/ Tin Tin Deo/Mariooch/ All Too Soon/ 28th and 8th/ What Am I Here For?; 45:42. www.candidrecords.com

Listening to trumpeter Booker Little’s Out Front for the first time in years, I’m startled anew at his gorgeous tone, boldly imaginative phrasing, and rich compositional style on this spring 1961 album. It’s a great record, with Little at the helm of an immensely creative and supportive sextet, and I think if it stayed in perpetual daily rotation around the house, the music would lose none of its stop-in-your-tracks-and-listen power. One source of the date’s success is the tight bond between Little and percussionist Max Roach. The trumpeter made his recording debut in 1958 as a member of Roach’s hard-working quintet. Multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy was a new collaborator with Little, and his soloing on alto saxophone seems as fresh and raw as it did at the time. Who knows what fine music might have resulted from an extended relationship between these two instrumental giants, but alas, it was not to be. Little died later in the year; he was just 23. His place in the trumpet pantheon is assured through superb albums like this one. Once again, the packaging omits recording dates and omits the alternate takes that have appeared on previous reissues. Candid CCD 30272; Booker Little (tpt) Julian Priester (tbn) Eric Dolphy (as, bcl, fl) Don Friedman (p) Ron Carter or Art Davis* (b) Max Roach (d, tympani, vib); NYC, March 17* or April 4, 1961; We Speak*/ Strength and Sanity/ Quiet, Please*/ Moods in Free Time/ Man of Words/ Hazy Blues/ A New Day*; 44:01. www.candidrecords.com

Piano Trios!! (Part 3): Matthew Shipp, Steve Boudreau, Manel Fortià

  The Matthew Shipp Trio, with pianist Shipp, bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker, first recorded in 2015, with The Conduct of Jazz on the Thirsty Ear label. Since then, three more CDs as a trio have appeared, and they’ve also recorded with saxophonist Rich Halley (on Terra Incognita and The Shape Of Things, both on Halley’s Pine Eagle imprint) and with flutist Nicole Mitchell (All Things Are on Rogue Art). The latest trio release is the magnificent World Construct, where this unit’s power, delicacy, and sublimely interactive approach to Shipp’s compositions are deftly and constructively balanced. The eleven tunes range in length from under two minutes to over ten minutes. Some pieces, like the brief opening track, Tangible, hint at the blues. The meditative Sustained Construct, a solo piano piece, continues with a late-night bluesy feeling, but considerably more abstract. With Spine, we move into even freer territory, with assertive bass by Bisio and careful commentary by Baker. Shipp and Bisio spend most of the four minutes provoking one another in an extended dialogue. The tempo of Jazz Posture is pretty fast, with Shipp working across the full range of the piano as he unleashes long convoluted lines. Fast fingers from Bisio and a liberated Baker drive him along and keep the momentum going when the piano drops out for a spell. Beyond Understanding is both simple and mysterious, with Baker’s cymbals and Bisio’s deep tones hovering around Shipp’s skeletal melodies. The slightly meandering free movement of Talk Power is rather lovely, a carefully caressed melody with rhapsodic bass and minimalist drumming. At three and a half minutes, the music is a prime example of the taut constraint of the trio’s interactivity and their essentially ego-less unity of intent. It doesn’t surprise me that this revelation comes at the midpoint of this carefully sequenced disc, which juxtaposes changes in tempo to achieve an emotional arc to the full hour. Talk Power is followed by the explosive Abandoned, with an attack that’s strong enough to blow you out of your seat even if you’re expecting it. The band’s triologue continues with the less-fearsome A Mysterious State, with both Shipp on piano and Baker mostly on snare drum getting downright obsessive as Bisio’s bass dances all around them. Stop the World, not at all an unusual sentiment in this turbulent era, is a somber dialogue for piano and bass, with Bisio playing a powerfully heartfelt solo against Shipp’s sparse chording. Sly Glance is funky and in the pocket, which comes as a bit of surprise this late in the program, but definitely a welcome interlude. It tells me that they’re still having some fun with the music, even in the middle of a pandemic. The finale is the title track, and the longest piece. It opens with Shipp alone at the piano in a classical vein, and soon joined by Bisio and then Baker to embark on a deeply engrossing extended musical conversation. This driving upbeat number features Baker’s spectacular brushwork, Bisio’s patient throb, and Shipp’s endlessly flowing lines. World Construct is an instant classic, and very highly recommended. 

ESP-Disk ESP 5059; Matthew Shipp (p) Michael Bisio (b) Newman Taylor Baker (d); Brooklyn, NY, April 15, 2021; Tangible/ Sustained Construct/ Spine/ Jazz Posture/ Beyond Understanding/ Talk Power/ Abandoned/ A Mysterious State/ Stop the World/ Sly Glance/ World Construct; 58:12. www.espdisk.com

Canadian pianist and composer Steve Boudreau leads his trio with bassist Adrian Vedady and drummer Jim Doxas through nine original tunes and a Wayne Shorter piece on the distinctly pleasurable Cherished Possessions. There’s an easy-going charm to Boudreau’s songs and playing, and with Vedady and Doxas in elegant and engaged support, you can’t go wrong. Boudreau’s limber pianism and bright melodies give the trio plenty to work with. Especially fine are the title track, which opens the date with a prime example of the sonic pleasures that await you over the rest of the disc, the touching ballad Words of Hope, the buoyant and upbeat Rolling Oil, and the dancing rhythms of Charlie’s Family Reunion, which sounds like it was quite a party. Shorter’s immensely attractive Go, from Schizophrenia (a 1967 album on Blue Note) receives an effective mid-tempo treatment. Also worthy of note is the introspective Hear Wisdom. This piece is played very slowly, at a tempo that in lesser hands might drag and almost fall apart. Here the players treat the piece with just the right amount of movement and delicacy, with Vedady’s lyrical bass at the core. All in all, Cherished Possessions is a joy to listen to, and it’s warmly recommended. 

self-produced; Steve Boudreau (p) Adrian Vedady (b) Jim Doxas (d); Québec, PQ, October 2021; Cherished Possessions/ Words of Hope/ For Staff Only/ Descending Blues/ Encumbered/ Hear Wisdom/ Go/ Rolling Oil/ Isobel/ Charlie's Family Reunion; 47:35. www.steveboudreaumusic.com

When I started listening to Despertar, I was immediately grabbed by the soulful bass of Manel Fortià, evoking Charlie Haden as he played the introduction to Dormir, the brief opening track. With pianist Marco Mezquida and drummer Raphaël Pannier alongside, Fortià enjoys thoroughly dynamic and sympathetic support for this suite of original compositions. The CD is structured as a musical dream diary of New York City. The set opens with the brief Dormir (“to sleep” in English). Most of the next eight pieces reflect various aspects of the city, starting with the energetic bustle of Circular, dedicated to the JFK airport AirTrain. Other pieces are dedicated to some of New York’s vibrant neighborhoods, including Harlem (Espiritual), Astoria (Saudades), and Jackson Heights (the bouncy Simple). For just one track, El Día Después, the dream returns to Spain and La Rambla de Barcelona. Otherwise, we treated to the lasting impressions of Fortià from his stay in the city between 2016 and 2020. And then Despertar, and he awakens with a wistful and vaguely optimistic theme that morphs into a more anthemic style. Fortià has worked with both Mezquida and Pannier before, but on separate projects. United here, they form an ideal vehicle for Fortià’s vigorous and varied compositions. Track after track reveals the workings of a restless musical mind brought to an exciting realization by this finely honed trio. A triumph, and heartily recommended. 

Segell Microscopi; Manel Fortià (p) Marco Mezquida (b) Raphaël Pannier (d); Girona, Spain, no dates indicated; Dormir/ Circular/ Saudades/ Espiritual/ El Día Después/ Crescente/ Aires de Libertad/ Simple/ Despertar; 54:13. www.microscopi.cat

Jones Jones: Just Justice

  In an era of tremendous social upheaval around the world, a listener might expect rage and driven intensity from improvising musicians. After all, that’s what has heard on a lot of early ESP albums from the turbulent 1960s. But the world-class musicians of Jones Jones take a decidedly more thoughtful route for most of Just Justice, their new ESP-Disk CD. Larry Ochs on tenor and sopranino saxophones, Mark Dresser on bass, and Vladimir Tarasov on drums and percussion brought many hours of mutual musical encounters to the studio for this session, their first US release. The three first toured as a unit in 2008, with a few pieces released from concerts in Amsterdam and St. Petersburg. The flow they’ve developed for what the back cover describes as “spontaneous evocations” is nothing short of astonishing. All three of the musicians have been members of ground-breaking ensembles. Ochs is a founding member of the Rova Saxophone Quartet, begun in 1977 and still going strong. He has also participated in a number of other configurations, including this gem with a long-time collaborator, drummer Donald Robinson. Dresser was a member of the Anthony Braxton Quartet from 1985-1993, while Tarasov was one-third of the influential Ganelin Trio from the mid-Seventies until 1986. When you take a trio of masters who are committed to ego-free and deliriously empathetic music making, something special is liable to happen on a good day. And this January 2020 session in San Diego came on a very good day indeed. Musicians often have curious senses of humor, which explains the plain moniker they’ve attached to this band and the evocation of “Jones” in all of the titles assigned to their spontaneous inventions. From the nuanced Jones in the Sonar System to the wistful RBG Jones to the gently conversational And His Sisters Called Him Jones, Jones Jones’ music is carefully shaped in the moment, the result of deep listening and the kind of collective interaction that’s become second nature to these seasoned veterans. Highly recommended. 

ESP-Disk ESP5072; Larry Ochs (ts, sop s) Mark Dresser (b) Vladimir Tarasov (d, perc); San Diego, CA, January 16, 2020; Articulating Jones/ Bali Hai Jones/ Call of the Jones/ Jones in the Sonar System/ Jones Free Jones/ RBG Jones/ The Further Adventures of Ms. Microtonal Jones/ And His Sisters Called Him Jones; 49:53. www.espdisk.com

Alternative Guitar Summit: Honoring Pat Martino, Volume 1

  The late Pat Martino is one of the most influential and respected guitarists of the modern era. Obscured perhaps by his reputation as a killer guitarist are his many compositions. For its 2021 gathering, the Alternative Guitar Summit, helmed by guitarist and organizer Joel Harrison, aimed to showcase some of his tunes as played by a slew of other six-string players. Typically, as Harrison notes, there would have been a live show to celebrate and “honor a living composer/guitarist,” but the Covid epidemic got in the way of those plans. Instead, a number of musicians gathered at a recording studio in Brooklyn to pay tribute, resulting in the wonderful collection Honoring Pat Martino, Volume 1. Martino, who passed away in November 2021, was involved in the planning, even sending scores of unrecorded tunes to Harrison for possible inclusion. The performances in the Brooklyn studio were live-streamed, with Martino watching from his South Philadelphia home. Working with what Harrison describes as “treasure chest of the imagination,” he put as much variety into this set as Martino himself displayed over the course of his career. A quick look at the formidable list of players represented here, from Kurt Rosenwinkel, Peter Bernstein, and Russell Malone to Oz Noy and Rez Abbasi, should be more than enough to whet the appetite of jazz guitar fans. There’s no sense picking favorites on this nine-track collection, as the musicians’ respect for a master and an abiding love of his music come through loud and clear in every note. Definitely recommended. 

HighNote HCD 7333; Inside Out* (Adam Rogers, Peter Bernstein, g; Dezron Douglas, b; Allan Mednard, d; Brooklyn, NY/ Black Glass (Kurt Rosenwinkel, g, b, d)/ Line Games (Fareed Haque, g; Kevin Kozol, kybd; Alex Austin, b; Greg Fundis, d; Richard Christian, tablas; Chicago, IL)/ Willow* (Sheryl Bailey, Ed Cherry, g; Douglas, b; Mednard, d; Brooklyn, NY) Noshufuru* (Rez Abbasi, Jeff Miles, g; Douglas, b; Mednard, d; Brooklyn, NY)/ Lament (Russell Malone, g; Bellmore, NY)/ On the Stairs* (Dave Stryker, Paul Bollenback, g; Douglas, b; Mednard, d; Brooklyn, NY)/ Joyous Lake* (Nir Felder, Oz Noy, g; Chulo Gatewood, b; Tobias Ralph. d; Brooklyn, NY)/ Country Road (Joel Harrison). Tracks marked with *, Brooklyn, NY, March 20, 2021; other pieces recorded in Chicago, IL [Line Games], Bellmore, NY, [Lament], and private studios, all 2021. 59:08; www.jazzdepot.com

GULFH Of Berlin

Aggressively bold live sound manipulation by Michael Haves makes all the difference in giving the freely improvised music of GULFH Of Berlin its special character. The group’s name is derived from the names of the participants: “G” is for Gerhard Gschlössl, playing trombone and sousaphone. “U” is for Gebhard Ullmann, heard on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet. “L” is for Jan Leipnitz, on bass and cello. “F” is for Johannes Fink, drums and objects. “H,” of course, is Haves. A quartet of freewheeling improvisers can generate plenty of surprises without electronics, but Haves’ continual manipulation of his instrumental surroundings makes virtually every moment fresh and invigorating. The prolific Ullmann is probably the best known player on the date, and his many innovative recordings have led to him being described as a “disciplined sculptor of sound” (Steve Loewy), someone who shapes “his improvisations like a sculptor” (Neil Tesser). For this ensemble, he seems to have abdicated his usual role by inviting Haves and his electronics into the band and letting him have the lead in tailoring the results. It’s generally pointless to attempt to describe improvised music, but in this case, it seems even more meaningless than usual. Let’s just say that you’re in the mood for three-quarters of an hour of vigorous, uncompromising and utterly fascinating improvised sound, this one’s for you. Recommended, especially for headphone enthusiasts. 

ESP-Disk ESP5054; Gerhard Gschlössl (tbn, sous) Gebhard Ullmann (ts, bcl) Johannes Fink (b, clo) Jan Leipnitz (d, objects) Michael Haves (live sound processing); Berlin, Germany, March 6, 2018; Nether/ K3/ Joja Romp/ GG/ Tellus/ Serenade/ Prisoner’s Dilemma/ Mann aus dem Himmel/ 5 Elements/ Jeton; 43:33. www.gebhard-ullmann.com www.espdisk.com

Piano Trios!! (Part 2): Dave Brubeck, Cyrus Chestnut

 

Remember Paul Desmond’s old joke about being asked “how many of there are you in the quartet?”? Well, for one night in Vienna in 1967, there were only three musicians on stage instead of four, so the Dave Brubeck Trio played a set instead. Desmond never made it to Austria in time for the gig, after getting “distracted” during a night on the town in Hamburg. The audience’s loss back then is our treat today, as Live From Vienna 1967 documents the only known recording of Brubeck, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello performing as a trio. This show comes from near the end of the famed unit’s final tour. The band played their last performance in Pittsburgh on Boxing Day 1967 (issued on Columbia as The Last Time Out). All the pieces in the trio set were being played by the quartet on this tour, as we know from various recordings. But of course the audience could not have known how the same pieces might have sounded in Paris or Holland, so they get to savor these renditions in the trio format with more space for bassist Wright and drummer Morello. In his brief liner note, Dave’s son Darius Brubeck writes that his father had said “that the best concerts by the Classic Quartet took place when he was angry.” He was surely angry on this night, and the best way to make the crowd get past their expectations was to inject that frustration into the music. The trio comes roaring out with St. Louis Blues, a staple of jazz repertoire for decades by then, and frequently performed by the Brubeck quartet. The swinging never stops. Wright and Morello were one of the best bass and drums teams of the era, but since their work together was limited to Brubeck and his many projects, the pair didn’t get the respect they might have engendered if they’d had the chance to work in other contexts. Be that as it may, their contributions make this release a real standout in the extensive Brubeck discography. The crowd is loving it too, as their strong applause for a furious rendition of Someday My Prince Will Come makes clears. Live From Vienna 1967 is strongly recommended. 

Brubeck Editions BECD20220301; Dave Brubeck (p) Eugene Wright (b) Joe Morello (d); Vienna, Austria, November 12, 1967; St. Louis Blues/ One Moment Worth Years/ Swanee River/ La Paloma Azul/ Someday My Prince Will Come/Take the "A" Train; 42:39. brubeckeditions.com

We all know that musical ability runs in families. For instance, four of Dave Brubeck’s six children became professional musicians. It turns out that the estimable pianist Cyrus Chestnut started playing when he was “between 2 and 3 years old” when his legs “were strong enough to climb up on the bench” and sit next to his father as he played the piano. The elder Chestnut, who was self-taught and played extensively in church, nurtured and inspired the talented youngster. McDonald Chestnut passed away in May 2021, at the age of 85. My Father’s Hands, with Chestnut joined by bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash, is the pianist’s “statement of gratitude” to his father. Chestnut has frequently done sessions in a trio format, and very successfully I might add. His penchant for soulful, churchy playing has long been recognized. For this very personal outing, Chestnut has chosen songs that have a special meaning for him, including a quartet of original compositions. The immense rapport of the musicians is apparent from the start, with the hard-bopping original Nippon Soul Connection. That should be no surprise: Chestnut and drummer Nash have played together many times over the years in varied contexts, while Nash and Washington have an almost unbelievably extensive mutual discography. They first teamed up on a Grady Tate session in 1989, and since then they’ve worked with everyone from Tommy Flanagan to Jimmy Heath and on and on. Their almost telepathic link helps the music dance and come alive. Chestnut’s one solo performance on this disc comes on a suitably emotional reading of I Must Tell Jesus. My Father’s Hands is a beautifully crafted tribute, and a story, in Chestnut’s words, “of a son being grateful to his father for all of the lessons taught.” Don’t miss it. 

HighNote HCD 7339; Cyrus Chestnut (p) Peter Washington (b) Lewis Nash (d); NYC, December 14, 2021; Nippon Soul Connection/ Thinking About You/ Cubano Chant/ Baubles, Bangles and Beads/ Yesterday/ I Must Tell Jesus/ Working Out Just Fine/ There Will Never Be Another You/ But Beautiful/ Epilogue; 49:29. www.jazzdepot.com

Mingus At 100: The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott's & Mingus Three Deluxe Edition

 

The Charles Mingus Sextet was in the middle of a European tour in the summer of 1972 when the band stopped in London to play at the famed Ronnie Scott’s club. Mingus was signed to Columbia Records at the time, and the company had the final two nights of the engagement recorded for use as a live album. But Columbia dropped all of its jazz signings (except for Miles Davis) unexpectedly in the spring of 1973. Mingus’ widow Sue Mingus has had the multi-tracks since then. So, on the centenary of Mingus’ birth in 1922 and nearly half a century after this music thrilled the British audiences, we have a chance to hear The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott’s. Many of the exemplary historical releases of the past few years have been sourced from radio network archives, often from Europe, which makes this set even more of a treasure. The band that Mingus brought to Europe was a short-lived version of the Jazz Workshop, lasting only as long as this tour. Trumpeter Jon Faddis was on hand, accompanied in the front line by Mingus stalwart Charles McPherson on alto and Bobby Jones on tenor and clarinet. John Foster was at the piano, and also sings on Noddin’ Ya Head Blues. On drums and musical saw was Roy Brooks, himself the subject of a 2021 vault release. While this may not be anyone’s favorite Mingus aggregation, no Mingus performance is without its highlights. The bassist himself, moved way forward in the mix, is in wonderfully propulsive form, and a study of his playing alone over the nearly two and a half hours presented here would be an education all by itself. But of course there’s much more to listen to, especially Brooks’ controlled explosiveness at the drums and McPherson’s unflappable neo-bop solos. Zev Feldman, who co-produced this project with David Weiss, has assembled a typically comprehensive booklet to accompany the music. There are liner notes by veteran British jazz writer Brian Priestley, who actually attended a couple of the sets. He also interviewed Mingus and McPherson at the club, also included. Reminiscences by McPherson, bassist Eddie Gomez, and Ronnie Scott’s widow Mary Scott are also part of the package, which also features an appreciation by bassist Christian McBride. Most surprising of all is an interview with Fran Lebowitz, who met Mingus around 1970 when she worked at Changes, the arts magazine run by Sue Graham, soon to be Sue Mingus. If this had been edited for a live single album, we might never have heard these full half-hour or so versions of Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk, Mind Readers’ Convention in Milano, and Fables of Faubus, featuring one of the greatest bass solos you’ve ever heard. So let’s welcome the deluxe expanded edition of the 1972 lp that never was! One of the top historical releases of the year, and strongly recommended. 

Resonance HCD-2063; Jon Faddis (tpt) Charles McPherson (as) Bobby Jones (ts, cl) John Foster (p; vcl on *) Charles Mingus (b) Roy Brooks (d, musical saw); London, England, August 14-15, 1973; Disc 1 (51:37): Introduction/ Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk/ Noddin’ Ya Head Blues*. Disc 2 (30:47): Mind Readers’ Convention in Milano (a/k/a Number 29)/ Ko Ko (Theme). Disc 3 (63:10): Fables of Faubus/ Pops (a/k/a When the Saints Go Marching In)/ The Man Who Never Sleeps/ Air Mail Special. www.resonancerecords.org

Charles Mingus would have been 100 on April 22. To mark the occasion, Rhino released a deluxe reissue of Mingus Three, his 1957 trio date for Jubilee Records. Hampton Hawes is at the piano, and Dannie Richmond is on drums. It was near the start of Richmond’s tenure with Mingus, which lasted, with some interruptions, until the bassist’s final recording session in 1973. It’s a rare trio session for Mingus, and there are more standards than original tunes. For Mingus, this was a creative year. He was recording The Clown for Atlantic just before Mingus Three and starting work on Tijuana Moods for RCA just nine days afterwards. Hawes was, arguably, at his best in 1956 and 1957. His deep affinity for the blues makes him a fine partner for the earthy bass of Mingus. Richmond, for his part, largely stays in the background, cutting loose for a solo just once. There’s no doubt that piano and bass are the co-stars with plenty of spirited dialogue. Nat Hentoff noted that in his original liner notes, and frequent Mingus associate Sy Johnson makes the same point in his new notes. The musicians make the peppy swing of the original seven tracks sound so easy, but of course, it takes work to make it sound that way. By chance, according to the press release, the session tapes were recently uncovered in the vaults of London Parlophone. For the first time, we’re treated to no fewer than six alternate takes and two takes of an untitled blues. It’s a delightful and instructive array of songs, highlighted by the bassist’s playing on the untitled blues and Hawes’ rollicking solo on the alternate of Hamp’s New Blues. Mingus fans shouldn’t miss this release. 

Rhino (Lp, CD, & streaming); Hampton Hawes (p) Charles Mingus (b) Dannie Richmond (d); NYC, July 9, 1957; Yesterdays/ Back Home Blues/ I Can’t Get Started/ Hamp’s New Blues/ Summertime/ Dizzy Moods/ Laura/ Untitled Blues (take 1)*/ Untitled Blues (take 2)*/ Back Home Blues (take 6, incomplete)*/ Hamp’s New Blues (take 4)*/ I Can’t Get Started (take 4)*/ Yesterdays (take 2, incomplete)*/ Dizzy Moods (take 2)*/ Summertime (take 3)*; 75:48. Tracks marked with * are previously unissued. store.rhino.com/artist/charles-mingus.html

Piano Trios!! (Part 1): Pete Malinvervni, Armen Donelian, Tyshawn Sorey, Alan Broadbent

  The piano trio format never seems to go out of style. And why should it, when a unit of piano, bass, and drums is capable of taking advantage of virtually any musical approach, from playing faithful versions of standards on the one hand to totally free improvisation on the other, and everything in between. Each season seems to bring forward a new batch of recordings, so here’s a look at some of the latest releases. 

    A concept that has proved successful time and again is a collection of tunes by a single composer. On The Town, wherein Pete Malinverni Plays Leonard Bernstein, is a solid addition to the trio literature. With the simpatico backing of bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Jeff Hamilton, the veteran pianist Malinverni offers an hour of Bernstein’s music, plus A Night on the Town, an original composition in his spirit. The material is mostly drawn from Bernstein’s music for Broadway in the shows On The Town (1944), Wonderful Town (1953) and West Side Story (1957), recently revitalized by the Steven Spielberg film. Save for Some Other Time, a particular favorite of Bill Evans, Bernstein’s music has not been played all that much by improvisers, but Malinverni makes a case for revisiting these songs. From the first chorus of New York, New York, you know that you’re in for a treat for the next hour. Malinverni’s keen melodicism, Okegwo’s emphatic groove, and Hamilton’s joy-filled drive make a perfect combination. As a bonus, Malinverni’s liner notes relate a few choice anecdotes relating to Bernstein, plus a brief discussion of the maestro’s characteristic musical patterns. He concludes by passing on his hope that in listening to On The Town, “you will be reminded of the greatness of Leonard Bernstein while seeing that his wonderful songs can take a little twisting and turning, without losing their innate beauty.” Mission accomplished! Highly recommended. 

Planet Arts; Pete Malinverni (p) Ugonna Okegwo (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); Englewood Cliffs, NY, April 11, 2021; New York New York/ Lucky to Be Me/ Somewhere/ Cool/ Simple Song/ I Feel Pretty/ Lonely Town/ Some Other Time/ It’s Love/ A Night on the Town; 59:30. www.PlanetArts.org

Pianist Armen Donelian composed five of the songs for his latest CD, Fresh Start, with his new trio of bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Dennis Mackrel. The balance of this largely compelling release comes from writers as varied as fellow pianist Richie Beirach (Gale), Indian drummer Vatan Rajan Singh (Ferry Maiden), and the late multi-instrumentalist Makanda Ken McIntyre (Day Break, from a 1975 quartet date on SteepleChase), plus a brief group improvisation (Tales in the Western Night) that fades out to end the disc. Also on the program are a pair of standards (I’m Stepping Out With a Memory Tonight, from 1940, and Never Let Me Go, from 1956). On the former, Donelian sings and plays piano, with Anderson and Mackrel overdubbing their parts later. Let’s just say that Donelian is not much of a singer, but given all the work that went into the production, the lyric must mean something special to him. The mood of Donelian’s new music, written during the pandemic, naturally enough is often melancholy and wistful but with an optimistic core of innate lyricism. One key to the success of this release the way the instrumental focus keeps shifting, often unexpectedly, from piano to bass to drums. It helps, naturally, that Donelian has such astute companions in this journey. Bassist Anderson is a stellar accompanist in this setting. He is no less formidable and inventive as a soloist, and his frequent solos are a pleasure. Drummer Mackrel, a solid and understated swinger, completes the superbly balanced trio. His delicate cymbal work is especially fine. Some of the highlights: the slow to develop In the Western Night, which unfolds rather beautifully over six minutes, the captivating Noviembre which opens the CD, and the way the trio caresses the melody of Never Let Me Go. All told, this session is indeed a Fresh Start for a reinvigorated Armen Donelian. It’s well worth your time. 

Sunnyside SSC 4036; Armen Donelian (p, vcl on *) Jay Anderson (b) Dennis Mackrel (d); Saugerties, NY, June 14, 15 & 17, 2021, exc. *piano & vocal, October 16, 2020; Noviembre/ Fresh Start/ Ferry Maiden/ Madagascar/ Gale/ Never Let Me Go/ Tirado/ In the Western Night/ Day Break/ Janet Left the Planet/ I’m Stepping Out With a Memory Tonight*/ Tales in the Western Night; 64:23. www.sunnysiderecords.com

Tyshawn Sorey, usually playing drums, has been involved in at least 100 recording sessions since his debut in 2002 on saxophonist Andre Vida’s Child Real Eyes. Since then, this endlessly creative musician has worked with such luminaries as Anthony Braxton, Vijay Iyer, Billy Bang, Steve Lehman, Steve Coleman, Kris Davis, Henry Grimes, Pete Robbins, Roscoe Mitchell - the list goes on and on. But the 2017 MacArthur Fellow and Professor of Music, is also a composer of note, who attracted a great deal of attention early in 2022 for his Monochromatic Light (Afterlife). This piece, for chamber choir, keyboards, viola, bass-baritone, and percussion, was written for the 50th anniversary of the Rothko Chapel in Houston. His latest venture is rather different, to say the least. Mesmerism is a thoughtfully selected batch of standards and jazz originals played by the Tyshawn Sorey Trio, with pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Matt Brewer. Sorey enlisted his drum teacher and mentor Michael Carvin to produce the date, and the results are riveting. Sorey is working here for the first time with pianist Aaron Diehl, with whom Sorey cites “a brotherly connection,” and bassist Matt Brewer, a rhythm section partner on a number of projects over the years. The set leads off with Horace Silver’s Enchantment, with a refined Diehl introduction setting up a snaky groove. From the start, it’s crystal clear that this is a supremely relaxed unit, immersed in powerfully intuitive playing. With Sorey’s sublimely elegant drumming and the unfailingly supportive bass of Brewer prominent in the mix, the music easily fulfills Sorey’s wish to “document the unwavering love and appreciation” he has for these songs. The longest piece here is Detour Ahead, introduced in 1948 and a favorite tune of Bill Evans. Sorey chart takes the title literally with an arrangement that keeps slipping harmonic modulations into the structure to build a beguiling and continuously fascinating performance. Joseph Kosma’s 1945 Autumn Leaves, the oldest piece on the disc, has inspired countless versions over the decades. The Sorey trio’s downtempo take on the familiar melody is utterly relaxed and absorbing. Brewer plays a countermelody to Diehl’s piano while Sorey dances around them before the bassist steps out for a tasteful solo that picks up the pace a bit. Diehl then follows with his own ruminations to take the tune out. Paul Motian’s From Time to Time, premiered in 1991, is the most recent of Sorey’s selections and the song subjected to the most alteration. The taut atomistic arrangement puts particular emphasis on the resonances of each note and the space created by the relationships of the instruments. The trio is effectively “sneaking up” on the melody in a masterful performance. Muhal Richard Abrams’ Two Over One first appeared on Sightsong, the pianist’s 1975 duet album with bassist Malachi Favors Magostut. It’s a simple tune that receives a straight-forwardly swinging rendition here, with bluesy variations by Diehl and loose but slamming drums from Sorey. When a piece by Duke Ellington is performed by a group, it’s always revealing to see what’s picked, since the possibilities are nearly endless. For his Duke selection, Sorey gets right to the core of swinging jazz with the downhome REM Blues. This piece was first heard as Blues For Blanton on a 1950 date for Mercer Records, then revived and retitled for Money Jungle, the phenomenal meeting of Duke, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach in 1962. The trio concludes the CD version of this release with a happy groove, guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Mesmerism is an instant classic, and strongly recommended. And lest you think that the multi- disciplinary Sorey limits himself in any way, I urge you to check out his contribution of a new composition for Johnny Gandelsman’s latest project, This Is America: An Anthology 2020-2021, his remarkable three CD collection of commissions for solo violin that comes out within a week of Mesmerism. 

Yeros7 Music; Aaron Diehl (p) Matt Brewer (b) Tyshawn Sorey (d); Brooklyn, NY, May 26, 2021; Enchantment/ Detour Ahead/ Autumn Leaves/ From Time to Time/ Two Over One/ REM Blues*; 47:54. *on CD and streaming only. tyshawn-sorey.bandcamp.com

On their third Savant release, the Alan Broadbent Trio explores even more deeply the obvious connection that pianist Broadbent, bassist Harvie S and drummer Billy Mintz share in the making of seriously swinging trio music. The aptly-titled Like Minds touches on repertoire from across the jazz spectrum, with just one Broadbent original (the gently flowing Prelude to Peace). In my view, any album that opens with This I Dig Of You, my favorite Hank Mobley tune (from Soul Station, 1960), is a sure winner. Broadbent and his mates do the happy groove real justice, and it sets the stage for this satisfying and enjoyable recording. All three players have lists of credits that are long and varied, and anyone paying attention to jazz over the last fifty years has surely encountered these musicians in multiple situations over the years. Let’s just note that they sound better than ever here, having established an authentically organic telepathic connection with this particular trio. Particularly fine are their tasty dissection of With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair, heard a lot after its introduction by Kay Kyser in 1940 but seldom afterwards, the finger-snapping version at Sonny Rollins’ classic Airegin with some lovely brushwork by Mintz, the perennial Stairway to the Stars, played very slowly and poignantly, and Bud Powell’s Blue Pearl. This one was first heard on disc in 1957 and performed infrequently since then. This trio’s lightly grooving rendition features an inspired series of trades between bass and drums, with Broadbent taking over about halfway through. I was quite taken with the trio’s second album, Trio In Motion, and I’m equally impressed with Like Minds. Happily recommended. 

Savant SCD 2198; Alan Broadbent (p) Harvie S (b) Billy Mintz (d); NYC, April 29 & July 27, 2021; This I Dig Of You/ Prelude to Peace/ With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair/ Dance Only With Me/ Airegin/ Stairway to the Stars/ Blue Pearl/ This is New/ Yardbird Suite; 59:37. www.jazzdepot.com