Satoko Fujii: Torrent

  Blessed with a fecund musical imagination and fleet fingers wedded to impeccable technique plus formidable determination, the prolific pianist Satoko Fujii is at her best on Torrent. The pandemic limited her to playing at home, either solo or with her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. This solo piano recital was recorded in the municipal theater in Iwo City, Japan, and was totally spontaneous. As she notes, after the restrictions due to Covid, she says she feels “more comfortable now playing unaccompanied. It’s like looking down into myself.” The audience, both in Iyo City and now at home, reaps the benefits of her introspection. Besides playing the piano at home, she must have done a fair amount of experimentation with pedals and playing the insides of the instrument. Some of the sounds she produces for this concert are other-worldly, almost electronic in places. The use of extended techniques is most pronounced on the endlessly fascinating Cut the Painter, with manipulation of the strings, bangs on different parts of the instrument, and a curious drone effect, plus gentle melodies from the keyboard. All of her music is wildly unpredictable, as short phrases lead to dense passages and calm sections are contrasted with turbulent bursts of sound. Light on the Sea Surface is one of the more impressive pieces on the program. In the first half, a constant flow of ripples from the right hand is contrasted with some heavy and dark chords from the left hand. The second half of the performance is somewhat solemn, with lots of silence and more strong work at the bass end of the piano. The track ends with a thunderous attack, heavy on the bass, before dissolving into silence. The first few minutes of the peaceful Horizon combine a gentle melody with occasional light strums directly on the piano’s strings. Slowly, the music becomes more aggressive and stormy. The finale, Wave Crest, starts out with a call-and-response pattern between the two hands. The approach is reminiscent of Cecil Taylor’s solo performances, both at the start and as the piece evolves into dense and busy flurries of notes in a sumptuous display of Fujii’s formidable and occasionally forbidding playing. Torrent is a total triumph, beautifully recorded, and a journey worth savoring again and again. 

Libra 201-072; Satoko Fujii (p); Iyo City, Japan, October 10, 2022; Torrent/ Voyage/ Light on the Sea Surface/ Cut the Painter/ Horizon/ Wave Crest; 52:56. satokofujii.bandcamp.com www.librarecords.com

Rich Halley: Fire Within

  Fire Within is the third collaboration between saxophonist Rich Halley and pianist Matthew Shipp’s trio with Michael Bisio on bass and Newman Taylor Baker on drums. Their rapport is inspiring through five collectively composed performances. The level of unconscious synchronicity the quartet displays is genuinely uncanny, as the musical focus shifts from player to player with an intuitive logic. Halley, with a formidable command of his instrument, seems more ruminative than I’ve heard him play in the past. While his tone may be a bit lighter, his imagination hasn’t flagged at all. Angular Logic offers some of his most robust and excitable playing of the session, provoking the rhythm section into some complex and upbeat areas. The always wonderful Matthew Shipp is in very fine form, accompanying Halley with immense sensitivity and soloing with a delicious sense of propulsion. With his big sound, bassist Bisio holds down the bottom with a calm and measured approach to his improvisations. Baker, who lays out often, is a vigorous and sensitive drummer, perfectly attuned to the needs of the music. His African-flavored opening to Following the Stream sets the stage for a turbocharged exploration of the many possibilities of the format, from a calm piano solo to furious onslaughts of sound from Halley’s tenor sax. Only the brief and moody Through Still Air, with its focus on Bisio’s whiny arco playing, failed to excite me. Fire Within presents a formidable improvising ensemble, well worth hearing. Definitely recommended. 

Pine Eagle 015; Rich Halley (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Michael Bisio (b) Newman Taylor Baker (d); Brooklyn, NY, July 12, 2023; Fire Within/ Inferred/ Angular Logic/ Through Still Air/ Following the Stream; 54:31. www.richhalley.com

Tomas Fujiwara: Pith

  Percussionist Tomas Fujiwara leads his 7 Poets Trio, with Patricia Brennan on vibes and Tomeka Reid on cello, on the Out Of Your Head release Pith. Now, pith is a very interesting word, going back to before the 12th century. It originally meant a “central strand of spongy tissue in the stems of most vascular plants,” but came to also mean “the essential core”. These days, the word is most often heard as part of the adjective “pithy”. What does this have to do with the music, you may ask. The 7 Poets Trio dives right into the central conundrum of improvised music: with a given set of musicians, how can we balance their individuality and the need for group cohesion in a way that honors the music above all? That’s the pith of the situation. And the trio addresses that question with a series of delicately balanced and poised performances. Fujiwara composed all the material, save for Other, a collective free-for-all. His melodies serve as frameworks for inspired solos and dynamic interplay. As a teenager, Fujiwara studied with the great Boston drummer Alan Dawson before moving to New York to immerse himself in the scene there. His complex and inventive playing has enlivened many an ensemble, and he seems to be busy forming new ones all the time. The 7 Poets Trio is his latest venture, and it shows a lot of potential for further development. The imaginative cellist Tomeka Raid has quite a lot of tricks up her sleeves, from bass-like walking lines to extended arco technique. On the atmospheric and tempo-less Resolve, she delivers a ghostly sound with the bow while Fujiwara softly uses mallets on cymbals and drums. All the while Brennan is laying down an extended melodic line. Mysterious at first, the piece carefully turns into a peaceful ballad. Josho. with Fujiwara keeping a light and steady beat, is the most “jazzy” of his tunes, with Brennan and Reid each contributing succinct solos. On vibes, Brennan maintains a bright sound and a steady flow of ideas, making her a perfect foil to Fujiwara’s equally creative drumming. Pith is a thoroughly delightful release, highly recommended. 

Out Of Your Head OOYH 022; Patricia Brennan (vib) Tomeka Reid (clo) Tomas Fujiwara (d); New Haven, CT, April 15, 2023; Solace/Swelter/ Resolve/ Josho/ Other/ Breath;  38:44. www.outofyourheadrecords.com

Rudy Royston Flatbed Buggy: Day

  The superb drummer Rudy Royston & his Flatbed Buggy ensemble are back with the thoroughly wonderful Day. An hour of original tunes, mostly by Royston, the work is meant to evoke the contours of a single day. The band offers the enchanting blend of bass clarinet (John Ellis), accordion (Gary Versace), cello (Hank Roberts), and bass (Joe Martin), with Royston’s deft and nuanced drumming at the core of the group’s sound. The combination of Ellis’ nimble bass clarinet, Roberts’ adroit cello, and Versace’s lively accordion gives this quintet a unique sound that captivates immediately. From the joyful opening on Morning through the rigors of the day and on to the unwinding of the evening in It’s Time to Sleep and Hank Roberts’ hypnotic A.M. Hours, the ensemble is distinctive, dynamic, and full of surprises. Royston has had a very busy career, appearing on well over 100 sessions since his recorded debut with saxophonist Fred Hess in December 1991. Also on that date was trumpeter Ron Miles, and the two shared many bandstands and recording dates over the years. Miles, passed away in 2022, and Royston touchingly dedicates this music to “my late brother Ritchie Royston and my late brother Ron Miles.” Royston has arranged the pieces in a way that tends to de-emphasize the solo contributions of his bandmates and instead stresses the entwined textures and myriad possibilities afforded by the instrumentation. The melancholy ballad Missing You is one highlight, with its sad melody carefully intoned by bass clarinet, accordion and cello. The pace is slow at first, gradually building to a controlled frenzy under solos by Ellis and Roberts until Royston brings things to a head, and the collective energy dissipates. The swinging Keep It Moving is another favorite, sparked by Royston’s exuberant drumming. There are echoes of gospel music, the blues, folk music of all kinds, and jazz in its many manifestations mixed up all together in Royston’s tunes, and it makes for a stirring brew. Heartily recommended. 

Greenleaf Music GRE-CD-1100; John Ellis (bcl) Gary Versace (acc) Hank Roberts (clo) Joe Martin (b) Rudy Royston (d); Paramus, NJ, August 2022; Morning/ Thank You For This Day/ Limeni Village/ Look to the Hills/ The Mokes/ Five-Thirty Strut/ Missing You/ Keep It Moving/ It’s Time to Sleep/ A.M. Hours; 59:46. greenleafmusic.com

Wes Montgomery & the Wynton Kelly Trio: Maximum Swing: The Unissued Half Note Recordings

  Guitarist Wes Montgomery and pianist Wynton Kelly first recorded together in late 1961 on Bags Meets Wes!, a Montgomery/ Milt Jackson project for Riverside Records. Clearly, they really got along on a musical level, getting together again for Wes’ Full House in 1962 for Riverside, and for the classic Smokin’ At The Half Note, recorded for Verve at various times during 1965. Now, with the release of Maximum Swing: The Unissued Half Note Recordings, we have another two hours of the Wes Montgomery & the Wynton Kelly Trio to enjoy, all from 1965. The music will be available on limited edition vinyl for Record Store Day and on CD in early December. All of disc one and the first three tracks on disc two of the CD version were originally broadcast on Alan Grant’s WABC Portraits in Jazz radio show. The final five tracks were sourced from the private collection of Yoshio Tokui of the wesFANclub in Japan. Many of the airchecks appeared on bootlegs, in poor sound, but the fan club tapes are previously unissued in any format. The quarter-hour segments of the radio broadcasts featured two or three tunes. On the Tokui recordings, made without the self-editing necessary for the radio show, Wes and company got to really stretch out, extending their performances to lengths unheard in most other settings. Sound quality on the broadcasts is quite good, which took some tinkering by restoration engineer Matthew Lutthans. The poorly recorded Tokui segment is another matter, and Lutthans describes the process of making this section listenable. As rough as it still is after digital manipulation, you get used to the sound after a few minutes. The band’s fantastic 10-minute version of Cherokee, taken at the song’s typical frantic pace, offers a genuine look at Montgomery and company on stage with no considerations beyond hard blowing. Kelly gets to play more on these tracks, too, another bonus. Montgomery is in great form throughout both discs, with several outstanding performances that listeners will return to again and again, including a stunning solo on the November 12 version of Four On Six and more jaw-dropping soloing on The Song is You, which also features some spirited exchanges by Montgomery and Kelly with drummer Jimmy Cobb. The 52-page booklet includes Bill Milkowski’s informative liner notes, Lutthans’ discussion of mastering the album, and a note by Yoshio Tokui on the origin of the tapes. There are also previously unseen photographs by Raymond Ross, remembrances by Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter (who subbed for the incredibly busy Paul Chambers on the November 5 performance), and appreciations by Bill Frisell, Mike Stern, and Marcus Miller. Miller is Wynton Kelly’s cousin and he’s got some good stories to tell. Alan Grant signed off his broadcasts by saying “Stay beautiful” and that’s easy to do when savoring the sounds of Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly trio. Highest recommendation! 

Resonance HCD-2067 (also on vinyl): Wes Montgomery (g) Wynton Kelly (p) Paul Chambers$, Ron Carter*, Larry Ridley#, or Herman Wright% (b) Jimmy Cobb (d); NYC, dates as noted; Disc 1 (50:10): September 24, 1965: Laura/ Cariba/ Blues; November 5, 1965*: Impressions/ Mi Cosa/ No Blues; November 12, 1965#: Birks’ Works/ Four on Six/ The Theme. Disc 2 (74:18): November 19, 1965%: All the Things You Are/ I Remember You/ No Blues; late November, 1965#: Cherokee/ The Song is You/ Four on Six/ Star Eyes/ Oh, You Crazy Moon. www.resonancerecords.org

Cal Tjader: Catch The Groove, Live at The Penthouse, 1963-1967

  In the press release for the Record Store Day issue of Catch The Groove, Live at The Penthouse, 1963-1967, a compilation of radio broadcasts by Cal Tjader, it’s noted that the last new music to be heard from the late vibraphonist came out two decades ago. The reference is to Cuban Fantasy (Fantasy, 2003), which I had the immense pleasure of producing from performances in San Francisco in 1977. Now I have the added enjoyment of listening to several earlier editions of his bands beautifully captured from a series of appearances at the Penthouse in Seattle. Zev Feldman has been working for years with the stash of tapes from the club recorded and preserved by Jim Wilke. In addition to the wonderful music that he’s been presenting, Feldman always puts together appreciative and informative packages for his releases. The booklet for this set includes memorabilia from the club, previously unseen photos, admiring notes from vibraphonists Joe Locke, Gary Burton, and Terry Gibbs, plus heartfelt reminiscences by drummer Carl Burnett (heard on the 1966 and 1967 sessions), pianist Eddie Palmieri (who made two records with Tjader), and percussionist Poncho Sanchez (who played in Tjader’s band from 1975 until Tjader passed away in 1982), and more. Jim Wilke describes the sound of the band as “good-natured, outgoing music,” and from the warm appreciations that appear in the booklet, it seems that “good-natured” and “outgoing” describe the man as well as his music. There have been a few non-Latin musicians who became well-known for their forays into Latin music. Tjader’s heritage was Swedish, but that didn’t really matter, since he demonstrated a genuine affinity for Latin rhythms. Palmieri calls him “the most natural musician I’ve ever met,” high praise indeed. The first of the 27 songs heard in this set is Billy Strayhorn’s Take the “A” Train and the last track is Along Comes Mary, the 1966 pop hit by the Association. Each one, and everything in between, including standards like Here’s That Rainy Day and On Green Dolphin Street, original tunes like Tjader’s Davito and Soul Burst and jazz compositions like Strayhorn’s Lush Life and Milt Jackson’s Bags’ Groove, gets a respectful and swinging arrangement. The musical treats here are plentiful, with Tjader’s immensely appealing vibraphone inventions front and center, with sustained rhythmic fire from drummers Johnny Rae and Carl Burnett, and Bill Fitch and the masterful Armando Peraza on congas and bongos. When a 24-year old Poncho Sanchez joined the Tjader group, Tjader advised him to “just catch the groove, man.” Good advice, whether you were playing in the band or just listening to their music. Happily recommended. 

Jazz Detective DDJD-012 (also on vinyl); Cal Tjader (vib on all tracks); Seattle, WA; personnel and dates as noted: Disc 1 (76:41); February 2, 1963: Clare Fischer (p) Fred Schreiber (b) Johnny Rae (d, timb) Bill Fitch (cga, perc): Take the “A” Train/ In Your Own Sweet Way/ It Never Entered My Mind/ Morning of the Carnival (Manha de Carnaval)/ Insight. May 6, 1965: Lonnie Hewitt (p) Terry Hilliard (b) Rae (d, timb) Armando Peraza (cga, bgo): Sunset Boulevard/Here’s That Rainy Day/ Davito/ Pantano/ Leyte/ Half and Half. May 13, 1965: same group as May 6: On Green Dolphin Street/ Love For Sale/ Reza/ Maramoor Mambo. Disc 2 (70:14): June 9, 1966: Al Zulaica (p) Monk Montgomery (b) Carl Burnett (d) Peraza (cga, bgo): The Shadow of Your Smile/ Bags’ Groove/ Morning/ Mambo Inn. June 16, 1966: same group as June 9: On Green Dolphin Street/ I Can’t Get Started/ Soul Burst/ Cuban Fantasy. June 8 ,1967: Zulaica (p) Stan Gilbert (b) Burnett (d) Peraza (cga, bgo): O Morro Não Tem Vez/ Fuji/ Lush Life/ Along Comes Mary. www.thejazzdetective.com

Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights, Live at The Penthouse, 1966-1968

  The third and final compilation of radio broadcasts from Seattle showcasing pianist Ahmad Jamal and his trio is Emerald City Nights, Live at The Penthouse, 1966-1968, available on limited edition vinyl for Record Store Day and on CD in December. This time around, we get to hear just one of Jamal’s trios, with bassist Jamil Nasser and drummer Frank Gant, a unit that stayed together from 1966 until the mid-1970's. Jamal, with his influential block chord approach to building improvisations and the irrepressible flow of sound from his instrument, is always a pleasure to hear, especially when he’s in front of an audience. Jamal’s elaborate inventions tend to disregard most of the familiar melodies in favor of the underlying chord structures. For instance, Joseph Kosma’s Autumn Leaves, which Eugene Holley, Jr., mentions in his notes was “a mainstay in the Jamal songbook,” is delivered here “in a whirling dervish of ingenuity and taste.” Another Jamal favorite, Erroll Garner’s classic Misty, gets a similarly unusual treatment, with a lengthy piano/drum duet. Jamal’s lone solo excursion is a lovely investigation of Johnny Mandel’s Emily, a piece also favored by another extremely influential pianist, Bill Evans. As Holley reminds us, the jazz world was in a state of profound flux in the late Sixties. Jamal persevered with his trio, and he always felt at home in the Penthouse. Club owner Charlie Puzzo was a big fan, and brought a concert grand into the small club for Jamal’s frequent appearances in Seattle. Jamal, who passed away in April, 2023, was involved with this release, approving the selections, and telling Holley that “it was a great place to work.” That feeling is apparent in the ebullient performances on offer. Holley’s liner notes follow an introductory note by co-produced Zev Feldman, and are joined by excerpts from brief interviews with pianists Les McCann, Emmet Cohen, Monty Alexander and Jamal himself, plus some previously unpublished photos. Definitely recommended. 

Jazz Detective DDJD-006 (also on vinyl); Ahmad Jamal (p) Jamil Nasser (b) Frank Gant (d); Seattle, WA, dates as noted; Disc 1 (45:13): September 29, 1966: Gloria/ Fantastic Vehicle/ Misty. August 24, 1967: Mr. Lucky/ Autumn Leaves. Disc 2 (48:37): August 31, 1967: Corcovado (Quiet Night of Quiet Stars)/ Where is Love/ Dance to the Lady. April 26, 1968:Naked City Theme/ Emily (solo)/ Alfie. www.thejazzdetective.com

Louis Hayes: Exactly Right!

  When NEA Jazz Master drummer Louis Hayes counts off the tempo to start a tune, you can be sure that it will be Exactly Right!, which happens to be the apt title of his latest Savant release. Accompanied by his frequent associates tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, pianist David Hazeltine, and bassist Dezron Douglas, Hayes swings hard through an hour of inspired small combo jazz. The music is basically in the hard bop style that was prevalent when Hayes made his recording debut back in 1956 as a member of the Horace Silver quintet. To honor his early days, Hayes and company perform Silver’s Mellow D, originally heard on 1959's Finger Poppin’ With The Horace Silver Quintet with Hayes as the drummer. There’s also a homage to fellow percussionist Art Blakey with the closing tune, Cedar Walton’s Ugetsu, the title track of a 1963 Blakey album on Riverside. Tenorman Burton’s burly tone serves him well on upbeat numbers like Duke Pearson’s Is That So, and he also has a beautiful way with a ballad, as he demonstrates on Sergio Mendes’ So Many Stars and Fred Lacey’s Theme For Ernie with exquisite support from vibist Nelson and the sensitive Hazeltine. By now, you might have noticed that Hayes, as bandleader and co-producer with bassist Douglas, has a well-honed talent for picking interesting tunes to play, and ones that are not heard too often. In the Sixties, Hayes briefly co-led a quintet with Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson called the Jazz Communicators. It’s a name that the drummer revived around 2010, with many of the same musicians as Exactly Right! , but even if he’s not using the moniker now, the essence is the same: music that’s honest, unpretentious, and deeply satisfying. Recommended. 

Savant SCD 2206; Abraham Burton (ts) Steve Nelson (vib) David Hazeltine (p) Dezron Douglas (b) Louis Hayes (d); Paramus, NJ, December 16-17, 2022; Exactly Right!/ Is That So?/ Hand in Glove/ So Many Stars/ Carmine’s Bridge/ Nefertiti/ Mellow D/ Theme For Ernie/ Scarborough Fair/ Ugetsu; 54:54. www.jazzdepot.com

Mark Reboul/Roberta Piket/Billy Mintz: Seven pieces/ about an hour/ saxophone, piano, drums

The legendary ESP-Disk label, which recorded such prominent avant-garde artists as Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, and Marion Brown, also released albums by relatively obscure musicians who remained unknown to all but a few cognoscenti. I’m thinking of players like pianist Lowell Davidson and reedist Marzette Watts. To that small list, add the name of saxophonist Mark Reboul, an almost unknown player from the New York scene. The newly issued Seven pieces/ about an hour/ saxophone, piano, drums was recorded back in 2004 by the trio of Mark Reboul, Roberta Piket & Billy Mintz. ESP-Disk’ has been through several incarnations since it was founded in 1963, but the original dictum that “the artists alone decide what you will hear” is still in force. The current manager of ESP, Steve Holtje, solicited this set from Reboul who he knew from attending one of his rare gigs. Unlike a lot of what’s usually called “free jazz” with its stereotypical connotations of blasting saxophones and bashing drums, Reboul’s music is quietly intense and often very slowly paced. The solemn breathiness of his saxophones is nicely complemented by Piket’s careful comments at the keyboard and Mintz’ typically subtle and spare drumming. Seven pieces is a fascinating document of an underexposed talent who is well worth hearing. Recommended. 

ESP-Disk’ ESP5041; Mark Reboul (sax) Roberta Piket (p) Billy Mintz (d); Brooklyn, NY, 2004; 7¾/ 10/ 13/ 3/ 6¾/ 9/ 11¾; 61:49. www.espdisk.com

John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy: Evenings At The Village Gate

  Richard Alderson was a New York recording engineer in 1961 when he was enlisted to check out a new sound system being installed at the Village Gate. It happened that saxophonist John Coltrane was appearing at the club for the month of August, with various musicians invited to join him on stage. That’s the basic back-story behind the scintillating Impulse! release of Evenings At The Village Gate, with eighty minutes of John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy plus McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The tapes were lost and found, and then lost again until this recent rediscovery, and every jazz fan should be thankful for the appearance of this music, no matter how belated it might be. Coltrane and Dolphy started working together earlier in 1961, on Olé for Atlantic and Africa/Brass for Impulse. They teamed up again in November at the Village Vanguard (eventually collected on the 4-CDs of The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Sessions), and then took off for a series of concerts in Europe. Some of those performances came out on bootlegs and a few appeared later on Live Trane, a 7-CD set on Pablo. The repertoire is largely familiar, starting with My Favorite Things, a rare jazz “hit” and a popular song frequently associated with Coltrane who played it very often. Here it features some prime Dolphy flute. Next up is When Lights Are Low, which might have been a Dolphy suggestion, since ‘Trane had recorded it just once, with Miles Davis in 1956. Featuring his highly expressive bass clarinet playing, this Benny Carter-Spencer Williams composition became a Dolphy favorite, and he performed the tune at his European concerts immediately following the Village Gate shows. The traditional melody Greensleeves, which Coltrane played a lot that year, gets a real workout in a sixteen minute extravaganza with a killer Dolphy solo on alto, followed by a Coltrane soprano solo that makes you almost forget the first solo. The sequencing saves the best for last, with an extended version of Coltrane’s Africa, the only known live performance of this number from the Africa/Brass sessions. Coming out of a typically volcanic Elvin Jones solo, the last five minutes with both horns wailing is the most thrilling music I’ve heard in many a moon. While the drums are too loud, and Workman’s bass is down in the mix, I imagine the system still passed the test as far as the club was concerned. The Village Gate finally closed its doors in 1994, but this music will be prized as long as there are ears to hear it. Evenings At The Village Gate is a treasure, and one of the most important releases of this or any year. Absolutely recommended. 

Impulse!; John Coltrane (ts, ss) Eric Dolphy (as, fl, bcl) McCoy Tyner (p) Reggie Workman, Art Davis* (b) Elvin Jones (d); NYC, August 1961; My Favorite Things/ When Lights Are Low/ Impressions/ Greensleeves/ Africa*; 80:15. www.impulserecords.com/#/

James Brandon Lewis/ Red Lily Quintet: For Mahalia, With Love

  Sometimes you know it immediately. It took me less than 20 seconds to realize that For Mahalia, With Love by James Brandon Lewis and his Red Lily Quintet was going to be a deeply moving and spiritual set of modern music. And so it is. In what proves to be a perfect pairing of material and musicians, tenor saxophonist Lewis, inspired by childhood memories of his grandmother talking about Mahalia Jackson, wrote arrangements for a batch of songs associated with the great gospel singer. The performances by the Red Lily Quintet fuse the time-honored melodies with the fervor of the modern tenor saxophone tradition, as exemplified by innovators like Albert Ayler and David Murray. Joining Lewis in the front line is the imaginative cornetist Kirk Knuffke. Drummer Chad Taylor and bassist William Parker are a superbly responsive rhythm team. The quintet is rounded out by Chris Hoffman on cello, an instrument that seems to insist on multiple roles in an improvising context, from bass-like pizzicato to horn-styled arco work and more. That calls for great versatility and command, and Hoffman, a regular in various Henry Threadgill ensembles since 2011, has all that and more. His solo, leading into a duet passage with Parker on Deep River is just one of the program’s many high points. The spirit of the quintet is powerful from start to finish, and the quintet’s devoted recastings are thrilling. For Mahalia, With Love is a wonderful CD, totally recommended. And that’s before I mention a companion CD with the first edition of Lewis performing an original suite, These Are Soulful Days (51:53), recorded live in Poland (Wrocław, November 21, 2021) with the Lutosławski String Quartet. The format is not really my cup of tea, but it is a chance to hear another side of the adventuresome Lewis. 

TAO Forms TAO 13 (CD [first edition with bonus disc]; 2-lp set; & digital album; Kirk Knuffke (cnt) James Brandon Lewis (ts) Chris Hoffman (clo) William Parker (b) Chad Taylor (d, tambourine); South Orange, NJ, no dates specified; Sparrow/ Swing Low/ Go Down Moses/ Wade in the Water/ Calvary/ Deep River/ Elijah Rock/ Were You There/ Precious Lord; 71:35. aumfidelity.com/collections/tao-forms

Wadada Leo Smith and Orange Wave Electric: Fire Illuminations

  Devotees of the three volumes of the Wadada Leo Smith and Henry Kaiser’s Yo Miles! projects will be happy to latch on to Wadada Leo Smith and Orange Wave Electric’s Fire Illuminations. This digital-only project on Smith’s own Kabell imprint features Wadada’s bright and incisive trumpet against the swirling backdrop of multiple electric guitarists (Nels Cline, Brandon Ross and Lamar Smith in various combinations), the twin electric basses of Bill Laswell and Melvin Gibbs, the free-funk drumming of longtime Smith associate Pheeroan akLaff and percussionist Mauro Refosco. Sound designer Hardedge adds subtle electronics to a couple of tracks. As usual, Smith’s inspirations come from all over the cultural spectrum. His touchstones for this collection of tracks recorded over several years include the poet and playwright Ntozake Shange, Muhammad Ali, and drummer Tony Williams. Most of the music is heavily influenced by the late electric period of Miles Davis, with long, layered grooves and a gleaming trumpet on top. On the finale, Muhammad Ali and George Forman Rumble in Zaire Africa, the first few minutes feature disjointed stop and start rhythms with akLaff’s drums up front as Cline wails over ominous bass lines. Eventually, Smith joins the fray with his bright and authoritative trumpet. Wadada’s music continues to surprise and delight, and Fire Illuminations is no exception. Recommended. 

Kabell KB112 (digital only); Wadada Leo Smith (tpt) Nels Cline (g, exc on 2 & 3) Brandon Ross (g on 1 & 4) Lamar Smith (g, exc on 5) Bill Laswell, Melvin Gibbs (el b)Pheeroan akLaff (d) Mauro Refosco (perc, exc on 5) Hardedge (elec on 1 & 4); no locations specified, January 2019-2021; 1) Ntozake Shange/ 2) Muhammad Ali's Spiritual Horizon/ 3) Fire Illuminations Inside the Particles of Light/ 4) Tony Williams/ 5) Muhammad Ali and George Forman Rumble in Zaire Africa; 48:32. wadadaleosmith1.bandcamp.com

Freddie Hubbard: The Complete Blue Note & Impulse ‘60s Studio Sessions

  By their very nature, compilations of the recordings by a particular artist on one label tell just one part of the story of that era in a musician’s life. Mosaic Records has assembled a 7-CD boxed set of The Complete Blue Note & Impulse ‘60s Studio Sessions, with eight Blue Note titles and two Impulse recordings by the incomparable trumpet master Freddie Hubbard. Only the vagaries of corporate ownership allow the Blue Note and Impulse albums to be issued together, and it points up the problems of assembling a truly comprehensive view of Hubbard’s amazing odyssey in less than five years, from the time of Open Sesame, his initial Blue Note release recorded in June 1960, to February 1965, when he made his final album for the label, Blue Spirits. During that span, Hubbard did one live session for Blue Note (The Night Of The Cookers, with Lee Morgan), and appeared as a sideman on Blue Note sessions for Tina Brooks, Hank Mobley, Kenny Drew, Dexter Gordon, and Herbie Hancock. He also participated in sessions led by Ornette Coleman (Free Jazz), John Coltrane (Africa/Brass and Olé), Oliver Nelson (The Blues And The Abstract Truth), Curtis Fuller, Randy Weston (Uhuru Africa), J.J. Johnson, Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter and many others. As of late 1961, Hubbard became a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, recording a batch of live and studio dates for Blue Note, and with a whole new book of tunes to learn. In fact, I could go on and on with his credits in this period when he performed on an astonishing number of critically acclaimed albums. All of these sessions, plenty of opportunities to perform in clubs and concerts, and a slew of memorable compositions (including Birdlike, Arietis, Lament For Booker, Thermo and Hub-tones) point to Hubbard’s powerful work ethic in this period, his ability to shine in any and all musical situations, and the obvious esteem in which he was held by other musicians. In his typically astute and insightful essay that graces the 20-page booklet, Bob Blumenthal writes of Hubbard’s “skill at sight-reading orchestral parts...,” but even that facet of Hubbard’s tool-box can’t account for the sheer volume of material he seemed to master in no time at all. It’s been said of Coleman Hawkins that he could arrive at the studio and be shown the lead sheet for a song he’d never played. He’d look it over, step up to the microphone and play it like he had written it. I suspect the same could be said of Hubbard. The albums presented here, in stellar sound and with all the bonus tracks that have been issued on CDs over the years, are an education by themselves. We can hear how the 22-year old leader of Open Sesame, featuring tenor saxist Tina Brooks and pianist McCoy Tyner, making his own Blue Note debut, grew quickly and steadily into one of the greatest trumpeters of the modern era. An immersion in The Complete Blue Note & Impulse ‘60s Studio Sessions will all by itself provide an intense look at this period of Hubbards’ career. If all of this great music provokes you into a more detailed exploration of Hubbard’s artistry in a myriad of contexts, you’ve got many, many hours of inspiring music to look forward to. Highest recommendation! 

Mosaic MD7-274; Disc 1 (72:17): (A) Open Sesame (6/19/60), (B) Goin’ Up (11/6/60)/ Disc 2 (72:16): Goin’ Up continued, ©) Hub Cap (4/9/61)/ Disc 3 (76:15): (D) Ready For Freddie (8/21/61), (E) The Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard (7/2/62)/ Disc 4 (59:02): (E) The Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard continued, (G) Here To Stay (12/27/62)/ Disc 5 (72:46): (F) Hub-Tones (7/2/62), (J) The Body And The Soul (5/2/63, small group session)/ Disc 6 (71:52): (H) The Body And The Soul (3/8/63, strings session), (I) The Body And The Soul (3/11/63, big band session), (K) Breaking Point (5/7/64)/ Disc 7 (62:02): (L) Blue Spirits (2/19/65, first session), (M) Blue Spirits (2/26/65, second session), (N) quintet session, 3/5/66, two tracks completed. All tracks recorded in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, except session (H), recorded in NYC. The Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard and The Body And The Soul originally on Impulse Records; the remainder on Blue Note Records. For complete discographical details, go here. Limited edition of 5,000 sets available directly from Mosaic at www.mosaicrecords.com

George Freeman: The Good Life

  Guitarist George Freeman, of the eminent Freeman clan of Chicago, made his debut on record with Joe Morris and his Orchestra in 1947 when he was just 20 years old and one of the earliest electric guitarists in jazz. Starting in his teens, he’s performed with a long list of prominent musicians including Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Groove Holmes, Gene Ammons, Jimmy McGriff, Johnny Griffin, Red Holloway, brothers Bruz and Von Freeman, and nephew Chico Freeman. He’s also recorded frequently as a leader, and his latest opus, The Good Life, find him in stellar company with two separate trios. Whatever he may have lost in dexterity, and it doesn’t sound like he’s lost much, he more than makes up for it with deep feeling and well-chosen and imaginative phrasing. First up is an organ ensemble, with Joey DeFrancesco at the keyboard and Lewis Nash on drums. It’s the instrumental setting in which Freeman feels most comfortable, and the enveloping soulfulness of organ-oriented jazz is apparent from the first downbeat of If I Had You. This extended version of a song that dates from the late Twenties draws the listener right into the trio’s sound. DeFrancesco, in one of his final recordings, establishes a calm and easy-going mood for this lengthy excursion. Nash’s ever-tasty and swinging drumming is a plus on any session. He takes a beguiling solo that sounds like he’s dancing on the drums, and he and Freeman trade some licks along the way. I’m not sure that opening a CD with a track that runs just over eleven minutes is the best sequencing idea, but it works here just fine. The organ unit plays two more songs, both composed by Freeman. The guitarist was excited about playing with Joey DeFrancesco, and Mr. D was written in his honor. It’s a bright, finger-snapping groove, and they make the most of it. Then there’s the smoking Up and Down, an utter romp that features bold drumming from Nash, a intensely hard-driving solo by DeFrancesco, and best of all, a definitive George Freeman solo, touching on the blues and bebop, and full of quotes and surprising twists and turns. As Michael Cuscuna writes in his highly appreciative liner notes, this is one of “the ‘outside’ solos that have prompted people since 1945 to ask, Who is this guy?” The other session is another trio, this one with the superb bassist Christian McBride and the widely accomplished drummer Carl Allen. McBride is characteristically rock-solid and exceptionally supportive, contributing succinct solos along the way. A basic blues original by Freeman, Lowe Groovin’, kicks things off as they get down and dirty with a piece that sounds like it would perfect in a smoky club late at night. Another Freeman tune, 1,2,3,4, swings hard with guitar and bass having a spirited conversation amid appropriate commentary from the drums. Sister Tankersley, the last of Freeman’s originals, might just have you out of your seat and slow-dancing to the snaky groove. The finale is an utterly gorgeous version of Sacha Distel’s The Good Life, first heard in 1962, and recorded hundreds of times over the years. It starts out as a slow stroll through the melody, picks up some momentum in the middle section, and calms down again for the last minute in a beautifully arranged ending. It’s the fitting conclusion for this highly enjoyable release. Happily recommended. 

HighNote HCD 7352; George Freeman (g) with Joey DeFrancesco (org) Lewis Nash (d); Chicago, IL, June 23, 2022; If I Had You/ Mr. D./ Up and Down; with Christian McBride (b) Carl Allen (d); Chicago, IL, May 7. 2022; Lowe Groovin’/ 1,2,3,4/ Sister Tankersley/ The Good Life; 50:57. www.jazzdepot.com

Denny Zeitlin: Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin

  Beginning with the 2014 edition of his annual solo concert at Oakland, California’s Piedmont Piano showroom, pianist Denny Zeitlin has used the occasion to delve into the work of a single composer. In 2018, it was time to investigate the compositions of George Gershwin. As he told journalist Jesse Hamlin before the show “It’s hard to imagine better springboards into improvisation. They also lend themselves gracefully to re-harmonization, which attracts musicians who like to put their own stamp on a tune and stay with it at the same time.” If you think he’s including himself when he mentions “musicians,” you would be completely accurate. Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin is a wonderful survey that offers deeply personal reimaginings of familiar tunes like The Man I Love and Summertime. As well-known as these songs still are after so many years and countless performances, Zeitlin’s reinventions make them new all over again. The most obscure composition is By Strauss, originally a piece played for comedic effect at parties and later adapted for a scene in An American In Paris. Zeitlin plays it slowly and compassionately, in a way that emphasizes its graceful melody. Among the many other high points of this set are a breakneck romp through S’Wonderful, an appropriately moody extended version of My Man’s Gone Now, and a marvelously complex jaunt through Fascinating Rhythm. In his short liner essay, Zeitlin, who heard much of Gershwin’s music as a child, mentions that the Miles Davis version of My Man’s Gone Now, as arranged by Gil Evans, “affected me deeply in my college years.” That would mean that Zeitlin, now 83 years young, very likely heard this famous rendition around the time that the Davis/Evans Porgy And Bess album was released in March, 1959. That’s given him a lifetime to ruminate on these songs and absorb their nuances. The audience in Oakland, and now listeners at home, are the clear beneficiaries of this long acquaintance, now immortalized on this thoroughly delightful CD. Highest recommendation! 

Sunnyside SSC 1693; Denny Zeitlin (p); Oakland, CA, December 7, 2018; Summertime/ How Long Has This Been Going On?/ S’Wonderful/ Bess You is My Woman Now/ It Ain’t Necessarily So/ By Strauss/ The Man I Love/ My Man’s Gone Now/ I’ve Got a Crush on You/ Fascinating Rhythm/ I Was Doing All Right; 68:33. www.sunnysiderecords.com

Zack Lober: NOFILL3R

  Bassist Zack Lober’s trio with trumpeter Suzan Veneman and drummer Sun-Mi Hong delivers an entertaining and lucid half-hour of original compositions on NO FILL3R. The music was recorded live in the famed Wisseloord Studios in The Netherlands, and the setting contributes to the lively interplay among the musicians. The tunes are mostly by Lober. We’re also treated to one each by Veneman (Loved Ones) and Hong (Sun Drums), along with the collectively composed title track. Lober is originally from Montréal, lived and played in New York City for more than a decade, and moved to The Netherlands in 2019. Trumpet, bass, and drums is one of the more perilous ensemble instrumentations, but Lober, Veneman and Hong navigate the territory with keen aplomb and a refreshing sense of mutual reinforcement. Trumpeter Veneman has a warm tone that’s centered in the lower reaches of her horn, and she displays plenty of imagination in her conversational improvising style. Lober’s sturdy bass lines, which remind me of Dave Holland’s quintet work in the Nineties, works quite well with drummer Hong and her dynamic approach to drums and cymbals. It’s a formidable ensemble, and my only complaint is that the set is too short. It’s one of the great pleasures of reviewing new releases to encounter talents that are new to you. Maybe next time out, they can get more expansive, but for now NO FILL3R is well worth hearing. 

ZenneZ 023002; Suzan Veneman (tpt) Zack Lober (b) Sun-Mi Hong (d); Hilversum, The Netherlands, August 24-25, 2021; Mid Music/ Force Majeure/ A Hymn/ No Fill3r/ Blues/ Chop Wood/ Sun Drums/ Luck (Alice)/ Loved Ones; 30:44. www.zennezrecords.com

Joëlle Léandre, Craig Taborn, and Mat Maneri: hEARoes

  The audience at the 2022 Festival Sons d’Hiver, at the Théatre Antoine Vitez in the Paris suburbs, was treated to an enthralling set of instantly invented music by the trio of Joëlle Léandre, Craig Taborn, and Mat Maneri. hEARoes, a beautifully recorded CD from the Rogue Art label, is the next best thing to having been there. Pianist Taborn and violist Maneri have worked together frequently since their first recorded encounter in 2000, on projects led by each of them, as well as for leaders like Steve Coleman and Ches Smith. Bassist Léandre’s vast discography includes encounters with Derek Bailey, Irene Schweizer, Anthony Braxton, and many others. The three came together for this show as a unit for the first time, and they cover a lot of improvisational ground in under 40 minutes. The seven sections appear to be one lengthy performance. The gentle strands of sound in the opening few minutes are followed by a sort of mutant blues instigated by Taborn’s piano on E. From there, the proceedings develop in a seemingly natural, if unpredictable way. Highlights include Léandre’s playful arco bass solo on A, the trio’s random dissonant squawk on R, and the delicate call and response that animates e. It’s the astute actions of the musicians, their reactions and further reactions that form the core of this ensemble’s music. The opportunity to listen to the set again and again allows the listener to fully grasp the trio’s marvelously close sensitivity and rapport. Definitely recommended. 

Rogue Art ROG-0127; Mat Maneri (vla) Joëlle Léandre (b) Craig Taborn (p); Ivry-sur-Seine, France, February 12, 2022; h/E/A/R/o /e /s; 39:42. roguart.com

Perelman/Shipp/Cosgrove: Live in Carrboro

  Faced with the time constraints of recorded music, we can see from the TRIPTYCH releases that Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp use those limits to subtly shape their free improvisations. When the pair is joined by drummer Jeff Cosgrove for a gig in Carrboro, North Carolina, the Perelman/Shipp/Cosgrove trio has to deal with the rather different circumstances of a live performance. Still inventing their music on the spot, Live in Carrboro offers one long improvisation, lasting just a few minutes shy of an hour. The delicacy of the opening minutes, as the trio adjusts itself to the room, soon evolves into a spirited conversation. When the clearly energized Perelman launches his tenor high into the stratosphere at around the 5 minute mark, it’s just the first of several climactic moments in the piece. Clearly they set out on this journey with the long haul in mind. At around the 13 minute point, Perelman lays out for a little while, giving room for Shipp and Cosgrove to engage in some improvisation on their own. When the saxophone comes back to goose things along, the music attains a vaguely funky rhythmic feel, leading up to some hard-blowing at around 20 minutes in. And so it goes, in fits and starts that are both utterly unpredictable and seemingly inevitable. By now, the intense cohesion displayed by Shipp and Perelman is no surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention. The addition of another deeply compatible player like Cosgrove, serves to amplify and intensify their connection. There’s a genially relaxed drum solo, with Cosgrove using mallets, around the half-way point of the set, giving Shipp and Perelman a break and a chance to regroup. Cosgrove is a resourceful percussionist, whose slim discography includes releases devoted to the music of Paul Motian (2011's For The Love Of Sarah by Mostly Motian) and William Parker (2018's History Gets Ahead Of The Story), as well as a previous CD with Perelman and Shipp (Live In Baltimore, recorded in 2017). Judging by his elegant fit with the Shipp-Perelman juggernaut, he’s a very close listener to the dynamics and interactions of his bandmates. This blend of three engaged and passionate improvisers offers and immensely satisfying musical excursion. Happily recommended. 

Soul City Sounds; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Jeff Cosgrove (d); Carrboro, NC, November 4, 2022; Live In Carrboro; 54:54. soulcitysounds.bandcamp.com

Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp: Triptych

  The latest duet releases by Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp have a peculiar origin story. SMP Records in Germany, which previously issued the pair’s Special Edition Box (combining a CD, a Blu-Ray disc with concert footage, and a lengthy booklet), proposed another three-part project, TRIPTYCH, with a single CD, a vinyl album, and a cassette. For some reason, the idea was abandoned, although not before the music was recorded. Now it’s all digital only, and available from SMP’s Bandcamp store. TRIPTYCH 1 is now a Digital CD-Release, with an even dozen duets ranging from just over 3 minutes to just short of 6 minutes. The going is slow at first, with a distinctly tired feel to the first few selections. But a spectacular Four changes the atmosphere, and from there on, I’m once again impressed by the casual intensity of the Perelman-Shipp dual-mind. Highlights include the suddenly energetic flow of Four with some especially bracing playing by Shipp, the bluesy Nine with its start/stop rhythmic feel, the high-end clarity of Perelman’s saxophone excursions on Nine and Eleven, and Twelve, the free lullaby that concludes this particular encounter.

The two pieces that make up TRIPTYCH II, described as a Digital LP-Release, were recorded a month prior to Triptych 1. Although Ivo Perelman’s improvisational forays generally eschew any constraints on form or content, it seems that the time requirements of the original proposal had a mild but noticeable effect on the music. For Triptych I, the CD session with the broadest time parameters, the duo opted for a series of miniatures. For the LP session, the tracks are much longer, and there’s a kind of settling into the music after a few minutes of Side A before the tempo surges and the duo’s powerful attack comes into play. From there, the pair paces themselves as they embark on their trademark moment by moment inventions. The music provides endless thrills, filled with startling passages that reveal an instant logic. Side B often has a stately feeling, decorous and mostly subdued, but occasionally veering into denser waters. Finally, on TRIPTYCH III, the Digital Tape-Release, Perelman and Shipp conjure up another pair of extended improvisations. Side A starts on the quiet side, then quickly builds to a furious pace and an extended call-and-response dialogue. For the final piece, the mind meld continues with a fairly mellow and peaceful quarter-hour. It’s a lovely way to conclude this foray into the Perelman-Shipp universe. 

CD: SMP Records SMP-013; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, January 2022; Parts One-Twelve; 55:49. LP: SMP Records SMP-014; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, December 2021; Side A/ Side B; 36:28. Cassette: SMP Records SMP-015; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, December 2021; Side A/ Side B; 30:59. smprecords.bandcamp.com

Chris Madsen: The Trio Book

  Tenor saxophonist Chris Madsen is joined by bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall for The Trio Book, a foray into delicately balanced and intimate chamber jazz. The steady and decisively interactive bassist Sommers has recorded frequently since his first session with singer Eden Atwood in 2000. Since then, he’s been heard most frequently with pianist Dan Cray and reedman Geof Bradfield. The Chicago-based drummer Hall has also worked with Bradfield, along with luminaries like trumpeters Malachi Thompson, Brad Goode, and Terell Stafford. As a team, Hall and Sommers have played on sessions led by Bradfield, trumpeter Darren Johnston, tenor saxist Adam Larson, and a previous effort by Madsen. And I’d bet they shared the bandstand on plenty of gigs over the years. All of which serves to point out the virtues of familiarity in a creative music context. Madsen has a real knack for finding generative material for the trio setting. The set kicks off with Steve Swallow’s best-known composition, Eiderdown, first recorded in 1965 on Pete La Roca’s Basra album. From the start, it’s apparent that the trio has excellent cohesion and responsiveness. Following their lengthy and fruitful investigation of the Swallow piece, they continue with Omar Hakim’s Amethyst Secrets (from his 1989 Rhythm Deep album, and the biggest surprise on The Trio Book). The simple melody, played fairly slowly, provides the trio with an elegant vehicle that showcases the thoughtful side of Madsen’s saxophone playing. N.R.W. is the session’s sole original composition, in a similar vein to the Hakim tune. Hall’s brushwork on the first half of this one is simply beautiful, and so is the trio’s dynamic arc as the performance builds to a climax. Both Joe Chambers’ Mirrors and Freddie Hubbard’s D Minor Mint first appeared on Hubbard’s 1965 Breaking Point album. The Hubbard tune, a straight-ahead swinger, gets a spirited rendition, with energetic tenor, robust bass, and splashy drums. The trio’s exquisite dissection of Mirrors is another of the disc’s many highlights. In the most extroverted performance on the disc, the band tackles Wes Montgomery’s West Coast Blues in a take from an earlier recording session in 2018. A funky Hall is having a ball on this number. The album concludes with Granada, a tune by reedman Chris Cheek from 1999, and another carefully modulated excursion into empathetic trio dynamics. The more I listen to this music, the more I appreciate it and find new aspects to enjoy. This is a collection that rewards close listening. Highly recommended. 

JMarg; Chris Madsen (ts) Clark Sommers (b) Dana Hall (d); Chicago, IL, March 23, 2021, exc. *July 3, 2018; Eiderdown/ Amethyst Secrets/ N.R.W./ D Minor Mint/ Mirrors/ West Coast Blues*/ Granada; 46:46. www.chrismadsen.net

Joel Harrison & Anthony Pirog: The Great Mirage

  Lou Reed once wrote that “you can’t beat 2 guitars, bass, drum,” a sentiment that Joel Harrison & Anthony Pirog take to heart for The Great Mirage. Harrison and Pirog wield a variety of electric and acoustic guitars, plus the occasional electric piano, mellotron, synthesizers and more. The supple and ultra-dynamic rhythm team of Stephen Crump on electric bass and Allison Miller on drums and synth is supplemented on one track by Bruce Katz on Hammond organ. It all makes for a delicious stew of rock and jazz fusion, with instrumentation derived from the rock side of things, and the open-ended approach of dedicated improvisers. Except for Keith Jarrett’s Mortgage on My Soul, all the pieces are collaborations by the guitarists. The Jarrett piece, from his 1971 Atlantic album Birth, gets a surprisingly raging treatment, complete with a thumping big beat laid down by Miller, and genuine fuzz bass from Crump. Influenced by everything including the blues, surf music, hard rock, and much more, Harrison and Pirog seem to be having plenty of fun with this project. Highlights include the soothingly atmospheric Desert Solitaire, the slowly building turmoil of It Slipped Through My Fingers, the elegant I’ll See You in the Shining World, the psychedelic rave-up of East Hurley, and the fiery closer Buffalo Heart. The Great Mirage is a winner from start to finish. Happily recommended. 

AGS Recordings ABSR-004; Joel Harrison (electric & acoustic guitars, toy piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Tibetan bowls, mellotron) Anthony Pirog (electric & acoustic guitars, synthesizers) Stephan Crump (electric bass guitar) Allison Miller (drums, Moog synthesizer) Bruce Katz (Hammond B-3 org on *); Hurley, NY, May 21-23, 2022; The Great Mirage/ Critical Conversation/ There's Never Enough Time/ Mortgage on My Soul/ Desert Solitaire/ It Slipped Through My Fingers/ Last Rose of Summer/ I'll See You in the Shining World/ East Hurley/ Clarksdale*/ Buffalo Heart; 50:25. agsrecordings.bandcamp.com

Simon Moullier: Isla

  I very much enjoyed vibraphonist Simon Moullier’s 2020 trio album Countdown, and I’m equally delighted with Isla, his new quartet release. Moullier has expanded the group by bringing in pianist Lex Korten. Alexander Claffy is on bass, and drummer Jongkuk Kim is back from the trio date. From the first downbeat of Empress of the Sea, the mood of genial and tuneful swing is established. The title piece is up next, an uptempo romp that shows another side of the quartet. It’s followed by Moullier’s bossa treatment of the standard You Go to My Head, one of two pieces that join five of his well-crafted original compositions. The other is Mercer Ellington’s Moon Mist in a mellow arrangement. Listening closely to the quartet, you can frequently hear the vibist singing along with his beautifully flowing solos. His vocalizations naturally remind me of Keith Jarrett, and it strikes me that his bountiful musical imagination is akin to Jarrett’s conception of improvisation. Somehow, Moullier can get his vibes to sound like a marimba or an organ, but most often, he prefers a muted and clean sound without much vibrato. His spacious solo style work quite well paired with pianist Korten’s slightly denser approach. While Korten can get a little busy for my taste at times in his solos, his excursions are always logical and thoughtful as he maneuvers through the changes. Bassist Claffy’s solid sound and beautifully constructed lines, both as ensemble player and occasional soloist, are a pleasure throughout. His work meshes very well with Kim’s tasteful and dynamically nuanced drumming, and they make a great team. In fact, the teamwork of all the musicians is exemplary, with a cohesion that enlivens a ballad like Moon Mist and powers tunes like the lively Phoenix Eye. Isla is a real winner. I think of the Moullier group as the Post Modern Jazz Quartet: they’re that good. Absolutely worth seeking out. 

Self-produced; Simon Moullier (vib) Lex Korten (p) Alexander Claffy (b) Jongkuk Kim (d); NYC, July 2022; Isla/ You Got to My Head/ Enchantment/ Moon Mist/ This Dream/ Phoenix Eye/ Heart; 50:25. simonmoullier.bandcamp.com

Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp: Fruition

Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman is not the kind of person who does anything halfway. His commitment to free improvisation, with no discussion or pre-conceived ideas, is total. He’s a hard worker, judging from the endless flow of new projects he’s involved with. One ongoing situation clearly energizes him: duets with pianist Matthew Shipp. Fruition is the eighteenth release by the Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp duo, and they’ve also played together in a variety of trio and quartet settings. Perelman says that the pair “believes it’s our best effort so far.” (Perelman is so prolific that I know that I won’t have the time to listen to all of them and judge for myself.) Fruition starts out in rapturous territory, with the stunning explorations of Perelman’s tenor and the utterly commanding piano of Shipp. It should go without saying that there’s not much point in even attempting to describe anything about the music. All I can say is that the power and conversational nature of these duets affect me in a profoundly soul-stirring way. By pure coincidence, I’ve just been reading China Miéville’s 2011 novel Embassytown. His speculative fiction concerns itself with an alien race who speak with two voices at once. Since they have no understanding of a single voice speaking to them, the humans who interact with them have evolved a system of ambassadors, paired humans who are so intimately connected that when they speak as one, the aliens understand them. The amazingly deep affinity that Shipp and Perelman continually exhibit in real time strikes me as a true-life manifestation of Miéville’s fascination with the very structures of language and thought. One factor, exposed here for perhaps the first time in Perelman’s massive oeuvre, is the resequencing of their improvisations, starting with Nine and concluding with Eleven. Whatever the criteria for this reordered batch of improvisations, Fruition is a thoroughly absorbing and fascinating display of two extraordinary talents at work and play. 

ESP-Disk’ ESP5070; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, June 25, 2021; Nine/ Thirteen/ One/ Seven/ Fourteen/ Two/ Six/ Three/ Four/ Ten/ Eleven; 59:20. www.espdisk.com