Piano Trio Roundup 1! Hersch, Fukumori, Perazzo & Cardillo, Fujii, Donelian

     Since at least the 1950's, when pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, and Ahmad Jamal, among many others, led popular trios, the basic format of piano, bass, and drums has been a constant in the jazz world, encompassing a amazing array of styles and interactive approaches. It’s an instrumental lineup that never seems to get old, and every year brings new additions to the piano trio canon....

    Fifty or so years ago, I remember looking at a friend’s large record collection. Noticing that he had something like 50 Bill Evans records, I recall thinking how weird it was to have so much music by one pianist. That was then. I’ve learned my lesson over the decades, and although I don’t have 50 Evans titles, I do have quite a lot of piano trio albums by the likes of Red Garland, Cedar Walton, Ray Bryant, George Cables, Paul Bley, and Fred Hersch. Possibly the last major pianist to have learned his craft on the job, and not in school, Hersch is credited in the Jazz Discography with 58 sessions as leader since Horizons, his 1984 debut on Concord Records. That album featured a trio with Marc Johnson on bass and Joey Baron on drums. Baron and Hersch played together on a number of albums in the Eighties, and now they’ve reunited for The Surrounding Green, with bassist Drew Gress, a frequent partner for Hersch since 1992. Recorded in what’s become Hersch’s favorite space, the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano, Switzerland, the music unfolds with immense charm and deep feeling. The mix of original tunes and choice selections from the jazz world, like Ornette Coleman’s Law Years and Charlie Haden’s First Song, is typical of a Hersch program. ECM’s typically crustal-clear recording of the trio serves to enhance their interior dynamics. The Surrounding Green is not to be missed, with music that will be enjoyed over and over in the years to come.  ECM 2836; Fred Hersch (p) Drew Gress (b) Joey Baron (d); Lugano, Switzerland, May 2024; Plainsong/ Law Years/ The Surrounding Green/ Palhaço/ Embraceable You/ First Song/ Anticipation; 41:39. ecmrecords.com

 
     It only takes a couple of minutes to realize that pianist Michika Fukumori is a distinctive composer and an utterly self-assured presence at the keyboard. A long-time student of pianist Steve Kuhn, she wrote the first seven tunes on the enjoyable Eternity And A Day, where she’s joined by Steve Whipple on bass and veteran Adam Nussbaum on drums. Fukumori and Whipple have played together frequently over the last decade, and their rapport is apparent. Nussbaum got his start in the late Seventies, playing on record dates led by prominent jazzmen like Dave Liebman and John Scofield, and he’s appeared on over 300 sessions since then. Another Tomorrow gets things off to an excellent start with a hard bop styled melody, influenced by Horace Silver and Bobby Timmons. The title track is a calm and introspective ballad. Fukumori’s other original tunes follow, comprising a sort of suite: the Brazilian-flavored Acaso, the jaunty Our Future (Reiwa), the tender The Light of Dawn, the gentle blues of Port (The Departure) and ending with There is Always Light, another mellow theme with a definite blues feeling. The four pieces from other sources reveal Fukumori’s wide-ranging exploration of the jazz repertoire. Kurt Weill’s Speak Low, written for the Broadway musical, One Touch Of Venus, was a 1943 hit single by Guy Lombardo & His Orchestra. In spite of that dubious pedigree, the song was frequently performed by singers including Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett, as well as instrumentalists like Chet Baker, Booker Ervin, Woody Shaw, and dozens of others. The Fukumori trio has a lot of fun with the song, starting out pretty briskly and really surging into high gear after Fukumori and an energized Nussbaum trade fours. The glacial opening to the solo piano medley of Chopin’s Prelude No. 28 and Jobim’s How Insensitive is slightly jarring at first, but the piece showcases the delicacy of her touch. Similarly, the rubato introduction to Fats Waller’s immortal Jitterbug Waltz belies the elegantly swinging rendition that follows. The song has been recorded 525 times since 1942 according to Tom Lord’s online Jazz Discography, and yet, in the right hands, it always sound brand-new. Nussbaum shines here, matching wits with Fukumori, and shadowing Whipple’s tasteful solo with some lovely brushwork. Closing the generously long program is Nicholas Brodszky’s Be My Love in a graceful solo performance by Fukumori. Eternity And A Day is genuine pleasure from beginning to end, and it is warmly recommended. Summit DCD 838; Michika Fukumori (p) Steve Whipple (b) Adam Nussbaum (d); Brooklyn, NY, August 5, 2023; Another Tomorrow/ Eternity and a Day/ Acoso/ Our Future (Reiwa)/ The Light of Dawn/ Port (The Departure)/ There is Always Light/ Speak Low/ Prelude Op. 28, No. 4 - How Insensitive/ Jitterbug Waltz/ Be My Love; 70:22. www.summitrecords.com

 
    When a well-traveled and highly praised master musician like bassist Buster Williams writes that Tommaso Perazzo & Marcello Cardillo “are two truly gifted musicians” and takes the time to record with them, it makes sense to take a listen. Pianist Perazzo and drummer Cardillo were joined in New York by Williams to make the satisfyingly swinging Portrait Of A Moment. The trio jumps right in with a Perazzo original, Back at the Right Spot!, and they surely are at the right spot. The pleasures of listening to this piano trio grow as they delve into a few more originals, a pair of Williams’ compositions (the lovely ballad Christina and Where Giants Dwell), Wayne Shorter’s frequently played Footprints, and Mulgrew Miller’s Soul Leo. The deep and soulful spirit of the ensemble comes through loud and clear on every piece. Williams writes that he “so much enjoyed making this record ... I hope you the listener enjoy it also.” Here’s one listener that’s loving every minute. Recommended. Red RR123354; Tommaso Perazzo (p) Buster Williams (b) Marcello Cardillo (d); NYC, June 14, 2023; Back at the Right Spot/ Alba Sur Mare/ Kind of Blues/ Christina/ Where Giants Dwell/ Footprints/ Soul Leo/ Ricordi/ For Wayne (bonus; digital only); 45:58. redrecords.it

 
    The tireless pianist Satoko Fujii has a new project, the Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio. Dream A Dream is the group’s first studio album after two live sets. As is often the case with prolific composer/instrumentalists, the line between composition and improvisation is blurred to the point of unimportance. It’s the chemistry of the collective that becomes the key to grasping the intent of the music. Bassist Takashi Sugawa and drummer Ittetsu Takemura are preternaturally attuned to Fujii’s emotional range and her dynamic approach to performance, and it makes for a deeply intriguing and adventurous set of performances. By turns quiet and moody or brash and excitable, these five pieces stretch the concept of the piano trio with surprising and gratifying results. Second Step begins with a dazzling display of piano mastery. That’s followed by a jagged bass interlude and then a hushed floating feeling is established only to lead into a triumphant-sounding and rising melody that is soon splintered and ... well, you get the idea. Fujii’s compositions for trio are journeys in sound that start in one place and go through a lot of changes before coming to an end. I’m particularly taken with drummer Takemura’s eccentric playing on the title track, inspiring bassist Sugawa into an extended rapturous solo. Fujii’s piano darts in and out of the music, eventually taking over the piece with a delicate solo that gradually increases in intensity as bass and drums hover around her. And there’s a lot more in this almost 19-minute piece. Sometimes it’s the silences embedded in the performances that are most telling, providing an element of suspense and anticipation. I’ve been listening to a lot of Paul Bley’s music lately, and Fujii’s studies with Bley still reverberate in her approach to the piano thirty-one years after they recorded a series of piano duets. Dream a Dream is heartily recommended. Libra 203-079; Satoko Fujii (p) Takashi Sugawa (b) Ittetsu Takemura (d); Paris, France, May 22, 2024; Second Step/ Dream a Dream/ Summer Day/ Rain Drop/ Aruru; 56:31. www.librarecords.com

 

    Stargazer, recorded in 1980, was veteran pianist Armen Donelian’s debut as a leader. While it’s not typical for a first album to feature all original compositions, Donelian had the expert assistance of bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Billy Hart in navigating the intricacies of his tunes. Originally made for Atlas Records in Japan, Sunnyside Records has now reissued the date and added Queen of Light, a previously unreleased performance. The set leads off with the title track, a tune that Donelian has revisited many times since this premiere performance. You couldn’t ask for a more sympathetic bass and drums team back then, and both Gómez (who turned 81 recently) and Hart (now 84 years young) are still making strong contributions to jazz. In addition to their abilities as astute accompanists, both Gómez and Hart are stirring soloists. Gómez was a member of the Bill Evans trio for over a decade, where he soloed frequently to great effect. The only non-original on the album is Free at Last, a lightly grooving collective improvisation which features Donelian and Gómez simultaneously soloing over Hart’s steady beat. The mellow ballad Southern Belle is distinguished by a dense and playful Gómez solo. Donelian is totally enjoyable on his Love’s Endless Spin, an upbeat samba that gallops along with Hart and Gómez providing stellar support. Hart solos with brushes to lead off Monday, which develops into a high-spirited three-way conversation. The delicately playful waltz Silent Afternoon concluded the original release. Queen of Light, the bonus track, is vaguely funky, with a strong solo by Gómez. If a jazz piano trio fan were to listen to Stargazer without knowing anything about it, she might say it was recorded last week or last year or maybe twenty or thirty years ago. Stargazer, reissued forty-five years after its initial release, is a sturdy session of piano jazz, and a reminder of the timeless pleasures of the format. Sunnyside SSC 4039; Armen Donelian (p) Eddie Gómez (b) Billy Hart (d); NYC, April 15, 1980; Stargazer/ Free At Last/ Southern Belle/ Love’s Endless Spin/ Monday/ Silent Afternoon/ Queen of Light; 47:54. sunnysiderecords.com

Jeong/Bisio Duo : Morning Bells Whistle Bright

     The Jeong/Bisio Duo is pianist Eunhye Jeong on piano and Michael Bisio on bass. For their debut release, Morning Bells Whistle Bright, the pair is joined on several tracks by Joe McPhee on tenor saxophone and Jay Rosen on drums. On the first four tracks, the intrepid duo demonstrates their intense connection, achieved after only one previous duet concert. Joe McPhee was at the show. His tenor powers Drinking Galactic Water with his commanding presence and deep experience with totally improvised music. The sensitive Rosen introduces Morning Bells Whistle Bright with a bright wash of cymbals, exquisitely captured by Jim Clouse at his Park West Studio in Brooklyn. The moods of this improvising assembly of musicians range from peaceful to jittery. The back cover reads that all tracks “collectively composed spontaneously by the musicians,” and sometimes it can be hard to believe. For one example, on the second half of Morning Bells Whistle Bright, the quartet finds a groove and sticks with it. McPhee, taking his saxophone up into the stratosphere and down to the deep bottom, duels with an unperturbed Jeong on Disclosure. It’s usually the case that it isn’t very helpful to describe albums like Morning Bells Whistle Bright with any kind of description of what the musicians seem to be doing. Although utterly serious, there is a light-hearted and playful approach by the Jeong/Bisio Duo and friends that makes this a bracingly enjoyable (and relatively long) listening experience. Definitely recommended. 
    The storied ESP-Disk’ label has had a few slogans since it was started in 1963, including “you never heard such sounds in your life” and “the artists alone decide what you will hear,” but I think the latest is the best: “If you don’t like ESP-Disk’s releases, that’s your fault.” 

ESP-Disk’ ESP5095; Eunhye Jeong (p, exc on 9) Michael Bisio (b exc on 8) Joe McPhee (ts on 5-7, 10) Jay Rosen (d on 5-10); Brooklyn, NY, March 8, 2023; 1.Pont Expands to World/ 2.And Then She Was There/ 3.Dusts into Substantiality/ 4.Points Multiply Constant Beauty/ 5.Drinking Galactic Water/ 6.Morning Bells Whistle Bright/ 7.Disclosure/ 8.Jaybird/ 9.Superpreternatural/ 10.Coda for Tomorrow; 73:30. espdisk.com

John O’Gallagher: Ancestral

     “Who’s the drummer?” is often the first thing I want to know when I look at a new release. When I glanced at the cover of alto saxophonist John O’Gallagher’s Ancestral, and saw the names of two exceptional master percussionists, Andrew Cyrille and Billy Hart, plus guitarist Ben Monder, I knew I was in for an exciting musical experience. And so it has proved. Cyrille and Hart have never recorded together before, but their collective spirit and breadth of experience makes the double drumming and the unusual quartet instrumentation sound totally natural. All the compositions are by O’Gallagher, and their open-ended nature gives the players plenty to work with. O’Gallagher’s powerful voice on alto, which sometimes reminds me of late Art Pepper, is never less than thrilling. His imaginative solo style draws on his own decades of playing in a wide variety of contexts and his immersion in late-period recordings of John Coltrane. The compelling Altar of the Ancestors is a clear homage to the glorious duets with Rashied Ali on Coltrane’s Interstellar Space. That’s just one standout among many. The stately and elegant Profess is another. Monder and O’Gallagher play the theme loosely together, then the saxophonist straps in for a passionate and urgent solo. All the while, Cyrille and Hart are churning and roiling underneath. Monder tosses out an exciting solo, spurring the drummers’ on and being stimulated in turn. Another highlight is Quixotica, a mournful ballad that puts O’Gallagher out front with the melody caressed by Monder’s quietly sympathetic lines and carefully restrained drumming. Everybody cuts loose on the improvised Postscript which closes the CD. Monder’s playing on the session ranges from clean chordal passages to electronically altered explosions of sound, and pretty much everything in between. From the photos from the session, it appears that everyone was playing together in the same space, and without headphones. It might be an old-fashioned way to record, but when the musicians are totally in sync with one another, it’s a method that often yields superior results to a more isolated studio situation. The deeply impressive Ancestral testifies to that approach. Warmly recommended. 

Whirlwind WR4840; John O’Gallagher (as) Ben Monder (g) Andrew Cyrille, Billy Hart (d); Montclair, NJ, no dates specified; Awakening/ Under the Wire/ Contact/ Tug/ Profess/ Altar of the Ancestors/ Quixotica/ Postscript; 44:39. whirlwindrecordings.com

Bill Coon: Standard Elegance

     The title of veteran guitarist Bill Coon’s latest CD tells it all: Standard Elegance. Wielding either an archtop electric guitar or an acoustic nylon-string version, Coon offers solo renditions of eleven selections of well-known standards, plus one original (the charming Fall Rain at Night) and what you might call a modern standard, the Lennon-McCartney penned And I Love Her. Coon’s technique is impeccable, and the smoothness of his sound belies the complexity of his approach to solo playing. That may be a another way of saying that he makes it sound easy. Any way you put it, the music of Standard Elegance is warm and intimate, and a pure pleasure to listen to. 

Cellar CMF121225; Bill Coon (archtop electric & nylon-string guitars); Burnaby, BC, January & August 2024; All the Things You Are/ Yesterdays/ And I Love Her/ But Beautiful/ I Cover the Waterfront/ Prelude to a Kiss/ East of the Sun/ The Nearness of You/ How Deep is the Ocean/ Nuages/ Fall Rain at Night/ Here’s That Rainy Day/ We’ll Be Together Again; 48:18. cellarlive.bandcamp.com

Jussi Reijonen: sayr: salt thirst (in the studio) & sayr: kaiho (in concert)

     Finnish guitarist and oudist Jussi Reijonen spent a day in the studio to record sayr: salt thirst, a solo performance on steel-string acoustic guitar. Sayr is Arabic for “course” or “motion”, a metaphor for “ a musical pathway unfolding through improvisation in a memory palace of sound,” according to Reijonen’s website. There was just one take of about 40 minutes to take up both sides of an Lp, split into two “suites” titled salt and thirst. At the beginning of salt, his main influences seemed to be John Fahey at his most devotional and Robbie Basho. The music here is meditative, intimate and calming. The next section, sarvi (‘horn’ in English) is fragmented and atomized, though equally intimate, as if the listener is allowed to intrude upon Reijonen’s guitar musings. Then I noticed that in the booklet for this release, Reijonen cites Lightnin’ Hopkins, Ali Farka Touré, Paco de Lucia, Hamza El Din and others “for leaving us trails.” Clearly his influences are broad and partake of many styles and approaches to string instruments. The playing is impeccable, the recording is transparent, and it all makes it easy to get lost in ths music. Totally improvised, and quite lovely as well. Recommended. Unmusic UNCD12025/UNLP12025 ; Jussi Reijonen (performed on steel-string acoustic guitar in one improvised take); Helsinki, Finland, March 1, 2025; salt (sola/ sarvi/ sae/ keinu)/ thirst (koto/ kuori/ kaarna/ säe/ kiedo/ aina/ ennen); 40:00.

    Six months later, Jussi Reijonen brought his guitar and oud to play in the same personal spirit for an audience in a small space in Helsinki. The Black Box seats between 220 and 350 people, depending on the room’s configuration. The name of the venue is perfect for the live improvised nature of sayr: kaiho (roughly “longing” or “nostalgia” in Finnish). The “input” is Reijonen’s vast array of influential music, as filtered through an individual personality. The “output” of course is the music that we’re hearing. But how this happens is a bit of a mystery, perhaps even to Reijonen himself. Two sets of instant compositions that make a stunning matched pair. Unmusic UNCD22025/UNLP22025; Jussi Reijonen (steel-string acoustic guitar, oud*); Helsinki, Finland, September 19, 2025; halla (kuura/ pihka/ suisto/ kaaripeili/ sarvi)/ fes* (irti/ iki/ eri)/ vielä (entä); 42:14. www.jussireijonen.com

Sarah Wilson: Incandescence

     Trumpeter Sarah Wilson’s latest release is the always fascinating and often beautiful Incandescence. Wilson’s original compositions are intricate and develop in idiosyncratic pathways. The perfectly poised sextet of Mara Fox on trombone, Kasey Knudsen on alto sax, John Schott on guitar, Liza Mezzacappa on bass, with Jon Arkin and Tim Bulkley sharing drum duties, gives her smartly crafted arrangements a spirited workout. The combination of the charts and the assured ensemble work gives the aural impression of a larger group than just six pieces. Everyone gets a chance to solo, with the imaginative Wilson and the veteran Bay Area guitarist Schott prominent. But as strong as the solo work is, for me, it’s really about the ensemble passages and the ever-shifting blend of voices. Solo passages turn into duets and lead into further permutations within the ensemble. From the start of Architecture in Space I found myself captivated by Wilson’s music, which seems to invite the listener to come in and explore. Standout tracks include the joyful title track with its high-life feeling, the stately and somber Music Appears to Stand Still, the unusual Lullaby, featuring John Schott in a playfully abstract mood, and the moving Echoes Refrain, which closes the set in style. Highly recommended. 

Brass Tonic; Sarah Wilson (tpt) Mara Fox (tbn) Kasey Knudsen (as) John Schott (g) Liza Mezzacappa (b) Tim Bulkley or Jon Arkin* (d); Oakland, CA, April 13-14, 2024; Architecture in Space/ Incandescence/ Hopeful Sorrow/ Music Appears to Stand Still/ Epilogue/ Jubilant*/ Dancing with Cierra*/ Fully Unfolding*/ Lullaby*/ Trifecta/ Echoes Refrain; 45:11. www.sarahwilsonmusic.com 

Zack Lober: So We Could Live

     Catchy melodies and a profound sense of creative joy infuse So We Could Live, the second release by bassist Zack Lober and his NO FILL3R ensemble. Adding tenor saxophonist Jasper Blom to his trio with trumpeter Suzan Veneman and drummer Sun-Mi Hong increases the range of sonic possibilities while retaining the brisk interplay within the band. With the well-established Blom on hand, Lober acquires not just a new voice in his group, but another composer. Lober and Blom split song-writing duties for this effort, along with one standard. One of the real highlights of the set is Lober’s busy and emotionally fraught solo bass medley of his original Dad, played in a medley with Consuelo Velázquez’s Besame Mucho. Veneman’s clear trumpet sound and her thoughtful and elegantly constructed solos make a nice contrast with Blom’s grittier tenor and more angular approach to his solo excursions. Lober and drummer Hong are beautifully matched, with a seemingly intuitive link that establishes a firm rhythmic foundation for the music to develop. Hong is generally content to keep things moving without calling much attention to herself, but when she does step out on Blom’s hard-bop flavored Feathered Head, she contributes an appropriately vigorous solo. Lober’s title track concludes the session with an inspired composition that leaves this listener with a calm and peaceful feeling. So We Could Live is definitely recommended. 

ZenneZ ZR2025015; Suzan Veneman (tpt) Jasper Blom (ts) Zack Lober (b) Sun-Mi Hong (d); Hilversum, The Netherlands, April 22 & 23, 2025; Joe Type Tune/ Behind a Myth/ The Loose End/ Vignette/ Dad; Besame Mucho/ Landscape/ Feathered Head/ So We Could Live; 37:56. zennezrecords.com

Horace Silver Quintet: Silver In Seattle: Live At The Penthouse

     It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when live jazz was broadcast on the radio from clubs across the country. Zev Feldman, who has produced reissues for many labels over the last decade or so, has presided over the release of music by a number of prominent artists (like Cal Tjader, Cannonball Adderley, and Wynton Kelly with Wes Montgomery) recorded from the stage of Seattle’s Penthouse club. The latest to appear features a short-lived edition of the Horace Silver Quintet. Short-lived because the unit heard on Silver In Seattle: Live At The Penthouse has a front line of trumpeter Woody Shaw and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, who were in Silver’s group together only from the spring of 1965 until perhaps the first half of 1966. Drummer Roger Humphries was with Silver from mid-1964 until 1967, with various bassists joining him in the rhythm section. That role was often filled, as it is here, by Teddy Smith. But here’s the thing: if you are a fan of vintage hard bop, especially on the Blue Note label, you love Horace Silver’s music practically by definition, no matter who is on the bandstand. The five tunes here include Henderson’s The Kicker, the well-known Silver originals Song For My Father and The Cape Verdean Blues, which was first recorded a couple of months after the Seattle appearance. The quintet is excellent form on this pair of broadcasts, a week apart. That’s another relic of the past. Bands would frequently appear at the same club for a couple of weeks or even longer. This situation provided the musicians a chance to learn the room and make any necessary adjustments required, with the added benefit of staying in one city and keeping off the road for a spell. Jim Wilke of KING-FM hosted the broadcasts, and he wisely recorded many of them for fans to enjoy decades later. Silver’s blend of buoyant groove and memorable melodies will never go stale, and here’s another vault issue to prove it. Easily recommended. 

Blue Note; Woody Shaw (tpt) Joe Henderson (ts) Horace Silver (p) Teddy Smith (b) Roger Humphries (d); Seattle, WA, August 12 & 19*, 1965; The Kicker/ Song For My Father/ The Cape Verdean Blues/ Sayonara Blues*/ Band introductions*/ No Smokin'*; 53:45. www.bluenote.com

Linda May Han Oh: Strange Heavens

 

    There are times in the life of any music fan when a promised collaboration of favorite musicians will be wildly anticipated, only to end up sounding better on paper then on the stereo. Then there are particularly inspired dates that exceed anything you might expect. The utterly magnificent Strange Heavens by bassist Linda May Han Oh and her trio with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and drummer Tyshawn Sorey is one of those successes. Sorey’s simultaneously torrid and sensitive beat, Akinmusire’s broad range of expressive techniques, and Oh’s solidly rooted bass combine for an enchanting musical experience. Oh composed most of the pieces, and arranged Geri Allen’s Skin and Melba Liston’s Just Waiting for the trio. We begin with Portal, kicking off with a tricky bass pattern, drums that sneak up on you, and relaxed trumpet that fills out the sound. As the track proceeds, the trio’s remarkable cohesion, dynamic range, and ease in shifting tempos are revealed as keys to this program’s success. Oh and Sorey have been playing together quite a lot in pianist Vijay Iyer’s much-acclaimed trio, and their experiences there have clearly informed the intensity and commitment they bring to this group. There’s only one piece that exceeds five minutes, the straight-forwardly funky Noise Machinery which clocks in at 5:27. The trio likes to get into the compositions, have their say, and get out quickly, an attitude that promotes concentrated listening. Other highlights include the spacious title track, the hard-driving Paperbirds, and the impassioned musical conversation on Skin. As Oh notes, “Playing in chordless trios is invigorating and rewarding, in that I have freedom when I solo, but I also have a responsibility to make sure there’s clarity in what I’m saying and the story is being told.” The story that is told so well on Strange Heavens evokes the kernel of the creative music experience, when individuality and the collective experience of the group are in perfect balance. Strange Heavens is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year, and it should surprise no one if it rates highly in year-end polls. Highly recommended. 

Biophilia; Ambrose Akinmusire (tpt) Linda May Han Oh (b) Tyshawn Sorey (d); no dates or location specified; Portal/ Strange Heavens/ Living Proof/ Acapella/ The Sweetest Water/ Noise Machinery/ Home/ Paperbirds/ Folk Song/ Work Song/ Skin/ Just Waiting; 48:03. biophiliarecords.com

PlainsPeak: Someone To Someone

     Multi-instrumentalist Jon Irabagon has been an extremely busy performer since his debut on record with the Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra in 1997. He came to prominence with his role in Mostly Other People Do The Killing, which began as a quartet in 2003. He’s appeared on numerous releases over the years, with 133 sessions listed in Tom Lord’s online Jazz Discography. Irabagon has returned to his Chicago roots with his latest project Someone To Someone, recorded with a quartet he calls PlainsPeak. Trumpeter Russ Johnson played on Irabagon’s debut as a leader (Jon Irabagon’s Outright!, Innova, 2008), and the rapport they display as the front line is impressive. They sound like a grittier version of the Ornette Coleman/Don Cherry partnership, a comparison aided by the trumpet, sax, bass and drums format of PlainsPeak. The impeccable rhythm team of bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall has energized a batch of sessions since their first appearance together on Sommers’ 2012 album Ba(sh). Irabagon, who composed all the selections for this release, confines himself to the tenor saxophone. His tunes are always deeply interesting and unpredictable, both in their melodic wanderings and the arrangements. You can never be too sure when one of the horns or the bass will burst out for a solo. It’s a tactic that promotes dedicated listening on the parts of both the listener and the performers. One of the highlights of this consistently engrossing release is the appropriately somber Tiny Miracles (at a Funeral for a Friend), but there are many passages of unforced beauty throughout. Heartily recommended. 

Irabbagast 032; Russ Johnson (tpt) Jon Irabagon (ts) Clark Sommers (b) Dana Hall (d); Chicago, IL, December 9-10, 2024; Someone to Someone/ Buggin’ the Bug/ Malört is My Shepherd/ At What Price Garlic/ Tiny Miracles (at a Funeral for a Friend)/ The Pulseman; 42:29. jonirabagon.bandcamp.com

Denny Zeitlin: With A Song In My Heart

     Pianist Denny Zeitlin was in grade school when his parents took him to see Oklahoma! and he was “electrified” by the music of Richard Rodgers. Zeitlin started playing jazz gigs in high school and made his first albums for Columbia in 1964. All that time, he’s been thinking about Rodgers’ music, often playing one of Rodgers’ over 900 (!) songs on gigs and on record. With A Song In My Heart offers a generous helping of Zeitlin devoting an entire program to Rodgers’ music. The first six tracks come from the 2019 edition of his solo piano appearances at Oakland’s Piedmont Piano Company, each devoted to the work of a single composer. The balance of the CD was recorded that fall in his home studio. The playing throughout is elegant in its phrasing, with the composer’s ever-lovely melodies at the forefront of Zeitlin’s inventive improvisations. While this kind of album, with so and so playing the music a particular composer, was a staple of record labels at one time, the earliest examples of the sub-genre generally have the performers staying fairly close to the song they were playing. By now, musicians feel perfectly free to reharmonize their material or give it a different feel with an unusual time signature. Thus we get a exploration of I Didn’t Know What Time It Was in 7/4, and I Have Dreamed recast as a bossa nova. Zeitlin’s carefully considered sequencing choices give the album a genuine flow. Variation in tempo from piece to piece help draw the listener along for the ride. For instance, Happy Talk really cooks, while his lengthy live exploration of Ev’rything I’ve Got simmers. The artist’s brief liner notes put each of the tunes in the context of the musicals where they first appeared, as well as pointing out musical tidbits about his arrangements. Concluding the album is a straight ahead version of the oft-played With a Song in My Heart. This exquisite rendition of this popular standard neatly sums up the session with its graceful beauty. Definitely recommended. 

Sunnyside SSC 1781; Denny Zeitlin (p); Oakland, CA, December 13, 2019* or Kentfield, CA, November & December 2019; Falling in Love With Love*/ I Didn’t Know What Time It Was*/ He Was Too Good to Me*/ Johnny One Note*/ Wait till You See Her*/ Ev’rything I’ve Got*/ This Nearly Was Mine/ Have You Met Miss Jones?/ I Have Dreamed/ Happy Talk/ With a Song in My Heart; 77:36.
sunnysiderecords.com

Andy Biskin: Reed Basket

     I’ll admit that when Reed Basket arrived in my inbox, I was a bit apprehensively about the virtues of a clarinet quartet. But I needn’t have worried. Clarinet wizard Andy Biskin and Reed Basket, with fellow clarinetists Peter Hess, Mike McGinnis, and Sam Sadigursky, uncork a relatively broad range of sound generated by five different members of the clarinet family. Biskin composed every one of the odd numbered tracks, which alternate in the program with an astonishing range of covers by composers including Franz Schubert (Moment Musicaux #3), Horace Silver (Blue Silver), Jelly Roll Morton (Wolverine Blues), and the biggest surprise, Lou Reed (Walk on the Wild Side). The carefully detailed arrangements are brought to vibrant life by musicians that are marvelously attuned to the nuances of each other’s sound. And Biskin’s smart sequencing of the program provides an engaging flow to the project. If I were impelled to pick a favorite piece from this baker’s dozens of delicious performances, today it might be the group’s dissection of fellow clarinetist Pee Wee Russell’s Wailin' D.A. Blues. Tomorrow, Biskin’s own Yasmina, with it’s A-section of rapturous melody and stately mien and the B-section that gives it some lift, might just hit the spot, and the day after that, it could be the easy groove of the Horace Silver piece or the winsome and lively arrangement of the Lou Reed song, or ... You get the idea: not a wasted moment in over an hour of charming and captivating sounds, beautifully recorded and mixed by Marc Urselli. Improvised music is full of surprises; I like it when an album I was hesitant about knocks me out in the listening. Very happily recommended. 

Self-produced; Andy Biskin (Bb, bcl) Peter Hess (Bb, Eb, alto clarinet, bcl, contra-alto clarinet) Mike McGinnis (Bb, alto clarinet, bcl)/ Sam Sadigursky (Bb, Eb, bcl); NYC, May 17, 2024; 1.Easy Chair/ 2.Camelot/3. Yasmina/ 4. Moment Musicaux #3/ 5. New Fangle/ 6. Wailin' D.A. Blues/ 7. Old Self/ 8. Blue Silver/ 9. So Forth/ 10. Walk on the Wild Side / 11. If Time Allows/ 12. Wolverine Blues/ 13. Minotaur; 62:10. andybiskin.com

A pair of guitar duos: Joe Morris & Elliott Sharp/Eyal Maoz & Eugene Chadbourne

     Two of modern music’s most outré guitarists, Joe Morris & Elliott Sharp, unite for an absolutely wild session they’ve dubbed Realism. Now this collaboration, involving acoustic guitars and electric guitars plus Morris’ effect pedals and Sharp’s electronics, is nearly as far from realism as you can get. I say “nearly” because the instruments are usually recognizable as guitars. Noisy, scrabbly, and definitively weird, their abrasive sounds will certainly not be to everyone’s taste. But so what? As producer and current ESP honcho Steve Holtje reminds us, one of the early slogans of the label was “you never heard such sounds in your life,” and that’s certainly true of this set. Totally improvised, and chock-full of surprising moments, this music twists and turns in so many directions at once it can feel somewhat dizzying. From the first fairly gentle flurries of sound on Shapes Mentioned to the whoops and clangs of the lengthy Arrokoth, Realism is both insanely beautiful and beautifully insane. Totally recommended.

 ESP-Disk’ ESP5084; Joe Morris (g, effects) Elliott Sharp (g, electronics); Brooklyn, NY, July 17, 2023; Shapes Mentioned/ Neither Odd Nor Even/ Light Asking/ Freezing in Hell/ Soft Version/ Arrokoth; 64:40. espdisk.com

    Another guitar duo, Eyal Maoz & Eugene Chadbourne, has a big batch of fun on The Coincidence Masters. Freely improvised music needs surprising coincidences to result in more than a random jumble of noise, and veteran weirdo Dr. Chad along with Maoz are more than ready to create the right conditions for those surprises to erupt. Where the Morris/Sharp duo is prone to big noises with lots of electronic effects, Maoz and Chadbourne take a calmer approach to their interactions. Chadbourne’s many projects over the years have nearly always had a humorous edge to them, and The Coincidence Masters is no exception. It comes through in the quietly subversive back and forth that the pair engages in, as well as the titles they’ve given for their improvised encounters. Song titles like And Now, All Is Left Is The Titles Search and The Last Track point directly at their playful attitudes in the recording studio. But in the end, They are no less serious about their music than the more raucous Morris/Sharp duo. Listened all the way through, the CD feels like a kind of suite, with track times running from the thirty-eight seconds of Eager for the Ad-Lib to a pair of lengthy excursions in Unexpected, Also For Us, clocking in at just over ten minutes, and the longer Naming Comforts People. The Coincidence Masters is a delightfully entertaining showcase of improvisation, mastered by none other than Elliott Sharp! 

Infrequent Seams (CD, digital album); Eyal Maoz, Eugene Chadbourne (guitars); NYC, June 10, 2022; Words Are Not Intended/ Two Guitarists/ Improvisation Enthusiasm/ On-the-Spot/ Eager for the Ad-Lib/ Unexpected, Also For Us/ And Now, All Is Left Is The Titles Search/ We Need It/ Naming Comforts People/ All Through / The Last Track; 52:05 . infrequentseams.bandcamp.com

Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions

        Following closely after Mosaic’s compilation of Classic Vanguard Small Group Swing Sessions comes a companion set, Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions with 6 CDs containing a total of eleven complete sessions. The fun starts with the Jo Jones Trio, recorded in early stereophonic sound at the end of April 1958. Mosaic has eschewed its usual chronological sequencing in favor of a more thematic approach, and the glorious sounds of the Jones trio with pianist Ray Bryant and his bassist brother Tommy Bryant. Drum master Jones, a mainstay of the Small Group Sessions collection, is heard again with the almost forgotten pianist Sir Charles Thompson in a quartet date on the remainder of disc 1. Thompson led a few band dates on the earlier box and is represented here in two contexts. The quartet date of January 1954 features Jones with bassist Walter Page and guitarist Freddie Green, while the February 1955 session, which starts off disc 2, is a drummer-less trio with Skeeter Best on guitar and Aaron Bell on bass. The rest of disc 2 offers a solo set from pianist Bobby Henderson, a very enjoyable Fats Waller tribute recorded in November 1956. This fine performer was rediscovered after 23 years by producer John Hammond during a random stopover in Albany, NY where Henderson was performing under a different name. After Henderson made a second solo recording for Vanguard in 1957 (Call House Blues), he disappeared again, resurfacing again two decades later to make two more solo albums for Chiaroscuro in 1969. Discs 3 & 4 are given over to four sessions led by pianist Mel Powell, closely associated with Benny Goodman. First up is a swinging sextet date featuring trumpeter Buck Clayton. That’s followed by a fascinating August 1954 trio date with Powell joined by the “Vice Prez” Paul Quinichette on tenor saxophone and Bobby Donaldson on drums. Just a week later came another trio excursion, with trumpeter Ruby Braff and Donaldson. The last Powell session, done in October 1955, is a hodge-podge of lineups, with trios, quintets, and septets. There’s some fine music here, but the ever-changing configurations make for an odd listening experience. Thomas Cuniffe, principal writer and editor of jazzhistoryonline.com who contributed a liner essay to the first Vanguard box, repeats that effort here. He describes the Ruby Braff/Ellis Larkins duo sessions that make up discs five and six as the “crown jewels of this collection,” and it’s hard to disagree with that assessment. Trumpeter Braff and pianist Larkins recorded a baker’s dozen of songs in February 1955, released as on two 10-inch volumes aptly titled as Two Part Inventions in Jazz. The pair followed up with an October date devoted exclusively to songs by the well-loved team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, issued on Lp as 2 x 2. Larkins had established a reputation as an accompanist to singers, notably Mildred Bailey and Ella Fitzgerald. In Braff he had a partner whose style frequently took a song’s lyrics as a springboard for his improvisations. They are clearly of one mind in their approaches to the music, and together they manifest an unhurried and sophisticated approach to their material. The late Michael Cuscuna, co-founder of Mosaic Records, was deeply involved in the preparation of the Vanguard sets, and these collections testify to his wide-ranging engagement with all eras of jazz. He’s much missed, but his overwhelming contribution to the music will live on as long as there are enthusiasts to listen to his many productions. Easily recommended. 

Mosaic MD6-281; Disc 1 63:21): (A) Jo Jones Trio (4/30/58) (B) Sir Charles Thompson Quartet (1/22/54). Disc 2 (70:10): ©) Sir Charles Thompson Trio (2/16/55) (D) Bobby Henderson (11/26/56). Disc 3 (61:43): (E) Mel Powell Septet (12/30/53) (F) Mel Powell Trio (8/17/54). Disc 4 (72:37): (G) Mel Powell Trio (8/24/54) (H) Mel Powell Septet/Quintet (10/19/55). Disc 5 (60:43): (I) Ruby Braff/Ellis Larkins duo (2/17/55). Disc 6 (50:43): Ruby Braff/Ellis Larkins duo (10/14/55). For complete discographical details, go here. Limited to 5,000 sets; available from www.mosaicrecords.com

Kenny Burrell with Art Blakey: On View At The Five Spot Café: The Complete Masters

     The cast: guitarist Kenny Burrell with Art Blakey on drums, plus Bobby Timmons and Roland Hanna alternating on piano, tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks, and bassist Ben Tucker. The date and place: August 25, 1959 at the Five Spot Café, near the Bowery in lower Manhattan. The recording engineer: Rudy Van Gelder. What could go wrong? Nothing! For the original Lp, the producer’s biggest problem was likely to be what to include and what to leave out from the five sets of the evening. Now we have On View At The Five Spot Café: The Complete Masters, with six previously unissued tracks joining the original album and the three tracks that were added to an earlier CD reissue. While the music is great, The Complete Masters is a misnomer. According to Tom Lord’s online Jazz Discography, there were twenty-five pieces recorded that night. Hanna was on piano for sets one, three, and four, replaced by Timmons on the other two sets, with Tina Brooks playing only with Timmons on piano. For this collection, compilation producer Joe Harley has simply sequenced the original album followed by the CD bonus selection, and then added six more tracks after that, for a total of fourteen tracks. That leaves eleven performances unaccounted for. The notation “rejected” is appended to thirteen takes in the Jazz Discography, a few of which have now been issued. To a jazz nerd like me, it seems wrong to call this The Complete Masters when it’s really the Incomplete masters, without an explanation as to what’s missing. And why wasn’t the music put back in the original sequence, instead of the hodgepodge that’s been issued in the past? Even so, there’s nearly two hours of fine music at hand. And who could scoff at having more Tina Brooks to listen to, or to relax with an especially frisky Kenny Burrell with the mighty Art Blakey at the drums? Not me, that’s for sure. The booklet includes an essay by Syd Schwartz about the history of the Five Spot, his notes on the performances, and a revealing interview with Kenny Burrell. While I’m looking forward to the eventual release of the entire evening in its original sequence, I’m pretty happy listening to what’s here. 

Blue Note (2 CDs/3 Lps); Tina Brooks (ts on #) Kenny Burrell (g) Bobby Timmons or *Roland Hanna (p) Ben Tucker (b) Art Blakey (d); NYC, August 25, 1959; CD 1 (63:36): Birks’ Works#/ Hallelujah*/ Lady Be Good#/ Lover Man#/ 36-23-36/ Swingin’/ If You Could See Me Now*/ Beef Stew Blues*. CD 2 (51:22): The Next Time You See Me, Things Won’t Be the Same*/ The Take Off*/ Birks’ Works#/ Lady Be Good#/ Love Walked In/ 36-23-36 (The Theme)#. www.bluenote.com

Charles Mingus: In Argentina - The Buenos Aires Concerts

     I had the enormous pleasure of seeing the Charles Mingus quintet in performance during the last few years of his career, twice in San Francisco, and once in New York. The last show I caught was at the Great American Music Hall in April 1977, with the same unit that appears on the newly released In Argentina - The Buenos Aires Concerts. The quintet toured the States that year, played in South America in June and then in Europe in July before returning to New York, on the last tour that Mingus would make. This set is not only the first official release of this concert material, but as Mingus biographer Brian Priestley mentions in his essay for the booklet, it’s also the first legitimate documentation of this edition of the quintet. In addition to Priestley’s notes, the booklet includes rare photographs, a long and insightful excerpt from Claudio Parisi’s Grandes del jazz internacional en Argentina 1956-1979, and reminiscences of working with Mingus by trumpeter Walrath and saxophonist Ford. Walrath writes that “playing with Mingus, to quote Dannie Richmond, ‘is a bitch in every sense of the word.’” Mingus, he notes, “always wanted something different.” Ford, who was barely 23 at the time of the 1977 tour, tells the story of how he came to be in the quintet. About Mingus, he writes that “when you played with him, you were walking on eggshells. You never knew what was going to happen. Still, it was a great experience ...” The programs are mostly drawn from tunes recorded on Mingus’ Seventies Atlantic albums: Changes One, Changes Two, Three Or Four Shades Of Blue, and Cumbia And Jazz Fusion, along with two older favorites. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, a 1959 elegy to the great Lester Young, is the first number of the June 2 show. The still relevant 1957 composition Fables Of Faubus, complete with repartee, a very fine bass solo, and a drum solo, comes from the June 3 performance. As an acknowledgment of Mingus’ roots in bebop, the band plays a quick medley of Koko and Cherokee as a theme statement. A brief piano solo by Mingus ends both nights. Although Mingus was ill and in a generally bad humor according to contemporary accounts, the music is powerful on both nights, with enthusiastic audiences loudly approving. Mingus might not have been soloing as much as he had been earlier in his career, but his continued fierce ensemble playing combined with the talents and dedication of this multi-generational unit make this a collection not to be missed. Highest recommendation! 

Resonance HCD- 2077 (2-CDs & 3-Lps); Jack Walrath (tpt) Ricky Ford (ts) Robert Neloms (p) Charles Mingus (b, p on *) Dannie Richmond (d); Buenos, Argentina, June 2, 1977 (disc 1) or June 3, 1977 (disc 2); Disc 1 (77:50): Introduction/ Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/ Duke Ellington’ s Sound of Love/ Noddin’ Ya Head Blues/ Three or Four Shades of Blue/ Koko; Cherokee/ For Harry Carney/ Cumbia & Jazz Fusion/ Solo Piano Improvisation*. Disc 2 (33:32) Sue’s Changes (incomplete)/ Koko; Cherokee; Band intros/ Fables of Faubus/ Solo Piano Improvisation*. resonancerecords.org

Kenny Dorham: Blue Bossa In The Bronx & Freddie Hubbard: On Fire - Live From The Blue Morocco

     Someone really ought to get to work on a biography of Sylvia Robinson. Not sure who she was? She was half of Mickey and Sylvia, with a massive hit in 1957 called Love is Strange; she had another smash hit in 1973 with Pillow Talk. And she went on to co-found Sugar Hill Records in 1979, producing the influential hip-hop songs Rapper’s Delight by the Sugarhill Gang and The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. But what concerns us here is her club The Blue Morocco, a short-lived Bronx nightspot. Two excellent releases recorded at the club have just been release, one by Kenny Dorham and one by Freddie Hubbard. Both sessions were recorded by Bernard Drayton, another fascinating New York personage. When Zev Feldman, known as the Jazz Detective, was introduced to Drayton, he became aware of Drayton’s archive of tapes. Drayton is described by Feldman as “a renaissance man” who not only had a lengthy career in advertising, but was also a gifted photographer and a fine recording engineer. John Coltrane’s last public performance, released by Impulse! as The Olatunji Concert, is one of his efforts. Drayton worked with two mikes, a tiny mixer and a Revox reel-to-reel tape machine, a setup that’s pictured in both of these releases. 

    Trumpeter Kenny Dorham was, by all accounts, a cultured and respectful man. The booklet included with Blue Bossa In The Bronx - Live From The Blue Morocco, includes an excerpt from an interview with the late Dan Morgenstern. Back when he was the editor of Downbeat, Morgenstern worked closely with Dorham when the trumpeter was briefly writing record reviews for the magazine. The insightful Morgenstern describes Dorham as “an extraordinarily intelligent person ... a guy who thought about the music and its history...” The single CD or double Lp issue of this quintet date offers what sounds like a complete set from the Bronx club. Kicking things off with Dorham’s best-known composition, Blue Bossa, the stellar unit features Sonny Red on alto along with a marvelous rhythm section of Cedar Walton on piano, the ubiquitous Paul Chambers on bass, and Denis Charles on drums. Charles is usually associated with the likes of Cecil Taylor and Steve Lacy, but remember that he also worked with Gil Evans, Sonny Rollins, and Sandy Bull. His low-key but insistent presence on the drums gives the band a firm foundation for the excellent solo work of Dorham and Walton. Sonny Red plays fluidly, but he doesn’t often sound especially inspired on this night. The typically varied program includes nods to K.D.’s bop roots, with expansive versions of Charlie Parker’s Confirmation and Milt Jackson’s Bags’ Groove, and a pair of standards. Memories of You is a feature for Sonny Red, whose convincingly bluesy approach shows him at his best. The music then slides directly into Dorham’s disarmingly relaxed look at My One and Only Love. We also get to hear Blue Friday, a Dorham original that debuted on his exquisite 1959 album Quiet Kenny, and the set closes, in the bop tradition, with The Theme. Dorham is a classic example of the “musician’s musician.” While he didn’t get a ton of recognition from the public, he was highly thought of by his peers, as well as the many trumpeters who followed in his footsteps. Eddie Henderson, Steven Bernstein, Charles Tolliver, and Jeremy Pelt all offer their praise from different angles in statements included in the booklet. Bassist Reggie Workman also offers his perspective, noting Dorham’s “unique sound and approach” and emphasizing that he also a vocalist, making him especially “able to relate to the lyrics of a song.” The booklet also features liner notes by Bob Blumenthal, short statements from Dorham’s children, and a fascinating remembrance of the night by Bernard Drayton. Frankly, I’ve never heard a Dorham recording that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy, and Blue Bossa In The Bronx is no exception. Happily recommended. Resonance HCD–2072 (CD & 2-lp set); Kenny Dorham (tpt) Sonny Red (as) Cedar Walton (p) Paul Chambers (b) Denis Charles (d); The Bronx, NY, 1967; Blue Bossa/ Confirmation/ Memories of You/ My One and Only Love/ Bags’ Groove/ Blue Friday/ The Theme; 73:35. 

    When the masterly trumpeter Freddie Hubbard was really feeling it, it was obvious from the first note. One night in The Bronx, Hubbard was in fabulous form, as the recently issued On Fire - Live From The Blue Morocco proves. Hubbard at that point in 1967 was signed to Atlantic Records, after a long association with Blue Note.  His formidably swinging quintet at the time consisted of Bennie Maupin on tenor saxophone, Kenny Barron on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums. This Resonance set, on two CDs or three Lps, is the second of Bernard Drayton’s recordings to appear on the label. Considering the recording setup he used, he managed to get a well-balanced result. The wildly exciting program features original compositions by Hubbard (Crisis, Up Jumped Spring, True Colors, and Breaking Point), along with Bob Cunningham’s Echoes of Blue, and a pair of standards in the second set. Bye Bye Blackbird and Summertime each are explored at length, with superb solo work by Hubbard, Maupin, and Barron. Freddie Waits could drive a small group with finesse and unstoppable propulsion, and he’s totally on his game on this night. In what has become the standard for Resonance releases, and producer Zev Feldman’s projects in general, there’s a copiously illustrated booklet. This one includes Feldman’s introduction, a short piece by Freddie’s son Duane Hubbard, liner notes by John Koenig, memories of performing with Hubbard by Kenny Barron and Bennie Maupin, an essay by Bernard Drayton about the gig, plus appreciations by fellow trumpeters Charles Tolliver, Eddie Henderson, Steven Bernstein (“This recording is insane!”), and Jeremy Pelt. On Fire is a valuable addition to the legacy of the great Freddie Hubbard, and is heartily recommended. Resonance HCD-2073; Freddie Hubbard (tpt) Bennie Maupin (ts) Kenny Barron (p) Herbie Lewis (b) Freddie Waits (d); The Bronx, NY, April 10, 1967; Disc 1 (65:18) Crisis/ Up Jumped Spring/ Echoes of Blue/ True Colors; Breaking Point. Disc 2 (47:56) Bye Bye Blackbird/ Summertime/ Breaking Point. resonancerecords.org

Jim Snidero: Bird Feathers

    With his latest project, Bird Feathers, alto saxophonist Jim Snidero delivers a delightful session of songs written or played by Charlie Parker, with the aid of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth. It’s a bit unusual to tear into tunes like Ornithology or Confirmation in this trio format without a chording instrument, but this unit succeeds admirably. Bird Feathers, the album, kicks off with the title track, a reworking of a Parker original from a 1947 Dial session, and a hint of what’s in store for the remainder of the 46 minutes. Snidero’s bright tone and the fluidity of his ideas are always a treat, especially when he’s invigorated by a thematic approach. For this Bird tribute, he smartly sequences Parker’s tunes and standards that he loved to play. By the time I got to Snidero’s exquisite version of These Foolish Things, I was more than ready to endorse this release wholeheartedly, and that was only the third track! Other highlights include a brisk look at Ornithology, complete with effective solos by Washington and Farnsworth, a loving version of Hoagy Carmichael’s The Nearness of You, the gently swinging version of the infrequently played Charlie’s Wig from the same 1947 session that produced Bird Feathers, and the finale, a solo saxophone rendition of the well-known Ram Ramirez tune Lover Man. The accomplished Washington shows with every note why he is one of the most recorded bassists of the modern era, with 514 (!) sessions listed in Tom Lord’s online Jazz Discography since his debut in 1986. Drummer Farnsworth, a sensitive and responsive musician, has amassed over 200 sessions in the same database since 1991. They are both clearly suited to Snidero’s stripped-down approach to this material, and together they help make this disc a success. If you love the music of Charlie Parker half as much as Jim Snidero clearly does, you will absolutely enjoy every minute of Bird Feathers. Joyously recommended. 

Savant SCD 2224; Jim Snidero (as) Peter Washington (b) Joe Farnsworth (d); Saylorsburg, PA, October 4, 2024; Bird Feathers/ Scrapple From the Apple/ These Foolish Things/ Ornithology/ Embraceable You/ The Nearness of You/ Charlie’s Wig/ Confirmation/ Lover Man; 46:58. www.jazzdepot.com

George Cables: I Hear Echoes

     I get a lot of CDs and downloads sent to me for this blog, and I can’t usually be sure I’ll enjoy the music until I start listening. But when it’s a new recording by pianist George Cables, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it’s going to be a winner. And so it is with I Hear Echoes, his latest HighNote album, a trio date with Essiet Essiet on bass and Jerome Jennings on drums. Cables turned 80 in November 2024 and he’s had various health problems over the last few years, but he sounds really strong on the opening track, Echo of a Scream. The first of four original tunes, it’s a dazzling upbeat swinger with an insistent figure that Cables keeps up for the whole tune. Another Cables composition, Echoes, sounds like a close cousin to the opener, with a more relaxed feel but similarly constructed. The trio also takes a fresh look at some older tunes: Morning Song, a tune that dates back to the late Seventies, and Blue Nights, first recorded in 1985. Joining the originals are a few standards, including a tasty upbeat version of Cole Porter’s You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To, and jazz compositions including Duke Ellington’s timeless Prelude to a Kiss, Cedar Walton’s Clockwise, and a stirring romp through pianist Arcoiris Sandoval’s Journey to Agartha. The CD concludes with a reflective solo rendition of Horace Silver’s Peace. There’s a reason Cables has been a key member of bands led by such disparate personalities and stylists as Art Blakey and saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Art Pepper. He’s also appeared on record with such critically acclaimed artists as Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, Bobby Hutcherson, and many others. That reason is his unerring instinct for the right note at the right time and his reliable sense of swing. Until his run of trio albums for HighNote dating back to 2012's My Muse, I was more of a devotee of his ensemble work. But now, I’m eager to make room on the shelf for another of his joyously swinging trio dates. Absolutely recommended. 

HighNote HCD 7256; George Cables (p) Essiet Essiet (b) Jerome Jennings (d); NYC, January 30 & May 2, 2024; Echo of a Scream/ Echoes/ So Near So Far/ Morning Song/ Prelude to a Kiss/ Clockwise/ Like a Lover/ You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To/ Blue Nights/ Journey to Agartha/ Peace; 65:41. www.jazzdepot.com

Ivo! Ivo! Ivo!

     The following batch of reviews of Ivo Perelman releases in 2024 was already late when I started to get it together in January. Due to a series of personal and technical setbacks, it’s now really late. But the music, obviously, is still out there, and in the spirit of “better late than never,” I figured it was time to get this published.

    It’s nearly impossible to keep up with the spectacularly prolific tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman. His ethos of totally free improvisation with no preconceptions is dependent on like-minded collaborators, and over the years, he has continually expanded the pool of allies. You might say that Perelman “orchestrates” his sessions by choosing the right partner or partners for a given session in a similar fashion to the way that Duke Ellington would create his music based on the particular talents and predilections of specific individuals. Of his baker’s dozen releases in 2024, no two feature the same lineup of musicians. Here is a look at most of them, with links to a couple of previously released sessions:

    First out of the gate last year was the aptly titled Ephemeral Shapes. The trio of Ivo Perelman, Aruán Ortiz & Ramón López created vigorous and absorbingly dynamic sounds at this session, recorded in Barcelona in the spring. The lengthy shape 1 delineates many of the possible approaches to the tenor sax, piano and drums trio, and the remainder of the date features generally shorter pieces that focus in on various strategies and concepts that the opening establishes. To note just a few of them: shape 2 is cautious and somewhat melancholy, starting out quietly before then growing slowly into a kind of ecstatic intensity, then relaxing again until it reaches silence. López’s delicate brushwork on the gracefully paced shape 4 is a special treat. Perelman introduces shape 5 as if he’s about to play the blues before quickly taking off in another direction, with the fleet-fingered Ortiz and the sensitive López racing alongside. The delicate interplay of shape 6 gives the music an unusually emotional aspect, which makes it one of my favorite tracks of the date. That nuanced approach continues at the start of shape 7, which goes on to include an energetic duet exchange by Ortiz and López before Perelman re-enters the fray with some fiery high-register excursions. Ephemeral is the closing track, just under four minutes of summing up with a blast of interactive fireworks. Ephemeral Shapes is a winning effort. While perhaps ephemeral in the moment of making music, there always lurks the inevitable contradiction of preserving sounds, and to listen again and again. Fundacja Słuchaj; Ivo Perelman (ts) Aruán Ortiz (p) Ramón López (d); shape 1/ shape 2/ shape 3/shape 4/ shape 5/ shape 6/ shape 7/ Ephemeral; Barcelona, Spain, May 7, 2024; 47:13. sluchaj.bandcamp.com

    Interaction presents a series of twenty improvisations by a trio of Ivo Perelman, Barry Guy & Ramón López that dates back to 2017 Paris sessions Paris. It takes a widely experienced bassist to match wits with the endlessly inventive Perelman, and Barry Guy is certainly that. From his earliest recordings with the Spontaneous Music Ensemble in 1966 and 1967, Guy has consistently associated with the boldest and most progressive musicians on the scene. Derek Bailey, Howard Riley, Paul Rutherford, Evan Parker and so many others have all collaborated with Guy in a wide range of improvisatory settings. Both Guy and Perelman were members of the Ramón López Freedom Now Sextet that released one album in 2009, so there’s a bit of history leading up to this trio. Their previous association serves them well here, as they explore the rarefied realm of instant composition in pieces that range from just over ten minutes to under two minutes. López’s playing is largely on the subdued side, leaving it to Perelman’s tenor excursions and Guy’s boldly inventive bass to lead the way. The velocity of the trio’s interactions seems to be the main focus of the group mind throughout the date, as the music plunges forward or stops on a dime. Interaction is a thoroughly enjoyable and distinguished collection, and a gem of freely improvised music. Ibeji Music; Ivo Perelman (ts) Barry Guy (b) Ramón López (d, tabla); Paris, France, 2017; Disc 1 (73:38): Tracks 1-11; Disc 2 (55:08): Tracks 1-9.

    Perelman’s most frequent musical partner is pianist Matthew Shipp. Magical Incantation is the latest excursion by the Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp Duo. More often than not, there are no titles on Perelman’s releases, just “track 1,”“ track 2,” and so on. For this date, the pieces are given names, with titles like sacred values and vibrational essence that are revealing of the spiritual intentions behind the concept of totally free improvisation. The opening piece, prayer, belies the general belief that free improvisation implies noisy and aggressive combinations of sounds. The utter gentleness of this piece sets the tone of the album, though the forty-five minutes of Magical Incantation is certainly not without its moments of heightened and intense passages. Take incarnation as one example, opening with Shipp’s forceful chording and Perelman’s treble screech before shifting into the kind of unified chase sequence that you’d swear had to be written, but of course was invented on the spur of the moment. It’s a whirlwind of sound, and a revelatory microcosm of the Perelman/Shipp duo in just under six minutes. Periodically, Perelman and Shipp have declared that there isn’t much more for them to explore as a duo, only to start up again and dazzle us with their endlessly creative wizardry. Magical Incantation is the latest radiant expression of their mutual admiration society. Soul City Sounds (CD & digital album); Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, April 23, 2024; prayer/ rituals/ lustihood/ enlightenment/ sacred values/ incarnation/ vibrational essence/ magical incantation; 45:55. soulcitysounds.bandcamp.com

    The hard-blowing tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman is most often heard in a duet context, with a wide range of instrumentalists. Water Music, a RogueArt release by the Ivo Perelman Quartet, represents a new departure for the restlessly creative Perelman. With long-term duo partner Matthew Shipp at the piano, bassist Mark Helias on bass, and Tom Rainey on drums, this set is far from a typical sax-and-rhythm section affair. Pianist Shipp and bassist Helias have logged three previous recorded encounters since 2018, while Helias and drummer Rainey have recorded together frequently since a 1990 Helias session, often in Helias’ Open Loose ensemble. Perelman’s concept, of course, involves totally free improvisation, with nothing preconceived. It seems to this non-musician that utilizing musicians who have some prior playing experiences with one another and thereby developed a degree of mutual rapport would help in the creation of genuinely creative and cohesive music. And sure enough, the proof is in the listening. This quartet makes quite a racket when they have a mind to. The title track is a great example of the quartet’s proclivities, starting hard and fast, then slowing down to a crawl as they leave space for Helias’ invigorating bowing. Perelman’s high end yelps match wits with the bowed bass, as Shipp supplies his idiosyncratic voicings and Rainey keeps the whole thing from falling to pieces. The pace increases once again, a decision of the group mind that this ensemble exhibits throughout the date. Perelman’s releases tend not to have titles for the tracks, so their presence on Water Music gives the listener some clues about the feeling behind the music. In the absence of chord structures or strict tempos, naming pieces Life force or Fluidity can give the listener at least a small clue to the feeling that the quartet wishes to generate. Of course, the titles can mislead as well. The finale, Flow, doesn’t really flow much of the way through its nine minutes, concluding with a staccato section that everyone finds congenial, then ending abruptly. All in all, Water Music is yet another stirring date from Perelman and friends. Seriously recommended. RogueArt ROG-135; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Mark Helias (b) Tom Rainey (d); Brooklyn, NY, November 22, 2022; Entrainment/ Life Force/ Sound essence/ Human intuition/ Boundless/ Water music/ Fluidity/ Flow; 52:56. roguart.com

    Ivo Perelman clearly enjoyed the experience of his Water Music session. Truth Seeker, a trio date with Mark Helias and Tom Rainey followed just a month later. (I wrote about it here, and it was included in my “best of 2024" list, found here.) Eighteen months later, Perelman began his Duologues series with Duologues 1 : Turning Point with the sax and drums duo of Ivo Perelman & Tom Rainey. The resulting session is a joyous set of typically unbridled free improvisation. Perelman sounds especially inspired. His daring leaps from the bottom of the tenor’s range to the seemingly impossible upper reaches of the sax are full of surprises, with an immense vocabulary of squeals, honks, cries, moans, and much more. In the stratospheric range he has no peers in the lucid manipulation and clarity of his tone. Rainey is an all-around drummer, whose immense discography (232 sessions in the Lord Discography since 1980) attests to both his talent and his openness to a broad range of improvisational approaches. You might call the pairing of Perelman and Rainey to be a match made in music heaven, as they balance and stimulate one another in the process of creating these instant compositions. Recommended. Ibeji Music; Ivo Perelman (ts) Tom Rainey (d); Brooklyn, NY, April 17, 2024; 7 untitled improvisations; 56:13.
    I wrote about another quartet date, Embracing The Unknown, here; it’s also one of my selections for the best of 2024.

    The duo of Ivo Perelman & Nate Wooley brings together two fearless improvisers, each committed to exploring and extending the limits of their instruments. Tenor saxophonist Perelman and trumpeter Wooley have recorded together in a number of settings since 2017. Polarity 3 marks the third occasion that they’ve played in duo format. Over the course of just over an hour, the pair continues to display the mesmerizing playfulness that characterizes their encounters. The instant music that they create ranges from genuinely calm unisons (the opening track) to brief outbreaks of brutal noise and so much more. I get the distinct feeling that the musicians were just as surprised at the sounds they were making as the home listener is likely to be. Wooley’s extended vocabulary of bleats, blasts, and blurred runs is balanced by smooth and rounded passages of pure trumpet. Perelman likewise runs the gamut of soaring melodies, gritty rumblings in the bottom end, squeaks, burbles, and skittish squiggles in the extreme upper ranges of the sax. There are so many beautiful moments to savor: the moody calmness of Two, the duel of matching wits in the upper registers on Five, the growly noodling on Eight, and so much more. Bold and absorbing music that deserves to be heard again and again. Burning Ambulance #3; Nate Wooley (tpt) Ivo Perelman (ts); Brooklyn, NY, June 2024; One/ Two/ Three/ Four/ Five/ Six/ Seven/ Eight/ Nine/ Ten; 62:47. burningambulancemusic.bandcamp.com

    Two tenor saxophonists, Ivo Perelman & Ingrid Laubrock, match wits and meld their sounds on Duologues 3 : Crystal Clear. I can’t really tell the difference between them most of the time. Just when I think it’s Perelman on the left, I hear something on the right side that makes me think twice. What I do hear, all the way through, are two masters of improvisation and tonal control having a great time in the studio. By and large, the pair eschews the virtues of contrast, and seem more engaged in closely matched phrases and sonorities. But when they have a mind to engage in some fireworks, as they do when they figuratively battle in the second half of Two or most of Five, the energy level rises along with the complexity of their torrents of sound. The results are simply thrilling. The slowly evolving and calm Three is a gem of free improvisation, proving once again that the genre doesn’t have to rely on fast tempos and plenty of screaming. I’ve been listening closely and writing about Perelman’s music since around 2000, and the beguilingly vivacious Crystal Clear is a new favorite among his dozens and dozens of recordings. Definitely recommended. Ibeji Music; Ivo Perelman, Ingrid Laubrock (ts); Brooklyn, NY, 2024; One/ Two/ Three/ Four/ Five/ Six/ Seven/ Eight/ Nine; 48:53.