Tribute Albums From Bobby Broom, Richard Baratta, & Gregory Hutchinson

     The tribute album is a format that’s likely to never go out of style, especially since there are so many major figures to pay homage to. 

     Guitarist Bobby Broom had two five-year stints in the Sonny Rollins band (from 1982 to 1987, and again in 2005-2010), and is clearly attuned to the breadth of Rollins’ compositions over the decades. With Dennis Carroll on bass and another Rollins alumnus Kobie Watkins on drums, Notes Of Thanks offers potent renditions of nine Rollins originals, plus Carroll’s gently swinging Me Time. Broom, Carroll, and Watkins have been recording as a trio on and off since 2005. They’ve achieved the state of instant communication that locks the musicians into one another’s sounds. Especially worthy of note are The Freedom Suite (part 1) from 1958, Allison from 1987, and, all from 1956, an elegant version of Paul’s Pal, a thoughtful look at Strode Rode, and the upbeat Pent Up House. In one sense, the whole album is a highlight by spotlighting Sonny Rollins’ enduring compositions; in a more important way, Notes Of Thanks offers nearly an hour of unfailingly lively group interplay. Warmly recommended. 

Steele SR 008/Clean Sweep Music CSM 122; Bobby Broom (g) Dennis Carroll (b) Kobie Watkins (d); Chicago, IL, September 30 & October 1, 2025; Alfie’s Theme/ The Freedom Suite (part 1)/ Doxy/ Allison/ Kim/ Me Time/ Paul’s Pal/ Strode Road [sic]/ Pent Up House/ Valse Hot; 53:54. www.bobbybroom.com

    Another Kind Of Bird (Reimagining Charlie Parker) is an pleasing collection of tunes that most jazz fans will know. Drummer and bandleader Richard Baratta has gathered a crew of four respected saxophonists, placed them in various combinations with a versatile five-piece rhythm section, and set the ensemble loose on fresh arrangements of Parker compositions (plus one standard). The charts are by pianist Bill O’Connell, known for frequently working in a Latin jazz context. There have been countless tributes to Parker since he passed away in 1955, an acknowledgment of his vast influence. But there’s always room for another thought-provoking tribute to this seminal figure. The presence of altoist Vincent Herring is the one constant of this session. When he’s joined by Eric Alexander, Craig Handy, and Abraham Burton on the first four tracks, there’s a hint of the 70's era Supersax, though O’Connell’s arrangements largely eschew their harmonized sound in favor of a jam session feel. Highpoints include Herring’s tender balladry on Gershwin’s Embraceable You, a Parker favorite, a Latin styled version of Little Suede Shoes with Handy on flute, a funkified Ah-Leu-Cha complete with a hot guitar solo by Paul Bollenback, and the hard-driving version of Yardbird Suite with some forceful drumming from Baratta. While I prefer the second half of the disc, with Herring as the sole horn, there’s something here for everyone, since everybody is a Bird fan right? As with all successful tribute albums, this one made me want to listen to some Charlie Parker music. Recommended. 

Savant SCD 2229; Vincent Herring (as) Craig Handy (ts on 1,2; fl on 3; ss on 4) Abraham Burton (ts on 1,4) Eric Alexander (ts on 1,4) Bill O’Connell (p, el p) Paul Bollenback (g) Michael Goetz (b) Richard Baratta (d, perc) Paul Rossman (cga, perc); Paramus, NJ, October 10-11, 2025; 1.Donna Lee/ 2.Ornithology/ 3.Little Suede Shoes/ 4.Ah-Leu-Cha/ 5.Embraceable You/ 6.Now’s the Time/ 7.Moose the Mooche/ 8.Yardbird Suite/ 9.Segment/ 10.Au Privave; 56:51. www.jazzdepot.com

     Miles Davis was at the forefront of the latest developments in jazz for many decades, from bop to fusion and beyond, which makes him a tricky subject for a tribute album. The choices of material and instrumentation are nearly endless. In his forward-looking stance towards compositions that in some cases are decades old, drummer Gregory Hutchinson takes a particularly Milesian path on Kind Of Now : The Pulse of Miles Davis. He's put his extraordinary septet to work on a choice selection of tunes associated with Miles in various phases of his discography. Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and saxophonist Ron Blake share the front line of this multi-generational lineup, with guitarists Jakob Bro and Emmanuel Michael, pianist Gerald Clayton, and bassist Joe Martin joining Hutchinson in the rhythm section. Among the numerous highpoints are the spunky treatment of Charlie Parker’s Ah-Lu-Cha, first recorded by Miles with Bird in 1948, a mellow version of Fran-Dance that’s largely a feature for pianist Clayton, Akinmusire’s a cappella opening and brief but potent solo on Wayne Shorter’s Orbits, the irresistible blend of Akinmusire and Blake on Water Babies, another Shorter composition, Blake’s smoking solo on a romping version of Victor Feldman’s Seven Steps to Heaven, and the dub-flavored reconstruction of Bitches Brew with more incisive trumpet from Akinmusire. Hutchinson contributes a few of his own pieces to the program. He name-checks influential drummers of the past and present over a web of drums and electronics on The Masters, takes over the spotlight for a drum solo on Ellehcem’s Time, and whips up a backwards tape loop for the brief I’m Done. Akinmusire’s brilliant playing and Blake’s powerhouse tenor saxophone might be the main reasons to grab this one, but the well-curated selection of tunes and the potent ensemble work make Kind Of Now a exemplary tribute to the great Miles Davis in his centenary year. Recommended. 

Warner Music (LP & CD): Ambrose Akinmusire (tpt) Ron Blake (ts, bcl) Jakob Bro, Emmanuel Michael (g) Gerald Clayton (p) Joe Sanders (b) Gregory Hutchinson (d); NYC, July 1-2, 2025; Ah-Leu-Cha/ Fran-Dance/ Fall/ Orbits/ The Masters/ Feio/ Water Babies/ Seven Steps to Heaven/ Bitches Brew/ Black Comedy/ Ellehcem’s Time/ Circle in the Round/ I’m Done; 57:19. 

Timely Music From Civil Disobedience & Tyshawn Sorey

     Jazz has always reflected the social situation in which it is created. In these troubled times, that engagement with the world is inescapable, and different bandleaders have taken several approaches to that necessity. Here are two. 

    Civil Disobedience is a quintet spearheaded by bassist David Ambrosio. The band’s debut release features cover versions of five jazz compositions originally recorded for Blue Note Records in the late Sixties but unreleased at the time. It was a difficult period for the company and for jazz records in general. Many albums were taped, sequenced, prepared for release, and then shelved. It took the late Michael Cuscuna to dig into the Blue Note vault and produce dozens of previously unissued albums, first on Lp and later on compact discs. The band’s debut release seeks to remind the listening audience of both the civil turmoil of the era and some of the compositions neglected due to the circumstances of their appearances in the marketplace. The quintet succeeds on both counts, doing justice to tunes like Bobby Hutcherson’s For Duke P., James Spaulding’s A Time to Go (from Hutcherson’s Patterns album), and two from drummer/composer Joe Chambers, Irina and Ankara. The most explicitly political tune is Harold Land’s Poor People’s March, first heard on another Hutcherson album, Spiral. With trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Donny McCaslin in the front line, plus a rhythm section of Ambrosio, pianist Bruce Barth, and veteran drummer Victor Lewis, Civil Disobedience is perfectly positioned to do justice to these unfairly passed-0ver tunes. The astute selection and arrangements deliver a solidly enjoyable musical experience along with a jolt of political resonance. As the record jacket says, “There may not be a more crucial moment to examine the windows of history in order to comprehend the current situation in America. The music featured [here] serves as one such window.” Recommended listening. And a special shout-out to the great Victor Lewis, who shines on this date as he did so many times before, beginning with his 1974 appearance on Woody Shaw’s The Moontrane. Because of some physical problems he’s been having recently, Civil Disobedience is probably his last recording. 

Blue Frog BF2501 (Lp); Ingrid Jensen (tpt) Donny McCaslin (ts, ss) Bruce Barth (p) David Ambrosio (b) Victor Lewis (d); NYC, February 2, 2025; For Duke P. (a/k/a XYZ)/ A Time to Go/ Irina/ Poor People’s March/ Ankara; 35:54. bluefrogrecords.com

 

    Where Civil Disobedience delivers fresh versions of compositions from the Sixties, more or less in the progressive bop style of the era, the multi-faceted Tyshawn Sorey has radically recast the songs from Max Roach’s 1968 Atlantic album Members, Don’t Git Weary into a suite titled Members... Don’t! Roach was one of the more outspoken musicians of the Fifties and Sixties, particularly about racial issues. His classic 1960 Candid album, We Insist ! - Freedom Now Suite, with an ensemble that included Coleman Hawkins, Booker Little, and Abbey Lincoln, is probably his best-known politically oriented release. In contrast, Members, Don’t Git Weary is more oblique in its implications. Roach’s band consisted of Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Gary Bartz on alto saxophone, Stanley Cowell on piano, and Jymie Merritt on electric bass, with a vocal by Andy Bey on the title track. Merritt was just a couple of years younger than Roach, but the rest of the band was considerably younger, in the great jazz tradition of bandleaders hiring the new generation of musicians to help stay current. (As the great drummer and bandleader Art Blakey once said, "young cats keep me young. I learn from them just like they learn from me.") Sorey, the much-praised drummer, pianist, composer and bandleader, follows in that tradition, putting together his quintet with a similar age distribution. The broadly experienced tenor saxophonist Mark Shim is the oldest member of the ensemble. But trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, pianist Lex Korten, and bassist Tyrone Allen II are much younger and starting to make names for themselves. Sorey’s quintet played two sets a night for three nights before recording the fourth and final night for this release. As Sorey told Nate Chinen for the liner notes, “It took that four-night run for us to arrive at being able to confidently perform the suite, but without having to spend extensive time rehearsing it.” In addition to Sorey’s expansion and resequencing of the original material, he’s arranged it all in one long medley laced with the occasional quiet passage to allow the musicians to take a tiny break. The band settles in quickly at the start of Stanley Cowell’s Abstrusions, the leadoff track to the Roach album and one of his three compositions, along with Effi and Equipoise. (Bartz composed Libra, and Merritt wrote Absolutions.) From there, the music ebbs and flows for 95 minutes, more than three times as long as the source material. The music stays the course as themes come and go, anchored by Korten’s calm style at the piano and propelled by Sorey’s magnificent drumming. There are some potent solos by O’Farrill and Shim, but it’s the ensemble as a whole that really shines. Sorey declares the title track of Roach’s album, “to be the apex of the original release” and that he wanted to “present an experience where all of the other music decisively arrives at Members, Don’t Git Weary.” Sound artist Fay Victor applies her avant-blues vocal to the song, credited to Max Roach and based on the traditional song Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning. Victor’s histrionics are not usually my cup of tea, but she nails this performance in a cathartic climax to the forceful and impassioned music that leads up to it. Definitely one of the best albums of the year. 

Pi Recordings PI112; Adam O’Farrill (tpt, elec) Mark Shim (ts) Lex Korten (p) Tyrone Allen II (b) Tyshawn Sorey (d) Fay Victor (vcl on *); NYC, June 14, 2025; Disc 1 (52:09): Abstrusions/ Effi/ Absolutions/ Equipoise (Part 1). Disc 2 (43:46): Equipoise (Part 2)/ Libra/ Members, Don’t Git Weary*. pirecordings.com 

Joseph Branciforte & Jozef Dumoulin: ITERAE

     

Most of the time, minimalist electronic music leaves me cold. And yet every once in a while, for a totally inexplicable reason, I find myself mesmerized and totally tuned in to the sounds. That’s the case with ITERAE, a collaboration by Joseph Branciforte & Jozef Dumoulin, which features both performers on Fender Rhodes electric pianos and added electronics, plus live editing by Branciforte. The eight untitled pieces tend to be soothing and dreamy, streams of sound in which you can easily lose your sense of self completely for a while. Naturally this is even more effective on headphones. The {greyfade} label has released ITERAE “as a multi-disc edition at the scale of a vinyl LP. The album’s material is distributed across four 80mm compact discs (plus a full-length CD for continuous playback), extending the music’s structural logic into physical form.” I don’t know much about “structural logic;” all I know is the consistently relaxed feeling that these electronic musings provide. 

Greyfade GF011; Joseph Branciforte (Rhodes el p, elec, live editing) Jozef Dumoulin (Rhodes el p, elec); no recording information available; eight untitled tracks; 68:09. www.greyfade.com 

Joe Fiedler's Big Sackbut: Journey To Bowerbird

      If a line-up of three trombones, tuba and drums appeals to you, then Joe Fiedler's Big Sackbut is just what you’ve been waiting for. On Journey To Bowerbird, the imaginative Fiedler is joined by Ryan Keberle and Luis Bonilla on ‘bones, the accomplished tubist Marcus Rojas, and drummer Satoshi Takeishi for nine of his attractive and infectious originals. Fiedler’s smart and attractively textured arrangements combine with Takeishi’s appropriately aggressive drumming to make this album a thoroughly enjoyable outing. Strong and focused solo work by all hands is the icing on the cake. Definitely recommended. 

Multiphonics Music; Joe Fiedler, Ryan Keberle, Luis Bonilla (tbn) Marcus Rojas (tba) Satoshi Takeishi (d); New Haven, CT, January 30-31, 2026; Portrait of Tito Matos/ The Box/ Journey to Bowerbird/ Guiro Nuevo/ Elements of Know/ Room 719/ Flexible Flyer/ Kingston/ Go Get It; 55:02. joefiedler.bandcamp.com

Jimmy Farace: Big Shoulders, Big Sounds

   

     Baritone saxophonist Jimmy Farace joins forces with the Chicago area’s premier bass and drums team, Clark Sommers and Dana Hall, on his latest release, Big Shoulders, Big Sounds. With over a dozen previous sessions in which Sommers and Hall were in the rhythm section, the two have developed the art of deft dynamic support and intensity. With nowhere to hide, and without the encumbrance of a chordal instrument, Farace’s smooth and resonant sound is an absolute delight. An imaginative and resourceful soloist, he gets around his saxophone with ease. The trio expounds at length on five of Farace’s original compositions. Especially worthy of close attention are Prophetic Dreams, which opens with a feeling of hushed melancholy before developing into an animated 3-way conversation, and DST, where Dana Hall breaks out with an energetic drum solo to lead off this cheerful tune. Another high point comes with the slowly paced Cloud Splitter, featuring a lovely melody, a well-constructed baritone solo, and a brief bass and drums duet before Farace returns to lead the band out. The trio’s enchanting version of the oft-recorded I'll Be Seeing You is appropriately tender and yearning. They also explore Strayhorn’s exquisite Chelsea Bridge and baritonist Charles Davis’ Just Us Blues, which nobody else seems to have picked up on since its appearance on 1963's Illumination! by the Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison Sextet. One aspect of the appeal of this session is the unique baritone/bass/drums format, but it’s the emphasis on mutual communication and a conversational attitude that makes the music work so beautifully. Everybody lets loose on the high-powered finale, appropriately titled Three Headed Dragon. Three-headed perhaps, but with a common commitment to digging deeply into the music and making the most of it. Gladly recommended.

Shifting Paradigm SP233; Jimmy Farace (bari s) Clark Sommers (b) Dana Hall (drums and cymbals); Chicago, IL, (probably), no dates indicated; Decorah's Dance/ Just Us Blues/ Prophetic Dreams/ DST/ I'll Be Seeing You/ Cloud Splitter/ Chelsea Bridge/ Three Headed Dragon; 62:18. www.shiftingparadigmrecords.com