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

Tom Harrell: Alternate Summer

  Trumpeter and composer Tom Harrell has a very full discography, beginning with his recording debut as a member of the Stan Kenton orchestra in 1969. He made his first album as a leader in 1976, and he has recorded steadily since then. His latest is Alternate Summer, with a new batch of tunes to intrigue and inspire his stellar cast of musicians. The rhythm section of Luis Perdomo on keyboards, Ugonna Okegwo on bass, and Adam Cruz on drums has been with him for a few years. For this outing, he’s brought in two of the most prominent and stimulating tenor saxophonists of the day, Dayna Stephens and Mark Turner, as well as the accomplished guitarist Charles Altura on four tracks. Harrell’s exceedingly lovely and burnished trumpet sound is intact as he nears 80 years young. The groove is paramount in his compositions, a lesson no doubt learned in his tenure with Horace Silver from 1975-1979. Highlights of the disc include the funky UV with Perdomo on soulful organ, the mellow Heliotrope with its enticingly poised trumpet solo and delicate acoustic guitar from Altura, the dramatic Plateau with inspired solos by Stephens and Perdomo, and the lengthy and inventive Wind with its sinuous Turner solo. And a shout-out to Okegwo and Cruz, a most adaptable and dynamic bass and drums duo that provides the lift that Harrell’s music thrives upon. Alternate Summer is an hour of sheer delight, and one of the best albums of the year. 

HighNote HCD 7344; Tom Harrell (tpt) Dayna Stephens (ts on 4-6,8) Mark Turner (ts on 1-3,9-10) Luis Perdomo (p on 4,6-10; Fender Rhodes el p on 1-3; B-3 org on 5) Charles Altura (ac & elec g on 2,3,5,7) Ugonna Okegwo (b) Adam Cruz (d); NYC, November 28 & December 27, 2022; 1.Miramar/ 2.Peanut/ 3.Alternate Summer/ 4.Intermezzo/ 5.UV/ 6.Chalcedon/ 7.Heliotrope/ 8.Plateau/ 9.Wind/ 10.Radius; 59:52. www.jazzdepot.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

Houston Person: Reminiscing At Rudy’s

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

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

Alternative Guitar Summit: Honoring Pat Martino, Volume 1

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Houston Person: Live In Paris

  First heard on record with organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith on Riverside back in 1963, the work of tenor saxophonist Houston Person has been consistently enjoyable over the years whether as a bandleader, sideman, and record producer. His latest outing, Live In Paris, recorded at the 2019 Festival Jazz à la Villette, is another winning set with nearly an hour of blues-drenched soulful jazz. Person brought an eminently compatible and supportive quartet to the City of Lights with Peter Bernstein on guitar, Ben Paterson at the Hammond B-3 organ, and Willie Jones III on drums. Together they tackle a choice selection of pop songs and jazz tunes, including Johnny Griffin’s Sweet Sucker, Billy Taylor’s Easy Walker, Lester Young’s timeless Lester Leaps In, and Bobby Hebb’s Sunny, a favorite of saxophonists since it debuted in 1966. While I’m especially partial to the album’s slower numbers, like the band’s stroll through Only Trust Your Heart, a Benny Carter composition introduced by Stan Getz in 1964, and the way that Person caresses ballads like The Way We Were and Since I Fell For You, the truth is there isn’t a dull moment here. Definitely recommended. 

HighNote HCD 7338; Houston Person (ts) Ben Paterson (Hammond B3 org) Peter Bernstein (g) Willie Jones III (d), Paris, France, September 8, 2019; Sweet Sucker/ Only Trust Your Heart/ Easy Walker/ The Way We Were/ Lester Leaps In/ Since I Fell for You/ Sunny/ Jean-Jaures Shuffle; 59:02. www.jazzdepot.com

George Cables: Too Close For Comfort

  Veteran pianist George Cables continues his stellar run of trio albums for HighNote with the sublimely beautiful Too Close For Comfort. Working with his regular bandmates, Essiet Essiet on bass and Victor Lewis on drums, Cables, who also produced the date, starts out with the rapid fire attack of the title track. It’s a song that the pianist says he “fell in love with as a young man” and it seemed like a good time to record it, with a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Covid-19 pandemic. Three Cables originals are up next. Circle Of Love is a gentle blues dedicated to his tightly knit circle of friends, supporting him through recent health problems. The perky This is My Song is a lovely expression of what Cables’ calls his “positive spirit,” while Klimo looks back to the pianist’s days in Los Angeles with a burst of Latin rhythm and a pace tailor-made for Victor Lewis. The drummer takes a rest for For All We Know, a standard that Cables remembers hearing sung by Billie Holiday. Here it’s the occasion for an intimate and prolonged duet of crisp piano and the solid and unflashy bass of Essiet. (Odd fact: the bassist once recorded this song with a vocal by Art Blakey when he was in the Blakey band in 1990!). Next is the bouncy and energetic performance of Crazy Love, a piece by pianist and friend Tadataka Unno. (Real world aside: Unno was attacked and badly injured in New York in October, 2020. If you want to help him, go to gofund.me/4ec4aca3.) His attractive tune is played as a soulful duet with Lewis, playing drums with his hands instead of sticks. The late Bobby Hutcherson recorded a number of Cables’ compositions. In a mark of respect, the trio offers their vigorous take on Hutcherson’s mid-Seventies composition Roses Poses and a cheerful version of Hutcherson’s Teddy. A delightfully upbeat rendition of Frank Loesser’s I’ve Never Been in Love Before comes between the Hutcherson songs, and the set comes to an end with a brief and charming solo piano piece that Cables calls A Valentine For You. You really can’t go wrong with a musician who was a favorite sideman for the likes of Dexter Gordon from 1977 to 1979 and Art Pepper from 1976 to 1982, so if it’s deeply felt and solidly swinging piano music that you’re craving, Too Close For Comfort is for you. 

HighNote HCD 7335; George Cables (p) Essiet Essiet (b) Victor Lewis (d); NYC, September 9, 2020; Too Close For Comfort/ Circle of Love/ This is My Song/ Klimo/ For All We Know/ Crazy Love/ Roses Poses/ I’ve Never Been in Love Before/ Teddy/ A Valentine For You; 56:19. www.jazzdepot.com

David Kikoski with Boris Kozlov: Sure Thing

  Pianist David Kikoski and bassist Boris Kozlov have shared a lot of stages and recording studios since they first appeared together as members of the Mingus Big Band at the end of the 1990's. So it makes perfect sense for the pair to record as a duo, and the resulting session, Sure Thing, is a real delight from start to finish. As Kozlov told Bill Milkowski for the liner notes, “there’s a lot of history at this point. And when you play together for a long time you learn how a person thinks, how things flow ... it’s this familiarity that makes it really pleasurable to play together.” The program includes four of Kikoski’s evocative compositions, plus the Jerome Kern standard that gives the album its name, Chick Corea’s Quartet #1, John Coltrane’s Satellite, and the set’s biggest surprise, Keith Emerson’s Fugue from “The Endless Enigma.” Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Trilogy album, released in 1972, was a big Kikoski favorite when he was a pre-teen. He’s always wanted to play the fugue section, and here it is, deftly arranged for the duo and lovingly performed. Other highlights include the gentle sparring on Kikoski’s Strength for Change (previously known as New Old Ballad), the vigorous and expansive rendition of the Corea tune, and the duo’s romp through the Coltrane number. Kozlov notes that he heard Kikoski playing Satellite in a club years ago, and then started practicing the piece “like mad.” All that practice has paid off handsomely here, with an impressive solo and powerful accompaniment to Kikoski’s elaborations of the melody. The pair engages in the most-freewheeling dialogue of the session on Winnie’s Garden, a Kikoski tune based on the popular changes of Sweet Georgia Brown. They’re flying high on this one, the last tune of the disc and the final tune they recorded on a winter’s day in 2016. The teaming of Kikoski and Kozlov offers a bold partnership of improvisational invention, and Sure Thing is cheerfully recommended. 

HighNote HCD 7336; David Kikoski (p) Boris Kozlov (b); Brooklyn, NY, February 3, 2016; B Flat Tune/ E/ Fugue from “The Endless Enigma”/ Strength for Change/ Quartet #1/ Satellite/ Sure Thing/ Winnie’s Garden; 57:11. www.jazzdepot.com

Larry Willis: I Fall In Love Too Easily

Pianist Larry Willis had a long and varied career before he passed away in September 2019, not even a month after he convened a quintet at the Van Gelder studio to record I Fall In Love Too Easily. Interestingly enough, it’s the same studio where he appeared for his first session in January 1965 for Jackie McLean’s Right Now! album. Over the decades, he was associated with McLean, Hugh Masekela, Joe Henderson, and Woody Shaw, among many others. His best known gigs were in the groups Blood, Sweat & Tears (1972-77) and The Fort Apache Band (1993-96). While he didn’t record much as a leader until the late Eighties, he made up for lost time with recordings on SteepleChase, Mapleshade, and HighNote. His crisp touch and deep blues orientation always make his work a pleasure to listen to, and this release is no exception. He’s joined here by fellow HighNote artist Jeremy Pelt on five tracks and alto saxophonist Joe Ford on four tunes, with Blake Meister on bass and the always-enjoyable Victor Lewis on drums. Ford was Wallis’ partner in the Fort Apache band and many other situations over a 30 year span. Ford’s Today’s Nights, a mid-tempo swinger, starts off the proceedings in style. Willis’ Heavy Blue follows, a quick funk line that the pianist first performed with Blood, Sweat & Tears back in 1976. The band is on fire for this one, with Lewis’ exciting drumming a key component. Santi Debriano’s Anna, a pretty ballad played by the rhythm section, cools things down considerably. Willis plays it tenderly and with great feeling. Kirk Lightsey’s Habiba, played at a finger-snapping tempo, becomes a real showcase for the horns. Ford is first, with an excited and fluent solo, then it’s Pelt’s turn to delve into the tune’s attractive melody. The Meaning of the Blues, a Bobby Troup composition from 1957, features an arrangement that puts the band to the test by having them play very slowly. Trumpeter Pelt takes the first solo gorgeously, and the success of this performance is never in doubt. The quiet mood is sustained on Let’s Play, a Willis original that served as the title song for a 1991 SteepleChase album and is played without the horns. Jack DeJohnette’s Climax was one of the numbers on the McLean date that began Willis’ recording career in 1965. He hadn’t put it on tape since then, so it’s interesting that it’s included here. The quintet has a ball with it, with powerful solos by Pelt and Ford. In his dynamite accompaniment and a brief solo, Victor Lewis proves once again why he’s been a first-call drummer since he first came on the scene in the mid-Seventies. Ending the set is a charming and insightful solo piano version of I Fall in Love Too Easily, the 1944 Jule Styne composition (with lyrics by Sammy Kahn) that’s been a favorite of improvisers ever since. It’s a truly lovely way to end the CD, and a fitting coda for a journeyman pianist. Recommended.
HighNote HCD 7326; Jeremy Pelt (tpt on 1,2,4,5,7) Joe Ford (as on 1,2,4,7) Larry Willis (p) Blake Meister (b, exc on 8) Victor Lewis (d, exc on 8); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September5, 2019; 1.Today’s Nights/ 2.Heavy Blue/ 3.Anna/ 4.Habiba/ 5.The Meaning of the Blues/ 6.Let’s Play/ 7.Climax/ 8.I Fall in Love Too Easily; 50:34. www.jazzdepot.com

Jeremy Pelt: The Art Of Intimacy, Volume 1

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt had a yen to play with some elders, and he could not have picked better collaborators for The Art Of Intimacy, Volume 1 than pianist George Cables and bassist Peter Washington. Back in the Fifties, there was the idea of “mood music,” epitomized in the jazz world by Prestige Records’ Moodsville imprint. As a listener to the Bay Area radio station KJAZ-FM in the Seventies, I recall their “dinner jazz” segment for two hours every night. Pressing “play” on The Art Of Intimacy quickly brought those developments to mind. There’s always a place for a low-key ballad-heavy project in the jazz world, and given the crazy times we live in, a soothing set of genuinely warm music is truly welcome. While a trio of trumpet, piano, and bass is pretty rare among jazz recordings, Pelt, Cables, and Washington make it sound like the most natural blend in the world. Pelt has selected some uncommon material for the date. Rodgers and Hart’s Little Girl Blue is the most familiar of the standards, played here with graceful finesse and featuring an especially fine arco solo by Washington. Always On My Mind (by Johnny Green and Norman Newell) was sung by Sarah Vaughan for Roulette in 1963, but has seldom been recorded since. The trio gives it a lovely and unhurried reading, with Pelt’s Harmon-muted horn leading the way. I’ve Just Seen Her, a song by Charles Strouse and Arthur Schwartz, is similarly obscure, with only a handful of recordings over the years. The mute stays in place for a typically melodic and elegant performance. Another rarity is Lucky Thompson’s While You Are Gone, which as near as I can tell was recorded by the composer just once, on a 1960 French TV appearance released decades later on the Fresh Sounds label. It’s a genuinely charming melody, which Pelt describes as “singable,” proving the point with his horn. There are a few breaks from the trio format. Ab-o-lutely is a spontaneous blues duet by Pelt and Washington. Pelt and Cables play a luscious duet on the pianist’s Ebony Moonbeams and conclude the disc with a tender rendition of I’ll Never Stop Loving You, written by Nicholas Brodzsky and Sammy Cahn, and made famous by Doris Day in the 1955 film Love Me Or Leave Me. Here it’s the occasion for some particularly beautiful rhapsodizing by Cables and a succinct melody statement by Pelt, the perfect ending for a beautifully heartfelt session. Warmly recommended.
HighNote HCD 7334; Jeremy Pelt (tpt) George Cables (p) Peter Washington (b); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, August 22, 2019; Live is Simple/ Little Girl Blue/ Always on My Mind/ I’ve Just Seen Her/ Then I’ll Be Tired of You/ Ebony Moonbeams/ While You Are Gone/ Ab-o-lutely/ I’ll Never Stop Loving You; 52:22. www.jazzdepot.com

Houston Person: I’m Just A Lucky So And So

Veteran tenorman Houston Person is in his eighties, but he’s still blowing with his usual soulful and bluesy elegance on his latest HighNote release, I’m Just A Lucky So And So. The basic quartet, with Lafayette Harris on piano, Matthew Parrish, and Kenny Washington on drums, is augmented by trumpeter Eddie Allen and guitarist Rodney Jones on many of the pieces. A funky introduction by Jones is a bit startling at the beginning of Willow Weep For Me, but things settle down soon enough as Person caresses the familiar theme. One of the special pleasures of a Houston Person session is the care that he puts into song selection. A few of the pieces in the repertoire are familiar vehicles for improvisers, like Willow Weep For Me and Who Can I Turn To. But more often than not, Person has resurrected numbers that are not nearly as well-known. Music by Sammy Cahn, represented here by Wonder Why, I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry, and Day by Day, seems to be especially favored by Person. As pianist Harris, a Person associate since 2014, told Willard Jenkins for his liner notes, the saxophonist has opened him up to “so many great songs that musicians don’t play and sometimes haven’t even heard!” The biggest surprise is the funky closer, Next Time You See Me, a hit for Junior Parker back in 1957 and not a common vehicle for improvisers. The most obscure piece is Alone With Just My Dreams, a posthumously uncovered song by bassist George Duvivier which was the title track of a 1991 album by trumpeter Joe Wilder. Befitting the source, bassist Parrish takes the introductory chorus. Parrish, a long-time member of pianist David Leonhardt’s group who appeared on Person’s Rain Or Shine in 2017, fits in perfectly. Guitarist Jones contributes the date’s sole original composition, the blues-like Song for a Rainbow. Trumpeter Allen is in excellent form throughout. He’s especially effective on Billy Eckstine’s I Want to Talk About You. The rhythm section of Jones, Harris, Parrish, and Washington is warmly supportive and faultlessly swinging at any tempo. Houston’s graceful approach to melody and his unfailingly lovely saxophone sound make all of his projects a joy to listen to over and over, and I’m Just A Lucky So And So is no exception. Happily recommended.
HighNote HCD 7327; Eddie Allen (tp on 1,3,4,6,8-10) Houston Person (ts) Lafayette Harris (p) Rodney Jones (g on 1,2,5,6,8,10) Matthew Parrish (b) Kenny Washington (d); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 30, 2018; 1.Willow Weep For Me/ 2.Wonder Why/ 3. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry/ 4.I’m Just a Lucky So and So/ 5.Who Can I Turn To/ 6.Day by Day/ 7.Alone With Just My Dreams/ 8.Song for a Rainbow/ 9.I Want to Talk About You/ 10.Next Time You See Me; 55:32. www.jazzdepot.com

George Cables: I’m All Smiles

George Cables, a master of modern jazz piano, has had more than his share of health problems over the last few years and was unable to play for a while. But he’s back on the scene, and his latest trio venture, I’m All Smiles, functions as the best “thank you” to his many well-wishers that they could have hoped for. Many of the selections impart definite messages, like the opening Young at Heart, the popular Love is a Many- Splendored Thing from 1955, and the title track, first heard on Broadway in The Yearling (1965). The nicely balanced program also includes Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil, Consuelo Velázquez’s immortal Bésame Mucho, Freddie Hubbard’s durable Thermo, Jaco Pastorius’ Three Views of a Secret, one Cables original (the brightly optimistic Celebration) and a pair of tunes by Thelonious Monk. A curiously upbeat and choppy version of Ugly Beauty is performed by the trio, while a spirited solo piano rendition of Monk’s Mood ends the disc with a flourish. Suffice it to say that Cables sounds strong and is swinging as hard as ever. Essiet Essiet on bass and the veteran Victor Lewis provide impeccable support throughout. This disc was recorded in a single day in the studio, and I can’t help but get the feeling that Cables was champing at the bit to get back to music-making. Welcome back, George Cables! I’m All Smiles is a real winner, and happily recommended.
HighNote HCD 7322; George Cables (p) Essiet Essiet (b, exc. on *) Victor Lewis (d, exc. on *); NYC, October 26, 2018; Young at Heart/ I’m All Smiles/ Speak No Evil/ Besame Mucho/ Ugly Beauty/ Love is a Many-Splendored Thing/ Celebration/ Three Views of a Secret/ Thermo/ Monk’s Mood*; 58:24. www.jazzdepot.com

David Kikoski: Phoenix Rising

Pianist David Kikoski leads a quartet with Eric Alexander on tenor, Peter Washington on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums on Phoenix Rising, his debut release for HighNote Records. No surprise given these personalities, but the band is swinging like mad on the opening title track, co-composed by Kikoski and Alexander. It’s also no surprise that they keep it up throughout this winning session. Kikoski, who has been heard on many recordings since his debut with drummer Fabio Jegher in 1982, is probably best known for his extended relationship with the great drummer Roy Haynes from the mid-Eighties through the early part of this century. To my mind, no one needs a stronger recommendation than the imprimatur of Mr. Haynes to seriously spend some time with Kikoski and friends. Except for the opening track, and Alexander’s Kik It, a jumping blues that follows it, the repertoire is a considered selection of standards plus John Coltrane’s Lazy Bird. Jimmy Webb’s Wichita Lineman, made famous by Glen Campbell in 1968, may raise a few eyebrows, but a quick glance at a discography tells me that it’s been recorded over 50 times by jazz musicians, including J.J. Johnson, Freddie Hubbard, and Sonny Stitt. From Kikoski’s lush introduction, it’s easy to hear why it’s so appealing: a fascinating chord progression, a memorable melody and a sense of drama, even without the lyrics. The quartet does it justice, at just about the original tempo, with Kikoski and Alexander soloing in a relaxed manner. Save for the two originals, the balance of the program is older than Webb’s classic, and from the straightforwardly swinging way that everyone’s playing, you could be forgiven for listening to this disc blindly and thinking that the music is thirty or forty years old. Respecting the tradition, of course, is far from a bad thing, especially when the match of players and program is as well-designed as it is here. Standout tracks include a romp through If I Were a Bell, in the Miles Davis arrangement but with the twist of an extra tag, a rollicking version of Love For Sale, and a supersonically charged look at Lazy Bird, with Alexander and Kikoski deftly navigating this classic theme. But truth to tell, you really can’t grow wrong dipping into this CD anywhere. Alexander and Kikoski have been pals for years, but this is the first time that the two have recorded together. Here’s looking forward to more collaborations from this well-matched pair. Easily recommended.
HighNote HCD 7328; Eric Alexander (ts) David Kikoski (p) Peter Washington (b) Joe Farnsworth (d); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 20, 2018; Phoenix Rising/ Kik It/ Wichita Lineman/ If I Were a Bell/ Emily/ Love for Sale/ My One and Only Love/ Lazy Bird/ Willow Weep for Me; 59:16. www.jazzdepot.com

Black Art Jazz Collective: Armor Of Pride

The Black Art Jazz Collective is a sextet, with Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, James Burton III on trombone, Wayne Escoffery on tenor saxophone, Xavier Davis at the piano, Vicente Archer on bass, and Johnathan Blake on drums. Armor Of Pride is their second recording, featuring eight originals, each composed by one of the band members except for bassist Archer. Pelt, Escoffery, and Blake formed the band, enlisting Davis, Burton and the late bassist Dwayne Burno to join them, with the sextet playing its first gig in April 2013. Vicente Archer came into the group after Burno passed away later that year. The band’s name, the booklet’s inclusion of a Langston Hughes quote about “the duty of the younger Negro artist,”  and some of the song titles are indicators of the political impetus for this group. The political implications of most Sixties hard bop, largely expressed through song and album titles, was the emphasis on freedom of expression within the largely African-American art form and by extension freedom within American society. Only sometimes, notably in the work of Max Roach (We Insist: Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite), Charles Mingus (Fables of Faubus) and Rahsaan Roland Kirk (Volunteered Slavery), were the politics up front and in your face. There’s still quite a lot to be angry about in the USA, and while there are a lot of songs and rants out there, the Black Art Jazz Collective chooses to express their concerns via writing music and playing their asses off. Blake’s Miller Time leads off, a mid-tempo groover that lets you know that you’re in good hands for the next three-quarters of an hour. Escoffery’s title track shines the spotlight on the brass section, with a bold solo by trombonist Burton followed by a sly turn by trumpeter Pelt. Escoffery follows with a vigorous solo of his own. Blake’s whirlwind drumming is crucial to the success of this track. Pelt’s ballad Awuraa Amma begins as a feature for the trumpeter’s beautifully rounded sound and his architectural sense of how to build a solo. A romantic sounding Escoffery and some lush piano stylings by Davis complete the picture. The Spin Doctor is a Burton original that smokes from the start. Escoffery tears it up, urged on by the thumping rhythm section. The incendiary Pelt solos as the piece gains intensity, followed by a brisk trombone solo by the composer. And There She Was, Lovely as Ever is another Pelt ballad, and it’s just as charming as you might expect from the title. The luscious blending of the horns as they state the melody leads into a brief piano solo before Pelt takes the lead. At a bit over three minutes, this one is short and sweet. Another Pelt composition, Pretty, moves into toe-tapping territory for more of the composer’s blues-tinged trumpet. Xavier Davis’ When Will We Learn is a real burner, eliciting a furiously convoluted trombone solo by Burton, some exciting tenor playing by Escoffery, and a hard-driving piano solo by the composer. Escoffery’s Black Art concludes the disc with the kind of up-tempo number that leaves listeners excited, drained, and wanting more. True to the ensemble’s name, it’s the collective that shines throughout this set. That’s not to deny the individual talents of the players, which are considerable, but to emphasize that since improvised music is shaped by individuals in the service of the group, the Black Art Jazz Collective succeeds on all counts. Highly recommended.
HighNote HCD 7313; Jeremy Pelt (tp) James Burton III (tbn) Wayne Escoffery (ts) Xavier Davis (p) Vicente Archer (b) Johnathan Blake (d); Brooklyn, NY, February 11-12, 2018; Miller Time/ Armor of Pride/ Awuraa Amma/ The Spin Doctor/ And There She Was, Lovely as Ever/ Pretty/ When Will We Learn/ Black Art; 45:24. www.jazzdepot.com

Frank Morgan/George Cables: Montreal Memories

Just about anyone interested in modern jazz is a George Cables enthusiast. Dexter Gordon was a big fan of the pianist, and so was Art Pepper, good company to keep. Alto saxophonist Frank Morgan was also a devotee of Mr. Cables, and he had a following when he reappeared on the scene after a lengthy incarceration. Which makes the appearance of Montreal Memories, with the Frank Morgan/George Cables duo captured live on stage, a cause for real celebration. Appearing at the Théatre Port-Royal as part of the 1989 Montréal Jazz Festival, the pair’s enthusiasm, superb musicianship and intimate rapport are apparent from the first bars of Now’s the Time. That’s the first of three Charlie Parker compositions in the set, along with Confirmation and Billie’s Bounce. And of course Parker, the key influence on Morgan’s music, frequently performed Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night in Tunisia and Monk’s ‘Round Midnight, two other duo selections. There are also two Cables originals, Lullaby and his best-known piece, the enduring Helen’s Song, first recorded on an album by California guitarist Bruce Forman in 1984. Blues For Rosalinda, an original blues by Morgan, dedicated to his long-time companion, artist Rosalinda Kolb, the Kern-Hammerstein evergreen All the Things You Are and Wayne Shorter’s Nefertiti, in a medley with Billie's Bounce, complete the program. Morgan, who called the tunes for the pair, was acutely interested in melodies, and he picked some of the best for this gig. As Cables tells Patricia Willard for her liner notes, he was “the guy dealing with energy” while Morgan was “dealing with lyricism.” The two men had an exceptionally beautiful musical relationship, and it’s all here. Highly recommended.
HighNote HCD 7320; Frank Morgan (as) George Cables (p); Montréal, Canada, July 1, 1989; Now’s the Time/ All the Things You Are/ A Night in Tunisia/ ‘Round Midnight/ Confirmation/ Blues For Rosalinda/ Helen’s Song/ Lullaby/ Medley: Nefertiti; Billie’s Bounce; 61:07. www.jazzdepot.com

Houston Person & Ron Carter: Remember Love

Frequent collaborators Houston Person & Ron Carter have learned a thing or two about music over the years, and on the stirring Remember Love, this stellar duo is ready and able to tell you all about it. Tenor saxophonist Houston and bassist Carter debuted as a duo with 1989's Something In Common for Muse, and followed that up with five more sessions over the decades. Obviously, it’s a situation that both men enjoy, and if the enthusiastic reception of their releases is any indication, plenty of listeners and critics have also found joy in their repeated encounters. Remember Love presents a typically well-selected group of songs, with standards including My One and Only Love (gorgeous) and The Way You Look Tonight (tender and romantic), Luiz Bonfá’s Gentle Rain, the Ellington/Strayhorn masterpiece Day Dream, and a pair of originals in Carter’s Blues for D.P. and Person’s Why Not. The only real surprise, and a welcome one, is the inclusion of You Are My Sunshine, a feature for an unaccompanied Carter. To close the show, Person goes it alone on the standard Without a Song, where he chooses not to improvise at all but just state the melody with his warm and reedy sound. That’s all he really needs. It’s easy to take such mastery for granted after Person and Carter have spent so many years in the spotlight, but that would be a grave mistake. You’d miss the immense pleasure of hearing great melodies performed by two truly gifted jazzmen. Recommended, without a doubt.
HighNote HCD 7315; Houston Person (ts) Ron Carter (b); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, March 27, 2018; Love Is Here to Stay/ My One and Only Love/ Why Not/ Day Dream/ Gentle Rain/ The Way You Look Tonight/ You Are My Sunshine/ Blues for D.P./ Easy to Remember/ Without a Song; 52:46. www.jazzdepot.com