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

Jim Snidero: For All We Know

  Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero has always had a beautiful tone and a bountiful musical imagination. With For All We Know, his latest offering for Savant Records, he has recorded in a trio format with just bass and drums for the first time. Bassist Peter Washington initially worked with the saxophonist in 1987 for a Snidero album on Criss Cross. Snidero must have really liked what he heard on that occasion, since Washington has played on a lot of his recording sessions since that first encounter. Drummer Joe Farnsworth was on Snidero’s last two outings alongside Washington. The two have established a intuitive link that gives Snidero a firm but flexible foundation for his improvisations. I was pretty much hooked by the time Naima came around. That’s the second track in a well-selected range of standards and jazz compositions. He mostly just caresses the exquisite melody of Coltrane’s famous ballad, and that’s enough for me. Other high points include a slowly drifting excursion through Alec Wilder’s Blackberry Winter, featuring a warm-hearted bass solo and lovely brushwork by Farnsworth, the deep blues of Parker’s Mood and the playful exuberance of Willow Weep For Me. For All We Know is a thoroughly bewitching session, and I’m looking forward to Snidero’s further explorations of the trio setting. Definitely recommended. 

Savant SCD 2215; Jim Snidero (as) Peter Washington (b) Joe Farnsworth (d); Saylorsburg, PA, October 24, 2023; For All We Know/ Naima/ Love For Sale/ Blackberry Winter/ Parker’s Mood/ Willow Weep For Me/ My Funny Valentine/ You Go to My Head; 53:27. www.jazzdepot.com

Jim Snidero: Project-K

  Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero’s latest release is Project-K, recorded with a sextet incorporating the gayageum, a Korean zither-like instrument played here by Do Yeon Kim. Jazz has a long history of adapting fresh instruments and rhythms, constantly expanding the field of musical possibilities. Snidero, whose has been married to a Korean woman for more than two decades, writes that his intention with this disc “was to blend traditional Korean texture with my music.” He’s assembled a genuine all-star band to help, with trumpeter Dave Douglas, pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Rudy Royston. The veteran Snidero sounds great, with his powerful sound and inventive spirit. He composed most of the tunes for the date. The nicely varied program also includes versions of Jenga, a K-Pop song from 2018 that showcases a sturdy and rhythmically astute solo by pianist Evans, and the Korean folk song Han O Bak Nyun. Snidero can’t resist the pun of Seoulful, but his tune fits the bill, as the rolling rhythms of Royston propel solos by the horns. Mother, with its sinuous melody, features a lively duet for trumpet and gayageum and an alto solo that finds Snidero plumbing the lower registers of his alto. The gayageum, boldly played by Do Yeon Kim, fits in perfectly everywhere. Sometimes it sounds like a guitar, sometimes it shadows the bass parts, and at still other times, Kim emphasizes the percussive possibilities of the instrument. Snidero’s arrangements here typically begin with gayageum, which sets the tone for the rest of the band. Kim proceeds to weave in and out of the ensemble. More often than not over the course of a full disc, one particular musician will stand out from the rest. Not here though. Project-K is of those relatively rare releases where that doesn’t happen. Everyone gets a chance to stand out, and on a piece like the hard-charging DMZ, with the whole band wailing, it’s impossible (and pointless) to single anyone out. The impeccable and ultra-dynamic rhythm team of Evans, Oh, and Royston is a joy throughout, and let’s not forget the incisive trumpet work of Dave Douglas. Snidero was pretty happy with the results, telling Ted Panken that he hopes “to do another record with this configuration.” I’ll be looking forward to that one, but for now, there’s Project-K to enjoy, again and again. 

Savant SCD 2185; Dave Douglas (tpt) Jim Snidero (as) Orrin Evans (p) Linda May Han Oh (b) Rudy Royston (d) Do Yeon Kim (gayageum; exc. on *); Astoria, NY, August 11, 2019; Han/ DMZ/ Jeju/ Mother/ Jenga*/ Seoulful/ Goofy/ Han O Bak Nyun; 53:26. www.jazzdepot.com

Jim Snidero & Jeremy Pelt: Jubilation!: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley

      Because there is so much music out there, even serious jazz fans need to be reminded from time to time of important music from the past. One of the best ways is to settle down with a tribute record featuring songs played or written by a significant figure in the music. That’s precisely the intent of Jubilation!: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley, new from Jim Snidero & Jeremy Pelt, cooperating at the helm of a dynamite quintet, with David Hazeltine at the piano, Nat Reeves on bass, and Billy Drummond in the drum chair. Now there’s barely a way for this new disc to make anything close to the impact that Cannonball had when he first appeared in New York in 1955, sitting in with the Oscar Pettiford group at the Café Bohemia. Too much in jazz and in the world has changed in the 63 years since that debut, and Snidero and Pelt surely know that all too well. Still, they bring a heap of soulful energy to the enterprise, playing tunes performed by various Adderley groups as well as two new songs that demonstrate Cannonball’s continuing influence. Pelt’s Party Time leads off with a bang, tapping right into the gritty dance feeling that permeates Adderley’s many recordings. Near the end of the set, Snidero’s Ball’s 90th is a bluesy celebration of Cannonballs’ life and legacy. The rest of the program is a well-chosen selection of songs associated with Cannonball and his brother, cornetist Nat Adderley. Cannonball’s signature tune, Stars Fell on Alabama, makes an appearance featuring a fiery Snidero, as does Nat’s famous composition Work Song, which closes the disc with a good-natured romp, complete with a drum solo introduction by Drummond and a sparkling piano solo by Hazeltine. Each of the principals comes by their love for this music naturally. Snidero studied with another alto master, Phil Woods, who he says “lit the fire,” noting that “Cannonball, along with Bird and Sonny Stitt, showed me the way on the horn within straight-ahead jazz.” For his part, Pelt, who started listening to Cannonball as a teenager, got a first-hand education in the Adderley sound when he played for nearly two decades with Louis Hayes, drummer in the Adderley band from 1959 to 1965. The best homages send you back to the original versions for comparison purposes, and that’s what Jubilation! accomplishes with its modern renditions of time-honored work. Warmly recommended.
Savant SCD 2167; Jeremy Pelt (tp) Jim Snidero (as) David Hazeltine (p) Nat Reeves (b) Billy Drummond (d); Saylorsburg, PA, December 12, 2017; Party Time/ Del Sasser/ Wabash/ Saudade/ Stars Fell on Alabama/ Sack o’ Woe/ Ball’s 90th/ Work Song; 53:21. www.jazzdepot.com