Piano Trios: Lafayette Gilchrist, Kjetil Mulelid, Jeff Hamilton

A trio of piano, bass, and drums forms the bedrock of the modern jazz combo. As a format, it seems virtually inexhaustible, limited only by the imaginations and talents of the musicians. A steady supply of trio music arrives at Mr. Stu’s Record Room. In a pair of posts, I’ll discuss six recent projects. 

Pianist and composer Lafayette Gilchrist and his trio with Herman Burney on bass and Eric Kennedy on drums come ready to rock the house and rile things up on Now, with a generous running time of nearly two-and-a-half hours on two CDs. Gilchrist has mined a number of musical areas to come up with his own approach to composing and playing. In his irresistible melding, we find the blues, of course, the spirit of early jazz piano styles like stride and ragtime, a healthy dose of gospel, echoes of Hollywood scores and television theme music, the musical knowledge gained over two decades performing with saxophonist David Murray, and crucially, the funk-soul feeling of go-go music, the long-lasting Washington, D.C.-based musical style and one of the few remaining regional musics in America. Gilchrist and company easily avoid the trap of set routines that a piano, bass, and drums combo sometimes falls into during the course of an evening’s listening. Bassist Burney is a steady ensemble player and fine soloist, and the group picks his solo spots wisely. It’s the same with the eminently tasty drumming of Eric Kennedy. Instead of showy drum solos, we’re treated to his deep in the pocket groove and his consistently rewarding lock with Burney. I’m of the mind that there are different ways to listen to any given album, and while Gilchrist’s formidable pianism is obviously the main event, taking the time to concentrate on the bass and drums throughout this set will be seriously edifying. Touches like the bowed bass and mallets on shimmering cymbals approach to the relatively gentle Say a Prayer For Our Love or the dynamic free-flowing give and take that they bring to the next track, Bmore Careful, are just two examples of their knack of getting it just right every time. Gilchrist’s last release was a solo effort, Dark Matter, one of the best discs of last year, and when I get around to compiling a list for this strangest of all years, I’m sure Now will on it. Memorable melodies, unstoppable invention from Gilchrist, and a solidly rocking and swinging beat seal the deal: Now is music for right now and many tomorrows to come. Strongly recommended. 

Lafayette Gilchrist Music; Lafayette Gilchrist (p) Herman Burney (b) Eric Kennedy (d); Bowie, MD, no dates specified; disc 1 (75:36) : Assume the Position/ Bamboozled/ Rare Essence/ Old Shoes Come to Life/ On Your Belly like a Snake/ Say a Prayer for Our Love/ Bmore Careful/ The Midnight Step Rag. disc 2 (73:25): Tomorrow Is Waiting Now (Sharon's Song)/ The Wonder of Being Here/ Purple Blues/ Newly Arrived/ Enough/ Get Straight to the Point/ Can You Speak My Language/ Specials Revealed. www.lafayettegilchristmusic.com

I was so taken with the first CD by the Kjetil Mulelid Trio when I reviewed it that you might expect their next effort, What You Thought Was Home, to soar to the top of my review pile. But humans are notoriously perverse, and slim discs in slim cardboard sleeves are too easily overlooked. Or maybe I just needed to wait until the right time to start listening to it, with the news all bad and getting worse. It can’t hurt to have some eminently pleasing and almost startlingly optimistic piano trio music on hand to change your mood. Mulelid, who composes the bulk of the material, has a knack for one enchanting melody after another. His trio caresses his genial songs with enough rhythmic vitality and energy to keep the music in motion. Bassist Bjørn Marius Hegge, who composed the gentle Bruremarsj (Wedding March), and drummer Andreas Skår Winther work together very well, making their presence felt without drawing much attention away from pianist Mulelid. The overall feeling of Mulelid’s music is best summed up with his song When Winter Turns Into Spring. The title alone evokes an immediate positive response from anyone who has ever lived with a cold and snowy winter. And Mulelid is from Norway, so the change of seasons is an especially noteworthy event. Particularly fine are Homecoming, a calm processional that has echoes of Keith Jarrett and Abdullah Ibrahim, and the exploratory flow of Far Away, a solo feature for Mulelid. There’s also a bit of musical humor in the appropriately titled A Cautionary Tale Against a Repetitive Life. Hummable melodies, pleasing interactions among the musicians, and the overall feeling of music delivering the equivalent of a warm embrace make What You Though Was Home an eminently worthy follow-up to their first release. Warmly recommended. 

Rune Grammofon RCD2208 (CD/lp); Kjetil André Mulelid (p) Bjørn Marius Hegge (b) Andreas Skår Winther (d); Halden, Norway, November 15-16, 2018; What You Thought Was Home/ Folk Song/ Bruremarsj (Wedding March)/ Tales/ Far Away/ A Cautionary Tale Against a Repetitive Life/ Waltz For Ima/ When Winter Turns Into Spring/ Homecoming; 37:06. runegrammofon.com

The drummer and leader of the Jeff Hamilton Trio has amassed hundreds of credits in a distinguished career that began in the Seventies with Monty Alexander and Woody Herman. He was a member of the L.A. Four from 1978-82, played with prominent figures like Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, and George Shearing, and in 1985, co-founded the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra with bassist John Clayton and alto saxophonist Jeff Clayton, which still plays gigs and records. He’s also managed to keep a trio together with pianist Tamir Hendelman for the last 22 years. Their latest effort is Catch Me If You Can, with bassist Jon Hamar joining the trio to replace Christoph Luty. The trio’s crisp rapport is in evidence from the first notes of Make Me Rainbows, an early piece by composer John Williams that swings right along at a bright tempo. Hamilton plays a lot of sessions, which exposes him to songs he might otherwise miss, like the Williams song he encountered while playing a Holly Hoffman date. It’s a lovely melody that sets the tone for the entire disc. Hamilton is close friends with pianist George Cables, and Cables’ timelessly beautiful Helen’s Song is treated to a charming, finger-snapping arrangement. Hendelman’s title track arose as a challenge from Hamilton, who asked for “a medium up-tempo piece.” Hamilton adds “Big mistake!” as the pianist wrote a devilishly tricky tune, but they have a lot of fun just the same. Hamilton studied with drummer John Von Ohlen, citing him as a major influence on his playing. Von Ohlen was a pianist as well as a big band drummer with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton, and The Pond is one of his tunes. Hendelman handles it with care, and Hamilton’s brushwork is impeccable. Lapinha comes from the repertoire of Sergio Mendes, and it cooks in a lightly swinging bossa groove. Bassist Hamar contributes two songs. The Barn is a bluesy mid-tempo swinger named for the trio’s rehearsal space, and a feature for Hamar’s sturdy bass playing. His other piece, Bucket O’ Fat, starts off with a powerful yet relaxed bass solo, then develops into a sort of blues. Hamilton, once again on brushes, is impressive on this one. The last three tracks were associated with big bands. Bijou is a Ralph Burns composition that the drummer used to play with the Herman band, played here as a tribute to the great Herman drummers. Thad Jones’ Big Dipper was played by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, and Hamilton tells us in his friendly liner notes that as a teen, he would start every day by playing along to the recording. Here he lays down a slightly up tempo that works perfectly for the tune. The finale is Moonray, an Artie Shaw song brought in by Hamar, and played with bright panache. Catch Me If You Can is a well-crafted and enjoyable mainstream piano date that swings like nobody’s business. Recommended. Capri 74163; Tamir Hendelman (p) Jon Hamar (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); Hollywood, CA, August 14-15, 2019; Make Me Rainbows/ Helen’s Song/ Catch Me If You Can/ The Pond/ Lapinha/ The Barn/ Bucket O’ Fat/ Bijou/ Big Dipper/ Moonray; 58:02. caprirecords.com

Dave Sewelson: More Music For A Free World

Baritone saxophonist Dave Sewelson is probably best known as a member of the long-running Microscopic Septet. He steps out on his own with More Music For A Free World, a brawny, take-no-prisoners excursion into freely improvised music. His companions are the well-traveled trombonist Steve Swell, the inimitable William Parker on bass, and the relatively obscure Marvin “Bugalu” Smith on drums. Smith played in the Sun Ra Arkestra in the Eighties, then reappeared on the scene in the early part of this century, recording with pianist David Haney and saxophonist Teodross Avery. The quartet comes out wailing on Memories, with everyone listening closely and contributing to the overall effect. The attractive combination of baritone sax and trombone has not been exploited very much in jazz over the years. Offhand, I can only think of a 1957 Curtis Fuller session with Tate Houston on baritone, Gerry Mulligan with Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone in the mid-Fifties, a couple of obscure Serge Chaloff live recordings made in 1950, and Music For A Free World, this group’s debut (FMR, 2018). Sewelson and Swell have both been members of Parker’s large ensembles, and so their dynamic interplay comes as no surprise. Parker is well-known as a powerhouse soloist, and he’s adroit in that role, but it’s his rock-solid ensemble work that stands out here, along with his occasional dialogues with drummer Smith. Smith kicks off the second track, Dreams, with a grooving drum solo, and the band moves into nearly a half-hour of inspired activity. Most often, it seems like four people are soloing at the same time, popping in and out of the musical scrum as the circumstances demand. I love the way that Smith comments on the proceedings and subtly ups the tempo around the 4-minute mark, adding more grit and force to the ensemble. From that point, the music takes off for parts unknown. Once again, the horns drop out for a spell, leading to a particularly fine bass and drums section, before Sewelson and Swell come back to toss riffs back and forth over mildly agitated rhythms. The finale, Reflections, eases up on the tempo, but maintains their core approach of open-ended improvisation. This is the kind of free jazz that will have you nodding your head and tapping your feet in response to the quartet’s freewheeling power if you haven’t fled the room at the first hint of their forceful attitude. Count me as one who happily sticks around for all of it.
Mahakala Music MAHA20-002; Steve Swell (tbn) Dave Sewelson (bari s) William Parker (b) Marvin "Bugalu" Smith (d); Brooklyn, NY, December 17, 2018; Memories/ Dreams/ Reflections; 59:00. sewelsonics.com

Pago Libre: Mountain Songlines & John Wolf Brennan: Nevergreens

As we’ve seen, the musical madcaps of Pago Libre take their influences from anything and everything, from the great world of the movies to the Dada movement. So why not mountains and hiking for their latest effort, Mountain Songlines? It seems that pianist and composer John Wolf Brennan really likes to get out and walk. And when you do that in Switzerland, well, you’ve seen pictures of the Alps even if you haven’t been there, so you can just imagine the combination of will, stamina, and conditioning one needs to get out on the ridges for a hike. As Brennan says to Peter Monaghan in the liner notes, when “you hike in the mountains, especially in bad weather ... every step has to be taken cautiously. And standing still is not an option.” In a sense, that’s also true of music that combines improvisation with composition. Pago Libre is celebrating 30 years of doing just that with their music. In the current edition of the band, hornman Arkady Shilkloper and Brennan, who’ve been there all along, are now joined by violinist Florian Meyer and bassist Tom Götze. Brennan’s beautiful Hornborn Hymn, emphasizing the chamber music aspect of his influences, starts the proceedings, with Shilkloper leading the way. The more experimental side of the band comes into play with another Brennan composition, GTE (Grande Traversata Elbana), his impression of walking a 60-kilometer trail that traverses the island of Elba. Brennan uses his piano variations of arco- and pizzicatopiano on this one, giving the piece an other-worldly feeling, probably not dissimilar from the disorienting sense of standing atop Monte Capanne surrounded by the land which is itself surrounded by the ocean. On one hand, there is so much theory and background for this music that Monaghan takes six pages of small type in the booklet to describe some of the many aspects of life and music that become transformed into sound. We read about Brennan’s fascination with the work of ethnomusicologist Alfred Leonz Gassmann (manifested on Hol-di-o-U-ri!), Shilkloper’s tongue-in-cheek explanation of how he composed his ravishing The Melody of the Earth, dedicated to the dolphins of the world, and Mayer’s experience of mysterious voices in the middle of the night which led to Urwuchs, his first composition for the group. On the other hand, there is so much beauty amid the often unexpected combinations of sound from these four inventive musicians and guest yodeler and vocalist Sonja Morgenegg that, although helpful in detail, you don’t really need too much of the background to enjoy their blend of jazz sensibilities, folk song orientation, Swiss motifs, and sheer creativity in the context of a drum-less chamber group. Mountain Songlines is an absolute winner, heartily recommended.

In addition to his endeavors with Pago Libre, pianist John Wolf Brennan has recorded many sessions of his own in an array of contexts. He likes to think big, and the notes for Nevergreens, his anthology of solo performances, reveal that the tracks first appeared on six different albums, released between 1989 and 2009. They’re conceived as the “blue trilogy,” on the Creative Works label, followed by the “yellow trilogy,” with two titles on Creative Works and The Speed Of Dark (Leo). A third trilogy is promised, but in the meantime, we have this mash-up of tracks from half-a-dozen projects, plus The Homing, a short work composed for a “radiophonic play” in 2009. Faithful chronicler Peter Monaghan contributes a thoughtful essay that touches on Brennan’s career and the life experiences that inform his wide-ranging music making. In brief, the Irish-born Brennan’s family moved to central Switzerland when he was young, and between the Irish lullabies that his mother would sing, music lessons that he started at age 11, Swiss folk songs, and much more, Brennan has developed an especially inspired life in music. Monaghan describes him as “a musical explorer and geographer, crafting jazz-related soundscapes,” an assessment that gets it exactly right. For anyone not familiar with his work, Nevergreens seems like an awfully good place to start, as Brennan has assembled and sequenced this CD with an ear towards representing the key aspects of his work. There’s the lovely dance of Belles ‘n’ Decibels, the nuanced exploration of minimalist music via Para.Ph(r)ase (a gloss on Steve Reich’s Violin Phase), the mellow strains of Strollin’ down Memory Lane, the stately and stunningly beautiful Circle of Coherence, and the ruminative Fake Five, to pick just a few pieces. A Brennan recital is likely to include explorations of the piano’s innards. One variation he calls arcopiano, created with fishing line and bow hairs, which achieves a surprisingly clamorous drone on Isle of View. Then there’s the pizzicatopiano, which duets with Brennan’s melodica via overdubbing on Lost im Violin. There’s also a piece with prepared piano, the ghostly dance he calls Rump-L-Rumba. There’s plenty to enjoy here, and clearly there’s a lot more music to explore alongside one of creative music’s most intrepid figures. Happily recommended.
Mountain Songlines: Leo CD LR 886; Arkady Shilkloper (horn, alphorn [9,13], alperidoo [3], vcl [8]) Florian Mayer (vln, vcl [8]) John Wolf Brennan (p, arco-/pizzicatopiano [2,3,5,11], vcl [8]) Tom Götze (b, vcl [8]] Sonja Morgenegg (yodel [9], vcl [12]); Winterthur, Switzerland, February 19-20, 2020; exc. 13, Dresden, Germany, February 8, 2018; 1.Hornborn Hymn/ 2. GTE (Grande Traversata Elbana)/ 3.Urwuchs/ 4. ...von der armenischen Prinzessin (Armenian Princess)/ 5.PreGap: At the Abyss of Nothing/ 6.Cümbüs/ 7.Ridge Walk/ 8.Hol-di-o-U-ri!/ 9.Tü-da-do/ 10.Selbsanft/ 11.Vertical Vectors/ 12.The Melody of the Earth/ 13. Bonus track: Medley “Mountain Songlines” (YouTube video soundtrack); 55:24.
Nevergreens: Leo CD LR 865; John Wolf Brennan (p, melodica [6,12], arcopiano [7], pizzicatopiano [6], prepared p [11]); Ludwigsburg, Germany, 1989 (1,2,5,10,13,14,19) or 1991 (4,9,18), Weggis, Switzerland, 1998 (7,11), Boswil, Switzerland, 2002 (20), Winterthur, Switzerland, 2009 (3,6,8,15-17), and Zurich, Switzerland, 2009 (12); 1.Did U see the Way?/ 2.Parto/ 3.Ever for Never/ 4.Belles ‘n’ Decibels/ 5.Kerava/ 6.Lost im Violin/ 7.Isle of View/ 8.Para.Ph(r)ase/ 9.Phi/ 10.Strollin’ down Memory Lane/ 11.Rump-L-Rumba/ 12.Homing/ 13.Circle of Coherence/ 14.Goofy’s Waltz/ 15. Auf Valser Pfaden -Läntahütte/ 16.Auf Valser Pfaden -Murmelitanz (Marmot’s Dance)/ 17.Auf Valser Pfaden -Zerfeila/ 18.Fake Five/ 19.Song of the Moon/ 20.Kyoto; 73:24. www.leorecordsmusic.com www.leorecords.com

Pago Libre: Cinémagique 2.0 & platzDADA!!

The intertwined history of music and the cinema is a vast, complex topic. Back in 2000, the international quartet known as Pago Libre recorded an album for the Swiss TCB label that they called Cinémagique. Now reissued as Cinémagique 2.0, two short tracks from the original disc have been removed and three compatible bonus tracks from a 2004 concert recording have been added in a resequenced and remastered edition that also includes a booklet with brief notes for the tracks, an appreciation of the album that appeared in the All Music Guide, a band discography, and photos from the quartet’s 30 years of activity. Subtitled Sixteen Soundtracks for an Imaginary Cinema, the set includes compositions from all members of the group, usually alone but sometimes in collaboration. The CD also features an arrangement by pianist John Wolf Brennan of music by Erik Satie (the evocative Entr’acte: Le Tango d’E.S.) and a lovingly straight-forward adaptation of a Brahms lullaby by Tscho Theissing, the group’s violinist. One high point among many is Arkady Shilkloper’s Folk Song, which features some vigorous solo work by violinist Theissing. It’s characterized by Brennan as “a marriage of Ireland and Moldavia.” The pianist’s Suonatina, which he describes as “a little flirt with the classical sonata form,” is another standout piece, with delicate and beautifully balance playing by the ensemble. Brennan’s descriptive liner notes lead off with this quote from the great director Alfred Hitchcock: “We try to tell a good story and develop a hefty plot. Themes emerge as we go along.” I can’t think of a better way to conceptualize what these improvisers are up to. The quartet makes delicious music for headphone listening. You can concentrate on the deft interplay of the quartet while you conjure up cinematic images to go along with the music. Pago Libre’s basic instrumentation of Shilkloper’s horn, Theissing’s violin, Brennan’s piano, and Daniele Patumi on bass (replaced by Georg Breinschmid on the live tracks) allows the music to go in any direction at all, and they frequently surprise the listener by taking the non-obvious path. Echoes of jazz, classical music, folk songs, bits of and much more coalesce in this long-running ensemble’s unique vision and deep-seated commitment to free expression, while having plenty of fun along the way. Musical magic indeed! 

These days, Switzerland is widely known for its political neutrality, breathtaking scenery, chocolate, and clocks. But let’s not forget that the world-changing art movement known as Dada started at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich, Switzerland, in 1916. The members of the Pago Libre Sextet certainly haven’t forgotten, and they also recall that Vladimir Ilych Lenin lived across the street. If you Google the word ‘dada,’ you’ll get something like 248 million hits, but I think that all you’ll need to gain an understanding of dada is to press play on platzDADA!! This set was originally issued in 2008 by Christoph Merian Verlag in Basel, now remastered and reissued on Leo Records, home for many of Pago Libre’s projects. Dada, at the start, was as much an verbal art as a visual one, thanks to contributions by memorable individuals like Hans Arp, Kurt Schwitters, and Tristan Tzara. Arp and Schwitters are the main sources of the poems on platzDADA!!, along with original bits of nonsense by pianist John Wolf Brennan, bassist Georg Breinschmid, and Russian poet Danlil Charms. To set the scene, the lengthy CD opens with Breakfast at Vladimir Ilych, a sort of dramatization of Lenin taking a phone call at home. From there, the sextet plunges into Dadábylon, written by the band, followed closely by the title track, the first of the Hans Arp settings with music by Brennan. The enclosed booklet includes all the texts and their sources, plus notes on the poets and a few reviews from 2008. Because of all the nonsensical verbiage and widely varied musical settings, this is actually quite a funny disc, but in its relentless cacophony of voices and instruments, it also works as a way to clear the room. Anybody who stays for the whole thing will have one hell of a good time. Dada lives!!
Cinémagique 2.0: Leo CD LR 863; Arkady Shilkloper (horn, flgh, alphorn on 7,11; alperidoo on 6; voice on 5,12) Tscho Theissing (vln; voice on 1,4,5,12,16) John Wolf Brennan (p, arcopiano & melodica on 7; voice on 5,12) Daniele Patumi (b, voice on 5,12) George Breinschmid (b on 14-16); Winterthur, Switzerland, April 2000, exc. 14-16, Feldkirch, Austria, 2004; 1.Enticing/ 2. A bout de souffle/ 3.Synopsis/ 4.Kissing Joy (as it flies)/ 5.Tikkettitakkitakk/ 6.Alperiduo/ 7. Nostalghia/8.Entr-acte: Le Tango d’E.S./ 9.Folk Song/ 10.Suonatina/ 11.Little Big Horn/ 12.Dance of Kara Ben Nemsi/ 13.Aimez-vous Brahms?/ 14.Tupti-Kulai/ 15.RMX/ 16.Rasenade Gnome; 73:44.
platzDADA!!: Leo CD LR 887; Arkady Shilkloper (horn, flgh, alphorn, vcl, ratchet) Tscho Theissing (vln, vcl, ratchet) John Wolf Brennan (p, vcl, ratchet; pizzicatopiano on *) Georg Breinschmid (b, vcl, ratchet) Patrice Héral (d, vcl, ratchet) Agnes Heginger (vcl, ratchet); Winterthur, Switzerland, May 2006 & October 2007, except for #, Lucerne, Switzerland, May 15, 2005; Breakfast at Vladimir Ilych/ Dadábylon/ platzDADA!!/ SinnDong/ Sankt Ziegenzack St. Fassanbass/ Die gestiefelten Sterne/ te gri ro ro/ Uhrmusik: Sekundenzeiger/ Weltwunder/ Wolkenpumpentango/ Schnauze, Puppe!/ ETANOSRU EUTONARS (Largo/ Rakete/ Durchführung/ Tillll, Jüü-Kaa? What a beauty!/ Schwitters gruuft)/ Die Welt/ ¿Nana?*/ Ich bin ein Schwein/ trains.plains/ Das fröhliche Greislein/ Drone Dance/ A klanes Brabitschek/ Schnickschnack#; 73:44. www.leorecords.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

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Just Coolin’

It was passed over for initial release, then omitted from a series of Blue Note vault issue programs, but now, 60 years after it was recorded in Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack studio, we all get to hear Just Coolin’, a March 1959 session by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. This was a short-lived edition of the band, with tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley back in the group for a few months, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. Four of these pieces were recorded live for the band’s At The Jazz Corner Of The World double-album about six weeks after this studio session. Mobley’s three numbers (Hipsippy Blues, the finger-snapping M&M and the title track) plus Bernice Petkere’s Close Your Eyes made it to the Birdland stage, so this album stayed on the shelf. There are plenty of flashes of brilliance throughout, especially from the perennially underrated Mobley (who suffers from a squeaky reed on Timmons’ hip but otherwise unrecorded Quick Trip and elsewhere) and the much-praised Morgan. But as a band effort the music doesn’t always cohere, and for a ensemble that had so many great days in the studio and documented in performance, this set seldom rises to the heights. Still, previously unheard solos by Lee Morgan are always a plus, and from a historical perspective, this set adds insight into a transitional period for the band. It’s also a curious fact that this 60-year old music sounds as fresh as yesterday, while in 1959, styles that were prevalent even just 30 years before seemed terribly dated. Recommended.
Blue Note; Lee Morgan (tpt) Hank Mobley (ts) Bobby Timmons (p) Jymie Merritt (b) Art Blakey (d); Hackensack, NJ, March 8, 1959; Hipsippy Blues/ Close Your Eyes/ Jimerick/ Quick Trick/ M&M/ Just Coolin’; 38:57. www.bluenote.com

Woody Shaw Quintet: Basel 1980 & Tokyo 1981

The dynamic and musically astute trumpeter Woody Shaw formed his first quintet in late 1977. By the time of the Woody Shaw Quintet’s performance in Basel 1980, pianist Larry Willis and bassist Stafford James had replaced Onaje Allen Gumbs and Clint Houston, while saxophonist Carter Jefferson and drummer Victor Lewis remained in the band. As Michael Cuscuna, producer of many Woody Shaw sessions, writes in his liner notes to this set, “It is a testament to Woody’s leadership that the character of the band, though altered by new members, remained essentially the same.” It’s a typically accurate judgment from Cuscuna, and the proof lies in the high quality of Shaw’s releases over a period of years, plus a number of live recordings that have surfaced since he passed away in 1989. Shaw was a fine composer as well as a trumpet master, and his sets would usually feature a few of his own tunes along with well-chosen standards and jazz compositions. For their Swiss audience, the band presented Shaw’s Stepping Stones and Theme For Maxine, plus tunes by drummer Victor Lewis (Seventh Avenue) and bassist Stafford James (the uptempo Teotihuacan). Dave Brubeck’s In Your Own Sweet Way, possibly his most-frequently covered tune and a favorite of Miles Davis, was also a staple of Shaw’s sets. Another pianist’s popular tune, Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round Midnight also makes an appearance, in a delicately paced performance that features some lovely improvising by Shaw and Willis. The third song penned by a pianist is Joe Bonner’s Love Dance, the title track of Shaw’s 1975 Muse album and a piece he really loved to play. The lone standard in Basel is Bronislaw Kaper’s Invitation, which opens the show. Shaw and company really liked to stretch out when performing for an audience, and they use the time for extended and boldly investigative soloing. Only the closing Theme For Maxine is less than 11 minutes long, and one of the joys of a Woody Shaw set is the continued sense of fresh discovery that the band makes evident on stage. It’s an excellent set, very nicely recorded, and the enthusiastic Swiss audience wanted even more. Our bonus track is a quartet exploration of the Carl Fischer-Frankie Laine standard We’ll Be Together Again, taken from an appearance at the 1981 Lustenau Jazz Festival in Austria. Once again the band has changed, with Mulgrew Miller at the piano and Tony Reedus on drums, with Stafford James still on bass. It’s not as well recorded, and at first the performance is a bit lackluster when compared to the Basel material, but after a sparkling piano solo by the much-missed Miller, Shaw takes charge and plays a powerful solo before taking the tune out. The booklet includes Cuscuna’s notes, an essay by Woody Shaw III, and well-chosen photographs of the musicians. Totally recommended, like pretty much everything that Shaw ever played.

With the addition of trombonist Steve Turre, the same Woody Shaw band that appears on the bonus track from Austria is presented on Tokyo 1981, recorded in December of that year. Shaw and Turre were both members of the 1973 edition of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and they continued to be close friends and musical partners. When I worked as a soundman at Keystone Korner in this period, I had the good fortune to be working on a Monday when the Shaw quintet played for one night while they were either on the way to Japan or on the way back to New York. It was a great night of music, and part of the excitement was the novelty of hearing two brassmen as the front line. From Tokyo 1981's introduction in Japanese, it seems that this set was sourced from a radio broadcast. Kicking off with Shaw’s enduring composition Rosewood, the band is playing at their usual high level of swing and melodic invention. Two songs from the Basel show reappear, Monk’s ‘Round Midnight (with a bravura ending solo by Shaw) and the snippet of Theme for Maxine that concludes the set. The performance includes a compelling extended version of Shaw’s Song Of Songs, which served him well after its debut as the title track of his 1972 Contemporary album. Miller’s churning Apex really inspires Shaw, who tears off a spectacular solo, with drummer Reedus kicking it along in high gear. Another Shaw composition, the mellow ballad From Moment to Moment, was relatively new at the time, but the quintet sounds thoroughly at home with it. Turre’s gravelly solo on the bass trombone is a highlight, as is Miller’s inventive solo. Shaw’s closing announcement, delivered over the introduction to Theme For Maxine, is greeted with warm applause from the audience. I almost found myself applauding at home. The bonus track for this CD is a version of Shaw’s Sweet Love Of Mine, excerpted from a Dutch performance with the Paris Reunion Band, described by Michael Cuscuna as “a collective formed in 1985 by American musicians who had transplanted themselves on the active Paris jazz scene of the late ‘60s.” The tune first appeared on Jackie McLean’s Demon’s Dance, recorded at the end of 1967, and the attractive melody was a staple of the Paris Reunion Band’s book for the three years that the group lasted. The rhythm section of Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Billy Brooks on drums gives the piece a samba feeling, and Woody plays a genuinely inspired solo before yielding the spotlight to tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, another consummately reliable soloist. We also hear from pianist Drew and drummer Brooks in a series of exchanges with the band before they return to the theme. Shaw’s numerous recordings depict him as ever-evolving and growing as a player, and it’s always a pleasure to savor some newly uncovered examples of his artistry. Recommended, of course.
Basel 1980: Elemental Music 5990432; Woody Shaw (tpt, flgh) Carter Jefferson (ts, ss) Larry Willis (p) Stafford James (b) Victor Lewis (d); Basel, Switzerland, January 16, 1980; exc * Shaw (t) Mulgrew Miller (p) James (b) Tony Reedus (d); Lustenau, Austria, June 20, 1981; Disc 1 (63:57): Invitation/ Seventh Avenue/ In Your Own Sweet Way/ Stepping Stone. Disc 2 (61:47): Love Dance/ ‘Round Midnight/ Teotihuacan/ Theme for Maxine/ We’ll Be Together Again*. 
Tokyo 1981: Elemental Music 5990429; Woody Shaw (tpt, flgh) Steve Turre (tbn, perc) Mulgrew Miller (p) Stafford James (b) Tony Reedus (d); Tokyo, Japan, December 7, 1981; exc. * The Paris Reunion Band [Shaw, Dizzy Reece (tpt) Slide Hampton (tbn) Johnny Griffin (ts) Nathan Davis (ts, ss) Kenny Drew (p) Jimmy Woode (b) Billy Brooks (d); Den Haag, The Netherlands, July 14, 1985; Rosewood/ ‘Round Midnight/ Apex/ From Moment to Moment/ Song of Songs/ Theme for Maxine/ Sweet Love of Mine*; 73:30. elemental-music.com