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

Mingus At 100: The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott's & Mingus Three Deluxe Edition

 

The Charles Mingus Sextet was in the middle of a European tour in the summer of 1972 when the band stopped in London to play at the famed Ronnie Scott’s club. Mingus was signed to Columbia Records at the time, and the company had the final two nights of the engagement recorded for use as a live album. But Columbia dropped all of its jazz signings (except for Miles Davis) unexpectedly in the spring of 1973. Mingus’ widow Sue Mingus has had the multi-tracks since then. So, on the centenary of Mingus’ birth in 1922 and nearly half a century after this music thrilled the British audiences, we have a chance to hear The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott’s. Many of the exemplary historical releases of the past few years have been sourced from radio network archives, often from Europe, which makes this set even more of a treasure. The band that Mingus brought to Europe was a short-lived version of the Jazz Workshop, lasting only as long as this tour. Trumpeter Jon Faddis was on hand, accompanied in the front line by Mingus stalwart Charles McPherson on alto and Bobby Jones on tenor and clarinet. John Foster was at the piano, and also sings on Noddin’ Ya Head Blues. On drums and musical saw was Roy Brooks, himself the subject of a 2021 vault release. While this may not be anyone’s favorite Mingus aggregation, no Mingus performance is without its highlights. The bassist himself, moved way forward in the mix, is in wonderfully propulsive form, and a study of his playing alone over the nearly two and a half hours presented here would be an education all by itself. But of course there’s much more to listen to, especially Brooks’ controlled explosiveness at the drums and McPherson’s unflappable neo-bop solos. Zev Feldman, who co-produced this project with David Weiss, has assembled a typically comprehensive booklet to accompany the music. There are liner notes by veteran British jazz writer Brian Priestley, who actually attended a couple of the sets. He also interviewed Mingus and McPherson at the club, also included. Reminiscences by McPherson, bassist Eddie Gomez, and Ronnie Scott’s widow Mary Scott are also part of the package, which also features an appreciation by bassist Christian McBride. Most surprising of all is an interview with Fran Lebowitz, who met Mingus around 1970 when she worked at Changes, the arts magazine run by Sue Graham, soon to be Sue Mingus. If this had been edited for a live single album, we might never have heard these full half-hour or so versions of Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk, Mind Readers’ Convention in Milano, and Fables of Faubus, featuring one of the greatest bass solos you’ve ever heard. So let’s welcome the deluxe expanded edition of the 1972 lp that never was! One of the top historical releases of the year, and strongly recommended. 

Resonance HCD-2063; Jon Faddis (tpt) Charles McPherson (as) Bobby Jones (ts, cl) John Foster (p; vcl on *) Charles Mingus (b) Roy Brooks (d, musical saw); London, England, August 14-15, 1973; Disc 1 (51:37): Introduction/ Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk/ Noddin’ Ya Head Blues*. Disc 2 (30:47): Mind Readers’ Convention in Milano (a/k/a Number 29)/ Ko Ko (Theme). Disc 3 (63:10): Fables of Faubus/ Pops (a/k/a When the Saints Go Marching In)/ The Man Who Never Sleeps/ Air Mail Special. www.resonancerecords.org

Charles Mingus would have been 100 on April 22. To mark the occasion, Rhino released a deluxe reissue of Mingus Three, his 1957 trio date for Jubilee Records. Hampton Hawes is at the piano, and Dannie Richmond is on drums. It was near the start of Richmond’s tenure with Mingus, which lasted, with some interruptions, until the bassist’s final recording session in 1973. It’s a rare trio session for Mingus, and there are more standards than original tunes. For Mingus, this was a creative year. He was recording The Clown for Atlantic just before Mingus Three and starting work on Tijuana Moods for RCA just nine days afterwards. Hawes was, arguably, at his best in 1956 and 1957. His deep affinity for the blues makes him a fine partner for the earthy bass of Mingus. Richmond, for his part, largely stays in the background, cutting loose for a solo just once. There’s no doubt that piano and bass are the co-stars with plenty of spirited dialogue. Nat Hentoff noted that in his original liner notes, and frequent Mingus associate Sy Johnson makes the same point in his new notes. The musicians make the peppy swing of the original seven tracks sound so easy, but of course, it takes work to make it sound that way. By chance, according to the press release, the session tapes were recently uncovered in the vaults of London Parlophone. For the first time, we’re treated to no fewer than six alternate takes and two takes of an untitled blues. It’s a delightful and instructive array of songs, highlighted by the bassist’s playing on the untitled blues and Hawes’ rollicking solo on the alternate of Hamp’s New Blues. Mingus fans shouldn’t miss this release. 

Rhino (Lp, CD, & streaming); Hampton Hawes (p) Charles Mingus (b) Dannie Richmond (d); NYC, July 9, 1957; Yesterdays/ Back Home Blues/ I Can’t Get Started/ Hamp’s New Blues/ Summertime/ Dizzy Moods/ Laura/ Untitled Blues (take 1)*/ Untitled Blues (take 2)*/ Back Home Blues (take 6, incomplete)*/ Hamp’s New Blues (take 4)*/ I Can’t Get Started (take 4)*/ Yesterdays (take 2, incomplete)*/ Dizzy Moods (take 2)*/ Summertime (take 3)*; 75:48. Tracks marked with * are previously unissued. store.rhino.com/artist/charles-mingus.html

Piano Trios!! (Part 1): Pete Malinvervni, Armen Donelian, Tyshawn Sorey, Alan Broadbent

  The piano trio format never seems to go out of style. And why should it, when a unit of piano, bass, and drums is capable of taking advantage of virtually any musical approach, from playing faithful versions of standards on the one hand to totally free improvisation on the other, and everything in between. Each season seems to bring forward a new batch of recordings, so here’s a look at some of the latest releases. 

    A concept that has proved successful time and again is a collection of tunes by a single composer. On The Town, wherein Pete Malinverni Plays Leonard Bernstein, is a solid addition to the trio literature. With the simpatico backing of bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Jeff Hamilton, the veteran pianist Malinverni offers an hour of Bernstein’s music, plus A Night on the Town, an original composition in his spirit. The material is mostly drawn from Bernstein’s music for Broadway in the shows On The Town (1944), Wonderful Town (1953) and West Side Story (1957), recently revitalized by the Steven Spielberg film. Save for Some Other Time, a particular favorite of Bill Evans, Bernstein’s music has not been played all that much by improvisers, but Malinverni makes a case for revisiting these songs. From the first chorus of New York, New York, you know that you’re in for a treat for the next hour. Malinverni’s keen melodicism, Okegwo’s emphatic groove, and Hamilton’s joy-filled drive make a perfect combination. As a bonus, Malinverni’s liner notes relate a few choice anecdotes relating to Bernstein, plus a brief discussion of the maestro’s characteristic musical patterns. He concludes by passing on his hope that in listening to On The Town, “you will be reminded of the greatness of Leonard Bernstein while seeing that his wonderful songs can take a little twisting and turning, without losing their innate beauty.” Mission accomplished! Highly recommended. 

Planet Arts; Pete Malinverni (p) Ugonna Okegwo (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); Englewood Cliffs, NY, April 11, 2021; New York New York/ Lucky to Be Me/ Somewhere/ Cool/ Simple Song/ I Feel Pretty/ Lonely Town/ Some Other Time/ It’s Love/ A Night on the Town; 59:30. www.PlanetArts.org

Pianist Armen Donelian composed five of the songs for his latest CD, Fresh Start, with his new trio of bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Dennis Mackrel. The balance of this largely compelling release comes from writers as varied as fellow pianist Richie Beirach (Gale), Indian drummer Vatan Rajan Singh (Ferry Maiden), and the late multi-instrumentalist Makanda Ken McIntyre (Day Break, from a 1975 quartet date on SteepleChase), plus a brief group improvisation (Tales in the Western Night) that fades out to end the disc. Also on the program are a pair of standards (I’m Stepping Out With a Memory Tonight, from 1940, and Never Let Me Go, from 1956). On the former, Donelian sings and plays piano, with Anderson and Mackrel overdubbing their parts later. Let’s just say that Donelian is not much of a singer, but given all the work that went into the production, the lyric must mean something special to him. The mood of Donelian’s new music, written during the pandemic, naturally enough is often melancholy and wistful but with an optimistic core of innate lyricism. One key to the success of this release the way the instrumental focus keeps shifting, often unexpectedly, from piano to bass to drums. It helps, naturally, that Donelian has such astute companions in this journey. Bassist Anderson is a stellar accompanist in this setting. He is no less formidable and inventive as a soloist, and his frequent solos are a pleasure. Drummer Mackrel, a solid and understated swinger, completes the superbly balanced trio. His delicate cymbal work is especially fine. Some of the highlights: the slow to develop In the Western Night, which unfolds rather beautifully over six minutes, the captivating Noviembre which opens the CD, and the way the trio caresses the melody of Never Let Me Go. All told, this session is indeed a Fresh Start for a reinvigorated Armen Donelian. It’s well worth your time. 

Sunnyside SSC 4036; Armen Donelian (p, vcl on *) Jay Anderson (b) Dennis Mackrel (d); Saugerties, NY, June 14, 15 & 17, 2021, exc. *piano & vocal, October 16, 2020; Noviembre/ Fresh Start/ Ferry Maiden/ Madagascar/ Gale/ Never Let Me Go/ Tirado/ In the Western Night/ Day Break/ Janet Left the Planet/ I’m Stepping Out With a Memory Tonight*/ Tales in the Western Night; 64:23. www.sunnysiderecords.com

Tyshawn Sorey, usually playing drums, has been involved in at least 100 recording sessions since his debut in 2002 on saxophonist Andre Vida’s Child Real Eyes. Since then, this endlessly creative musician has worked with such luminaries as Anthony Braxton, Vijay Iyer, Billy Bang, Steve Lehman, Steve Coleman, Kris Davis, Henry Grimes, Pete Robbins, Roscoe Mitchell - the list goes on and on. But the 2017 MacArthur Fellow and Professor of Music, is also a composer of note, who attracted a great deal of attention early in 2022 for his Monochromatic Light (Afterlife). This piece, for chamber choir, keyboards, viola, bass-baritone, and percussion, was written for the 50th anniversary of the Rothko Chapel in Houston. His latest venture is rather different, to say the least. Mesmerism is a thoughtfully selected batch of standards and jazz originals played by the Tyshawn Sorey Trio, with pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Matt Brewer. Sorey enlisted his drum teacher and mentor Michael Carvin to produce the date, and the results are riveting. Sorey is working here for the first time with pianist Aaron Diehl, with whom Sorey cites “a brotherly connection,” and bassist Matt Brewer, a rhythm section partner on a number of projects over the years. The set leads off with Horace Silver’s Enchantment, with a refined Diehl introduction setting up a snaky groove. From the start, it’s crystal clear that this is a supremely relaxed unit, immersed in powerfully intuitive playing. With Sorey’s sublimely elegant drumming and the unfailingly supportive bass of Brewer prominent in the mix, the music easily fulfills Sorey’s wish to “document the unwavering love and appreciation” he has for these songs. The longest piece here is Detour Ahead, introduced in 1948 and a favorite tune of Bill Evans. Sorey chart takes the title literally with an arrangement that keeps slipping harmonic modulations into the structure to build a beguiling and continuously fascinating performance. Joseph Kosma’s 1945 Autumn Leaves, the oldest piece on the disc, has inspired countless versions over the decades. The Sorey trio’s downtempo take on the familiar melody is utterly relaxed and absorbing. Brewer plays a countermelody to Diehl’s piano while Sorey dances around them before the bassist steps out for a tasteful solo that picks up the pace a bit. Diehl then follows with his own ruminations to take the tune out. Paul Motian’s From Time to Time, premiered in 1991, is the most recent of Sorey’s selections and the song subjected to the most alteration. The taut atomistic arrangement puts particular emphasis on the resonances of each note and the space created by the relationships of the instruments. The trio is effectively “sneaking up” on the melody in a masterful performance. Muhal Richard Abrams’ Two Over One first appeared on Sightsong, the pianist’s 1975 duet album with bassist Malachi Favors Magostut. It’s a simple tune that receives a straight-forwardly swinging rendition here, with bluesy variations by Diehl and loose but slamming drums from Sorey. When a piece by Duke Ellington is performed by a group, it’s always revealing to see what’s picked, since the possibilities are nearly endless. For his Duke selection, Sorey gets right to the core of swinging jazz with the downhome REM Blues. This piece was first heard as Blues For Blanton on a 1950 date for Mercer Records, then revived and retitled for Money Jungle, the phenomenal meeting of Duke, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach in 1962. The trio concludes the CD version of this release with a happy groove, guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Mesmerism is an instant classic, and strongly recommended. And lest you think that the multi- disciplinary Sorey limits himself in any way, I urge you to check out his contribution of a new composition for Johnny Gandelsman’s latest project, This Is America: An Anthology 2020-2021, his remarkable three CD collection of commissions for solo violin that comes out within a week of Mesmerism. 

Yeros7 Music; Aaron Diehl (p) Matt Brewer (b) Tyshawn Sorey (d); Brooklyn, NY, May 26, 2021; Enchantment/ Detour Ahead/ Autumn Leaves/ From Time to Time/ Two Over One/ REM Blues*; 47:54. *on CD and streaming only. tyshawn-sorey.bandcamp.com

On their third Savant release, the Alan Broadbent Trio explores even more deeply the obvious connection that pianist Broadbent, bassist Harvie S and drummer Billy Mintz share in the making of seriously swinging trio music. The aptly-titled Like Minds touches on repertoire from across the jazz spectrum, with just one Broadbent original (the gently flowing Prelude to Peace). In my view, any album that opens with This I Dig Of You, my favorite Hank Mobley tune (from Soul Station, 1960), is a sure winner. Broadbent and his mates do the happy groove real justice, and it sets the stage for this satisfying and enjoyable recording. All three players have lists of credits that are long and varied, and anyone paying attention to jazz over the last fifty years has surely encountered these musicians in multiple situations over the years. Let’s just note that they sound better than ever here, having established an authentically organic telepathic connection with this particular trio. Particularly fine are their tasty dissection of With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair, heard a lot after its introduction by Kay Kyser in 1940 but seldom afterwards, the finger-snapping version at Sonny Rollins’ classic Airegin with some lovely brushwork by Mintz, the perennial Stairway to the Stars, played very slowly and poignantly, and Bud Powell’s Blue Pearl. This one was first heard on disc in 1957 and performed infrequently since then. This trio’s lightly grooving rendition features an inspired series of trades between bass and drums, with Broadbent taking over about halfway through. I was quite taken with the trio’s second album, Trio In Motion, and I’m equally impressed with Like Minds. Happily recommended. 

Savant SCD 2198; Alan Broadbent (p) Harvie S (b) Billy Mintz (d); NYC, April 29 & July 27, 2021; This I Dig Of You/ Prelude to Peace/ With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair/ Dance Only With Me/ Airegin/ Stairway to the Stars/ Blue Pearl/ This is New/ Yardbird Suite; 59:37. www.jazzdepot.com

Seabrook Trio: In The Swarm

  Guitarist and banjoist Brandon Seabrook has enlivened sessions with boldly imaginative artists like trumpeter Peter Evans, Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra, bassist Ben Allison, Mostly Other People Do the Killing, and percussionist Tomas Fujiwara, among many others. In the Seabrook Trio, with Cooper-Moore on the one-stringed diddley bow and the wizardly Gerald Cleaver on drums and electronics, he seems to have found his ideal setting. The trio’s music on In The Swarm, their second release, forms a bridge between the raw country sound of the diddley bow and the effects-enhanced modern electric guitar. It’s a wild ride of gonzo guitaristics, thunderous drumming, rubbery diddley bow bass, plenty of overdubs, waves of unexpected electronic treatments, and a general air of barely controlled chaos. This kind of musical madness is right up my alley. From the spooky organ-like sounds of the title track that opens the disc to Of the Swarm, the one-minute rave-up that ends the program, this is a trip like no other. Cleaver’s super-sensitive drum parts and Cooper-Moore’s imperturbable presence on the diddley bow provide a mighty cushion for Seabrook’s rapid-fire licks and the many different sounds he coaxes from his array of pedals and effects. Particularly fine are Vibrancy Yourself, a rather deranged piece of modern funk, the rhythm-heavy Crepuscule of Cleaver, featuring Seabrook’s brashly processed guitar, and Adrenaline Charters, with Seabrook’s expressive and original banjo style out front. Definitely worth checking out. Turn it up! 

Astral Spirits (limited edition vinyl & digital album); Brandon Seabrook (g, bjo) Cooper-Moore (diddley bow) Gerald Cleaver (d, elec); Woodhaven, NY, July - September 2021; In the Swarm/ Subliminal Gaucheries/ Vibrancy Yourself/ Crepuscule of Cleaver/ Adrenaline Charters/ Seething Excitations/ Aghastitude/ Of the Swarm; 43:51.  astralspirits.bandcamp.com

George Cotsirilos Quartet: Refuge

  In September 2021, during a time of pandemic and isolation, the George Cotsirilos Quartet turns to music as a Refuge. This is guitarist Cotsirilos’ second album with bandmates Keith Saunders on piano, Robb Fisher on bass, and Ron Marabuto on drums. Knowing their styles, he writes that these new compositions were “conceived with this quartet in mind ...” Before this band came together, Cotsirilos helmed a trio with Fisher and Marabuto that recorded three CDs for OA2, which amounts to plenty of playing time together. The musician’s familiarity with one another results in a congenial vibe that make this latest effort a thorough pleasure all the way through. Drummer Rob Marabuto brings his finely honed sense of swing and carefully calibrated dynamics to the proceedings. Veteran bassist Fisher, who had an extended stay in Cal Tjader’s band from 1976 until Tjader’s death in 1982, is a solid player with great time and a big round sound. His solo on a gentle ballad called The Three Doves is a beautifully relaxed interlude leading into Saunders’ piano solo. The pianist, who has recorded with drummer Dick Berk’s Jazz Adoption Agency and the NY Hardbop Quintet, has an emphatic touch and a soulful feeling in his solos. Cotsirilos generally eschews flash in favor of crisp lines and lovely melodies. He gets an attractively clean and unadorned sound on his hollow-body guitar. Highlights include the cheerfully upbeat opener, Devolution, Aftermath with a driving beat that clearly inspires Saunders on his opening solo, the angular melody and unsettling rhythms of A Faint Light, and the freewheeling set closer, Let’s Make a Break For It, with solo statements by all. Refuge is a winner, and warmly recommended. 

OA2 22201; George Cotsirilos (g) Keith Saunders (p) Robb Fisher (d) Ron Marabuto (d); Berkeley, CA, September 27-28, 2021; Devolution/ Refuge/ Planet Roxoid/ Igualmente/ The Three Doves/ Slacker/ Aftermath/ A Faint Light/ Smoke Signal/ Let’s Make a Break For It; 57:07. www.originarts.com

Lennie Tristano: Personal Recordings 1946-1970

  Personal Recordings 1946-1970 by pianist, composer, and teacher Lennie Tristano is a 6 CD co-production of Mosaic Records and Dot Time Records. Assembled by Tristano’s daughter Carol Tristano and tenor saxophonist Lenny Popkin, this collection, virtually all previously unissued, is a fascinating tribute to one of the most controversial figures in modern jazz. (Two sextet pieces, recorded at Carnegie Hall on Christmas Eve, 1949, first appeared on an lp issued by the IAJRC.) While prominent musicians as disparate as Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett have praised his work, Tristano never achieved the popularity or critical acclaim that his innovations should have garnered. While this set might help to rectify that attitude by compiling a variety of live material and sessions recorded at Tristano’s home and studio, his legacy probably would have been better served by a more critical producer who might have weeded out some of the more problematic recordings. As it is, the sound quality on disc one, taken from wire recordings between 1946 and 1948, is abysmal. While there’s some great playing in these trios with guitarist Billy Bauer and a variety of bassists, it’s so hard to hear that I can’t imagine revisiting these tracks very often. I think it would have been better to put these selections on the last disc of the set rather than at the beginning, and started the collection with the solo selections on disc two, most of which were reasonably well taped in 1961 at Tristano’s home studio in Queens. Sound quality is a vast improvement over the first disc, and fans of The New Tristano, his 1961 Atlantic album, will be happy to hear several variations of some of the tunes. We’re back to wire recordings for part of disc three, recorded at a club date in Manhattan in 1950. Things are a little murky, but saxophonists Lee Konitz, on alto, and Warne Marsh, on tenor, are in fine form and it’s nice to hear them at this formative stage in their careers. Marsh and Konitz are certainly the best known musicians associated with Tristano, and we’ll hear from them again in this compilation. The fourth disc in the set is devoted to trio sessions with Peter Ind on bass and either Tom Wayburn or Al Levitt on drums. The eleven pieces were recorded in the mid-Fifties at Tristano’s East 32nd Street studio. Highlights include the relaxed lope of Lennie’s Lines, the effervescent version of There Will Never Be Another You, and the effortless flow of Movin’ Along. Disc 5 is devoted to Tristano in duo and trio settings with bassist Sonny Dallas, who seemed to fit this music like he was born to it. To these ears, the six duets, recorded in the mid-Sixties in the same Midtown Manhattan studio, offer some of the best music in the collection. There’s a feeling of intense creativity at work as the musicians feed off one another’s ideas with playful empathy in the best jazz tradition. Drummer Nick Stabulas, who frequently worked alongside Dallas, appears on two tracks. He’s fairly subdued with brushwork on I Should Care, while his cymbal beat enlivens Lennie’s Groove. Our immersion in Tristano’s archives concludes on disc 6, split between a 1948 session with Konitz, Marsh, and Bauer, a 1962 club date at the Half Note with Dallas and Stabulas, and a single track with the trio joined by Konitz and Zoot Sims on tenor. The earlier pieces, in decent sound, are relatively brief and freely improvised. There are more than a few passages of serendipitous beauty in the 20 minutes presented here. The club material swings hard, and features the trio stretching out for any audience. The final track, a ten-minute excursion into How Deep is the Ocean with Konitz and Sims, is really special. While Konitz was always identified with Tristano, it’s both surprising and somehow gratifying to hear how the magnificent playing of Zoot Sims fits so well with Tristano’s conception of this Irving Berlin standard. Tristano was a frequently brilliant pianist, and his music is always worth exploring. So I heartily recommend this set, with the caveat that the first disc is very hard to listen to. Start with disc 2, and you’ll be amply rewarded. 

Mosaic/Dot Time MD6-272; Lennie Tristano (p) on all selections. Disc 1 (59:33): Trio with Billy Bauer, Live Performances; Disc 2 (56:08): Solo Piano; Disc 3 (58:13): Sextet - Live Performances; Disc 4 (63:34): Trio Sessions; Disc 5 (57:46): Duos & Trios with Sonny Dallas; Disc 6 (61:42): 1948 Free Session & Live at the Half Note. For complete discographical information and ordering details, go here 

Albert Ayler: Revelations

  “Music is the healing force of the universe” intones Mary Parks on the first track of Revelations, a 5-Lp or 4-CD compilation of Albert Ayler’s July 1970 appearances at the Fondation Maeght in St. Paul-de-Vence, France. Ayler died about 4 months later, and these are his final recordings. The first two CDs plus track one on disc 3 present Ayler in a quartet setting on July 25, with Parks on vocals and soprano saxophone, Steve Tintweiss on bass, and Allen Blairman on drums. The rest of the collection offers the set the band played on July 27, with pianist Call Cobbs added to the ensemble. (Cobbs had been delayed in transit.) Some of this material has been issued in the past, by ESP-Disk and Shandar, but Revelations has been derived from superior-sounding recordings made by French Radio. Much commentary and criticism has been directed at Ayler’s music since he burst onto the scene in Scandinavia in the early 1960's, soon making his way to new York. But as producer Zev Feldman notes in his introduction to the extensive booklet that accompanies the music, “Describing this music is a challenge beyond words.” The listener will either be absorbed by the intensity and passion of Ayler’s music - or that listener will run away as quickly as possible. I’ve been excited by Ayler’s approach to sound and improvisation since I first ran across his 1964 ESP-Disk debut Spiritual Unity many decades ago. The freedom and raw power of his sound really appealed to me, and while his music is not designed for casual listening, in the right circumstances, there is nothing like spinning Witches And Devils or Vibrations with Don Cherry in the band (both 1964). Starting in 1968, Mary Parks added a new element to the Ayler cauldron with her free vocalizing and soprano saxophone playing. She’s prominent on this collection, and while her vocal style is somewhat of an acquired taste, her work with Ayler moved his music into a (slightly) more approachable dimension. Music historian and researcher Ben Young, in his essay for the booklet, writes that Parks “was [Ayler’s] companion in and out of music, sometime concert promoter, his managing agent, and eventually co-star." He goes on to note that she “had an artistic vision that she thought could benefit from Albert Ayler’s thrust. Very few from the Ayler camp look on their music this way.” Be that as it may, Ayler’s music did change after he met Mary Parks, and by the time of this weekend in France, her contributions are often front and center to the group sound. The presence of Cobbs’ churchy and calm piano stylings provides a tighter focus to the ensemble on the July 27 show, with a buoyant and confident Ayler opening the set with majestic versions of Truth is Marching In and Zion Hill (a/k/a Universal Message). It’s just the start of a truly inspired presentation of “free jazz” by a master of the era, playing to a receptive and enthusiastic audience. About three-quarters of the tunes presented at the Maeght were debuted on Ayler’s final three Impulse! albums, New Grass (1968), Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe and The Last Album (both 1969). No earlier live performances of these songs have surfaced to date. Spread over both sets are six improvisations titled Revelations, featuring consistently strong playing by Ayler and Parks on a variety of themes. The balance of the program is judiciously drawn from Ayler’s earlier compositions. Ghosts, dating from 1964 and probably his best known piece, is rapturously received in this performance, prompting an immediate reprise. The other pre-Mary Parks tunes are Holy, Holy and Spirits (both 1964), Holy Family and Spirits Rejoice (1965), Truth is Marching In (1966), Zion Hill (1966), and Love Cry (famously performed at John Coltrane’s funeral in 1967). In addition to an introduction by Zev Feldman and a history of the venue and Ayler’s appearance by Ben Young, the expertly assembled booklet includes extensive song notes by saxophonist and Ayler devotee Jeff Lederer, reminiscences by Steve Tintweiss and Allen Blairman, appreciations by Sonny Rollins, Archie Shepp, David Murray, Joe Lovano, John Zorn, Reggie Workman, Patty Waters, James Brandon Lewis, Carla Bley, Bill Laswell, Marc Ribot, Carlos Santana, and others, a wealth of photographs from the concerts, and even a picture of the tape reels. Revelations is itself a revelation, and an important addition to the legacy of Albert Ayler. 

Elemental Music (Deluxe limited-edition of 180g hand-numbered 5 LP-set or 4-CD edition; Albert Ayler (ts, ss, bagpipes, vcl) Mary Parks (ss, vcl) Call Cobbs (p on July 27 only) Steve Tintweiss (b, melodica) Allen Blairman (d); Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, July 25* & July 27, 1970; *Disc 1 (43:38): Music is the Healing Force of the Universe/ Birth of Mirth/ Masonic Inborn/ Revelations 1/ Oh! Love of Life/ Island Harvest/ Heart Love; *Disc 2 (63:59): Ghosts/ Love Cry/ Desert Blood/ Revelations 2/ Revelations 3/ Revelations 4/ Speaking in Tongues. Disc 3 (71:55): *Truth is Marching In/ Zion Hill (a/k/a Universal Message/ Again Comes the Rising of the Sun/ Holy Family/ Revelations 5/ In Heart Only/ Revelations 6/ A Man is Like a Tree; Disc 4 (66:40): Holy Holy/ Spirits Rejoice/ Spirits/ Thank God for Women/ Music is the Healing Force of the Universe/Mary Parks Vocal Announcement & Curtain Call. www.elemental-music.com