Andy Biskin: 16 Tons - Songs From The Alan Lomax Collection

Call me jaded, but it takes something really special to make me suspend my critical faculties for even a few minutes. Truth be told, after penning thousands of opinionated paragraphs over the years, I’ve learned that the way I listen to review material is qualitatively different from the purity of dialing right into the music that’s right in your face. Which brings us, happily, to clarinetist Andy Biskin and his new 16 Tons - Songs From The Alan Lomax Collection. Until the quintet launched into Sweet Betsy From Pike, I didn’t know that I’d been hungering for a collection of American folk songs performed by a unit of three trumpets, clarinet, and drums. Live and learn. As a new college graduate back in the Seventies, Biskin worked for the great song collector Lomax as a research assistant, a job that lasted two years. That’s the starting point of this project, and you can read all about it in Biskin’s informative liner essay. (It’s a little hard to read, set in small type in a three-panel booklet, but worth the effort.) Biskin defines his working method here as one of intercutting the songs with his own melodies and short improvisations by himself and the trio of trumpeters. There are also bits and pieces from the jazz tradition worked into the pieces, like the Monk riff that’s woven into the cheerful arrangement of Blue Tail Fly. These folk songs (and one folky original by Biskin) may seem like unlikely vehicles for improvisation, and Biskin notes that when he told people about his ideas for this material, he “got quizzical looks.” But canny arranger and conceptualist that he is, he gets everything to work much better than you might expect. Just about anyone who spends time with this disc will recognize at least a few of these songs. Many of them, after all, were learned and sung in elementary school, and that knowledge provides an internal hook for these renditions. The rest is up to Biskin and his focused group of collaborators. Drummer Rob Garcia acquits himself very well in this unconventional setup, playing with vigorous flair. From right to left in the stereo spectrum, the trumpet “choir” of Dave Smith, John Carlson, and Kenny Warren blends beautifully, a bright and supportive wall of brass that provides a contrast to Biskin’s woody clarinet and bass clarinet. 16 Tons is almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Happily recommended.
Andorfin Music ANDRF-007; John Carlson, Dave Smith, Kenny Warren (tp) Andy Biskin (cl, bcl) Rob Garcia (d); NYC, January 12, 2018; Sweet Betsy From Pike/ Grey Goose/ Blue Tail Fly/ Down in the Valley/ House Carpenter/ Go Fish/ Lily Munroe/ Tom Dooley/ Muskrat/ Knock John Booker/ Am I Born to Die?/ She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain/ Sweet Betsy From Pike; 54:54. andybiskin.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 2

Three true originals, tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman, violist Mat Maneri and drummer Whit Dickey have a meeting of hearts and minds on The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 2. This unit seems to find its niche in relatively calm, almost delicate miniature improvisations, though that’s not all they’re up to. They turn up the heat to full blast on Part 6, the shortest track at just one minute. Part 10 gets pretty wild as well, with a high-wire chase by tenor and viola. The perfectly paced Part 12 is especially fine, with some pungent exchanges between Maneri and Perelman. Dickey drives the music forward with his imperturbable and forthright style on drums. Equally notable are the bold, propulsive and astonishingly dense soundscape of Part 3 with its slowly rising tonal center, the playful results of the “chase me, I’ll chase you” strategy of Part 5, and the unusually tentative Part 9. Volume 2 is a typically provocative and successful Perelman session.
Leo CD LR 772; Ivo Perelman (ts) Mat Maneri (vla) Whit Dickey (d); Brooklyn, NY, August 2015; Parts 1-13; 50:11. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 1

The astonishingly prolific Ivo Perelman, finding that the trio format was the best way to realize his style of free improvisation, convened a series of disparate bands over a year or so, utilizing a rotating cast of his recent collaborators. The six volumes of The Art Of The Improv Trio are a worthy achievement on its own terms, and even more impressive when you add in all the other sessions he’s led in the same time frame. I admit to being way behind on writing about these discs, but as John Keats reminded us, "a thing of beauty is a joy forever," so bear with me as I try and catch up.
The series kicks off with Volume 1, bringing together Ivo Perelman on tenor with Karl Berger on piano and Gerald Cleaver on drums. (The versatile Cleaver appears on all the titles in the series, except for Volume 2.) Their improvisations are split into 6 numbered sections. Part 1 is relatively subdued. Berger’s calm and spacious chording puts Perelman into a rhapsodic and soulful mood. Cleaver sneaks into the music with brushes that sound like sandpaper. Part 2 is more intricate and animated. Cleaver is still using brushes, but more forcefully, as Berger ups the energy level with his insistent voicings and Perelman soars into the upper registers. The third section is quietly meditative, as a slightly sour sounding Perelman engages in call and response with Berger’s relaxed and melancholy piano. Cleaver shadows the music with deft cymbal work. The calm aura continues in Part 4, a spare and lyrical encounter with bright piano chords, fairly serene saxophone and more of Cleaver’s imaginative work with brushes. Cleaver’s broadly spreading drums and cymbals lead the way on Part 5, which turns into a thrilling swirl of sounds. Perelman, for once, mostly stays down in the lower reaches of the tenor for the first few minutes, before launching into the stratosphere once again. Berger’s mischievous piano inventions, Cleaver’s chattering drums and Perelman’s deft instant melodies all come together on this intensely beautiful performance. Part 6 is the hardest piece to listen to, with Perelman going way up high into dog-whistle territory. While his control of this extreme range is astonishing, the piercingly sustained saxophone tones and the slow nature of the lengthy piece conspire to make the last section somewhat less successful than the trio’s other improvisations. Notable for Berger’s mature piano stylings and Cleaver’s exquisitely empathetic playing, Volume 1 also showcases the relatively relaxed side of Perelman’s art.
Leo CD LR 771; Ivo Perelman (ts) Karl Berger (p) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, May 2016; Parts 1-6; 58:05. www.leorecords.com

Vinny Golia: Intercommunications: Music For Woodwinds and Percussion

Multi-instrumentalist and visionary composer Vinny Golia plays all the instruments on Intercommunications: Music For Woodwinds and Percussion, and what an aggregation of horns and percussion devices he’s assembled for the project. The scrum of flutes, saxophones, piccolos, bass clarinet, basset horn and various ethnic reeds is shadowed by Himalayan singing bowls and various gongs as Golia concocts an indelibly unique soundscape. While I listened to the flow of the music, I began to wonder about Golia’s methodology. Did each track start with a solo horn performance, with more reeds added next? Or maybe he started with the gongs, and overdubbed the horns from there. However he put it together, the results are a brashly unpredictable riot of tone colors and unusual sonorities. Despite the overdub methodology, there’s a surprising feeling of spontaneity and serendipity throughout the proceedings. Particular favorites include the austere opener, Rongorongo - Opening For Richard Nuns, the eerily subdued The Taulas of Menorca, the meditative Xenoglossy, the occasion for an excitingly complex soprano sax solo, the brief and busy Dedicated to the Great Instrument Builders: Eva, Peter, and Benedict, which reminds me of Ketjak: The Ramayana Monkey Chant from a Nonesuch album with music from Bali. Intercommunications offers a fascinating dip into inventive musical mind of Vinny Golia, and is well worth an hour of your time.
pfMENTUM CD111/Ninewinds NWCD329; Vinny Golia (Maori bird call, C & G picc, alto fl, bass fl, basset horn, bcl, G mezzo & Bb ss, sop sax, Tibetan trumpets, gyaling, fujara, overtone flutes, Himalayan singing bowls, gongs) Valencia, CA, October 2016; Rongorongo - Opening For Richard Nuns/ Let Me Introduce Myself, I’m Norman Reed/ The Taulas of Menorca/ I...Have a Turtle Neck and Can Be Trusted/ Hessdalan Lights/ Nazca Lines/ Xenoglossy/ Dedicated to the Great Instrument Builders: Eva, Peter, and Benedict/ The Agropelter...(Bobo...How are You?...)/ Unexpected Incidents For Wenseslao Moquel; 55:22. www.pfmentum.com

Roberto Magris Sextet: Live In Miami @ the WDNA Jazz Gallery

The crowd seems to be having a good old time when the Roberto Magris Sextet takes the stage Live In Miami @ the WDNA Jazz Gallery. The idea for the gig came from Magris fan and Florida radio host Edward Blanco, who invited the pianist to the area to play with trumpeter Brian Lynch, bassist Chuck Bergeron, and drummer John Yarling, all educators in the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. The sextet is rounded out by tenor saxophonist Jonathan Gomez and percussionist Murph Aucamp, two UM students making their recording debuts. Magris first appeared on record in 1961 as a member of the Gruppo Jazz Marca in Italy, while Yarling debuted on a Curtis Fuller session in 1978. Lynch started his career in the early Eighties, and Bergeron came on the scene later in the same decade. The combination of experienced veterans and fresh players just starting out often leads to an engagingly pleasing ensemble, and that’s certainly the case here. Most of the tunes are by Magris, who writes attractive melodies in a hard-bop vein, frequently with a decidedly Latin influence. The sextet also offers a tender version of Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s seldom performed April Morning, with strong solos by Gomez and Bergeron. Billy Strayhorn’s exceedingly lovely A Flower is a Lovesome Thing is a solo feature for Magris’ energetic piano. The pianist shines throughout the date, a potent soloist and enthusiastic comper who directs the flow of the music from his piano bench. Solo honors go to the estimable Brian Lynch, whose distinctive tone and bountiful musical imagination confirm why he’s been such an in-demand performer for decades. On tenor, Gomez sounds a bit unsure of himself at some points, but he’s got a nicely delineated sound and plenty of ideas. Bergeron and Yarling work very well together, with added rhythmic spice coming from Aucamp on congas. The generously long disc fades out two minutes into Blues for My Sleeping Baby just as Gomez begins his saxophone solo. It’s a classic ruse to leave the listener wanting even more music, and it works perfectly here, leaving me looking forward to the next stage of Magris’ musical journey.
JMood 014; Brian Lynch (tp) Jonathan Gomez (ts) Roberto Magris (p) Chuck Bergeron (b) John Yarling (d) Murph Aucamp (cga); Miami, FL, February 6, 2016; African Mood/ What Blues?/ Song For an African Child/ April Morning/ Chachanada/ Il Bello del Jazz/ A Flower is a Lovesome Thing/ Standard Life/ Blues for My Sleeping Beauty; 76:41. www.jmoodrecords.com

Tetraptych

While some improvisers prefer the freshness of playing with new partners all the time, other practioners of the art find that playing in the same ensemble regularly breeds the kind of empathy and trust that helps them to dig more deeply into making music from the air. Today’s example is Tetraptych, a quartet of tenor saxophonist Hery Paz, pianist Bert Seager, bassist Max Ridley and drummer Dor Herskovits, that’s been playing a regular gig for a while. This is the band’s first release. Their time together on the bandstand and hanging out together during their monthly residencies, pays off in an hour of moody, blues-inflected improvisations. Pianist Seager, a mainstay of the Boston scene since 1981, wrote all the tunes, save for Equanimous Botch, a wide-ranging group improvisation that the band used as a sound check to begin their two days in the studio. As Seager notes, the quartet’s music is “democratic” as they bring his compositions to vibrant life. Paz’s gritty sound on tenor, Seager’s bright piano, Ridley’s minimalist approach to the bass, and Herkovits’ irresistibly bouncy drumming combine in fresh and sometimes unexpected ways. The opening track, Welcoming the Water, has Herkovits leading the way and establishing the fractured rhythms that lie at the heart of this rather angular composition. The quartet’s fierce interdependence is clear as soon as piano, tenor and bass join in, and one of the many pleasures of their music is hearing as it develops and expands in unexpected ways. Paz is strong on this one, rhythmically and harmonically astute. Last Snow is calm and reflective, featuring a breathy Paz evocative of the great Ben Webster. Star Wise, a contrafact of the classic Star Eyes, is lovely, played slowly at first, then picking up speed. The slightly bittersweet melody proves to be a real inspiration for the whole band. There’s at least one other standard lurking in the studio, as the slow ooze of Distances hints at I’m a Fool To Want You in the first section of the melody. In a charming performance, Paz uses the slight hesitation in the theme to give the piece a mildly Latin aspect. The feeling of the blues comes out into the open for the upbeat closer Blues You Can Use, a swinger that. Seager informs us was the first piece that the quartet learned. Paz’s playing here is bold and all over the horn in response to Herkovits’ energized playing. Seager contributes his usual incisive and bold pianism. I particularly enjoyed the bass and drum duet that takes over towards the end of the piece before heading back into the theme. While I admit I have a little trouble pronouncing Tetraptych, that’s the only gripe I have about this beautifully realized session. Enthusiastically recommended.
Red Piano RPR 14599-4426; Hery Paz (ts) Bert Seager (p) Max Ridley (b) Dor Herskovits (d); Boston, MA, July 6-7, 2016; Welcoming the Water/ Last Snow/ Star Wise/ Equanimous Botch/ Distance/ Blues You Can Use; 59:44. redpianorecords.com

Rogério Boccato Quarteto: No Old Rain

The Rogério Boccato Quarteto offers a captivatingly fresh look at songs from Brazil on the thoroughly enjoyable No Old Rain. Percussionist Boccato is joined by saxophonist Dan Blake, veteran bassist and recording engineer Jay Anderson, and keyboardist Nando Michelin, who sticks to Fender Rhodes electric piano. The unmistakable sound of the Rhodes gives the music a slightly retro feel that reminds me of Captain Marvel, a 1972 album by Stan Getz with Chick Corea on electric piano. The songs chosen for this outing, by Milton Nascimento, Egberto Gismonti, Tonino Horta, and Edu Lobo, engender wide ranging improvisations by the quartet. Boccato directs the flow from his drum throne. Anderson’s earthy bass anchors the music with a sure sense of time and propulsion. The passionate and imaginative Blake has a real affinity for the material. The arrangements put the Brazilian melodies in a jazzy context to consistently fine effect. Great tunes, beautifully played and recorded: what’s not to like?
Red Piano RPR 14599-4432; Dan Blake (ts, ss) Nando Michelin (Fender Rhodes el p) Jay Anderson (b) Rogério Boccato (d, perc); June 1-2, 2016; Cais/ Clube da Esquina No. 2/ Tango/ Bicycle Ride/ Bianca/ Cravo e Canela/ Canto Triste/ Pedra da Lua/ Viver de Amor/ Morro Velho; 55:57. redpianorecords.com