Frank Morgan/George Cables: Montreal Memories

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

George Cables: I’m All Smiles

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

George Cables: Too Close For Comfort

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

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

George Cables: I Hear Echoes

     I get a lot of CDs and downloads sent to me for this blog, and I can’t usually be sure I’ll enjoy the music until I start listening. But when it’s a new recording by pianist George Cables, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it’s going to be a winner. And so it is with I Hear Echoes, his latest HighNote album, a trio date with Essiet Essiet on bass and Jerome Jennings on drums. Cables turned 80 in November 2024 and he’s had various health problems over the last few years, but he sounds really strong on the opening track, Echo of a Scream. The first of four original tunes, it’s a dazzling upbeat swinger with an insistent figure that Cables keeps up for the whole tune. Another Cables composition, Echoes, sounds like a close cousin to the opener, with a more relaxed feel but similarly constructed. The trio also takes a fresh look at some older tunes: Morning Song, a tune that dates back to the late Seventies, and Blue Nights, first recorded in 1985. Joining the originals are a few standards, including a tasty upbeat version of Cole Porter’s You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To, and jazz compositions including Duke Ellington’s timeless Prelude to a Kiss, Cedar Walton’s Clockwise, and a stirring romp through pianist Arcoiris Sandoval’s Journey to Agartha. The CD concludes with a reflective solo rendition of Horace Silver’s Peace. There’s a reason Cables has been a key member of bands led by such disparate personalities and stylists as Art Blakey and saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Art Pepper. He’s also appeared on record with such critically acclaimed artists as Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, Bobby Hutcherson, and many others. That reason is his unerring instinct for the right note at the right time and his reliable sense of swing. Until his run of trio albums for HighNote dating back to 2012's My Muse, I was more of a devotee of his ensemble work. But now, I’m eager to make room on the shelf for another of his joyously swinging trio dates. Absolutely recommended. 

HighNote HCD 7256; George Cables (p) Essiet Essiet (b) Jerome Jennings (d); NYC, January 30 & May 2, 2024; Echo of a Scream/ Echoes/ So Near So Far/ Morning Song/ Prelude to a Kiss/ Clockwise/ Like a Lover/ You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To/ Blue Nights/ Journey to Agartha/ Peace; 65:41. www.jazzdepot.com

Jeremy Pelt: The Art Of Intimacy, Volume 1

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

Art Pepper: The Complete Maiden Voyage Recordings

  Back when I was the tape archivist for Fantasy Inc., I looked after a vault with thousands of tapes from labels including Prestige, Fantasy, Riverside, Pablo, Contemporary, Stax, Specialty, and more. When I would talk to people about the job, nearly everyone would wonder how much of that I got to hear during the work day. Sadly, although this was the coolest possible job for a jazz fan, I really didn’t get to listen to much of it. Much of what I did was to pull reels of tape off the shelves and bring them downstairs to the studio, then bring them back when the engineers were done with them, and make sure the tape boxes ended up where they started. One of the smaller labels under the Fantasy umbrella was Galaxy Records. Originally an R’n’B imprint, it was revived in 1977 as a jazz label. Among their notable artists were Roy Haynes, Hank Jones, and alto saxophonist Art Pepper. When the time came for Fantasy to be sold and the tapes moved away, one of my concerns was to get important tapes that were in the vault, but not owned by the label, to the rightful owners. In this case, Pepper’s widow Laurie Pepper, for whom I was storing a couple of shelves worth of tape. But I still didn’t get to hear it! That’s where the fantastic 7-CD boxed set The Complete Maiden Voyage Recordings comes in. Pepper recorded extensively for Galaxy between 1978 and 1982, with enough material to fill 16 compact discs in the boxed set of his complete recordings for the label. That not quite complete package included the originally issued tracks from a trio of album releases (Roadgame. Art Lives, and APQ) and added more selections for a total of 21 tracks. Now we get every note from the three nights of recording at this Los Angeles nightclub, for a total of 42 pieces, plus Pepper’s introductions to the songs and the musicians. Pepper’s hard-working quartet for these shows had George Cables on piano, David Williams on bass, and his favorite drummer Carl Burnett. Omnivore has put it all into a handsome (if delicate) bound book, with extensive reminiscences by the always enjoyable Laurie Pepper, plenty of photographs of the band from that time, some images of my old friends the tape boxes, and some of Pepper’s own notes on the tunes from hearing rough mixes on cassette. It’s like having a fascinating concert at home from one of the finest alto saxophonists of the era, and the set provides a rare opportunity for the dedicated listener to make his own choices of quality and compare them to the original albums sequenced by Ed Michel and Laurie Pepper, who co-produced all of Pepper’s Galaxy recordings. Definitely worth waiting for, and totally recommended. 

Omnivore OVCD-521; Art Pepper (as, cl on +) George Cables (p) David Williams (b) Carl Burnett (d); Los Angeles, CA, August 13-15, 1981; Disc 1 (77:04): Road Waltz/ Mambo Koyama/ Everything Happens to Me/ For Freddie/ Donna Lee*/ Begin the Beguine#/ Without a Song. Disc 2 (72:25): Samba Mom Mom/ What’s New?*/ “Landscape” Introduction/ Landscape*/ “Valse Triste” Introduction/ Valse Triste*/ Allen’s Alley/ Thank You Blues*/ Band Introductions. Disc 3 (75:54): “Straight Life” Introduction/ Straight Life/ Whims of Chambers/ “Allen’s Alley” Introduction/ Allen’s Alley/ Begin the Beguine#/ “Don’t Play the Clarinet Ever Again…”/ Everything Happens to Me/ “How the Sets Are Going to Go…”/ Landscape. Disc 4 (73:50): “Road Waltz” Introduction/ Road Waltz*/ Band Introductions/ “For Freddie” Introduction/ For Freddie*/ “Yours Is My Heart Alone” Introduction/ Yours Is My Heart Alone/ “Mambo Koyama” Introduction/ Mambo Koyama*/ “We’ll Be Back in Five Minutes…”/ Samba Mom Mom/ Valse Triste. Disc 5 (71:45): But Beautiful*/ “Donna Lee” Introduction/ Donna Lee/ “We’ll Be Back Tomorrow Night…”/ Roadgame/ Band Introductions/ Without a Song/ Everything Happens to Me*/ “For Freddie” Introduction/ For Freddie*. Disc 6 (63:21): “Allen’s Alley” Introduction/ Allen’s Alley/ Road Waltz*/ “We’ll Be Back to Finish the Night…”/ “Samba Mom Mom” Introduction/ Samba Mom Mom/ “Mambo Koyama” Introduction/ Mambo Koyama*/ “When You’re Smiling” Introduction/ When You’re Smiling*. Disc 7 (67:26): But Beautiful* (duet for alto saxophone & piano)/ Roadgame*/ “For Freddie” Introduction/ For Freddie*/ Road Waltz/ Donna Lee/ Arthur’s Blues*/ “The Record Will Be out Soon…”. Tracks with * have been previously issued on the Galaxy label. omnivorerecordings.com

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

top 13 + 4 more for 2018

yes, it’s time once again for a year-end list. here are the CDs i most enjoyed in 2018

first, a baker’s dozen of new releases, in alphabetical order:

Andy Biskin - 16 Tons - Songs From The Alan Lomax Collection (Andorfin)

Black Art Jazz Collective - Armor Of Pride (HighNote)

Samuel Blaser - Early In The Mornin' (Out Note)

Frank Carlberg/Noah Preminger - Whispers And Cries (Red Piano)

Nels Cline 4 - Currents, Constellations (Blue Note)

Steve Coleman & Five Elements - Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 

(The Embedded Sets) (Pi Recordings)

Benjamin Deschamps - No Codes (Multiple Chords)

Fred Hersch Trio - Live In Europe (Palmetto)

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints - Scandal (Greenleaf Music)

Jamie Saft Quartet - Blue Dream (RareNoise)

Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band - West Side Story Reimagined (Jazzheads)

Thumbscrew - Theirs (Cuneiform)

Denny Zeitlin - Wishing On The Moon (Sunnyside)

and here are some historical and reissue highlights:

Miles Davis & John Coltrane - The Bootleg Series, Volume 6: The Final Tour (Columbia/Legacy)

Frank Morgan/George Cables - Montreal Memories (HighNote)

Teddy Wilson - Classic Brunswick & Columbia Sessions 1934-1942 (Mosaic)

Various Artists - The Savory Collection 1935-1940 (Mosaic)

and thanks to all the labels and publicists who keep me busy,

and especially to all the people who actually make the music!

Piano Trio Roundup 1! Hersch, Fukumori, Perazzo & Cardillo, Fujii, Donelian

     Since at least the 1950's, when pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, and Ahmad Jamal, among many others, led popular trios, the basic format of piano, bass, and drums has been a constant in the jazz world, encompassing a amazing array of styles and interactive approaches. It’s an instrumental lineup that never seems to get old, and every year brings new additions to the piano trio canon....

    Fifty or so years ago, I remember looking at a friend’s large record collection. Noticing that he had something like 50 Bill Evans records, I recall thinking how weird it was to have so much music by one pianist. That was then. I’ve learned my lesson over the decades, and although I don’t have 50 Evans titles, I do have quite a lot of piano trio albums by the likes of Red Garland, Cedar Walton, Ray Bryant, George Cables, Paul Bley, and Fred Hersch. Possibly the last major pianist to have learned his craft on the job, and not in school, Hersch is credited in the Jazz Discography with 58 sessions as leader since Horizons, his 1984 debut on Concord Records. That album featured a trio with Marc Johnson on bass and Joey Baron on drums. Baron and Hersch played together on a number of albums in the Eighties, and now they’ve reunited for The Surrounding Green, with bassist Drew Gress, a frequent partner for Hersch since 1992. Recorded in what’s become Hersch’s favorite space, the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano, Switzerland, the music unfolds with immense charm and deep feeling. The mix of original tunes and choice selections from the jazz world, like Ornette Coleman’s Law Years and Charlie Haden’s First Song, is typical of a Hersch program. ECM’s typically crustal-clear recording of the trio serves to enhance their interior dynamics. The Surrounding Green is not to be missed, with music that will be enjoyed over and over in the years to come.  ECM 2836; Fred Hersch (p) Drew Gress (b) Joey Baron (d); Lugano, Switzerland, May 2024; Plainsong/ Law Years/ The Surrounding Green/ Palhaço/ Embraceable You/ First Song/ Anticipation; 41:39. ecmrecords.com

 
     It only takes a couple of minutes to realize that pianist Michika Fukumori is a distinctive composer and an utterly self-assured presence at the keyboard. A long-time student of pianist Steve Kuhn, she wrote the first seven tunes on the enjoyable Eternity And A Day, where she’s joined by Steve Whipple on bass and veteran Adam Nussbaum on drums. Fukumori and Whipple have played together frequently over the last decade, and their rapport is apparent. Nussbaum got his start in the late Seventies, playing on record dates led by prominent jazzmen like Dave Liebman and John Scofield, and he’s appeared on over 300 sessions since then. Another Tomorrow gets things off to an excellent start with a hard bop styled melody, influenced by Horace Silver and Bobby Timmons. The title track is a calm and introspective ballad. Fukumori’s other original tunes follow, comprising a sort of suite: the Brazilian-flavored Acaso, the jaunty Our Future (Reiwa), the tender The Light of Dawn, the gentle blues of Port (The Departure) and ending with There is Always Light, another mellow theme with a definite blues feeling. The four pieces from other sources reveal Fukumori’s wide-ranging exploration of the jazz repertoire. Kurt Weill’s Speak Low, written for the Broadway musical, One Touch Of Venus, was a 1943 hit single by Guy Lombardo & His Orchestra. In spite of that dubious pedigree, the song was frequently performed by singers including Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett, as well as instrumentalists like Chet Baker, Booker Ervin, Woody Shaw, and dozens of others. The Fukumori trio has a lot of fun with the song, starting out pretty briskly and really surging into high gear after Fukumori and an energized Nussbaum trade fours. The glacial opening to the solo piano medley of Chopin’s Prelude No. 28 and Jobim’s How Insensitive is slightly jarring at first, but the piece showcases the delicacy of her touch. Similarly, the rubato introduction to Fats Waller’s immortal Jitterbug Waltz belies the elegantly swinging rendition that follows. The song has been recorded 525 times since 1942 according to Tom Lord’s online Jazz Discography, and yet, in the right hands, it always sound brand-new. Nussbaum shines here, matching wits with Fukumori, and shadowing Whipple’s tasteful solo with some lovely brushwork. Closing the generously long program is Nicholas Brodszky’s Be My Love in a graceful solo performance by Fukumori. Eternity And A Day is genuine pleasure from beginning to end, and it is warmly recommended. Summit DCD 838; Michika Fukumori (p) Steve Whipple (b) Adam Nussbaum (d); Brooklyn, NY, August 5, 2023; Another Tomorrow/ Eternity and a Day/ Acoso/ Our Future (Reiwa)/ The Light of Dawn/ Port (The Departure)/ There is Always Light/ Speak Low/ Prelude Op. 28, No. 4 - How Insensitive/ Jitterbug Waltz/ Be My Love; 70:22. www.summitrecords.com

 
    When a well-traveled and highly praised master musician like bassist Buster Williams writes that Tommaso Perazzo & Marcello Cardillo “are two truly gifted musicians” and takes the time to record with them, it makes sense to take a listen. Pianist Perazzo and drummer Cardillo were joined in New York by Williams to make the satisfyingly swinging Portrait Of A Moment. The trio jumps right in with a Perazzo original, Back at the Right Spot!, and they surely are at the right spot. The pleasures of listening to this piano trio grow as they delve into a few more originals, a pair of Williams’ compositions (the lovely ballad Christina and Where Giants Dwell), Wayne Shorter’s frequently played Footprints, and Mulgrew Miller’s Soul Leo. The deep and soulful spirit of the ensemble comes through loud and clear on every piece. Williams writes that he “so much enjoyed making this record ... I hope you the listener enjoy it also.” Here’s one listener that’s loving every minute. Recommended. Red RR123354; Tommaso Perazzo (p) Buster Williams (b) Marcello Cardillo (d); NYC, June 14, 2023; Back at the Right Spot/ Alba Sur Mare/ Kind of Blues/ Christina/ Where Giants Dwell/ Footprints/ Soul Leo/ Ricordi/ For Wayne (bonus; digital only); 45:58. redrecords.it

 
    The tireless pianist Satoko Fujii has a new project, the Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio. Dream A Dream is the group’s first studio album after two live sets. As is often the case with prolific composer/instrumentalists, the line between composition and improvisation is blurred to the point of unimportance. It’s the chemistry of the collective that becomes the key to grasping the intent of the music. Bassist Takashi Sugawa and drummer Ittetsu Takemura are preternaturally attuned to Fujii’s emotional range and her dynamic approach to performance, and it makes for a deeply intriguing and adventurous set of performances. By turns quiet and moody or brash and excitable, these five pieces stretch the concept of the piano trio with surprising and gratifying results. Second Step begins with a dazzling display of piano mastery. That’s followed by a jagged bass interlude and then a hushed floating feeling is established only to lead into a triumphant-sounding and rising melody that is soon splintered and ... well, you get the idea. Fujii’s compositions for trio are journeys in sound that start in one place and go through a lot of changes before coming to an end. I’m particularly taken with drummer Takemura’s eccentric playing on the title track, inspiring bassist Sugawa into an extended rapturous solo. Fujii’s piano darts in and out of the music, eventually taking over the piece with a delicate solo that gradually increases in intensity as bass and drums hover around her. And there’s a lot more in this almost 19-minute piece. Sometimes it’s the silences embedded in the performances that are most telling, providing an element of suspense and anticipation. I’ve been listening to a lot of Paul Bley’s music lately, and Fujii’s studies with Bley still reverberate in her approach to the piano thirty-one years after they recorded a series of piano duets. Dream a Dream is heartily recommended. Libra 203-079; Satoko Fujii (p) Takashi Sugawa (b) Ittetsu Takemura (d); Paris, France, May 22, 2024; Second Step/ Dream a Dream/ Summer Day/ Rain Drop/ Aruru; 56:31. www.librarecords.com

 

    Stargazer, recorded in 1980, was veteran pianist Armen Donelian’s debut as a leader. While it’s not typical for a first album to feature all original compositions, Donelian had the expert assistance of bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Billy Hart in navigating the intricacies of his tunes. Originally made for Atlas Records in Japan, Sunnyside Records has now reissued the date and added Queen of Light, a previously unreleased performance. The set leads off with the title track, a tune that Donelian has revisited many times since this premiere performance. You couldn’t ask for a more sympathetic bass and drums team back then, and both Gómez (who turned 81 recently) and Hart (now 84 years young) are still making strong contributions to jazz. In addition to their abilities as astute accompanists, both Gómez and Hart are stirring soloists. Gómez was a member of the Bill Evans trio for over a decade, where he soloed frequently to great effect. The only non-original on the album is Free at Last, a lightly grooving collective improvisation which features Donelian and Gómez simultaneously soloing over Hart’s steady beat. The mellow ballad Southern Belle is distinguished by a dense and playful Gómez solo. Donelian is totally enjoyable on his Love’s Endless Spin, an upbeat samba that gallops along with Hart and Gómez providing stellar support. Hart solos with brushes to lead off Monday, which develops into a high-spirited three-way conversation. The delicately playful waltz Silent Afternoon concluded the original release. Queen of Light, the bonus track, is vaguely funky, with a strong solo by Gómez. If a jazz piano trio fan were to listen to Stargazer without knowing anything about it, she might say it was recorded last week or last year or maybe twenty or thirty years ago. Stargazer, reissued forty-five years after its initial release, is a sturdy session of piano jazz, and a reminder of the timeless pleasures of the format. Sunnyside SSC 4039; Armen Donelian (p) Eddie Gómez (b) Billy Hart (d); NYC, April 15, 1980; Stargazer/ Free At Last/ Southern Belle/ Love’s Endless Spin/ Monday/ Silent Afternoon/ Queen of Light; 47:54. sunnysiderecords.com

2024: The Year In Music

2024 was another depressing year, and 2025 promises (threatens) to be even worse. 

But at least there was a lot of great music to listen to. Here are my choices of new releases, debut recordings, and archival discoveries and reissues:

New Releases

BassDrumBone - Afternoon (Auricle)

George Cables - I Hear Echoes (HighNote)

Phillip Golub - Abiding Memory (Endectomorph Music)

Rich Halley 4 - Dusk And Dawn (Pine Eagle)

Tom Harrell - Alternate Summer (HighNote)

Darius Jones - Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) (AUM Fidelity)

Ivo Perelman/Chad Fowler/Reggie Workman/Andrew Cyrille - Embracing The Unknown (Mahakala Music)

Ivo Perelman/Mark Helias/Tom Rainey - Truth Seeker (Fundacja Słuchaj)

Marta Sanchez Trio - Perpetual Void (Intakt)

Matthew Shipp Trio - New Concepts In Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk)

Jason Stein/Marilyn Crispell/Damon Smith/Adam Shead - spi-raling horn (Balance Point Acoustics/Irritable Mystic)

Tarbaby - You Think This America (Giant Step Arts)

Nasheet Waits - New York Love Letter (Bitter Sweet) (Giant Step Arts)

Debut Recordings

John Alvey - Loft Glow (Jazz Music City)

Mathias Højgaard Jensen - Is As Is (Fresh Sound New Talent)

Archival Discoveries

Alice Coltrane - The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971; Impulse!)

Bobby Hutcherson - Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970 (Mosaic)

Art Pepper - The Complete Maiden Voyage Recordings (1981; Omnivore)

Sun Ra – Lights on a Satellite: Live at the Left Bank (1978; Resonance)

Emily Remler - Cookin’ At The Queens (1984 &1988; Resonance)

Sonny Rollins Trio - Freedom Weaver (The 1959 European Tour Recordings) (Resonance) 

McCoy Tyner/Joe Henderson - Forces Of Nature : Live At Slugs’ (1966; Blue Note)

Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy – The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995; Elemental)

Many thanks, as always, to all the musicians and recording engineers involved. And a special shout-out to all the publicists who keep me busy! 

Roy Hargrove & Mulgrew Miller: In Harmony

  There are some musicians who always bring magic into whatever situation they find themselves. Two of the brightest stars in modern jazz, Roy Hargrove & Mulgrew Miller, were like that, and both of them died too young. In Harmony finds trumpeter Hargrove in a series of duets with pianist Miller taken from concerts in New York City in 2006 and in Easton, Pennsylvania, in 2007. Both were largely impromptu affairs, creating for an audience the kind of music that more often took place in practice rooms or after-hours sessions. Bradley’s in New York had that kind of spirit, fondly remembered by anyone who hung out there, and Miller and Hargrove were regulars whenever they were in town. They were both pretty busy working musicians whose paths crossed on the road, but never long enough to record the duet album that they had thought of doing. This collection consists of familiar standards and versions of well-traveled jazz tunes, including two apiece by Dizzy Gillespie (Con Alma and Ow!) and Thelonious Monk (Monk’s Dream and Ruby, My Dear). These delightful and spontaneous recordings, filled with joyous invention and a playful spirit, were captured on stage by Hargrove’s long-time manager Larry Clothier, who co-produced this package with Zev Feldman. Along with a short essay by Ted Panken, the booklet features reminiscences from an amazing array of prominent musicians, most of whom played with Hargrove or Miller at some point. Sonny Rollins, Christian McBride, Common, Ron Carter, Jon Batiste, Karriem Riggins, Ambrose Akinmusire, Keyon Harrold, Chris Botti, Eddie Henderson, Robert Glasper, Victor Lewis, Sean Jones, Kenny Barron, and George Cables share their experiences and thoughts in a valuable collection of insightful pieces. In Harmony is a beautiful set, highly recommended. 

Resonance HCD-2060 (2xCD/2xLP); Roy Hargrove (tpt, flgh) Mulgrew Miller (p); NYC, January 15, 2006 or Easton, PA, November 9, 2007; Disc 1 (52:38): What is This Thing Called Love?/ This is Always/ I Remember Clifford/ Triste/ Invitation/ Con Alma. Disc 2 (50:51): Never Let Me Go/ Just in Time/ Fungii Mama/ Monk’s Dream/ Ruby, My Dear/ Blues for Mr. Hill/ Ow!. www.resonancerecords.org