Justin Mullens The Cornucopiad

Justin Mullens
The Cornucopiad
BJU Records

Justin Mullens is known for his work as an instrumentalist, composer and bandleader in pushing the boundaries of the French Horn as an improvising instrument in jazz. "The Cornucopiad," his new Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records release plays new compositions along with thee standards to display his flair as a improvisor as well as composer. He is accompanied with his octet that also includes Chris Cheek (Alto Sax & Clarinet), Peter Hess (Bass Clarinet), Ohad Talmor (Tenor Sax), Peter Thompson (Guitar), Desmond White (Bass), Matt Ray (Piano), and Marko Djordjevic (Drums).

While the French Horn has often been used to add tonal colors, Mullens is at the forefront of expanding the instruments role, borrowing technique more in line with what might expect from a saxophonist or trumpeter, yet still retaining the character of the French Horn. While featuring his playing, this recording also provides plenty of space for the various members to display their various talents. The leader opens the soloing on Freddie Hubbard's "Hub-Tones" and the tonal quality is not far from a trombone. He is followed by a sharp, yet dry-toned tenor sax solo, then piano and then guitarist Thompson whose ostinato figure first provides a foundation for Djordjevic and then the ensemble to conclude the performance.

After a brief short horn-guitar duo, one of three originals, "Amalthea," (named after the goat-nymph that reared Zeus, who accidentally broke off her horn which became the cornucopia), the displays not simply the leader's compositional skills but the wonderful tones of the ensemble with the bass clarinet helping fill out the bottom. White is featured on bass before Mullens solos with Thompson chording in support and certainly further demonstrates his skill and imagination. Two other originals "The Goatfish" (named after Aegipan, Amalthea's son who was reared with Zeus) and "The River Horn" (refers to the horn of Amalthea that Heracles received after battling the river god Achelous).

Mullens provides a very fresh setting for "You Stepped Out Of A Dream," with a bit of funk at the opening before he at first embellishes off the melody before crafting a solo taking off from the song's structure with considerable imagination and followed by Thompson's solo which also displays similar invention followed by Hess' woody bass clarinet before Mullens restates the melody for the coda. The octet also treats listeners to a very imaginative and lovely rendition of John Coltrane's "Naima," with Cheek contributing a bright solo on alto sax. The briskly paced "River Horn" first spotlights Talmor's singing tenor sax followed by Mullens spirited soloing and then Hess' serpentine bass clarinet.

"The Cornucopiad," is much more than a novelty of a jazz recording featuring a French Horn. Mullens certainly shows it to be quite capable of being more than part of an horn section and with his Octet has produced a recording that contains marvelous original compositions and quite original renditions of familiar standards that result in very wonderful listening.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 365). Here is the Justin Mullens Octet performing "You Stepped Out Of a Dream," at Smalls in Greenwich Village, New York City.

Jeremy Siskind Housewarming

Jeremy Siskind's "Housewarming" (BJU Records) is the second recording featuring the songs and piano of Siskind along with vocalist Nancy Harms and the woodwinds of Lucas Pino. This particular setting provides for the intimate rendition of original sings by Siskind with Pino's woodwinds coloring the vocals, which are mostly by Harms. There are four covers among the 13 songs here, The trio has also taken to the road performing a number of house concerts. On this recording there are also vocals by Kendra Shank, Kurt Elling and Peter Eldridge.

The publicity material observes that "[t]hemes of domesticity reverberate throughout the album, which reflects on what it means to have a place where you belong, a theme that Siskind grapples with often." The title track, sung by Peter Eldridge perhaps most immediately is an example of this, but there are so many marvelous performances including "New Old West Theme," a lovely duet by Eldridge and Harms as they sing about the sharing of the home and their lives together.

Harms, the main vocalist charms with an oft understated, almost whispery delivery, although more than capable of singing in a more extroverted style. Its a delight to listen to her phrasing, her dynamics and her marvelous pitch, but that can be said about all the singers here. The opening "Whispering Grass" is enchanting as is her rendition of "Moonlight in Vermont." Elling's vocal adds to the charm of "Light," with Pino's tenor sax adding color the vocal as well as take a solo that displays his robust tone and attack, and also the restraint he plays with. "Hymn of Thanks" is a marvelous ballad that coveys the gratefulness of having a home where one belongs," with Pino's adding another robust, restrained tenor sax solo.

Siskind's generally provides spare, deft backing (although he does showcase his technique on occasion here) with Pino providing buttery bass clarinet (listen to his interplay with Siskind on the opening "Whispering Glass"), lovely clarinet (which opens and helps add to the lovely "Moonlight in Vermont"), and tenor saxophone. The accompaniments contribute to the warmth and charm of "Homecoming," which is a marvelous recording to sit back and simply savor like an after dinner cordial.

I received my review copy from a publicist.  Here is a performance by Siskind, Harms and Pino.

Anne Mette Iversen’s Double Life So Many Roads

Anne Mette Iversen’s Double Life
So Many Roads
BJU Records

Danish born bassist, composer and leader Anne Mette Iversen leads Double Life which is comprised of her own Quintet comprised of John Ellis on saxophone, Peter Dahlgren on trombone; Danny Grissett on piano and Otis Brown III on drums; and 4Corners, a string quartet comprised of Tine Rudloff on violin; Sarah McClelland on violin; Anne Soren on viola; and Mats Larsson on cello.

In her brief notes, she states she wants to have the music speak for itself: "Its conception and realisation has been a long journey. Along the road I had many ideas about how to present it to you: which story to tell you, which words to describe it with and which pictures to paint in your head. In the end, I rejected them all to let the music speak for itself, and, hopefully, to leave space for it to become your own personal journey.” In line with the above, she has eschewed titles for the parts of her recording and simply refers to them as Chapters. For this recording, we have a solo bass prologue followed for four chapters and then a brief epilogue.

Iversen’s bass solo enables her to provide an underlying motif that the strings, her and Ellis first state with the strings spotlighted with Ellis’ soprano sax providing a counterpoint to them which has the full ensemble restating the theme before Dahlgren takes lead on the remainder of the first chapter backed by the quintet with the strings providing additional musical shading on a performance with a pastoral feel. It it illustrative of Iversen’s adeptness at integrating strings into a swinging jazz performance and not simply being a sweet background.

The strings help set the transition to the second chapter that opens with very invigorating playing by Grissett accompanied by Iversen’s firm bass and Brown’s driving drumming before the horns enter. Ellis takes a fiery solo which is followed by the gruffer sound of Dahlgren on trombone. If the first chapter is a pastoral stroll down a rural roadway, Chapter two takes us to a busy interstate with the strings accenting the hard bop including Brown’s drum solo. After Brown’s solo, the music segues into an interlude from the string quartet before the entire ensemble rides this piece out with the voicing of Dahlgren and the strings prominent.

Chapter Three opens in a languid vein with the strings and Dahlgren up front while Brown’s light touch enhances the mood. Ellis takes a lovely solo exhibiting his marvelous tone, followed by Iversen taking a solo with the strings, especially cellist Larsson, providing counterpoint, leading to a lovely solo trombone segment. The tempo rackets up with the strings adding to the heat with spirited interaction among themselves and the quintet.

This is an engaging recording that illustrates Iversen’s adroit blending of the string quintet with a jazz ensemble for varied, and captivating, recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is the Anne Mette Iversen Quintet in performance.

Arthur Kell Quartet Inspired By Jesters

Bassist-composer Arthur Kell has a new recording by his Quartet on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, Jester. Kell has performed with a variety of contemporary jazz artists including Thomas Chapin, Bobbie Previte, Marc Ribot, Billy Bang, Bill McHenry, Guillermo Klein, Christian Howes, Art Baron, and Bruce Barth and since 1997 has led his own groups. Jester was recorded with his working group of Loren Stillman (alto saxophone); Brad Shepik (guitar) and Mark Ferber (drums) and is a follow-up to his prior BJU Records release Victoria - Live In Germany. Kell notes that most of the touring with his group has been in Europe, and he is pleased to have another recording “that captures the amazing spirit of all those tours.”

The album’s theme (evident from its title) explores jesters and their link to modern day artists and activists. Kell explains that "the jesters became essential in society because they used any skill they had - physical, verbal, musical and political - to educate and illuminate. … The jester as a silly man wearing bells is just a stereotype, a caricature that isn't even representative of most European jesters, much less of those in other cultures. Jesters came in all shapes and sizes and characters. Foolishness could be just the vehicle a jester used to convey an important message to a ruler. … They were the wild card which kept a leader thinking clearly, often wielding vast influence. But more broadly, they were a trickster, that vital character at the heart and dawn of human society that crossed boundaries to open the imagination.” And the centrality of the theme is not simply reflected by the title but also the cover which is “one of a series of jester finials on an iron fence around a bank in Bucharest.”

The seven performances here are wonderfully recorded (well worth listening to on headphones) and Kell’s compositions sound fresh and the band plays wonderfully together. The leader sets the tone on the opening Quarter Sawn with a playful bass figure that Ferber’s adds a parade-like groove before Stillman and Shepik enter to state the theme with Kell. Shepik takes an propulsive solo with his solo punctuated by some prickly single note runs followed by Stillman’s alto whose deliberate playing and solo works off Kell’s playful bass riff. The intro to Ijinna has a bit more subdued feel, with Stillman’s sax and Shepik’s guitar lending atmosphere. Ferber, in turn makes judicious use of his cymbals before Stillman and Shepik deliver the theme (with a mid-Eastern tinge). Ferber’s is marvelous in his adding his rhythmic accents in addition to the coloring provided by his cymbals under some marvelous alto saxophone, followed by Shepik’s crisp and inventive guitar. 

The title track has more of a playful feel with Stillman’s displaying considerable imagination in constructing his solo backed by a lively rhythm. The leader solos here and Shepik judiciously employs chords in his backing of both sax and bass. Song For the Journey opens with Kell providing a bass riff, as Stillman states the theme and Shepik adds chords while Ferber’s cymbal work establishes the song’s languorous mood. Stillman and Shepik’s solos and the group interplay on the to establish Anima Negra, as well as on the amusingly titled Tiki Time Bomb, is favorably compared to similar groups including the celebrated New Orleans band, Astral Project. 

Listening to Jester, one appreciates the enthusiasm the performances received at the time they were recorded in concert. This is an excellent group that displays humor, imagination, and passion in the varied, intriguing compositions performed here. It will appeal to a diverse group of jazz lovers.

I received my review copy from a publicist for this release. Here is a clip of the Arthur Kell Quartet with Loren Stillman and Brad Shepik, but a different drummer.

Brooklyn Jazz Underground Ensemble's Fond Portrait Of Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Jazz Underground is a cooperative association of jazz artists who aim to build a greater awareness of original music emerging from Brooklyn, NY. Five of the members have collaborated on a new recording A Portrait of Brooklyn on the association’s sister company, Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records. The members forming the Brooklyn Jazz Underground Ensemble are David Smith (trumpet), Adam Kolker (tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute), Dan Pratt (tenor sax, clarinet, flute), Anne Mette Iversen (bass) and Rob Garcia (drums). In addition to being excellent musicians, instrumentalists and band leaders, each contributed two compositions to this recording. While the compositions are inspired by Brooklyn, this recording does not attempt to define the Borough.

Listening to the performances here, one is impressed by not simply the compositions and playing, but also the ensemble work. One might suggest several influences of the overall sound including the classic Ornette Coleman Quartet, and such post-Ornette influenced groups as Old Dreams and New Dreams. Ornette's influence perhaps is most evident on Kolker’s JV, a selection that evokes Ornette’s classic groups (and Kolker’s alto saxophone here echoes Coleman’s blues-infused tone). Smith’s trumpet provides a nice contrast while Pratt plays in a bit more gutbucket fashion. If not sounding like a previously unrecorded Coleman composition, Smith’s Starr St. is a lively original in the post-Ornette vein. Kolker is strong on alto here (not sounding like Coleman) and also adds bass clarinet to the ensemble passages. Garcia’s playing is especially strong here, including during Smith’s solo.


Garcia’s “King” is a strong free-bop performance with a solo from Pratt along with nice supporting riffs by the other horns. Iversen provides a firm anchor as Garcia propels the performance along. Pratt’s Buttermilk Channel is built upon an intriguing motif stated by Kolker on bass clarinet. Garcia’s other original is the lovely, wistful 1898 (the title referrs to the year the City of Brooklyn became part of the City of New York), with thoughtful and lovely playing by Smith as Pratt provides embellishments under the solos.

Iversen’s Osgood in Brooklyn has imaginative interplay between the horns while Garcia’s The Hill is a toe-tapping performance with excellent playing by him as well as from Kolker on tenor. Pratt’s The Cyclone (named after the famed Coney island roller coaster) closes this recording in a hard bop vein, conjuring up some of Woody Shaw’s compositions and recordings. A Portrait of Brooklyn is an excellent collection of first-rate original compositions and terrific playing.

For more information visit http://www.bjurecords.com/artistsBJU.html. I received my review copy from a publicist.

Dan Blake's Intriguing The Aquarian Suite

Saxophonist and composer Dan Blake has a new release on BJU (Brooklyn Jazz Underground) Records, The Aquarian Suite, where he leads a piano-less quartet with Jason Palmer on trumpet, Jorge Roeder on bass and Richie Barshay on drums. Blake has quite a background having performed with such artists as Esperanza Spalding, Anthony Braxton, Kenny Werner, Danilo Perez, and Ricardo Gallo.

Listening to Blake’s compositions and the performances here, one musical point of reference is the classic Ornette Coleman Quartet and bands such as Old Dreams and New Dreams. While perhaps having a bit less overt blues-flavor, Blake and his quartet play marvelously. The horns display quite a bite along with their very expressive soloing, at times floating over the foundation provided by Roeder and Barshay. But this duo enliven the tempo for the horns who engage in an intriguing dialogue on Mister Who, fluidly negotiating mood and tempo changes. The mood changes on the lament, “The Best of Intentions, with the two horns interweaving their lines. “How’s It Done” starts with the rhythm section, especially Roeder setting the mood, before Blake takes a torrid tenor sax solo followed by Palmer who starts in a relaxed vein but builds heat as his solo. Barshay also takes a crisp drum break here.

The press release accompanying for The Aquarian Suite notes that many of the performances here reference masters of the bebop era so that Mister Who takes cues from Monk’s Skippy, while How’s It Done was an effort to evoke the classic Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet. The composition Aquarian is dedicated to Anthony Braxton whom Blake refers to as an icon of creative music. While it might have been helpful if Blake’s comments on his music had been included, the performances more than stand without explanation.

The mix of Blake’s stimulating writing with the high level of the performances, both in terms of the intelligent and spirited solo, and high level of the ensemble playing result in this excellent release. It is available from Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records (http://www.bjurecords.com/), Dan Blake (http://danielblake.net/index.htm), cdbaby.com and other retailers.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video of Dan Blake in performance.

Jeff Fairbanks' Project Hansori's Mulberry Street Has Fresh Big Band Sounds

Trombonist and composer Jeff Fairbanks was inspired by the convergence of cultures in New York City, especially around Mulberry Street where Little Italy intersects with Chinatown.He notes that in the south end of this street, some “Chinese-run funeral parlors, while conducting Buddhist ceremonies, maintain the Western brass band tradition established by their previous Italian operators. As a player in the brass band, my interest was caught by this unique and unlikely blend of cultures.” It is this blending of Asian (Chinese and Korean) and Western musical traditions that is the heart of the Fairbanks’ Project Hansori, a big band that explores his efforts at a musical fusion. “Hansori” is Korean for “one sound,” and Fairbanks’ ensemble attempts to bring distinct parts together in an original way on an new BJU Records release Mulberry Street. With his band is a special guest, Fred Ho on baritone sax, but the players are unfamiliar to these ears.

The opening selection is one of two he hasn’t composed, San Ma Da, by Jae-Hoon Park, is a Korean church hymn about the fall harvest, and Fairbanks makes an impressive solo statement followed by Remy Le Bouef’s slippery soprano and Linda Oh’s impressive bass. Fairbanks’ sophisticated arrangements adds atmosphere and texture for the lively performance. Woodside Story opens with Chinese flavor in the reeds (flute and clarinet) along with Chinese percussion before becoming a spirited performance incorporating the Chinese musical figures within the swinging big band performance with John Yao buzzing on trombone and Michael Webster on tenor sax constructing a marvelous solo.

Hoping For Hope is based on a certain rhythmic pattern in Korean Samulnori (“four objects sound”) music with Fairbanks stating the theme first against Francesca Han’s piano effectively making use of repetition, with the scoring of mostly clarinets against the brass very appealing here and guitarist Sebastian Noelle effectively working off the percussive center of this number with the horns playing building into a rhythmic frenzy. Han Oh Baek Nyeon/ 500 Years is a quartet rendition of an old Korean folk song with Fairbanks trombone along with Rami Selo on gayageum, Heun Choi Fairbanks on cello and Yosun Yoo on percussion with the cello expressing a somber tone reinforced by Jeff Fairbanks trombone. Bi Bim Bop is built on the spoken rhythm of the title and a 12-tone row that is constantly twisted and recycled to considerable effect.

The core of this disc is the marvelous Mulberry Street Suite, which, as noted, was inspired by the brass bands at Chinese-run funeral parlors. At certain funerals, both Western and traditional Chinese bands perform “often playing songs against each other in a tradition of using music to scare away evil spirits.” The suite is Fairbanks attempt to create “an abstract impressionism of these experiences.” Part 1: Entrance and Funeral March. is solemnly played as Han’s piano rings the tempo of a brass band entering the home and playing a dirge with a brief soprano sax interlude with Jason Wiseman trumpet solo exploiting the middle range.

Part 11: Scaring Away Evil Spirits with Joyful Sounds, has a contrasting mood after the initial incorporation of Chinese folkloric sounds and percussion as well as scoring soprano saxophones to suggest the oboe-like suona. Fred Ho takes a short baritone sax solo at the beginning while Erica Van Kleist takes a lengthier solo interlude on alto sax that is rooted in the lower register of the instrument followed by mesmerizing interplay between the various band sections. Part III: Releasing Grief is a portrayal of moments in a Chinese funeral of releasing all their grief. Fred Ho enters unaccompanied before the full band comes in playing both Buddhist and Christian hymns with Ho taking a lengthy solo reaching deep down as well as adding squeaks and squalls set against Fairbanks somewhat dramatic scoring. “Part IV: The Send-off, with a trombone solo by Mark Miller at the beginning, evokes the part of a funeral where the casket is brought outside several bands play simultaneously. To achieve this effect the band is split into five separate ensembles near the end playing separate melodies. It serves as a dazzling coda, not simply to the suite, but the album.

The composition, Mulberry Street was commissioned by the BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Composition Prize with other grant support for the project. With Mulberry Street, the Jeff Fairbanks Hansori Project has produced a fresh and stellar big band recording that has brought together various musical traditions for a fresh and dazzling musical experience that is likely to be among this listener’s best of 2011. Highly recommended.

My review copy was provided by a publicist for the recording.

Anne Mette Iversen Celebrates Jazz & Motherhood

Bassist-composer Anne Mette Iversen is among the jazz artists associated with the Brooklyn Jazz Underground and the associated BJU records has just issued Milo Songs. Performed by her Quartet with her on bass, John Ellis on tenor sax and clarinet, Danny Grissett on piano and Otis Brown III on drums, the seven compositions on this album grew from a melody her son made up at the age of 2, and the recording is an affirmation and her celebration of her successfully juggling motherhood and being a professional jazz musician. She explains that the titles of her compositions indicate her intent that each tells stories of a child’s life such as the turbulence of a new sibling in the home, the ability to focus on something seemingly unimportant to others, the fantasy world, dreams shared with mom in the morning and more.

Whatever the particular employment of Milo’s song in a specific composition, the seven years of having played together is reflected in the interplay among the quartet. The performances flow organically as on the opening The Terrace, on which Ellis displays a full tenor sound as Grissett dances around him, while Brown adds percussive accents and Iversen anchors the quartet before Grissett takes a strong solo. From the somewhat romantic feel of The Terrace the mood shifts on the The Storm. This opens as a heated dialogue between Ellis and Grissett before Brown and Iversen join in to vigorously frame the pair’s call and response with each other. Then Grissett launches into his high energy solo followed by some vigorous tenor sax.
 
Drum Dreams, with Ellis on clarinet, has a meditative tone to it and both Grissett and Ellis display restraint while Iversen’s bass provides a strong axis for the performance. Brown takes a solo here that is an extension of the performance. There is a playful lyricism displayed on Trains & Chocolate, and a latin tinge to the animated Milo’s Brother. Child’s Worlds with Iversen taking a solo might be the highpoint of this excellent set with Grissett and Ellis shining as well and Brown being terrifiic in pushing this performance forward.

For more information on this excellent recording (including ordering information), check out the BJU Records website, www.bjurecords.com and Anne Mette Iversen’s own website, www.annemetteiversen.com.


As I write this I note that the Anne Mette Iversen Quartet is scheduled to celebrate the release of this at An Die Musik in Baltimore on Friday, June 24 and at Twin’s Jazz in Washington DC on Wednesday June 29.

I received this from a publicist for this release.

Owen Howard's Compelling "Drum Lore"

“Drum Lore” (BJURecords) is an auspicious recording by Owen Howard, a member of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground. As Howard explains, the genesis of this disc came from his participation in a jazz workshop’s composition class when someone asked why he a drummer was participating. The result is the eleven performances which, in addition to Howard’s “Roundabout,” include compositions by Peter Erskine, Tony Williams, Billy Hart, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, Ed Blackwell, Al Foster, Denzil Best, Chick Webb (with Benny Goodman and Edgar Sampson) and Shelly Manne and dispel the myth about drummers and composition. Howard provides a brief overview for each composition performed. On this recording, in different combinations, are John O’Gallagher on alto sax; Andy Middleton on tenor sax or soprano sax; Adam Keller on alto sax, tenor sax or soprano sax; Alan Ferber on trombone; Frank Carlberg on piano; and Johnny Wiedenmueller on bass, in addition to Howard on drums.


The opening “Bulgaria” by Peter Erkskine is transformed from a trip performance to a quintet with Middleton’s soprano snaking through the shifting meters before Carlberg enters with some free tempo playing complemented by Howard’s responsive drumming. Another quintet performance, Tony Williams’ “Arboretum” features interesting counterpoint between O’Gallagher’s alto and Ferber’s fuzzy trombone before Wiedenmueller solos, followed by swinging, concise solos from O’Gallagher, Ferber and Carlberg. Howard notes the melodic qualities of many of Billy Hart’s compositions, and this is evident on “Duchess.” Howard features himself a bit more prominently on Jack DeJohnette’s “Zoot Suite,” which mixes some jump blues horn riffing through the different parts of the composition with shifting tempos and moods. This is one of the two performances where I am quite familiar with the original recording by DeJohnette’s Special edition on ECM, and this fares well in comparison with the original, with the three saxophones all contributing here with Middleton’s soprano especially evocative here. Paul Motian’s “It Should’ve Happened a Long Time Ago,” with Kolker’s bass clarinet blending with O’Gallagher’s alto to provide an elegiac quality to this performance.


Another performance that I am familiar with is Ed Blackwell’s “Togo,” which I believe was originally performed with Old and New Dreams. Howard rearranges this into a slightly larger group as Ferber’s trombone replaces Don Cherry’s trumpet, while O’Gallagher and Kolker (on tenor sax) replace Dewey Redmond’s sax. Ferber languorously states the theme before the three horns state it on a number based on a Ghanian folk melody. Howard calls this a tour de force for Blackwell, but also for him as he transverses distinct time feels on his solo. “45º Angle,” is a lesser known composition of Denzil Best that Howard invests with a lively calypso feel with Middleton standing out with a lively tenor sax solo backed by Howard’s crisp playing. Howard’s own “Roundabout,” is inspired by Miles Davis’ “Circle in the Round,” with a shifting pulse and some lovely playing from Ferber, Kolker and O’Gallagher, with Kolker’s soaring soprano playing particularly standing out. “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” is one of the foundational numbers of swing jazz and Howard provides some modern musical coloring in his arrangement with which he tries to impart a jam session flavor that has some lively playing.


It is easy to lose sight of what a superb job on drums Owen Howard plays throughout. Even when not upfront, his playing complements and pushes the soloists through these fascinating compositions that is a lesson that student at the jazz workshop hopefully by now has learned. Howard notes he has at least 30 other tunes composed by drummers that he would have loved to have used and intimates that a Volume 2 may be forthcoming. The music on this fabulous recording certainly would make such a sequel very welcome. Owen Howard’s website is http://owenhoward.net. Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records link, from which this can be purchased, is http://www.bjurecords.com/. Among other sources for this CD is amazon who has “Drum Lore” is available on cd and mp3. It can also be downloaded on itunes.


I was supplied a review copy by the publicity firm for BJU Records.