Mike Stern The Trip

Mike Stern
The Trip
Heads Up

Mike Stern has recuperated from a horrible injury that left him with two broken arms and significant nerve damage, he was left with significant nerve damage in his right hand that prevented him from doing the simplest tasks, including holding a pick. Following a second surgery, he gained more control of his nerve-damaged picking hand and subsequently devised a scheme where he literally glues his right-hand fingers to the pick, strengthening his grip and allowing him to more fully realize his signature speed, precision and fluidity informed mainly by bebop and the blues.

Feeling sufficiently fortified, Stern and his stellar crew of sidemen — many of whom go back with him to the ‘80s — went into Spin Studio in Long Island City between January and March of 2017 to record his 17th album as a leader. His sly, self-deprecating sense of humor comes across in the title of the album, "Trip," as well as on individual tracks like “Screws” (he initially had 11 screws put into his arm following his first surgery) and “Scotch Tape and Glue” (his current method for holding onto the pick). Produced by pianist-keyboardist Jim Beard, "Trip" features a number of longstanding colleagues including trumpeters Randy Brecker and Wallace Roney, saxophonists Bob Franceschini and Bill Evans, bassists Victor Wooten and Tom Kennedy, and drummers Dave Weckl, Dennis Chambers and Lenny White.

The title track is a driving composition with a bit of funk and some fervent tenor sax from Franceschini, with Wooten and Chambers providing a tight bottom while Randy Brecker's muted trumpet adds a Miles Davis ambience to "Blueprint." His former Davis colleague Bill Evans adds some staccato tenor sax to open the effervescent "Half Crazy," with some percolating backing from pianist Jim Beard, drummer Lenny White and bassist Tyrell Phell to support Stern's horn-like likes. The afore-mentioned "Screws has the same rhythm trio along with Wallace Roney's trumpet on an performance that starts playful and reflective before Stern forcefully solos, following this up with pretty, tender acoustic guitar on "Gone." Then there is the funky fusion of "Whatchacallit," followed by the ebullient, latin-tinged "Emelia," with Stern on acoustic guitar as well as singing (Gio Moratti adds the backing vocal).

"Scotch Tape and Glue," is a spirited high-velocity romp based on the changes to "Green Dolphin Street," while the closing "B Train" is a quirky, mid-tempo contrafact on"Take the At Train,' with Roney muted playing adding to the enjoyment to Stern's own inventive playing. It is a delightful close to a varied recording that is perhaps more impressive knowing what he has had to overcome. Stern is modest about his own playing noting that “Everybody played their asses off on this record," but he certainly is back on top of his game on this excellent recording.

I received from my review copy from Concord. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 375). Here is an interview of Mike Stern.

Bill Evans Another Time: The Hilversum Concert

Bill Evans
Another Time: The Hilversum Concert
Resonance Records

This is a follow-up to Resonance Records' highly acclaimed "Some Other Time" that similarly documented the short-lived Evans trio of bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette (who would leave Evans when recruited by Miles Davis). While that album was a studio recording, this was live recording made at the studios of the Netherlands Radio Union two days after the studio album. Like all Resonance reissues, the production is exquisite with a wonderfully illustrated booklet containing essays from Marc Myers on the music contained; Dutch music critic Bert Vuijsje; producer of the radio broadcast, Joop De Roo; recollections of the concert and performing in Holland by Gomez and Dejohnette and pianist Steve Kuhn's recollections on Evans and his piano style.

The music is sublime with Evans brilliance and dynamic lyricism evident from the opening moments of Andre and Dory Previn's "You're Gonna Hear From Me," with Gomez's brawny bass anchoring the performance while DeJohnette's use of brushes adding accents while Gomez takes a dynamic solo. It is followed by Evan's waltz, "Very Early," that opens slowly before quickly accelerating into a brisk frolic. Evans' romanticism and intelligence is evident on the treatment of the standards, "Who Can I Turn To," "Alfie," and "Embraceable You."  After Evan swings "Who Can I," Gomez is superb on his solo, with DeJohnette helping drive things along, and then DeJohnette's brush work is impeccable on "Alfie." A brilliant Gomez bass solo opens the Gershwin classic and after stating the theme, Evans and Dejohnette enter but serving as support for the bassist. A lovely "Emily" is followed by an energetic interpretation of Miles' "Nardis," with DeJohnette imaginatively, and vigorously, soloing.

A spirited "Turn Out the Stars," and a quick "Five," close this recording. It is another superb Resonance reissue of musical history that has been lovingly been made available for contemporary audiences and certain to receive the same accolades that were given to "Some Other Time."

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared originally in the September-October 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 374).  

 

Conversations In Jazz; The Ralph Gleason Interviews

Conversations In Jazz; The Ralph Gleason Interviews
Edited by Toby Gleason
Foreword and Introductory Notes by Ted Gioia
New Haven: Yale University Press
2016:276 + xvi pages

It has been several decades since Ralph Gleason passed away. Gleason was a pioneering jazz and music journalist, host of a legendary television show "Jazz Casual," and one of the founders of "Rolling Stone" magazine. "Conversations In Jazz; The Ralph Gleason Interviews" brings together interviews Gleason conducted in the early 1960s, the time he was producing the "Jazz Casual" series, although these interviews were conducted at home, separate from the conversations he had with performers on that show, with the exception of the one with Duke Ellington.

As Ted Gioia observes in his Foreword, these interviews take place at a most interesting period of time as 1959 saw the release of so many classic jazz recordings. John Coltrane is interviewed at the time he is stepping forth as a leader, while Sonny Rollins was interviewed a few weeks before he took his sabbatical from playing while Philly Joe Jones is interviewed during the most productive time of his career and the conversation with Bill Evans was less than a year after "Kind of Blue" and when he was working with his most influential trio.

These conversations are quite fascinating. For example Coltrane notes he had only played in three big bands as of 1961 (Dizzy Gillespie, King Kolax and Jimmy Heath), that one thing he likes about being the only horn in his own group is that he likes to play long, that he plays different tempos with different horns, how he went about writing tunes, and various thoughts relating to playing in clubs or concerts. His interview with Quincy Jones opens with Gleason asking why can't they record a big band so it sounds like the big band does live, before getting into the issues with running a big band, contrasting what he will be doing with Count Basie and other points such as touring Europe. With Dizzy Gillespie, Gleason explores at first how Dizzy first heard jazz and his development as a musician.

Gleason interviewed all four members of the Modern Jazz Quartet opening with John Lewis who provided a history of the MJQ along with some of the lessons learned as they developed their 'quiet' mode of jazz. Milt Jackson recalled his experiences as well a discussed challenges playing with the MJQ as opposed to other settings while discussing some of his other recording projects. Percy Heath tells about growing up with other musicians in the family, not adopting the bass until after coming back from the Service is own while Connie Kay recalls playing with Lester Young replacing Roy Haynes and then starting with the MJQ when Kenny Clarke left the group. A couple common threads are in the four interviews here such as how the nature of the MJQ restricted what they played. It is fascinating to read the thoughts of all four (and their acknowledgement of their common ties to Dizzy Gillespie).

Other chapters are devoted to Sonny Rollins, Philly 'Joe; Jones, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Les McCann and Jon Hendricks. The discussions of how they started, influences, what motivates what they play and like, made for intriguing conversations and fascinating reading. This is an invaluable addition to the jazz literature. There is no index which is the only flaw in this wonderful volume.

I purchased this. Here is a video clip from "Jazz Casual" of Ralph Gleason speaking.

 

Larry Novak - Invitation

Neil Tesser, in the liner notes to "Invitation" (Delmark Records), observes that this is Larry Novak's first album in over a half century and its only the second album he's recorded under his own name, although one might have heard on on recordings by Louis Bellson (with whom he toured), Eddie Daniels, Terry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco, and on the first Delmark disc pairing Von Freeman and Frank Catalano; as well as worked with Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan. He had lengthy residences at Mr. Kelly's and The London House and gathered the admiration of many including Oscar Peterson and became close to Bill Evans.

Evans had a great deal of impact on his music which is evident on the two opening numbers, a lovely solo opening "Waltz For Debby," and "Very Early," which introduces his trio of bassist Eric Hochberg and drummer Rusty Jones (who passed away in December of 2015). And it is a marvelous trio whose near telepathic interplay is terrific throughout on album whose songs were (with two exceptions) recorded by Evans.

The aura of Evans might hover over these performances, but they stand on their own as Novak is a pianist with a marvelous touch, who displays a fertile imagination and a crisp rhythmic flow. There is delight in the lively "The Days of Wine and Roses," and a stunning, feverish rendition of Gigi Gryce's "Minority," a stunning bop piano workout. The there is a lovely ballad playing on "Close Enough For Love," and the delightful interpretation of the must recorded "Yesterdays." The album closes with a hauntingly lovely solo performance of "Its Too Late Now."

One cannot understate the contributions of Hochberg and Jones, both in their support of Novak, and their own solo breaks that flow naturally within the performances here. Neil Tesser states when nothing that this was Novak's first album in half a century, "Let that sink in for a moment." Certainly listening to "Invitation," one shares his bewilderment that a pianist of Larry Novak's caliber could fly under the radar for so long. "Invitation" is a superb recording by an extraordinary pianist that finally is getting his due. It is a recording I will be returning to frequently.

I received my copy from Delmark.This review has appeared in the January-February 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 364) although I made a few minor stylistic changes in posting to the blog. Here is a short video of Larry Novak performing.

Here is Larry Novak performing in 1991 as part of a Benny Goodman tribute with Herb Ellis, Milt Hinton and Butch Miles.

Evocative Photographs and Oral History of Legendary Keystone Korner

Keystone Korner: Portrait of a Jazz Club

by Kathy Sloane

Indiana University Press

In its slightly over a decade of existence, the Keystone Korner became one of the most celebrated jazz clubs in the world. It hosted a wide variety of artists and was the site for a number of legendary live recordings by Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Woody Shaw and others. Its story is the subject of a wonderful new book from Indiana University Press, “Keystone Korner: Portrait of a Jazz Club” by photographer Kathy Sloane.

Sloane frequented the club during its years and was able to shoot so many jazz artists, both legends like Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Elvin Jones, Rashaan Roland Kirk, Mary Lou Williams, Bill Evans, Miles Davis and so many others. In addition to her photographs, she also interviewed not simply artists who performed there, but Todd Barkan the owner, the wait staff and folks that frequented the club. Jazz poet and author Sascha Feinstein, editor of the semi-annual publication Brilliant Corners provided the introduction and edited the interviews. He also compiled the accompanying CD that contains performances from the Keystone.A number of classic performances were captured at the Keystone and the sampling here gives a range of the room.

Keystone Korner was tucked next to a San Francisco police station and when Todd Barkan purchased it and converted a blues bar into one of the great jazz clubs. Barkan booked a wide range of styles including local acts as well as major national acts and created an atmosphere that had major artists holding a benefit to enable Todd to have a kitchen and a liquor license. It was a relaxed atmosphere that did not neglect the local performers who often were the backing band for some national acts. Performers who at the time rarely played jazz clubs like Miles Davis played the Keystone and he booked acts like Sam Rivers that never graced the stage of the Village Vanguard in New York.

Through recollections of Bay area guitarist Calvin Keys, saxophonist Billy Harper, cook Ora Harris, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, poet Jack Hirschman, Fantasy Records publicist Terri Hinte, pianist George Cables, drummer Eddie Marshall, legendary jazz record producer Orren Keepnews, writer, teacher & poet Al Young, trombonist Steve Turre, waitress Flicka McGurrin, Barkan and others the club’s history is weaved together along with the unusual sense of community around the room, It was somehow miraculously that Keystone Korner stayed alive on a shoe string budget as long as it did. Mixed in with Sloane’s images of Dexter, Elvin, Art Blakey, Mary Lou Williams, Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Bobby Hutchinson, Betty Carter, Percy Heath, and so many more and a CD with over an hour of great jazz.

Keystone Korner: Portrait of a Jazz Club is terrific as a window into a legendary jazz club in addition to serving as a coffee table book. It is a fabulous book that jazz lovers will treasure to enjoy the photographs and the story of a fabled room.

I purchased this book. Here is a clip from you tube of Ahmad Jamal at the Keystone Korner in 1981