Rah! Rah! The Claire Daly Quartet

Rah! Rah!
The Claire Daly Quartet
Ride Symbol Records

Claire Daly's new album, "Rah! Rah!," is a salute to one of her main musical inspirations, Rahsaan Roland Kirk. She was a student at Berklee College of Music when she first saw Kirk at Boston's Jazz Workshop. She saw him at a performance after Kirk had suffered a stroke. Still, she was overwhelmed that despite his apparent fragility, "but each night the music got stronger and better. He had this unstoppable quality. … He was such a force of nature. He made me so happy, and still does." To join her in her salute to Kirk, Daly, on baritone sax, flute, and vocals, is backed by her band of Eli Yamin on piano, Dave Hofstra on bass, and Peter Grant on drums. The program includes interpretations of songs composed by Kirk, standards Kirk covered, and two originals based on Kirk's tunes.

Daly's performances display her musical personality and make for rewarding listening. As she states, Kirk was a force of nature, and his performances of "Volunteered Slavery" and "Serenade for a Cuckoo" will overshadow the interpretations by others. That does not mean one should dismiss her robust renditions. Her flute playing is exquisite on "Cuckoo." At the same time, her mashup of "Volunteered Slavery" with Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People" showcases her burly baritone playing and her direct, genuine singing. Her baritone sax playing has an authority evident of the opening "Blue Lady," based on Kirk's "Lady Blues." This selection also introduces listeners to her excellent band with pianist Yamin displaying a measured touch over the swinging rhythm section.

Bassist Hofstra opens up "Funk Underneath," another showcase for Daly's appealing, sparkling flute. Then, she dances on the baritone playing an Afro-Cuban version of Kirk's "Theme For the Eulipions." Daly's delivers another charming vocal on "Alfie," with Yamin leading the trio with an understated, sympathetic accompaniment. There is more delightful flute from Daly on "Momentus Brighticus," her contrafact of Kirk's "Bright Moments," followed by some barreling bebop baritone on Charlie Parker's "Blues For Alice." Daly's displays her qualities on "I'll Be Seeing You." With Daly's first-rate band and her outstanding playing, "Rah! Rah!" is an exceptional recording and a memorable tribute to Rashaan Roland Kirk, full of bright moments.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Claire Daly has been playing the music of Rashaan Roland Kirk for years. here is a performance from 2010.

Been Up So Long It Looks Like Down To Me:The Micros Play the Blues

The Microscopic Septet
Been Up So Long It Looks Like Down To Me:The Micros Play the Blues
Cuneiform Records

Despite the solemnity some may view jazz, the music is serious fun and among those display this is the New York based The Microscopic Septet. Having recently done an album of Thelonious Monk compositions, they now turn their attention to the blues, one of the foundational components of jazz itself. This recording is comprised of 12 originals by either Phillip Johnston or Joel Forrester, along with a cover of Joe Liggins' "I Got a Right to Cry," and played with the blend of imagination, inventiveness and quirky humor that the Micros have been know for. The Micros are comprised of Phillip Johnston – soprano saxophone; Don Davis – alto saxophone; Mike Hashim – tenor saxophone; Dave Sewelson – baritone saxophone; Joel Forrester – piano; Dave Hofstra – bass and Richard Dworkin – drums.

Blues is one of the foundations of jazz and here the Micros take the twelve originals blues compositions as a springboard starting with the playfulness of the opening "Cat Toys," with Hashim, Hofstra and composer Forrester soling (the latter set against the central riff). Sewelson's barreling baritone sax takes center stage on "Blues Cubistico," another Forrester original with an unusual twist in the melody. Johnston's "Dark Blue" has a 'three in the morning' feel that opens with some nice piano before robust tenor and baritone sax solos. The scoring of the sax ensembles here, with the call and response with the sax solos, is wonderful.

Blues comes in all shapes, tempos and moods and the compositions vary from the frolicsome quality of "Don't Mind If I Do," the rambunctiousness of "PJ in the 60s," the rush-hour traffic feel of "When it's Getting Dark," the languid tenor of "12 Angry Birds" (excellent Davis' alto sax) or "Silent Night", Forrester's Monkish reworking of a Christmas classic into a blues (featuring Johnston, Sewelson and Forrester). A bouncy, delightful cover of the Liggins' R&B classic (with Sewelson taking the raspy vocal) closes this fascinating and fresh take on the blues. I note that I am among those who donated on kickstarter to help this recording happen.

Here are the Microscopic Septet performing "Migraine Blues."