Ray Gallon Make My Move

Ray Gallon
Make My Move
Cellar Live

It is possible that I may have met Ray Gallon when perusing the jazz stacks at J&R Music World in lower Manhattan decades ago. In any event, this is the pianist's long-awaited debut that has attracted praise from the likes of Ahmad Jamal and Ron Carter. Carter, in fact, wrote a brief liner note, "Welcome to the world of the music of Ray Gallon…extraordinary pianist…college professor…talented composer and arranger…and my dear friend… ." Gallon has been playing for many years, with a period he dealt with his health and that of his family and his resume includes playing with Ron Carter, Art Farmer, T.S. Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Wycliffe Gordon, Benny Golson, Frank Wess, and The Mingus Big Band. On this trio date, he is joined by bassist David Wong and Kenny Washington.

Listening to Gallon, one is struck by echoes of Hank Jones, Thelonious Monk, Barry Harris, Bud Powell, and others, but it is distinctly him backed by a first-rate rhythm section. Highlights on a consistently excellent recording include "Out of Whack" with its off-kilter, Monkish flavor with some nice stick work from Washington. Then there is an intriguing blues "Craw Daddy," with his use of dynamics and touch matched by Wong and Washington. "Harm's Way" showcases not simply his technical virtuosity with the almost frantic tempo but also the fluidity of his playing and his imagination and skill in constructing a solo. Both Wong and Washington solo here as well.

Gallon originally conceived of interpreting "I Don't Stand a Chance With You" as a bossa. Still, it has evolved into an exquisite and poignant ballad rendition played with a light touch. In contrast, on a memorable treatment of "Yesterdays," Gallon acknowledges employing some of the devices Art Tatum used (although not directly emulating Tatum), such as the transitions from rubato into a spirited tempo through an ostinato bass line and remarkably dissonant voicings. Other selections include the dazzling "Plus One," a contrafact based on Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose," where he also trades fours with Washington. Hank Jones was perhaps the strongest influence on Gallon. Gallon, in fact, studied with Jones. "Hanks a Lot" is his tribute to the late piano great and has some of the energetic eloquence that Hank Jones brought to his music.

As a composer, Ray Gallon crafts melodic themes that keep resonating with the listener while the performances take surprising, but engrossing twists and turns, resulting in this excellent recording that leaves listeners wanting more.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Ray Gallon performs "Hanks a Lot."

Jimmy Heath Love Letter

Jimmy Heath
Love Letter
Verve

Gary Giddins relates in the liner notes for "Love Letter," its origin arose from a query, friend, and photographer, Carol Friedman, who asked if Jimmy Heath would record an album of ballads. The answer is this recording, which Giddins scribes as "Heath's stunningly elegant last testament." On this, his final recordings, Heath is supported by a fabulous backing band of pianist Kenny Barron, guitarist Russell Malone, vibraphonist Monte Croft, bassist David Wong, and drummer Lewis Nash. Augmenting the group on separate tracks are vocalists Gregory Porter and Cécile McLorin Salvant, and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

Giddins quotes, from conversations with Friedman, Heath about saxophonists playing ballads, "Ben Webster would play in the lower register of the saxophone and you could hear his breath. But Coltrane found a way to play in the high register of the tenor. Having played alto before, he could hear up there and he learned the altissimo range of the tenor. When he played a melody of a ballad it was ethereal. It was like heaven. Coltrane would play up in the heavens. Ben and Coleman Hawkins and everybody would be downstairs—they'd be down here on earth! Trane found a way to Trane found a way to sing in the high register that I found was unique." Heath has incorporated some both approaches as he often plays in the tenor sax's lower register but without Webster's pronounced vibrato or Hawkins relatively harsh sound.

This splendid recording opens with Heath's "Ballad from Upper Neighbor's Suite," on which Heath  exhibits his nuanced tone and phrasing set against an exquisite, delicate quartet backing with Barron being especially outstanding. One should not be surprised by the superb singing by Cécile McLorin Salvant ("Left Alone") and Gregory Porter ("Don't Misunderstand"). There is a purity in Ms. Salvant's voice with the airy backing by Malone, Croft, Wong, and Nash, before Heath's gorgeous solo. Porter's romanticism on "Don't Misunderstand" is enhanced by Barron's sophisticated elegance as Heath sings with his tenor sax.

There is a gentle warmth exhibited when Heath, with Malone and Croft in support, provides a lyrical reading of Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma." Wynton Marsalis joins Heath, Barron, Croft, and Nash for a winsome rendition of Kenny Dorham's ballad, "La Mesha." In addition to the sublime beauty of the horns, Barron's solo is one of elegant sophistication. There is a reflective quality to Heath's playing on "Inside Your Heart," the one track on which he employs the soprano sax.

The album closes with Heath's poignant performance of "Don't Explain," a song that Barron, Croft, and Nash recorded with Heath, later overdubbing a solo of considerable beauty and feeling. As Carol Friedman stated about Heath, "His mastery is such that you could swear that the rhythm section—Kenny in particular—is following Jimmy's lead." It is the coda of a remarkable recording, and career belies the fact that Jimmy Heath was 93 at the time. There is nothing in the robustness of his playing and impeccable pitch and timing that suggested any diminishment of his talent. Gary Giddins closes his liner notes, "Farewell, Jimmy, and welcome back. Consider this the second *rebirth*, because people are going to be talking about you all over again." Indeed, with this outstanding recording, people will be talking about Jimmy Heath for many more years.

I received a  download to review from a publicist. Here is "Con Alma" from this recording.

Naama Gheber Dearly Beloved

Naama Gheber
Dearly Beloved
Cellar Music Records

Israeli-born singer Naama Gheber makes her debut on a program taken from the American Songbook. The trio of Ray Gallon on piano, David Wong on bass, and Adam Kimmel on drums, back her. This trio accompanied her at a year-long residency at New York's Mezzrow Jazz Club. Vibraphonist Steve Nelson guests on five selections. Gheber fell in love with the American Songbook while studying at Tel Aviv's Center For Jazz Studies. "I immediately felt at home with standards and worked on finding my own voice within them." For this recording, she choose songs with deep personal significance. "Recording songs that I feel strongly connected to was a way to bring myself to the album."

With her perfect pitch, musical and swinging phrasing, and delivery of lyrics, Gheber's singing will charm listeners. Her lovely singing is full of warmth and wonderfully backed throughout. Opening with the Kern & Mercer composed title song, she displays a lyricism and romantic tone that is complemented by Nelson's shimmering vibes and the swing of the rhythm section as she easily negotiates the changes meter. The mix of understatement with the longing she expresses makes her rendition of "So In Love" some engrossing. Bassist Wong is an anchor here while Kimmel adeptly adds rhythmic coloring. Wong's bass sets the tempo behind her horn-like phrasing on a brief, brisk "'S Wonderful." Pianist Gallon dazzles while Kimmel takes a drum solo.

This writer is a sucker for interpretations of Buddy Johnson's classic ballad, "Since I Feel For You." Gheber's performance is outstanding as she brings out every nuance of the lyrics. Then there is a bouncy I Can't Give You Anything But Love," with Nelson taking a sparkling solo before trading fours with Kimmel. Nelson's playing adds to the dreaming opening of "You Stepped Out of a Dream." There is also the sober, melancholy of "Get Out of Town," and the coquettish playfulness of "i." On the latter tune, she interpolates, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." Gallon, besides helping on Gheber's arrangement, plays a stunning solo.

The album closes with a mix of "Good Night My Love" with an Israeli lullaby, "Layla Tov," with Nelson elegant vibes adding color under her choice vocal. It provides a coda to a splendid debut of a jazz singer we will undoubtedly hear more of in the future.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Naama performs "Dearly Beloved."

Roy Haynes - Forever Young and Always Hip

Six decades plus of music making has slowed down the ever youthful and hip Roy Haynes. This writer has the pleasure of seeing him with his Fountain of Youth Band recently at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and he displayed vigor and enthusiasm that folks 60 years younger would have difficulty matching. It was a terrific evening of jazz by a true Jazz Master and is also evident on his latest Dreyfus Jazz release Roy-Alty, which includes several numbers they performed that night.

The core of this recording features Roy with the Fountain of Youth Band that includes Jaleel Shaw on alto saxophone, Martin Bejerano on piano and David Wong on bass. Roy Hargrove is added on on six of the ten selections while two selections are duets with Chick Corea. On Tin Tin Deo, Roberto Quintero is added on congas while on the last track, Passion Dance, pianist Robert Rodriguez replaces Bejerano while Craig Haynes is added on congas and Marcus Strickland on tenor saxophone.

From the opening moments of Sonny Rollins’ Grand Street, with a superbly constructed Hargrove solo followed by marvelous playing from Shaw to the rousing rendition of McCoy Tyner’s Passion Dance, Haynes drives the music, adding embellishments with his snap crackle cymbal work and snare rolls, all the while swinging. On this marvelous recording, a few tracks manage to stand out including Hargrove’s ballad playing on These Foolish Things, the sensation Corea-Haynes duet on Thelonious Monk’s Off Minor, the classic bop flavor of Miles Davis’ Milestones and the Latin jazz classic from Chano Pozo and Gil Fuller, Tin Tin Deo, which opens with Roy speaking the praises of the great percussionist.

The Fountain of Youth Band is strong throughout (I really enjoyed Shaw’s alto playing and subsequently downloaded his most recording on itunes after seeing him with Roy). With a nice mix of material, the recording showcases the continuing youthfulness, hipness and artistry of Roy Haynes.

I purchased this right before seeing Roy Haynes at the Kennedy Center