Eliane Elias
Music from Man of La Mancha
Concord Records
This new release from Elias was a 1995 recording resulted from the request of Mitch Leigh, composer of the Music for the legendary musical, who loved her album playing the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and wanted her to similarly arrange and produce a recording of the musical's music. This led to the present recording, originally produced for Leigh's private enjoyment and now with the cooperation of his family finally made available to the public on Concord.
There are two sessions represented. One with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette and the other with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Satoshi Takeishi with percussionist Manolo Badrena on all but one of the nine songs heard. Many will be more familiar with Elias as a singer, but starting with the opening "To Each His Dulcinea," she displays a crisp, fluid and imaginative attack with the adept accompaniment provided. There is the reflectiveness of "Dulcinea" with some superb playing by Gomez and DeJohnette's use of brushes and the lively swing of "What Does He Want of Me," with her romanticism matched by the light, complementary backing. Elias' touch is more emphatic on "I'm Only Thinking of Him," while DeJohnette opens "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)," with a crisp rhythmic figure, echoed by Gomez before Elias enters ruminatively. With Johnson and Takeishi, she provides a Brazilian flavor for a memorable, driving interpretation of the musical's most famous song, "The Impossible Dream."
Concord is to be thanked for helping arrange for the release of this superb piano jazz recording that allows us to appreciate a side of Eliane Elias talent that gets overshadowed by her fine vocal jazz recordings.
I received my review copy from Concord Records. I have made minor changes from my review that originally appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 378). Here is an interview with Eliane Elias talking about the history of this recording.
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).
Hamid Drake - Artist in Residence at the 2013 Chicago Jazz Festival
Circumstances led me to Chicago this past Labor Day weekend where I had the opportunity to sample the 35th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. This was my first time at this event which was for the first time in Chicago’s Millennium Park. In prior years it had been in Grant Park, which is where the fabled Chicago Blues Festival is still held. This festival, while having several performance stages, attracts smaller audiences than the June Blues Fest, which I understand was one reason for the change. The festival is curated by the Jazz Institute of Chicago which also produces and programs other concerts and events and produced by the City of Chicago.
During the daytime, there are two substantial tent stages that house performances (The Jazz & Heritage Pavilion and the Von Freeman Pavilion) with the evening headline performances featured in the Jay Pritzer Pavilion, a marvelous facility with several thousand seats and then plenty of lawn seating. There were a variety of events including a solo piano concert series that took place prior to the main Festival kickoff. On the main festival site, Chicago Jazz Magazine operated a CD tent
There was plenty of music to be heard covering a range from traditional styled Chicago jazz to hard bop and to free jazz. Drummer-percussionist Hamid Drake was the Artist in Residence and was heard in four different settings. I heard a fair amount of music as well as did not get to hear some acts that I would have liked to but whether and other factors prevented, so I have provided just some few observations of the performers that stood out to me.
Fat Babies at the Chicago Cultural Center
Fat Babies is a traditional band playing in what may be called Chicago style. Influenced by King Oliver, the Austin High Gang and Jelly Roll Morton, this band played crisply and delightfully in this older style of jazz at the Chicago Cultural Center . High points of their set included King Oliver’s “Snake Rag, Eddie Condon’s Sugar, and Jelly Roll Morton’s The Crave. They have assimilated the style of twenties jazz well that even originals come across as songs from that era.
Jack DeJohnette’s Special Legacy Edition Chicago was a special band assembled to celebrate the great drummer-composer and bandleader’s career. With Thursday, August 29 declared by the Mayor Jack DeJohnette Day in Chicago, he brought together legendary Chicago figures pianist Muhal Richard Abrams and multi-instrumentalists Roscoe Gordon and Henry Threadgill. These three, all associated with the AACM all played roles in DeJohnette’s musical development. Bassist Larry Gray completed this group with the ensemble playing a composition by each of the members. The music was demanding and free with a mix of fervor and abstraction in the performance. Compositions by Abrams and DeJohnette struck this listener as the most realized performances and Abrams was especially impressive throughout as was the leader. This performance was professionally recorded so those of you who were not at this performance will have a chance to hear it at some point.
George Freeman played at the dedication of the stage dedicated to the memory of his brother Von
Guitarist George Freeman was part of the Friday celebration of his late brother Von for whom a stage was dedicated at the Festival. George is perhaps the last living Chicago jazz musician to have played with Charlie Parker. He displayed his considerable chops on an unaccompanied guitar instrumental. He was followed by a band led by saxophonist Christopher McBride for a set of hard bop infused music. I should mention that heavy rain early Friday evening led me to miss Wadada Leo Smith’s performance of selections from his Ten Freedom Summers. Of the performances I did not attend, this was probably the one I missed the most.
Having heard about saxophonist Ernie Krivda for so long and having enjoyed his recordings, I really enjoyed seeing him perform. With a robust attack and a fine band, he would be well better known of he had not chosen to stay in Cleveland. I remember bassist Stafford James from seeing the Louis Hayes-Woody Shaw band in 1976. Having returned from Europe in the past few years, James led a String and Percussion ensemble that included a string quartet, a reed player and M’Boom, the percussion ensemble the late Max Roach founded. While James played arco throughout, his mentor Richard Davis was also part of this fascinating ensemble. James’ compositions and the ensemble’s execution of the arrangements was a fresh listen.
Gregory Porter and is Great Band
Gregory Porter followed and was spectacular. This was my second time to see him live and the first with his exceptional band. His rich voice with echoes of Donny hathaway and Marvin Gaye, his marvelous original material and his ability to tell stories with his voice were enthusiastically received. He previewed a couple songs from his forthcoming Blue Note recording along with rousing renditions of Painted On Campus, On My Way To Harlem, Be Good, Nat Adderly’s Work Song and 1960 What? He is probably my favorite male vocalist in any genre now. He is that good!
Fast Citizens
Having been impressed by the most recent recording by the post-Ornette group, Fast Citizens, I was impressed by their live performance that exhibited the same mix of composition, improvised playing and empathetic ensemble playing that made that recording so memorable. Saxophonist and Juli Wood gave a standout performance with her robust sax playing and her strong singing backed by some fine players. I enjoyed her so much that I purchased her CD.
Evan Christopher on clarinet and Don Vappie on guitar
Evan Christopher also delights with his clarinet playing as reflected by the fact he was a finalist in the Jazz Journalists Associations Voting. He brought an exceptional quartet of Don Vappie on guitar and standup bass (Vappie is usually associated with the banjo), keyboardist Joe Alpher and drummer Ocie Davis, that provided bright interpretations of songs associated with Duke Ellington (Alex Hill’s Delta Bound) and originals including a number inspired by the creole traditions in Haiti as well and his own boogie woogie number. He received a particularly warm reception from the Von Freeman Pavilion audience.
Hamid Drake, Joshua Abrams, Jeff Parker and Jason Adasiewicz
The final act I wish to highlight was Hamid Drake & Bindu: Reggaeology. Hamid Drake, a drummer and percussionist of note, was the Festival’s Artist in Residence and while his other Festival shows were likely more in the manner of free jazz, Reggaeology was notable for his mix of groove and lively musical textures and colors that likely made this performance more accessible to more casual listeners. His ensemble included trombonists Jeb Bishop and Jeff Albert, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Joshua Abrams, vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz and vocals and beat box by Napoleon Maddox. The performance reprised his 2010 recording (Rogue Art) and all of the persons on that recording were present with the addition of Adasiewicz who provided a solo voice in addition to Parker, Bishop and Albert as Drake was marvelous in his roles as composer, leader and drummer.
This was ann uusual Jazz Festival that included a significant amount of free jazz m ixed with more mainstream, straight-ahead offerings. The sound was quite good, especially in the Pritzer Pavilion. With a heavy dose of exceptional local talent mixed with its internationally know headliners, the Chicago Jazz Festival was part of a vacation that I ended my summer on a high note.
These informal comments were written for Jazz & Blues Report.
We are in the middle of the Festival season and there are any number of festivals of interest for Blues and Jazz lovers upcoming. As this issue gets circulated the annual Portland Waterfront Blues Festival and Mississippi Valley Blues Festival will have likely wrapped up as will the major Jazz Festivals in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal in Canada. This is a very selective list of festivals that include two I will be attending. First, three blues festivals, and then three jazz festivals.
The 3rd Pennsylvania Blues Festival takes place at the Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Palmerton Pennsylvania, from Friday evening July 26. through Sunday July 28. Friday evening will feature the Lehigh Valley Blues Showcase with performers including Bev Conklin and Georgie Fame. There is a buffet available in addition to the music. Saturday July 27’s line-up has performances by John Primer, Bonerama, Sista Monica, Guy Davis, Robert Randolph presents the Slide Brothersfeaturing Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell, Darick Campbell and Aubrey Ghent; and Robert Randolph and the Family Band. OnSunday July 28, the lineup includes Alexis P Suter with both a gospel and a blues show; Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang; Johnny Rawls; Electro-Fi Canadian Blues Showcase with Harrison Kennedy, Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whitley; Ivan Neville and Dumpstaphunk, Ruthie Foster, and Bobby Rush (performing acoustic and full show sets).For more information (including directions and tickets) check out Blue Mountain’s website, http://www.skibluemt.com/seasonal-activities/pa-blues-festival/. I will be there.
The Riverfront Blues Festival takes place at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, Wilmington Delaware August 2 to August 4. The lineup on August 2 includes John Primer, Moreland and Arbuckle, Lil Ronnie & the Grand Dukes and The James Cotton Band. On Saturday August 3 the performers include Eden Brent, Jimmy D. Lane, Eric Lindell and the Sunliners featuring Anson Funderburgh; and Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers Reunion Band. The lineup for Sunday August 4 includes The Lee Boys, Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’ Blues; and Elvin Bishop. For information on tickets and other matters visit http://riverfrontbluesfestde.com.
The Heritage Music Blues Festival takes place in Wheeling WV on August 9 to August 11. Blues highlights of Friday August 9 include Lionel Young and the Golden State-Lone Star Blues Revue featuring Anson Funderburgh, Little Charlie Baty, & Mark Hummel. Performers on Saturday, August 10 include Little G Weevil (IBC solo winner), Joe Louis Walker and Dr John. Sunday highlights include IBC band winner Selwyn Birchwood, Harrison Kennedy and Ruthie Foster. For more information, check out http://heritagemusicfest.com.
Gregory Porter will be at the Newport, Chicago and Detroit Jazz Festivals. My photo of him is from the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival
The legendary Newport Jazz Festival returns to the Rhode Island community Friday August 2 through Sunday August 4. Highlight of this year’s festival maybe the Wayne Shorter 80th Birthday Celebration and Chick Corea will be leading an All Star new band. It opens Friday night, August 2, Natalie Cole and the Bill Charlap Trio with Special Guest Freddie Cole.
The line-up on Sunday, August 4 includes Chick Corea & The Vigil with Christian McBride, Tim Garland, Marcus Gilmore, & Charles Altura; Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra; Dizzy Gillespie™ Big Band under the direction of Paquito D'Rivera; Joshua Redman Quartet; Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band; Steve Coleman Projects: Five Elements, Talea Ensemble and Duo with David Bryant; Jim Hall with Scott Colley, Lewis Nash and special guest Julian Lage; Dirty Dozen Brass Band; Jon Batiste & Stay Human and more.
For more information on the Newport Jazz Festival (including travel pacakges through radio station WBGO), visit http://www.newportjazzfest.org.
Chicago and Detroit both host major Jazz Festivals over Labor Day Weekend. I will be attending the Chicago Jazz Festival that starts Thursday August 29 and runs through Sunday September 1. The Detroit Jazz Festival starts Friday August 30 and runs through labor Day, September 2.
There is quite of range of music at the Chicago Jazz Festival from the trad jazz of Fat babies to the cutting edge sounds of Hamid Drake (who is the Festival’s Artist In Residence), Fast Citizens and Jack DeJohnette who will lead all star special band that with Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell and Henry Threagill. The Chicago Jazz Festival is a free festival.
While the bulk of the Chicago Jazz Festival takes place at Millennium Park, on Thursday, August 29 performances take place at several locations including the Chicago Cultural Center at, 78 E. Washington with performers including Fat Babies, and the Harrison Bankhead Sextet. At Roosevelt University’s Ganz Hall at 430 S. Michigan Ave.there will be a 5:00PM performance of Hamid Drake’s Chicago Trio with Ernest Dawkins and Harrison Bankhead. That evening at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph St.) is Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz -Jack DeJohnette: Special Legends Edition Chicago featuring, Muhal Richard Abrams, Larry Gray, Roscoe Mitchell and Henry Threadgill.
Starting Friday, August 30 performances are at Millennium Park. In the afternoon one can see bassist’s Christopher McBride’s Quartet; the Ben Paterson Organ Quartet; the Mike Smith Quartet, and Hamid Drake with Michael Zerang, Eigen Aoki and Tsukasa drummers directed by Tatsu Aoki. Highlights of the evening performances Wadada Leo Smith’s Ten Freedom Summers, performed by WLS’s Golden Quartet and Pacifica Red Coral with video artist Jesse Gilbert; and Charles Lloyd and Friends featuring Bill Frisell.
On Saturday August 31, afternoon performers include Hamid Drake Quartet with Kidd Jordan, William Parker and Cooper-Moore; Ernie Krivda Quartet; Nick Mazzarella Trio and the Erin McDougald Quartet. Evening performances feature Stafford James String and Percussion Ensemble featuring M’BOOM; Gregory Porter; Rudresh Mahanthappa’s GAMAK and Jason Moran: Fats Waller Dance Party.
Sunday, September 1 afternoon performers include Fast Citizens; Evan Christopher; and Fareed Haque and Tony Monaco; The evening performers include the legendary Jimmy Heath Quartet with Jeb Patton; Hamid Drake & Bindu: Reggaeology; Robert Glasper Trio; and Donald Harrison and The Congo Square Nation with special guest Willie Pickens.
The day to day schedule had not been posted when I prepared this overview. For more information on the Detroit jazz Festival, visit http://www.detroitjazzfest.com/schedule.html.
September brings the annual Monterey Jazz Festival which your editor and publisher highlights and early October brings the annual king Biscuit Blues Festival which I hope to highlight in the next issue.
Don Sebesky’s Giant Box is part of the CTI Masterworks reissues of classic CTI albums marking the label’s 40th Anniversary. Originally issued as a double album, the single CD here makes available the music that Sebesky contributed arrangements/orchestrations to along with some original compositions from him. While it might seem this was a tribute to him from the label’s artists, in fact it was his attempt to showcase some of the label’s soloists he had worked with, and while writing the material he had a feeling who should play specific solos. Sebesky himself the arrangements and compositions here were amongst the most ambitious he had written at that time.
Among those featured on the performances on this recording are Sebesky and Bob James on keyboards; Ron Carter on acoustic, electric and piccolo bass; Billy Cobham and Jack DeJohnette on drums; George Benson and Harry Leahy; Airto, Dave Friedman and Ralph McDonald on percussion; Paul Desmond, Joe Farrell; and Grover Washington, Jr. on saxophones; Milt Jackson on vibes; Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and flugelhorn; Hubert laws on flute; and Jackie Kral and Roy cain on vocals.
The liner notes to the original release are included and while there is considerable classical influence (including his full use of strings, horns and woodwinds) in how Sebesky approaches some of the performances, he affirmatively answers that the ultimate result is jazz. He uses Stravinsky's Firebird to frame his orchestral arrangement for John McLaughlin’s Birds of Fire that is one of the showcases for Hubert Laws’ flute along with Freddie Hubbard’s trumpet and Harry Leahy’s guitar. Paul Desmond’s dry martini alto saxophone is showcased on the interpretation of Joni Mitchell’s Song to a Seagull, on which Sebesky is heard on electric piano.
Sebesky’s electric piano opens his original Free As a Bird with soaring horns has outstanding solos that take flight from James on piano, Hubbard on flugelhorn, and Washington on soprano sax (note how he really digs in on this). James is on organ for the arrangement of Jimmy Webb’s setting for Psalm 150, with Jackie Kral and Roy Cain singing praise for the Lord with Hubbard’s trumpet and Carter’s bass adding to the joyful sounds. Desmond opens the interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise, which is followed by some vibes-piano interplay between Milt Jackson and Bob James along with more Desmond on a lovely performance with some flamenco tinges and lovely use of horns in the orchestration.
Sebesky invokes us with his vocal to fly high as we could if we only could try opening his original medley Fly/Circle. This performance opens somewhat dreamingly that has both Laws and Farrell both displaying a fair amount of reverb in their flute and soprano sax respectively before an interlude with DeJohnette and Carter followed by Farrell’s serpentine solo and a skittering solo from Laws. The closing original Semi-Tough has a funky groove, some skittering piano from Sebesky, a gospel rooted vocal chorus, some gritty alto saxophone from Washington, and George Benson making judicious use of pedal effects in his driving guitar.
The performances on Don Sebesky’s Giant Box display how his ambitious synthesis of classical, jazz and popular music was so realized. His orchestrations frame the featured players here and enhance the solos that exhibit the skill and imagination of some of the greatest jazz musicians of four decades ago with m,ore than a few spectacular moments.
I received my review copy from a publicist for the release.
Straight Life is the latest reissue of Freddie Hubbard as part of Sony Music’s CTI Masterworks series celebrating 40 years of CTI. On this particular session Hubbard was joined by George Benson on guitar; Herbie Hancock on electric piano; Joe Henderson on tenor sax; Ron Carter on bass; Jack DeJohnette on drums; Richie ‘Pablo’ Landrum on percussion and Weldon Irvine on tambourine. The album has three songs that include two extended performances and one shorter interpretation of a standard.
There is a loose, jamming feel to the performances starting with the title track which is a Hubbard original on which Benson and Hancock take extended solos both built on repeated riffs with DeJohnette and percussion laying down the rhythm over which Hubbard seems to float above with his playing focusing on the middle. Irvine contributed Mr. Clean, is a mid-tempo cooker with a latin tinge as Henderson and Hubbard state its theme. Hubbard has a bit more heat in his playing and employing more of the upper register and is followed by some fervent playing from Henderson with Benson getting really gritty as well. The closing ballad, Here Comes That Rainy Day, is a lovely duet between Hubbard on flugelhorn with Benson on guitar. A nice conclusion to a reissue that may not be an essential part of Hubbard’s recorded legacy, but one with plenty of fire and cool.
I received a review copy from a publicist for the recording. Here is Freddie Hubbard at the DownBeat Awards performing Straight Life.
As part of its celebration of the 40th Anniversary of CTI Records, Sony has through the CTI Masterworks imprint reissued Freddie Hubbard’s First Light. First Light was a Grammy Award winning recording, and had Hubbard with a band that included drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Ron Carter, guitarist George Benson, pianist (acoustic and electric) Ricard Wyands, percussionist Airto Moreira along with a large orchestral horn and string section that included flautist Hubert Laws.
The title track certain is one of the high points here as it has some sparkling trumpet by the leader as well as some sizzling fretwork from Benson and flute from Laws with the orchestrated setting sweetening the sound to some extent in framing Hubbard’s playing with the music fading at the end. Following is a melodically rooted interpretation of Paul and Linda McCartney’s Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. The arrangements are uncredited although likely are by Don Sebesky as this performance suggests similar pop-jazz recordings by Wes Montgomery. Guitarist Benson adds some interesting guitar set against Wyands electric piano.
There is a lovely rendition of the Mancini/Mercer standard Moment To Moment, followed by very appealing muted playing on a Don Sebesky/ Norman Martin plaintive ballad Yesterday’s Dreams. The initial release concluded with some atmospheric playing on Lonely Town from the musical On the Town. On this reissue there are a couple of bonus selections that were not on the original recording. Cedar Walton’s Fantasy in D (Polar AC) from the same sessions that produced this album with Hubbard and the rhythm section exhibiting a bit more fervor and rhythmic pulse with Laws taking a flighty solo before Hubbard takes this out soaring with some more fire in his playing.
This particular reissue of First Light concludes with a lengthy live performance of the title track from Detroit in 1973 with Eric Gales on guitar, DeJohnette, Carter and an uncredited electronic keyboard player (Wyands?) on an extended performance that provides a fuller display of Hubbard’s dazzling brilliance and range. Gales takes a solo that exhibits his blues-inflected playing and DeJohnette takes a brief solo before Hubbard leads everyone out.
There is plenty of Freddie Hubbard’s often dazzling trumpet to be heard here, although there are some that may not be fans of the orchestrated settings for his performances.
My review copy was provided by a publicist for this release.
Miles Español is the title of a two-CD recording on Entertainment One Music that was conceived and produced by Bob Belden with a roster of internationally renowned artists. Subtitled New Sketches of Spain, the disc includes fresh renditions of compositions from Sketches of Spain and Kind of Blue, and original compositions from some of the contributing artists.
Among the more than 30 musicians assembled are Chick Corea, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, pianist Chano Domingez, drummer Alex Acuña, flautist Jorge Pardo, Sonny Fortune, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Rabih Abu-Khalil. Some of the musicians are former Miles sidemen, some are flamenco masters from Spain, some are from North Africa, and some are prominent figures in New York’s Latin Jazz scene. Tim Hagans, Scott Kinsey, and Vince Wilburn Jr. (Miles Davis’s nephew). One purpose of this recording is to emphasize the Africa-Spain-New World Connection in the emergence and evolution of jazz as is titled Doug Ramsey’s essay in the liner booklet, taking us from Jelly Roll Morton to Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie and reminding us of the impact the Moors had during their occupation of Spain.
Belden himself in his notes here states that in his treatment of some compositions such as Concierto De Aranjuez, he did not wanted to mimic Miles’ recording but rather help develop the Gypsy and Arabic influence on Spanish music and his unusual instrumentation that includes oboe and bassoon in addition to oud, dumbek and cajon to allow this fresh hearing of a classic. Chick Corea’s Trampolin follows with Ron Carter and Antonio Sanchez joined by flautist Jorge Pardo on the buoyant flamenco inspired piece. Just Three Miles is by Rabih Abu-Khalil whose oud playing and trumpet by Tim Hagans provide an intriguing mix of Berber and other sounds. Duende is a duet between guitarist Niño Joseles and flautist Pardo with a strong flamenco base. It’s followed by the marvelous Gonzalo Rubalcaba on Fantasia Por Miles Y Gil, listed as a solo piano performance in the booklet, but he clearly is accompanied by bass and drums (Carter and Sanchez?).
Similarly on what is supposed to be a piano trio plus percussion, Edsel Gomez’s Paisaje Urbano has an unidentified soprano saxophonist (Sonny Fortune?) who dances above Gomez’s Latin jazz piano. The unusual instrumentation continues on Saeta/ Pan Piper, with its employment of bagpipe in addition to woodwinds and French horns and trumpets with the harp of Edmar Casteñada standing out among the percussion with a bassoon solo by Mike Rabinowitz framed by riffing muted trumpets.
Jack DeJohnette’s Spantango opens the second disc with unidentified flute (Jorge Pardo?) along with Chano Dominguez’s spectacular piano, Eddie Gomez’s bass, DeJohnette‘s and Luisito Quintero’s congas. It is followed by a rendition of Miles’ Flamenco Sketches with Sonny Fortune’s flute and Jerry Gonzalez’ flugelhorn in addition to more piano from Dominguez. Gonzalez is outstanding in his spot, and like most of this recording the performance highlights percussion over orchestration. Tirititran Catalan is a traditional theme that bassist Carles Benavent arranged that spotlights Niño Joseles acoustic guitar and Corea’s piano followed by another selection that showcases Corea with a guitarist, John Scofeld’s El Swing, with Scofeld’s single note runs standing out with DeJohnette being outstanding providing rhythmic accents. Rubalcaba’s Momento has a ruminative quality while Miles’ Teo/ Neo showcases Edsel Gomez’s piano with John Benitez on bass, Alex Acuña on drums and Sammy Figueroa on congas supporting his effervescent playing.
By the close of Solea, again with an expanded ensemble with woodwinds, brass, harp and accordion, one has listened to a variety of performances that freshly explore not simply the music that Miles recorded five decades ago, but a more contemporary presentation of some of those elements that provided inspiration then and continues to provide a source for fresh musical invention. While the list of personnel in the booklet contains some errors, musically there can be no fault whatsoever found on this thoroughly engaging recording.
My review copy was provided by a publicist or the record label. The review originally appeared in the November 2011 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 338). To that review I add this youtube video of the recording of this album.
The first of George Benson’s CTI recordings was Beyond the Blue Horizon. It was recently remastered and reissued as part of the CTIMasterworks series that commemorates the 40th Anniversary of Creed Taylor’s label. This release is a straight-ahead date with a band that included organist Clarence Palmer, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Jack DeJohnette with percussionists Michael Cameron and Albert Nicholson adding some musical accents.
A pretty hot rendition of So What kicks this set off with Benson displaying why he has been so highly regarded as a guitarist mixing chords and single note runs in his imaginative playing here. Palmer acquits himself quite well on the Hammond B-3 with Carter and DeJohnette swinging as one would expect. It is followed by Luis Bonfa’s The Gentle Rain (From The Film The Gentle Rain), which opens with some spacy sounding organ before Benson states the theme displaying his precise and measured touch before launching his almost free form solo.
Benson’s All Clear is built around some bright chords and its light, bouncy feeling anticipates the title track of what would be his crossover smash album, Breezin’. His solo builds up quite some steam as Palmer adds interesting sonic effects in his comping. Ode to a Kudu is a lovely original ballad from Benson while Somewhere in the East opens with lively percussion that Benson plays some repeated riffs against before the entire ensemble joins in with Benson taking off on an extended solo.
This release concludes with alternate takes of the last three numbers, the most interesting being the alternate of Somewhere in the East which is about three minutes longer than the issued take. Like other CTI releases in this series, this was beautifully recorded and mastered. Recordings such as this one that have led to Benson enjoying a reputation of one of the great jazz guitarists of the past several decades.
“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.
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