Brad Allen Williams - Lamar

While busy as a sideman with the likes of Kris Bowers, Cory Henry and Jose James), guitarist Brad Allen Williams debuts as a leader on "Lamar (Allegro Music/Nail-Sojourn Records)." On this recording he is joined by organist Pat Bianchi and drummer Tyshawn Sorey for a solid collection of performances of originals along with some recognizable pop and soul tunes. Williams states that "This album is exclusively about creating and capturing a feeling …," and this is reflected not simply in how they play but also in recording this "with the three of us in one great-sounding room together using the best analog tape machines and a great analog engineer." This analog recording is available in vinyl.

This is is a lively varied organ trio with Williams up front starting with the lively interpretation of Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out," with Williams' fluid runs and Bianchi's greasy B-3. Williams blues, "201 Poplar," is a superb blues performance with an after hours feel with Bianchi helping color the leader's solo as Sorey deftly adds his accents. On renditions of the Glen Campbell hit "Galveston" and The Stylistics' "Betcha By Golly Wow," Williams employs a vocalized approach in his playing centered around the songs lyrics, with Bianchi and Sorey adding light support. "Euclid and Lamar" is a briskly played Williams original that showcases all three players and followed by a lovely rendition of the classic ballad "Stairway to the Stars."

After the loping groove of a bluesy shuffle "Culver Viaduct Rehabilitation Project" by the trio, Williams closes "Lamar" with a solo rendition of "More Than You Know." It is an exquisite close to a highly entertaining, excellent jazz guitar and organ trio recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the January-February Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 364).  Here is "More Than You Know" from the recording.

Pat Bianchi Seeks a Higher Standrad

 

One of today's top practitioners of the Hammond B-3 organ, Pat Bianchi has a new release, "A Higher Standard" (21H Records). The release has Bianchi with his current trio of Byron Landham (drums) and Craig Ebner (guitar). This writer saw and was impressed by Bianchi as part of a group backing tenor saxophonist Paul Carr at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival (and he recorded with Carr) and he is known for working with Lou Donaldson. This recording features him and his working band.

There is a nice of mix of material from the opening "With Out a Song" and Horace Silver's "Blue Silver" to Oscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark," John Coltrane's "Satellite," and Stevie Wonder's "From the The Bottom Of My Heart," along with a couple of Bianchi originals. Bianchi certainly is an impressive playing and his greasy, sometimes orchestral, playing contrasts with the lean and clean chords and single note lines of Ebner, while Landham (celebrated on Bianchi's "The Will of Landham") pushes the performance with considerable swing. "Blue Silver" is certainly a good selection to observe the trio's considerable strengths and empathic ensemble playing.

Ebner opens "So Many Stars" with some Spanish laced guitar before Bianchi lays down some low-key organ on a performance that showcases Ebner acoustic playing. The groove on the greasy "The Will of Landham" brings a bit more heat to the surface while "Bohemia After Dark" has some of Bianchi's most explosive playing. Landham kicks off Bianchi's "Blues Minus One," a marvelous blues performance, before the disc closes on a nice adaptation of the Stevie Wonder number.

Bianchi is a terrific player who leads a strong band and the mix of material exhibits the trio's considerable talents. As a result, "A Higher Standard" is a wonderful organ trio recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist.  This review appeared in slightly different form in the July-August 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 361). Here a slightly different incarnation of Pat Bianchi's trio performs Monk's "Trinkle, Tinkle."

Friday February 15 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival Kicks Off

I am getting really stroked about this year's Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and have previously did a preview of it which appeared on January 15 and which is linked here. For me the highlight will finally be seeing Gregory Porter performing backed by the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Orchestra directed by Paul Carr. As a taste of what we might expect here is a clip of him with a big band led by Jools Holland doing a Louis Jordan classic that has become a standard done by the likes of B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Clifton Chenier and others, Let the Good Times Roll. This has become my favorite rendition of this song and I am hopeful that this might be included in the repertoire he sings that night.

Gregory Porter will be interviewed by Miyuki Williams at 6:00PM and his performance with the Orchestra is scheduled at 8:30PM. He is also teaching a Vocal Master Class at 11:30AM on Saturday as part of the Festival. As much as I would love to attend the interview, it is at the same time time as a performance by Elijah Jamal Balbed, one of the Washington area's most acclaimed young saxophonists.   He recently had a wonderful show at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History perforing the pre-Miles Davis music of Wayne Shorter. Here is a video clip of Elijah performing Wayne Shorter's Neferiti.

I am also really looking forward to seeing the terrific pianist Orrin Evans performing with a group featuring saxophonist Tim Warfield, and Paul Carr leading a terrific group with organist Pat Bianchi, guitarist Bobby Broom and drummer Byron Landham.  Others performing include vocalist Chad Carter.

As my preview indicated, one new aspect of this year's festival with be the Juke Joint with some of the DC area's finest blues talent in the MAJF Juke Joint. This night, David Cole and Main Street Blues will be performing. David has been performing with some of the DC area's most celebrated blues and rhythm talent for some time. When not leading Main Street Blues with his fleet guitar and soulful singing he might be heard backing the local legend, Little Royal.  Here is a clip of David Cole and Main Street Blues doing the Roy Hawkins classic most know from B.B. King's monster remake, The Thrill Is Gone.

Anyway it promises to be some incredible music and hope to see some of you there. It takes place at the Hilton Washington DC/Rockville Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. For more information visit http://www.midatlanticjazzfestival.org.

Guitarist JC Stylles Exhilarating Organ Trio.

Winning a contest on one of the jazz websites, my prize was the Motéma CD by Australian guitarist JC Stylles, Exhilaration and Other States. I was completely unfamiliar with Stylles prior to this contest, but this organ trio album with organist Pat Bianchi and drummer Lawrence Leathers has quickly become a personal favorite.

Exhilarating is the feeling from the album's as the band comes out smoking on Eddie Marshall's Knucklebean, a feverish blues that illustrates the empathy between the three. Stevie Wonder's I Can't Help, has a slightly slower tempo, but Stylles continues with his fleet, driving attack. The temperature drops for the lovely Billy Eckstine ballad I Want To Talk About You, with Stylles cleanly articulating each note and employing judicious use of sustain for a lovely performance. Stylles confesses a love for ballads that is also reflected in a moody and haunting rendition of Billie Holiday's Don't Explain.

Cole Porter's Love For Sale, is handled energetically as Stylles again dazzles with his deft and imaginative playing set against his terrific bandmates. Other numbers in the eclectic group of songs include Wayne Shorter's Pinnochio, with its unusual structure that the trio readily handles, and R. Kelly's It Seems Your Ready, which provides a nice late feel contrasting with the fire of the Shorter number.

Stylles original, Samba Steps, is based on the chord progression of Coltrane's Giant Steps, but handled with a Samba feel, and provides a rousing finish to one of the best organ-guitar recordings of recent times. Stylles, Bioanchi and Leathers certainly caught my ear with this recording, and I look forward to more from these three.