Kenny Washington What's The Hurry

Kenny Washington
What's The Hurry
Lower 9th Records

Vocalist Kenny Washington (not to be confused with the well-known drummer of the same name) is a New Orleans native who relocated to the San Francisco Bay area after discharge from the Navy. He performed in an Off-Broadway jazz production that also took him to Europe. After returning to San Francisco, he was brought back to New York with vibraphonist Joe Locke for a performance at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has appeared on several recordings from saxophonist Michael O'Neill and has two live recordings under his name. He has many fans, including vocalist Karrin Allysin, and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

On this CD, Washington is accompanied by a core group of pianist Josh Nelson, Gary Brown on acoustic bass, and Lorca Hart on drums. Others on this recording include saxophonist Victor Goines, guitarist Jeff Massanari, trumpeter Mike Olmos, percussionist Peter Michael Escovedo, bassist Dan Feizli, trombonist Jeff Cressman, and percussionist Ami Molinelli-Hart.

This is a well-programmed album, with Washington singing in a variety of settings ranging from piano trio backing, guitar or bass backing, and small combo with horns. Washington is a singer with a considerable vocal range and a slight vibrato. He stands out with his phrasing, the clarity of his delivery of the lyrics and his horn-like scatting and whistling. The backing is immaculate, starting with the piano trio on "The Best Is Yet to Come." Massanari provides a supple guitar backing for delightful renditions of "S'Wonderful" and "I Got the World on a String." Goines adds his fruity tenor sax to Brown's bass intro on an exquisite "Stars Fell on Alabama," with Nelson and Hart adding their understated backing midway, with Brown soloing. Nelson's elegant, skilled piano and Olmos' soft growling trumpet are part of the backing for Washington's melancholic interpretation of Duke Ellington's "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues."

Washington's performance of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is a duet with pianist Nelson whose restrained backing adds to the intimacy of the performance. Escovedo's bongos kick off a Latin-feel to washington's reading of the jazz classic, "Invitation," with Nelson taking a stunning piano solo. Washington's hauntingly beautiful rendition of "Here's To Life" is perhaps the album's high point, which is high praise for an excellent recording. Bassist Dan Feizli accompanies Washington on a buoyant "Sweet Georgia Brown," where Washington displays his abilities scatting. A full band with Goines on clarinet, Cressman on trombone, and Molinelli-Hart on percussion provide an effervescent Brazilian groove for Washington as he sings the Jobim-de Moraes Bossa classic "No More Blues (Chega de Saudade)." Goines' blues-inflected clarinet is showcased along with Washington's vocal and scatting.

Guitarist Massanari returns to back Washington on Charlie Chaplin's "Smile." It closes a wonderfully produced and recorded CD that displays Washington's superlative jazz vocals.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a recent performance of Kenny Washington singing "Cry Me a River."

Ray Obiedo Latin Jazz Project Vol. 1

Ray Obiedo
Latin Jazz Project Vol. 1
Rhythmus Records

Those wanting an easy to listen to album of straightforward Latin Jazz need go no further than the new album from guitarist and composer, Ray Obiedo, "Latin Jazz Project Vol. 1." Obiedo comes from the San Francisco Bay area where the sounds of Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Henry Mancini and Motown helped form his early musical persona, which later was further shaped by the James Brown revue. His career has included stints with Johnny Hammond Smith, then touring with trombonist Julian Priester, followed by a long association with the great percussionist Pete Escovedo and whose daughter Sheila was part of his funk/fusion band. Sheila and her brother Peter Michael Escovedo participate on this session which also includes Santana members David K. Mathews, Karl Perazzo and Jeff Cressman, Yellowjackets reedman Bob Mintzer, flutists Elena Pinderhughes and Roger Glenn, trumpeter Ray Vega, timbale master Orestes Vilató, vocalist Sandy Cressman, sax and flute player Norbert Stachel, steel pan player Phil Hawkins, and brothers Marc and Paul van Wageningen on bass and drums.

Included here are Latin Jazz standards and three Obiedo originals are this album starting with the rendition of Tito Puente's "Picadillo" with Glenn's flute and Matthews piano standing out along with the leader on acoustic guitar and Peter Michael Escovedo on congas and timbales. it sets the breezy for this album that has more of a controlled heat than jet engine bursts of energy. Pinderhughes' flute along with the wordless vocalizing of Cressman are featured on Walter Bishop's "Coral Keys," followed by Stachel's serpentine soprano sax featured on a lively rendition of the Ellington-Tizol classic "Caravan." A spirited interpretation of Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas," includes the Hawkins' steel pans, the leader's intriguing single note runs and Stachel's dancing tenor sax along with a a percussion heavy segment with the piano and steel pans comping. Obiedo's original, "Cubo Azul," is a latin-accented hard-bop styled number that Mintzer's tenor is featured on, while flutist Roger Glenn contributed "Santa Cruz," a saucy number with a strong Afro-Cuban foundation as Vega's trumpet and Cressman's trombone provide support for Glenn's soloing here and Matthews takes a strong solo on piano here while there is a short, uncredited vocal break as well, while Vega takes flight leading this performance to a fade.

"Latin Jazz Project Vol. 1" closes with a percussion duet between Sheila E and her brother Peter Michael Escovedo, concluding a solid and very engaging recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 369). Here is some vintage Ray Obiedo.