Lafayette Harris Jr. Can't Lose With the Blues

Lafayette Harris Jr.
You Can't Lose With the Blues
Savant Records

Baltimore native Lafayette Harris has become a fixture on the New York scene whose resume includes stints in Max Roach's 1990s band, vocalist Ernestine Anderson and currently with saxophonist Houston Person. Person produced this piano trio with a superb rhythm section of Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash drums. Underlying this recording is to "expand the language of the blues" as well as play "some standards with 'blues pride inserted in the song form.'"

With this superb trio, Harris handles a variety of songs that have been recorded by Sarah Vaughan, Bull Moose Jackson, Louis Jordan, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and others. The set kicks off with a brisk walking tempo swinger, "He's My Guy," where Harris develops several variations on the theme. A lovely interpretation of the Bull Moose Jackson hit ballad, "I Love You, Yes I Do," is taken at a lazy tempo. It is followed by the effervescent original, "Blues For Barry Harris," with Harris scintillating with Nash's accents helping drive this along. Nash and Washington both solo with distinction here. Harris' touch and phrasing capture the reflective quality of the Louis Jordan hit, "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying." A similar feeling is captured on the Cole Porter classic "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," an exquisite duet with Washington. An energetic rendition of the classic Mercer Ellington number, "Things Ain't What They Used To Be," follows.

Other standout selections include an imaginative rendering of Charlie Parker's "Bloomdido," that shows, like his tribute to Barry Harris, that he has learned the lessons of Bird and Bud Powell. The title track is a down-home as Harris gets, and then there is a superb solo rendition of Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone To Love. "The Juicy Blues," is a brisk, rollicking original that again showcases Lafayette Harris' superb blues exploration and caps this excellent recording.

I received my review copy from High Note/ Savant Records. Here is Lafayette Harris, Jr. from a few years back performing Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooch."

Tony Bennett & Diana Krall Love Is Here To Stay

Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
Love Is Here To Stay
Verve Records/Columbia Records

While Diana Krall recorded duets with Tony Bennett (who just turned 92) for Bennett's duets recordings, this celebration of the music of Tony Bennett is their first full album together. It also is a celebration of the George Gershwin songbook and issued on the 120th Anniversary of Gershwin's birth. The 14 performances were recorded with The Bill Charlap Trio (Bill Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums). 

Tony Bennett's voice perhaps is a tad frayed and not quite as supple as it once was, he remains a master song stylist. On the opening "S'Wonderful," Krall's sultry singing and the rapport between two produce a delightful track. Furthermore, Bennett still retains so much of his voice as heard on a superb "Nice Work If You Can Get It," as well as the trading of lyrics on "Love Is Here To Stay." In addition to the charm of the two, the Charlap trio's backing is sublime as on "I Got Rhythm." Bennett's phrasing certainly adds weight to his vocal on "I've Got a Crush OnYou," while she responds with congenial warmth. "Fascinating Rhythm," which was the first song Bennett recorded decades ago, is effervescently performed.

There are some solo selections, including Krall's superb reading of "How Long Has This Been Going On," with Kenny Washington's use of brushes and Charlap's wonderful accompaniment. I believe this a bonus selection for CDs purchased from Target stores, as is Bennett's vocal on "Oh, Lady Be Good." As indicated, the rapport between them is evident throughout the performances on this captivating recording.

I received as a download to review from a publicist. This review appeared in the January-February 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 382), although I have made minor changes to the review as published. Here the two perform "S'Wonderful," on the Tonight Show.

Steve Hobbs Tribute To Bobby

Steve Hobbs
Tribute To Bobby
Challenge Records

Marimba / vibes veteran Steve Hobbs has dedicated this new recording to Bobby Hutcherson who mentored him as a young player. The dedication came after Hutcherson's recent death shortly after this program of mostly originals by Hobbs that encompass modern mainstream examples of post bop, Latin, Funk, Calypso, and the such. Emphasis on this date is on the woodier marimba. He is joined by a terrific band including Adam Kolker on saxes, Bill O’Connell on piano, Peter Washington on bass and John Riley on drums. Hobbs himself in the booklet elaborates on the renditions of ten originals and three covers.

On the opening "The Craving Performance," one observes how tight the rhythm section is as Washington's firm bass anchors this lively swinger. Kolker's tough tenor solo is followed by Hobbs on marimba on a solo displaying imagination as well as precision. "Into the Storm" opens with Riley's drums and a short period of controlled chaos between marimba and piano. It transitions to a 5/4 on an animated performance with several metric changes and superb piano from O'Connell. On the wonderful interpretation of "Besame Mucho," Hobbs states that he "wanted a West African Naningo feel … ." This is a quartet performance with his marimba lending more of a Caribbean than Afro-Cuban flavor. Both O'Connell and Hobbs are spectacular while Washington and Riley are superb throughout. Kolker returns with authority on the vibrant, driving "New Creation," followed by Hobbs who states Hutcherson's influence on him is perhaps most evident here. Washington also solos on this selection.

The breezy latin-flavored "Tres Vias" has Kolker on soprano with a serpentine solo, followed by the lovely "Millie," with nice brush work from Riley and then, "Thelonious Funk," which has a playful, funky tone. "The Road to Happy Destiny" is a a gospel-rock-R&B flavored song having lyrics about hope and service where the backing track was recorded first and the vocals added later (including a brief scat solo). Then comes a reflective rendition of Bob Dylan's "Blowing in the Wind," a punchy latin-flavored "El Sueno de Horace Silver," with hot mallets and tenor sax. "In From the Storm," is a pop-flavored composition  having a light bossa nova groove, and vocals. It is followed by an ebullient calypso romp, "Let's Go To Abaco!"

The quartet has a brisk take on the Rodgers and Hart standard "Where or When," that is kicked off by Riley, before Hobbs' sterling marimba solo with Riley taking a crisp, drum solo. It concludes this recording in an impressive manner.

I received from my review copy from a publicist. I have edited, for clarity, the review that appeared in the November-December 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 375).
 

Lee Konitz Frescalalto

Lee Konitz
Frescalalto
Impulse!

This is a stunning new album by Lee Konitz with a stellar rhythm section of Kenny Barron on piano, Kenny Washington on drums and Peter Washington on bass on a collection of standards that allows the alto saxophone legend to display his fruitful improvisatory skills. "Stella by Starlight" opens with Konitz playing briefly unaccompanied before the rhythm enters and both Barron and Peter Washington take choice solos along with the leader's own dry, slightly sour alto. Konitz's original "Thingin'" also allows his band to shine along with his unpredictable and fresh playing, even avoiding cliches when trading fours with Kenny Washington while the performance fades at close.

A trio record of Barron with this rhythm section would be heaven enough, but add Konitz's alto and you have some magic. Unexpectedly, Konitz scats backed by piano to open "Darn That Dream" before taking an alto solo and then scats after Barron's lovely playing on this duet. The Washingtons return on the swinging "Kary's Trance," "Out of Nowhere" provides another showcase for Konitz's ability to take a familiar number and delight us with his unexpected and fresh improvisation and then scats an improvisation between solos from Peter and Kenny.

After a lovely Konitz ballad, "Gundala," where his lyricism is on full display, there is a superb rendition of the Kaper Bronislaw and Paul Francis Webster classic "Invitation" before the album closes with "Cherokee." Rather than the breakneck tempo "Cherokee" usually is played at, Konitz leads the quartet in a medium walking tempo as he hints at its melodic theme before Kenny Barron accelerates things with a fiery break followed by Kenny Washington's explosive drum break and then the pace slows down with Konitz's reentry. This "Cherokee is a fresh, imaginative end to a fabulous recording.

I received a review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371), although I have made minor changes from that review. Here is Konitz playing "Cherokee" from a few years ago.

Andy Bey Knows It "Ain’t Necessarily So"

On the new disc, Ain’t Necessarily So (12th Street Recordings), veteran pianist and vocalist Andy Bey is heard on a live 1997 recording from New York City’s Birdland. It was recorded a few months after his acclaimed studio date, Ballads, Blues & Bey, and had him backed by Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums, except for Vito Lecszak on drums for two tracks.

Possessing a broad vocal range,going from a deep bass to a bluesy falsetto, Bey phrases his vocals in a horn-like fashion, extended phrases punctuated by some vocalese, and thoughtfully emphasizing some of the lyrics. As he shows on a brief solo during On Second Thought, Bey certainly is not lacking in piano technique, his playing is marked by its spare and understated approach, evoking the melody through the use of chords and to help underscore his interpretations of such songs the Gershwin classic opening this set; the Kern-Hammerstein staple, All the Things You Are, Someone to Watch Over Me; and the Ellington ballad, I Let A Song Out of My Heart.

Even on the instrumental, If I Should Lose You, he makes use as much of the silences as the notes he plays, while throughout, Kenny and Peter Washington unobtrusively fill out the performances that were so enthusiastically received the evening this was recorded.

This review originally appeared in the March 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 302) and I received my review copy from that publication or a publicist for the recording. Here is a video of Andy Bey performing.