Jerome Jennings Solidarity

Jerome Jennings
Solidarity
Iola Records

 Drummer Jerome Jennings may be best known as a member of Christian McBride's band. He has quite a resume. This includes playing on many recordings that I have heard by such artists as Christian Sands, Jazzmeia Horn, Hillary Gardner, Ernestine Anderson, and Houston Person. As a leader, this is his second album showcases his writing. He has assembled for this recording its core unit of trumpeter Josh Evans, tenor and soprano saxophonist Stacy Dillard, trombonist Andrae Murchison, pianist Zaccai Curtis, and Jennings's friend and mentor, legendary bassist Christian McBride. There are also special guests, including saxophonist-flutist Tia Fuller, tenor saxophonist-vocalist Camille Thurman, bassist Endea Owens, and percussionist Carlos Maldonado. The eleven tunes performed include seven originals and four covers that are imaginatively arranged. In his liner notes, he provides comments on each of the selections, including how he was inspired by various subjects. He observes, "This album documents my journey in educating myself and trying to understand the struggles of the most vulnerable people in our society."

Dizzy Gillespie's "Bebop" opens with a hip-hop flavor and provides a showcase for the three horns as well as Jennings' crisp, economical, and energetic playing. The first of his originals, "Recy's Lament," is a sober, blues-infused composition inspired by the case of the rape of a Black woman by six white men on her way home from church. The women would later press charges with help from Rosa Parks. While Jennings provides a loping groove, Curtis, Murchison, Dillard, and McBride provide solos to match the gravity conveyed by this composition. Then there is "Marielle (For Marielle Franco)," A Brazilian Black activist against injustice who was assassinated in 2018. There is plenty of fire in this performance with a heated groove, and spirited solos from Evans, Curtis, Fuller, and percussion from Jennings and Maldonado.

The title track opens with the leader's volcanic playing on "a statement of allyship with those most vulnerable in our society." It is followed by McBride developing the four-bar ostinato at its heart before the full band joins in on a highly charged performance with Murchison and Curtis outstanding. One also notes Jennings' excellent scoring of the ensemble horn parts here, which is a backdrop for Jennings volcanic playing for the last several measures of this superb performance. Camille Thurman sings on Jennings' arrangement of "I Love Your Smile," a hit for Shanice in 1991. After Jennings' remarkable solo performance "Heart," is a superb rendition of Woody Shaw's "Three Muses," that captures the feel of Shaw's own groups. Dillard, Evans, and Curtis are quite inspired here. Of the remaining selections, one moving selection is "Convo With Senator Flowers." It is set against his drum accompaniment presents her passionate speech against a proposed "Stand Your Ground" law in Arkansas.

The album closes with a beautiful rendition of Perry Como's theme, "You Are Never Far Away From Me." Both Christian McBride (who I believe is playing arco) and Endea Owens are on bass, and Curtis takes a lovely solo. Jennings is a superb leader drummer and composer who has produced this outstanding recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a rendition of "Bebop," with Jerome Jennings on drums.

Little Johnny Rivero Music In Me

Little Johnny Rivero

Music In Me
Truth Revolution Recordings

Veteran Latin percussionist Little Johnny Rivera has his second effort as a leader titled, “Music in Me.” Rivero has performed on nearly 100 recordings with La Sonora Ponceña, Eddie Palmieri, Bebo Valdés, Charlie Palmieri, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Paquito D' Rivera, Brian Lynch, and Conrad Herwig among others. Growing up he was exposed to a wide range of music "including Tito Puente, Machito, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Tony Bennett, all of which my father had in his record collection. Also, there were always rumba jams. Inside of me is a Latin Jazz Rumba."

On "Music in Me" he has assembled a band featuring trumpeter Brian Lynch, alto saxophonist Louis Fouché, pianist Zaccai Curtis and bass player Luques Curtis. Special guests on this program of nine compositions include trombonist Conrad Herwig, trumpeter Jonathan Powell, violinist Alfredo de la Fé, percussionists Anthony Carrillo and Luisito Quintero, vocalists Manny Mieles and Edwin Ramos and Giovanni Almonte (spoken word).

The opening selection, "Mr. LP," dedicated to Marty Cohen the founder of Latin Percussion, establishes the tenor of the recording with its Afro-Cuban danceable grooves. Anthony Carrillo's percussion added here with pianist Curtis laying down his sound along with Herwig's robust contribution followed by a percussion interlude before Herwig and Lynch add some brass fireworks. Pianist Curtis and Rivera composed the title track, a hot jazz rumba with some terrific trumpet from Lynch, one of today's most brilliant trumpeters whether playing Latin jazz as here or hard bop (like when he was with the late Phil Woods). Fouché also solos with authority here. Zaccai Curtis' "Let's Do It Again" is built on a nice hard bop line but transformed into a smoking Afro-Cuban groove with Afonso at the fore. Andy Guzman contributed what Rivera describes as a Latin jazz mambo, "Little Giants," with Jonathan Powell playing the hot trumpet and guest Anthony Carrillo smoking on the bongos.

The cha-cha-cha "Palmieri, Much Respect" was composed by pianist Curtis and dedicated to the great Eddie Palmieri with the leader on timbales and Curtis wonderful with his spicy melodic invention. A celebration of Africa, the home of all drumming is Brian Lynch's "African, My Land" with a recitation of a poem by Giovanni Almonte and strong saxophone from Fouché. and Rivera and Manny Mieles chanting over the percussion near the end. After the explosive, percussive "Bombazúl," there is the funky "Afro Rykan Thoughts," with its jamming feel and blazing playing from Lynch and Fouché, along with Curtis' memorable piano.

"Alambique," named after a beach in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, sports a timbales solo by Luisito Quintero and a violin solo from Alfredo de la Fe (both stellar), and is the final performance on a terrific Latin Jazz recording full of excellent ensemble work, intriguing arrangements and hot, driving dance grooves. Little Johnny Rivera has put out a recording with some very big sounds.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 369) to which I have made minor corrections. Here is a video of Little Johnny Rivero in performance.