L’abîme

L’abîme
L'abîme
Multiple Chord Music

L'abîme (translated as The Abysm) is a Quebec quintet who debut with the eponymously named album. The group was conceived about two years ago with a unique sound rooted in modern jazz with solid rock and contemporary classical influences (the music of Olivier Messiaen being a significant touchstone). Its members are pianist Jonathan Turgeon, bassist Hugo Blouin, saxophonist and flutist Alex Dodier, tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Gabriel Genest, and drummer Jean-Philippe Godbout. Pianist Turgeon composed all the tunes, but the whole group helped put together the arrangements.

The music on this debut recording is a showcase for the group's woodwind players, who explore a wide range of textures and timbres. The album opens with the reflective "Requiem," which is set forth at a stately pace with Dodier and Genest helping state the theme over Turgeon's piano. Genest's woody-tone clarinet weaves in and out with Dodier's surging sax before closing in a muted manner. "Perdu dans les bois" translates as 'lost in the woods.' The spotlight is on Didier's soprano sax and pianist Turgeon on a dreamy performance on this cut. "'Labîme" opens with a brief bass solo before Turgeon plays cleanly and crisply while building in energy before the horns join in to add additional heat.

The three-part "Le Culte" is a centerpiece of the recording. The quintet navigates moods and various sonic textures opening in the first part with a somber tone generated by flute and clarinet and the interplay between the two and a turbulent rhythmic foundation. As the performance evolves, one hears commonalities with some of the recordings by the AACM and similar musicians herd in the use of dissonance, composed sections. Among the attractions in this three-part composition are Blouin's sawtooth bowed bass, Genest's buzzing, stormy tenor sax, and Turgeon's piano.

Closing this recording is "L'etang au crepuscule (the Pond at Dusk)," a lovely, unhurried performance that opens with Genest's dreamy clarinet and then Blouin solos over Turgeon's spare accompaniment. It closes this quartet's impressive debut, with challenging, but accessible music.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is a selection from the album.

Vinnie Riccitelli Octet For the Record

Vinnie Riccitelli Octet
For the Record
Self-produced

With a musical performing career stretching from 1941 to 2018, Vinnie Riccitelli led a highly successful freelance career for decades. He did have an album in 1956, "Unique Jazz, Jazz From Westchester," that had eight originals he penned and played by an octet that included tenor saxophonist Carmen Leggio, trombonist Eddie Bert, and trumpeter Joe Shepley. Since then, he freelanced, including being part of Bobby Rosengarden's East Coast Orchestra for the Jerry Lewis Telethon. He was a sideman for such legends as Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Lena Horne, and many more. He also was affiliated with some of New York's swing big bands, including Lew Anderson's All American Big Band, which enjoyed a lengthy residence at Birdland. Riccitelli appeared on multiple recordings of this band as the first chair alto sax.

Retiring from playing, he rediscovered his love of piano and became inspired to revisit some of his unrecorded compositions and arrangements. "For the Record," released some sixty-plus years after his first album, features those songs and arrangements, and was recorded between November 2019 and January 2020. Riccitelli, while no longer playing, was present for all the recording sessions. This most recent project again provided him the chance to work with and reward some of his longtime friends, including a former student of his from the late 1940s, tenor saxophonist Joe Stelluti, alongside his talented son Chris, on baritone sax, and Joe's brother Lou on bass. Others on this album include Leo Ursini or Nathan Childers on alto saxophone, Glenn Drewes on trumpet and flugelhorn, Bruce Bonvissuto on trombone, Eddie Monteiro on piano, and accordion, and Tony Tedesco on drums. Four of the seventeen tracks were composed by Riccitelli, and he wrote arrangements for all but one track, which was Tommy Newsom's arrangement for "Maids of Cadiz." Before moving to California to be part of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show Orchestra, Newsom played in Riccitelli's octet.

Aside from Riccitelli's for originals, the compositions include some classic jazz standards and songs from the American songbook. These include "I'm Old Fashioned," "If You Could See Me Now," "Stompin' at the Savoy," "Star Eyes," "Mr. Lucky," "Maids of Cadiz," "Along Came Betty," "Darn the Dream" "Dolphin Dance, "Jordu," and "Round Midnight." The octet swings and displays a clean, measured tone in a manner that suggests a fusion of bebop and West Coast cool. This sound is heard on "Riccitelli's "Minor Seven Heaven," which showcases Joe Stelluti's tenor saxophone. Another fascinating original "Blues Dominant" is another feature for Stelluti as well as trombonist Bonvissuto.

It should be noted that the performances are relatively short, ranging from 3 to 5 minutes. Stelluti is also prominent on "I'm Old Fashioned," which has a couple of solo choruses from pianist Monteiro. There is a gorgeous arrangement for Tadd Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now," with memorable solos from Drewes and Chris Stelluti. Chris Stelluti's robust baritone sax is also featured on the hip interpretation of "Serenata." The arrangement of "Stompin' at the Savoy" is a feature for bassist Lou Stelluti with the horns framing his playing. "Star Eyes" has shifting rhythms, tempos, and moods, along with some fiery trumpet from Drewes. Tommy Newsom's arrangement for "Maid of Cadiz" provides for a mesmerizing interplay by the horns before Bonvissuto's brassy solo.

On "Mr. Lucky," Monteiro plays accordion with an organ-like flavor. Drewes' haunting trumpet evokes Clifford Brown on a rendition of Benny Golson's "Along Came Betty." Bonvissuto's reflective trombone is showcased on "Darn That Dream," an arrangement originally written to showcase Eddie Bert. Riccitelli's arrangements of Duke Jordan's "Jordu" and then Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight" also merit mention using half-time and double-time on the Monk classic, adding spice with the horns providing atmosphere behind Drewes soaring trumpet.

This album is a splendid recording that allows Vinnie Riccitelli and his well-crafted, handsome arrangements to shine. Add the excellent ensemble sound and terrific, focused solos, and one has a jewel of a jazz recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist.

Al Muirhead Quintet -Live from Frankie's & The Yardbird

Al Muirhead Quintet -Live from Frankie's & The Yardbird - Chronograph Records

This album captures Canadian trumpeter Al Muirhead in two performances from a 2018 Canadian Jazz Festival tour. Muirhead, whose career spans eight decades (he first recorded in 1953), leads a top-flight quintet on these recordings. Common to both performances are Muirhead on bass trumpet and trumpet, Kelly Jefferson on Tenor Saxophone, and Neil Swainson on bass. Guitarists Reg Schwager and Jim Head, and drummers Jesse Cahill and Ted Warren round up the players on performances from Yardbird Suite in Edmonton, Alberta, and Frankie's Jazz Club in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Before the tour, a setlist of jazz standards was provided for the improvisations. Muirhead writes, "What you are about to hear is not your usual slick, well-rehearsed, beautifully arranged recording. It is music being performed by a group of musicians, some meeting for the first time on the bandstand, playing the music they love. It is raw, spontaneous, and more importantly, it is real. Musicians working together, knowing their roles, their functions, listening to one another to make music." 

Muirhead's is heard primarily on bass trumpet, which one might mistake for a trombone. He and Jefferson are terrific on Sonny Rollins' "Tenor Madness," on which everyone solos. Different performances of the jazz classic open and close this album. Muirhead exhibits a definite warmth and somewhat wooly texture to his sound on the classic ballad "Emily." At the same time, he certainly can build heat playing bass trumpet as he exhibits on Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring." Jefferson impressed this listener throughout with his full-bodied tone, fluid playing, and imaginative, lyrical improvisations. His open trumpet playing is stellar on "Mona Lisa." Guitarist Head shines with his fleet playing on "Emily," while guitarist Schwager dazzles on "Joy Spring."

Listeners will find plenty of heat and heart in this album." Live from Frankie's & The Yardbird" brings together some first-rate, straight-ahead bop and swing characterized by a top-notch ensemble playing and outstanding soloists.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is a short soundcheck of "Emily."

David Larsen - The Mulligan Chronicles

David Larsen - The Mulligan Chronicles -Self-produced

Saxophonist-educator-composer David Larsen's exploration into Gerry Mulligan's compositions has culminated in "The Mulligan Chronicles." Larsen says, "In my studies, I traveled to the Library of Congress to view hundreds of Gerry Mulligan's handwritten scores and interview countless musicians." Larsen has put together a repertoire that ranges from early to later Mulligan compositions. On baritone sax, he has recruited for this effort musicians who all had an association with Mulligan. Trombonist Dave Glenn played 2nd trombone for Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band, while Pianist Bill Mays worked with Gerry off and on since the 1980s. Bassist Dean Johnson worked with Gerry for almost all of his later career, and drummer Ron Vincent joined Gerry's working quartet in the 1990s. It is a band that is true to Mulligan's music's spirit and style while the members bring their voices.

The relaxed loping groove of "Walkin' Shoes" starts with Larsen takes a burly solo followed by the other quintet members that capture the feel of a 50s World Pacific or Prestige recording. Larsen is a strong player and leader and takes the group through various settings such as the light swinger, "Curtains," with Larsen and Glenn trading choruses, or the moody tribute to Monk, "Good Neighbor Thelonious," with a superlative Mays solo. There is the delight of the call and response of the horns playing the head of "Festive Minor."

On "Idol Gossip," Larsen and the ensemble ably handle the brisker tempo with a particularly burly baritone sax solo from the leader. This track is followed by a lively rendition of the Latin rhythms of "Rico Apollo." Larsen and Mays further shine on "The Flying Scotsman" with its shifting motifs, while "Out Back of the Barn" has a down-home, bluesy feel. Glenn plays with a touch of gutbucket here. Larsen exhibits a more reflective tone on a lovely ballad, "Etude For France."

Combining Gerry Mulligan's compositions with first-rate, straight-ahead playing, David Larsen has produced the memorable "The Mulligan Chronicles."

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here David Larsen leads the group on "Walkin' Shoes."

Jacám Manricks Samadhi

Jacám Manricks
 Samadhi
 Manricks Music Records
 
Jacám Manricks was born in 1976 in Brisbane, Australia, the child of two classical musicians in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra—and the grandson of a celebrated Portuguese jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, and a Sri Lankan concert pianist. He received a degree in music performance (classical and jazz saxophone) from the Queensland Conservatorium. In 2001 he moved to New York and continued a performing career as well as further education. He relocated to Sacramento, California, in 2014, teaching and performing in a super sax style combo as well as his own big band. He also built a home studio where the present album was recorded and mixed.

"Samadhi," the title of Manricks' new album, is a Sanskrit term that refers to a state of heightened, holistic focus that allows for communion with the divine. Manricks uses that title in the sense of "Getting to that state of intense concentration where everything else disappears around you, and only the music exists." Manricks plays Manricks plays alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones. He also plays and clarinet and bass clarinet, flute and alto flute, and MIDI strings (for which he wrote the orchestrations). This release showcases not only his improvisatory abilities but his compositions. He authored all eight selections, although one is a collaboration with pianist Joe Gilman. The other members of the quartet are bassist Matt Penman and drummer Clarence Penn.
 
 The compositions and the musicians make for marvelous listening . Manricks has written  memorable musical themes with shifting tempos and colors. It starts with the opening, dramatic "Formula One" and the playful "Common Tone" with an insistent groove that Penn drives along as well as provides counter-rhythms. Pianist Gilman shines on this selection, whether his mesmerizing riff or solo, while Manricks shows here, and throughout, complete technical command and authority in his improvisations. Manricks can play with utter abandon or with contemplative restraint as he displays with his soprano sax on "New Years Day." This selection also has a terrific bass solo by Penman. The title track is a striking composition and an outstanding performance with a spiritual mood with his sax soaring over the rhythm section.
 
Other performances are equally fascinating such as Manricks' use of a bass clarinet to double up the bass line on "Schmaltz" in addition to his robust tenor sax. "Samadhi" closes with "Ethereal," a spellbinding, free-flowing collaboration by Manricks on soprano sax and Gilman. It caps this consistently outstanding recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2021 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 394). I have made a couple minor edits and corrections. Here is the title track.

Carla Marciano Quartet Psychosis: Homage to Bernard Herrmann

Carla Marciano Quartet
Psychosis: Homage to Bernard Herrmann
Challenge Records

This writer became aware of Italian saxophonist Carla Marciano and her Quartet from her album "Stream of Consciousness" (Alfa Music). That was her fourth album (her first three were on Black Saint). Starting with the opening "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," I was struck by how she and her band played with such tenacity and energy. Her band includes her husband Alessandro La Corte on piano and keyboards, Aldo Vigorito on double bass, and Gaetano Fasano on drums. The music was evocative of the classic Coltrane Quartet (thinking of Coltrane's rendition of "Greensleeves," for example) but performed with such vigor and belief.

Marciano (who plays alto and sopranino saxophones) explains the inspiration for this album, "This album is my heartfelt homage to one of the greatest geniuses of film score, the composer and conductor Bernard Herrmann, whose music has dazzled me since I was a child. It has been very interesting to arrange, revise and adapt, for a jazz quartet, some of the best known themes from outstanding soundtracks Herrmann wrote for equally outstanding films - all psychological thrillers (hence the title Psychosis) … . Bearing a classic feel and originally conceived for orchestras, the tracks in this album were arranged in full respect of the originals, leaving intact, for example, the beauty of the melodies, while at the same time creating new improvisational spaces that would allow our Quartet to maintain its own identity."

While having only a casual acquaintance with Herrmann's work, I was impressed by Marciano and her Quartet's capture of the dramatic aspects of Herrmann's musical themes. This starts with "Theme From 'Taxi Driver,'" where her statement of the theme initially is backed by atmospheric chords from La Corte. A dramatic opening of "Theme From 'Marnie,'" launches into a performance that illustrates her robust tone as well as musical inventions. In contrast, the performance evolves with La Corte suggesting McCoy Tyner. At the same time, Vigorito and Fasano propel this performance before Marciano reenters with further dynamic saxophone in a post-Coltrane vein. Her fiery sopranino sax captures the listener's attention on "Theme From 'Twisted Nerve,'" that showcases Vigorito and La Sorte while Fasano dazzles. La Sorte's opens "Theme From 'Psycho,'" a Vigorito performance marked by atonality, dissonance, Marciano's ecstatic playing, and a well-crafted drum solo.

After the group's memorable renditions of Herrmann's themes, the album closes in a Coltrane-ish mode. Marciano plays swirling, serpentine sopranino sax on La Sorte's arrangement of John Williams' "Theme from 'Harry Potter' (Hedwig's Theme)." It is another engrossing performance on an outstanding recording.

I received a review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2021 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 394). I have made a couple minor edits. Here is a clip of the Carla Marciano Quartet in the studio.

Douglas Olsen 2 Cents

Douglas Olsen
2 Cents
Self-Produced

Veteran trumpeter Douglas Olsen makes his recording debut as a leader with "2 Cents." A mainstay on the New England scene, Olsen's trumpet and flugelhorn are joined on this recording by Dino Govoni on alto and tenor saxophone, Angel Subero on trombone and guiro, Yaure Muniz on trumpet, Tucker Antell on tenor saxophone, Tim Ray on piano, Dave Zone on bass, Mark Walker on drums, and Ernesto Diaz on congas. These musicians are heard in differing configurations on a program of nine bop and Latin jazz tunes that include a couple of bop classics and Olsen's originals.
 
Olsen's "Tailwind" is an uptempo quartet number that allows the composer to showcase his crisp, bright tone with some fiery playing before Ray takes a hot solo with Zone and Walker adding a crisp groove. Govoni adds tenor sax for the relaxed, strutting groove of the title track, with bassist Zinno taking a solo on a number with the mix of polish and fire that was characteristic of the legendary Clifford Brown-Max Roach quintet. "Critical Mass" is a first-rate straight-ahead hard bop performance with Olsen and Govoni memorably soloing and trading phrases. Olsen's flugelhorn shines on a lovely ballad, "Una Para Ti." The energetic "Passage" is another strong hard-bop quintet performance.

On Dizzy Gillespie's "Algo Bueno" (aka "Woody'n' You"), Angel Subero, Year Munizt, Tucker Antell, and Diaz replace Govoni on this terrific Latin jazz performance. Besides his interplay with Olsen, Subero adds plenty of heat with his trombone solo. Fats Navarro and Howard McGhee collaborated on "Boperation," which is played at a slower pace than usual and spotlights Olsen and fellow trumpeter Muniz.

Kudos to Douglas Olsen for his compositions, superb playing, and leadership of the first-rate musicians heard with him. The result is this outstanding recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. It is available as a download (and perhaps CD) from bandcamp, https://douglasolsen.bandcamp.com/album/2-cents. Here is a performance from Douglas Olsen.

Jeff Williams Live at the London Jazz Festival - Road Tales

Jeff Williams
Live at the London Jazz Festival - Road Tales
Whirlwind

Ohio native, drummer Jeff Williams, has become part of the London England jazz scene, and "Road Tales" is his sixth release for Whirlwind. This live performance has him leading a quartet with longtime collaborators, altoist John O'Gallagher and tenor saxophonist Josh Arcoleo, and bassist Sam Lasserson completing the rhythm section.

A simple reference point for this quartet's music might be Ornette Coleman's Quartet or Old and New Dreams, with a bit of some of the AACM or BAG bands tossed in. "New and Old" is not a composition inspired by the group Old and New Dreams, but instead inspired by his father's passing. Against the rhythm section's free-floating support, Arcoleo robust and rambunctious tenor sax impresses. He mixes flurries of notes with sustained tones. Bassist Lasserson is an anchor for this band as well as a solid soloist. O'Gallagher provides a contrast in tone but also has a rowdy sense in his playing.

While the entire performance was fascinating, there were some standout moments. There is a Caribbean feel to "Borderline" with the two horns stating the melodic line over Williams' light drumming. O'Gallagher takes a lengthy, heated solo followed by one by Lasserson. Williams' tempestuous drum solo opens up "Oddity," with interesting rhythm changes and O'Gallagher's fiery alto sax. Among the other selections are three compositions, "Under The Radar," "Search Me," and "Scrunge," that form what Williams laughingly refers to as "the airport security suite." It is an intriguing 'suite' mixing some free-floating and free form improvisations with funk sections.

There is much to praise about "Road Tales." Jeff Williams and his first-rate quartet provide listeners with an excellent and engaging set of contemporary jazz.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is "Double Life" from the album.

Doxas Brothers The Circle

Doxas Brothers
The Circle
Justin Time

The Doxas Brothers, Chet on saxophone and Jim on drums, have been making music together since they were in the crib. In their Mid-teens, they started playing in night clubs, and their early days found them playing in dance bands, rock n roll clubs, society parties, radio shows, and even burlesque reviews. Since those days, Jim and Chet have gone on to tour the world and played with some jazz giants, including Carla Bley, Oliver Jones, Dave Douglas, John Abercrombie, Steve Swallow, and Joe Lovano.

Filling out the band are bassist Adrian Vedady and pianist Marc Copland. Vedady is a long-time associate of both brothers and has played with Jim at the Upstairs Jazz Bar in Montreal every Monday night for the last ten years. Copland, Jim, and Adrian have performed together as a trio for several years, providing a tight, empathic setting to add saxophonist Chet. Copland dazzles on the title tune as well as on Adrian Vedady's "Temporal," after the composer's impressive bass solo. "Temporal" is also notable in showcasing the band's ability to shift the musical temperature as the performance evolves.

Chet Doxas also composed a gorgeous ballad, "A Word to the Wise," that is played at a stately tempo with exceptional solos from him and pianist Copland. Another notable track is "Joan's Song," which had moments that suggested Keith Jarrett's American Quartet. "Another Soapbox" is a terrific performance that starts as a pianoless trio before Copland enters with restrained piano. Chet Doxas plays with plenty of fire before Copland solos with Jim Doxas imaginatively adding rolls and rhythm accents.

Chet Doxas displays his exquisite ballad playing on Gordon Jenkins' jazz standard "Goodbye." It concludes this consistently excellent recording. The Doxas Brothers impress with this recording, and one looks forward to more from this superb band.

I received a download of this album from a publicist. Here the Doxas Brothers perform "The Circle."

Thelonious Monk Palo Alto

Thelonious Monk
Palo Alto
Impulse!

Much has been written about the circumstances that led Thelonious Monk to perform at a California High School while Monk and his quartet were appearing at a San Francisco club. You can look up stories in the New York Times and other sources, or the liner notes for this fascinating 1968 Concert recording that has been released after a short delay. In any event, Monk was with his quartet of Larry Gales on bass, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax and Ben Riley on drums for an afternoon set.

A gorgeous rendition of "Ruby My Dear" opens and the highly underrated Rouse sounds wonderful as Monk lays down his unusual accompanying accents and unique solo. This is followed by a length rendition of "Well You Needn't" that Rouse opens with a lengthy solo. Monk follows with a solo displaying his distinctive note and chord placements while Riley dances with the groove before soloing himself. It is an exhilarating performance followed Monk playing a remarkable solo piano rendition of "Don't Blame Me," that displays his stride piano roots. The full Quartet returns for a swinging, "Blue Monk," the afternoon's lengthiest performance with all the members soloing. A crisply, energetic "Epistrophy" follows before the concert (and this recording) closes with a lovely solo piano rendition of "I Love You Sweetheart of All My Dreams."

This must have been a wonderful afternoon (the full details are included in the accompanying booklet) and the music still sounds fresh and contemporary 52 years after it was performed. Monk lives.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is the Thelonious Monk Quartet from another performance playing "Round Midnight."

Rah! Rah! The Claire Daly Quartet

Rah! Rah!
The Claire Daly Quartet
Ride Symbol Records

Claire Daly's new album, "Rah! Rah!," is a salute to one of her main musical inspirations, Rahsaan Roland Kirk. She was a student at Berklee College of Music when she first saw Kirk at Boston's Jazz Workshop. She saw him at a performance after Kirk had suffered a stroke. Still, she was overwhelmed that despite his apparent fragility, "but each night the music got stronger and better. He had this unstoppable quality. … He was such a force of nature. He made me so happy, and still does." To join her in her salute to Kirk, Daly, on baritone sax, flute, and vocals, is backed by her band of Eli Yamin on piano, Dave Hofstra on bass, and Peter Grant on drums. The program includes interpretations of songs composed by Kirk, standards Kirk covered, and two originals based on Kirk's tunes.

Daly's performances display her musical personality and make for rewarding listening. As she states, Kirk was a force of nature, and his performances of "Volunteered Slavery" and "Serenade for a Cuckoo" will overshadow the interpretations by others. That does not mean one should dismiss her robust renditions. Her flute playing is exquisite on "Cuckoo." At the same time, her mashup of "Volunteered Slavery" with Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People" showcases her burly baritone playing and her direct, genuine singing. Her baritone sax playing has an authority evident of the opening "Blue Lady," based on Kirk's "Lady Blues." This selection also introduces listeners to her excellent band with pianist Yamin displaying a measured touch over the swinging rhythm section.

Bassist Hofstra opens up "Funk Underneath," another showcase for Daly's appealing, sparkling flute. Then, she dances on the baritone playing an Afro-Cuban version of Kirk's "Theme For the Eulipions." Daly's delivers another charming vocal on "Alfie," with Yamin leading the trio with an understated, sympathetic accompaniment. There is more delightful flute from Daly on "Momentus Brighticus," her contrafact of Kirk's "Bright Moments," followed by some barreling bebop baritone on Charlie Parker's "Blues For Alice." Daly's displays her qualities on "I'll Be Seeing You." With Daly's first-rate band and her outstanding playing, "Rah! Rah!" is an exceptional recording and a memorable tribute to Rashaan Roland Kirk, full of bright moments.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Claire Daly has been playing the music of Rashaan Roland Kirk for years. here is a performance from 2010.

Take 5 With Sonny Rollins

This week on Take 5 we present a short playlist of the great Sonny Rollins who recently turned 90 years old. Belated Happy Birthday to the Saxophone Colossus.

First up is one of Sonny Rollins first recordings as a sideman with Bud Powell, "Bouncing With Bud."

Next up is Sonny as part of Miles Davis' group playing, "But Not For Me."

Perhaps Sonny's most famous album is Saxophone Colossus with so several iconic performances. One of these was "Blue 7," which was subject to a famous analysis of Rollins' improvisation.

This album also contained one of Sonny's most famous calypso inspired numbers, "St. Thomas." Another famous calypso was "Don't Stop the Carnival." Here is his original recording with Jim Hall on guitar.

We close this short playlist with his rendition of "Without a Song," from his 9/11 concert.

Benny Rubin Jr. Know Say Or See

Benny Rubin Jr.
Know Say Or See
Benny Jr Music

Benny Rubin Jr. is another prodigious talent coming from the Detroit area. Born in Flint, Michigan, and raised in the Motor City, he discovered jazz, graduated from the Detroit School of the Arts, and worked locally with top local players including Wendell Harrison. He moved to New York, working with such folks as Adam Rudolph, Lonnie Plaxico, Danny Mixon, and the Harlem Society Orchestra. His second album as a leader, his alto and tenor saxophones, is joined by Lex Korten on piano, Adam Olszewski on bass, and Jk Kim on drums.

The album gets its title from three of his compositions on this recording. The album opens with a blues, “Know,” that he begins unaccompanied before the bass and drums enter to support his deep blues playing. “Say,” is a free jazz styled number with impressive piano from Korten before Rubin plays robustly on this stimulating free jazz tune. He is particularly strong playing at the tenor saxophone’s lower range. From the turbulence of “Say,” he shifts gear with a scrumptious ballad playing on “Darn That Dream,” that suggest the influence of Ben Webster and others. Based on Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge,” Rubin showcases his alto sax on “NYC Urge,” with exemplary quartet playing and a terrific Korten solo.

Rubin leads the quartet on a straight-ahead swinging rendition of Horace Silver’s “Kiss Me Right” that provides space for all the players. The original “Flint Water Crisis” refers to the still pressing issue affecting the residents of his birthplace. While starting with plenty of fire, Rubin’s solo builds in intensity as his solo, including overblowing at the tenor’s upper range as this performance develops.

The two final tracks, “Down They Go” and “Or See,” evoke the classic John Coltrane Quartet, with Korten’s Tyner-esque piano complementing Rubin’s channeling of Coltrane’s sound. Both numbers evoke the spiritual tenor of “A Love Supreme,” with each player bringing their own voice. Rubin’s playing is quite exciting here. These two tracks close this recording and displays the authority and imagination with which Benny Rubin Jr. plays. He also has composed several engaging originals and brought together a first-rate band, resulting in a superb recording. It is available on Bandcamp, https://bennysaxable.bandcamp.com/album/know-say-or-see-2.
 
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here he and his quartet performs "Down They Go."

Rajiv Jayaweera Pistils

Rajiv Jayaweera
Pistils
Outside in Music

"Pistils" is the debut album by Sri Lankan/Australian jazz drummer and composer, Rajiv Jayaweera. The album features eight original compositions by the New York-based Jayaweera that draw inspiration from Sri Lanka. Jayaweera, who plays drums, cymbals, thammattama, and caxixi, leads a band of Chris Cheek (soprano & tenor saxophones), Aaron Parks (piano), Hugh Stuckey (guitar), and Sam Anning (double bass). Lara Bello adds her voice as a special guest.

Two versions of the title track open and close this recording. The initial rendition of "Pistils" features Lara Bello's enchanting vocal set against a sparse setting. This composition illustrates Jayaweera's ability to compose beautiful melodies. "Ellstandissa," opens with the leader playing the relatively unknown Thammattama drum (also known as a temple drum), a two-headed traditional drum that is played with a pair of fascinating curly wooden sticks. It incorporates rhythms from a Sri Lankan dance entitled 'Gajaga Wannama' in 7/8 time. Again, we are given a memorable melody, which provides Cheek an opportunity to display his marvelous tone as well as the ensemble's intricate rhythmic interplay. Parks adds a choice piano solo here as well.

The next song, "Welikadawatte," translates to Welikada Gardens in Sinhalese. This title refers to an area in central Colombo (the commercial capital and largest city in Sri Lanka). Against the stately rhythm, it affords another opportunity for Cheek to display the warmth of his saxophone. At the same time, Stuckey accents with his chords, and the leader's deft drumming lightly pushes the performance along. Anning's bass hints at Ahmad Jamal's classic performance of "Poinciana." Cheek's tenor sax is at the fore of "Galadari" with an intriguing rhythm and bass riff along with some stop-time passages. Stuckey contributes a scintillating solo. The ballad "Nilus" is a scrumptious performance with Cheek playing with a sublime tone, while bassist Anning also solos strongly.

Jayaweera incorporates the Thammattama drum on the playful "The Elephant," with Parks playing in a bouncy fashion. There is a bluesy feel to "Hirimbura," which takes its title from Rajiv's Grandfather's hometown in the south of Sri Lanka, with Cheek's robust tenor at the forefront, with Parks adding a well-constructed solo as well. Cheek switches to soprano sax for "A Malkoha Bird," playing an appropriately flighty solo.

An instrumental version of the title track closes this recording with Cheek's sax set against Stuckey's lush chords. Jayaweera adds his rhythmic accents with a deft touch on the cymbals and the snare drum in an evocative performance. It caps an excellent recording of first-rate performances of memorable and engaging compositions.

I received my review copy from a publicist. With a slightly different personnel, here is Rajiv Jayaweera performing "Pistils."

 

Jimmy Heath Love Letter

Jimmy Heath
Love Letter
Verve

Gary Giddins relates in the liner notes for "Love Letter," its origin arose from a query, friend, and photographer, Carol Friedman, who asked if Jimmy Heath would record an album of ballads. The answer is this recording, which Giddins scribes as "Heath's stunningly elegant last testament." On this, his final recordings, Heath is supported by a fabulous backing band of pianist Kenny Barron, guitarist Russell Malone, vibraphonist Monte Croft, bassist David Wong, and drummer Lewis Nash. Augmenting the group on separate tracks are vocalists Gregory Porter and Cécile McLorin Salvant, and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

Giddins quotes, from conversations with Friedman, Heath about saxophonists playing ballads, "Ben Webster would play in the lower register of the saxophone and you could hear his breath. But Coltrane found a way to play in the high register of the tenor. Having played alto before, he could hear up there and he learned the altissimo range of the tenor. When he played a melody of a ballad it was ethereal. It was like heaven. Coltrane would play up in the heavens. Ben and Coleman Hawkins and everybody would be downstairs—they'd be down here on earth! Trane found a way to Trane found a way to sing in the high register that I found was unique." Heath has incorporated some both approaches as he often plays in the tenor sax's lower register but without Webster's pronounced vibrato or Hawkins relatively harsh sound.

This splendid recording opens with Heath's "Ballad from Upper Neighbor's Suite," on which Heath  exhibits his nuanced tone and phrasing set against an exquisite, delicate quartet backing with Barron being especially outstanding. One should not be surprised by the superb singing by Cécile McLorin Salvant ("Left Alone") and Gregory Porter ("Don't Misunderstand"). There is a purity in Ms. Salvant's voice with the airy backing by Malone, Croft, Wong, and Nash, before Heath's gorgeous solo. Porter's romanticism on "Don't Misunderstand" is enhanced by Barron's sophisticated elegance as Heath sings with his tenor sax.

There is a gentle warmth exhibited when Heath, with Malone and Croft in support, provides a lyrical reading of Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma." Wynton Marsalis joins Heath, Barron, Croft, and Nash for a winsome rendition of Kenny Dorham's ballad, "La Mesha." In addition to the sublime beauty of the horns, Barron's solo is one of elegant sophistication. There is a reflective quality to Heath's playing on "Inside Your Heart," the one track on which he employs the soprano sax.

The album closes with Heath's poignant performance of "Don't Explain," a song that Barron, Croft, and Nash recorded with Heath, later overdubbing a solo of considerable beauty and feeling. As Carol Friedman stated about Heath, "His mastery is such that you could swear that the rhythm section—Kenny in particular—is following Jimmy's lead." It is the coda of a remarkable recording, and career belies the fact that Jimmy Heath was 93 at the time. There is nothing in the robustness of his playing and impeccable pitch and timing that suggested any diminishment of his talent. Gary Giddins closes his liner notes, "Farewell, Jimmy, and welcome back. Consider this the second *rebirth*, because people are going to be talking about you all over again." Indeed, with this outstanding recording, people will be talking about Jimmy Heath for many more years.

I received a  download to review from a publicist. Here is "Con Alma" from this recording.

Jeff Reed Look For the Light

Jeff Reed
Look For the Light
Stricker Street Records

Jeff Reed is an acoustic bassist, electric bassist, composer, and educator, currently residing in Baltimore, MD, and part of the vibrant DMV (District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia) jazz scene. "Look For the Light" is his first release as a leader and brings jazz standards and original material. The album was inspired by the birth of Reed's son Fox in 2011. Reed explains, "In the days after my son was born, I was reflecting on the power of the moment of his birth. It was a moment of great change in my life and also meant I had a new partner to share my journey with. One who I had only just met but felt as though I'd known him my whole life."

I was more familiar with members of his band than Reed himself having seen drummer Eric Kennedy, trumpeter Sean Jones and bass clarinetist Todd Marcus live as well as enjoyed their work on various recordings. Guitarist Jonathan Epley, like Reed, was someone I was previously not been familiar with. In any event, this is an exceptional band performing an engaging program that provides plenty of opportunities to showcase all the band members.

The program includes a couple of lesser-known Charlie Parker compositions, along with ones from Jim Hall, Oscar Pettiford, and Kenny Drew Jr., in addition to Reed's four originals. Reed's taut, assured bass, helps start Parker's "Segment," with Jones' bright, melodic followed by Marcus' deep, woody bass clarinet playing and then Epley's fleet guitar. Marcus is one of several bass clarinet specialists. The front-line with Jones might evoke comparisons with Eric Dolphy and Booker Little, although their playing is not as dissonant. Hall's "Waltz New" is a trio performance by Epley, Reed, and Kennedy with Epley displaying a gorgeous tone. Pettiford's "Tricotism" allows Reed to showcase his prodigious technique as well as his skill in developing a solo as well as anchor the performance. After Marcus and Epley solo, Reed trades fours with Kennedy on a sterling performance.

As a composer, Reed conjures exquisite melodies and themes such as heard on "Paragon" and "Conversion." The latter is built on a mesmerizing bass line with the band negotiating its changes and tempo shifts. The title track builds on a beautifully simple theme. There are sublime solos, with Marcus and Jones both exhibiting considerable warmth in their solos. Parker's "Quasimodo," is a first-rate feature for Jones' bright, dulcet trumpet supported just by Reed and Kennedy.

With consistent first-rate playing and the terrific tunes performed, "Look For The Light" is an outstanding recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the July-August 2020 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 391). Here is a Jeff Reed performance of Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism," from 2017 and with a different trio.

Fred Randolph Mood Walk

Fred Randolph
Mood Walk
Creative Spirit Records

"Mood Walk" is the fourth album as a leader by bassist, composer, and leader Fred Randolph. He leads a quintet of some of the finest musicians in Northern California. In addition to Randolph's basses, his band includes Erik Jekabson on trumpet & flugelhorn, Sheldon Brown on tenor sax & flute, Greg Wyser-Pratte on drums, and Dan Zemelman on piano. Also heard on this album are Greg Sankovich on keyboards & organ, Silvestre Martinez on percussion, Brian Rice on percussion, and Dillon Vado on vibes.

There is plenty of variety in Randolph's compositions and the performances heard here. "On the Upside" was inspired by Clifford Brown, and the performance does conjure up the great Clifford Brown-Max Roach group with Jekabson and Brown evoking Brown and Harold Land. Randolph takes a solo here and displays his ability to drive the quintet as well as make a melodic statement. It sets the tone for this striking album. With Brown on flute and Vado on vibes, there is an airy quality to "Unaware." Randolph plays electric bass, and Sankovich organ and electric piano on "T-Bone Slide." Wyser-Pratte lays down a funky groove on a driving R&B flavored instrumental with riveting saxophone from Brown and some rubber band string-bending bass.

"Mood Walk" is an excellent bluesy swinger with a memorable theme and robust tenor sax, fiery trumpet, and an adept piano solo. It is followed by the relaxed rendition of Randolph's Latin-tinged "Knowing," with Jakabson's warm, melodious brass. "Mr. Now" is a brisk Coltrane inspired blues with standout solos from Zemelman and Brown. "Nouveau Monde" was inspired when Randolph heard a group from the Congo playing the Ndombolo rhythm. The leader and Wyser-Pratte lay down an irresistible, torrid rhythm with Brown's robust, heated sax.

There is an exquisite Latin flavored waltz, "Meadows" with Brown's melodious flute, before the exuberant "Funky N.O. Thing," built around a second-line groove. Jekabson is sterling with his trumpet figuratively dancing, while Brown adds his passionate tenor sax. Wyser-Pratte is particularly superb in propelling this performance while adding rhythmic accents. It closes an excellent recording. Fred Randolph is a terrific musician and composer, and with the first-rate musicians here, he has produced a fabulous album.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Fred Randolph is performing "Funky N.O. Thing," from 2016

Wolfgang Muthspiel Angular Blues

Wolfgang Muthspiel

Angular Blues

ECM

Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel leads an exceptional trio of Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on this new ECM recording. Recorded in Japan during a tour by the trio, "Angular Blues"

showcases Muthspiel's craft as a composer as well as a guitarist of considerable interest. With scintillating runs mixed with carefully placed chords, he is complemented by Colley's bass anchoring this trio as well as taking his melodic solos while Blade, perhaps this writer's favorite drummer, accenting the drums with a deft touch.

Performances include the opening "Wondering" with its free-flowing dreamy structure, the title track with its quirky theme and use of stop-time, and the pensive "Hüttengriffe," where he plays acoustic guitar. Muthspiel's austere playing here is complemented by Colley's spare bass lines and Blade's light touch with the brushes. "Camino" is another performance in a reflective vein with Muthspiel's light, deliberate improvisation, which subtly builds in intensity with Blade deftly adding his rhythmic coloring. "Ride" is a spirited, effervescent bop-inflected performance with energetic solos from Colley and Blade. There are marvelous renditions of the standards "Everything I Love" and "I Remember April" (the latter number has an exceptional bass solo with his display of a marvelous technique, imaginative construction of his solos, and a splendid sense of dynamics and of tone. 

Then there are the two renditions of 'Kanon." A trio version is done in 6/8 time, while a solo version is in 5/4 time. The solo performance comes off as a captivating free-flowing improvisation where Muthspiel's use of electronic delay creates a sense of this performance being a guitar duet. Like the rest of this recording, it showcases Wolfgang Muthspiel's imaginative and adept playing that is enhanced by the splendid contributions of Colley and Blade. The result is a superb modern jazz guitar album.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is Wolfgang Muthspiel with a slightly different trio.

Anna Mette Iversen Quartet + 1 Racing a Butterfly

Anna Mette Iversen Quartet + 1
Racing a Butterfly
Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records
Is
The Danish bassist-composer-bandleader Anne Mette Iversen has established herself as one of international jazz's prominent bassists and composers. She moved to New York in 1998, where she flourished until moving to Berlin in 2012 to pursue other opportunities. She remains a member of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground (BJU), she continues to record for the BJU Records label. On her latest album, the bassist is joined by her longest-running group, with John Ellis (tenor saxophone), Peter Dahlgren (trombone), Danny Grissett (piano), and Otis Brown III (drums & cymbals).

In the brief liner notes, she explains that "the title track on this album was inspired by a literal race with a butterfly I had during a run one summer morning in Provence, France. Running along the lavender fields on a dirt road, while the temperature was quickly rising, a colorful butterfly came out of the wild flowers that grow on the roadside; having apparently decided to keep me company. We stayed side by side for a moment and then it started to play. It flew ahead, dropped back, caught up with me again, spun circles, twisted and turned in a kind of a dance. This went on for a surprising long while until the butterfly finally took off. It was the fun, the enjoyment, the playfulness and lightness that was so beautiful and which nature displayed so naturally, that made me feel that I really ought to celebrate those sides of life more than I have previously done in my music." In the manner of that experience, there is a playfulness permeating not only this track but the entire album.

This playfulness is evident on the opening "Triangular Waves," where Grissett, Ellis, and Brown are featured on a performance that grows out of the leader's catchy bass figure. Also noteworthy is the interplay between Ellis and Dahlgren here and throughout. There is an effervescent quality to the title track with the intriguing interaction between Ellis and Dahlgren, who introduce an especially charming and lyrical composition. There is also an exceptional Grissett solo here. Iversen solos to open up the first of the two parts of "Parallel Flying," the first part of which is performed andante while showcasing Dahlgren's wooly trombone. The tempo is kicked up quite a notch with Ellis and Grissett dazzling with their energetic soloing. This is simply a sampling of the superb performances on this recording by Iversen's Quartet + 1.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here the Anna Mette Iversen Quartet + 1 are heard performing.

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.