An intriguing recording is Lara Downes' "A Billie Holiday Songbook," (Steinway & Sons Records). A conservatory and celebrated concert pianist, Downes has long inspired by the music of Holiday and this recording features renditions of songs associated with the great singer whose centenary is in 2015. Downes explains that "My take on this music, as a classical pianist paying tribute to a jazz icon, is also a tribute to the unique diversity of our American musical tradition - a tradition which includes European concert music, the blues, jazz, folk, rock, and on and on - evolving, absorbing the sounds of each successive generation to reflect the multifaceted complexity of American music."
With the exception of Marian McPartland's arrangement for "Willow Weep For Me," and Yeddy Wilson's arrangement for "Blue Moon"; composer Jed Distler crafted the arrangements for Downes performances with the intent of honoring both the original melodies and Holiday's phrasing while harvesting elements from the patchwork styles of American piano music: ragtime, parlor music, stride, pop, gospel, classical and film music. The result are handsome performances but a paradox in that Holiday's music was improvisational while the performances are of composed and arranged music. This is more than simply the difficulty of a solo pianist evoking Billie Holiday's music, although that comes with the nature of this project.
Still there is many pleasures to be had simply enjoying the renditions of "Yesterday," the stride elements heard in "Blue Moon," a wistful and lovely "Body and Soul," and the melancholy of "Good Morning Heartache." Still the approach seems a bit flat when handling "Billie's Blues," and the bass note runs clusters don't change this. Nor does the rendition of "What a Little Moonlight Do" capture the effervescence of Holiday's recording.
This is quite an enjoyable album. However, for for a recording that is a celebration of Billy Holiday, some the performances might be best appreciated by not thinking too much about Holiday's renditions.
I received my review copy as a download from a publicist. Here Lara performs "God Bless The Child."
What at first sight might seem like an unlikely pairing of talents, Chick Corea and Bela Fleck, developed into one of the most musical collaborations. Both are major talents on their instrument; Corea on piano and keyboards and Fleck on the banjo. It was Corea who recruited Fleck for an album "The Enchantment" and now Concord has just issued a double CD, "Two," taken from a variety of performances from their eight years of touring together which includes songs from that album and others.
The two perform a variety of songs from both performers' pen on the over two hours of music to be heard. There is plenty of Corea's romanticism and the strong Spanish flavor of his music mixed with Fleck's remarkable banjo playing that goes far beyond his early days in the New Grass Revival. Listening to the exuberance and exhilaration of their musical conversations starting with Corea's flamenco-infused "Senorita," one is struck by the sheer joy and fun they are having without losing the focus of what they are playing. Listening to Fleck here, I might suggest it is not far removed from those Brazilian mandolin players who played such a significant role in 'choro' music, and certainly his mix of banjo runs which slapped notes while Corea dances on the keyboard. In contrast "Waltze For Abby" is a lovely ballad Fleck wrote for his wife during which Corea's restraint and use of silence during much of this merits attention.
The pair's interpretation of the Latin classic "Brazil" opens with a dreamy prelude hinting at the musical theme before the tempo heats up and \ Corea plays the theme with Fleck coloring it and then improvising as Corea imaginatively comps before taking his own spirited lead. Another ballad, "The Enchantment," contrasts with its measured and sober playing and there is a lovely performance of French composer Andre Dutilleux's "Prelude En Berceuse (From Au Gré Des Ondes)" followed by the unusual twist and turns in their handling of Corea's "Children's Song No. 6," the longest performance here. While it is over 14 minutes, the inventiveness of the two sustain one's attention throughout with the performance becoming more spirited as it progresses.
The closing rendition of Corea's iconic "Armando's Rhumba," may be relatively brief, but ends this recording on a strong, euphoric manner that was deservedly received with great enthusiasm. "Two" is one a several extraordinary recent recordings by Corea in a very short time and one has no doubt there will be more superb outings featuring him in the near future. This also will enhance Bela Fleck's well deserved reputation as well.
I received my review copy from the record label. Here is a clip of the two in performance.
Veteran ragtime pianist Johnny Maddox may have had a million selling instrumental with the Crazy Otto Rag over a half century ago, but he has remained true to the music, still performing classic ragtime as well as the ragtime inspired show and parlor numbers of the period and blues of the first few decades of the twentieth century. He also has compiled one of the great collections of sheet music, early recordings and the like of this music. Having recorded numerous CDs, he still keeps his music in catalog on his Crazy Otto label which have their charms. Three distinctly different releases give an indication of the breadth of his catalog and the music that is of a long bygone time.
Songs That Made the Flappers Cry collects a dozen selections with Maddox’s very stately parlor-style piano accompanied by an unidentified violin player on a selection of songs the most familiar of which is My Blue Heaven. A number of these performances are medleys such as the opening They Needed a Songbird in Heaven (So God Took Caruso Away) b/w There’s a New Star in Heaven Tonight, Rudolph Valentino, along with I’ve Grown so Lonesome Thinking of You b/w Some Sweet Day. The cd booklet contains sheet music covers and Maddox’s concise histories of the included compositions.
Salute to the Jazz Age is a hotter album with the clarinet of Vern Baumer added to a number of tracks, with Maddox featured on the others. The tempos are a bit hotter here with Sugar from the pen of Maceo Pinkard (also composer of Sweet Georgia Brown) followed by Maddox’s solid solo rendition of Virginia Blues, one of the early Tin Pan Alley ‘blues’ numbers followed by the Baumer’s clarinet embellishing some wonderful piano on W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues and then on Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans, one of the two compositions that come from after the jazz age. Other songs include Maddox’s wonderful solos on Percy Bradford’s Crazy Blues (one of the first blues songs to be recorded), and Royal Garden Blues, the latter taken at a breakneck tempo (perhaps a tad too fast), and the duo on When The Red Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin’ Along, as well as Honeysuckle Rose. Maddox’s own Friday Night Stomp is another exhilarating display of Maddox’s piano. This may be the best of the three to introduce listeners to Maddox’s musical world with the variety of settings and tempos.
The last disc under consideration, Sunflower Slow Drag (a reissue of two vinyl lps) is comprised of 24 blue, rags and cakewalks by Maddox including more than a few familiar songs such as the exquisite title track composed by Scott Joplin and Scott Hayden and some may remember from the movie, The Sting, followed by a couple of W.C. Handy classics, Yellow Dog Rag and Memphis Blues. Songs like I Get the Blues When It Rains and Dallas Blues were more Tin Pan Alley songs and popular with bands like Guy Lombardo and Ted Lewis, while Will Nash, a pianist with Mr. Handy's band composed The Snaky Blues which was among the first songs the Handy Band recorded. Everybody’s Two-Step is a lively rag number that appeared in the show A Lucky Hoodoo. Another number with a handy connection is J Paul Wyer’s Long Lost Blues, with a familiar melody (My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It). Tom Turpin was another celebrated ragtime composer (and the first African-American to have his rags published) and Maddox treats us to a delightful version of Turpin’s St. Louis Rag that celebrated the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Maddox also treats us to his arrangement of the traditional Frankie and Johnny. 80 minutes of engaging music along with the thoughtful and very informative booklet making for another delightful release that certainly is invaluable for those lovers of early twentieth century music, and enjoyable on its own terms.
This review appeared in the March-April 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 291) and I believe the publication provided me review copies. Here is a video of him performing Frankie and Johnny.
Altair & Vega (Tappen Zee Records) is a new album representing the collaboration between pianists Bob James & Keiko Matsui. The seven duets transverse jazz, new age and classical worlds to display the two conversing in their musical dialogue here usually playing four hands piano. James mentions that during the concert they have been performing these duets for about 9 years. As clearly evident on the live concert presented on the accompanying DVD, the two share the piano, with James playing the lower keys and Matsui the upper ones.
The music is lovely and more in the classical tradition, not that there aren’t interludes that are more jazz-inflected such as during the performances of Divertimento (The Professor and the Student) which opens with some stately motifs stated by James and echoed by Matsui with Matsui taking an impressionistic run before a jazzy bop interlude segueing to more dreamy playing.
There is a lovely solo from Matsui on Trees that is part of the live DVD concert recording (from Pittsburgh’s Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild), followed by James’ Duo Oto Subito where the two state the lively theme with each taking an extended passage before they end this performance in an energetic fashion. Also on the DVD is a marvelous rendition by James of the Ray Noble standard, The Touch of Your Lips. The lengthiest performance on both the CD and DVD is The Forever Variations, which the two collaborated with its varying changes in mood and tempo. The CD concludes with James’ arrangement for four hands of Bach’s Chorale From Cantata BWV 147.
The production quality of this is marvelous with marvelous sound to display the superb playing here. The video on the DVD is beautifully filmed and employs a variety of camera angles adding to the enjoyment of watching and listening to the concert performances here. In summary, Altair & Vega present marvelous music perhaps more oriented towards classical ears but certainly wonderful to simply relax and listen and watch.
This review appeared in the December 2011 – January 15, 2012 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 339) at page 15. I received a review copy from the publicist for the release.
Ben Webster is generally recognized as one of the major pioneers and stylists of the tenor saxophone, whose beefy, brawny, yet sensuous tone and attack gave him a signature, recognizable sound which influenced other tenor players such as Dexter Gordon (who named a son after Webster), Paul Gonsalves, and Harold Ashby. His breathy vibrato was adapted by Albert Ayler and, later, David Murray. He was a player of driving swing as well as a tender balladeer.
A combination of lesser jobs being available to swing era stylists in the early sixties and his reputation for a volatile personality led to less work stateside, and at the urging of friends like Milt Hinton, he took a boat and sailed to England where he was booked by Ronnie Scott at Scott's legendary club. No one knew at the time that Webster would never return to the United States. But in December, 1964, Webster began an engagement backed by a trio with the superb pianist Stan Tracey. The performances, his first in Europe, were recorded and have been issued by the European Storyville label, At Ronnie Scott 1964: The Punch.
Its a wonderful collection of performances as Tracey helps spur on Webster, who Scott introduces as one of the kings of the tenor sax. Opening is Blues in B Flat, a brisk, swinging rendition of a blues Webster first recorded for Emarcy as Randle's Island, displaying his strength as a blues player (not unexpected given his Kansas City background and his work with Jimmy Witherspoon amongst others). It is followed by two superb ballad performances. Stardust, which was a feature for Webster in the Ellington band and remained a central part of his repertoire (and the rendition here is typical for him) and is followed by Gone With the Wind, which he had recorded with Art Tatum, and here he displays the velvety tone he often brought to a ballad.
The liner notes make a deal out of his renditions of Charlie Parker's Confirmation (inexplicably credited to Dizzy Gillespie) and Gillespie's Night in Tunisia, two bebop classics. One shouldn't be surprised at how Webster strong Webster sounds here. Confirmation after all is one of Parker's original blues, and Webster was quite at home with the blues. Also heard is a spirited How High the Moon, which after all was the source of another Parker classic bebop number, Ornithology. There is a tendency to perhaps make the gulf between swing and bebop broader than it was, and the better swing musicians might not play in the bebop style, but they could certainly play convincingly in the style.
There are also other strong ballad performances on this including My Romance and a especially lovely Over the Rainbow. The album closes with a spirited Cottontail, with Tracey's spare accompaniment helping propel Webster, before taking his own thoughtful solo. This engagement at Ronnie Scott’s was the beginning of a fruitful time for Webster. 47 years later Webster's music from then still strongly resonates.
It is easy to label both pianist Tom McDermott and clarinetist Evan Christopher as traditional jazz musicians, but both transcend that simple label.McDermott, a pianist rooted in ragtime and Jelly Roll Morton, has also become renown for his interpretations of the Brazilian choro idiom and the music of New Orleans legend James Booker. Christopher has become one of the most highly regarded clarinet players today and is a 2011 Jazz Journalists Association nominee, who has also exhibited abilities to excel beyond traditional jazz as evident by his European gypsy jazz recordings and his intriguing interpretations of modern jazz including a marvelous medley of Ornette Coleman’s Lonely Woman and Ramblin’, and John Coltrane’s After The Rain.
The new album by the pair, Almost Native (Threadhead Records) takes it title from the fact that someone asked Tom if he was born in New Orleans, and after he answers he moved there in 1984, they respond, “”Oh, well you’re almost a native then.” This latest recording is a duo recording of originals by the pair, eight by McDermott, and two by Christopher that displays the considerable empathy between them which enhances the lyricism at root of both their styles.
The music moves from the wistfulness of the opening Tango Ambiguo (Ambiguous Tango), the indigo charm of Christopher’s slow Waltz For All Souls which evokes George Lewis’ bluesy playing, the raggy playfulness of Le Manège Rouge (The Red Merry-Go-Round), to the the atmospheric Spooky Blues (For Booker)/Quite Enough Blues, with McDermott’s spare, restrained playing effectively setting the mood. There is a bit of cheeky humor for “The Don’t-Mess-With-My Two-Step, a piano solo, followed by a delightful and playful, Chorando Em Paris (Playing Choro In Paris). The last original recording here is a march, March of the Pony Girls, which exhibits all the warmth and humor the two exhibit throughout this.
A bonus track, the lively Irresistível (Irresistible), derives from McDermott’s New Orleans Duets and concludes a thoroughly charming recording. It is available from www.louisianamusicfactory.com, cdbaby, itunes and other sources. Tom McDermott’s website is www.mcdermottmusic.com and Evan Christopher's website is www.clarinetroad.net.
Evan Christopher and Tom McDermott doing an in-store performance
at the Louisiana Music Factory on Decatur Street in New Orleans.
Eden Brent certainly has emerged as one of the most promising new artists in the blues world. Most recently she was the winner of the Pinetop Perkins Blues Piano award at the 2010 Blues Music Awards, and she certainly will be winning more acclaim for her latest disc, “Ain’t Got No Troubles” (Yellow Dog Records). Produced by guitarist Colin Linden, this disc was recoded in New Orleans with George Porter, Jr. on bass., and Bryan Owings on drums with appearances by Tracy Collins on trumpet, Emil Hall on alto saxophone, Jeff Albert on trombone and Jon Cleary on the Hammond B3. The musicians complement her flowing, boogie-laced piano and her husky, unforced vocals. She reminds this listener for some reason of the late Katie Webster (perhaps it is the groove of the opening “Someone to Love”) with a huskier voice. Besides her own fine lyrics, the bouncy backing the song also sports some nice Crescent flavor horn lines.
The title track is a spirited song about maybe lacking possessions but “ain’t got no troubles on my mind,” with Linden adding some nice slide guitar to the bouncy piano and rhythm and later some second line horns add to the musical stew. The band drops out on “Blues All Over,” where he smokey vocals is matched by her strong, deft piano. Colin Linden contributed “Later Than You Think,” a nice wry lyric that she delivers with her typical sassy delivery, while her “Leave Me Alone,” has a wistful lyric that she delivers in a soul-styled manner. “Let’s Boogie-Woogie,” is an exuberant romp that is one of the better original boogie woogie numbers this writer has heard in several years with some strong boogie woogie playing. “My Man,” strides in a high-spirited manner (despite the very restrained playing from the band), as Eden celebrates her lover who makes every date be “like a jubilee.” “If I Can’t” has lovely acoustic picking from Linden as Brent sings that “If I can’t kiss you honey, Don’t want to keep my idle lips.”
The album closes with “Goodnight Moon,” displaying a more reflective side of her and it closes this disc on a very high note. “Ain’t Got No Troubles,” mixes a marvelous pianist and vocalist with strong material, sympathetic backing and varied, imaginative programming resulting in a terrific recording that should appeal to blues and roots music fans. This is one of the better new recordings I have heard this year.
The review copy of the disc was provided by Yellow Dog Records
Andy Cohen has been playing older music styles on guitar, piano, dolceola and assorted instruments for several decades now and has a number of recordings over the year. His latest disc is “Built Right On The Ground,” on Earwig which ranges from stomping boogie woogie, Reverend Gary Davis influenced guitar rags, Memphis Minnie songs and a Woody Guthrie talking blues. On several tracks his is joined by his wife, Larkin Bryant on vocals and mandolin, or Kurt Anderson on vocal and guitar. As William Lee Ellis observes, “He had certainly been every bit the standard-bearer if not an outright genius when it comes to the interpretation of prewar blues and gospel music."
And what a choice of songs starting from the opening title track which was recorded eighty odd years ago from Blind Teddy Darby that captures the flavor of the original recording but with his deft picking and wonderfully delivered vocal comes out as his own. His updating of Sam McGee’s old-timey blues, “Railroad Blues,” features impressive picking along with an amusing lyric about voting for Obama because his mama told him to. I wonder how many who do their flashy Robert Johnson covers could do such a nice rendition of Henry Spaulding’s “Cairo Blues,” which is wonderfully paced and as well as sung. There is a credible, if hardly spectacular, rendition of Meade Lux Lewis’ “Honky Tonk Train Blues,” which illustrates his versatility as a musician. Cohen especially is adept at numbers that features fingerpicking in the vein of the Piedmont tradition, but also he is able to channel the facile, rhythmic playing of a Furry Lewis and Memphis Minnie as displayed on his interpretation of “Soo Cow Soo.” On “Jim Dickinson Stomp,” dedicated to the late musician and producer, he plays some lovely guitar in the Memphis style as well as the dolceola, followed by the sentimental Jimmie Rodgers tune “My Old Pal,” where Kurt Anderson takes the vocal (and the two collaborate on another Rodgers sentimental tune, “Miss the Mississippi and You”). “Temptation Rag,” was a piano piece (also recorded by reed players, Sidney Bechet and Benny Goodman), that gets a lovely and adept, guitar treatment in the manner of Gary Davis, which Cohen also gives Jelly Roll Morton’s “Grandpa’s Spells.” There is also a jaunty take on Big Bill Broonzy’s “Mopper Blues.” He returns to piano for a lively “Shake-a-You-Boogie,” which he learned from Blind Jim Brewer, “Shake a Boogie” (which likely was derived from John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson, and “Too Fat Boogie”). Cohen treats us with the amusing Woody Guthrie “Mean Talkin’ Blues,” before he and his wife (who is on mandolin) close out this CD with a marvelous rendering of the late Bobby Charles’ “Tennessee Blues.”
I agree with William Lee Ellis that in a perfect world, Andy Cohen would be as famous as Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder. “Built Right On The Ground,” showcases not simply how good a player he is and the extensiveness of his repertoire, but also the warmth and genuineness of his vocals. This recording is a must for lovers of acoustic and traditional blues.
This review has appeared in Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 327, July 2010) and the review copy was provided by the firm doing publicity for Earwig Records releases.
Last Thursday, September 13, I saw a wonderful intimate performance by vocalist Roberta Gambarini and pianist Hank Jones as part of the 3rd Duke Ellington Jazz Festival in Washington DC. This performance which included wonderful interpretations from the American songbook (including Duke Ellington's Come Sunday, Billy Strayhorn's Lush Life and others). One highpoint was her performance of Sunny Side of the Street based on Dizzy Gillespie's recording with Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins. She scats like Ella, does some vocalese and has such a pure voice that is an instrument like the voice was for Ella. The most sterling moment was Irving Berlin's Supper Time written for a thirties review. Written for Ethel Waters, it is a song about a woman waiting for her husband who won't be home for supper because he's been lynched. A very simple, straight-forward delivery that was quite moving. As one might expect, Hank Jones was marvelous as an accompanist. They have a duet album coming out, so keep an eye for it.
BTW, they answered some Q's and A's from the audience and one member of the audience came with her mother who had suang with Hank at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo in the fifties. hank spent a lot of time in Cleveland and Buffalo in those years. And after his night was done he would catch Art Tatum at some other Buffalo venue. Chicken wings were invented later at the Anchor Bar.
Hank also accompanied Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy. He is the older brother of the late drummer Elvin and late trumpeter-composer Thad. Quite a family and he was quite funny in addition to being a marvelous pianist.
Recommended listening- Roberta Gambarini - Easy to Love Hank Jones as part of The Great Jazz Trio (with his late brother Elvin)
Here is a two year old review of a wonderful disc by a fine musician and gentleman, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne. This disc won the 2006 Juno Award, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Award
A few years ago I was sent a cd by a West Coast pianist, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne which was a superb disc of hot R&B and jump blues in the vein of such legends as Amos Milburn, Floyd Dixon and Little Willie Littlefield. Subsequently he has started to tour at top festivals and clubs and the Canadian Electro-Fi label has issued Let It Loose, his second disc for the label and I believe fourth overall. The cd opens with a hard rocking Blackberry Wine, yet another tune of many derived musically from Amos Milburn's Chicken Shack Boogie. Milburn is clearly the main influence on Wayne who plays strong jump boogie piano that would have served Milburn proud. Joogie to the Boogie is a nice easy rocking number with some strong tenor from Pat Carey. A trio of songs, Bewildered, Let Me Go Home Whiskey, Memphis Slim's Blue and Lonesome, are a mini-tribute to Milburn who was one of the top selling R&B acts between 1948 and 1953. A more modern tone and a funk groove mark the slow reflective Wishing Well, while the title track is a high-stepping number that should prove irresistible for the swing dancers with its quick but not frenzied tempo. A more contemporary feel also characterizes the closing, Blues Carry Me Home, which is perhaps not as striking as some of the other numbers. Russell Jackson on bass anchors a solid rhythm section that never rushes the tempo and Brandon Isaak plays solid idiomatic guitar to complement Wayne. Wayne also contributed most of the songs here, and his songwriting is like his piano and vocals, first-rate. With all the albums that are supposedly extending the blues, its nice to find a disc whose playing and vocals is rooted in some undeservedly forgotten giants of the music that makes for a generally terrific recording.
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