Samoa Wilson with the Jim Kweskin Band I Just Want to be Horizontal

Samoa Wilson with the Jim Kweskin Band
I Just Want to be Horizontal
Kingswood Records, LLC

Vocalist Samoa Wilson has had a decade long collaboration with Jim Kweskin, exploring a wide range of music from tender ballads and raunchy blues to swinging jazz standards. In 2018, Kweskin and bassist Matthew Berlin decided to launch a project with Samoa centered on Teddy Wilson's 1930s recordings that featured Billie Holiday, a relatively unknown singer at the time. An attractive aspect of those recordings was the pure ensemble-elegant, clean, and swinging sound. Most of the songs on this album derive from those classic recordings. Other songs are associated with Rosetta Howard, Bessie Smith.

For this recording, a little big band was assembled. In addition to Wilson's vocals, Kweskin's vocals and guitar, and Berlin's bass, the band members include guitarist Titus Vollmer, alto saxist Paloma Ohm, pianist and accordionist Sonny Barbato, drummer Jeff Brown, multi-instrumentalist Dennis Lichtman on clarinet, fiddle, mandolin & alto sax, and Mike Davis on trumpet and cornet.

This album is a delightful recording with Wilson's alluring singing matched by the sophisticated and elegant accompaniments that bring forth elements of swing jazz, French cabarets, gypsy swing, hokum, skittle band, and Western Swing. While Kweskin's crooning is quite appealing, Wilson herself has such a warm, melodious voice with her tunefulness, clear phrasing, and subtle vocal inflections. The backing provided and imaginative arrangements provide such attractive settings for the vocals. The opening "After You've Gone," is perhaps the most ingenious and original reworking of a performance opening as a leisure lament sung by Wilson before the tempo quickens with the accompaniment evoking Spade Cooley with some excellent fingerstyle picking from Kweskin, accordion from Barbato and Davis' trumpet.

The title selection features Wilson's clean, relaxed singing, Davis' crying muted trumpet, and Vollmer's handsome arrangement. Besides Davis' brass, Lichtman's woody clarinet is another pleasure for listener's including "Trust in Me" and "I Cried For You." This latter number has more of a Western swing flavor than Billie Holiday's recording with Wilson, with Davis' superb trumpet. One noteworthy aspect of some of these performances is the inclusion of the original intro verses that had been dropped over time.

Davis and Lichtman, along with Barbato's accordion, reinvigorate the revival of the Harlem Hamfats hokum blues 'The Candy Man," with delightful interplay between the accordion and alto sax. Barbato's accordion on "Inch Worm" brings a touch of the French Cabaret with the interplay between the vocals of Wilson and Kweskin. There is also a splendid sax solo on this song. While Billie Holiday recorded "Until the Real Thing Comes Along," it is most identified with Andy Kirk and the Clouds of Joy with Pha Terrell's vocal. Wilson's vocal delivery is more in line with the sincere romanticism of Terrell that Holiday's distinctive approach. Lichtman shines on both alto sax and clarinet here. There is also a sublime rendition of "Our Love is Here to Stay," and an understated bawdy take of Bessie Smith's "Kitchen Man." Vollmer contributes Hawaiian slide guitar on a 1930s Hawaiian pop song "At Ebb Tide." Davis channels the bravado of a Roy Eldridge or Red Allen while Lichtman evokes Lester Young on "Lover Come Back To Me."

It was such a pleasure to listen to this recording. Samoa Wilson is a fine singer and she is wonderfully backed throughout. While a good portion of the performances here are from Billie Holiday's remarkable 19330s recordings, Wilson never tries to emulate Holiday, but invests her mellifluous voice to these wonderful songs. The result is this sublime recording.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is Samoa Wilson and Jim Kweskin in performance.

Ben Webster Valentine's Day 1964! Live

Ben Webster
Valentine's Day 1964! Live
Dot Time Records

"Valentine's Day 1964! Live" is one of Ben Webster's last performances in New York City before he left the USA for Europe, where he spent the final nine years of his life. On this recording, he leads a quartet of Dave Frishberg on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Grady Tate on drums.

It is a program with several Duke Ellington numbers mixed in with blues and ballads. Webster's brawny tenor sax is well recorded and in the front, although this is not a perfectly engineered recording. As expected, Webster is superb on ballads, including an exquisite "Chelsea Bridge," a marvelous "Danny Boy," and a rhapsodic "Tenderly." His energetic playing animates "Cotton Tail," one of his features with Ellington two decades earlier. An original 'Ben's Blues," opens with Frishberg playing some two-fisted piano before Webster enters with his big tone. A quote of "Without a Song" is incorporated in Webster's solo here, with Davis' bass also quite evident. Davis also anchors the rendition of "52nd Street Theme," with Frishberg laying out during Webster's solo.

Renditions of Juan Tizol's "Caravan" open and close this recording. The opening version is taken at a quick tempo, while the closing performance is at a more relaxed pace, which perhaps better showcases his tone and sound. This recording is a welcome, although hardly indispensable, addition to Webster's legacy. This recording can be purchased as a CD from Dot Time Records at dottimerecords.com. One can buy a digital download at bandcamp.com, https://dottimerecords.bandcamp.com/album/ben-webster-valentines-day-1964-live.

I purchased this as a download. Here is a video of Ben Webster playing "Over the Rainbow."

Jonathan Ng The Sphynx

Jonathan Ng
The Sphynx
Self-Produced

"The Sphynx" is the sophomore by Seattle-based jazz violinist, vocalist, and bandleader Jonathan Ng. Ng specializes in the style of small-group swing jazz, which in part draws upon his experience and expertise as a lindy hop, balboa, and blues dancer. This album is a six-song EP of ebullient, toe-tapping swing jazz in the manner of early swing small groups such as Chu Berry-Roy Eldridge or Count Basie's small combos, with a touch of Gypsy Jazz tossed in. Supporting Ng and his violin Albert Alva: tenor saxophone; Luca Pino: Guitar; Chris Dawson: Piano; Seth Ford-Young: Upright Bass; and Josh Collazo: Drums

Ng has a full-rich tone on the violin, and an outstanding ensemble backs him. He leads us through a varied set of numbers starting with the title number where his trumpet-like lines (think Stuff Smith) and the burly tenor sax of Alva (think of a mix of Ben Webster and Illinois Jacquet) impress while Dawson comps and Pino plays rhythm like Freddie Green. Kudos to Ford-Young and Collazo as they consistently swing the music.

The rest of the program includes Chu Berry's turbulent "Maelstrom," with Pino adds some Django Reinhardt inflected guitar. On an excellent rendition of Ray Charles' "Rockhouse," Dawson evokes Charles on piano. Pino plays more in the manner of Charlie Christian than Django on this selection. The interplay between Alva and Ng, along with their meaty soloing, is excellent throughout such as on the renditions of Erskine Hawkins' "Gin Mill Special," and Illinois Jacquet's "Embryo." The rhythm section provides a lilting swing on these wonderfully paced performances.

Alva sits out the lovely rendition of gypsy jazz styled performance "Stardust." Ng's version of "Stardust" contrasts with the other performances on this recording that are more in the vein of the swing era small combo jazz. It closes a superb, if too short, collection of swing jazz performances. This available from Bandcamp among other stores.

I received a review copy from a publicist. Here is a video for "The Sphynx."

 

Fleur Seule Standards and Sweet Things

Fleur Seule
Standards and Sweet Things
Self-Produced

Fleur Seule describes itself on its website as playing "Swing Era hits, Jazz standards, Salsa classics and Ballroom selections that will transport you to the 1940s: The times of big bands and glamorous evenings of live music and dancing in clubs renowned for their entertainment, Hollywood profiles, and musical variety. Led by vocalist Allyson Briggs, this dynamic band of old souls will have you humming along to timeless music." Besides Ms. Briggs, the band includes Andy Warren on trumpet, arranger and musical director; Jason Yeager on piano; Michael O'Brien on bass; Paul Francis on drums; Richard Miller on guitar; and Ivan Llanes on percussion. They have established themselves at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, The Rainbow Room and Tavern on the Green, and Michael Feinstein is a big fan. The performances on this 16 song CD give a clue why.

Allyson Briggs' singing is the focal point of the group's performances and appeal. She can sing in 7 seven languages and speaks in 4. She covers a variety of genres with at times a perky and flirty and other times intimate, delivery. She has a melodious voice and a nuanced sense of timing and phrasing who on occasion enlivens a vocal with some tuneful scatting. She is afforded delightful, congenial backing with Warren's mellow trumpet and Yeager's acoustic guitar being especially of note.

With such well-known songs as "Tenderly" and "Misty," one is not expecting very much, but Allyson Briggs sings exquisitely, and with considerable charm, throughout this recording. O'Brien takes an excellent Arco bass solo on "Tenderly," while Warren's plays superbly on the laid-back, heartfelt rendition of "Misty." There is a feeling in her numbers similar to Cyrille Aimee's gypsy jazz inspired performances. This might be most evident on her foreign language performances such as "Pielex Canela," "Zou Bisou Bisou" or "La Vie En Rose."

Other sweet treats include the lovely and elegant rendition of "I Only Have Eyes For You," the brisk and perky "Them There Eyes" with another first-rate Warren trumpet solo. Then there is "Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy," initially recorded by Dinah Shore and Julie Christy with Stan Kenton. This delightful performance is evocative of some of Nat King Cole's relaxed, swinging jive recordings. After a splendid, breezy bossa nova "Sweet Happy Life," this CD closes with magical renditions of the Gershwins' "Embraceable You" and "S'Wonderful." And that last song describes the superlative singing by Allyson Briggs and the excellent backing by the band. "Standards and Sweet Things" is simply wonderful.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 387). Here they perform "La Vie En Rose."

Take 5 With Benny Carter

Prior to the arrival of Charlie Parker, there were three acknowledged masters of the alto sax, Johnny Hodges, Willie Smith, and Benny Carter. Hodges and Smith are best known for their associations with Duke Ellington and Jimmy Lunceford. Benny Carter had a career that went beyond such an easy linkage. He was a member of as well as led a big band. He also played the trumpet, was an arranger as well as being a composer. Today is a short playlist of "King Carter" whose career extended for many decades. We start with a 1933 recording, "Lonesome Nights."

Next up is Carter with Django Reinhardt from 1938 doing "I'm Coming Virginia."

Carter was a favorite of Norman Granz and his Jazz at the Philharmonic tours. Here he is with Coleman Hawkins performing "Blue Lou.

Here he performs a song of his that has become somewhat of a standard, "When The Lights Are Low," with the American Jazz Orchestra.

We close this brief playlist of Benny Carter's music with the Benny Carter All-Stars performing "Blues Walk" and Take the A Train."

Take 5 with Fletcher Henderson

Today's edition of Take 5 is a short playlist of Fletcher Henderson's Big Band. There are so many excellent tunes one might select, but I just want to give a brief sense of how great this band was. To delve more deeply you might want to check out "A Study in Frustration," an import CD set of the original 4 LP reissue. 

While Louis Armstrong's time with Fletcher Henderson was a brief one, it had a definite impact on not only the musicians in Henderson's Band and others. Here is the Fletcher Henderson Band when Armstrong was a member performing "Sugarfoot Stomp." This is an orchestral arrangement of King Oliver's "Dippermouth Blues" that King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band recorded with Armstrong on second cornet." The arranger was Don Redman who also played alto sax in the band at the time. Redman would be a very influential bandleader and arranger.

Next up is a rendition of "The Stampede," which was recorded shortly after Armstrong had left Henderson. The cornetist on this is Rex Stewart who was with Henderson for several years. Stewart is best remembered for his time with Duke Ellington, starting in 1934. also in the band from the 1920s is Coleman Hawkins (he is on "Sugarfoot Stomp").

One of Henderson's most famous recordings was "New King Porter's Stomp." Rex Stewart opens up with his muted cornet with Coleman Hawkins also featured. Henderson's arrangement would reach even more ears when Benny Goodman used it.

Later, Henry 'Red' Allen' joined Henderson's Band. Among the numbers Henderson recorded while Allen was in the band, was the futuristic sounding "Queer Notions," with solos by Coleman Hawkins and Allen

For the last Henderson recording, we will listen to a selection after Hawkins and Allen had left the band. Among their replacements were Roy Eldridge and Chu Berry. Here the band performs a favorite during the swing era, "Blue Lou."

John Colianni I Never Knew

John Colianni
I Never Knew
Patuxent Music

Renowned for his work as accompanist for Mel Tormé and Les Paul among others, pianist Colianni leads a sextet for a swing rooted recording. His prior recordings featured a two guitar quintet but the present sextet is fronted by tenor saxophonists Grant Stewart and John David Simon, with guitarist Matt Chertkoff, bassist Ralph Hamperian and drummer Bernard Linette completing the rhythm section. band Colianni sees this sextet as an offshoot of his big band, the John Colianni Jazz Orchestra. “It’s sort of a band within a band, reflecting my admiration for the Ellington and Goodman small groups." Also the two tenor aspect has its precedent, not simply in Frank Foster and Frank Wess, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Johnny Griffin, and Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt as Rusty Hassan observes in his annotation, but the great Count Basie Band of the thirties and early forties with the contrasting styles of Lester Young and Herschel Evans/Buddy Tate. Stewart and Simon have similar contrasting styles, and both are driving players with an affinity for the blues.

Colianni is a pianist rooted in the Hines-Wilson-Tatum piano lineage, who also displays awareness of more modern harmonic approaches and is a wonderful accompanist on the four originals and four covers that include the opening title number that was memorably performed by Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. Basie recorded it for Columbia and two new location recordings from the Famous Door were issued as part of the recent release of materials from the Savory Collection. Colianni's rendition is swinging and the tenor players acquit themselves although they don't match Young nor is the rhythm section quite as propulsive as Basie's legendary one, but it is a swinging small group and the leader displays a deft touch. A Beethoven adaptation, Fur Elise," displays his incorporation of stride piano as well on this clever performance.

"I Didn't Know About You" is a Duke Ellington number that Colianni played behind Tony Bennett and is a lovely composition with a finely developed solo with the tenor saxes adding color. Guitarist Chertkoff gets to shine on a solid blues, "Blues For Naomi" which he observed was a tribute to “a lady who used to watch over us young players cutting our teeth at One Step Down in Washington, DC, where I grew up," and both saxophonists acquit themselves strongly. Illinois Jacquet's "Achtung," is what might be called a barn-burner with the two taking off here as if Lockjaw Davis and Johnny Griffin with Colianni's intro and stride-rooted comping evoking the early Basie.

A competitor in the first Thelonious Monk competition, Colianni and group tackles Monk's "Little Rootie Tootie," which seems taken from the Hal Overton Town Hall Concert arrangement with strong solos from Stewart and Simon before Colianni develops his own, well conceived solo and followed by some fine playing from Chertkoff. If this does not break new grounds, it is a strongly played mainstream small group jazz session that will appeal to many.

I received my review download a publicist. This review appears in the September-October 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 380). Here the John Colianni sextet performs "I Never Knew."

Flip Phillips Your Place Or Mine

Flip Phillips
Your Place Or Mine
Jump/Delmark Records

Best remembered for his stint on the Jazz at the Philharmonic tours with his barn-burning solos in the company of Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker and others, tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips had moved to south Florida after those days, playing locally but otherwise in semi-retirement. He got together with guitarist Dell Staton and would jammed for the fun of it at either's home. in 1963 they went to a recording studio for the kicks of it and this is one of the only two Flip made in the twenty years after leaving JATP. Staton in addition to his guitar, adds bass using a foot organ attachment.

From the opening moments of "Come Rain Or Shine," Phillips impresses with the warmth and rhapsodic quality of his playing whether on tenor sax or on bass clarinet (for example the tenderness heard on "Just Say I Loved Her"). Listening to "It's the Talk of the Town," the airy, breathy quality of his playing evokes the great Ben Webster, while Staton, who chords his simple accompaniment, shows a similar attention to tone in his solo interlude. Phillips returns to the bass clarinet for a lovely "Summertime," while against Staton's chording brings his romanticism to Django Reinhardt's "Nuages."

A nicely swinging "Jada" provides a change in pace from ballads that predominate here along with the driving "Scatterbrain," with some marvelous chording and single note guitar along with Phillips here. Then there is the bass clarinet on "Chloe," with some exquisite playing evocative of Webster and clarinetist Barney Bigard on this number that was also part of the Ellington repertoire. Brisk takes on "Jazz Me Blues" and "Gone With the Wind" (with Staton superb here) are among other performances on a marvelously, delightful recording.

I received my review copy from Delmark. This review originally appeared in the September-October Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 374). Here is Filp Phillips at his 80th Birthday Party.

 

Humphrey Lyttelton's In Canada

Delmark has another re-release on CD taken from the Sackville label, Humphrey Lyttelton's "In Canada." This was recorded in 1983 during the English jazz pioneer's second visit to Canada with the trumpeter and clarinetist backed by Jim Galloway on saxophones and clarinet, the highly underrated Ed Bickert on guitar, Neil Swainson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. While initially heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong, Lyttelton matured and his repertoire had extended to into what was in a style the late Stanley Dance referred to as mainstream, reflecting the influences of Basie, Ellington, and Buck Clayton in addition to Armstrong.

Swing, not trad jazz, is the center of these eight Lyttelton compositions opening with "It's a Thing," with the leader playing muted trumpet after Bickert's sprite guitar helps set the lively mood with Galloway's soprano suggestive of Johnny Hodge's alto, and the three trade fours towards the end. Nothing fancy about the Ellington evoking "Sprauncy," with the leader perhaps taking a nod towards Cootie Williams with his muted while playing in unison with Galloway's baritone sax as Swainson took a crisp bass solo. The peppy and playful "Squiggly" contrasts with a lazy blues groove on "Looking For Turner." One can hear some evidence of Armstrong's influence on Lyttelton's open trumpet on "Lady Jekyll and Mistree Hyde," a nicely paced performance with more marvelous soprano from Galloway. "Leisure World" is a fine blues with Galloway on baritone, with Bickert's chords and single note runs and the rhythm duo of Swainson and Clarke delivery their steady, swinging support.

No claim of musical innovation is made about the swinging jazz heard on "In Canada," It is a simple, straight-ahead, wonderfully played recording that provides plenty of  sounds to sit back, listen and enjoy.

I received my review copy from Delmark. This review appeared orioginally in the May-June 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 360). Here is a live recording (audio) of Humphrey in a more trad mode doing Benny Moten's "South."

George Gee Swing Orchestra Swing Makes You Happy!

George Gee has been leading the George Gee Swing Orchestra since 1980, inspired by Count Basie who mentored him. While leading the big little band (9 pieces that sounds much bigger) he has had the services of trombonist, composer and arranger David Gibson for five years and the results of their collaboration can be heard on “Swing Makes You Happy!” (Rondette Jazz).

The recording features 19 selections that include 5 Gibson originals, and three transcriptions from Chick Webb’s repertoire. Gibson handled all of the arrangements. Gibson’s trombone anchors the brass section that includes trumpeters Freddie Hendrix and Andy Gravish. The saxophone section consists of Ed Pazant, Michael Hashim and Tony Lustig on alto, tenor and baritone respectively; while the rhythm section consists of Steve Einerson on piano, upright bassist Marcus McLaurine and Willard Dyson on drums. Vocals are provided by Hilary Gardner and John Dokes.

Listening to this brings back memories of Panama Francis’ reincarnation of the Savoy Sultans from the late seventies and early eighties. This band swings hard and at full throttle with joyous conviction. The rhythm section is stellar and there are plenty of strong solos with Lustig’s baritone sax and Hendrix’s trumpet among the many pleasures throughout thsi recording. Gibson’s opening “Comin’ Home” is suggestive of Basie from the 50s as his the swinging “I Know.” Of the vocalists, I was already familiar with Hilary Gardner and she sings quite well on “Sweet Pumpkin”, and “No Moon At All.” This writer is not as enamored with Dokes. I have heard much better renditions of “I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water,” although the taut Basie-style arrangement is solid as is Ed Pazant’s alto solo. Dokes also does not come across convincingly on “Evenin’,” which was a feature for Jimmy Rushing when he was with Basie. Gardner and Dokes duet on “If I Were a Bell.”

I do not wish to imply that Dokes is a poor singer, but to these ears he doesn’t convey the warmth and feeling of say Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams (or Carmen Bradford who sang “I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water” with Basie.). It is a minor criticism as the the music here is infectious with its ebullient spirit. Listing to the George Gee Swing orchestra, one indeed agrees that “Swing Makes You Happy!”

I received my promo copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 358) although I have made some minor stylistic changes.  Here is a performance clip of them.

The Acoustic Blues & Roots Of Duke Robillard

Duke Robillard has been fairly prolific on recordings recently and Stony Plain has issued his latest, "The Acoustic Blues & Roots Of." One might be tempted to call this "Duke Unplugged," but the 18 selections cover a wide range of genres, not simply types of blues. Along with some of his regular partners in music, bassist Marty Ballou, pianist Matt McCabe and drummer Mark Teixeira there are guest appearances including vocalists Sunny Crownover and Maria Muldaur, guitarist and vocalist Mary Flower, pianist Jay McShann, harmonica wizard Jerry Portnoy and clarinetist Billy Novick. Along with Robillard originals there are songs from Stephen Foster, Jimmie Rodgers, Big Bill Broonzy, the Delmore Brothers, Tampa Red, John Estes, Hank Williams, Robert Lockwood Jr., and others.

Overdubbing allows him to showcase his mandolin on the brief "Old Kentucky Home," followed by his capturing a pre-war Chicago blues groove on Broonzy's "Big Bill Blues." "Left Handed," with Portnoy contributing the Sonny Boy Williamson I harp comes across as another Big Bill styled performance. Portnoy is also on the cover of Sleepy John Estes' "Someday Baby." There is a pretty straight rendition of "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water," while Novick's clarinet and Robillard's mandolin are heard on a nice"St. Louis Blues."

There are affable renditions of country tunes including Jimmie Rogers "Jimmie's Texas Blues," with a credible yodel"; a lovely duet with Mary Flower on the Delmore Brothers' "Nashville Blues"; and a cover of Hank Williams' waltz, "Let's Turn Back The Years." Sunny Crownover sings "Evangeline," covering a song associated with Emmylou Harris and The Band. With Novick on clarinet, Robillard sings some Tampa Red hokum on "What Is It That Tastes Like Gravy?" Most performances are short (Under 4 minutes), with the longest being a take on Robert Lockwood's "Take A Little Walk With Me," that has outstanding piano from McCabe. A treat is a duet with Jay McShann on the moody Meade Lux lewis composed instrumental "Profoundly Blue."

Robillard acquits himself as a vocalist and the playing is wonderful throughout resulting in an enjoyable change of pace from Duke's other recordings.

I received my review copy from Mark Pucci. Here is Duke Robillard jumping the blues.

Buddy Tate Is A Texas Tenor

Buddy Tate was both a band mate of, and successor to, fellow Texas tenor saxophonist Herschel Evans. Both had played together in Troy Floyd’s Band and when Evans passed away at a young age, Tate was called to replace him in the Count Basie Band. Like Evans, Tate had a big sound drenched in the blues and like Evans, his playing contrasted with Lester Young. His playing was typical of what has become known as the Texas Tenor sound which includes such other masters as Illinois Jacquet and Arnett Cobb. After leaving Basie in 1949, Tate had a lengthy career leading his own Celebrity Club band in Harlem as well as extensively touring Europe. By the time the Sackville album, that Delmark recently reissued “Texas Tenor,” was recorded in 1978, many artists would travel as single artists and hook up with local rhythm sections. In the present case, Tate was hooked up with the terrific rhythm section of pianist Wray Downes, bassist Dave Young and drummer Pete Magadini for a session of ballads and standards.

This is a wonderful date full of swing and some marvelous ballad playing. The opening tunes “June Night” and “Someday Sweetheart” are swinging renditions of numbers that were popular in Tate’s youth. The latter number was recorded by Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver, although Tate’s version is more modern rhythmically than the versions by those pioneering jazz artists. “If You Could See Me Know” is a wonderful rendition of Tadd Dameron’s ballad displaying the warmth and tenderness generally characteristic of Tate with the rhythm section providing a light touch. The rhythm is hotter on the fine rendition of “I’ll Remember April,” with Downes adding some nice latin accents.

Tate is heard on clarinet on a bluesy take on “Georgia on My Mind,” followed by some somewhat breathy tenor on “Alone Together.” His swinging, nuanced tenor throughly delights on “Bye Bye Blackbird,” where his swinging, nuanced playing thoroughly delights. This Delmark reissue of the Sackville release includes two previously unissued selections, a lovely rendition of the Ellington-Strayhorn collaboration “Isfahan” (Tate evokes later day Ben Webster here), and “Lullaby of the Leaves” which provides another example of his clarinet playing with a woody, bluesy flavor.

Supported by a rhythm section, Tate is terrific throughout the marvelous “Texas Tenor.”

I received my review copy from Delmark. Here is Tate doing the classic ballad "Blue and Sentimental."

Catherine Russell Brings it Back

The emergence of Catherine Russell on the music stage in the past few years has provided lenity of magical listening. Daughter of legendary band leader Luis Russell and bassist-guitarist-singer Carline Ray, Catherine Russell delights with her revival of classic and less-known swing and blues tunes. Her latest album, Bring It Back on Jazz Village, continues in this vein with her superb singing backed by a little big band rooted in swing with some gypsy jazz accents. 

The new album brings her back with the creative team from her last album Simply Romancin’, that earned the Grand Prix du Hot Club de France. Among those supporting Ms. Russell are guitarist Matt Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Lee Hudson, drummer Mark MacLean, tenor saxophonist and arranger Andy Farber, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso, saxophonist Dan Block, trombonist John Allred and baritone saxophonist Mark Lopeman. And what a terrific team on a wonderful collection of songs ranging from the title track, a Peppermint Harris composition recorded by Wyonnie Harris, Duke Ellington’s I Let a Song Out Of My Heart, Johnny Otis and Preston Love’s Aged and Mellow, that Esther Phillips waxed, Public Melody One, which Louis Armstrong recorded for Decca with a big band led by Russell's late dad. There is also a previously unrecorded song by her father, Lucille, that was written for Louis Armstrong’s wife.

And the music is simply top-rate with Russell’s horn-like phrasing, her warmth, joy and intonation superb throughout whether strutting on The Darktown Strutters’ Ball, reflective on Aged and Mellow (which is how she wants her men, just like she wants her whisky). She can be sassy on the title track, moody on After The Lights Go Down Low, and getting the jitterbuggers out on the floor singing Ida Cox’s You Got to Swing and Sway. She sings with the exuberance of Helen Humes and the nuance of Lavern Baker. Then there are booting sax solos, growling trumpets, marvelous piano from boogie to deep swing, guitarist Munisteri jazzy electric blues playing on the title track as well as his deft acoustic chording elsewhere. One also notes the wonderful arrangements with touches of Ellington and other classic big bands. 

The only reason I would be hesitant in describing this as her best recording because her other recordings have also been so marvelous, but Bring It Back is one of the finest vocal recordings I have heard in the past few months. Its an outstanding recording that retains its pleasures with repeated hearings. Catherine Russell not simply brings back, but reinvigorates, some familiar classics and lesser known gems from the blues and swing worlds. 

I received my copy from a publicist. Here is Public Melody One.

Chris Biesterfeldt Jazzy Mandolin

Mandolin is not a common instrument in jazz ensembles and outside of the world of bluegrass or a Brazilian Choro Ensemble, it is not a common lead instrument. Chris Biesterfeldt is known as a guitarist, but on his self-produced new recording, Urban Mandolin, he handles a variety of jazz and pop tunes leading a trio of mandolin, bass and drums. 

On this recording he is accompanied by Adam Armstrong on upright bass and Eric Halvorson on drums on a fairly broad range of material here including jazz classics from Eddie Harris (Freedom Jazz Dance), Jaco Pastorious (Teen Town), Chick Corea’s (Armando’s Rhumba), Thelonious Monk (Bye-ya), Wayne Shorter (Witch Hunt) and Jimmy Smith Back at the Chicken Shack); pop classics like I Can’t Make You Love Me, and God Only Knows); Pixinguinha’s choro classic Segura Ele; and Frank Zappa’s Rollo Interior, that closes this recording

A torrid take on Dizzy Gillespie’s Bebop, opens this recording and immediately establishes how deft and commanding a player Biesterfeldt is with a fast, cleaning picking complemented by Armstrong’s and Halvorson’s lightly played drums. The metallic (tinny) staccato sound of the mandolin lends these performances with a unique tone. There follows a relaxed rendition of Charlie Parker’s Quasimodo that displays exemplary interplay between the leader and Armstrong while Halvoson employs a light touch here. 

The mandolin’s brittle, metallic tone may put off some listeners and the trio format perhaps does not work with every single number (Freedom Jazz Dance sounds a bit clunky),  but his playing on Bye-Ya is exhilirating.  Other high points include the exhilarating Segura Ele, a marvelous rendering of God Only Knows and the invention he brings in his improvisation to Shorter’s Witch Hunt. Biesterfeldt’s adventurous playing throughout Urban Mandolin merits careful and attentive listening. 

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here he can be heard playing from the album,  Teen Town.

Howard Alden/Andy Brown Quartet Bring Heavy Artillery

Fans of swing guitar (including for my blues loving friends some of Duke Robillard’s recent swing guitar efforts) will be delighted with Heavy Artillery, by the Howard Alden/Andy Brown Quartet (Delmark). I am more familiar with Alden, a member of George Wein’s Newport All Stars, than the Chicago-based Brown, but both are terrific swing-rooted guitarists who display nimble, fleet fretwork matched to a keen musical intelligence. Additionally, they exhibit considerable empathy in supporting each other whether chording behind the other’s solos, trading fours or jointly stating the theme of a song, 

They take us from the opening “Louisiana” to the boppish Chuckles (from Clark Terry’s pen), down to Brazil on Vocé E Eu, and Brigas Nunca Mais, and to Paris for Django Reinhardt’s number that provides the recording with its title. Alden returns to a song associated with Louis Armstrong, Don Redman’s No One Else But You, that he used to perform with Rudy Braff. In addition to the two marvelous Bossa Nova performances, Thad Jones’ “Three and One,” showcase their ability to interpret amore modern jazz compositions with the same swinging approach (bassist Joe Policastro and drummer Bob Rummage take brief solos here).

With supple backing from Policastro and Rummage, Alden and Brown enchant throughout Heavy Artillery with fleet and lyrical playing. This is a marvelous recording.

I received my review copy from Delmark. Here are the two in performance.

Scott Hamilton's Remembering Billie Holiday

Veteran tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton’s new album Remembering Billie (Blue Duchess) is a delightful set of ten performances of songs recorded by Billie Holiday. Hamilton had hoped to do a Holiday tribute with Ruby Braff but it ended being something else. The present recording was produced by Hamilton’s friend Duke Robillard and has Hamilton supported by pianist Tim Ray; bassist Tim Ray and drummer Jim Gwin. On two selections, Robillard contributes rhythmic acoustic guitar in the manner of Freddie Green. His backing trio provides supple, swinging support to Hamilton along with occasional solos. 

Hamilton’s saxophone playing is rooted in the swing era’s tenor sax masters such as Lester Young and Ben Webster (and I suggest Benny Carter as another source).Hamilton displays a warm and robust sound with a slight vibrato and a definite melodic flair and his playing most likely will appeal to fans of such modern tenor masters Buddy Tate, Houston Person, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims and Gene Ammons. While the songs on Remembering Billie all were part of Lady Day’s recorded repertoire, most of the performances only hint at Holiday’s recordings. The renditions of Fooling Myself (with a lovely arco bass solo from Zinno) and Good Morning Heartache (with a solo that is structured somewhat on Holiday’s vocal and a nice restrained piano solo) perhaps evoke her recordings more than the other performances.

Throughout this album Hamilton does a wonderful job of musical story telling with his swinging, lyrical playing throughout from the opening of When You’re Smiling to the closing notes of If Dreams Come True. Scott hamilton’s Remembering Billie is a splendid celebration of the music of one of jazz’s finest singers and iconic personalities.

I received a review copy from a publicist for this release. Here is Scott Hamilton in performance.