Roderick Harper Evolving

Roderick Harper
Evolving
Self-produced

"Evolving" is the latest release from New Orleans-based vocalist Roderick Harper. It was recorded live with a cast of friends and mentor, including appearances from late piano legend Ellis Marsalis, sax icon Donald Harrison, and vocalist/drummer Jamison Ross. Others among the accompanists include pianists Oscar Rossignoli, Jesse Davis, Shea Pierre, and John Jones; bassists Robin Sherman and Roland Guerin; drummers Chris Guccione, Gerald Watkins, and Geoff Clapp; and soprano saxophonist Roderick Paulin. Among the twelve tracks are originals mixed in with some choice covers sung with a smooth, romantic warmth and soulfulness that are tastefully supported. At times Harper suggests to this listener a softer version of Donny Hathaway and other places a jazzier Johnny Mathis.

There is plenty of romanticism on the opening "Infinite Heart," which was co-written with Donald Harrison. Harrison graces this track with an airy solo. The late Ellis Marsalis provides the understated piano accompaniment for the blue ballad "Never Let Me Go" that complements Harper's disciplined singing. It is followed by a marvelous rendition of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free," with Rossignoli superlative accompaniment. His singing here displays his mastery of phrasing, diction, pitch, and dynamics. There are also compelling interpretations of "The Big City" and "Look What I Got," where Harper extracts every iota of meaning from the lyrics.

Other standout selections include his horn-like scatting for Ivan Lin's "Valsa Minera," the heartfelt rendering of Charles Mingus' "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love," and a buoyant treatment of Alvin Battiste's "Salty Dogs." There is a gentle, reflective quality in his singing of "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?" that is the final track. John Jones' Fender Rhodes provides an airy setting for the vocal, with Roland Guerin adding a terrific bass solo. It is as memorable and engaging performance as the other songs on this superb album of jazz singing.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Roderick Harper performing "Never Let Me Go."

McClenty Hunter Jr. The Groove Hunter

McClenty Hunter Jr.
The Groove Hunter
Strikezone

Familiar to this writer as a member of Dave Stryker's organ trio, drummer McClenty Hunter Jr. studied at Howard University with Grady Tate and Juilliard with Carl Allen. He was a member of Kenny Garrett's Quintet and has played with Lou Donaldson, Eric Reed, Curtis Fuller, Javon Jackson and others in addition to Stryker.I believe "The Groove Hunter" is his first recording as a leader. Produced by Stryker and Hunter, there are some serious players to be heard here including pianists Eric Reed and Christian Sands; bassists Corcoran Holt and Eric Wheeler; guitarist Stryker; trumpeter Eddie Henderson; alto saxophonist Donald Harrison; and tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard. They collaborate in various combinations on the four Hunter compositions and five interpretations heard here.

There is plenty of fire with Eric Reed dazzling on piano for a driving, fiery trip take of Herbie Nichols' "Blue Chopsticks," with Holt anchoring the performance with Hunter pushing the heated groove. In contrast, Reed is exquisite on Hunter's, "My Love," shifting from a lovely ballad mode to comping behind Dillard's robust, burning tenor sax and then soloing in a Tyner-esque fashion. Wayne Shorter's "The Big Push" has all three of the horns along with Reed and Holt. Dillard's robust tenor sax is impressive while Dr. Henderson delights with his attack. There are also strong statements from Reed and Harrison who plays in a turbulent manner. Stryker is featured on the rendition of Stevie Wonder's "That Girl," with Sands also outstanding on this bouncy performance. Gary McFarland's "Sack Full of Dreams" is a feature for some lovely, delicate playing from pianist Sands and guitarist Stryker, with Hunter employing a light touch. Hunter's drums kick off a brisk version of John Coltrane's "Countdown," with Harrison riveting alto sax with a good portion of the performance being a duet with Hunter before Reed and Holt join in.

Dillard's soprano sax is supported by Reed, Holt and Hunter on the leader's composition, "Give Thanks," on a lovely spiritually rooted performance. It is the close of a fascinating and enthralling recording by Hunter, who shows himself to be a composer of note as well as a marvelous musician who is joined by a superb cast of supporting musicians.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 378). Here is McClenty Hunter Jr as part of Dave Stryker's band.

The Cookers Time and Time Again

Of course it is simplistic to describe The Cookers as an band of Hard Bop All Stars, but certainly the music here has its roots in the over 250 years of aggregate experience its members have. With one exception, Donald Harrison replacing Craig Handy on alto sax, the group’s line-up remains the same with Billy Harper on tenor sax, Dr. Eddie Henderson and David Weiss on trumpet; George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass and Billy Hart on drums. The members of The Cookers have experience playing with some of the greatest jazz artists of the past half century including Art Pepper, Dexter Gordon, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Charles Lloyd, Max Roach, and Art Blakey. Additionally, every member is a leader of their own right as well as being notable composers and players.

Motema Music has issued their fourth CD, Time and Time Again and the album brings forth some vintage compositions such as Billy Harper’s Sir Galahad which was from his 1973 debut album Capra Black, while Cecil McBee contributes two new compositions. Other compositions are from the pens of Cables, Weiss and Hart for a program of music whose vitality is convincing proof that band’s name is deserved on the nine performances heard here

The tone is set with the opening Sir Galahad which opens with some very robust playing from Hart, followed by Weiss, Harrison and Cables. McBee’s original blues Slippin’ and Slidin’ provides a chance for the members to show the continual relevance of the blues with Harper, Weiss and McBee showcased with fine work. Cables Double Or Nothing is another burner with Harrison and Weiss shining before Hart explodes in his solo. It is followed by Cables tribute to the late Mulgrew Miller, Farewell Mulgrew with Weiss’ providing the horns arrangement whose ensemble playing sets the atmosphere for Cables playing being stately and moving. Harper again displays just how riveting a tenor saxophonist he is on Weiss Three Fall followed by the composer’s hot trumpet and terrific support from the rhythm section.

The title track, a Harper original is built upon a bass ostinato from McBee and includes more stirring playing from Harper, Henderson and Cables along with the superb rhythm section. The mix of strong compositions, solid ensemble playing with the superb rhythm section and the mix of technical mastery, passion, imagination and inventiveness make Time and Time Again another outstanding recording by The Cookers.

I received my review copy from a publicist.  Here is a video related to Sir Galahad and the album.

Johnny Adams Keep His Music Planted In The Blues

The late Johnny Adams was among my favorite blues and soul singers, but he was so capable of more. His catalog on Rounder is universally excellent. The following review of one of his excellent Rounder albums appeared in the December 1996 DC Blues Calendar as well as the February 1997 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 218). I likely received my review copy from Rounder Records. This CD is available currently as a download.

Johnny Adams is simply a terrific singer and his latest Rounder album, One Foot In the Blues, has him backed by Dr. Lonnie Smith on the Hammond B-3, guitarist Jimmy Ponder and drummer Shannon Powell along with saxophonists Ed Peterson and Donald Harrison Jr. and with trumpeter Jamil Sharif. Despite the jazzy backing, this has more of a blues flavor than Adams’ two previous Rounder releases. He is in good form, although he no longer vocally soars into the stratosphere as he did a couple decades past. The title song is a fine new number penned by Dan Penn, Jonnie Barnett and Carson Whitsett. Other songs include a couple of fine blue ballads from Buddy Johnson’s pen, including I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone, and three Percy Mayfield Numbers including the classic Two Years of Torture. Smith greases the musical stew, Ponder adds some tasty fills and solos, and the horn players cook There is a relaxed groove and tasty looseness to these performances that add to Rounder’s invaluable catalog of Adams releases. Here is Johnny Adams in performance at the Lone Star in NYC from 1990.

Mike Clark's Jazz Blueprints

This is the first of three reviews I did reviewing the initial batch of releases on the Taking House Records series, Blueprints Of Jazz. I received review copies I believe in Jazz & Blues Report, but I am unaware if this review ever ran. I will be running the other two reviews in the next several days.

A series of new releases from Talking House Records, Blueprints Of Jazz, shines the spotlight on lesser known innovators and style-setters in jazz. Series co-producer Marc Weibel noted the series “is unique in that it presents a collection of modern recordings by some of the few remaining musicians that have a true historical connection to jazz scene of teh 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. … Blueprints of jazz gives the casual jazz fan a chance to discover significant jazz artists they weren’t aware of before - artists that are peers with the jazz legends they’re already familiar with. The series first releases spotlight drummers Mike Clark and Donald Bailey along with saxophonist Billy Harper. each is handsomely packaged with digipacs that include liner booklets as well as use modern and vintage photographs, the latter using or evoking the classic work of Francis Wolff and used not only in the booklets, but the back cover and the disc labels.

Mike Clark is best known as the drummer with Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, but as displayed on his disc, Blueprints Of Jazz, Vol. 1, he can take a straight ahead groove as hard and tight as a funk number. The studio band is noteworthy including New Orleans alto saxophonist Donald Harrison; tenor saxophonist Jed Levy; young trumpet phenom Christian Scott; pianist Patrice Rushen; and bassist Christian McBride. Quite an impressive line-up who should be familiar to many from the New York scene with an impressive talent and who contributed several originals.

The overall mood is like some classic Blue Note of the late sixties, early seventies, as well as Woody Shaw and Louis Hayes highly underrated band. Levy’s hot romp, In the House, opens up this set with Rushen taking the first solo followed by Levy’s strong tenor and then Harrison's blues-toned alto leading into the leader taking a solo. The tempo slows down slightly on Levy’s Like That, on which trumpeter Scott follows Harrison with some very impressive playing before spots for Levy and Rushen. Tim Ouimette’s 10th Ave. 1957, is a moody blues-based number with an stop-time bass figure anchoring the rhythm with Scott up front again.

The piano-less Past Lives, has a Moorish tinge as well as allows Clark to display his ability to play with the tempo before he and McBride close it out as a duo. Thanks Len is a funky shuffle by Levy that again conjures up the classic hard bop recordings, whereas the Clark-Levy collaboration, Loft Funk, mixes a Crescent City tinge with some Herbie Hancock flavor, with Clark never getting out of the pocket while mixing in some funk spices to the groove, while Clark’s Conchita’s Dance, described as a Coltranesque tune, written in 5/4, suggests as much some of the Coltrane-inspired hard bop of the time from such pens as Woody Shaw, Wayne Shorter and Billy Harper, all of which displayed their own voices as does the sextet here.

The closing number, Billy Eckstine’s I Want to Talk About You, a feature for Harrison, strikes me as the one number most evocative of classic Coltrane (think After the Rain) that concludes this excellent recording.

Here is a video of Mike in performance.

7th DC Jazz Festival Will Be Musical Feast

Eddie Palmieri will be leading an All-Star Salsa Orchestra at the Sylvan Theater
near the Washington Monument at this Year's DC Jazz Festival on Sunday June 12.

The Seventh Annual DC Jazz Festival (formerly the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival) kicks off June 1 and continues through June 13 with more than 100 performances and programs at nearly 50 venues across the city, including the a day-long concert near the Washington Monument on the National Monument, and a Kennedy Center concert spotlighting New Orleans and the HBO television show, Tremé.  Headliners for this year’s festival include multiple Grammy Award winners Bobby McFerrin, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and Latin Jazz legend Eddie Palmieri, as well as the legendary Heath Brothers, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars Quartet featuring pianist Cyrus Chestnut, saxophonists Antonio Hart and JD Allen, and Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuña.

Donald Harrison is part of the DC Jazz Festival's
presentation of "A Night in Treme"
at the Kennedy Center on June 13.

New Orleans (NOLA) will again have prominence at this year's festival. The Brass-A-Holics, NOLA's newest hip, hot and happening sensation will perform at both Maison Francaise at the Embassy of France (on Friday June 3), and LIV (Saturday, June 4), the upstairs club at Bohemian Caverns. And, concluding the festival, the DCJF and the Kennedy Center will present “A Night in Treme: The Musical Majestry of New Orleans” with the star of HBO's hit mini-series, “Treme,” Wendell Pierce, the Rebirth Brass Band, master clarinetist Dr. Michael White, funky trombonist Big Sam Williams, and trumpeter James Andrews, under the musical direction of saxophonist Donald Harrison. “A Night in Treme” will be at the Kennedy Center on Monday, June 13. 

Among other featured concerts, Bobby McFerrin, will be performing from his latest recording, “VOCAbuLarieS,” with Howard University's Afro Blue Reunion Choir on Saturday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m at the Warner Theater.  Sunday, June 12 at 1;00PM, “Jazz on the National Mall” returns with with free performances from Frédéric Yonnet, Claudia Acuña, Roy Hargrove & the RH Factor, Tobe Foyeh and the Eddie Plamieri All-Star Salsa Orchestra.

On Friday June 4 and 5, the Festival once again holds “Jazz 'N Families Fun Days At The Phillips Collection." It will be a celebration of the synergy between jazz and the visual arts.  “Jazz ‘N’ Families Fun Days” features some of the finest jazz musicians from around the region.  Fun-filled activities for kids include story-telling, hands-on art workshops, and an instrument petting zoo.  In the galleries, art inspires musical interpretation as musicians interpret art through improvised sound.  The line-up for Saturday June 4 includes the Capital Focus Jazz Band, Herman Burney Trio, Jess Righthand Trio, Victor Provist Trio, David Schuman and Michael Bowie and Sine Qua Non String Quartet. The line-up for Sunday June 5 includes Vince Evans, Lavenia Smith, James King Quartet, Susan Priester and Jamal Brown.

“Jazz in the ‘Hoods” presented by Washington Convention and Sports Authority, which includes performances at more than 30 venues, including museums, restaurants and clubs across the city. The famed Bohemian Gardens will host performances by Cyrus Chestnut with the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Quintet on June 3 and 4, Antonio Hart on June 8 and 9 and The Heath Brothers on June 10 and 11.

Nasar Abadey and Supernova are among the performers in the Jazz in the ‘Hoods' series

There are numerous other performances. For example on the Festival’s opening night, Wednesday June 1, Elijah Jamal Balbed & The Po' Boys, featuring a highly touted young saxophonist is featured at the Bayou near the Foggy Bottom Metro station. They are also at the Bayou several other nights. Thursday, June 2, DC Choro, rooted in the Brazilian musical tradition, is at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Friday, June 3, Mark Prince and Aqua Leo is at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Gallery while the Jolley Brothers are B.Smith’s at Union Station (also Saturday and Sunday for Brunch). Saturday, June 4, Akua Allrich is at Twins. Sunday June 5, and Allen Harris ius at the Islander. Nasar Abadey and Supernova is at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Dc Choro is at Grill from Ipanema, and the Brass-a-holics are at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.

Monday June 6, the Peter Edelman Quartet is at Tryst while Tuesday June 7, Brad Linde Quartet featuring Sarah Hughes are at Twins, and on Wednesday June 8, Paul Piper & Bill Heid are at Utopia Bar & Grill. Thursday, June 9, Sara Jones & Um Novo Tempo is at Grill from Ipanema. Friday, June 10, Kenia Ashby & Origem is at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage while vocalist Lena Seikaly is at the Mandorin Oriental. Saturday, June 11 the Charles Woods Quartet is at Johnny’s Half Shell, while bluesman Anthony ‘Swampdog’ Clark is at the Bayou and Elijah Jamal Balbed along with the JD Allen Trio are at Subterranean A. Sunday, June 12, Leni Stern is at Bossa Bistro, and Wayne Willentz & Jim West is at the Utopia Bar and Grill.  

For more information on the DC Jazz Festival, visit http://www.dcjazzfest.org. For the schedule (which will be updated with more club information) visit http://www.dcjazzfest.org/content.cfm/schedule_and_major_events.