Andrew Van Tassel - Shape-Shifter

Andrew Van Tassel - Shape-Shifter - Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records

Andrew Van Tassel's new album finds inspiration from many musical sources, including bebop/hard bop, fusion, indie rock, and classical music. The saxophonist, composer, and educator studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the New England Conservatory. He studied under such luminaries as luminaries Jerry Bergonzi, Donny McCaslin, John McNeil, and MacArthur Fellows Jason Moran and Miguel Zenon. The venues he has played include The Jazz Gallery, ShapeShifter Lab, the Cornelia Street Café, the Bar Next Door, and Rockwood Music Hall. His previous album, "It's Where You Are" (Tone Rogue Records), was highly praised, and an original composition from the record was a recipient of the 2017 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award.

Van Tassel has brought together a terrific band of Lucas Hahn – piano, Wurlitzer, Alex Goodman – guitar, Rick Rosato – bass, and Kush Abadey – drums. Goodman is present on 3 of the nine tracks. Also heard on this album are Michael Mayo's voice on one selection and Alex Van Gils on live electronics and processing on six pieces. Seven of the nine tracks are his compositions, one is a standard, and one is his adaptation of a Robert Frost poem.

Van Tassel is impressive on both alto and soprano sax with a tone with a light vibrato at most and a fluid attack. The rhythm section is exemplary, with Kush Abadey being especially impressive, helping propel the performances. A classic Blue Note feel underlies a number of these performances, starting with the breezy swing of the opening "East Wind," which is one of three selections that sport Goodman's guitar with his horn-like ensemble playing and solo mixing single note lines and chords. Van Tassel's solo is fruity. There is a laconic feel to "Undertone," where Hahn solos quite impressively, with Abadey providing sterling accompaniment. Goodman returns for the airy Brazilian-tinged "Sphere."

Van Tassel provides a charming arrangement and swirling soprano sax for Robert Frost's poem "A Dream For a Buried Flower," with Michael Mayo's voice and unidentified singers providing wordless vocals. "Rain Waltz" is a light jazz waltz with an attractive and imaginative soprano sax solo. Van Gils gives atmospheric background to the swinging "On the Up" with first-rate solos from the leader, Goodman, and Hahn. Among the other selections is a dreamy reinvention of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies," with Van Tassel playing mesmerizing soprano sax. 

Andrew Van Tassel is a saxophonist of considerable talent and a notable composer. With the excellent support he receives here, his "Shape-Shifter" is a top-flight set of contemporary hard bop.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a promo video for this album.

Aimée Allen Wings Uncaged

Aimée Allen
Wings Uncaged
Azuline Music

One is struck by the performance of the Johnny Mercer-Hoagy Carmichael standrad, "Skylark" that opens this album by the command and presence of Aimée Allen along with the strong backing from bassist Francois Moutin (who has been playing with her for some time), pianist Billy Test and drummer Kush Abadey. She sings with clarity and on pitch, has a pretty wide vocal range while making subtle timbre changes as well as a phrasing that displays a strong sense of dynamics. Most importantly she simply has a lovely voice. The accompaniment is solid and their are imaginative solos from pianist Test (with his judicious use of dissonant chords) and bassist Moutin. "Skylark" is one of the six songs she provides fresh interpretations of and she herself has contributed five originals.

"Skylark" is followed by her original "Shooting Star," an original love song with bassist Moutin providing the only accompaniment for the first verse. It is a good introduction to her gifts as a songwriter, not simply a singer and once again Test and Moutin solo while Abadey colors the performance with rhythmic accents. This writer is most familiar with instrumental renditions of "Invitation," Allen does a marvelous job in delivering Paul Francis Webster's lyrics as she sings about someone being a great temptation. There is a strong bass solo on this. The pace slows down for "In My Web," a moody and dark ballad performance.

Of her originals, perhaps the most remarkable one is a topical song, "Democracy How (Harmony And Dissonance)." with its call of action, asking how we can participate in a system when truth is ridiculed and divisions weaken the common ground we share. She sings movingly about false stories set forth to deceive and divide, about that he need for individual and collective action because democracy is on the line. There is splendid rendering of Jobim's "Fotografia," sung both in Portuguese and English with just piano and bass accompaniment, as well as a marvelous duet with just Moutin's accompaniment on "Autumn Leaves / Les Feuilles Mortes," sung first in French and then English with her phrasing perhaps the most horn-like of the entire recording. On sublime covers of Buddy Johnson's classic ballad, "Save Your Love For Me," and "Midnight Sun," Abadey also sits out while Test plays with restrained elegance.

This is my first exposure to Aimée Allen, although apparently her fifth album. She definitely impressed this listener with some superb singing and material with first-rate backing.

I received as a download from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2018 Jazz & Blues Reort (Issue 381). She is performing at Blues Alley in Washington DC on July 30th. Here is the video preview of this album.

 

Luke Sellick Alchemist

Luke Sellick

Alchemist

Cellar Live



Bassist-of-choice for Russell Malone, Johnny O’Neal, Jimmy Greene and others, 26-year-old Luke Sellick has his debut album as a leader. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, coming to New York he studied at Juilliard where he was mentored by the great Ron Carter who writes the liner notes for this recording.

Sellick has an impressive group of musicians to interpret his nine compositions including Adam Birnbaum on piano and Andrew Renfroe on guitar, who play on all the tracks, and Jimmy Greene on tenor saxophone; Jordan Pettay on alto saxophone; Benny Benack III on trumpet; Mat Jodrell on trumpet; Adam Birnbaum on piano; Kush Abadey on drums; Jimmy Macbride on drums and Andrew Gutauskas on bass clarinet.

After the brief sober “Prelude," ”Q-Tippin’” (dedicated to drummer Quincy Davis) has Kush Abadey channeling Tony Williams with the Latin-tinged groove Jimmy Greene, Mat Koddell and Andrew Renfroe all sounding impressive on a performance that evokes classic sixties Blue Note recordings. “Brothers,” inspired by Sellick’s upbringing, has Jimmy McBride driving the stately, relaxed groove on a lovely theme that Pettay and Benack state before the leader solos followed by Benack’s lyrical playing and a brief break from Renfroe.

"Hymn," a mediation on Sellick's faith, is a reflective piece played at a languid tempo with some thoughtful tenor from Greene. "The Alchemist" is a more energetic number with Renfroe displaying great facility and thoughtfulness on his solo followed by Pettay's spirited alto solo. The relaxed tempo of "Dog Days" backdrops Greene and pianist Birnbaum with Abadey propelling the performance with his rhythmic accents. The charming waltz, "Abacus," features lovely trumpet from Jodrell along with Birnbaum's ruminative piano, while "Uptown!" is a swinging quartet performance enlivened by solos from Renfroe and Birnbaum and then Sellick himself with more outstanding support from Abadey. McBride crisply backs the closing "Home," with a light blue cast and enticing solos from Renfroe, Benack and Birnbaum along with their interplay during the closing bars. 



Throughout the performances, one is struck by the steady anchor Luke Sellick provides on bass, the wonderful musicians and the ensemble work on these intriguing compositions, resulting in some very appealing musical alchemy.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371). Here is a video of Luke Sellick performing.

Frank Lacy & The Smalls Legacy Band

 

Trombonist Frank Lacy has a weekly gig at Smalls, the Greenwich Village jazz club with his Legacy Band. Spike Wilmer got Frank Lacy & The Smalls Legacy Band a weekend to record them for the club’s SmallsLive label resulting in a new Live at Smalls recording. Joining Lacy that weekend is trumpeter Josh Evans, tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard, pianist Theo Hill, bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Kush Abadey.

Live at 2014 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival

This is one superb band on a recording the evokes Blakey’s great bands with Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller and either Lee Morgan or Freddie Hubbard; Charles Tolliver’s ensembles; the great Woody Shaw groups (with Louis Hayes and after). The mood is set with Lacy’s  Stranded, and concludes with Freddie Hubbard’s The Intrepid Fox. The whole band is outstanding with trumpeter Evans playing with the fire and imagination that Hubbard and Shaw brought thirty-five years ago. Drummer Abadey stands out playiung with the explosiveness and nuance of Elvin Jones and Tony Williams.

Lacy is an unsung trombonist who can get gut-bucket with some tailgating on the trombone as well as navigate the more intricate changes in the compositions (including George Cables’ wonderful Think of Me that was on Woody Shaw's Blackstone Legacy LP). Lacy even sings on Carolyn’s Dance in a fashion not that far removed from Archie Shepp’s vocals on Shepp's recent Attica Blues Orchestra recording. His vocal may jar some, but is only a small part of one selection here.

This writer recently saw Lacy as part of a trombone summit with Delfaeyo Marsalis and Steve Turre. He impressed in that company and plays with so much of the personality he displays on this live recording. I would love to see him playing with this outstanding group.

I purchased this CD. Here is a small clip of him performing at Smalls.

Elijah Jamal Balbed's Checkin' In Today

Elijah Jamal Balbed caught at an earlier performance at the Smithsonian's Kogod Courtyard

One of the Washington DC area's most accomplished young musicians is saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed. At jams, performances with other artists and his own engagements, he has displayed a robust style displaying a musical maturity way beyond his years. He issued recently his first recording as a leader Checking In where he is joined by some of the DC area's most accomplished musicians including pianists Harry Appelman and Allyn Johnson, trumpeters Alex Norris and Donvonte McCoy, bassists Eric Wheeler and Zach Brown, guitarist Samir Moulay, and drummers Carroll Vaughn Dashiell III. 

Included are seven studio recordings from two sessions and a live performance from the Strathmore with a band that included Norris and Dashiell. Musically this is some fine playing in the vein of some of the classic Blue Note and Prestige recordings of the seventies by Wayne Shorter (whose Infant Eyes is interpreted), Booker Ervin, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw and similar artists. The disc opens with the leaders own Macrophobia, which displays a a full tone that goes beyond his influences. It is followed by a wonderful rendition of Freddie Hubbard's tribute to his contemporary Booker Little, Lament For Booker, which allows everyone to stretch out. Norris is terrific here as is Appelman, flautist Brent Birckhead, and Balbed. The title track is the last one featuring the group with Appelman and Norris and a is a brash, bouncy performance.

Imanust (Tsunami spelled backwards) reminds me of some of Woody Shaw's very sophisticated compositions with bassist Brown taking a brief solo before the leader takes the forefront with Kush Abadey propelling things along. Keep Me From Fear was inspired by a poem by Brendan Ogg, who died way too young. It is a lovely ballad with Balbed opening in a feathery manner with guitarist Moulay complementing the opening statement. Throughout, pianist Johnson plays superbly where comping behind Balbed and others or in one of his beautiful solos. McCoy's trumpet is another pleasure to be enjoyed here, especially on his solo during Brief Encounters, followed by an excellent rendition of Shorter's Infant Eyes. 

The live recording For Minors Only strongly closes out Checking In. Balbed has received much praise   from CapitalBop.com (which selected this as amongst the finest Washington DC new releases of 2012) and the Washington City Paper (Best New Saxophonist in 2010). This writer has been impressed every time I have had the pleasure of seeing Elijah Jamal Balbed perform. This music swings, the arrangements are first-rate, the ensemble playing is terrific, and the solos are consistently inventive resulting in this marvelous debut album. This was crowd-funded through Kickstarter and available through cdbaby.com and available as a download from itunes and other download sources as well as from cdbaby.

I write this and post this a few hours before Balbed leads a program devoted to one of his influences, Wayne Shorter, at the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian's Museum of American Art. The program is a tribute to Wayne Shorter's 80th birthday year, and he will showcase Shorter's early works (prior to his tenure with Miles Davis). Balbed's group will include Alex Norris on trumpet, Samir Moulay on guitar, Harry Appelman on piano, Herman Burney on bass, and Billy Williams on drums. It is free and starts at 5:00PM and runs until 7:00PM. Food is available in the snack bar and there is a free drawing workshop  taking place at the same time where one can build a sketchbook from recycled materials. This workshop is in conjunction with the exhibition Abstract Drawings. Here is Elijah Jamal Balbed from a couple years ago performing one of songs Wayne Shorter wrote for Miles Davis.

I purchased Checking In. 

I cursorily proofed this but will do a more thorough proofing later.