Chris Pattishall - Zodiac

Chris Pattishall - Zodiac - Self-produced

Pianist-composer Chris Pattishall's debut recording is an auspicious one. "Zodiac" is his reworking of Mary Lou Williams' "Zodiac Suite" with expanded instrumentation. Williams was, of course, a pioneering pianist, composer, and arranger whose "Zodiac Suite" remains an underappreciated gem. Pattishall, who studied with Marcus Roberts and Harold Mabern, gained an appreciation for the jazz piano greats. Pattishall, in collaboration with producer Rafiq Bhatia, brought together an ensemble Jamison Ross (drums), Riley Mulherkar (trumpet), Ruben Fox (saxophone), and Marty Jaffe (bass) to increase expert the legendary Mary Lou Williams' wondrous music. 

Williams' original suite was inspired after reading a book on astrology, with each sign being a taking-off point that would take further inspiration from friends in the jazz world. So for "Aries," she was inspired by Ben Webster and Billie Holiday, while "Libra" found inspiration in Art Tatum. As a song cycle, the performances still ring fresh today. Pattishall's added instrumentation to this song cycle showing the continuing relevance of this music. 

While Pattishall may initiate a performance with piano, the added instrumentation allows additional musical colors. Bhatia's production at times adds a dreamlike quality, such as during the "Scorpio," which closes with some riveting saxophone from Fox. Pattishall adds some Monkish angular phrases in his comping on this track with its shifting tempos and moods. "Sagittarius" provides a piano solo showcase for Pattishall's considerable piano talent on a composition Williams dedicated to Eddie Heywood. "Three Blind Mice" is quoted in this performance. "Capricorn," dedicated to Frankie Newton, was one of Williams' favorite compositions of the suite, and the rendition here has the sober feel of the original performance. While there are no solos on "Capricorn," trumpeter Mulherkar and saxophonist Fox provide a mournful tone with their ensemble playing. Then the two weave around each other during "Aquarius."

It says so much that one does not have to listen to Mary Lou Williams' original recording to appreciate the outstanding music. Taking these memorable classic compositions and bringing together a terrific band that revives these multi-faceted compositions with such spirit is a remarkable achievement. Incidentally, Mary Lou Williams' recording is available from Smithsonian-Folkways, as well as various streaming services. One can download the full liner notes for the Williams recording at the Smithsonian website https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/smithsonian_folkways/SFW40810.pdf.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is "Libra" from "Zodiac."

Take 5 With Andy Kirk

One of the bands from Kansas City that many remember with fondness with Andy Kirk and the Clouds of Joy. A popular swing band of the thirties into the forties the bands' sound was attributable to the piano and arranging skills of Mary Lou Williams as well as the marvelous tenor sax of Dick Wilson. Balladeer Pha Terrell was also popular with the sides with his vocals selling many copies. This week we sample five choice recordings by this fabled band.

We start with the band's theme, Mary Lou Williams' "Walkin' and Swingin'."

Next up is Williams' arrangement of "Moten Swing," which arguably is the finest version of this song other than the Benny Moten Band's original.

Arguably their biggest hot was "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" with Pha Terrell's memorable crooning.

The band celebrated Williams with "The Lady Who Swings The Band."

We close this Take 5 with a feature for guitarist Floyd Smith, "Floyd's Guitar Blues."

Mary Lou Williams Music Celebrated Wonderfully

One centerpiece of the Jazz program that the Kennedy Center initiated a number years ago under the direction of the late Dr. Billy Taylor is the annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival. At this year’s festival, held May 19-21 in Washington, Kennedy Center Jazz Records issued Walkin’ & Swinging: Highlights From the Kennedy Center Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival No. 2.

The CD compiles performances from the 2010 Festival which celebrated the centenary of the birth of Mary Lou Williams. Williams was a renown jazz pianist, composer and arranger whose career spanned the territory big bands to modern jazz where she befriended numerous visionary jazz artists including Herbie Nichols, Thelonious Monk and even played duets with Cecil Taylor. Last year’s festival celebrated Williams in a program devoted to her music (with the exception of the closing Ellington Cotton Tail).

The recording opens with a rendition of Walkin’ and Swingin,’ the Williams composition that was the theme for Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy, the Territory Band that helped Williams gain prominence. It is one of three performances by Sherrie Manicle & The DIVA Jazz Orchestra and the contours of the performance are not far removed from the Clouds of Joy original. The other two selections featuring this Big Band have them fronted by the wonderful vocalist Catherine Russell on What’s Your Story, Morning Glory? (Pha Terrell sang on Kirk’s 1938 original recording), and In the Land of Oo Bla Dee. The latter number was an amusing original that she composed during the hey day of bebop and Ms. Russell provides a fine treatment that I am sure Dizzy Gillespie would have approved of. One other performance employs a big band and that is Ann Patterson’s Maiden Voyage on Scratchin’ In the Gravel/ Truth. Scratchin’ was originally for a septet and then arranged for Duke Ellington in 1966 and the performance here is a medley of the two treatments, wonderfully scored and played with a very impressive tenor saxophonist (Ms. Patterson?).

A couple of performances showcase pianists. Miss D.D. showcases some wonderful playing by Geri Allen as part of The Women in Jazz All-Stars, joined by Esperanza Spalding on bass and Terri Lynn Carrington on drums, while Carmen Staff interprets Aries, from the ambitious The Zodiac Suite, with the incorporation of boogie woogie and strides in this intriguing solo showcase. Tenor saxophonist Virginia Mayhew transcribed several Williams solos that Mayhew employs in her performance of a hot blues, Medi II. The phenomenal young saxophonist Grace Kelly, displaying her somewhat incisive, dry tone, is featured on the Women in Jazz All Stars as they play Terry Lynn Carrington’s arrangement of Pisces, the last movement of The Zodiac Suite. Kelly’s playing shows a maturity far beyond her years while displaying the influence of Lee Konitz with whom she has recorded with.

This disc concludes with Dee Dee Bridgewater joining the All-Stars for a rousing Cotton Tail, a feature in the Ellington Band for Williams friend, Ben Webster. It is a remarkable performance with Bridgewater leading with a stellar scatting performance with a rousing piano solo from Allen and solos from the others. Its the longest performance here and a moment of musical magic including trading fours with Kelly that ends this terrific celebration of the 2010 Festival and the music of Mary Lou Williams. It is available from the Kennedy Center, http://www.kennedy-center.org/giftshop/html/itemDetail.cfm?item_sku=1023989&categ_id=2003092214202595.


This was a personal purchase.

Three Wishes is a Marvelous Look at Jazz

Today, I was at Barnes & Noble, in downtown Washington DC, and browsing the jazz and blues books section when I come across a book, Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats. I pick it up skim through it and then purchased it. It is published by Abrams Image and the credits have it compiled and photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter with a forward by Gary Giddins and an Introduction by Nadine de Koenigswarter, granddaughter of Pannonica. Pannonica is better known as Nica, the Baronness who befriended so many jazz musicians for such a long period of time. She was the person in whose apartment Charlie Parker died. Later, when she purchased a house in New Jersey, many jazz musicians visited or stayed with her. In 1957, she helped Thelonious Monk regain his caabaret license and also campaigned for its elimination which occurred when John Lindsay was elected Mayor. Monk had encouraged her to buy a house and she did ,which was named the Cathouse, and Monk himself moved there with his family in 1973, staying there until he passed. Others moved in or stayed for a period.

What the book compiles is the answers of about 300 jazz musicians to what three wishes in life they had. The text consists of their answers. Included are countless photographs of jazz legends from Monk, Barry Harris, Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Art Blakey, Bud Powell, Sonny Clark John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Mary Lou Williams, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and countless others. Most of her photos were taken with a Polaroid camera, and several of the images are from worn photos, but the pictures, like their words, speak to us decades later. Some of informal, intimate images of them at the house, others sghow them perforing at the Cathouse. This is a book one can easily get lost with for days and hopefully should be available at your better book store or from the large internet retailers.

Catherine Russell's Supreme Sentimental Streak

I became aware of Catherine Russell when she appeared as a backing vocalist on the wonderful Marie Knight tribute to Reverend Gary Davis. She is the daughter of the legendary bandleader, Luis Russell, and bassist-vocalist Carline Ray, and has worked with Jimmy Vivino’s Little Big Band, Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper and others.
In the 90s, her mom was subbing on bass with Doc Cheatham so she came down and later regularly saw the late trumpeter and started singing with him and the spirit of his music lives in this, her marvelous new album.
This recording is produced by Larry Campbell, who also contributes guitar, violin and mandolin to this project that showcases Ms. Russell’s marvelous way with a song. And, there is a fine collection of songs presented here for Ms. Russell, including I’ve Got That Thing, which her father wrote and recorded (it was released as by King Oliver who was ill that day); Kitchen Man, a vaudeville blues cowritten by Andy Razaf that was a staple of so many singers of that time with its double entendre-filled lyrics; Hoagy Carmichael’s New Orleans; the Wilder-McGlohon South to a Warmer Place (with Rachelle Garniez’s accordion and
Campbell’s violin evoking a French bals-musette); Nellie Lutcher’s playful You Better Watch Yourself, Bub; Willie Dixon’s I Don’t Care Who Knows (originally done by Harold Burrage for Cobra); Garniez’s Broken Nose (again with her accordion) and the sultry Harburg-Gensler Thrill Me.
Russell evokes a variety of influences including Alberta Hunter, Billy Holiday, Ivie Anderson, and Nellie Lutcher throughout this disc. I find Holiday an apt comparison as she phrases the lyric. She does not come across as a Holiday sound-alike in the manner of a Madeline Peyroux, but rather her delivery and timing is reminiscent of Lady Day, and the backing is so complimentary and sympathetic.
Many tracks eschew drummer while several tracks have horns and strings, yet never overwhelm the vocals and the lyric and one can appreciate Campbell’s marvelous mandolin solo chorus on Broken Nose as simply one of the elements that make it such as splendid performance. The acoustic bent of the performances here lend this disc a flavor of the thirties and forties cabaret scene yet everything sounds so contemporary.
This is not a campy revival of such vintage tunes like Brian Seltzer’s Louis Prima pastiches. Instead it is a compelling modern take on such material that will certainly end up on a number of Best of 2008 lists.

She is appearing at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on May 15 as part of the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Festival