Lynne Arriale Trio Chimes of Freedom

Lynne Arriale Trio
Chimes of Freedom
Challenge Records International

For her 15th album, pianist Lynne Arriale has put together her reflections on freedom, cultural diversity, and her hope for refugee families to find a safe haven among the world's democratic nations. Arriale is joined on this recording by bassist and co-producer Jasper Somsen, and drummer, E. J. Strickland. Singer-songwriter K.J. Denhart adds vocals to two of the ten tunes, seven of which are Arriale originals.

A stark rendition of the spiritual, "Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child," opens this recording. Arriale's simple, lyrical playing of this number is matched by the quiet thunder of Strickland to capture the feelings of children separated from parents attempting to come to the U.S. The next seven selections are Arriale's compositions, trying to capture the hopes and angst of refugees. "Journey" is a swinging performance with her arpeggios matched by dramatic chords as she tries to capture the feel of the allure of sanctuary. Somsen's sinewy bass and Strickland's forceful drumming add to the drama.

The somber "Dreamers" represents an effort to depict the angst of the DACA children in current times. At the same time, "3 Million Steps" addresses the refugees trudging from Central America to the southern U.S. with Arriale again displaying her melodic touch in a heartfelt performance. Then there is the openness of "Hope," the blues-tinged "The Whole Truth," and the hymn-like ballad "Lady Liberty," where she further displays her gentle lyricism.

 The celebratory "Reunion" is infused with a Caribbean groove as she imagines the reunification of families torn apart. It is followed by K.J. Denhart's solemn, haunting interpretations of Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom," and Paul Simon's "American Tune." Denhart's singing about "underdogs soldiering in the night," and the many times being forsaken and confused and while all right, being "weary to my bones," reaches deep into the listener's heart with sympathetic simple, restrained backing. Her rendition of "American Tune" joins John Boutté's version as a personal favorite of this song.

Lynne Arriale plays lyrically throughout with clarity, elegance, and grace while Somsen and Strickland complement her with their empathetic playing. The Lynne Arriale Trio's "Chimes of Freedom" is an excellent, stirring recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2020 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 389). Here the Lynne Arriale Trio perform "Journey."

Jon Batiste Anatomy of Angels - Live at the Village Vanguard

Jon Batiste
Anatomy of Angels - Live at the Village Vanguard
Verve Records

Jon Batiste's latest recording brings together performances from different shows during a 6-night residency at New York City's fabled Village Vanguard, Batiste is, of course, best known as the bandleader for Late Night with Stephen Colbert. Still, this writer has been aware of him long before his present celebrity from seeing him performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival where his set crossed genres. Of course, he comes from one of the great musical families of New Orleans, which include Alvin Batiste, Lionel Batiste, Harold Battiste, Russell Batiste, and David Batiste. The first recording of his that I noticed was an exuberant rendition of Thelonious Monk's "Green Chimneys," but seeing him a couple of times since he impressed not merely by his mastery of the piano but the joy that he conveys when playing.

His recent collaboration with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra devoted to the music of John Lewis comes highly recommended. This, like that recording, showcases the jazz side of Batiste whose music still continues to generally transcend classification. He is backed by his long-time collaborators, bassist Phil Kuehn, and drummer Joe Saylor. Also present on some selections are vocalist Rachael Price; tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, alto saxophonist Patrick Bartley, trumpeters Giveton Gelin and Jon Lampley, percussionist and guitarist Louis Cato, and percussionist Nêgah Santos.

About the five selections, Batiste states, "The music on this release is all live, no edits or retakes. It's a snapshot of live art. I composed and arranged these songs as vehicles for exploration, to be dissected and put back together, live in action, never to be played the same way twice." He composed three selections, arranged a Thelonious Monk composition, and arranged a song from the American songbook.

 "Creative" is the opening composition. Batiste states that "Creative' was first written in 2011 as a part of a suite I was commissioned to do for The Museum of Arts and Design. I approached it like a builder. The architecture of this composition is akin to blending different styles of design. It's all about the balance of each section and how we maintain our equilibrium while navigating the sections. It is a fascinating trio performance with one section having a Monk-like simplicity with another having in him playing in a free vein while Kuehn and Saylor easily navigate the transitions into a different section. Then there is the tour de force "Dusk Train To Doha," with Batiste spellbinding on this blues original. Raechel Price is heard singing the standard "The Very Thought of You." She sings beautifully and coveys the melancholy of the lyrics framed by Batiste's restrained, understated accompaniment.

On "Round Midnight," Batiste shows how much he has absorbed Monk's music, while not attempting to copy Monk, but rather interpret the composition in his own style. After his piano introduction, the horns come in with some hot trumpet followed by riveting sax from Pennicott and Bartley. As he says in his notes, the band is on fire here. The final song "Anatomy Of Angels" is a long-form composition that is a part of a suite inspired by the celestial context of humanity. The lengthiest track, it is a multi-dimensional performance that ranges from a genial swinging portion with a melodious trumpet to an intense, post-Coltrane hot segment. There is exhilarating blistering trumpet, followed by Bartley employing the higher registers of his sax, and Pennicott's exploiting the full range of the tenor sax especially the lower registers. It is an enthralling close to this superb Jon Batiste recording.

I received a download to review from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the September-October 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 386). Here Jon Batiste backs Corinne Bailey Rae on the Ray Noble classic "The Very Thought of You."

Eliane Elias Music from Man of La Mancha

Eliane Elias
Music from Man of La Mancha
Concord Records

This new release from Elias was a 1995 recording resulted from the request of Mitch Leigh, composer of the Music for the legendary musical, who loved her album playing the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and wanted her to similarly arrange and produce a recording of the musical's music. This led to the present recording, originally produced for Leigh's private enjoyment and now with the cooperation of his family finally made available to the public on Concord.

There are two sessions represented. One with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette and the other with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Satoshi Takeishi with percussionist Manolo Badrena on all but one of the nine songs heard. Many will be more familiar with Elias as a singer, but starting with the opening "To Each His Dulcinea," she displays a crisp, fluid and imaginative attack with the adept accompaniment provided. There is the reflectiveness of "Dulcinea" with some superb playing by Gomez and DeJohnette's use of brushes and the lively swing of "What Does He Want of Me," with her romanticism matched by the light, complementary backing. Elias' touch is more emphatic on "I'm Only Thinking of Him," while DeJohnette opens "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)," with a crisp rhythmic figure, echoed by Gomez before Elias enters ruminatively. With Johnson and Takeishi, she provides a Brazilian flavor for a memorable, driving interpretation of the musical's most famous song, "The Impossible Dream."

Concord is to be thanked for helping arrange for the release of this superb piano jazz recording that allows us to appreciate a side of Eliane Elias talent that gets overshadowed by her fine vocal jazz recordings.

I received my review copy from Concord Records. I have made minor changes from my review that originally appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 378).  Here is an interview with Eliane Elias talking about the history of this recording.

Larry Novak - Invitation

Neil Tesser, in the liner notes to "Invitation" (Delmark Records), observes that this is Larry Novak's first album in over a half century and its only the second album he's recorded under his own name, although one might have heard on on recordings by Louis Bellson (with whom he toured), Eddie Daniels, Terry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco, and on the first Delmark disc pairing Von Freeman and Frank Catalano; as well as worked with Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan. He had lengthy residences at Mr. Kelly's and The London House and gathered the admiration of many including Oscar Peterson and became close to Bill Evans.

Evans had a great deal of impact on his music which is evident on the two opening numbers, a lovely solo opening "Waltz For Debby," and "Very Early," which introduces his trio of bassist Eric Hochberg and drummer Rusty Jones (who passed away in December of 2015). And it is a marvelous trio whose near telepathic interplay is terrific throughout on album whose songs were (with two exceptions) recorded by Evans.

The aura of Evans might hover over these performances, but they stand on their own as Novak is a pianist with a marvelous touch, who displays a fertile imagination and a crisp rhythmic flow. There is delight in the lively "The Days of Wine and Roses," and a stunning, feverish rendition of Gigi Gryce's "Minority," a stunning bop piano workout. The there is a lovely ballad playing on "Close Enough For Love," and the delightful interpretation of the must recorded "Yesterdays." The album closes with a hauntingly lovely solo performance of "Its Too Late Now."

One cannot understate the contributions of Hochberg and Jones, both in their support of Novak, and their own solo breaks that flow naturally within the performances here. Neil Tesser states when nothing that this was Novak's first album in half a century, "Let that sink in for a moment." Certainly listening to "Invitation," one shares his bewilderment that a pianist of Larry Novak's caliber could fly under the radar for so long. "Invitation" is a superb recording by an extraordinary pianist that finally is getting his due. It is a recording I will be returning to frequently.

I received my copy from Delmark.This review has appeared in the January-February 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 364) although I made a few minor stylistic changes in posting to the blog. Here is a short video of Larry Novak performing.

Here is Larry Novak performing in 1991 as part of a Benny Goodman tribute with Herb Ellis, Milt Hinton and Butch Miles.

Lafayette Harris, Jr. - Bend To The Light

Pianist Lafayette Harris, Jr. and his trio of bassist Lonnie Plaxico and drummer Willie Jones, III have a new recording "Bend To The Light" (Airmen Records) which includes a couple of new originals, revisiting some of his previously recorded compositions and choice interpretations of standards along with a Herbie Nichols composition and a Luther Vandross tune.

What stands out immediately on the opening title rack is not simply Harris' fluency and technical command but the lyricism as well as drive of his playing and the superb backing he gets from Plaxico (whose own solo here displays his strong touch) and Jones. Vandross' Take You Out" is a lovely mid-tempo groover followed by "We In The House," the lengthiest performance here with a light march feel in part generated from Jones' bass figure (who again solos here). On this, Harris plays with a lighter touch while still sounding formidably. On Herbie Nichols' "12 Bars" Harris is excellent on a performance incorporating some of Nichols' stride roots. His own solo alludes to "Take the A Train." More stunning playing is heard on the original "Achern," while Harris' take on "Old Devil Moon," is lovely. "Blues On The Edge" is a spirited uptempo blues.

Jazzmiea Horn scats on a vocal version of the title track before the recording closes with a short version of "We In The House," on which Jones is more prominent. The music on "Bend To The Light" is marvelous with Harris and his trio playing at a high level throughout.

Received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the September-October 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 362). Here he performs a Charlie Parker classic.

Charlie Haden & Gonzalo Rubalcaba Tokyo Adagio

When Charlie Haden had become confined to home when too ill to travel from the effects of post-polio syndrome, he started listening to tapes of his previous concerts and discovered the performances he had made with the Cuban pianist, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, at the Blue Note in Tokyo in 2005. The music was such that he wanted it released, and along with Jean-Phillippe Allard his producer from Impulse! and Universal Music France, they made the selections that appear on “Tokyo Adagio” (Impulse!) ready for release.

Haden and Rubalcaba had met in Havana in 1986 where his group played on a Havana Jazz Plaza Festival on the same night as Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, and Haden quickly became a major supporter of the pianist, urging Bruce Lundvall of Blue Note Records to sign him. He joined Haden, along with drummer Paul Motian at the 1989 Montreal Jazz Festival, and the music was issued as part of Haden’s “The Montreal Tapes” series. They would collaborate in concert and on recordings a number of more times, including the six songs (sequenced by Haden) the pair performed over four nights in Toyko that are presented here.

Rubalcaba is a marvelously gifted pianist with stunning technique and touch that goes with the keen musical intelligence he manifests throughout these duets, which display the empathy he and Haden had in these intimate and lyrical performances, opening with Martin Rojas’ lovely ballad “En La Orilla Del Mundo (The Edge of the World).” Haden’s love of movie music is displayed in the romanticism that permeates their rendition of the Johnny Mercer-David Raskin composed “My Love and I,” with Haden more prominent in the performance with the first solo (accented by the pianist’s chords) followed by more remarkable, and beautiful playing from Rubalcaba.

Ornette Coleman’s “When Will the Blues Leave” (first recorded in 1958), is taken at a bit more spirited tempo, and after Haden’s strong solo, Rubalcaba’s wonderful playing brings out the melodic delight of Coleman’s composition as he does on Haden’s own “Sandino,” whose title commemorates the Nicaraguan revolutionary leader where he is able to mix lines played at high velocity with several bars played in a more stately manner while providing a feeling of calmness, even through the most rhythmically stirring passages. After a lovely rendition of “Solamente Una Vez (You Belong To My Heart),” Agustîn Lara’s bolero, “Tokyo Adagio” concludes with Rubalcaba’s lovely ballad, “Transparence,” on which Haden provides the last musical utterance with a musical figure after the pianist’s ending.

Ned Sublette, in his appreciation in the liner booklet, observes the sense of calm about the music heard here and the enchanting performances here certainly are in accord with this. The booklet also provides Rubalcaba’s memories of Haden and these performances, and has  recollections of Haden’s widow, Ruth Cameron-Haden who notes Haden’s love of the slow movements in classical pieces (leading to the album title), his going to Tokyo to perform despite starting to experience the effects of post-polio syndrome, and the production of this recording. Listeners should be grateful that Haden was insistent about having the music on “Tokyo Adagio” released after he had passed on. It is a recording full of beauty, spirit and heart characteristic of Charlie Haden’s remarkable career.



I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 363).  Here is a performance of Charlie Haden & Gonzalo Rubalcaba from an earlier album.

Pascal Le Boeuf and Pascal's Triangle

Known equally for his use of electronics, Pascal Le Boeuf has an intriguing acoustic release, Pascal’s Triangle (Nineteen Eight Records). Le Boeuf leads a trio with bassist Linda Oh and drummer Justin Brown on a collection of originals that reflect influences as diverse as Radiohead, Herbie Hancock and Brad Mehldau. About the recording, he said, “This album is a collection of original music meant to highlight the conversational voices of the individuals in the band. We trust each other's choices and share an orientation towards self-expression through group improvisation.”

Le Boeuf originally conceived the recording session for Pascal's Triangle as a jazz/electronic cross-over project. The compositions the trio recorded were connected to a larger vision involving layered recording techniques and replacing electronic instruments in beats that were sequenced in Le Boeuf's computer prior to the session. While he believed this conception was successfully realized (and will be issued in the future), he found he “enjoyed the spontaneity of the more acoustic songs, and when I took the electronics away, the compositions all had an intimate conversational feeling.” The result is the present release.

The leader’s piano opens wistfully on the first selection, Home in Strange Places, before Oh and Brown enter with with a fervent passage followed another plaintive solo passage. Variations on a Mood is aptly titled with the performance moving from relatively quiet passages to more energetic ones (suggesting The Bad Plus at times). The leader exhibits a precise, fluid attack with bassist Oh anchoring the trio as Brown drives the performance forward with a mix of precision and energy. Song For Ben Van Gelder is a lovely lyrical performance with embellishments added from Roberts with his restrained use of brushes. The energetic gist of What Your Teacher … is built on a spicy latin underpinning while the short solo performance, Jesse Loves Louise, exhibits a pastoral mood with LaBoeuf precise, uncluttered playing here. Oh is especially outstanding on Revisiting a Past Self where she sets up the performance and takes a strong solo.

In the CD era, this is a relatively short recording of 33 minutes for its 8 tracks, but that might be the only quibble about the playing of Pascal LaBoeuf and his trio. LaBoeuf’s imaginative compositions and playing, with their shifting moods and tempos, are complemented throughout by the marvelous playing of Oh and Roberts resulting in this fine piano trio recording. When he adds the electronics of his original conception, it will be interesting to hear the result but Pascal’s Triangle is marvelous as is.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Pascal LeBouef leading a quintet performing Variations on a Mood.

Art Hodes Remembered Bessie

Born in Russia, but having emigrated to the US as a young boy, Art Hodes established himself as a blues and jazz pianist of note as well as a chronicler of the music. He produced an extensive discography over his life and now Delmark has reissued Hodes' 1970s Euphonic album I Remember Bessie with five additional selections. Hodes grew up in Chicago and had the opportunity as a young person to see King Oliver, Louis Armstrong and Jelly roll Morton as well as Bessie Smith. The Empress of the Blues left a particularly deep impression on his music and the present album is comprised of solo piano interpretations of songs associated with Ms. Smith and also Ma Rainey as the cover of the original Euphonic LP noted.

As is noted in the liner booklet (which reproduces the original liner notes), Hodes plays in a two handed orchestral approach mixed with some ragtime and stride elements. He displayed a hard touch, but also restraint. He takes from the low-key Baby Won’t You Go Home to the stomp attack on Alexander’s Ragtime Band. There is a wistfulness to his rendition of Ma Rainey’s Yonder Comes The Blues, along with the tempered enthusiasm on Cake Walkin’ Babies From Home, which is also heard here on an alternate take. The restraint shown on blues like You’ve Been a Gold Ole Wagon, and Yellow Dog Blues is a substantial reason for the appeal of these performances. There is also a lovely performance of St. Louis Blues here, a number he would record on a number of occasions. This specific recording is intriguing in its own manner, starting wistfully before Hodes gets to barrel housing. 

Listening to these decades old recordings is a chance to listen to a master of blues and jazz piano whose playing is rooted in the early days of jazz, yet remains fresh and accessible to contemporary listeners. Art Hodes' I Remember Bessie is a delight.

I received a review copy from Delmark.  

Lynne Arriale's Convergence Is Strong Modern Jazz

Convergence (Motéma Music), issued in 2011, is the 12th album as a leader by the pianist-composer Lynne Arriale. While many of her recordings are in the trio vein, this release, like its predecessor Nuance, has her explore the quartet format (although several selections are with just a trio). Her band is excellent, anchored by bassist Omer Avital and drummer Anthony Pinciotti with Bill McHenry on tenor sax. Six of the eleven recordings are Arriale compositions, while the five other songs come from such disparate sources as Sting, Deborah Harry and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

There is strong music here from the scorching opening Elements, a dynamic original with Arriale displaying a dynamic sense with the terrific rhythm section and tough tenor sax. At the same time, she does a lovely rendition of The Beatles’ Here Comes The Sun, exhibiting her melodicism. Another reworking of a rock classic is her rearrangement of Deborah Harry’s Call Me, slowing down the Blondie recording while McHenry is sparkling here. Bassist Avital is featured on Avital’s flamenco inspired Dance of the Rain, while the Stones’ Paint It Black, is also imaginatively reworked by Arriale and this stellar band.

In her liner notes, Arriale notes the multiple sources of musical influence and inspiration that include jazz, pop, world music and ‘Americana,’ and she observes that “[i]t was such a joy to experience the ‘convergence’ of all the people and sounds that made up this recording.” This joy can be heard in the music heard on this wonderful recording.

My review copy was provided by a publicist. here is a video of the Lynne Arriale Trio performing Flamenco.

Oscar Peterson Re-Performed on Unmistakable

Unmistakable is the title of the “Zenph Re-Performance®” release of Oscar Peterson on Sony Masterworks. According to the back of the CD package, this process takes audio performances and turning them back into live performances through software that extracts every nuance of the recorded performance and storing this in a high-resolution digital file, the files contain every note played including pedal actions, volume and articulations. The files are then played back on an acoustic piano fitted with sophisticated computers so the listener can sit in the room’ as if one wad there when the original performance took place. This is the ambition and it has been used for classical performances as well as a CD of Art Tatum.

On this CD we have eight performances by the legendary Oscar Peterson from several different recordings of live performances. High points include a breakneck Back Home In Indiana, When I Fall in Love, an extended Duke Ellington Medley and Goodbye. There are moments of exhilarating displays of Peterson’s Tatum-esque virtuosity mixed in with some contemplative ones. Peterson has his advocates and critics, but the restoration does provide wonderful sound, although without the audience and ambience of the original recordings.

The music is presented in both a stereo version and a binaural stereo version which is stated to be the ultimate headphone experience. While the CD contains almost 80 minutes of music, there is actually about 40 minutes of each and I could not distinguish the two versions on my headphones playing this through my MacBook. While audiophiles may have a different experience, many will view this as purchasing two virtually identical presentations of the eight performances. Fans of Oscar Peterson will certainly enjoy the vividness of the sound on this in any event.

My review copy was provided by a publicist.

The Bad Plus Never Stops

Now in their 10th year together, The Bad Plus have just recorded the first album comprised solely of their trio’s originals, “Never Stop” (Entertainment One Music). It may sound surprising for the trio’s original approach to the piano trio, in terms of repertoire as much as musical approach has been a factor in establishing them as one of the major acts to emerge over the past decade. Pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King certainly have reconstructed some familiar pop songs and now with “Never Stop” they take their approach to all new material.

Drummer King composed the opening “The Radio Tower Has a Beating Heart” which opens with pianist Iverson stating the somewhat dramatic theme against King’s free drumming before some free sounding trio playing which is followed a repetitive, structured segment. Bassist Anderson contributed the driving title track with Iverson’s somewhat romantic piano set against King’s rock-influenced groove. Perhaps no track better displays the trio’s appeal as they mix what might appear superficially disparate musical approaches into performances that can leave the attentive listener mesmerized.

King’s “My Friend Metatron” is built upon a funky bass riff with Iverson’s piano lead moving from evoking pop songs to frenzied impressionism while the rendition of Anderson’s ballad “People Like You,” contrasts with spare playing from all three with Iverson’s piano especially attractive here. “Beryl Loves to Dance,” has an exuberant sounding theme which Iverson playfully explores against King’s rigid time-keeping. It is followed by the impressionism of “Snowball” where Anderson taking a strong bass solo.

Iverson’s “Bill Hickman At Home” has a theme that hints at some of Keith Jarrett’s quartet recordings of thirty years ago with more fine bass from Anderson. King’s “Super America” from King is a short exhilarating instrumental that closes this recording on a finger-snapping mode. After ten years Bad Plus continues to provoke, entertain and mesmerize with their very individualistic approach to the piano trio.


This review has appeared in the Dec. 15, 2010-Feb. 1, 2011 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 332, pp.16-17), downloadable at jazz-blues.com. My review copy was provided by a publicist for the recording.

Cocktail Boogie Captures Delightful Pianist

The Music Maker Foundation (www.musicmaker.org) is a marvelous organization that is devoted to helping preserve some of America’s southern music traditions and the persons who perform them. It notes as its mission to help the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music gain recognition and meet their day to day needs. We present these musical traditions to the world so American culture will flourish and be preserved for future generations.

MMF accomplishes this through three programs: Musician Sustenance- grants to meet basic life needs and emergency relief; Musician Development - grants and services for recipient artist professional development and career advancement; and Cultural Access - supports the preservation and proliferation of American musical traditions. It puts together tours of its artists, it records and documents the lives of these performers, as well at meets immediate needs of its performers.

Mr Q as Tim Duffy looks on

The driving force behind the MMF is Tim Duffy a folklorist, that I first was in contact with around 1991 when he was issuing recordings by one Guitar Gabriel. What was amazing was this individual was a gentleman that had recorded a superb album of down home blues for the Gemini label in the 1970s that was under the spell of Blind Boy Fuller and Lightnin’ Hopkins. His efforts at recording and promoting some of the treasures of the southern blues and other traditions led to the creation of the Music Maker Foundation and over the years MMF has issued over 100 albums of music that document many artists who are have made few recordings. The albums are of uneven quality but there are many gems and recordings by Beverly Watkins, and Jerry McCain played significant part in the revival of their performing careers. Then there was Etta baker, who chose to stay home rather than travel to Newport in 1957, but whose guitar playing is on the level of Elizabeth Cotton. Many of these performers played neighborhood bars or simple house parties.

One of the recent releases is by a pianist, Mr. Q. A slip in the very simple cardboard cover for the CD, “Cocktail Boogie,” says liner notes are downloadable and one should be able to get a pdf file. The biographical information from Tim Duffy of the MMF notes that Mr. Q was born in 1913, and that this self taught pianist fashioned his own sound by mixing the piano styles of Art Tatum, Earl Hines and Oscar Peterson, interspersed with songs by the Ink Spots. After graduating North Carolina A&T in the ‘30s; after finishing school he started his career by traveling and performing with Blanche Calloway’s orchestra as a singer. At some point Mr. Q migrated to Harlem and got a job playing the harmonica with the Savoy Sultans, the house band at the Savoy Ballroom. He sang at tables at local nightclubs. He went to all-night jam sessions where he witnessed the legends of the day perform- legends such as Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Teddy Wilson. In 1963, he returned to Winston-Salem and became a fixture performing at piano bars.

The music on “Cocktail Boogie” was recorded by Tim Duffy in 1991, 1992 and 1993, after he had been introduced to Mr. Q by Guitar Gabriel. Mr. Q was always dressed in a perfect suit and thought highly of himself as a musician; his entire life, he had made a living with his music. Mr. Q was a regular member of the early Music Maker Revue with Willa Mae Buckner, Macavine Hayes, Preston Fulp, Jahue Rorie and Guitar Gabriel. He also played the Blues to Bop festival with John Dee Holeman. He died of natural causes in 2000 so did not live to see his music released.

“Cocktail Boogie” may not be an essential piano blues-jazz recording, but still is a delightful collection of piano bar performances. Particularly on vocal tracks, the piano sounds a bit muffled. Mr. Q sings a range of uptown blues (“Everyday I Have the Blues,” “What’d I Say,” and “Juice Headed Woman”), pop standards (“(Left My Heart In) San Francisco,” “You’’ Never Know,” and “Thank-You Pretty Baby”), and several instrumentals (“title track, “Mr. Q’s Blues, “Mood Indigo,” and Begin the Beguine”). Despite the muffled audio quality, Mr. Q displays an agile style whether handling a boogie or a more complex melody and while not a great singer, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he had a significant regular local following at the time Tim Duffy made this recordings of him.

“Cocktail Blues” is an enjoyable collection of urbane piano performances with blues roots. This can be ordered at the MMF’s website on the store page and as I write this is among the Foundation’s most recent releases. it is also available on itunes through the website. The website has much more information on the MMF and its activities.

I received this CD from Music Maker Foundation as a member of MMF’s Givin' It Back Record Club, one of the various membership categories for supporters of the Music Maker Foundation.

Jason Moran at 2010 Rossyln Jazz Festival

2010-0911 Rossyln Jazz Festival-1170730, originally uploaded by NoVARon.

Just a note of congratulations to pianist and composer Jason Moran who has just been awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Moran is a brilliant pianist and a remarkable composer as well. Additionally, he takes inspiration from classic recordings. In live performance he will play a Billie Holiday or Bert Williams recording and then he and his trio improvise off it. For example on his latest album "Ten" with his band The Bandwagon, he does a rendition of Williams' "Old Babies." At the Rossyln Jazz Festival on September 11, 2010, Moran played the century old recording by Williams which was the launching point for a remarkable improvisation. In addition to his own marvelous band, he also is a member of Charles Lloyd's quartet. Truly a remarkable pianist who has been celebrated with what is informally referred to as a genius grant.

Again, congratulations to Jason Moran.