Posts filed under 'Jazz'
In honor of jazz appreciation month, here is a brief overview of eight recent and forthcoming releases that explore the many sides of contemporary jazz, from jazz-rock fusion to soul-jazz to amalgams of hip hop, funk, gospel, Latin, and electronic music.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Title: Transcendence
Artist: Jaimeo Brown
Label: Motéma Music
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: April 9, 2013
It’s not easy to be branded as a renegade in today’s music scene, but Jaimeo Brown lives up to the hype on his Motéma debut Transcendence. The drummer, composer and conceptualist fuses acoustic modern jazz with spirituals, blues, rock, hip-hop and even hints of East Indiana Carnatic music to create what may well be the best fusion album of 2013. His cohorts, tenor saxophonist JD Allen and guitarist/soundscape producer Chris Sholar, work together “exploring different ways in which superimposed music [can] be experimented with in an improvisational jazz context.” What makes the album truly unique is the use of samples from recordings of the Gee’s Bend Quilters. Brown discovered the rural Alabama spiritual singers while writing his thesis at Rutgers University on “How the Black Church Affected Jazz,” and he uses the samples in very intriguing ways to build a similar sense of community and worship. This synthesis is exemplified in the album’s closing track, “This World Ain’t My Home”:
———————————————————————————————————————-
Title: Leap of Faith
Artist: Bluey
Label: Shanachie
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: March 26, 2013
Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick, the creative force behind the UK funk/jazz/soul band Incognito, has made the leap to solo artist on his new album Leap of Faith. Featuring original compositions penned with co-writer/producer Richard Bull, Bluey indulges his passion for the soulful vocals of Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and the Isley Brothers, while forging a more contemporary sound inspired by the likes of UK’s The Beauty Room and jazz musician Bugge Wesseltoft. The result is an album often heavier on funk, R&B and house influences than jazz. Bluey provides the vocals and lead guitar, while Bull contributes guitar and instrumental tracks, and Dominic “Ski” Oakenfull adding synthesizers to several tracks—including the first single “Got To Let My Feelings Show”:
Overall the album effectively taps into a retro sound that will appeal more to fans of late ‘80s to early ‘90s R&B music, with songs that maintain a fairly steady tempo and groove throughout. I prefer the latter half of the album which is less synth-heavy. Stand out tracks include “Live Like a Millionaire” which brings in a nice four-part vocal harmony, “Keep Myself Together,” the jazzier “Sky,” and the title track which closes the album, a spoken tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. over jazz keyboard riffs.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Title: Cover Art
Artist: NEXT Collective
Label: Concord Jazz
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 26, 2013
Chris Dunn, the senior director of A&R for Concord Music Group, was the impetus behind this project to form a new urban jazz supergroup that combines three newly signed artists—saxophonists Logan Richardson, Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens—with other rising stars including keyboardists Gerald Clayton and Kris Bowers, bassist Ben Williams, drummer Jamire Williams, plus special guest Christian Scott on trumpet. All born in the 1980s, each member of this “next gen” group was then invited to select a cover from any contemporary style they really like to arrange for the album. The 10 “reimagined” songs draw from a broad swath of contemporary music: “Twice” (Little Dragon), “No Church in the Wild” (Kanye West and Jay-Z), “Africa” (D’Angelo), “Fly or Die” (N.E.R.D.), “Oceans” (Pearl Jam), “Refractions in the Plastic Pulse” (Stereolab), “Marvins Room” (Drake), “Come Smoke My Herb” (Meshell Ndegeocello), “Perth” (Bon Iver) and “Thank You” (“Dido).
The end result is a jazz album that weaves in the melodies of the original songs without going off the deep end. In other words, there’s no overt attempt to cater to a broad popular music base; Cover Art maintains the art of jazz at all times.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Title: The Freedom of Expression
Artist: Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle
Label: Dist. via Bandcamp
Formats: Digital (MP3, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, etc.)
Release date: February 1, 2013
Pianist Eddie Moore, a graduate of the UMKC Jazz Studies program, studied under Bobby Watson and Horace A. Young, but has also played keyboards for the Houston-based alternative soul group Neon Collars, sharing the stage with contemporary neo-soul artists including Ledisi, Erykah Badu, and Bilal. It should come as no surprise that he formed The Outer Circle to investigate modern influences within the jazz tradition, including the hip-hop, punk, and neo-soul music of his generation. Band members include Matt Leifer on drums, Dominique Sanders on bass, Matt Hopper on guitar, and Erik Blume and Andy McGhie on tenor sax. The quartet, led by Moore on piano, shines on original compositions like “Houston Visions,” “Anger Management” and “Passing By” that channel a contemporary groove. The Freedom of Expression marks an auspicious debut for the group. The album was produced by Kerwin Young (Public Enemy), who’s currently pursuing a doctorate in music composition at UMKC.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Title: The Messenger
Artist: Kevin Eubanks
Label: Mack Avenue
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 19, 2013
On his second album for Mack Avenue, Kevin Eubanks demonstrates his guitar virtuosity as well as his
compositional skills. But even more important, he showcases his versatility, inviting listeners to experience the many musical styles and influences that have shaped his artistry. Though the underpinnings of the album are clearly jazz, Eubanks draws upon multiple genres that are woven into the fabric of contemporary music, showing a particular fondness for funk. His funkier side is particularly well expressed on the James Brown tribute “JB,” an arrangement of Jeff Beck’s “Led Boots,” and “Resolution,” his interpretation of the John Coltrane song from the Love Supreme album featuring Alvin Chea (Take 6) on vocals. Eubanks also pays tribute to Buddy Guy on “Ghost Dog Blues,” a song that grew out of jam sessions at Guy’s Chicago blues club. The remainder of the album includes many reflective tracks, such as “The Gloaming” featuring Billy Pierce on sax, and the sensual film noir styled “Sister Veil” with brother Duane Eubanks on trumpet:
Other band members include Rene Camacho on bass, Marvin “Smitty” Smith on drums, Joey De Leon, Jr. on percussion, with trombonist Robin Eubank’s (Kevin’s older brother) joining the quartet on two tracks. The Messenger is a very successful follow-up to Zen Food (2010), and even more enjoyable if you’re a fan of funky, contemporary jazz.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Title: Spectrum Road
Artist: Spectrum Road
Label: Palmetto
Formats: CD, LP, MP3
Release date: June 5, 2012
Spectrum Road is a tour de force of an album that pays tribute to the revolutionary jazz drummer Tony Williams (1945-1997), a member of the Miles Davis Quintet who went on to shatter the boundaries between jazz and rock. The all-star Spectrum Road ensemble, named for one of the tracks on Williams’ 1964 debut album Life Time, includes British bassist Jack Bruce (Cream), drummer Cindy Blackman Santana (Lenny Kravitz), guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour), and John Medeski (Medeski, Martin & Wood), who performs on organ and his vintage melletron keyboard. Bruce, who once played with Williams, serves as the conduit for the Spectrum Road ensemble’s reinterpretation of 8 avant-garde compositions drawn from the four albums recorded by the Tony Williams Lifetime ensemble from 1969-1975. The earth-scorching opening track “Vuelta Abajo” blazes forth with incendiary guitars and is tailor made for the Reid and Bruce:
But if you’re not a fan of high-octane jazz-rock, not to worry. The remaining tracks cover quite a lot of ground, from the cosmic “Where” which allows Blackman to shine on percussion and vocals, to the more political “There Comes a Time” sung by Bruce. Also included are two original Spectrum Road arrangements—a meditative take on the traditional tune “An T-eilan Muileach,” and “Blues for Tillmon” where traditional blues elements are allowed to intermingle. With any luck, this album will introduce a new generation to the genius of Tony Williams.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Title: The Beat
Artist: Boney James
Label: Concord
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: April 9, 2013
If your tastes run more towards contemporary smooth jazz, the new Boney James release will definitely satisfy. On The Beat, James fuses his R&B roots with Latin music, taking the album’s title from Sergio Mendes “Batucada (The Beat),” which he transforms into a funk fest featuring a rhythm section led by Rob Bacon on guitar, Alex Al on bass, Tim Carmon on keyboards, Omari Williams on drums, and Lenny Castro on percussion, with the sax of Boney James and the trumpet of Rick Braun soaring over the accompaniment. The other Latin track, “Acalento (Lullaby),” is an original composition that serves as a solo vehicle for James. The Beat is most notable, however, for its R&B oriented tracks, including a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” “Missing You” sung by Abi Mancha, the “The Midas (This Is Why)” featuring Natalie “The Foacist” Stewart, and the album’s stand out track, “Maker of Love” featuring Raheem Devaughn on vocals.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Title: Conviction
Artist: Kendrick Scott Oracle
Label: Concord Jazz
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: March 26, 2013
Drummer and composer Kendrick Scott’s sophomore release, Conviction, seeks deeper truths, “looking past the mundane” to “examine the motivating forces that propel us through life, even in those times when the greater truths are obscured by the tedium of the everyday.” Featuring a new line-up that includes John Ellis on sax and clarinet, Mike Moreno on guitar, Taylor Eigsti on piano, and Joe Sanders on bass, the band works to create “an atmospheric soundscape rather than a series of individual tracks.” The concept plays out in 11 segments indicated in the liner notes as Balance, Love, Peace, Equality, Freedom, Courage, I Am, Truth, Faith, Surrender and Passion. These segments (which all have individual song titles) freely morph between improvisation jazz and more contemporary influences, such as “Too Much” featuring guest vocalist/guitarist Alan Hampton, who injects an R&B element into the vocal tracks. More politically oriented tracks include a cover of Herbie Hancock’s “I Have a Dream” followed by the Kendrick Scott-Joe Sanders penned “We Shall By Any Means.” The penultimate track, “Be Water,” begins with an opening monologue by martial arts legend Bruce Lee advocating a fluid approach to the creative process, which as one might expect is followed by a free form improv. Contemporary, thought-provoking, without any hint of new age-yness, Conviction makes a major statement that is worth many listens.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
April 1st, 2013
Title: Starlight
Artist: Joan Armatrading
Label: 429 Records
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 26, 2013
British singer-songwriter/guitarist Joan Armatrading, born on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts in 1950, has had an illustrious career spanning 40 decades and 18 studio albums. Her latest release is the third in a series exploring different genres that began with the Grammy nominated Into the Blues (2007) and the hard rock oriented This Charming Life (2010). On Starlight, Armatrading delves into the realm of jazz while still maintaining her signature folk rock sound.
As with her two previous albums, Armatrading assumes complete control of the project, composing all of the material and laying down every vocal and instrumental track, including electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and keyboards as well as drum programming, synth horn and strings (the latter thankfully in small measure). The opening track “Single Life” sets the tone, its intricate polymetric structure a good foil for the yin and yang of the lyrics that weigh the freedom of living alone against the inherent loneliness. “Close to Me” begins as a simple 4/4 jazz-pop ballad over a walking bass, then switches things up on the bridge, becoming more improvisational. “Tell Me” is a much more complex, free flowing jazz exploration, the keyboard and bass accompaniment punctuated by occasional electric guitar riffs.
Other stand out tracks include “The Way I Think of You” and “Summer Kisses,” both introspective songs employing a sparse accompaniment featuring effortless keyboard stylings backed by acoustic bass. Armatrading’s voice is as rich an agile as ever, and the more you listen to this album, the more you’ll appreciate the subtle complexity of the songwriting and arrangements. Too bad she is not backed by a live rhythm section, as the drum programming is sometimes annoying.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
March 1st, 2013
Title: Across the Imaginary Divide
Artist: Bela Fleck and the Marcus Roberts Trio
Formats: CD, MP3
Label: Rounder
Release: June 5, 2012
Over his extensive career, virtuoso banjo player Bela Fleck has taken an instrument best known for bluegrass music and innovated so many ways. A protégé of Tony Trishka, he was a member of New Grass Revival and co-founded the Flecktones with bassist Victor Wooten. He has recorded classical material with long-time friend Edgar Meyer, and shared the 2002 Grammy for Best Classical Crossover album with John Williams and Joshua Bell for Perpetual Motion. He also has jammed with musicians from Mali and India.
Among Fleck’s musical influences are Charlie Parker and Chick Corea, with whom he recorded and toured in 2007. So it should be no surprise that his musical marriage with similarly acclaimed jazz pianist Marcus Roberts on Across the Imaginary Divide is nothing short of phenomenal. Also featured on the album is bassist Rodney Jordan and drummer Jason Marsalis.
Writing in the New York Times, Nate Chinen asserted that their “seemingly effortless rapport has a lot to do with both musicians’ adaptability.” In other people’s hands, the pairing of a banjo and a jazz trio otherwise might appear quaint. Across the Imaginary Divide works because Fleck has a keen ear for the rhythm and never overplays into the tempo. Likewise, Roberts and his trio’s melodic progressions provide a natural counterbalance.
As a result of a chance meeting at the Savannah Music Festival in 2009, Roberts’s trio and Fleck performed in the festival’s closing jam session. They returned to the festival together in 2011 and recorded the album, which Fleck and Roberts co-produced. Across the Imaginary Divide is neither a traditional jazz album or too reminiscent of anything done by the Flecktones. Fleck told Downbeat magazine, “Marcus has encouraged me to go ahead and play whenever I want, including during his solos, and that’s great because I can usually find a role for myself if I start playing. But if I lay out all the time, I’ll never figure out what works.”
But throughout, they do find themselves in sync on rhythm and time, which leads to an enjoyable listen on each of the album’s dozen tracks. The only question left is, “where was the imaginary divide.”
Reviewed by George J. Vlahakis II
March 1st, 2013
Title: Pour Une Âme Souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone
Artist: Meshell Ndegeocello
Label: Naïve
Formats: CD, LP, MP3
Release date: October 16, 2012
In the wake of the ongoing controversy surrounding the unauthorized Nina Simone biopic starting Zoe Saldana, Meshell Ndegeocello’s new covers album Pour Une Âme Souveraine, translated as “for a sovereign soul,” provides an unarguably honorable and engaging tribute to the amazing songstress.
Ndegeocello has said that she recorded this album in the hopes of reviving interest in Simone, and possibly of introducing new audiences to Simone’s songbook. As with any great collection of covers, Pour Une Âme Souveraine reimagines classic songs while still keeping them within the realms of familiarity. Among the featured guests are Toshi Reagon on “Real Real” and “House Of The Rising Sun,” Lizz Wright on “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” and Cody Chesnutt on “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.”
Following is the official album trailer:
Ndegeocello’s version of “Feelin’ Good” is a great example of the delicate balance at play here. Her delivery is smooth, soft and resigned, in direct contrast to Simone’s powerful, triumphant sound. By simply adding a wispy, gentle lift to “I” in the iconic line “Sun in the sky, you know how I feel,” Ndegeocello adds an entirely new interpretative element, without changing the text at all. Pour Une Âme Souveraine is, when viewed in its entirety, a love song in honor of Nina Simone and there are certainly few artists in Black music history that deserve this honor more.
Reviewed by Dorothy Berry
March 1st, 2013
Title: Ten Freedom Summers
Artist: Wadada Leo Smith
Formats: 4-CD box set; MP3
Label: Cuneiform Records
Release date: May 22, 2012
Wadada Leo Smith’s Ten Freedom Summers continues the lineage of seminal compositions inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, like Max Roach’s We Insist: Freedom Now! suite, that memorialize experiences of a tumultuous time without saccharine political proselytizing or falling into traps of nostalgia and longing.
Ten Freedom Summers is a collection of 21 pieces over 4 CDs. The compositions don’t take the form of an orderly chronological narrative, but rather highlight the emotional and psychological experiences of individual events on both Smith and the more widely imagined African American psyche. Inspired by August Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle” tracing a century of African American life in a series of ten decade spanning plays, Ten Freedom Summers focuses on the decade of 1945-1955, ten momentous years in the Civil Rights Movement, which include the ruling on Brown vs. Board of Education and the passing of the Civil Rights Act. Smith’s expansive interior journal, however, travels over 100 years of the Black experience in America, from “Dred Scott: 1857,” to “Medgar Evers: A Love-Voice of a Thousand Year’s Journey for Liberty and Justice” to “September 11th, 2001: A Memorial.” The years spanning 1945-1955 are explored not just as they were in lived experience, but as they are currently remembered by the 70-year-old Wadada Leo Smith.
Following is the trailer for the album:
Smith, who is currently the Director of the African-American Improvisational Music Program at the Herb Alpert School of Music at the California Institute of the Arts, is an established member of the old guard of creative and new music, working with luminaries like Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell. Ten Freedom Summers bucks the tradition of overt political discourse associated (justly or not) with free jazz giants, with the impressionistic and experiential nature of these compositions. Smith’s expressive experimentation has, once again, produced an engaging and amazing project that honors his work as a composer and as a historian of the Black experience.
Reviewed by Dorothy Berry
February 1st, 2013
Title: Music Inspired By Freedmantown
Artist: Reggie Quinerly
Label: Redefinition Music
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: October 11, 2012
Jazz drummer Reggie Quinerly’s debut release Freedman Town takes inspiration from a historic African American community in his native Houston, TX. Quinerly pays homage to Freedman Town, established by free blacks after the Emancipation Proclamation, by recalling its residents’ struggles and triumphs in his original jazz compositions. His aim, as he declares in a spoken word interlude, is not to recreate music from the past (though he does throw in some early jazz standards), but rather to “capture a certain soulfulness of the music and the people” within his own musical imagination. The album is more or less Quinerly’s journey—a “Sentimental Journey” as he lets on in his final song choice—back home, back in time, to understand the historical roots of jazz and tap into the emotions and stories that inspired it. The title track “Freedmantown,” one of the album’s two vocal tracks, salutes Freedman residents for “working to rebuild the legacy/ Not far away from the hanging tree.”
Following is the album trailer:
With piano and saxophone center stage, accented by Quinerly’s lively drumming, the band affects an intimate jazz club feel with the mid-tempo shuffle of the opening tracks. The ensemble’s smoothness, reminiscent of cool jazz, has some unexpected corners, namely Houston’s Fourth Ward and touches of New Orleans’ Basin Street, as Quinerly and company incorporate local color and traditional jazz into their modern sound. “Portrait of a Southern Frame,” in the style of a traditional New Orleans dirge performed at jazz funerals, serves as a procession for a near-forgotten place. “The Virginia Gentlemen,” one of the album’s best tracks, showcases highflying solos over the Afro-Cuban rhythms of early New Orleans jazz, and uses the song’s multicultural stylings to pay tribute to Richard Allen, a freed slave turned political and civic leader in Texas.
And there are still corners yet: the jazz standard “I’m Old Fashioned” sounds neither standard nor old-fashioned. The track puts an ironic twist on tradition in Quinerly’s frenetically paced bop rendition. Is he just showing off? Or is he trying to pre-empt certain jazz sophisticates’ condescension toward traditional jazz by shaking things up? Perhaps, but mostly it seems that he is saying that the past isn’t simply the past.
Reviewed by Betsy Shepherd
February 1st, 2013
If Valentine’s Day puts you on the search for mood music, these two new releases may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Title: A Time for Love
Artist: Jeffery Osborne, George Duke
Label: Saguaro Road Records
Format: CD, MP3
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Jeffery Osborne’s A Time for Love is a collection of reimagined standards. Produced by George Duke and backed by a fantastic group of jazz musicians, Time for Love is full of love songs that are already close to your heart. One of the album’s biggest treats, however, is a duet with Chaka Khan on the Frank Loesser classic “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
————————————————————————————————————————————
Title: Love Songs
Artist: Destiny’s Child
Label: Sony Legacy
Format: CD, MP3
Release Date: January 29, 2013
For Valentine’s Day slow jams featuring the reigning Queen of R&B, however, look no further than the aptly named new Destiny’s Child compilation Love Songs. Spanning the wide range of the classic DC trio, Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, Love Songs has something for everyone: well known hits like “Cater 2 U,” from 2004’s Destiny Fulfilled, and deep cuts like “Brown Eyes” off 2001’s Survivor.
What is most exciting, however, is the final track on the CD, “Nuclear.” A smooth love song with ’90s inspired production, “Nuclear” is the first new Destiny’s Child recording in years and hopefully a harbinger of an epic reunion tour. Whether you love contemporary ballads or just love remembering the heyday of Destiny’s Child, Love Songs is a great purchase.
Reviewed by Dorothy Berry
February 1st, 2013
Title: Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue
Artist: Terri Lyne Carrington
Label: Concord Jazz
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 5, 2013
Drummer and composer/producer Terri Lyne Carrington is blazing a distinctive path through the jazz world, creating projects that incorporate elements of post-bop, funk and R&B. Her last album for Concord, the Grammy award-winning The Mosaic Project from 2011, was notable for collaborations with some of the most prominent female jazz vocalists and composers of the decade including Esperanza Spalding, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nona Hendryx, Cassandra Wilson, and Bernice Johnson Reagon. While The Mosaic Project was aimed at a more general audience, jazz fans can take delight in her new album which pays homage to three legendary musicians: Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach.
The release of Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue is scheduled to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the iconic Money Jungle album from 1963 by the Ellington-Mingus-Roach trio. For Carrington’s reinterpretation, she joins keyboardist Gerald Clayton and bassist Christian McBride, but ventures beyond the trio format by adding a bevy of guests including Clark Terry on trumpet, Robin Eubanks on trombone, Tia Fuller and Antonio Hart on flute/sax, Nir Felder on guitar, and percussionist Arturo Stabile. Additionally, she has chosen to cover only those tracks that were written specifically for the original album, allowing room for two of her own compositions, “Grass Roots and “No Boxes (nor Words),” along with “Cut-Off” composed by Clayton. Following is the album trailer:
From the opening bars of the title track, Carrington asserts her independence, adding the spoken intro “You have to create problems to create profits” over a furious percussion solo to both recontextualize Ellington’s “Money Jungle” for a contemporary audience and serve as a cautionary tale about money taking control of our lives. This device is repeated in a coda, where economic-related excerpts of speeches from Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are layered into the mix, then suddenly fizz out in a burst of static. “Fleurette Africain” is notable for the scatting vocal riffs from Clark Terry that punctuate the piano melodies and are echoed by the horns. “Backward Country Boy Blues” is a very enjoyable arrangement featuring vocalist Lizz Wright, again adding text to what was originally an instrumental, but it’s a natural transition. The musicians then settle into some extended sets, burning through renditions of “Very Special” and “Wig Wise” plus Carrington’s contributions.
The album closes with “Rem Blues/Music,” another enjoyable adaptation punctuated by Shea Rose’s rhythmic reading of the poem “Music” that concludes with Herbie Hancock as the voice of Duke Ellington, quoting from the master and offering insights on the popularity of money versus the popularity of art. Though the spoken word elements are a bit jarring at the outset, once the listener discovers that it’s only occasionally used as a contextual device, it’s easy to appreciate Carrington’s vision for the project and give it a glowing recommendation.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
February 1st, 2013
Title: Angelic Warrior
Artist: Tia Fuller
Label: Mack Avenue
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: September 25, 2012
Tia Fuller is another saxophonist and composer/arranger who cut her chops as bandleader during a five-year stint in Beyoncé’s all-female backing group and more recently as assistant musical director for Esperanza Spalding’s Radio Music Society touring band. Despite these pop-oriented influences, Angelic Warrior, Fuller’s third release for Mack Avenue, is a pure jazz tour de force that “celebrates the peaceful demeanor of the ‘angel’ and the drive and determination of the ‘warrior’ spirit within.” Following is the official trailer:
The album is something of a family affair, with Fuller’s sister Shamie Royston on piano and brother-in-law Rudy Royston on drums, featured prominently on the opening track “Royston Rumble,” along with Mimi Jones on acoustic bass and John Patitucci on piccolo bass, playing both the melody and bass line. This is followed by “Ralphie’s Groove,” an homage to drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr. that riffs on the beat from his tune “Surrender.” On the title track, guest drummer Terri Lyne Carrington strikes a “warrior beat” while Fuller picks up the soprano sax for angelic overtones, and the two strive to balance opposing forces and “blaze a pathway for female instrumentalists.”
Another great track is the jazz standard “Body and Soul,” the only song on the album. Fuller says she “wanted to incorporate a solid bass line to represent my father (bassist Fred Fuller) and feature master vocalist, Dianne Reeves, to celebrate my mother (vocalist Elthopia Fuller).” As one might expect, Reeves carries off this original arrangement with considerable aplomb. In the same vein, “So In Love With All of You” melds two iconic Cole Porter compositions into an arrangement that hands off the melodies to the sax, then Fuller and Patitucci explore the harmonies in an extended improvisation.
In the latter half of the album Fuller gives a nod to contemporary stylings, allowing some R&B influences into “Tailor Made,” as well as “Core of Me” which references Esperanza Spalding’s song “Winter Sun.” On the penultimate track “Cherokee,” Carrington and Royston maintain a ferocious jungle beat while Fuller displays some of her most aggressive playing, before all of the musicians unite on the final “Ode to Be” outro, ending the album on a calmer, melodic note.
To echo Carrington’s father’s comment, “Tia’s a woman playing that horn like it’s supposed to be played.” On Angelic Warrior, she once again offers proof that she’s a gifted saxophonist, as well as a talented arranger and composer that can successfully combine traditional and contemporary influences while staying firmly within the realm of jazz.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
February 1st, 2013
Title: Retox
Artist: Lakecia Benjamin
Label: Motéma Music
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: May 8, 2012
Lakecia Benjamin knows how to bring on the funk, and it’s heaped on top a pile of jazz and soul in her debut album Retox. The saxophonist and bandleader has performed with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots and Macy Gray as well as jazz artists such as Clark Terry, Reggie Workman and the David Murray Big Band. On Retox, which was funded in part by a grant from Women in Jazz Inc., Benjamin has chosen to showcase her formidable talents as a producer, composer, arranger, and songwriter. Penning 11 of the 12 tracks on the album, she then selected a variety of new talent to give voice to her songs. Following is the official trailer:
Retox kicks off with “SoulSquad,” the name she gave to her band because “I always wanted to play like I was in an army of funky musicians.” And this army takes no prisoners! Benjamin gets us fired up with the P-funk inspired opening jam, then jumps right into “Keep Talkin’” which maintains the ’80s-style groove but shakes things up with the vocals of Tracy Nicole and Amp Fiddler. Benjamin’s super tight horn arrangements come to the fore in “Maceo,” her tribute to James Brown’s legendary sax player Maceo Parker. Slowing things down, the soulful “Share My Life” featuring Jacoria Marzett on vocals with rapper Whosane joining at the bridge, is an affirmation of love and respect. “My Love” takes it down yet another notch, with the smoky vocals of Krystle Warren wafting over the Hammond B3, bending notes and stretching out the nebulous beat in an improvisational ballad that fades into infinity. After a brief moment of silence, “Human Being” gradually cranks up the sound and tempo, bringing in the horns for a raucous jazz reunion before passing off to Mavis Swan Poole who lays down the vocals.
“Jump and Shout,” another standout track that’s a throwback to the days of Labelle and Chaka Khan, features the “aggressive soul” of Chinah Blac who leaves us wanting much, much more. “Smile,” though not an especially original arrangement, features up and coming singer Maya Azucena whose smooth R&B stylings do the song justice. The funk returns on “Get Down,” a dance party groove that sounds like Chuck Brown meets the Meters, with plenty of outstanding solos from the horn section. “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” is Benjamin’s arrangement of the Stevie Wonder song, and after staying out of the spotlight for much of the album, she picks up her sax with a vengeance and makes up for lost time, proving that she hasn’t lost any chops while honing her songwriting skills.
The album concludes with two very interesting and more experimental compositions. The ethereal vocals of Melanie Charles float over the heartbeat of a bongo on “Dreams,” setting a hypnotic, calming mood. But there is no chance of dozing off, for “Slow Juice” jump starts the final track with a piledriver bump and grind from the rhythm section that builds into layers of distorted improv before ending abruptly, leaving us hanging on the edge of a cliff.
Retox was co-produced by Ben Kane (D’Angelo, Krystle Warren), who gives the tracks a rich, full-bodied analog sound. Any fan of old-school funk and soul will enjoy this album, while jazz aficionados will appreciate the expertly crafted arrangements, the tightness of the “Hotspot Horns” (Jonathan Powell, Nick Roseboro, Mark Williams, Andre Murchison) and the kick ass rhythm section (Solomon Dorsey on bass, Jess Fisher and Chris Rob on keys, Shelton Gardner and Louis Gato on guitar, and Brandee Younger on harp).
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
February 1st, 2013
Title: Move: The Trio Project
Artists: Hiromi Uehara with Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips
Label: Telarc International
Format: CD
Release date: October 9, 2012 (US release in 2013)
Hiromi Uehara, a Japanese pianist/composer who creates powerful works of jazz fusion, has released her 9th original album entitled Move. Hiromi debuted in the jazz world in 2003, and she started the Trio Project with Anthony Jackson (a Grammy-nominated electric bass guitarist) and Simon Philips (an English jazz, pop and rock drummer) after her last album, Voice (2011). As her radiant performance of the title track in the following video demonstrates, Hiromi has crowd-pulling charisma, with expressions emanating from her face and entire body, as well as the piano. She states, “When I play music, I realize that it really filters emotions.” Clearly, this album is filled with the performers’ emotions, unique sounds, and interpretations.
As Hiromi explains in the liner notes, “Move” represents the sounds of an alarm clock and the bustle and rush of the morning. It’s the beginning of the trio’s storytelling about a day in the life of a person. “Brand New Day” starts with light and beautiful flows from the piano, reflecting motivation to start a new day. Then, electric keyboard sounds catch our attention in the beginning of “Endeavor,” which I imagine to be the subway coming towards us. The speed of this track represents the rush hour in the station and maybe the confusion and irritation of the commuters. Quiet rain starts falling with “Rainmaker,” eventually becoming a heavy downpour. But “rain starts without notice and stops without notice,” because “rain always moves on, just like anything in life” (from the liner notes).
The next section of the album features the three part “Suite Escapism.” “Reality” with its whirls of sound expresses our difficulty in coming to terms with reality and our determination to fight it. What follows is a beautiful representation of a dreamy and abstracted mind in “Fantasy.” The final section, appropriately titled “In Between,” attempts to find the middle ground. Hiromi explains, “Because you dream, you can live in reality. Going back and forth, and in between.” That’s exactly what the music in the suite conveys to our ears.
After this existential workout, the funky “Margarita!” allows everyone to dance and have fun! The final track, “11:49 PM,” concludes the album perfectly. Reflecting upon the day brings excitement, and then we finally drift off to sleep.
Move definitely teaches us that imagination brings enjoyment, as does the creativity of this fabulous jazz trio. They move, they tell stories together… until we finally fall asleep, hoping that tomorrow will move in us in new ways.
Reviewed by Yukari Shinagawa
January 1st, 2013
Title: 50th Anniversary Collection
Artist: Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Label: Sony Legacy
Format: 4-CD box set
Release date: September 25, 2012
Legacy’s new retrospective box set of the legendary Preservation Jazz Hall Band has all the mystery of a newly discovered treasure as well as all the appeal of an exhaustively documented music history. While most of the band members from the French Quarter club are legendary figures of New Orleans jazz, their music hasn’t gone much further than Preservation Hall’s unfinished walls (which enclose a space no bigger than most kitchens). And while the low profile of the band’s amazingly talented cast is what gives the music and the place its local charm, these newly released recordings allow listeners to experience the clubs’ effluvium of brass-flavored delicacies anytime and anywhere.
By way of this box set, Preservation Hall is celebrating its 50th anniversary by giving the public a dig through its music vaults. Founded in the early ’60s by the Jaffe family, Preservation Hall has been giving visitors, locals and world-trotting tourists alike, a concentrated dose of traditional New Orleans jazz and its parade of flavors: funeral second lines, military brass band marches, ragtime rhythms, gospel blues, and Dixieland banjo solos, all with the effervescent carnival spirit of the Crescent City.
The compilation well represents the diverse repertoire of Preservation Hall’s esteemed house band, who play everything from early Dixieland jazz (“Bourbon Street Parade”), country (“That Bucket’s Got a Hole In It), gospel standards (“His Eye is On the Sparrow”), Louisiana local favorites (“Eh La Bas”), Caribbean flavored classics (“El Manicero”) and even rock & roll (“Complicated Life” by Ray Davies of the Kinks). And while making a gumbo of all the various musical flavors that combined to form early jazz, the Preservation Hall band offers a sound that is balanced, unique, and distinctly local. As an added bonus, the fourth CD finds the Preservation Hall jazz band teaming up with Americana icons like the Del McCoury Band and Tom Waits (“Tootie Ma is a Big Fine Thing”).
In addition to 4 CDs of music, the box set comes with a 60-page booklet that details the story of New Orleans jazz and Preservation Hall’s role in it. Historian Bruce Boyd Raeburn’s liner notes set against a backdrop of rare archival photos make this box set a time capsule into some of jazz’s finest moments.
Here is a mini-documentary celebrating Preservation Hall’s 50 years of music history:
Reviewed by Betsy Shepherd
December 1st, 2012
Title: The History of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues: Jazz, Blues & Creole Roots
Artists: Various
Label: Rhythm and Blues Records
Format: 2 2-CD sets (issued separately as Vol. 1 and Vol. 2)
Release date: May 29, 2012
Rhythm and Blues Records’ 4-disc compilation New Orleans Rhythm & Blues does more than tell of the city’s musical heritage: it packages together the early sounds of American popular music. That music just happens to be from the Crescent City, where R&B, funk, and rock ’n’ roll were birthed following the storied birth of jazz. From ragging rhythms to grindhouse rockers, this compilation shares the lesser-known brilliance of New Orleans’ rich nightlife.
Volume 1, which includes recordings from 1921–1949, represents the wildly different vernacular traditions found in New Orleans’ widespread corners. “Root Hog or Die” by Harlem Hamfats is a minor-key gypsy blues number that has all the booze-cured grit and melancholy that Tom Waits has been channeling throughout his noire-jazz career. Edmond Hall’s “Besame Mucho” and The Creole Serenaders’ “Mo Pas Lemme Ca” draw the dark and stormy rhumba rhythms that floated up to New Orleans from its Caribbean neighbors. Meanwhile, Cajun fiddles dance atop silvery steel guitar licks on “Hackberry Hop” by Harry Choates and the Rayne-Bo Ramblers.
Volume 2’s songs from 1947-1953 represent a short but momentous time in New Orleans music history: when Creole musicians got pompadours and started playing proto-rock. While Little Richard and Ray Charles got their start recording at Cosima Matassa’s French Quarter studio, countless natives were pioneering rock’s fevered rhythms—Fats Domino, Earl Palmer, Smiley Lewis, Dave Bartholomew, Lloyd Price, Professor Longhair, Guitar Slim, and many lesser-knowns. “Still My Angel Child” by Alan Mondy and “Hey Little Girl” by Paul Gayten reveal for once and all that Bo Diddley wasn’t rock’s first rattle-swagger guitarist. And James Wayne’s “Junco Partner” and Papa Lightfoot’s “Jumpin’ with Jarvis” have the sexual bravado and fury that Muddy Waters used to set Chicago afire with his electric blues.
Dishing out a big serving of down-home sounds with all the curious flavors of New Orleans’ musical cuisine (NOTE the names of the featured artists: Fats Domino, Chubby Newsome, Fat Man Matthew, and Sugar Boy Crawford), New Orleans Rhythm & Blues is a welcome indulgence for the holiday season.
Reviewed by Betsy Shepherd
December 1st, 2012
Title: The Complete Columbia Albums Collection
Artist: Sarah Vaughan
Label: Sony Music Entertainment
Format: 4-CD box set
Release date: August 28, 2012
If one was to consider the top three jazz singers of the 20th century, the first names that come to mind would be Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. Their recordings enjoy continued popularity and although some are older than sixty years, they are regularly reissued to this day. Such is the case for this new Sarah Vaughan box set from Sony Legacy, featuring her complete collection of albums released on Columbia.
This 4 disc box set begins with Vaughan’s earliest work for Columbia and ends in her final years. The first two discs are the 1955 releases After Hours With Sarah Vaughan and Sarah Vaughan in Hi-Fi. They document Vaughan at her best, performing numerous hits that characterized her career—“East of the Sun (And West of the Moon),” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” etc. Nearly 30 years later and near the end of her life there were two more Columbia releases, Gershwin Live (1982) and Brazilian Romance (1987), her final record, yet Vaughan still displays the talent evident when she was first discovered by Columbia. Each disc is presented in a cardboard sleeve preserving the original album art, while the liner notes provide descriptions of the original records, a brief overview of Sarah Vaughan’s career with Columbia, and track listings. The Complete Columbia Albums Collection doesn’t include anything new, but if you don’t own previous reissues of these albums or are simply someone interested in being introduced to one of the greats in vocal jazz, the box set is a good value.
Reviewed by Ian Hallagan
November 1st, 2012
Title: Life As A Ballad
Artist: Abiah
Label: Madoh Music
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: August 28, 2012
A native of Rochester, New York, classically trained singer Jeremiah Abiah studied at the Eastman School of Music under Patricia Alexander (Renee Fleming’s mother), followed by opera studies at The New England Conservatory. Professionally, however, he appears to be taking another route altogether. After gigs as a backing vocalist for George Michael and more recently, Yolanda Adams, followed by a successful career as a vocal coach, Abiah is striking out on his own as a jazz and R&B balladeer. His sophomore release, Life as a Ballad, includes nine self-penned songs, with his cousin Robert Glasper providing piano accompaniment, along with guitarists Marvin Sewell, David Rosenthal, and John Shannon; Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Chris Eddleton on drums; with Keith Witty on bass.
Following is the official album trailer:
Abiah takes every opportunity to showcase his extensive vocal range on songs such as “September,” as well as on the title track, which is one of the more polished ballads on the album. On “Doves” he uses Prince’s “When Doves Cry” as the basis for the lyrics, but presents his own smooth jazz oriented version. Overall, this is a satisfying introduction to Abiah’s vocal and songwriting skills, though it feels a bit more like a demo tape to be shopped around than a more fully realized project.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
November 1st, 2012
Title: Strictly Romancin’
Artist: Catherine Russell
Label: World Village
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 14, 2012
Some vocal jazz is charitably described as “background music.” Other vocal jazz is so experimental it seems to jump forward and grab you by the lapel. Catherine Russell’s Strictly Romancin’ is the perfect medium, not staid but also not too crazy. There is a relaxing, atmospheric quality to this album that transports the listener to a calm joyride through an autumn country side or a quiet cocktail bar in a snow-dusted city, all with a comforting partner by your side.
Like any engaging collection of standards, the real charm of this album is Russell’s well-crafted, yet effortless sounding, phrasing. She languidly drips out bluesy ballads like “Don’t Leave Me,” while more old-timey 1940s classics such as “Satchel Mouth Baby” are modernized, retaining their flirtatious charm throughout.
In the album trailer Russell talks about some of these early “hidden gems” collected from her father, Luis Russell, who was Louis Armstrong’s musical director, and also discusses the influence of her mother, Carline Ray (International Sweethearts of Rhythm), who joins her on the Sister Rosetta Tharpe song, “He’s All I Need”:
Russell has a smooth, clear voice and delivers these standards in a soothingly direct manner, but never crosses the line to theatricality, as is easy to do with a song like “Everybody Loves My Baby.” That song is a great example of everything that works about this record. The brass band is swinging off the charts, with a great raggy piano solo that sounds straight out of the Cotton Club, but Russell’s interesting interpretive choices and phrasing make the song sound both contemporary and like a standard. “Contemporary standards” perfectly defines this expertly produced and accompanied vocal jazz album.
Reviewed by Dorothy Berry
November 1st, 2012
Title: I’m Alright
Artist: Cornell Dupree
Label: Dialtone Records
Format: CD
Release date: July 10, 2012
I’m Alright is the last recording by legendary funk/jazz guitarist Cornell Dupree, made just eight weeks before he passed away in May, 2011. It is also his first album as leader in 17 years. Although he was suffering from emphysema and breathing with the aid of an oxygen tank at the time of the recording sessions, Dupree never lost his touch and still displays the same impeccable timing and authoritative tone heard on many vintage hits by the likes of Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Brook Benton and Donny Hathaway.
This album, produced by Eddie Stout and Randy Reagan, goes heavy on the blues, but not the leaden sluggish blues of too many guitarist-as-star albums in recent years. Dupree was funky and could be light-fingered, which kept things moving and made his solos interesting. He also had a great jazz sensibility, which kept his music swinging even when he got down and dirty. A highlight is Dupree reprising his famous guitar riffs from Brook Benton’s hit “Rainy Night in Georgia.” Also really nice is a funked up instrumental version of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and a new take on the old Yardbirds’ hit, “I Ain’t Got You.”
A key to the success of this album is that Dupree played with ace musicians, and everyone sounds like they’re having fun but keeping each other tight and on their game. Kaz Kazanoff’s sax sounds at times like King Curtis, and with Mike Flanigin on organ, Nick Connelly on electric and acoustic piano and B.E. “Frosty” Smith on drums (as well as the three bass players used at various times on the album), they create a comfort zone feel similar to the Atlantic Records studio bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The band provides Fort Worth native Dupree with a Texas-shuffle style of blues backing, which is a perfect fit. The sax and keyboard guys are no slouches with their solos, either.
Far from an old man’s fade-out, I’m Alright clearly demonstrates that Cornell Dupree was a super-ace musician up to his dying day. This is a very fine piece of work to leave behind.
Reviewed by Tom Fine
November 1st, 2012
Because so many different styles and techniques encompass jazz music these days, the fact that the following three albums fall into the genre makes for a loose connection. But that’s the point—these albums represent three very different approaches to expression and composition, yet they all swing. They are all also standout examples of fine musicianship at work on the craft of instrumental music.
Title: Flashpoint
Artist: David White Jazz Orchestra
Label: David White (self-produced)
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: June 1, 2011
David White, a trombone player based in Brooklyn, uses the familiar large-ensemble acoustic jazz band as his pallet. He is both a composer and arranger, and he is generous about spreading solos around his band. Based on his somewhat wordy explanations of his album’s contents (contained in the booklet notes), he is a sensitive man who uses music to express feelings and images that move through his mind. He notes that Duke Ellington “is the one musician I most admire and whose spirit I would most like to emulate,” and he seems strongly influenced by Ellington’s mature works.
White’s album is not great, but it’s not mediocre. The playing is fine, and the compositions mainly hold together and move along, but there are plodding moments and over-long tunes. The recording is either subtle or dull, depending on your taste. It definitely doesn’t sound very exciting when competing with road noise in a car or played softly on earbuds in a noisy urban environment. On the other hand, this approach allows for exciting dynamics and rich musical textures during the album’s best moments. Based on his album notes, David White seems interested in growing and improving his craft. This bodes well for his future work, and he is an artist worth watching.
Here is David White’s official video for “Eyes Closed”:
———————————————————————————————————
Artist: Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio
Label: Motema
Catalog no.: MTM-77
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: November 11, 2011
UK-based Dennis Rollins is a trombonist like White. That’s where the similarities end. Rollins’ album is a heavy, funky power-trio affair, with his trombone trading off melody and solo duties with Ross Stanley’s big Hammond B3 organ. Stanley also handles the bass line with his pedals. On drums is young Portuguese stick-man Pedro Segundo. The resulting sound is somewhat akin to Larry Young’s acid-jazz albums of the ‘60s, but even heavier and funkier.
Rollins describes the album’s title this way: “I honed in (sic) on a specific date on our calendar—November 11, 2011, (11/11/11)—THE ELEVENTH GATE, signaling a universal paradigm shift, an emergence into our authentic selves.” Be that as it may, listening to this album may well lead to the emergence of your bad self, for this is funky stuff!
Following is Dennis Rollins official video for “Samba Galactica”:
——————————————————————————————————–
Artist: Jeff Parker Trio
Label: Delmark
Catalog no.: DE 2015
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 28, 2012
Chicago-based guitarist Jeff Parker combines with bassist/flutist Chris Lopes and drummer Chad Taylor to offer the most “free-form” album of the group. These trippy tunes do swing—it’s not a bunch of noise thrown up in the sonic equivalent of paintball shots against a canvas, but it’s very different from the jazz of David White or Dennis Rollins.
Parker and Lopes aren’t shy about employing effects and overdubs to thicken the sound, and they both use a Korg MS-20 monophonic synthesizer at times. Taylor’s drums keep things moving, and Parker has the discipline to keep his left-field explorations tight enough that the trio always remains on the same page. The end result is music that is interesting and, despite its exploratory nature, quite accessible. There’s also a surprising swing to it, again because of the discipline and cohesion of the trio.
Following is the Jeff Parker Trio’s unofficial video for “Change”:
Reviewed by Tom Fine
September 4th, 2012
Title: Spirit Rising
Artist: Angélique Kidjo
Label: Razor & Tie
Formats: CD, MP3, DVD (PBS)
Release date: February 21, 2012
Designated “Africa’s premier diva” by Time magazine, Beninoise singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo has released a string of internationally acclaimed albums that draw upon traditional African music as well as jazz and other genres representing the African diaspora―in her words, “music without boundaries.” At the same time, she has lent her talent and energy to a host of organizations promoting peace, conservation, and the empowerment of women.
In 2011, twenty years after she embarked on her solo career, Boston’s WGBH celebrated the occasion with the live concert “Spirit Rising: Angéélique Kidjo and Friends” featuring long time collaborator Branford Marsalis, Josh Groban, Dianne Reeves, and Ezra Koenig (of Vampire Weekend). The rhythm section includes Thierry Vaton on piano, Christian McBride on bass, Dominic James and Marvin Sewell on guitars, Daniel Freedman on drums, and Magatte Sow on percussion, accompanied variously by a trio of horn players from Berklee College, the Kuumba Singers of Harvard, the Borremeo String Quartet and, in the DVD edition, dancers from the Broadway show Fela!.
The concept behind the concert was to feature songs culled from different stages of Kidjo’s career, while also paying homage to her African roots. Tracks include “Batonga” from her 1991 breakthrough album Logozo, “Tumba” and “Afirika” from the Brazilian influenced Black Ivory Soul (2002), and “N’Yin Wan Nou We” from her Latin album Oyaya! (2004). Much of the remainder of the set is drawn from her most recent album, Õÿö (2010), including the highlife tune “Kelele,” a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” featuring Diane Reeves, and a rendition of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” featuring Marsalis. Additional tracks include Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” Gershwin’s “Summertime,” a Kidjo arrangement of Ravel’s “Bolero,” Vampire Weekend’s “I Think UR a Contra,” and “Pearls” sung in a duet with Groban.
Following is the official trailer for the DVD:
Spirit Rising is Kidjo’s first live album, and fans will enjoy these new renditions of her best loved songs. The concert first aired over PBS in March 2012 and is now available on DVD, which features five songs not included on the CD version, as well as a back-stage interview with Kidjo.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
August 1st, 2012
Title: Satchmo at the National Press Club: Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours
Artists: Louis Armstrong, Tyree Glenn & Tommy Gwaltney
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Special Series
Formats: CD, MP3
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Arguably the most influential jazz musician in history and certainly one of the music’s founding fathers, the world shall be forever indebted to the musical genius of Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Indeed, the circumstances which induced young Armstrong to first pick up the cornet in the unlikely setting of New Orleans slums was nothing short of divine providence— surely a boon from the powers that be bestowed upon the underserving ears of us mere mortals. And as if his immeasurable contributions to the genre weren’t enough, Louis continues to thrill and entertain us even beyond the grave, as demonstrated in the recently released recording of the jazz icon’s 1971 performance at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
Entitled Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours, the album’s name not only makes reference to the phrase to which Armstrong playfully signed letters, but also to the culinary trappings which accompany the tracks. Thirty-seven recipes on Creole and Cajun cuisine—ranging from cocktails to jambalaya— may be found in the album’s liner notes, many of which are said to be personal, favorites of the jazz legend (follow this link for a downloadable copy). Just in time for July 4th picnics and barbeques, these recipes along with their musical counterparts offer a patriotic way to appreciate the diverse nature of American culture. What better way to celebrate our country’s independence than to listen to a music born and bred in American soil while feasting on the type of food unique to this great country?
While the delectable dishes outlined in the aforementioned recipes could certainly satiate a hungry stomach, the album’s music also serves to satisfy the body’s more refined appetites. Savory melodies, ripe rhythms, mouth-watering solos, gooey ballads, zesty vocals, scrumptious harmonies, all topped with a bit of gourmet swing will feed any listener’s famished soul. The first half of the recording features Louis Armstrong both on vocals and trumpet while only Armstrong’s long-time band mates, Tyree Glen and Tommy Gwaltney, appear in the latter half of the album. Armstrong had been struggling with illness and was instructed by his doctor to sing for only ten minutes and abstain entirely from his trumpet playing for the concert at the National Press Club. However, Armstrong could not help but entertain to his fullest capacity and ended up performing for over twenty-five minutes; singing, playing, and scatting to his heart’s content. The performance, recorded five months prior to his death, captures Armstrong’s very last trumpet performance and serves as a testament to his unwavering love for jazz.
Of notable mention is the never before recorded track, “Boy From New Orleans,” Armstrong’s endearing and playful musical autobiography, set to the quintessential New Orleans tune: “When the Saints Go Marching In.” The CD also features such Armstrong classics as “Hello Dolly” and “Mack the Knife” sung in that unmistakable voice made of gravel and grit. And while the second half of the recording is sadly Louis-less, the impressive efforts of Tyree Glen (on trombone) and Tommy Gwaltney (on vibes and clarinet) serve as a spectacular tribute to their absent friend and fellow musician. In fact, the shining star of the entire album is trombonist Tyree Glen’s recording of the Duke Ellington standard, “Mood Indigo.” The track shows the astounding prowess cultivated by Glen with his gentle crooning and gorgeous phrasing, made all the more impressive by the fact that it is produced through his entirely unsubtle horn.
Unlike the album’s illustrious namesake, Satchmo at the National Press Club: Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours is a treasure not to be missed!
Reviewed by Catherine Fonseca
July 2nd, 2012
Title: Twenty Dozen
Artist: Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Label: Savoy Jazz
Catalog No.: SVY17891
Format: CD
Release Date: May 1, 2012
To mark their 35th anniversary, New Orleans’ Dirty Dozen Brass Band has released their first new album in over 5 years and their first new original music since 1999. Time has not slowed the DDBB—this album cooks like past efforts. They are still the funkiest second line on the block, and have smartly avoided the trend toward hip hop that has diluted the music of Trombone Shorty and others.
There’s no need for serious discussion, this is a fun album that will ignite a party if played at sufficient volume. Hit play, mix your favorite drink and enjoy the summer (click here for the official video trailer).
Reviewed by Tom Fine
July 2nd, 2012
Title: Plays Nat King Cole En Español
Artist: David Murray Cuban Ensemble
Label: Motema Music
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: October 11, 2011
There is an old Mexican proverb which translates along the lines of “Do not be afraid of the chili pepper, even though it certainly is red.” And while the intended moral lesson of the phrase more often baffles than benefits, its basic meaning is decidedly useful in understanding and appreciating Latin jazz. Regrettably, the genre of Latin jazz has a rather unfortunate and contradictory reputation for being either too stodgy for pedestrian tastes or too boisterous for the likes of lofty jazz intellectuals (a prejudice that spawned last year’s disastrous decision to eliminate the genre as a Grammy category). However, like all stereotypes, these cursory judgments of Latin jazz overgeneralize a music which is equally accessible and sophisticated enough to satisfy any musical preference. Just as we were warned to not be intimidated by the chili pepper despite its obvious explosive color and flavor, so too must we endeavor to embrace Latin jazz in all of its fiery glory and begin to celebrate rather than criticize the spice that lends this music its distinctive flare.
David Murray’s latest musical venture makes for an excellent introductory chili pepper, one that is not so spicy as to scare yet not too mild as to bore. Displaying his usual ingenuity, Murray has taken on the intriguing task of refurbishing the recordings Nat King Cole made in Spanish and Portuguese. In David Murray Cuban Ensemble Plays Nat King Cole En Español we find a re-Latinized version of Cole’s Americanized interpretation of Latino classics. Given such a convoluted formula, the ultimate effect is surprisingly enjoyable and fresh. Murray, with the help of an extraordinarily talented Cuban jazz ensemble, is able to revitalize the Latin energy found in the original compositions that are noticeably missing from Cole’s more tame and polished versions. Yet Murray stays true to Cole’s unmistakable crooner style—channeling Cole’s intrinsic warmth and light swing through his own tenor saxophone. In addition, Murray’s simple licks resemble Cole and his penchant for clean and spare melodic phrases. Murray also takes inspiration from the great Cole in his lush symphonic orchestration, albeit a lot less syrupy than Cole’s own arrangements. In this way, Murray embodies the voice of Nat King Cole on his horn while broadening the musical scope to accommodate contemporary improvisation.
From the very first track, entitled “El Bodeguero,” the album captures the Latino essence of the material while simultaneously providing approachability to listeners with its playfully swinging cha-cha rhythm. Murray’s most remarkable solo in the entire album can also be found in the opening tune; one cannot help but be impressed by Murray’s remarkable mastery of his horn as he weaves in and out of the melody with a sort of nonchalant joy. His brief trips to the altissimo register (strategically few in number so as to enthuse rather than irritate) are simply splendid to behold.
In “El Choclo” listeners are treated to the raspy and vivid vocals of famed Argentine, Daniel Melingo. His voice in conjunction with the sinuous sound of the bandoneón (an Argentine accordion) played by Juanjo Mosalini conjures forth the exquisite sound of authentic tango, effectively transporting the listener straight to the luscious landscape of Argentina. Murray, on tenor saxophone, adds another layer of tension with his impulsive capers amidst the brooding dialogue between singer and bandoneón.
Following is a performance of “Black Nat”(track 6), recorded live at Le Poisson Rouge in New York in January 2012 (courtesy of NPR):
Exhibiting tight synchronization, intricate rhythms, wildly progressive harmonies, and exuberant improvisation, Plays Nat King Cole En Español is certainly Latin jazz at its very finest. Furthermore, the album features a confluence of South and Central American-based musical traditions, offering a legitimate and fulfilling ethnic experience. For Latin jazz newcomers and enthusiasts alike, this album will certainly make for a subtly spicy addition to any music collection.
Reviewed by Catherine Fonseca
July 2nd, 2012
Title: Black Radio
Artist: Robert Glasper Experiment
Label: Blue Note/EMI
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 28, 2012
-
“The music is going to die if you don’t tap into something that people today can relate to”—Robert Glasper
Jazz pianist Robert Glasper’s fourth album, Black Radio, is a notable departure from his previous works. Glasper’s new approach, which combines the styles of jazz, R&B, rock, neo-soul and hip hop, is an effort to re-imagine what might (or “should”) be played on black radio stations. In doing so, Glasper seeks to set a standard or at least start a discussion about “standards” in music today (or more precisely, African American music). He addresses these feelings at the end of the song “Gonna Be Alright” (featuring Ledisi), where he and others have a discussion about how the bar for music has disappeared and popular music has become “whack.” One person in the discussion suggests that the lack of standards happened because people “don’t really think much anymore,” and the fault lies with the people in charge of the music (radio and TV producers, record company execs, etc.) having an “anything goes” mindset. He ends the song by saying, “The best thing you can do for people is just be honest, we got to do something, man.”
In an effort to create such a heavy experiment, Glasper features a wide range of guest artists including Erykah Badu, Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway, Chrisette Michele, Musiq Soulchild, and many more who add to his musical genius. These artists fit the project well—their differing backgrounds bring to the project a variety of musical styles, contributing to the authentic sound that Glasper is trying to achieve, devoid of artificial boundaries.
One of the most popular songs from the album is “Always Shine,” featuring Lupe Fiasco and Bilal, which fuses hip hop with jazz. Another stand out track is the cover to the old Cuban jazz standard “Afro Blue” featuring Erykah Badu, who brings in the neo-soul feeling that she’s known for on her own recordings.
Following is the official trailer for the album:
Overall, Glasper’s album is innovative in its attempt to get back to a place and time when there was a standard for music on the radio and in all other forms of media. If there’s actually such a standard in music today, Glasper has certainly set the bar high with Black Radio.
Reviewed by Bobby E. Davis, Jr.
June 1st, 2012
Title: The Best of Perception & Today Records
Artists: Various
Label: BBE
Formats: 2-CD set, 2-LP set, WAV download
Release Date: April 17, 2012
The Best of Perception & Today Records sounds exactly what you imagine the soundtrack to the lives of hip, Black, Manhattanites in the 1970s would sound like. Perception Productions, a New York based record label that existed from the late 1960s to 1974, was founded by Terry Phillips and Boo Frazier. Though their label had a short run, it produced some fantastic recordings from some big names ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Astrud Gilberto, along with many more hidden gems from lesser known artists.
The scope covered by this Perception Productions compilation is quite eclectic. With fun Latin-influenced soul tracks like Joe Thomas’s “Chitlins & Cuchifritos,” funky jazz instrumentals from Bartel such as the descriptively titled “Boogie,” Jackson Five-lite pop songs from The Eight Minutes and enlightened, Afro-centric poetry set over funky grooves by Wanda Robinson, there seems to be no popular Black music genre that Perception Productions didn’t release at least one recording of.
This collection accomplishes what all great anthologies set out to do: for those of us who have not dedicated our lives to scouring basements and record shops for the most obscure finds, it does the work for us. It’s not necessarily that these tracks are extremely rare, or impossible to find on Youtube, but The Best of Perception & Today Records is a worthwhile collection for anyone who likes the sounds of 1970s Black New York but either wasn’t there to buy the records when they came out or doesn’t have the time to research and discover these amazing tracks for themselves.
CD1 Tracklist: Dizzy Gillespie – Matrix; The Eight Minutes – I Can’t Get No Higher; Adam Wade & Johnny Pate – Brother; JJ Barnes – You Owe It To Yourself; Debbie Taylor – Too Sad To Tell; Joe Thomas – Chitlins & Cuchifritos; The Fatback Band – Njia (Nija) Walk; Bartel – Naturally Good; Madhouse – Get Some Of This; Astrud Gilberto – Gingele; The Albert – One Life; Bobby Rydell – Honey Buns; Black Ivory – You And I; The Eight Minutes – Take My Love Don’t Set Me Free; Wanda Robinson – Instant Replay.
CD 2 Tracklist: Fatback Brother Bill Curtis – Dance Girl; Bartel – Boogie; Dizzy Gillespie – Alligator; Black Ivory – I Keep Asking You Questions; Julius Brockington – Rock Steady; Tyrone Washington – Submission; Joe Thomas – Every Brother Ain’t A Brother; Bartel – You’ve Just Been Bitten; Black Ivory – Surrender; The Eight Minutes – Find The One Who Loves You; Astrud Gilberto – Take It Easy My Brother Charlie; James Moody – Heritage Hum; J. J. Barnes – Wishful Thinking; The Eight Minutes – Looking For A Brand New Game; Wanda Robinson – A Possibility (Back Home).
Reviewed by Dorothy Berry
June 1st, 2012
Title: Be Good
Artist: Gregory Porter
Label: Motema Music
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 14, 2012
Gregory Porter, the jazz vocalist who exploded onto the international jazz scene in 2010 with his debut album Water, returns two years later with a characteristically mature, understated collection of songs on Be Good. His voice—smooth and confident, intense in its reservation—is fitted with an outstanding backing band consisting of drums, piano, bass, and a small horn ensemble.
Most of the songs on Be Good are mid-tempo ballads. In less capable hands, the at times noticeably repetitive arrangements could altogether distract from the message of the singer, but the sincerity of Porter’s voice brings an immediacy to the situations evoked by his lyrics. For example, in “Real Good Hands” he tries to find the words to comfort the man and woman who are soon to be his in-laws, assuring them that their daughter will be safe, healthy, and happy with him. Subtly unfolding itself as a love ballad, the song presents Porter and his lover as strong partners for each other despite the worries of her parents and, we come to gather, the pressures of the world.
“Mother’s Song,” in contrast, is a straightforward ballad to mothers who have looked out for their children in the face of all hardships. While the verses maintain a walking pace similar to the rest of the album, the chorus bursts forth into double time as Porter’s voice grows stronger, recounting all the ways in which his mother has selflessly cared for him throughout his life. The mood is ultimately cheery, despite the feeling that Porter may have missed his target audience (“Listen, gather round children, children of a mother”) by a few decades.
Following is the official video for the title track “Be Good (Lion’s Song):
Ultimately, this is what the listener begins to notice as the album progresses. Most of the songs, if played in the background, could hardly be called inferior “everyday” music. But if it’s meant as an exercise of personal exploration, the album falls short of delivering, in spite of its star’s obvious talent. What is needed is more variety, more ascensions to points of pure emotional release, where not just the lyrics, but the musicians, and the singer himself, wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Reviewed by Tyler Thompson
Title: Be Good
Artist: Gregory Porter
Label: Motema Music
Format: CD, MP3
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Gregory Porter, the jazz vocalist who exploded onto the international jazz scene in 2010 with his debut album Water, returns two years later with a characteristically mature, understated collection of songs on Be Good. His voice—smooth and confident, intense in its reservation—is fitted with an outstanding backing band consisting of drums, piano, bass, and a small horn ensemble.
Most of the songs on Be Good are mid-tempo ballads. In less capable hands, the at times noticeably repetitive arrangements could altogether distract from the message of the singer, but the sincerity of Porter’s voice brings an immediacy to the situations evoked by his lyrics. For example, in “Real Good Hands” he tries to find the words to comfort the man and woman who are soon to be his in-laws, assuring them that their daughter will be safe, healthy, and happy with him. Subtly unfolding itself as a love ballad, the song presents Porter and his lover as strong partners for each other despite the worries of her parents and, we come to gather, the pressures of the world.
“Mother’s Song,” in contrast, is a straightforward ballad to mothers who have looked out for their children in the face of all hardships. While the verses maintain a walking pace similar to the rest of the album, the chorus bursts forth into double time as Porter’s voice grows stronger, recounting all the ways in which his mother has selflessly cared for him throughout his life. The mood is ultimately cheery, despite the feeling that Porter may have missed his target audience (“Listen, gather round children, children of a mother”) by a few decades.
Following is the official video for the title track “Be Good (Lion’s Song):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HvpIgHBSdo
Ultimately, this is what the listener begins to notice as the album progresses. Most of the songs, if played in the background, could hardly be called inferior “everyday” music. But if it’s meant as an exercise of personal exploration, the album falls short of delivering, in spite of its star’s obvious talent. What is needed is more variety, more ascensions to points of pure emotional release, where not just the lyrics, but the musicians, and the singer himself, wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Reviewed by Tyler Thompson
June 1st, 2012
Title: Radio Music Society
Artist: Esperanza Spalding
Label: Heads Up
Formats: CD, MP3, LP
Release date: March 20, 2012
Jazz bassist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and all-around musical Renaissance woman Esperanza Spalding’s fourth studio album, Radio Music Society, kicks off with a track about the serendipity of hearing that one perfect song on the radio, exactly when you need it most. The song is one of those tunes that, as Spalding sings:
You can’t help singin’ along
Even though you never heard it
You keep singin’ it wrong.
This song will keep you grooving.
And, indeed, Spalding’s whole album will keep you grooving. Her sound, an eclectic mix of contemporary jazz, soul, big band, and a healthy dose of R&B, won her a 2011 Grammy for best new artist, a rarity for a jazz performer. While her previous release, Chamber Music Society, relied heavily on strings, jazz-inflected percussion, and scat singing, Radio Music Society is heavily lyric-driven, hook-laden, and influenced by hip hop (rapper/producer Q-Tip co-produces two tracks). Spalding pulls from a large stable of jazz performers, including the American Music Program horn section, along with slick (but not too-slick) production to get a full, lush sound throughout the album. The infusion of hip hop makes RMS an easier listen for those of us raised on pop and R&B but may turn off die-hard jazz aficionados, or those who are more familiar with Spalding’s earlier work. You can hear the marriage of styles in the aforementioned track “Radio Song:”
Other standout tracks show off Spalding’s quirky voice, somewhere between Blossom Dearie’s childlike rasp, Tori Amos’s reedy chirps and sultry low tones, with a dash of the gutsiness of a young Natalie Cole. Spalding luxuriates in the long, almost elastic vocal lines of “Cinnamon Tree” and shows off her vocal agility in “City of Roses,” co-produced by Q-Tip. Spalding only falters when her lyrical skills don’t quite measure up to her talents as an instrumentalist and vocalist. In the track “Vague Suspicions,” her anti-war sentiment, however well-intentioned, rings a bit hollow when she sings:
Maybe your heart is seized with passing pity for the dead
And vague suspicions creep into your head.
Am I part of war
And what is God for?
“Next on Channel 4: Celebrity gossip!”
One of the most fulfilling tracks on the album, oddly, is one that drops all but a hint of the R&B sound and casts itself back to the 1940s and 50s. “Hold On Me,” Spalding’s ode to unrequited love, is a bluesy, sultry number, thanks to the American Music Program horns and masterful piano work by Janice Scroggins. Sounding like an updated version of a big band era torch song, the track’s lyrical and musical sentimentality along with Spalding’s impassioned vocals make this track nearly campy, in the best sense of that word. Radio Music Society’s diverse sounds and artful melding of styles portends a successful and genre-hopping musical future for Spalding, one that music fans, jazzers or not, would do well to watch.
Reviewed by David Lewis
May 1st, 2012
Title: Echoes of Indiana Avenue
Artist: Wes Montgomery
Label: Resonance Records
Formats: CD, 2-LP Deluxe Limited Ed., MP3
Release date: March 6, 2012 (Wes Montgomery’s birthday)
Wes Montgomery was one of the greatest of the many great musicians to go forth from the city of Indianapolis to thrill audiences around the world. This newly discovered collection of recordings captures not only the magic that was Wes but also the wonderful Indianapolis jazz scene of which he was so proudly a part―David Baker (liner notes).
Several years ago, tapes recorded by Wes Montgomery between 1957-58 were discovered on Ebay by the executive producer of this CD, Michael Cuscuna, who theorizes that they were demos made in order to secure a record deal (Montgomery signed with Pacific Jazz in the spring of ’58). Nine tracks from these previously unreleased recordings are included―four from a live nightclub appearance―and capture Montgomery’s sound prior to his work with producers and arrangers who added a more commercial aspect to his recordings. Not only have these tapes been remastered in excellent sound, but Resonance Records has done a tremendous amount of historical research to determine session personnel, dates, and likely venues, all detailed in the well illustrated 22 page accompanying booklet.
Anyone at all familiar with Midwest jazz or black music history knows about Indiana Avenue―the Indianapolis equivalent of Central Avenue in Los Angeles and Beale Street in Memphis. During the 1940s – 1950s the city was a hot bed of jazz, with J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Carl Perkins, Freddie Hubbard, David Baker, and many others jamming in the clubs along “The Avenue.” The Montgomery Brothers―guitarist Wes, pianist/vibraphonist Buddy, and electric bassist Monk―were an integral part of this scene. Wes was largely self-taught; he picked up Charlie Christian solos by listening to records, and gained enough experience to join Lionel Hampton’s band in 1948. Returning to Indianapolis in 1950, the 27-year-old musician worked in a factory by day to support his family and then played club gigs literally all night.
Echoes of Indiana Avenue captures Montgomery on the cusp of fame, before his 1960 Riverside release The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery garnered worldwide acclaim and secured his place in the annuls of jazz history. Several tracks feature the Wes Montgomery Trio, with Paul Parker on drums and Melvin Rhyne on keyboard, which held forth at the Missile Room in Indianapolis in the late ‘50s. “Diablo’s Dance,” a Latin number by Shorty Rogers, and Thelonius Monk’s “Round Midnight” are both covered, the latter featuring Rhyne on the B3 and some fantastic virtuosic playing by Wes. This is followed by another Thelonius Monk standard, “Straight No Chaser,” in a live performance featuring Parker on drums and the three Montgomery Brothers, with Wes demonstrating his celebrated octave technique. The up-tempo “Nica’s Dream” by Horace Silver is then followed by “Darn That Dream,” where Rhyne once again takes over the B3 while Wes demonstrates his more subtle plucking style.
Following is the official trailer from Resonance Records:
The final four tracks were recorded live, possibly at the Hub-Bub club located on Indy’s near north side, with Montgomery again interpreting standards. Stayhorn’s “Take the A Train” features Earl Van Riper on piano, Mingo Jones on bass, and Sonny Johnson on drums. This is followed by a couple of more pop-oriented ballads, the atmospheric “Misty” and “Body and Soul.” The set concludes with a raucous improvisation on “After Hours Blues,” described in the liner notes as “the funkiest Wes Montgomery on record” and I can’t disagree. If any recording can bring back the magic of Indiana Avenue and the Naptown sound, this is it!
Montgomery only lived another 10 years after these recordings were made; he died in 1968 at the age of 43. Bill Milkowski sums up the importance of this release in his liner note essay: “For guitar aficionados, these lost tracks are the six-string equivalent of the Holy Grail.”
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
March 1st, 2012
Title: Love, Peace and Soul
Artist: Don Byron New Gospel Quintet
Label: Savoy Jazz
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: February 21, 2012
Jazz clarinetist and saxophonist Don Byron has released a project Love, Peace and Soul aimed at celebrating gospel music. With the newly formed Don Byron New Gospel Quintet, Byron explores the music of gospel icons Thomas A. Dorsey and Rosetta Tharpe (who is also noted for her influence on the development of rock music). The primary members of the quintet include vocalist DK Dyson, Xavier Davis on piano and background vocals, Brad Jones on bass and background vocals and Pheeroan Aklaff on drums. However, the talents of guitarist Vernon Reid, vocalist Dean Bowman, trumpeter Ralph Alessi, and JD Parran on baritone saxophone are also featured on this project. While Byron is noted for his innovative interpretations of musical styles ranging from Western classical arias to the soul music of Junior Walker, he states that he “feel[s] a deep spiritual connection to gospel that transcends just about everything else.”
Upon approaching this album, I had my assumptions about its sound and content. I have heard several artists work to merge the sounds of gospel with the aesthetics of jazz, most often within instrumental settings. However, Love does not conform to these conventions. This project includes a vocal component, ensuring that the gospel text as well as the sound is the focus. To be clear, this project is not a simplistic collection of covers. Rather, with gospel songs as the framework, Byron and his band work to conserve much of the original melodies while also improvising around them. Byron’s impressive musical sensibilities are particularly present as he crafts his solos and accompanies the vocalists.
Dyson is competent as the lead singer, with her best contributions featured on slower ballads. For instance, “Take My Hand Precious Lord” begins with her calm, prayerful voice in a duet of sorts with Byron on alto sax. He vacillates from playing snatches of the melody to including quick tempo rifts in accompaniment to the vocal line. In this setting, Dyson’s voice rings clear with warm resonance. Her timing and ability to effortlessly shift vocal registers and timbres is a perfect match for the “laid back” tempo and at times understated instrumentation.
One of the most musically interesting, yet simple, pieces on this album is “Beams of Heaven,” written by the celebrated African American hymn writer Charles A. Tindley and later popularized by Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight. Dyson’s rendition is reminiscent of Tharpe’s original recording as they both feature steel-stringed guitar picking as an element of accompaniment. However, Byron’s inclusion of clarinet in the accompaniment adds an element of interest. The warmth of this reed instrument provides a complimentary contrast to the more abrasive guitar. Through his instrumentation, Byron manages to capture glimpses of a rural country sound without straying too far from the “cleaner” jazz sound that characterizes the other songs on the album. In the same vein, while Dyson’s vocal approach is decidedly less aggressive than Tharpe’s, Dyson’s cool finesse is more fitting for this new interpretation.
Following is a performance of “Hide Me in Thy Bosom” from WYNC Live on Soundcheck:
Given their shared ancestry in the blues, the musical marriage of gospel and jazz is not foreign. This common musical history is most pronounced here in the selection “Consideration” which features a steady “rocking” swing alongside gospel honed rhythms and chords. As witnessed here, the relationship between jazz and religious music has long been recognized. In the late 1930s, John Hammond organized a few concerts called From Spirituals to Swing which would feature the music of performers like Count Basie and his Orchestra, the Gold Gate Quartet, and even Rosetta Tharpe. Later, gospel would have a more direct effect on jazz during the 1950s with the emergence of what is now called hard bop. And more recently, there have also been several jazz musicians, such as Kirk Whalum, who have been recording gospel songs as well as gospel musicians who have been heavily influence by jazz aesthetics and harmonic sensibilities. In this light, it seems that Byron is continuing a tradition of musical sharing between jazz and gospel musicians. Love, Peace, and Soul is a nice addition to this ongoing conversation as Byron pays homage to two well-deserving musical legends.
Reviewed by Raynetta Wiggins
March 1st, 2012
Title: Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part 1
Artist: Dr. Michael White
Label: Basin Street Records
Formats: CD, MP3
Release Date: June 21, 2011
Acclaimed Dixieland jazz clarinetist Dr. Michael White is back once again, bringing together a host of influences for his new album Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part 1. The majority of these songs are covers, with a good amount not being New Orleans jazz standards but rather drawing upon a whole spectrum of genres. The most peculiar, and perhaps most entertaining, is White’s rendition of “One Love” by Bob Marley. What’s even more odd is how good it sounds mixed with Dixieland instruments. In addition to this reggae-New Orleans jazz montage, White adopts African influences and instruments on some medley’s of his own creation, while others employ traditional African and Haitian folk songs as well as African American spirituals. But like “One Love,” each of these tracks are mixed with the characteristic New Orleans flavor. Finally, although we never really left, Dr. Michael White brings us all back to New Orleans with Paul Simon’s “Take Me to the Mardi Gras.”
=============================
Title: A Love Letter to New Orleans
Artist: Irvin Mayfield
Label: Basin Street Records
Formats: CD, MP3, or Book+CD
Release Date: April 26, 2011
A Love Letter to New Orleans is just that—Irvin Mayfield’s expression of his love of the city through his music—in a compilation drawn from previous albums. Mayfield tackles several genres in Love Letter, which begins with “Mo’ Better Blues.” The jazz heritage of New Orleans is apparent in “Romeo and Juliet” as well as “Fatimah,” while the Latin quarter is represented by “Latin Tinge II” and “El Negro.” The traditional, religious side of the city is given its due on “I’ll Fly Away.” Going way back, Mayfield additionally pays tribute to the Mardi Gras Indian Tribes on “Old Time Indians Meeting of the Chiefs,” which features Big Chief Bo Dollis Sr. (of Wild Magnolias fame).
Love Letter brings together many like-minded New Orleans musicians, from Los Hombres Calientes (Mayfield’s band) to Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews to Wynton Marsalis and Kermit Ruffins, who has been prominently featured on HBO’s Treme. But along with the love that Mayfield has for New Orleans there is an acknowledgement of the darker, racist-fueled past on “Lynch Mob.” With the Dillard University Choir’s repetition of the phrase “String ‘em up,” the “Lynch Mob” interlude is an eerie, disturbing look into what the South once was. Rather than ending on this note, Mayfield offers a positive look into the future as Love Letter ends with the optimistic “Mardi Gras Second Line” featuring NOLA favorites Los Hombres Calientes, Trombone Shorty, Ruffins, the Rebirth Brass Band and John Boutté. In addition to this fantastic stand-alone album, Irvin Mayfield also offers a special hardcover book/CD package which includes a “richly illustrated collection of essays and photographs [that] give life and meaning to each song on the accompanying CD.”
======================================
Title: For True
Artist: Trombone Shorty
Label: Verve Forecast
Formats: CD, MP3
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Rounding out this overview of New Orleans-based musicians is trombonist Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews’ new release For True. Although it would be simple enough to state how much more contemporary For True sounds as compared to the previous two albums, the guest list says it all: Jeff Beck, Warren Hayes, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz and Ledisi. Emphasizing rock and funk, For True is the kind of album that makes you dance—whether you were expecting to or not—starting with the first song “Buckjump.” Bringing together swinging horns and heavy bass, “Buckjump” definitely brings in the funk. The title track “For True” feels like a combo of Latin and surf rock, with trumpet at the forefront while the guitar pulls off a few surf-inspired runs with plenty of treble and tremolo-picking. However, don’t think for a second that Trombone Shorty has forgotten his New Orleans roots. “Lagniappe Part 1” is a mix between funk, with a grooving bass sax, and a Dixieland march. Continuing the funk rock sound through the rest of the album on songs like “Dumaine St.” and “Roses,” Shorty closes out For True in the same manner as his previous albums, with an ode to New Orleans. This final track, the second part of “Lagniappe,” kicks off with a marching snare and brings together a host of horns before finally fading out.
Reviewed by Ian Hallagan
February 1st, 2012
Title: Prime Time
Artist: Paul Taylor
Label: Peak Records / Entertainment One
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: June 14, 2011
Paul Taylor’s Prime Time is a plunge into a world of synthesized beats, electronic rhythm sections and heavy bass parts. But, like an oasis in a desert, Taylor’s saxophone quenches the smooth jazz lover’s thirst for something more melodic. Creating a unique soundscape with his instrument, Taylor adds only a handful of songs that include vocals.
Most of the time Taylor’s melodies are memorable and familiar, but some tracks lack melodic direction, such as “Say No More,” making them less desirable for those looking for something they can hum along to. Ironically, the tracks with vocals, especially “Can’t Nobody,” are the most effective and most memorable.
At times Prime Time sounds more like a mainstream hip hop remix due to the heavy electronic bass. It may be difficult for jazz lovers to sit down and enjoy the album because of this. On the other hand, it may be equally difficult for hip hop and electronic music fans to tune in, because the album does not fit well into a specific category. Taylor puts in a valiant effort, but ultimately falls short of creating a true masterpiece due to the production values and lack of direction on many tracks.
As if the album wasn’t hard enough to categorize, Taylor throws the listener a curveball by ending with a cover of “Use Somebody” by the alternative rock group Kings of Leon, which does not fit into the context of what he tried to create. Overall, Prime Time is a beat driven album that takes listeners on an interesting musical journey that will appeal to many fans of smooth jazz, but may fall short of attracting the broader, younger audience that Taylor desired.
Reviewed by Michael Lantow
January 31st, 2012
Newer Posts - Older Posts
