New Jazz Adds – 2/20/2018
New Jazz Adds – 2/20/2018
Wali Ali – To Be (Mendicant): Over the years, veteran jazz guitarist Wali Ali has performed with Taj Mahal, Norman Connors, Donny Hathaway, Bobbi Humphrey, Noel Pointer, Lonnie Liston Smith, Peter Tosh, and Stanley Turrentine, among others, but this is his first release as leader. He plays with Bob Baldwin (electric and acoustic piano), Kevin Hill (bass) and Tony Lewis (drums). Ali is a highly expressive guitarist and focuses on a wonderful group of jazz standards, including “Poinciana”, “Nardis”, “Prince Of Darkness” and “Footprints”. The disc is beautifully played throughout with especially nice interplay between Ali and Baldwin. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Michael Dease – Reaching Out (Posi-Tone): Trombonist Michael Dease adds a new release to his substantial discography. The Juilliard graduate has gathered a new group of musicians, including Ralph Bowen (tenor sax), Walt Weiskopf (alto, tenor sax), Behn Gillece (vibes), Luther Allison (piano), Peter Brendler (bass) and Zach Adleman (drums) and they are a wonderfully solid group. Dease composed four of the songs on the disc and the remainder of the program includes songs authored by and ranging from Cedar Walton, Kenny Drew and Steve Turre to Paul and Linda McCartney and Babyface. It’s all beautifully harmonic and smooth. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Dingonek Street Band – Primal Economics (Accurate): This is the first disc by the Dingonek Street Band who describe themselves as “… a raucous, improvisatory brass band fusing Afrobeat and Ethio-jazz with post-bop, funk, and New Orleans parade music.” (webpage) That about nails it, except to add that they are a solid set of players based in New York and they are completely infectious. Leader Bobby Spellman (trumpet, slide trumpet) composed the eight songs on offer, beginning with “Siddhartha” and “Primal Economics” until the final note of “Grandfather Domovoi”. Band members, in addition to Spellman, are Emily Pecoraro (soprano sax), Greg Blair (tenor sax), Tyler Burchfield (bari sax), Josiah Reibstein (tuba) and Buddy Bigboy (drums, percussion). They’ll have you dancing in the street or your living room in no time! Click here to listen to the opening track: “Siddhartha”.
Electric Squeezebox Orchestra – The Falling Dream (OA2): “The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra is a 17 piece big band based in the Bay Area that plays music composed and arranged by its members. Led by trumpeter Erik Jekabson, the band will begin a new residency every Sunday night at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley in March of 2018. The E.S.O. currently consists of Erik, Henry Hung, Darren Johnston, Doug Morton and Erik Andrews on trumpets, Rob Ewing, Danny Lubin-Laden, Patrick Malabuyo and Richard Lee on trombones, Sheldon Brown and Larry Delacruz on alto saxes, Mike Zilber and Marcus Stephens on tenor saxes, Charlie Gurke on baritone sax, and the rhythm section of Steve Blum, piano; Jordan Samuels, guitar; Tommy Folen, bass; and Dillon Vado, Jeff Marrs and Alan Hall rotating on drums. (webpage) Eight of the ten songs on this disc are originals by various members of the orchestra. The music is dynamic and flows wonderfully. Click here to listen to samples of the first two songs on the disc.
Hal Galper Quartet – Cubist (Origin): If like me, you are unfamiliar with the term, “tempo rubato [ˈtɛmpo ruˈbaːto] (free in the presentation, Italian for: stolen time) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo_rubato) This is the significant style being used throughout this disc. Bassist Jeff Johnson has studied Italian music quite a while and leader/pianist Hal Galper likened the similarity between their rubato style and the visual effects in cubist painting: all of the visual parts are present in the painting or performance though often broken and scattered throughout the work. It’s not as crazy as it sounds, though it certainly could be. This disc is an interesting demonstration that is quite manageable. The quartet is completed by Jerry Bergonzi (tenor sax) and John Bishop (drums). I truly regret that I am unable to find a sample fro this disc.
Melody Gardot –Live In Europe (Decca): Melody Gardot (singer, pianist, guitarist) has a stunning life story: she began working as a singer in her teens drawing from Judy Garland, Janis Joplin and Brazilian singer / writer Caetano Veloso. Sadly, she was struck by a car at the age of eighteen and suffered both head and spinal injuries, and her pelvis was broken in two places. Amazingly, she was introduced to music therapy and encouraged by a doctor to continue. After several years, her response and capabilities grew to a stunning degree. “The first maybe half a dozen times experiencing this, that was the only 30 minutes in my life that I did not feel pain for that moment. And it was addictive.” The skill and artistry that she now commands is as magical as a fairy tale. The performances on this set extend from 2012-16. Her performances are not only a living symbol of resilience. These performances are stunning in their own right. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this release.
Heavyweights Brass Band – This City (Self-produced): This is the Heavyweights Brass Band’s third release and it is deep in the NOLA tradition while expressing its own personality. The band members are John Pittman (trumpet), Chris Butcher (trombone), Paul Metcalfe (tenor sax), Tom Richards (tuba, keys, trombone), Lowell Whitty (drums, percussion), Kevin Breit (guitar, mandolin), and Roger Lewis (bari sax on 2 cuts), Ashlin Parker (trumpet on 2 cuts), Joe Lastie (bass drum 1 cut), Eugene Grant (vocals, congas, trumpet 1 cut) and Marta Dixon (vocal on 1 cut). Six of the eight songs are originals, with the covers being Stevie Wonder’s “Tell Me Something Good” and Steve Earle’s “This City”. Click here for a taste of the opening track, certainly the best on the platter.
Jambalaya Brass Band – Habana To New Orleans (890 West Music): The title of the disc tells the story: The Jambalaya Brass Band was formed in New Orleans and moved to New York around the time Katrina struck. Their goal for this disc was to create a sonic history of the influences and development ultimately of the styles of Habana and New Orleans. They are a booting and blasting brass band that can knock you out and while insisting that your body will be moving. The players include Mark McGowan and Jim Seeley (trumpet), Curtis Fowlkes (trombone), Ralph Hamperian (tuba), Kevin Raezka and Dylan Hicks (snare drum, cymbal), with leader Ric Frank, who composed all of the tracks, (tenor sax, bongos, cowbells, agogo bells, tambourine, claves and cabasa). Special guests are Stafford Hunter (sea shells), Hasan Bakr (djembe, shakere, mbira), Madeline Yayodele (shekere) and Chauncey Yearwood (congas). Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Jason Marsalis & The 21st Century Trad Band – Melody Reimagined, Book 1(Basin Street Records): “The concept of Melody Reimagined grew out of live performances where the band would play a mixture of originals and covers of jazz standards. Frequently, they’d put together spontaneous arrangements of the standards to keep things interesting. The practice of taking the harmonic structure, or chord progressions from one song and writing new melodies has been around throughout jazz history. For example, Duke Ellington’s “In a Mellow Tone” is based on the harmony from “Rose Room,” while Charlie Parker’s “Ornithology” is based on the harmony from “How High the Moon.” For this album, harmonies and chord changes from the American songbook, jazz standards, traditional jazz, and even 1980’s pop music inspire these new pieces. For instance, “Passionate Dancer” draws from Michael Sambello’s #1 hit “Maniac” of Flashdance fame. Marsalis makes a mash-up of the structure of two classics—Horace Silver’s “Peace” and Charlie Haden’s “Silence” on “A Peaceful Silence.” And he excellently demonstrates how the inspirations of trad jazz found in much of the music of New Orleans can be used to make truly modern jazz, while also making a point about the misunderstandings of the city’s Mardi Gras celebration with “Bourbon Street Ain’t Mardi Gras.” Jason’s father, Ellis, and brother Delfeayo both make cameos on the beautiful ballad “80” based on the chord progression of “The Very Thought of You,” a touching tribute to the memory of Jason’s mother.” (http://www.airplaydirect.com/music/JasonMarsalisMelodyReimaginedBook1/) In addition to Jason Marsalis, the recording features Austin Johnson (piano), Will Goble (bass), and Dave Potter (drums) with a guest appearance by Delfeayo Marsalis (trombone) and Ellis Marsalis (piano) on the closing song. Totally solid throughout. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Leslie Pintchik – You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl! (Pintch Hard): Composer/pianist Leslie Pintchik offers her sixth disc featuring six originals and covers of Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira’s “I’m Glad There Is You” and Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach’s “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”. Her own titles are a bit stranger; for example “Mortal” or “You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl”. Her piano playing is terrific – fluid, lilting and energetic. She is accompanied by Scott Hardy (bass, guitar) and Satoshi Takeishi (percussion), with Michael Sarin (on all but one song), Shoko Nagai (accordion on two songs), and Steve Wilson (alto sax) and Ron Horton (trumpet, flugelhorn) on two songs. The shifting musicians certainly add variety, but the main attraction is Pintchik and her piano. There is a lot of flow and a delightful spirit throughout this release. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Jemal Ramirez – African Skies (Joyful Beat): Drummer Jemal Ramirez, a graduate of Berklee College of Music who went on to teach there for a decade, ultimately decided to return to performance as his main focus. This is his third release in three years. The disc includes one original and one co-written composition and covers of such compositions ranging from Buddy Johnson’s “Save Your Love For Me” and Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low” to Freddie Hubbard’s “Latina”, Michael Brecker’s “African Skies”, John Scofield’s “Don’t Shoot The Messenger” and Christian McBride’s “Youthful Bliss”. Supporting musicians include the spectacular Warren Wolfe (marimba, vibes), Howard Wiley (soprano, alto and tenor sax), Matthew Clark (piano, Fender Rhodes), and John Shifflett (bass) with Mike Olmos adding trumpet on three songs. The sound is lively and up-lifting. It appears that the actual release includes nine more songs than this disc. The songs on the disc sent to WTJU are numbered 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16 on the list connected to the link. Click here to listen to samples.
Phil Stewart – Melodious Drum (Cellar Live): Drummer Phil Stewart offers a disc that emphasizes the joy and swing in jazz with a few gems from the past like “Manteca” and “Dance Of The Infidels” and some newer tunes that further reaching his stated goal. The rhythm section also includes Paul Sikivie (bass) and pianist Sacha Perry completes the main group. A series of horn players come and go, giving a lot of variety to the set: Joe Magnarelli plays trumpet on three songs; Chris Byers plays tenor sax on four; and Grant Stewart plays alto sax on one song and tenor on three. Three of the songs are originals by Sacha Perry. There is a fair amount of variety on this disc and this set does light the room up. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop
