New Jazz Adds – 3/27/2017
New Jazz Adds – 3/27/2017
Billy Childs – Rebirth (Mack Avenue): Composer/pianist Billy Childs has an amazing list of accomplishments whether from composing, arranging or performing with musicians from a truly broad spectrum of styles. He looked forward to this recording as one in which he would work in a new setting, both in terms of the material and the personnel. The main group includes Steve Wilson (alto, soprano sax), Hans Glawischnig (bass) and Eric Harland (drums), with special guests Ido Meshulam (trombone), Rogerio Boccato (percussion) and Claudia Acuna (vocals) on “Rebirth” and Alicia Olatuja (vocals) on “Stay”. The variety of styles truly enhances the overall performance. Great variety and musicianship! Click here and then click the “play album” button to listen to the songs on this disc.
Tom Dempsey – Tim Ferguson Quartet – Waltz New (OA2): Guitarist Tom Dempsey leads this session, a tribute to the late Jim Hall. Both Dempsey and bassist Tim Ferguson have been deeply touched and influenced by Hall’s playing and composing. Almost everything on this disc was written and or at least performed by Hall. The remaining players on the disc are Eliot Zigmund (drums) and Joel Frahm (tenor sax). Frahm adds terrific coloring with his solos and counterpoints. The mission was to pay tribute to Hall’s terrific art. The decision to honor Hall’s craft while adding new alternatives that change the performance but not the integrity of of that work is the reason this is the highest tribute they could create. I regret I can’t find a more complete sample of any of the songs on this disc, but click here to check out two shout samples.
Elaine Elias – Dance Of Time (Concord Jazz): Brazilian vocalist and pianist Elaine Elias presents her newest disc since having won a Grammy for her previous one. Elias has a soft and warm voice with classic Latin jazz qualities. She contributed three original songs to the program which features some classic Brazilian numbers. Musical support is provided by Marcus Teixeira and Conrado Goys (guitar), Marcelo Mariano (bass), Edu Ribeiro and Celso de Almeida (drums) and Mrivaldo dos Santos and Gustavo di Dalva (percussion). Special guests appear throughout this release as well: Amilton Godoy (piano), Joao Bosco (vocal, guitar), Mark Kibble (vocals), Mike Mainieri (vibes), Randy Brecker (flugelhorn) and Toquinho (vocal, guitar). Beautiful sounds throughout. Click here for an introduction to the disc by Elias.
Kevin Eubanks – East West Time Line (Mack Avenue): Guitarist Kevin Eubanks has pulled together a star-studded cast of musicians for his most recent release: Nicholas Peyton (trumpet), Dave Holland (bass), Jeff “Tain” Watts (drums), and Orrin Evans (piano) on the first five numbers, all originals, and Bill Pierce (tenor sax), Rene Camacho (bass), Marvin “Smitty” Smith (drums) and Mino Cinelu (percussion) on the second five. The tone and mood changes significantly from the first set to the second, with the second being mellower, but still quite entertaining. Bill Pierce truly takes off in this set and the interplay with Eubanks is really wonderful. Their version of “What’s Going On” is fresh and wonderful jazz! Click here, then click on “tracklist” to listen to samples of the songs on this release.
Bill Evans Trio – On A Monday Evening (Fantasy): This is a previously unreleased live performance by Bill Evans (piano), Eddie Gomez (bass) and Eliot Zigmund from November, 1976. Evans gave a splendid performance and the trio interactions are really fine. The program includes three Evans’ originals. Certainly, any fans of Evans or piano trios will want to get a hold of this release immediately. This performance has never been released in any form until now. A classic! Click here to listen to a song from this disc.
Jerome Jennings – The Beast (Iola): This is the first release from drummer/composer Jerome Jennings. His band includes Sean Jones (trumpet, flugelhorn), Howard Wiley (tenor sax), Dion Tucker (trombone), Christian Sands (piano) and Christian McBride (bass) with Jazzmeia Horn adding vocals on a wonderful reworking of “You Don’t Know What Love Is”. Jennings composed four of nine pieces on the disc. The span of offerings ranges from the above song to classics from Ben Webster and Freddie Hubbard to Jon Burr’s composition “Love The Drums”. The disc closes with three of Jennings own compositions, ending with a powerful statement that includes segments of Jesse Williams’ social commentary entitled “New Beginnings”. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Bambo Kino – King Tiger (Self-produced): Bambo Kino is a bass player in one ego and composer Mark Bucilli in another. We get the best of both worlds on this release. King Tiger is a quartet, including Kino on bass and a revolving crew of Jim Meese, Jer Olsen, Dennis Augusta, Jim Gerlach, Dominic Reto or Clay Colley (keys, piano), John Sferra , Mike Telanca or Tom Ruggieri (drums, percussion) and either Dave Kana, Bob Esterle or Eric Defroe (sax). The disc begins with lots of funk and becomes gentler as it progresses. Basically, it’s very straight forward music. The best way to decide how much it would appeal to you is to click here and listen to samples of the songs on the disc.
Luis Munoz – The Dead Man (Pelin Music): Veteran percussionist Luis Munoz offers his most recent disc with his quartet: Jonathan Dane (trumpet, flugelhorn), Brendan Statom (bass), and Daniel Zimmerman (drums) with special guests Ramses Araya (percussion), Adam Asarnow (piano, Fender Rhodes), Tom Buckner (tenor sax, bass clarinet) and Norma LaTuchie (flute). The band’s performances are skillful throughout. The disc covers a wide shift of style shifts across the seven selections and it’s noteworthy that Munoz composed and arranged everything on offer. Click here for an introduction and overview from Luis Monuz.
Nate Najar – This Is Nate Najar (Candid): Acoustic guitarist Nate Najar, an avid fan of Charlie Byrd, leads this Latin style outing, featuring one original, three compositions by Chick Corea, two by Jobim and even a Chopin composition. Najar is accompanied by James Suggs (trumpet), who also composed one number here, John Lamb (bass), and Matt Home and Mark Feinman (drums) and Ella Fredrickson (cello). This is a very nice set of Latin, swing, and ballads with a variety of tonalities. Very melodic and swinging! Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Tamuz Nissim & George Nazos – Liquid Melodies (Self-produced): Gifted vocalist Tamuz Nissim covers just about every imaginable jazz related style from straight melody to scat singing to vocalese and singing atmospheric tones. Put her together with guitarist George Nazos and you have a combination that works so amazingly well through each style that it is stunning. The music is both familiar and unique. They do perform mostly original material, but add in Charlie Parker’s “Chasing The Bird”, the Gershwins’ “Fascinating Rhythm” and Lane and Lerner’s “On A Clear Day”. Anyone interested in vocal music should definitely check this disc out, maybe more than once. It absolutely gets better each time! Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Matt Otto with Ensemble Iberica – Iberica (Origin): “Saxophonist and composer Matt Otto’s innovative new recording integrates his modern jazz sensibilities with Ensemble Iberica, a Kansas City-based collective devoted to the music of Spain and Portugal. The instrumentation focuses on the guitar but includes the Cuban tres, Brazilian Cavaquinho, and Turkish oud.” That combination meshes Otto’s jazz within the texture and aesthetic of a chamber music ensemble and “results in a sound that is both lush and contemplative, creating new, compelling soundscapes.” (website notes) I couldn’t figure out a better description or explanation than the statement above. This result is unique and the performance is quite wonderful. Players include Many Otto (tenor sax), Beau Bledsoe (guitar, oud), Jordan Shipley (guitar, cavaquinho), Michael McClintock (electric guitar, Cuban tres, acoustic bass guitar), Brad Cox (Rhodes, effects), Karl McComas-Reichl (bass, cello) and Mike Stover (steel guitar). Click here to listen to samples of two songs on this disc.
Jeff “Tain” Watts – Blue, Volume 2 (Dark Key): Drummer/composer Jeff “Tain” Watts has played in a wide range of settings with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, David Gilmore, Ravi Coltrane and on his own releases. The selection here is quite varied and several performances are a melange of several styles like jazz-rock or jazz-funk followed by ballads that combine jazz and pop or blues. All selections are Watts’ compositions or arrangements. Recordings covered four different sessions with players Paul Bollenback (guitar), James Francies (piano), Troy Roberts (tenor sax), and Orlando le Fleming (bass) on session one; Paul Bollenback and Russell Malone (guitar), Manuel Valera (Hammond C3), Troy Roberts (tenor sax), Robert Hurst (bass), David Buckway (piano), and Dayna Stephens (sax) on session two; Osmany Paredes (piano), Dayna Stephens (tenor sax), and Yunior Terry Cabrera (bass) on session three; and David Kikoski (piano), Gergoire Maret (harmonica) and Hogyu Hwang on session four. The variety is both striking and builds a wonderful collage of jazz plus. Click here to listen to “Waltz For Marvin” from this disc.
Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop
