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New Jazz Adds – 3/26/2018

Will Boyd – Live At The Red Piano Lounge (Self-produced): Will Boyd (composer, soprano and baritone sax player) offers his first release with a live performance which was recorded over two nights. He composed seven of the nine songs on the disc with vocalist Kelle Jolly having written the lyrics to one song. The other two vocals are the spiritual “Go Down Moses” and the folk blues “Mama Don’t Allow”. The remaining musicians some of whom come and go from one song to the next are Keith L. Brown (keys), Jon Hamar (bass), Kenneth Brown (drums) Tamara Brown (tambourine) and Jonathan Scales (steel pans). Boyd’s playing is singularly wonderful as he explores the many styles and shades of music on the program. Boyd’s interplay with Scales is almost hypnotizing. What a terrific pairing! This is a kaleidoscope of jazz, blues and spirituals! Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.     Check out “Shamena” and/or “Kujidan” to hear the blend of soprano sax and steel pans!

Professor Cunningham & His Old School – Swing It Out! (Arbors): Professor Cunningham (clarinet, tenor sax, flute, vocals) is definitely a swing man who goes for the smooth rather than the jumpin’ jive. At the same time, there is a wide spread of style on this disc as is evidenced by the covers which span from “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (Fields-McHugh), “Bechet’s Fantasy” (Sidney Bechet) to Duke Ellington’s “Stompy Jones”, “Caravan” (Tizol-Ellington) and Louis Jordan’s “Caledonia” to Cunningham’s originals “Oh Me, Oh My” and “Cheeky Monkey”. The band includes Jon Challoner (trumpet), Dani Alonso (trombone), Alberto Pibiri ((piano), John Merrill (guitar), Jim Robertson (bass) and Paul Wells (drums). There are some fine performances on this disc. Your style preferences will determine which songs you like best, but it’s also likely to be a matter of highs and lows. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Roberta Donnay & The Prohibition Mob Band – My Heart Belongs To Satchmo (BluJazz): Singer Roberta Donnay offers her third disc focused on the music of the twenties and thirties and this time she has selected a full set dedicated to songs recorded and sung by Louis Armstrong. She has been careful to avoid the most frequently recorded of his selections, having instead selected a combination of her favorites mixed with obscurities deserving more exposure. The Prohibition Mob Band provides wonderful instrumental support without trying to sound like 1927. Band members include John R. Burr (piano), Sam Bevan (bass), Deszon Claiborne (drums), Rich Armstrong (trumpet, cornet), Sheldon Brown (clarinet), Mike Rinta (trombone) and Matt Baxter (guitar). It’s a fitting tribute and a delightful performance in it’s own right. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Ken Fowser – Don’t Look Down (Positone): Tenor sax player / composer Ken Fowser has been on an upward arc since moving to New York in 2005. He has grown from a featured player to a group leader as well as a celebrated composer. This new release, featuring eleven original compositions by Fowser, is his seventh as a leader. His quintet features Josh Bruneau (trumpet), Rick Germanson (piano), Paul Gill (bass) and Joe Strasser (drums) and their interaction is truly noteworthy. The music swings and often has a compelling fire styled after Miles in the fifties with an influence from the Blue Note sixties.  Click here to listen to two songs from this disc.

GoGo Penguin – A Humdrum Star (Blue Note): Manchester trio featuring Chris Illingworth (piano), Nick Blacka (bass) and Rob Turner (drums). “Their music has been described as acoustic-electronica but they draw equally on rock, jazz and minimalism, game soundtracks and glitchy-electronica to create their unique music.” (gogopenguin.co.uk) The songs range in length from three to eight minutes of repeated riffs with slight changes or developments in the course of each piece. Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.

Ed Palermo Big Band – The Adventures of Zodd Zundgren (Cuneiform): More madness on Cuneiform by the Ed Palermo Big Band, this time the music of Frank Zappa as interpreted through the style of Todd Rundgren according to Palermo! He explains: “For most of my high school days my favorite musicians were Zappa and Todd Rundgren…. Rundgren had his songs about self-pity, which were exactly what I needed back then. I’d go out with a girl and whatever party I brought her to she’d go and hang out with another dude. Todd understood. At the same time, Zappa had these snarky songs like ‘Broken Hearts are for Assholes.’ It was tough love. You gotta broken heart? Deal with it. Todd Rundgren’s music was there to give you a hug. I wanted to contrast the hard-bitten Zappa followed by a bleeding heart Rundgren ballad.”  (https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-adventures-of-zodd-zundgren) The players include Cliff Lyons, Phil Chester, Bill Straub, Ben Kono, Barbara Cifelli (reeds);
Ronnie Buttacavoli, John Bailey, Steve Jankowski, Steve Jankowski (trumpets); Charley Gordon, Mike Boschen, Matt Ingman (trombones); Bob Quaranta (piano); Ted Kooshian (synth/sampler); Paul Adamy (bass); Ray Marchica (drums); Katie Jacoby (electric, acoustic violins, vocals); and Bruce McDaniel (guitar, vocals). Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Matthew Shipp – Zer0 (ESP): This is a solo recording by Matthew Shipp, who performed in Cville a few weeks ago thanks to the Charlottesville Jazz Society. The first disc of this set is mostly related to some zero connection, such as “Abyss After Zero” or “Zero Skip and a Jump” and even closing with “After Zero” or other expressions like “Blue Equation”, “Pattern Emerge” and “Ghost Pattern”. His style is on the outside, sometimes quite free and at others rather melodic. The second disc is an hour long “Lecture on Nothingness” which is precisely that with nothingness being considered from numerous perspectives, whether jazz or religion or consciousness. It’s all quite a trip. Click here to listen to samples of songs on this set.

Perry Smith Quintet – New Angel (Smith Tone): Guitarist/composer Perry Smith grew up on the West Coast where he attended the University of Southern California and studied guitar with jazz legend Joe Diorio. In 2011 he completed his Masters in Music at New York University studying with John Scofield. At this point, he resides in NYC and addition to leading the quintet on this disc, he is also a founding member of the critically acclaimed New West Guitar Group, who ironically just performed in Newport News and Williamsburg, but by the time you see this write-up, they’ll be back on the West Coast! The current disc finds Smith in the company of Glenn Zaleski  (piano), Jon Irabagon (sax), Matt Aronoff (bass) and Allan Mednard (drums) performing ten original Smith compositions. They cover a lot of ground stylistically and I am certain there is something here for everyone. The rhythm section is wonderfully tight and the performances of and interactions between Smith, Zaleski and Irabagon are terrific. Click here to listen to the opening track. 

Dave Tull – Texting And Driving (Toy Car): Jazz drummer / singer Dave Tull offers songs written in the style of the Great American Songbook, but many of his themes are more modern, like the title song, “The Texting Song” or “The Stoplight At The End Of The Street”. All of the songs on this disc are originals. Tull is supported by Randy Porter, Randy Waldman and George Stone (piano); Larry Koonse (guitar), Kevin Axt (bass), Wayne Bergeron and Mike Gutierrez (trumpet), Doug Webb (sax, clarinet), George Stone (also on flugelhorn, trumpet), Les Benedict and Andy Martin (trombone), Dave Becker (flute, clarinet, sax), Billy Hulting (percussion), Brynn Albanese (violin), Peter janetla-Clark (viola), Ken Hosted (cello) and Inga Swearingen (vocal). Despite the shifting of musicians, the overall style is similar. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Manuel Valera Trio – The Planets (Mavo): Cuban pianist/composer Manuel Valera, an expert at blending high concept and visceral groove, offers a new take on the Gustav Holst’s composition “The Planets”. Jazz trio is a very different sound for this work as well it should be at this time. Valera has created the current jazz composition of this work and he is supported by Hans Glawischnig (bass) and E.J. Strickland (drums). If you’re wondering, Pluto, the dwarf planet, is not represented. THIS, however, is the consummate jazz portrayal of this great work. Click here to listen to “Mercury: The Messenger”.

Bob Washut Dodectet – Journey To Nowhere (Artist Alliance): Bob Washnut, Professor of Music at the University of Northern Iowa, composed all but one song on this disc and has pulled together a terrific band of players who sparkle through these selections. The players are Chris Merz (alto, soprano sax, flute, clarinet); John Gunther and Peter Sommer (tenor sax, clarinet); Will Swindler (bari sax, bass clarinet); Greg Gisbert (flugelhorn); Bobby Shew and Peter Olstad (trumpet); Paul McKee and Mike Conrad (trombones); Dana Landry (piano), Erik Applegate (bass), Jim White (drums) and Brett Andrews (cello). The size of the group helps to let each instrument shine and the shifting of musicians creates wonderful variety. The interplay is particularly striking. Everyone is clearly in top form. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop