New Jazz Adds – 11/20/2018
New Jazz Adds – 11/20/2018
Lorens Chuno – Rhythm Sustained (Self-produced): Songwriter/vocalist/pianist/percussionist Lorens Chuno is a native Nigerian now based in New York and who is creating a hybrid sound that blends Nigerian music with rhythm and blues, pop and a slice of reggae. it’s a new blend that is infectious and up-lifting. The one cover on this disc is Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”. Backing musicians include John Gray (bass), Michael Vitali (drums), Michael Eaton (sax), Albino Mbie (guitar), and Takafumi Suenaga (piano, keys), with guest appearances by Tom Larsen (guitar on one song) and Wayne Tucker (trumpet on one song). Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Gil Defay – It’s All Love (Self-produced): Multi-instrumentalist Gil Defay offers his debut release featuring nine original compositions and playing trumpet, flugelhorn and keys. His band for this recording features his brother Ansy Defay (tenor, soprano sax), Matthew Smythe (organ, Wurlitzer), Ben Nicolas (drums), Bendji Allonce (percussion), and Antonio Peñalva (guitar) with Michael “Tiny” Lindsay (bass on 4 songs). His playing is direct, though often nuanced as well. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Gene Ess – Apotheosis (SIMP): Guitarist Gene Ess “graduated with honors from Berklee in 1990…. All throughout the early 90’s, Gene recorded and toured worldwide with the late drummer Rashied Ali.” (http://www.jazzgenemusic.com/) He has also played with Carlos Santana, Ravi Coltrane, Matt Garrison, Lonnie Plaxico, Archie Shepp, and Reggie Workman among others. Since that time, he has focused on leading his own group which now features Thana Alexa (vocals) and other remarkable musicians including Clarence Penn (drums), Sebastien Ammann (piano) and Yasushi Nakamura (bass). Ess composed all of the songs on this disc and the combination of his guitar and the scatting by Thana Alexa is clearly the centerpiece of this set. It jumps and swirls with melody. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Kelly Green Trio – Volume One (Self-produced): Vocalist/pianist Kelly Green is now based in New York, working with various groups including this trio and a sextet among others. On this set, she is accompanied by Alex Tremblay (bass) and Evan Hyde (drums). She also plays in a sextet. Green acknowledges that she is drawn to the trio setting and loves to sing, particularly songs from the Great American songbook, adding vocalese and some scatting along the way. The group offers one original from Green and a cover of “The Cleaner From Des Moines” composed by Charlie Mingus and Joni Mitchell. The sound is rather unique, quirky in fact. At the same time, it is tantalizing. Click here to check out a live performance of “Daily Lies”, the Green original from this disc.
Harold Mabern –The Iron Man: Live At Smoke (Smoke Sessions): One listen to this disc and you will thoroughly understand why pianist Mabern is called the “Iron Man”! He plays hard and so does everyone else on stage. The other members of the group are Eric Alexander (tenor sax), John Webber (bass) and Joe Farnsworth (drums). The opening song of each set and the final composition are Mabern originals. The other songs played range from the Great American Songbook – compositions from Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hart – and terrific chestnuts written by Benny Golson, John Coltrane and Jimmy Smith among others. Alexander is on fire throughout the set and 82 year old Mabern sounds more like 30! With a performance like this, “Smoke” will soon have to change its name to FIRE! Click here and scroll down to listen to a few samples from this set.
Scott Martin – Alone At Sunset (Liberian Handshake): “Pianist Scott Martin has brought together a vibrant group of singer-songwriters and instrumentalists to create a collection of new, original jazz standards.” (https://liberianhandshakerecords.com/) Martin actually wrote the melodies and progressions, while a variety of singers created the lyrics. Two of the songs are instrumentals, (one is “Do-Re-Mi”), and the rest were given their lyrics by singers Robert Johnson (2), Ayo Awosika (2), Wellington Bullings and Dechen Hawk (1) and Josefina Mendez (1). The musicians joining Martin are Myles Sloniker (bass), Alwyn Robinson (drums) and Danny Meyer (sax). It’s an interesting idea and in this case, it really works well. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Tobin Mueller – Standard Deviations, Volumes 1 and 2 (Self-produced): Standard deviations is the perfect title for these transformed “hip-to-the-tip” versions of these jazz and pop standards. The mood is funky and, at times, off beat transformations of songs that range from “St. Louis Blues” and “God Bless The Child” (medleyed with “What A Wonderful World”) to Leonard Bernstein’s “Cool” and a killer take on “Take Five”. Mueller (piano, organ, synths) is the mastermind. He has done numerous programs like this in the past, tackling classical (Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Bach and Satie) and rock and jazz, as well as offering originals. Mueller is the centerpiece but there are other strong musicians playing with him, including Kenny Cash (bass), Paul Nelson and Pat Wayland (guitars), Mike Nappi (drums), Lamar Moore (percussion), and Woody Monkowski (saxophones). Disc 2 is rather different in tone, as it is dominated by solo piano. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this release.
Al Muirhead Canadian Quintet – Undertones: The Art Of Bass Trumpet (Chronograph): Bass trumpet player Al Muirhead leads his quintet through two originals and a variety of covers, including Jimmy Guiffre’s “Four Brothers”, Mancini and Mercer’s “Charade” and several selections from the Great American Songbook on his new disc which focuses on his bass trumpet. Supporting players include Kelly Jefferson (tenor sax), Reg Schwager (guitar), Neil Swainson (bass) and Ted Warren (drums). It’s a generally mellow yet infectious disc. Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.
Charlie Porter – Radio Edit Version (Self-produced): “Charlie Porter first cut his teeth on the New York jazz scene, while simultaneously studying classical trumpet performance at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of famed trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis. Following in the footsteps of his mentor, internationally acclaimed trumpeter and composer Charlie Porter has delved into many projects from jazz and classical to Arabic, Indian, African, Australian Aboriginal and Korean music, seeking to find common ground among all “good music” and avoiding the pigeon holdings of being labeled only a “jazz” or “classical” musician.” (https://www.charlieportermusic.com/) Porter also wanted to make this release somewhat unique in other ways so he begins with a solo shot on the first track and then adds an additional player to each succeeding track until he has a full sextet. After that, he reverses the process until he closes out as a soloist. The supporting players include John Nastos and David Evans (saxophones); John Moak (trombone); Majid Khaliq (violin); Christopher Woitach (guitar); David Goldblatt, Greg Goebel, George Colligan and Dan Gaynor (piano); Tim Gilson, Cary Miga, Jon Lakey, Chuck Israels, Bill Athens and Tom Wakeling (trading off on bass); and Alan Jones, Christopher Brown, Mel Brown, Michael Raynor and Tim Rap (trading off on drums). Truly a fascinating and unique disc. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Abigail Rockwell – Autumn Noir (Self-produced): Singer/songwriter Abigail Rockwell has composed five of the thirteen songs on this disc. She sings in a sultry style that suits the feeling of the more intimate songs wonderfully, while the smooth fullness of her style is quite pleasant on the other ballads. Rockwell is backed up Quinn Johnson (keys), Kevin Winard (drums, percussion) and Robert Mitchum (bass), with a sprinkling of guests who provide variety along the way, including Mauro Refosco and Davi Vieira (percussion), Harry Allen (tenor sax), Jim Hynes (trumpet, flugelhorn), David Mann (alto and tenor sax), Bernd Schoenhart (string arrangements, guitar), and Bob Mann (rhythm guitar), with Stephanie Cummins David Bakamjian and Mark Shuman adding cellos on various other songs. It’s late night at a jazzy club – – smooth. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Marcus Strickland Twi-Life – People Of The Sun (Blue Note): Marcus Strickland has several releases to his credit and on this release he has decided to create a showcase of the styles that truly represent his ideas and preferences. He wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on this disc and they span a taste of a more mainstream introduction before blossoming into a collage of jazz and soul with a blend of Africa and the electronica and lyrics of hip hop. Strickland plays sopanino, alto and tenor sax, bass clarinet and drum programming and is accompanied by Mitch Henry (keys, organ, vocoder), Kyle Miles (bass, key bass), and Charles Haynes (drums) with guest appearances by Bilal, Akee Bermiss and Jermaine Holmes (vocals), Pharoahe Monch (lyrics), Greg Tate (oration), Keyon Harold (trumpet) and Weedie Braimah (percussion). It’s an interesting blend. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop
