New Jazz Adds – 12/3/2019
New Jazz Adds – 12/3/2019
Darren Barrett – The EVI Sessions – Mr. Steiner (Self-produced): “On Mr. Steiner, Barrett delves into the world of synthesis guru Nyle Steiner, credited for the invention of the EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument) as well as the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), made popular by saxophonist Michael Brecker. Created in the 70s, the EVI presents trumpeters with a truly innovative and inventive new sound palette to draw from in performance, composition and production. Here, on Mr. Steiner, Darren Barrett delivers the true and full potential of the EVI by teaming the instrument with complementary melodies and augmentative orchestration. Barrett exudes, “the EVI for the trumpeter is just another instrument one can add to their arsenal just like the Flugelhorn or mutes…not only fun to play, it opens up your mind to new things.” Celebrating the marriage of electronic instrumentation and jazz sensibilities, Mr. Steiner marks Barrett’s reunion with saxophone legend Kenny Garrett, with whom the trumpeter recorded his first studio album First One Up, produced by Donald Byrd. Acclaimed guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel is featured on one track on Mr. Steiner (his third consecutive appearance for dB studios), and special guest saxophonist Noah Preminger displays his unique forward thinking approach to music here as well.” (https://lydialiebman.com/index.php/project/darren-barrett/) Barrett plays EVI, trumpet, piccolo trumpet and keys. and the other players are Santiago Bosch (keys), Daniel Ashkenazy (bass) and Matheo Techer (drums) on five of the songs. Other players are Judy Barrett (percussion on 2 songs); Gonna Shani (bass) and Roni Kaspi (drums) on three songs; Roy Ben Bashat (guitar on six songs);Kenny Garrett (soprano sax, 1 song); Jeffrey Lockhart and Francois Chanvallon (guitar on 2 songs); Kenny Garrett (soprano sax on 1 song); Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar, 1 song); Noah Preminger (tenor sax on 1 song) andChad Selph (organ on 1 song). The electrics and variety of players and styles assure that fans of the EVI will fully enjoy this disc and it may win some new fans as well. I regret I am unable to find a sample from this release.
Fat Babies – The Fat Babies (Delmark): “The Fat Babies are a seven piece jazz band interpreting classic styles of the 1920s and 30s. Founded in 2010 by string bass player Beau Sample, its members include Andy Schumm (cornet), John Otto (reeds), Dave Bock (trombone), John Donatowicz (banjo and guitar), Paul Asaro (piano), and Alex Hall (drums).” (http://www.thefatbabies.com/) Add Jonathan Doyle (tenor sax, clarinet, soprano sax) and you have the current line-up. Schumm has two original tunes and the rest are covers from the likes of Bennie Moten’s Harmony Blues”, Razaf and Williams’”Harlem Rhythm Dance” and the like. Real old time swing jazz. Click here to listen to a sample.
Hal Galper Trio – The Zone (Origin): Pianist Hal Galper, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop share a live set that “incorporates his development of ‘Rubato’ playing as a means of melding melodic lyricism with the rhythmic excitement and ‘sound of surprise’ of the bebop tradition, deepening the jazz experience for musicians and listeners alike.” (http://www.halgalper.com/press-kit/) Dave Leibman has borrowed this description of baseball’s Alex Rodriguez when he is completely focused to describe Galper’s live performances: “The Zone is defined as the moment your mind operates completely in the now. You’re on automatic pilot, in the now, your subconscious mind takes over your conscious thoughts. Your pulse quickens. The adrenaline flows. Your eyes double or triple their shutter speed to give you the illusion that everything around you is in slow motion. You possess super strength. You are graceful with uncanny balance and you appear effortless as you move. Your sixth sense of intuition is armed and operating with supreme knowing. You think with clarity and intelligence. You have the feeling of a purposeful calm, when nothing can go wrong.” It’s improvisation and full expression during live performance. This performance is just that! Click here to listen to segments of the first two songs on this release.
Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Smitzer Orchestra – Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (Decca): Jeff Goldblum joins the Mildred Smitzer Orchestra for his second release at the piano with Mildred Smitzer’s Orchestra. Special guest singers include Sharon Van Eaton, Inara George, Miley Cyrus, Fiona Apple, Anna Calvi, Gina Saputo and Gregory Porter and musicians Gilbert Castelllanos (trumpet) and Anna Calvi (electric guitar) with Smitzer’s players Alex Frank (bass), John Storie (guitar), Joe Bagg (organ), Kenny Elliott (drums), James King (alto, tenor, bari sax) and Scott Gilman (tenor sax). Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
The May Fall Crew – Overload (ReFeel): The May Fall Crew offer their first release, a melange of pop, rock, jump and jazz. The group includes May Fall (keys), Niv Major (drums) and Itay Tsarfati (bass) with guest guitarist Ida Rubin on two songs. All of the songs are originals and they are clearly accomplished players. Certainly, group to keep an eye and ear on. Click here to listen to a song on this disc.
The Metropolitan Jazz Octet with Dee Alexander – It’s Too Hot For Words (Delmark): “Today the Metropolitan Jazz Octet is the reawakening of a group that was originally started in the 1950’s by saxophonist & arranger Tom Hilliard. From the late 50’s through 80’s Hilliard wrote many of the group’s 150 (+) charts. He also worked with Chicago’s top arrangers to expand the library. This current group started exploring Tom Hilliard’s library in 2014, and has since expanded to include new works from MJO members.” (https:/www.metropolitanjazzoctet.com/) This release honors Billie Holiday’s accomplishments and passing sixty years ago. Vocalist Dee Alexander joins the group and, like the octet, she does not attempt to mimic Holiday’s performances while honoring her craft. The band includes John Kornegay (alto sax, clarinet); Jim Gailloreto (tenor sax, flute); Peter Brusen (bari sax, bass clarinet); Doug Scharf (trumpet); Russ Phillips (trombone); Bob Sutter (piano); Doug Bistrow (bass) and Bob Rummage (drums). Strings are added to four songs by Lisa Fako, Jeff Yang, Michele Lekas, Jeri-Lou Zike, Wendy Benner and Sarah Kim. This is a really fresh retake on the Holiday works with a few classics and mostly fresh reminders. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
New Chordtet – New Chordtet (Truth Revolution): “New Chordtet began in 2007 as No Chordtet, a quartet established by Peter McEachern and Dave Santoro that grew out of their collaborations as faculty at the Litchfield Jazz Festival Music Camp. The group’s new name is occasioned by the addition of Jimin Park, a phenomenal young pianist from South Korea whom Santoro discovered at Berklee, where he’s taught for twenty years. “Jimin absorbs everything she hears,” he says. “She’s got perfect pitch and she’s attracted to the swingingest players—Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, McCoy Tyner.” (https://trrstore.bandcamp.com/album/new-chordtet) The members are Dave Santoro (bass), Peter McEachern (trombone), Mike DiRubbo (sax), Jimmy Park (piano) and Tom Melito (drums) and the sound is fresh, even with eight of the songs drawn from the compositions of Dewey Redman, Lee Morgan (3 songs), Wayne Shorter and Carla Bley. Certainly reminiscent of Blue Note but fresh! Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.
Andrea Petrity – What If I (Self-produced): This is composer/pianist Petrity’s second release and all but one song is an original. The cover song is “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, a beautiful ballad recorded by Elvis Presley in the early sixties. Petrity is accompanied by Stefano Valdo (bass) and Robin Tufts (drums) on this delightful and warm collection. The trio blends wonderfully and Petrity’s tone and touch are outstanding. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Javier Red’s Imagery Converter – Ephemeral Certainties (Delmark): “Somebody may say Javier Red picks up where Chicago pioneer Lennie Tristano had left his experiences of organized freedom. And it wouldn’t be wrong. This is cool and smart music, shamelessly intellectual. It is both highly conceptual and very focused on vindicating the craft, the careful embroidering of the musical tapestry. In a time when the mainstream jazz language usually embraced by club owners and radio programmers is some sort of inconsequential neo-bop, taught in colleges all over the country, Javier Red and his musical partners immerse themselves in a deep and long process of collective melodic, harmonic and rhythmic quest.” (Liner notes) Javier Red (piano), Jake Wark (tenor sax), Ben Dillinger (bass) and Gustavo Cortinas (drums). All compositions Javier Red. Super cool! Click here and scroll down to listen to the songs on the disc.
Carmen Souza – The Silver Messengers (Galileo): “Carmen Souza is back with her 9th CD. Her latest is totally dedicated to the music of Horace Silver, calling it -The Silver Messengers. Anyone following the last decade of Souza’s career would have predicted this release sooner or later. Silver has been credited more then once as a big influence in Souza’s career but their connections go beyond the artistic identification. They both share the same Cape Verdean heritage and they both, in different ways, mixed that heritage with elements of Jazz. The Silver Messengers mission in this CD was to honor Silver’s pioneering repertoire by bringing it back to its African/Lusophone roots. Only Carmen Souza, with the help of her long time musical partner Theo Pascal, who has accomplish so much with her own pioneering musical signature, could have completed this mission with such wonder and authenticity.
Carmen Souza with her acclaimed position as composer, vocalist and instrumentalist in the World, and in the Cape Verdean musical spectrum, can now voice Silver’s work to a whole generation, specially in his Ancestor’s home, that did not knew his work before, promoting even further his legacy.
Recorded between London and Lisbon, Carmen Souza and Theo Pascal have reworked 6 Silver original songs, adding some new creole lyrics to it, also including previous released versions of ”Song for My Father” ”Cape Verdean Blues” and ”Pretty Eyes”, plus 2 all new songs dedicated to Horace Silver. The Silver Messengers are Carmen Souza on vocals and guitar, Theo Pascal on Electric Bass/Dbass, Elias Kacomanolis on drums/Perc and Benjamin Burrell on piano.” (https://www.isrbx.net/3137748838-carmen-souza-the-silver-messengers-2019.html) This is absolutely the best of both worlds! It’s a wonderful introduction to the performances of Souza and the marvelous blend between Souza and Silver. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
David S. Ware New Quartet – Theatre Gardonne, 2008 (AUM): This is a farewell release from the late tenor saxophone player David S. Ware who played with the avant garde. On this occasion, Ware was the leader and composer and the accompanying musicians were Joe Morris (guitar), William Parker (bass) and Warren Smith (drums). This performance was recorded live at Theatre Garonne in Toulouse, France on May 24, 2008. Improv and often outside and amazing. Click here to listen to some segments of this performance.
Eri Yamamota Trio & Choral Chameleon – Goshu Ondo Suite (AUM): “Since moving to the United States in 1995, Eri Yamamoto has established herself as one of jazz’s most original and compelling pianists and composers. Jazz legend Herbie Hancock has said, “My hat’s off to her… already she’s found her own voice.”During the past twenty years, Eri has been sharing her uniquely lyrical and evocative music with listeners in New York City, throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, Jamaica, and Australia; with appearances in concerts, clubs, and major festivals. She has a deeply empathetic rapport with her long-standing trio members bassist David Ambrosio and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi.” (http://eriyamamoto.com/eri.htm) Click here to listen to three samples form this disc.
Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop
