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New Jazz Adds – 6/25/2019

Miles Brown – Evidence Of Soul And Body (Detroit Music Factory): Bass player Miles Brown offers this release in dedication to his family. He teaches and, on the basis of this release, he prefers to blend and stretch the songs like or from the Great American Songbook. His band on this disc features Diego Rivera (saxophones), Steve Brown (guitar), Xavier Davis (piano) and Sean Dobbins (drums). Brown composed two of the songs here, while band member Steve Brown composed three. The covers are drawn from Thad Jones, Phil Woods and others. It’s all fairly straight cool jazz with nice interaction and a few surprises. Nice cool jazz! Click here to listen to samples of songs on this disc.

Michel Camilo – Essence (Resilience Music Alliance): Pianist/composer Michel Camilo offers his 25th release, this time including 14 horn players! All of the songs are originals by Camilo yet given this fresh approach. The band personnel are: Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Sharel Cassity | Alto Saxophone, Flute – Antonio Hart | Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Frank Basile | Bass – Ricky Rodriguez | Bass Trombone – David Taylor | Drums – Cliff Almond | Percussion, Vocals – Eliel Lazo | Piano – Michel Camilo | Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Adam Kolker | Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Ralph Bowen | Trombone – Jason Jackson, Michael Dease, Steve Davis | Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Diego Urcola, John Walsh, Kalí Rodríguez-Peña, Michael Philip Mossman, Raúl Agraz. There is a great blend of sounds throughout, especially if you’re a fan of the Latin sound. Click here to listen to the opening song, “And Sammy Walked In”.

Detroit Tenors – Detroit Tenors (Detroit Music Factory): “The release ‘Detroit Tenors’ is a recording grounded in traditional jazz. The forms, the repertoire, the makeup of the ensemble, it’s all very traditional, and intentionally so. It’s the music of the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, but more precisely, it’s a tribute to that particular style of band.” (http://www.detroitmusicfactory.com/artists/detroit-tenors) The tenors are Steve Wood and Carl Cafagna and their interaction is swinging and exciting. The other players are Scott Gwinnell (piano), Paul Keller (bass) and Sean Dobbins (drums). There are two originals – Cafagna’s “Two by Four” and Gwinnell’s “Legacy” and the remainder draw from earlier sources like Dizzy Gillespie, Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon, among others. The band is quite fine all around, but the highlights are greatest when the tenors duel. This is a terrific celebration of and by Detroit tenors. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Monika Herzig – Powerlines (Self-produced): Monika Herzig (keys, chanting) offers an update with her colleagues from “The Time Flies” or “Beeblebrox” honoring their more recent take on this iteration of their jazz fusion evolution. The group, in addition to Herzig, includes Peter Kienle (guitar, chanting), Scott Pazera (bass) and Josh Roberts (drums) with Pascal Pahl (vocal, whistling). The music flows and sways through an infectious set of electric yet mellow jazz fusion. It’s a thoughtful and engaging set. Click here to check out a live performance from 1998 by Beeblebrox.  I regret I am unable to find a sample from the current disc.

Barrett Martin Group – Songs Of The Firebird (Sunyata): “’Songs Of The Firebird’ is the new album from the Barrett Martin Group and is composed of 20 instrumental songs that serve as a parallel soundtrack for Barrett Martin’s new book, ”The Way Of The Zen Cowboy.” Using the same musicians from his previous ”Transcendence” album, Barrett takes a more sophisticated and adventurous approach on this, their 7th studio album, embracing everything from modern jazz, to Afro-Latin rhythms, to ambient and electronic music, all of which feature the best and brightest jazz musicians in Seattle, including special guests Peter Buck (guitarist for REM), Wayne Horvitz (New York jazz legend), and Kim Thayil (guitarist for Soundgarden).” (https://www.amazon.com/Songs-Firebird-Barrett-Martin-Group/dp/B07NRFRVTK) In addition to the special guests, the musicians include Martin (drums, vibes, marimba, piano, gamelans, gongs, kalimbas, surdo), Ryan Burns (piano, Wurlitzer, Hammond organ), Dune Butler and Evan Flory-Barnes (bass), Dave Carter (trumpet), Andy Coe (electric guitar), Thione Diop and Lisette Garcia (percussion), Curtis MacDonald (alto sax) and Hans Teuber (bari and tenor sax). The set has a somewhat laid back feel to it, but its Latin base is always at the heart. Click here and scroll way down to the cover picture of the disc “Songs of the Firebird” to listen to the opening song, “There Is A Galaxy In Your Heart”.

The Peter Guinness Jazz Orchestra – Along For The Ride (Summit): GRAMMY-nominated arranger, trombonist and award-winning vocalist Pete McGuinness leads his 17-piece jazz orchestra on his latest release featuring four original songs and covers of “Put On A Happy Face” (Charles Strause), “You Must Believe In Spring” (Michel Legrande), “Jive Samba” (Nat Adderley) and “Who Cares” (George Gershwin) among others. His arrangements are fresh throughout. The players include Pete McGuinness (leader, composer, arranger); Bill Mobley, Jon Owens, Tony Kadleck and Chris Rogers (trumpets); Dave Riekenberg and Dave Pietro (alto sax); Rob Middleton and Mark Phaneuf (tenor sax); Tom Christensen (baritone sax); Jeff Nelson, Matt Haviland and Bruce Eidem (trombones); Mark Patterson (bass trombone); Mike Holober (piano); Paul Meyers (guitar); Andy Ealau (bass); and Scott Neumann (drums). It is solid big band jazz throughout. Click here to listen to the first two songs on this set, “Put On A Happy Face” and “You Must Believe In Spring”.

Phil Ranelin – Collected Works, 2003 – 2019 (Wide Hive): “Phillip Arthur Ranelin was born in Indianapolis, Indiana where he grew up under the influence of  J.J. Johnson, Wes Montgomery, Earmon Hubbard, Pookie Johnson, Russell Webster, Willis Kirk, Jimmy Coe and Melvin Rhyne.  Ranelin is loved and respected around the globe as a master trombonist of the J.J. Johnson tradition, former Freddie Hubbard sideman and as co-founder of Detroit’s famed TRIBE Records.” (http://www.ranelin.com/) This collection offers 18 songs that honor various players including Horace Silver and Eric Dolphy, as well as shining a light on Ranelin’s own compositions. There are some profound selections on this set. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this set.

Rob Ryndak & Tom Lockwood – Gratitude (Pacific Coast Jazz): Rob Ryndak (piano/percussionist/composer Rob Ryndak and Tom Lockwood (composer/tenor/alto/soprano/bari sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute) offer six original songs each on this disc. The styles shift from one song to the next, enhancing the variety of the set. They are joined by special guest Brian Lynch (trumpet, flugelhorn) and by Sasha Brusi (electric/acoustic guitar), Karl E.H. Seigfried (electric, acoustic bass), Jeff Moehle (drums), Victor Gonzales, Jr (percussion), Micah Rutschman (vibes), Ryan Koranda (cello) and Steve Talaba (piano, electric piano). The group creates a great blend. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

David Sanchez – Carib (ropeadope): “GRAMMY® award-winner David Sánchez is recognized around the world as one of the finest saxophonists of his generation. His mastery of the instrument is undeniable and his sound unmistakable. Combine that with Sánchez’s deep-seated knowledge of both Jazz and Latin music, and the traditions that mold them, and the results are extraordinary.” (http://www.davidsanchezmusic.com/about-jazz-grammy-award-winner-tenorist-david-sanchez/) Sanchez (tenor sax, barril de bomba, percussion, vocal) is accompanied by Lage Lund (guitar), Luis Perdomo (piano, Fender Rhodes), Ricky Rodriguez (bass), Obed Calvaire (drums, vocal), Juan Lee Aponte (percussion, bomber barril) and Markus Schwartz (Haitian percussion). This is a wonderful Latin jazz offering by a truly fantastic musician. Click here to listen to a live version of “Madrigra” a song on this disc.

Tierney Sutton Band – Screen Play (BFM Jazz): This may be the most intriguing project of movie music and its dual notions of organization. First of all, the notes indicate that there are 19 songs, but this disc only has 15. All of the songs have been featured in movies, ranging from “If I Only Had A Brain” (“The Wizard Of Oz”, 1939) to “Arrow” (“Sully”, 2016). The organization on this disc is arranged in an apparently random order, but the group intends to send out five sets digitally (from the 19 song set) over a period several months. Each one will have songs from the overall set, organized on different designations, such as “Screen Play Act One – The Bergman Suite” (Songs by legendary lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman) and “Screen Play Act Two – Technicolor” (featuring songs composed in movies from 1939–1945, the dawn of color films). The band includes Tierney Sutton (vocals), Christian Jacob (piano), Kevin Axt (bass), Trey Henry (bass) and Ray Brinker (drums, percussion) with special guests, Serge Merlaud (guitar on 3 songs) and Alan Bergman (vocal on 1 song). The performances in this set, the group’s fourteenth, are engaging and fresh throughout and all that jazz! Click here to listen to “It Might Be You” from “Tootsie”.

Brad Turner Quartet – Jump Up (Cellar Live Music): Brad Turner (trumpet/flugelhorn) released his first recording in 1994 and shortly thereafter began playing with Seamus Blake (tenor sax) and gaining great praise by fans and other players as well. The two went separate ways but now have reunited. The songs are all Turner originals featuring Bruno Hubert (piano, Fender Rhodes), Andre LaChance (bass) and Dylan van der Schyff (drums). The music is tight and swings with authority. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Dave Wilson Quartet – One Night At Chris’ (Self-produced): Wilson (tenor and soprano sax) offers his sixth release featuring four originals and some interesting covers, including the Grateful Dead’s “Friend Of The Devil”, Brian Wilson and Tony Asher’s “God Only Knows” and George Gershwin’s “Summertime” among others. The other players are Kirk Reese (piano), Tony Marino (bass) and Dan Monaghan (drums). The covers of ballads offer refreshing new takes and when the band turns it up, things do jump! This is a solid live set from end to end. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop