[JPL] bopndicks 10 picks May 2008
Dick Crockett
bopndick at yahoo.com
Sun May 4 22:23:59 EDT 2008
bopndicks
10 picks May 2008
ENRICO
PIERANUNZI/ MARC JOHNSON/ JOEY BARON AND KENNY WHEELER AS NEVER
BEFORE CamJazz
This remarkable trio, teaming with Kenny Wheeler's deep
intensity in modes and movements with melancholy romanticism in a
sixties post hard bop mystique. “Improheart” swings with high
end intension, coupling with the strength of Wheeler's clear
efficiency. You'll hear Wheeler's command, voice, proficiency with
this band and Pieranunzi's artful playing, original compositions and
arranging intricacies. “As Never Before” follows a recipe, as
good cooking does, salivating inner glandular thinking.
TRIODAPAZ & JOE LOCKE LIVE AT JAZZBALTICAMAXJAZZ
Trio of guitarist Romero Lubamba, bassist Nilson Matta,
bass and 'Duke' Dudaka Da Fonseca, drums with vibraphonist Joe Locke
are wistful, plentiful, energetic in a live performance in a summer
session at Jazz Baltica. Original, amazing,'you had to be there' is
the fabric of this extraordinary performance on record. Originals by
Fonseca, “Dona Maria,” Matta's “Copacabana,” Lubambo's “Pro
Flavio” and the most provocative and swinging “Bachiao.”
“Live At Jazz Baltica” is grand, acoustic and very
Brazilian, and Joe Locke lends a garnish of blue to it all.
Remember...Romaro Lubamba is one of today's greatest
living Brazilian jazz guitarists.
BRIDGE
QUARTET DAY Origin
Records
First, altoist Phil Dwyer's tasty warm blend of Art
Pepper/Paul Desmond sound on “Wouldn't It Be Lovely” will stop
you, a blinking red light at late night destiny's intersection out of
nowhere.
just let me hear some more...then drummer Alan Jones
composition, “Exidence” with pianist Darrel Grant and Phil
Dwyer's support and then carrying the line out there as Grant's
dynamic twist to bring it back in, dynamics. Then “Angel Street”
has that feeling of acupuncture, setting your brain loose to bring
you back in line to jazz fantastico-magoire!
“Bridge Quartet” isn't necessarily Italian, just all
groove.
ERIC ALEXANDER QUARTET IN CONCERT PRIME TIME High Note Records
Eric Alexander is one of the finest hard bop tenor
saxophonists in jazz, today and this live performance on CD and DVD
brings back the vitality and romance of the hard bop quartet with
pianist David Hazeltine, bassist, John Webber and drummer, Joe
Farnsworth. Digging “One For Steve” is the way it is...
straight ahead and nice rebop with Alexander and Hazeltine trading
mellow solos. The texture of this recording embellishes the ambiance
of the jazz club forty years ago. You hear the tasty nastiness of
“Nemesis.”
Alexander displays a similar enthusiasm as Dexter
Gordon, who'd blow you off your comfort zone into St. Vitus dance
insanity, and a muscular tone seated in blues manifesto this side of
Gene Ammons. Alexander just riffs with bop eloquence on his
original, “Little Lucas.” Then a jam “Pearls,” will keep an
up-all-night truck driver, wide awake in early morning traffic on the
Eisenhower in Chicago. For that's where Alexander is at, Chicago
time, paying such great respect to those who preceded him on the bop
registry as the great Chicago tenor Eddie Harris in “We All Love
Eddie Harris.”
Eric Alexander's voice is so captivating, that you lose
all sense of time and soon this performance is over.
With “Prime Time-Eric Alexander Quartet in Concert”
you'll listen again, and again, then pop in the accompanying DVD to
relive the Alexander hard bop experience.
THE
BRUCE SAUNDERS QUINTET 8X5 Mel Bay Records
Guitarist Bruce Saunders is the art of imaginative
realism and definitive high end concept thinking on guitar.
Originally a Floridian, Saunders, whose love and discipline to jazz
has elevated his music to the best in residence in the New York jazz
scene since the late 80's. Saunders has achieved the status as
musician, composer and educator at Berklee School of Music. So by
time you hear “Squib,” you're aware that Bruce Saunders is a
proficient guitar master on all tunes here, especially in the fast
changing and very facile ”Squib” in deep melodic inlays, in other
rich melodic templates as “Grim,” with very intimate opening
lines, Saunders creates an ultimate Jim Hall articulation. ”Keyed
In,” a soft Getzian”Litany” with saxophonist Adam Kolker and
trombonist Alex Ferber. The Bruce Saunders quintet is articulate,
inventive with a bright brim mosaic, a well grounded port of call- as
you listen to the unfolding- as they make it all count with minimal
discretion. True artistry at work.
PETER
MALINVERNI INVISIBLE CITIES Reservoir Records
Pianist Peter Malinverni creates post bop ambiance with
Tim Hagans, trumpet and saxophonist, Rich Perry, similar to Wynton
Kelly, Blue Mitchell and Benny Golson,
a sixties quintet sound of late night jazz clubs, coffee
and cigarettes. “I Love Paris” version starts it off so 'noir'
that Malinverni's composition, “New Orleans-Cities & Desire”
will further emote the fifties crime film feeling where jazz added to
portrayed faux realism of Richard Widmark, Robert Young and Frank
Sinatra.
Peter Malinverni has really delivered a fine
representation of post real life as we know it.
And it works so well with a blend of jazz standards and
original composition. Pete Malinverni “Invisible Cities”
recreates the smoke filled bop boudoir of the sixties.
By the way, leave the pack of Luckies on the bar.
Remember, you don't smoke anymore?
STANLEY
JORDAN STATE OF NATURE Mack Ave. Records
Stanley
Jordan has mastered the two handed touch technique, two handed
tapping on the fret board while picking with both hands. It creates a
reverberating reharmonization effect, unique in guitar performance.
“State Of Nature” is Stanley Jordan's first in over10 years, a
tour de force of remarkable talent, technique with an incredible
resonating sound. The blazing skill Jordan displays on “A Place In
Space,” his dynamic combination of playing piano and guitar
simultaneously on “All Blues” and “Song For My Father,” his
ability to sound as if he's playing lead and rhythm at the same time
on
“Mozart's Piano Concerto #21.” Then a change of pace
in “Ocean Breeze” where Jordan plays to an embellishing sitar,
tablas and accompanying voices. Jordan's piano playing and Meta Weiss
beautiful cello accompaniment offers eternal compliance in “Healing
Waves.” With Joe Jackson's “Steppin' Out,” Jordan shows that
wonderful technique and concludes a remarkable mix of jazz and
eclectic wonder, you won't easily forget, for Stanley Jordan,
guitarist is one of a kind.
JALEEL
SHAW OPTIMISMChangu
Records
Alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw is an exceptional example
of the post modern, neo bop musician,extremely talented, discovered
early, well schooled and dedicated. There's something about the
devoted off the radar jazz life that's cool, intriguing to the inner
life of a young jazz performer. Jaleel Shaw is one of the rare well
schooled.
We have them out here on the West Coast, the Monterey
High School big band. Gifted students who further their jazz studies
at great schools, Berklee, Manhattan and the New England Conservatory
of Music.-Ivy league of the premier jazz and classically educated.
This cd is a prime example of a soon to be jazz legend,
the unfurling in this new cd.
Jaleel Shaw creates an energetic Jackie Mclean aura as a
musician, writer, composer and arranger on this new, “Optimism.”
His originals “Almost,””Optimism,” “Flight”
are self explanatory, warm and direct great writing in heat of the
jest. Jaleel Shaw's purpose here is to lead those around him as
Mclean would, as in this case with jazz new young lions, Robert
Glasper, Jeremy Pelt, Lage Lund, Joe Martin and Jonathan Blake.
You hearjoy throughout this new cd, as this
Jaleel Shaw aggregation aspires to a higher authority.
DAVE
BRANDON NO WAY OUT blujazz
David Brandon's real life is not a matter of concern
here. Whether he's a top flight sessions man in not as important as
his status in this frame as a swinging bop purist. Brandon writing
works so well within the quintet and sextet formats, as those
heady-hefty hard bop bands back in the day to the post modern.
Brandon's clean harmonic passages with trumpet player Scott Wendholt
in “No Way Out” and “Spruce Goose” classic, bright with bop
memorabilia. “Corbin Mill,” “Clever Shoes,” are forthright
and pure in bop masculinity. There's no secret here with Dave
Brandon's new cd especially notable in his take on Shorter's “Ana
Maria,” Tyner's “Blues On The Corner” and Parker's “Quasimodo.”
It's a pleasure to a part of the honesty that hard bop
can bring.
We can take a brief head count of the boppers in the
room.
They'd smile affirmatively after listening to this David
Brandon cd and that's good enough for me.
KARIN
ALLYSON IMAGINA Songs Of BrazilConcord Music
Listening to Karrin Allyson's new “Imagina,” I
thought of the great Brazilian vocalist, Elis Regina, turned on You
Tube and watched the 1974 black and white video clip “Aquas De
Marco” with Jobim on piano in a playfully sexy interlude between
the two-a dance, romance, humor, one of those precious
improvisational moments. Some say it's not her greatest performance,
but we say, it's natural-in the moment-jazz.
What does this have to do with Karrin Allyson?
Her vocal intonation so resembles Regina in the new
“Imagina” CD, it's such a coincidence. Allyson's coiffure is
even similar.
If Karrin Allyson is channeling Elis Regina, that's a
good thing, for Regina is considered the Brazilian Edith Piaf of her
time. Karrin is a highly accomplished and dedicated vocalist and you
can surmise when listening she's aware of Brazil's great vocalists
and she just may utilize some of the phrasing, implied in this cd.
She uses Susannah McCorkle's English lyrics in Jobim's
“Felicidade,”Gil Goldstein's sentimental accordion in
“Corrinteza” and in the soft breezy “So Tinha De Ser Com
Voce.”
Allyson has worked with lyricist Chris Caswell on
previous albums and this “Medo De Amor (Surrender The Soul) is
special, sentimental, romantic and very cool.
Jobim's
“Favela” is more funky adding Steve Nelson on vibes with a Bossa
beat and “Estrada Branca (This Happy Madness) with Gene Lees
lyrics in a rather light 20thcentury Shakespearian love verse, for love has a permanence beyond
this plain. And the verse of the young Rossa Passos, “Outono
(Stay) with English translation by Paul Williams. Allyson elevates
this song to high form lyricism, where breathes the spirit of love.
“Imagina” reverberates the music of life-the personal
feelings and moments we cherish, in a Bossa Nova jazz form,
ingeniously produced by Karrin Allyson & Nick Phillips,
performed with the prominence of Steve Nelson, David Finck, Gil
Goldstein, Michael Spiro and Todd Strait. This new cd illuminates the
physicality with a permanence that lingers in the ethers...
It's a homage to the great Brazilian artist, intended or
not, to what Elis Regina was all about.
ONES
TO WATCH:
OUT
TO LUNCH EXCUSE ME WHILE I DO THE BOOGALOO AccurateRecords. Combine cross
realities of Frank Zappa, Eric Dolphy, coded hard bop messages,
reggae hot flashes with R&B horn swings and you'll appreciate
multi reedest David Levy's like minded avant resolutions. The vocals
sound like a Coen Bros. film score. You're lying awake distracted
from a blinking sign outside an all night motel while eves- dropping
on the conversation through paper thin walls from the next room of
converging realities.
JESSICA
WILLIAMS SONGS FOR A NEW CENTURY Origin Records
It's always a distinct pleasure to hear this elegant
lady go through a myriad of changes on piano uplifting in the spirit
of reflective optimism.
And your inner ear will say it's another fresh new
sunrise.
IRVIN
MAYFIELD and ELLIS MARSALIS LOVE SONGS, BALLADS AND STANDARDS Basin Street Records
There's a New Orleans tradition that after tragedy comes
a cleansing of the spirit and what a better avenue than through
music. Irvin Mayfield suffered the loss of his father through Katrina
and the great storm that affected all our lives in some manner. This
selection of songs serves as an antidote to the healing process.
LORRAINE FEATHER LANGUAGE Jazzed Media
Lorraine Feather takes those fairly innocuous (we're
ready to serve) incidents in life (to make you smarter?) and she sets
them to music. Could be a Broadway show in the making, or in this
rendition, a view into the post modern malaise where Lorraine Feather
has a keen eye set to the music of our daily lives.
KAT PARRA AZUCAR DE AMOR Patois Records
Kat Parra continues her journey merging Latin traditions
into jazz. Wayne Wallace distinctive challenging arrangements provide
added spice to this project. There's a new high Latin flavor here
with guest appearances by Ray Vega and Jovino Santos Neto and
beautiful Sephardic mystic melodies featuring Masaru Koga on flute.
Kat Parra expands tradition, a rising balloon of bright colors,
Latin, jazz and new folk, a myriad of music in a new world way.
Dick Crockett
“The Voice” 88.7fm
4623 T Street, Suite A
Sacramento, Ca 95819-4743
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