Jung on Jazz August 1998

“For The Glass Tear/After Evening’s Orange” is a thirty-minute montage of collective improvisation at its vertex. The music is not your run of the mill avant-garde, wow them with honks and squeaks, but rather thought provoking, witty dialogue between the four cohorts that remains fresh, coherent, and inspired for the entire half-hour duration. Parker bows the introduction to a dedication entitled “Tears For The Boy Wonder.” The foursome dedicated the piece to Wynton Marsalis (spelled Winston Marsalis). Campbell’s “wah-wah” cries harmonize with a subdued Carter as they prod their way through the abstract motif.

Other Dimensions In Music would probably prefer to remain underground and continue to preach the word to their loyal devotees. Other Dimensions In Music is not surrendering to the relentless attacks of A & R or marketing flunky and in that way Other Dimensions In Music will not have anyone breaking their legs falling off their bandwagon. Other Dimensions In Music is in another dimension entirely, one that is noble and just. It is guerilla warfare and Other Dimensions In Music is keeping up the good fight.

Sanchez caresses the Cuban melody “Los Aretes de la luna” backed by strings arranged by Carlos Franzetti. Sanchez’s recitation of the Cuban fantasy is teeming with sentiment and passion. With a rousing vocal introduction, Sanchez enters the Puerto Rican composition “Lamento Borincano.” Sanchez’s moderate flights of exploration are aided by conspirators Benitez and Cruz. Sanchez, at this point in his career seems to have an uncanny command of the technical aspects of his instrument, and to his credit the young tenor’s composing skills should not be taken lightly.

“Obsesion” is clearly the best outing that Sanchez has had and the album’s remarkable consistency is credited completely to the strong future that this young musician has.

Abercrombie’s inventively melodic guitar lines add to the eloquence and gentle palette of “Deborah.” Ambrosetti’s focused remarks are full of empathy and translate every ounce of emotion from the ballad. The impression proceeds to a romantic “My Foolish Heart.” Ambrosetti continues to employ resourceful material as a soloist and his musical portrayal is gripping. Vitous’s offerings are top notch and flow with the gentle ease of the summer wind. Abercrombie starts Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” but it is Farao who steals the show with fascinating piano rumblings. Farao’s brisk right hand movements and spiky chords are the foundation the quintet builds off of. The ensemble is in fine form and Ambrosetti seems comfortable in allowing Abercrombie to lead harmonically.

As are “Gin and Pentatonic,” “Tentets,” “Movies,” “Movies Too,” and “Music for Symphony and Jazz Band,” “Light Breeze” is another superb outing from a stellar musician.

The title track “Tibiri Tabara” is a three-trumpet arrangement that defines Cuban swing. The three and a half minute guaracha is enthralling and thoroughly zestful in its entirety. Bernardo Sassetti’s dazzling piano stylings are a wonderful compliment to the chorus of brass provided by the tres trumpets and the throng of percussion. Barbaro Teuntor Garcia’s inspiring trumpet introduction and his compellingly soaring high notes help launch “Donde Va Chichi?” into the stratosphere. The array of percussive beats is spurred on by an occasional shout of encouragement and acknowledgement.

Non-believers of Latin jazz will relegate the music of Sierra Maestra as showboating and redundant, but they would not dare deny its effectiveness and dynamism. Sierra Maestra is filled with vigor and vitality and their music stands alone, full of life. The Cuban ensemble enjoys themselves and that kind of glitter is contagious. Cuba, not Disneyland, must be the “happiest place on Earth”.

The title track “Miyamoto Musashi” is dominated by the versatility of Osaka. Brandford Marsalis guests on the track and the vernacular between Marsalis and Osaka is outstanding. “Angel Eyes” is a sentimental conversation between the members of the quintet, shaped by the tender slurs of Marsalis. Marsalis exemplifies the loneliness of the ballad, playing deliberately and gradually, letting the melody slowly unfold. Marsalis is accompanied by his father, Ellis Marsalis, on a tasteful “Only the Lonely.” The elder Marsalis adds a touch of dignity and class to the music.

Musashi is another successful outing by another competent Marsalis.

Tracks: Miyamoto Musashi, Too Marvelous for Words, Angel Eyes, If You Only Knew, Tale of Genji, Summertime, Queen Himiko, Only the Lonely

 D. D. Jackson’s Paired Down, Volume I was a shining moment in an already burgeoning career. The duo collaborations featured James Carter, Hamiet Bluiett, and David Murray. The sequel might have been an anticlimax, had it not been for the impressive cast Jackson selected. Saxophonist David Murray, bassist Santi Debriano, and violinist Billy Band reprise their roles and are joined by trombonist Ray Anderson, clarinetist Don Byron, and flutist Jane Bunnett.

The Canadian pianist starts “Catch It,” hammering down a vibrant calypso-esque melody. Anderson steals the show, putting on a regular clinic, deftly altering the pitch on a whim. Anderson’s ability to articulate gruff growls while maintaining a big, belting tone is uncanny. “One of the Sweetest” is a exquisitely crafted interpretation. Jackson’s slow, poetic ballad is distinguished by his lyrical manner and elegant touch. Murray sounds more like Coleman Hawkins on a charming “Love-Song.” Murray’s graceful improvisations and flawless execution are inspired on a piece Jackson wrote for his parents. It is a poignant moment on the record, as Jackson remembers his mother, who passed away from cancer.

Both Paired Down Volume I and II are gems and should be a part of every collection.

Tracks: Catch It, One of the Sweetest, Flute Song, Pleasure and Pain, Time, Interlude, Closing Melody.

The most celebrated pianist to record at The Village Vanguard was Bill Evans. Add Brad Mehldau to the list. Like Evans, Mehldau records The Art of the Trio, Volume Two: Live at The Village Vanguard in a trio format (with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy). That is where the comparisons end.

Among the album’s most memorable pieces is “It’s Alright With Me.” Mehldau shapes his passages with subtle changes and meticulous chord progressions. His exquisite, light touch and finesse are appealing. Grenadier walks behind Mehldau, clarifying a strong pulse. Mehldau constructs the melody of “The Way You Look Tonight,” methodically punctuating his gentle, linear lines with harmonically rich chord clusters. Mehldau’s sound is not dense or abstract, but lyrical and refined. Rossy’s quiet brushwork is highlighted by occasional tom and cymbal references.

Mehldau is not Bill Evans. On some levels, he’s better.

Personnel: Brad Mehldau, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Jorge Rossy, drums.
Tracks: It’s Alright with Me, Young and Foolish, Monk’s Dream, The Way You Look Tonight, Moon River, Countdown.

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Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who was blinded soon after he was born on 1936, in Columbus, Ohio, has been an enigma. He was often accused of gimmickry for playing three instruments simultaneously, a notion he got from a dream. Kirk played the tenor saxophone, the manzello, and the stritch together, producing three part harmony using fingering techniques he developed. He also operated sirens, whistles, gongs, cymbals, and bells, and was fluent on the clarinet, flute, piccolo, and English horn. Kirk mastered the technique of circular breathing thirty years before Kenny G. In 1976, Kirk had a stroke that nearly paralyzed the left side of his body, but he still valiantly managed to perform using only one arm, until he died of a second stroke in 1977, at the age of 41. He was agile in the abstract and avant-garde forms of jazz, yet he still studied and was fluent in swing and bebop.

Dog Years In The Fourth Ring is a collection of live performance bootlegs that George Bonafacio accumulated and the album originally released on the Atlantic label Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata (never available on CD). Producer Joel Dorn and 32 Jazz releases this attractive 3-CD box set documenting to one of jazz’s colossal figures.

Kirk’s flute figures are haunting on “Domino.” His whistly sound is steady for the duration of the arrangement. Kirk augments the piece and adds depth to his virtuosity playing an instrument whose sound resembles that of a kazoo. Kirk shows he has bebop chops, focusing his energy, combining fire and attack, and burning through “Blues For Alice.” What “Lester Leaps In” may lack in sound quality, it makes up for in content. Kirk’s tone is full and rich in the middle registers and his endlessly flowing lines dispute the notion that he is merely a “glorified street musician.”

Dog Years In The Fourth Ring is one of the finest releases of 1997 and is a must for all Rah-addicts. Joel Dorn and George Bonafacio should be recognized for allowing audience to a part of jazz history that normally would have been neglected.

Tracks: Disc 1: Box Tops And Whistlin’ Rings, Domino, Blues For Alice, I Remember Clifford, Freddie Freeloader, Lester Leaps In, Sister Sadie, One Mind/Seasons, I Say A Little Prayer, Disc 2: Jammin’ With A Wolf, Three For The Festival (excerpt), Untitled Blues, Passion Dance, Petite Fleur (Little Flower), Giant Steps, Misterioso/Blue Monk (excerpt), Rahsaantalk, Multi-Horn Medley: Satin Doll/Lover, Blacknuss, Disc 3: Something For Trane That Trane Could Have Said, Island Cry, Runnin’ From The Trash, Day Dream, The Ragman And The Junkman They Ran From The Businessman They Laughed And He Cried, Breath-A- Thon, Rahsaanica, Raped Voices, Haunted Feelings, Prelude Back Home, Dance Of The Lobes, Harder And Harder Spiritual, Black Root

For drummer/percussionist Leon Parker to follow up his Belief album, one of the finest releases of 1997, he would have to have at his disposal an inexhaustible bag of tricks. The 33-year-old Parker seems to have his hands on just that, with his new release worthy of its name, Awakening. Performing alongside such talents as David Sanchez, Dewey Redman, and Tom Harrell has helped Parker develop into a “talent deserving wider recognition”, but it is as the foundation of the Jacky Terrasson Trio that he has molded himself into a percussive demigod.

Bassist Ugonna Okegwo strums the introduction to a fascinating “It Is What It Is.” With fellow drummeripercussionist Adam Cruz playing a vibrant steel pan and Sam Newsome on soprano

saxophone, Parker deftly strikes the congas on a gyrating, hip Caribbean groove. Newsome’s soprano lines swirl around the propulsive beat as an array of sounds from a wood block to a shekere weave the melodic quilt Parker’s three-minute gong solo on “Enlightenment” is a perfect display of his unique diversity. The title track “Awakening” features vocalist Elisabeth Kontomanou. Parker, who also doubles on the piano, fingers a simple, yet infectious melody’ accentuating the textures provided by the different percussionists, an acoustic buffet that includes a cow bell, crave, and wood block. The formula is ear candy for the listener.

The homogeneous albums that seem to come a dime a dozen do not stand up nearly as well as Parker’s Awakening. An album for the next generation of jazz listeners from a drummer/percussionist for the next generation, who continually strives to make a valid attempt to reach his pinnacle by pounding a poetic, yet powerful message.

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Charles Gayle may very well be the last apostle of free jazz. Free jazz as Albert Ayler knew it. Free jazz as Ornette Coleman once knew it before commercial success and mainstream marketing watered his music down. Free jazz as it should be, without compromise, without boundaries, and without preconceptions. Catapulted to the racks of free jazz heavyweights in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s by a series of phenomenal releases on Silkheart and the Knitting Factory label, Gayle has carried on the torch, playing aggressive, sometimes offensive, but always steadfast music. Daily Bread is his newest installment for the European label Black Saint, and features Gayle on the tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, and even the viola and piano on a couple of intriguing tracks. Bassist William Parker playing cello and piano, bassist Wilber Morris, and drummer Michael Wimberly, who also doubles on the violin, accompany Gayle on his quest.

Gayle’s siren-like wailings in “Earthly Things” are enough to wake the dead. Gayle punishes his instrument, relentlessly charging up and down and compressing every possible sound and every ounce of energy from the merciless music. Gayle’s acoustic firestorm seems undaunted on “Watch.” The tenor saxophone is no match for Gayle, who twists and turns his improvisations inside out, furiously blowing fog horn blasts and endless bursts of passionate screams. It is a task in itself for Parker, Morris, and Wimberly merely to keep up.

If this is not Gayle at his best, he does not have very far to go. There is never a dull moment throughout Daily Bread. It is a pulse pounding pressure cooker and simply shows that Gayle is in a realm of his own. Bravo.

A fluent technician, trumpeter Tom Harrell’s understated lyricism and his exceptional harmonic restraint is the standard by which trumpeters will be judged for years to come. Occupying the trumpet chair for Horace Silver and Phil Woods, Harrell has built his iron chops in the presence of strong company to become the perennial horn player of his generation. Remarkably, Harrell has maintained his elevated level of playing throughout his career and has won poll after poll. The Art of Rhythm is yet another chapter in Harrell’s near flawless discography. The musicians featured in the four different rhythm sections involve bassists Andy Gonzales, David Finck, and Ugonna Okegwo, and percussionists Leon Parker, Adam Cruz, and Milton Cardona. The album’s soloists include Dewey Redman, Mike Stern, Danilo Perez, Greg Tardy, and David Sanchez.

“Petals Danse” contains a clarinet solo from Greg Tardy. Tardy, backed by an exquisite string section, forms a delicately balanced melody that is in perfect harmony with Harrell’s charming touch. Sounding uncharacteristically reserved, Redman’s seductive inventions on “Doo Bop” should put to ease any misconceptions that Redman is merely power oriented. The all of the septet contributes to the beginning of “Samba Do Amor” and makes room for Stern’s electric riffs.. Stern’s explorations are full of vitality and color. Harrell remains within his musical parameters and his technique is immaculate.

Harrell is the essence of the beauty of jazz. Every note he fingers is the perfect note for that moment and he never embellishes his music, never grandstands. Harrell is not only the trumpeter of his generation, but one of the trumpeters of all time.

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“Iron Man” suggests Shaw’s no fear approach, as he goes head-to-head with an animated Blythe and the tandem jarring at one another, create memorable music. Shaw’s horn guides effortlessly through an inspired “Jitterbug Waltz.” Abrams brims with ideas and logically voices his opinions. The Berlin concert has all the energy and vibe that a live recording should have and the musicians are in prime form, from McLean’s engaging movements on a frisky “Obsequious” to Hayes’s steady snare rolls and ride cymbal accents on “In the Land of the Blacks (Bilad As Sudan).”

Hopefully, the re-release of Shaw’s Muse catalog by 32 Jazz will rescue the trumpeter’s music from shameful neglect and finally bring it to audiences.