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Lorin Cohen's  "Home" -- His Debut Album

6/6/2015

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Lorin Cohen - Home - Origin Records (Origin 82693)


You might remember Lorin Cohen as the bassist with the Hip-hop/Jazz group Vertikal You may certainly recall his sojourn with pianist Monty Alexander or with vibraphonist Joe Locke (who appears on this album). Now, however, Coehn has released his debut album in the role of leader, composing and arranging every track on the album “Home.” And it is certainly where his heart is.


The musical influences of his life are in full array here. From the Caribbean sounds of South Florida where his family vacationed to bluesy Chicago his hometown to hard edge of New York City’s fables Jazz scene where he now resides—all of these places are home to him.

This is not your typical ensemble of piano-bass-drums with an added guitar or horn. This is a mallet-rich recording which means that it is rhythm-rich, as well.

My interest was piqued with the chosen instruments and musicians of vibes (Joe Locke), harmonica (Yvonnick Prene), Steel Pan (Victor Provost), piano (Ryan Cohan) and percussion (Samuel Torres). Expectancy was replaced with excitement when I saw that it was Donald Edwards on drums. Edwards has proven again and again that he can fulfill any need or desire from the music and the musicians around him. I could not wait to hear him alongside Lorin Cohen’s double bass.

It is Edwards’ rolling thunder that opens the album on “Crossings.” Ryan Cohan on piano and Joe Locke on vibes pull back the curtain to reveal what is to come.

“Crossings” is a heavy-hitting piece and it is clear that rhythm is going to trump melody from the beginning. Don’t misunderstand me—there are extraordinarily beautiful passages of melody throughout the whole album but rhythm carries the day. It is the swing that captivates. Joe Locke and Ryan Cohan are marvelous together on this first track. Lorin and Donald are riveting. Yeah, riveting.

Yvonnick Prene’s harmonica and Cohan’s piano introduce “Always in My Heart.” It is charming and wistful. The Steel Pan of Victor Provost joins in with piano and vibes to create an international meeting of Trinidad-France-Chicago before the New York ambassadors—Cohen and Edwards—come to play.

What must always be in Lorin Cohen’s heart are the styles and venues where he heard the music that he loves/ Especially the Caribbean textures of Steel Pan and Edwards’ Latin licks. This is a fabulous piece.

“Finding Center” gets the listener back to New York City quickly, even with the Steel Pan of Provost. There is a great groove here and Cohen and Edwards are just the guys to exploit it. Locke contributes the lighter percussion to offset the deep rhythms of Edwards.

Cohen’s bass solo on “Finding Center” is direct and to-the-point. Samuel Torres fills out the percussion section and the outcome is a work of great precision and propulsion.

That doesn’t relent on “Anthem,” another piece painted in the Jazz clubs of New York City. “Anthem” is a showcase for Ryan Cohen on piano and Joe Locke’s vibraphone. Cohan’s left hand provides some of the most memorable pulses of deep melody. Again, Cohen and Edwards are remarkable. Edwards absolutely puts on a clinic here. The broken rhythm at the end is short but staggering.

It is “The Sweetest Soul” that is the most reflective piece on the album. It is dedicated to Lorin Cohen’s father—“My wonderful father,” Cohen calls him. It is a reminiscence on bowed bass. The piano is sweet and the Steel Pan is warm and relaxed. Surely, Cohen was remembering poolside music in South Florida and I’m not certain but I thought I caught a nod and wink to “Young at Heart.” If the piece is a description of Mr. Cohen, Sr., he must have been sweet indeed.

“Saudade” is another Caribbean excursion. Provost and Prene with Cohan create an early Spyro Gyra mood. But Lorin’s bass is a thing all his own. The light-handed rhythms and cymbals of Edwards are tight on it with Torres’ percussion. This is a track that is fun and free. A complete treasure.

“The Hero’s Journey” could be subtitled “Joseph Campbell Goes to Gotham.” It is a quest, certainly, but in great company. Cohen is on fire and Edwards lets fly with some of the most intriguing and rewarding drumming of the whole album and that is saying something. The bass solo shows Cohen as the true leader that he is—even in a debut album. This just may be the hottest piece of all.

The album ends with “Brighter Day.” It is idealistic and optimistic. It is filed with hope and life, energy and love. Cohan, Provost and Prene mix it up finely between and with each other. Edwards and Torres are exciting. But Lorin Cohen is the anchor to it all.

“Home” is one of the most autobiographically descriptive albums ever. The travels, the influences, the hopes, the loves of Lorin Cohen are on full-colored display. He leaves you feeling like you have been friends since childhood. It is a well-developed album with an enlightened self-awareness. And this is his debut.

 

 

Visit Lorin Cohen’s web site at: www.lorincohen.com
Like him on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/lorincohenbassist?fref=ts
Purchase “Home” on CD or MP3 at Amazon by clicking on the links below:


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"Within Sight" by Damian Erskine; a Vision of Jazz Wonder

6/4/2015

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This is the album I have anxiously awaited for some time. It is Damian Erskine’s fourth recording as a leader and it is surely a high-water mark in his career. He wrote or co-wrote every song on the album and his performance with his quartet is absolutely stellar.

Erskine has worked with Gino Vannelli, his own uncle Peter Erskine in the New Trio, the Portland-based band MPEG and many more. Joining Erskine is long-time friend and collaborator Reinhardt Melz. Erskine and Melz are in several musical ventures together and they form the most formidable rhythm section is modern Jazz. I’m not kidding. In fact, Erskine credits Reinhardt with improving Damian’s bass playing. In the liner notes, Damian states that he is “pretty sure I’d be half the bass player I am today if I hadn’t met” Reinhardt.

On piano is George Colligan. Colligan is one of the most prolific and prodigious Jazz artists around. He has released scores of albums as a leader/pianist, has played drums on his wife Kerry Politzer’s album and has recently released an album as leader/drummer. He is a trumpet player, as well, and is now developing his bass skills. It is his sense of percussion that makes him the ideal fit for Erskine and Melz.

Tom Guarna on guitar is also a frequent band-mate with Erskine and Melz (and Colligan). Do a YouTube search with any combination of those four names and you will discover a treasure trove of live performances at Portland’s famed Jazz venue Jimmy Mak’s. The brilliant guitarist Byron Fry has just such a look and exclaimed, “These guys are gonna put us all on the street!”

Guarna is a brilliant guitarist himself and works magnificently with Colligan in holding the melodic front. His solo recordings are worthy of great notice and he is a seamless addition to this incredible lineup.

The inaugural piece is “To the Rest.” Erskine and Melz start straight in with a demanding rhythm that is fascinating. Colligan and Guarna show from the very beginning that they do not keep their best for their own recordings. The near-telepathy between Erskine and Melz is electrifying and Colligan and Guarna are a splendid pairing. Time changes, complex rhythms and ambient guitar with Colligan’s mastery create a work of sheer brilliance.

“Who by Now” is a work of melodic precision and passion. Both Colligan and Guarna are exquisitely lyrical and virtuosic. The rhythm section, however, keeps up the funk in one of the coolest grooves this side of the mothership.

“Begin Within” is sweetly melodic. Piano, guitar and even bass all get a turn on carrying the melody and Melz is fittingly subdued. Guarna’s solo is a thing of pure delight. Colligan plays it cool in support and the result is one of the truly lovely tracks on the album.

Melz sets a demanding rhythm from the opening of “Bestowal.” Joining Melz is Miguel Bernal on congas and chekeré. The chekeré is the 19-20 inch gourd that is covered with netted beads and is shaken, slapped or whatever is necessary to produce the desired effects. Together, Melz and Bernal set a strident and imaginative pace that Erksine handles perfectly. Guarna, then Colligan, springboard into sizzling solos from the foundation of this stupefying rhythm section.

Colligan’s piano approach moves from the melodic to the percussive and then in tight with Guarna. The interaction of piano and guitar is the double-helix of this mutated musical gene. It is an absolutely rich and rewarding track.

Bernal stays about for “Stumptown Stumble” with congas and batá. The batá is a double-headed drum that is almost hourglass shaped. It is especially used in Afro-Cuban and Nigerian religious ceremonies. “Stumptown” is one of the many nicknames of Portland, Oregon. Apparently, land clearing was expanding so quickly at one point, that Portland was known for all of the stumps left by the tree-cutting.

The Afro-Cuban rhythms of Melz and Bernal simply defy stillness. The lilting melodic introduction is an excellent metronome for Erskine’s bass. Every instrument becomes part of the percussion and one point or another in the piece. It is as if every player is thinking in terms of time over key.

“Altitude adjustment” is Melz’ showcase, playing at his most ferocious and intricate. Atop that, Colligan turns in some of his most exciting piano work. Guarna contributes magnificent guitar imagery. Erskine has composed a work of delicious variety. A Middle Eastern motif weaves in and out of the composition that is enhanced by the drive of Damian’s bass. My only wish is that this track lasted about 15 minutes longer.

“Song for Zoey” was co-written by Vardan Ovsepian with Damian. It is the most romantic piece on the album and is a total surrender to melody. Damian’s bass is sweet and even touching against the soulful piano of Colligan. The bass solo is almost a serenade on its own; it hums a lullaby. Reinhardt’s brushed are gentle to the point of soothing. This is a treble track.

“Within Sight” jump Starts with a great groove from Erskine and Melz that is undeniably intoxicating. Tom Guarna’s guitar is lush and warm while George Colligan is cool and wide-eyed.

It is Erskine and Melz, however, who play with understated eloquence and continue to pull the listener toward them. That is doubly true on “50 Out of 1” in which Reinhardt’s mastery of Afro-Cuban rhythms is on fantastic display. It is Erskine’s foray into Latin Jazz and it pays off huge dividends.

Colligan is simply fascinating, even captivating as Guarna carries the lead. Tom Guarna is far too underrated. He has been impressive time after time and is never anything less than impressive and spot-on.

It is impossible to get enough of this track. This piece displays the best at their best. Colligan is remarkable. Seriously, he plays like a piano deity. It must be because throughout the piece I kept saying, “Oh, my God!” Guarna is a Titan. Erskine and Melz are simply unbelievable. Erskine definitely saved the best for last. I confess. I put the track on repeat for many, many replays.

I have admired Damian Erskine’s work in every performance, every setting, I have ever heard. “Within Sight” is the culmination and display of all that he has developed as a composer and performer. He has an evolved vision of music and artistry and—with Colligan, Guarna and Melz—has made that vision plain to those with ears to hear.

 

 

Visit Damian’s website at http://damianerskine.com/.
Like him on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Damianerskine2?fref=ts

Purchase “Within Sight” by clicking on the Amazon button below.

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