Tom Guarna is an extraordinary guitarist. In his skilled and inspired musicianship, it is easy to hear traces of his influences without ever the slightest hint of emulation. In mid-February, you will be able to hear it for yourself with the release of his album “Rush.”
 
In this Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records release, his first with them, the album features all eight tracks of Tom’s own compositions. His composing is equal to his performing in every way.

Schooled at Juilliard (Master of Music) he was sought out by them for a scholarship. This after graduating from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

He has performed and recorded with the best and has learned from the best. With his five previous albums he has grown as a composer and a performer into someone whose name should be mentioned in the same breath as anyone you care to name. Yeah, he's that good.

He has assembled a first-rate quintet to join his guitar. Joel Frahm is on soprano and tenor saxophones, Danny Grissett is on piano and Fender Rhodes with Orlando Le Fleming and Jonathan Blake on bass and drums, respectively.

Guarna’s splendid guitar work is evident from the title first track, “Rush.” Grisselt offers sweetly delicate Fender Rhodes touches alongside Frahm’s exemplary sax. The rhythm section of Le Fleming and Blake truly help bring Guarna’s compositions alive.

“Rush” is a stand-out piece and early on reveals some of his revered masters while unmistakably carving his own niche.  This continues on the second track “Beringia.” On “Beringia,” Guarna and Frahm make for a great combo as Grisselt adds beautiful piano accompaniment.

That beautiful piano is continued on “Dreamland.” Blake shows his softer side here while Le Fleming contributes a moving bass. Frahm’s sax is a fine partner to Grissett’s piano. In fact, “Dreamland” may be the very best example of the cohesion of this quintet. The cooperation and unity with Gurana is ideal.

It is technically flawless but—even better—it is emotionally transcendent. It touches deeply with the wistful, reflective and imaginative touches resounding throughout the piece. 

He also takes a quick detour into a bop-ish piece entitled “Shambleau.” Tom hits a melodic high with amazing underscoring from Le Fleming and Blake. Those guys can bring it. Add Frahm’s hot horn and you’ve got the makin’s!

Emotion is again at the forefront on “Elegy for Atan (Dedicated to Etan Patz).” It is delightfully melodic and full of memory with Tom being at his delicate best here as he flows into “Movement and Respose.”

The rhythm section briefly kicks off the track which, as the title suggests, rolls through crests and troughs with each being finely appropriate and wonderfully delivered by Guarna and Grissett and the whole group. 

This quintet can swing together, bop together, sigh together and cry together with a rhythm section in the pocket on each track. These guys are not kidding around.

With each track, Tom reveals more and more about his own musicianship. He displays incredible delicacy, fierce attack, longing melodic intonations and just why he chose these four musicians to accompany him on this album’s journey.

One of the most fascinating compositions and performances is the seventh track entitled “Forgiveness.” It begs the question who is forgiving and who is being forgiven (and by whom). There is a joy in the piece, however, that bespeaks equal measure of both.

Along with that is a very brief measure that is reminiscent of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” It creates an atmosphere of the refreshing of giving and indeed receiving such forgiveness. This could very well be the most satisfying piece on the entire album and that is saying a lot.

The finale is “High Plains.” It is straight-up Jazz just the way you like it. Again, the whole group brings their best to bear on this. On no track do anyone of these musicians (or the compositions) disappoint. They are generous with each other and often seem to be plugged into one mind.

Encircling them all, however, is Tom Guarna. His own space creation and vibrant virtuosity are the centerpiece of the group. Name any guitarist—Metheny, Frisell, Scofield—comparison falls far short or fails entirely because Tom Guarna is his own guitarist. With albums like “Rush,” he can also belong to us.




Buy "Rush" by Tom Guarna at http://www.bjurecords.com/tom-guarna/
Visit Tom Guarna's web page at www.tomguarna.com.

Helen Sung is having a banner year. She has been performing with the Mingus Big Band and has recorded and toured with Meg Okura and the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble. The album with the latter group was “Music of Ryuichi Sakamoto.” Helen’s performance on that album was stellar.

Now she is releasing her own album, “Anthem for a New Day.” It is her sixth album as a leader and her first with Concord Music Group. Her very first recording was in 2003 and served as her leap from the classical to Jazz piano.

“With my previous albums,” she says, “I was searching, experimenting—not that that ever ends. But this is the first project where I feel the most comfortable with who I am as an artist, where I am as an artist, and what I am doing as an artist.” When she thinks of “anthems,” she says she thinks of flags or banners. This album, then, is her “planting my flag in the ground.”

That flag is not planted—it is anchored in bedrock. This is proven immediately by taking on the giants of Corea, Ellington and Monk. She is not a neophyte who is over-reaching; she is a young master asserting her right to be in the midst of the masters.

“Brother Thelonious” leads off the album. It was originally composed as a theme song for a Belgian ale. It is certainly a tribute and is, in many ways, in perfect keeping with Monk the master. The composition itself is absolutely Monkish. The stops and starts, the generosity of space—all so Monk.

She is accompanied brilliantly by Reuben Rogers on bass, Obed Calvaire on drums and Samuel Torres on percussion. The horn section of Seamus Blake (sax) and Ingrid Jansen (trumpet) is superb. The is musical chemistry of the highest order.

“Armando’s Rumba” gives Helen and the band the chance to launch into Latin Jazz and they do not miss a thing. Composed by Chick Corea, Helen handles the arrangement splendidly. The Latin rhythms and the punchy piano phrasing is wonderful.

At :28 into the piece, however, a great surprise awaits as a clarinet joins in. The tone and delivery is unquestionable. The great Paquito Di Rivera joins for this track only but what an addition. He is eminently well-placed and delivers as only he does.

Does Helen take liberties with her versions of others’ compositions? Indeed she does and thank heaven for it. She writes in the liner notes: “Jazz is always about real life with all its joys and heartbreaks; it’s earthy and soulful, it’s messy and full of surprises, and it’s fun!” She most assuredly brings her own joy, soulfulness and fun into each composition and arrangement. She makes Chick’s tune into her own and she makes her tunes your own. In other words, she places straight into the heart.

She moves to the Fender Rhodes for “Hidden,” an original composition and is joined by the delicate violin of Regina Carter. Rogers and Calvaire show themselves wonderfully suited for every style she employs.

“Hidden” is languid and reflective. Jensen’s trumpet is almost stream-of-consciousness in this fascinating piece. It is disjointedly melodic in the most charming ways.

Then from the fascinating she carries over to the fabled. Duke Ellington and Irving Mills’ “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)” ia easily one of the most recognizable songs in Jazz history and Helen takes it straight on and bends it to her will.

Helen introduces the song on solo piano and includes stunning flourishes with a classical approach. Her classicism shows itself beautifully on this track. Then she turns to stride before the group joins. Reuben Rogers gets and early spotlight on bass before the group in earnest “gets that swing.” Helen uses the full potential of Rogers and Calvaire throughout the whole album but this trio shines astoundingly on this track. Together, these musicians prove the truth of that song’s title.

“Hope Springs Eternally” is another Helen Sung original. Seamus Blake’s sax is a sweet feature of the song. Obed Clavaire performs superbly in his rhythmic choices. Helen’s melodic choices are exquisite.

She introduces the piece with a six-note motif which gets carried by the bass and piano alternately through the piece. At one point, she all-too-briefly unveils a Vince Guaraldi-style passage that is the essence of hope.

Seamus Blake is featured on soprano sax in the piece and he shines. From an album full of rewarding pieces, “Hope Springs Eternally” is a standout.

“Anthem for a New Day” is—by name, by track position and by composition—the centerpiece of the album. It starts off with the Fender Rhodes initiating a slightly melancholy theme that sounds of Gershwin. That theme is picked up and echoed by John Ellis on bass clarinet in his only appearance on the album.

The movement of the piece moves from Gershwin-esque to Be bop into a bit of fusion before landing squarely in Helen’s unique voice. It has a cool groove with piano, bass and drums plus hot solos for the horns.  The rhythm section is simply electrifying—great groove and drive. The corps conclusion is exciting stuff.

It is confident, adventurous composing carried out with flawless performance. Helen does indeed set her banner with this piece.

“Never Let Me Go” was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for the 1956 film, “The Scarlet Hour,” and Helen’s treatment is subtle and sweet. It is melodically and lyrically closer to the original than any of the other covers on the album.

The rhythm section is equally subtle and the horns with them add a breadth and depth that enhances Regina Carter’s violin moving ascent. Above it all is Helen’s most delicate touch.

One of the most interesting pieces is Helen’s “Chaos Theory” with its varied times and phrasings. The trades between Helen and Seamus and underscored by some of the most furious pacing by Reuben and Obed.

There is certainly order amidst this chaos as Helen’s piano anchors the infinite spin-offs of the various artists. Those chaotic cadenzas are enthralling from each and every performer. At the end, you hear someone say loudly, “That’s Jazz music, right there!” as Helen laughs in the background.

Helen then offers her rendition—her magnificent rendition—of the Thelonious Monk standard “Epistrophy.” In this alone does she prove her confidence and comfort, that she has found her voice in the arrangements of Chick, Duke and, now, Monk.

The effect of horns and the Fender Rhodes overtop bass and cymbals is intoxicating and is a cool introduction to the melody. That unmistakable melody that is Monk.

“Epistrophy” has been called the first classical Jazz composition.” Classical? Yes. Modern? Yes. Now Helen Sung has pulled the 1942 piece further along the modern road, if not even post-modern. The sequenced harmony and melody is treated hotly by Helen and the horns.

Musicians have tried and quite often failed in attempting to cover Thelonious Monk but Helen Sung and those with her have neither copied nor betrayed Monk and have, instead, achieved a momentous feat in what they have rendered of Monk.

Stanley Cowell’s “Equipoise” closes the album. It is the only solo piano track on the entire album and it concludes the recording with great delicacy, grace and a fervent desire for more. It is a lyrical piece and it belongs to Helen. The fade-out leaves an intense sense of longing.

With this, her seventh album, Helen Sung has reached a moment of great achievement. She is confident, comfortable and absolutely charming. She has most definitely given us an Anthem for a New Day.



"Anthem for a New Day" is set for release on January 28, 2014 on the Concord Music Group label (CJA 34496-02). Go to Concordmusicgroup.com for more information.

The CD can be ordered at Amazon.com here.

Byron Fry has been around. He has carved himself a place in the L.A. music scene through his performing, composing and arranging, and in his producing. He brings all of those talents and honed skills to bear in his most recent album “Explosive.” He also engineered, mixed and mastered the CD. In other words, he devoted himself whole-heartedly to this venture.

And…it all works.

He composed all of the 14 tracks but two. “Black Dog” is, of course, a Led Zeppelin tune and “Actual Proof” is a Herbie Hancock composition. He also co-wrote the song “Melt” with William Harder. He plays most of the instruments too with but little help from his friends. The friends he does bring aboard, however, are monsters.

He is skilled at all genres of guitar playing from rock to metal to fusion to jazz to funk and all forms betwixt and between. Most of those forms are on full display on this album and he shows no signs of weakness on any of them.

The album opens with “RDX.” The heavy metal intro gives way to melodic twists with a great hook. Fry displays the master-chops early and often, setting the bar high for the remainder of the album. He does not disappoint.

“Celestial Circledance” is an excursion in rock ferocity alongside Arab virtuosity. This is a great track and is just as sweet on the third, thirteenth or thirtieth hearing of it. The move into “Black Dog” is not what you might expect. Instead of the raunchy rocker that is anticipated, Byron turns it something more interesting and developed.

Featured on “Black Dog” is the always-exciting Ronnie Ciago on drums. Ciago is also a name you should know. (See my article on Ronnie here) He has mastered the genres as well as anyone. When drummer Bill Ward was looking for a drummer on his own album, he got Ronnie Ciago.

Together, Byron and Ronnie turn this Led Zeppelin tune into something bluesier and jazzier with a great swing. This is genuinely exciting and intriguing stuff. “Moby the dog” makes an appearance on “Canine vocals.”

The fourth track on the album is “The Mercy of Love.” Beautifully lyrical, the bending and overall tonality makes this a moving piece with a great emotional depth of longing that makes it very touching.

“Of Rinoceri and Propane Tanks” follows quickly with its own cool groove. There is slick pedal work on the sizzling guitar along with the rolling bass. All of this admirably prepares the way for “Hexanite,” a raw and ferocious work that offers slight departures into Soul-like riffs. Chris Buck on bass and Nick Seiwert on drums add their talents to bring this monster home.

The mood changes with “El Capitan Beach Road.” The melodic piece is full of meaningful chord changes and meditative harmonies. It is a splendid composition, evoking images of a long drive home along the shore. It is reflective and imaginative.

“Chowderhead Theorem” on the other hand shows Byron’s affinity for Middle Eastern forms and flairs. There is an almost Van Halen undercurrent here but in a good way. It is a keystone track to the whole album and mixes various styles into something supremely interesting and entertaining.

It is the same thing with “A Rose, A Flame, A Moth.” There are moments of rumba and of even “film noir” textures. Tasty stuff, this! Smooth and pronounced at the same moment. That arrangement style of inter-laced influences is fascinating and continues in “Sandfire.”

“Sandfire” brings Herman Mathews on drums and M.B. Gordy on percussion. After a staticky intro, Byron cuts loose the blistering licks. The rhythm section is a great addition and, with them in the pocket, Byron runs free. It is a well-placed track and serves as a good transition into “No, Really.”

There are fine moments of Allan Holdsworth references here. It is Byron who nails down the bass on this track and it is well done, indeed. “No, Really” provides some of the album’s most thought-provoking moments.

 “Melt” was co-written with William Harder. It contains triumphant passages that seem to exalt and encourage. He plays with the melodic current with a very lyrical expression. It could be the most melodic piece of the whole recording. And it does not prepare you for “Fusillade.”

In “Fusillade,” horns are introduced for the first time on the album with Terry Landry on sax, Bill Churchville on trumpet. David Anderson sits in on drums. Anderson and the horns turn this into something reminiscent of Bill Chase’s band in the early 1970s. It is ferocious jazz.

That continues on the album’s finale—Herbie Hancock’s “Actual Proof.” Vince Norman takes over the sax with Bill Fulton on piano, David Hughes on bass and Anderson returning on the drums. This is straight-up jazz and it is loaded with brilliant guitar licks.

The compositions are strong and the arrangements are stellar. The performances, especially by Byron, are inspired. Mostly, there is no weak moment on the album. Elements of personal taste may make you enjoy one track over another but the entire album is an excellent work. It is an excursion into the details of guitarcraft.



To sample Byron's latest album or to purchase the CD go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/byronfry2