Gebhard Ullmann is a remarkable multi-instrumentalist. On this album, “Hat and Shoes” (Between the Lines Records, BTLCHR 71238), he limits himself to tenor saxophone and bass clarinet. This album marks his 20 years with his band Basement Research and his 50th album as leader or co-leader.

He is joined in Basement Research by Steve Swell on trombone, Julian Argüelles on baritone saxophone, Pascal Niggenkemper on double bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums.

Ullmann composed all of the music on the album which opens with “Trinidad Walks.” Niggenkemper’s bass and Cleaver’s drums are all over each other time-wise until a unified rhythm emerges.

Too late—you’re hooked.

The three horns come aboard the groove and the deep-pitched Caribbean swing is underway. The horns break off into a cool cacophony and, when the rhythm sections returns, it is one of the most exciting moments in recent music. I never expected this.

“Wo bitte geht’s zu den Hackeschen Höfen?” is a description of “the swarm of tourists in the middle of Berlin.” It is a vivid expression of crowded streets and confusion. Cleaver’s drum accompaniment is twisty and deliberately uneven. Ullmann’s bass clarinet moves from distinction to indistinction in great transitions of subtlety.

The opening motif comes and goes and Ullmann’s magnificent bass clarinet is capable of exquisite moments of melody.

The corps melody is deep-throated and slowly paced and carries to the end of the track in unison.

“Flutist with Hat and Shoe” opens with Steve Swell’s solo trombone. The trombone is muted later as Cleaver joins in.

There is, of course, no flute in the band but is probably a reference to Ullmann’s earliest music experiences as a flute player.

The subtlety of the instruments allows for the expansiveness of the trombone wish pushes the boundaries. Niggenkemper’s bass is an understated beauty here.

“Don’t Touch My Music” is a unison piece with Argüelles’s baritone sax taking the spotlight but never apart from the rest of the group. Rather, he is in perfect coordination and cooperation with the group.

Cleaver’s drumming is unfettered and becomes more of a voice within the ensemble than remaining a time-keeper. He captures—and deserves—the attention on this track.

“Five” is the fifth track on the album. It is a rollicking bit of unbridled improvisation. The rhythm section keeps the groove that allows such free exploration.

There is a grand flow to “Five.” From groove to solo to motif to melody, there is a flawless inevitability to the fluidity of “Five.”

“Blue Trees and Related Objects” is about a painting or, perhaps, just about painting. There are textures, hues and shades within music as much as within painting.

The Argüelles baritone sax is in gorgeous swing which sounds like it is being played by Pacquito Di Rivera.

From the skipping opening, it moves to a slow-stepping, soulful lament that is joined by the ensemble. Cleaver gets to close the track with a dynamic drum improvisation.

“Gulf of Berlin” is, both, part of Ullmann’s “Berlin Suite” and also the name of another band he fronts. It begins as an interaction between tenor sax and trombone until punched up by bass and drums who provide a propulsion for the horn players.

Argüelles and Niggenkemper take solos and the track closes with full ensemble in a bit of a shout chorus.

The album arose from the energy of a tour, like all of Basement Research’s albums. The energy is enormous, the originality is boundless and the enjoyment is curtailed only by the listener’s ability to hear it.

Gebhard Ullmann is a masterful composer and innovator. His collaboration with Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin in 2015 was remarkable. His albums of his many bands are extraordinary. Ullmann is a voice to be heard and recognized for the genius it reveals.




~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl







Visit Gebhard Ullmann’s website at: http://www.gebhard-ullmann.com/
“Like” Gebhard Ullmann on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/gebhard.ullmann
“Follow” Gebhard Ullmann on Twitter here: @gebullmann
You may purchase “Hat and Shoes” on MP3 or CD at Amazon by clicking on the links below.

It has been a busy time for pianist, composer and arranger Glenn Zaleski. Things are only going to get busier. He is in high demand for recording and performing in the New York City Jazz scene. Finally, he has released his own album with the right artists and the right material. “My Ideal” (Sunnyside Records SSC 1406) is that album.

Joining Zaleski is Dezron Douglas on bass and I couldn’t be happier. Douglas never disappoints. He is innovative and accommodating at the same time. Douglas understanding of Jazz is second to none and was introduced to Zaleski through Ravi Coltrane.

Craig Weinrib is on drums. His straight ahead Jazz approach is sustaining and complimentary to the whole. Weinrib and Zaleski has been playing together occasionally since their days at the New School.

The album arose from a gig that Zaleski was to play and his usual band-mates were unavailable. Thus, Douglas and Weinrib. The results for the gig and this recording are a study in fortunate convergence.

Zaleski is a brilliant composer himself but for “My Ideal” he played seven standards along with two compositions from his friends. The standards are given fresh treatment from Zaleski’s brilliant arranging. These arrangements glow in the light of this particular trio.

The album opens with Jerome Kern’s “Nobody Else But Me.” The solo piano introduction gives an immediate foreshadowing of the Zaleski touch that is on such clear display throughout the rest of the album. The full trio sets it jumping.

Christian McBride speaks of the beauty of seeing the bass and the drums becoming one instrument, as it were, and Douglas and Weinrib achieve that very thing. There is fond interaction within this fun and dynamic trio.

Bassist Rick Rosato is a friend of Zaleski and was the composer for “Waltz for MD.” It is yet another example of the Zaleski touch. Flowing and warm, there is a great groove that has moments of a bit of melancholy that is turned into a near-wistfulness by the delicate expression of the trio. Certainly in all the recordings I have ever heard with Zaleski or Douglas, that delicate expressiveness is a characteristic that is always seen clearly.

Zaleski plays the waltz in such a way that the very image of a waltz begins to take shape—unbidden—in the listener’s mind. With Douglas and Weinrib, Zaleski creates colorful expressions that are so rich in tone and texture.

“Make Someone Happy” is the Jule Styne number made famous by Jimmy Durante, Aretha Franklin, Perry Como and more. The movie “Sleepless in Seattle” gave it a new audience, as well. Styne’s original is lovely and sweet and Zaleski’s arrangement adds honey on top. I mean, really. Zaleski added a bit from one of his own compositions and the results are completely embraceable.

Zaleski plays the first lyric note as a quadruplet and that simple element is a thing of beauty. Douglas and Weinrib again achieve that oneness that makes them all so tight in the pocket.

The conclusion is an engaging turn wherein each of the trio grabs brief moments of individual expression while maintaining the whole. Well-written by Zaleski and well-performed by the group. You will want to listen to Zaleski’s coda over and over.

“Cheryl” is the hot Charlie Parker composition. Opening with Gatling-gun rim-shots, the trio just smokes this cover. Zaleski’s piano takes the saxophone voice and recreates the blues-bop beautifully. It is faithful to Parker’s original while still voicing a fresh and energetic expression.

Weinrib offers up a melodic drum solo and his play against the Douglas’ bass is equally enjoyable. It is the fastest 4 minutes and 10 seconds you will ever experience. Over too soon.

Johnny Green’s “Body and Soul” is one of the most romantic pieces on the album. Zaleski plays it in a lower key which adds to the great effect as Douglas plays with that familiar warmth that is enhanced by Weinrib’s slow brushes.

Zaleski adds a tremendous texture to the piece as his runs and cascades are gentle and disarming in their lyricism. A beautiful work of reinterpretation.

“REL” by vibraphonist Peter Schlamb may not be a standard but it might be in the future. It first appeared Schlamb’s debut album “Tinks” in 2014. It has a rock flavor that Zaleski uses to punch up while Douglas and Weinrib add jabs of their own.

Zaleski gets to throw in some Monk-ish touches now and again that bring a quick grin. It is a fun composition that has a softer, jazzier drum approach than to the original’s backbeat.

I have always loved Freddie Hubbard and have felt that “Arietis” was too undervalued as a work of great swing. Zaleski, Douglas and Weinrib use it as a launching platform for some of their hottest work. All three are just on fire in their treatment of such a great piece.

Zaleski has chosen his covers well. Dezron Douglas gets one of his best solos here.

“My Ideal” by Richard A. Whiting is the title track. It begins with a solo piano intro with the bass and drums smoothly assimilating into the melody.

The song is filled with gorgeous harmonic passages and bright shafts of light in the chords. A beautiful track that exemplifies Zaleski’s gift of expression.

The album ends as it began, with a Jerome Kern piece. “I’m Old Fashioned” is the closer and joining the trio is Ravi Coltrane on tenor saxophone. It just doesn’t get much better than Ravi.

Zaleski met Ravi Coltrane when Zaleski was called into some chart-reading sessions. Ravi was suitably impressed to call Zaleski back for some gigs.

The slow and lyrical introduction is a beautiful example of unity in diversity. Coltrane’s tone and phrasing is, of course, magnificent.

Zaleski’s arrangement of the piece is stellar. The tempo shifts allow Douglas and Weinrib to move from melody to percussion and back again.

All four of the artists are so tight and locked on target that this becomes the shout chorus of the entire album. Coltrane doesn’t just join in and grab the attention, he melds smoothly and effectively with all that has gone before. A wonderful conclusion to a wonderful album.

Glenn Zaleski has succeeded so often in his support of others' projects. Now his own project has proven why he is in such high demand.

“My Ideal” should mark the starting point of a band leader and pianist who deserves rapt attention. Glenn Zaleski not only deserves it, he commands it.




~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl





Visit Glenn Zaleski’s website at: http://www.glennzaleski.com
“Like” Glenn Zaleski on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/glenn.zaleski.7
Purchase "My Ideal" on MP3 or CD by clicking on one of the Amazon links below.

I first heard Pasquale Grasso on his album with Jazz harmonica wunderkind Yvonnick Prene entitled “Merci Toots,” a tribute to Toots Thielemans. I was immediately taken with his clean, harmonic approach. He reminded me of Django Reinhardt right away.

Grasso admits to Django being a guitar hero but reveals a different influence in his playing. “My style of playing is closer to bud Powell, Charlie Parker and Art Tatum.” And he shows it.

Grasso was born in Ariano Irpino, Italy, and found his aptitude for guitar at a very young age. He studied classical guitar at the Music Conservatory of Bologna and has combined that fine skill with the innovative approaches he learned in studying Jazz. The result is the best of both worlds.

After racking up awards in Italy’s great festivals and competitions, Grasso moved to New York City in 2012 and became a welcomed part of that great music scene. He joined Ari Roland’s Quartet and the Chris Byars Quartet. In that same year, he was named a Jazz Ambassador with the US Embassy and traveling all over Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. In only three years, Pasquale Grasso has become an important fixture in the American music world.

Grasso has played and recorded with quartets, septets and octets and, of course, the duet with Prene in 2015. He has also released his first solo album, “Reflections of Me.” It is a finely named album as it truly reflects the Jazz style and personality of Grasso himself through his choice of standards and with the four original compositions on the album.

The album begins with “Time On My Hands,” the 1930 song by Vincent Youmans. It was recorded by Django Reinhardt in 1939 and is a great introduction to the album and to Pasquale Grasso himself. The quick runs and smooth chords are a great start.

“Rain Drops” is an original by Grasso. He described it to me in these words: “I was in New Orleans when I wrote this song. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to that city, but when it rains, it is really something else! Anyways, I was sitting on a balcony in the French Quarter and the sky was turning black, thunder in the distance. In a sense, the song relates to the rain itself. Each drop is uniquely its own, but they all come from the same place. To that end, I’m always trying to find new ways to challenge myself in music. I begin with what may seem a simple melody, which then I build and shape into an evolved and complex musical thought.”

Listening to “Rain Drops,” it is easy to picture the cascading water off of the rooftops and along the streets. The heavy rain drops make big splashes in the collected pools of water, all vividly depicted in Grasso’s guitar. So technically proficient but, more, Grasso infuses his heart and personality into the work.

Grasso then embarks on a Duke Ellington collection called, “Medley: Prelude to a Kiss / Sophisticated Lady / Chelsea Bridge.” Ellington made them all famous and recorded them all. Ellington also wrote the first two pieces of the medley with Billy Strayhorn writing “Chelsea Bridge.”

This is a beautiful assemblage of Ellington’s work. The transitions are fluid and fitting and prove Grasso’s intuition and skill as arranger as well as guitarist.

“Chasin' the Bird” by Charlie Parker follows next. A great choice for Grasso’s interpretive guitar. The melodic stays strong and the result is splendid. Grasso manages to give the full feel of a larger ensemble. Beautifully done.

“For You, My Dear Mary” is a breath-taking original composition. Grasso described his song like this: “This song is dedicated to my girlfriend. I met Mary just over a year ago, here in New York City. From the beginning, our relationship has been the most natural and beautiful thing I could ever imagine. The music came to me just as simply. It was almost as if the notes had always been there, but I had just not trained my ear to hear them. Her love and support helped me to grow as a musician as well as an individual.”

Indeed, there is an effortless aspect to this piece. It may be well-constructed but that is the result of inspiration as much as skill.

There is a charm and warmth here, for now-obvious reasons. Despite the presence of the great Jazz masterpieces on the album, this is the standout piece. Near the 2:11 mark, you hear what sounds to be an audible sniff. It is as though the thought of Mary has moved him so deeply that the emotion cannot be contained. Nor should be.

Then comes “Oblivion” by Bud Powell. The tone and tempo are different from Piazzola’s “New Tango” original. Perhaps the most virtuosic piece on the album, Grasso lights it up with great energy and imagination.

“Lament of the South” is another piece by Pasquale Grasso. Again, I will let him speak for himself.

“Lament of the South begins with four bars representing the tears that my parents shed when I left Italy to pursue a musical career in NYC. It is a tribute to all of those who have ever made sacrifices to find their true purpose in life.

“Something unique about this song is that the entire bridge is improvised. This is meant to signify the mystery that one finds when exploring a new country. People are often times afraid of or uncertain about the unknown, but I believe it is something beautiful. It is a song of nostalgia, but also of the beauty of finding my calling in life.”

It is true. The finding of one’s calling or purpose or mission is full of mystery and sometimes comes late. But it is always worth the wait, even if it tarries.

“Yesterdays” is a swinging piece. And why not? Jerome Kern composed it in 1933 and is the ninth most-covered song in Jazz repertoire. Grasso covers it brilliantly, equaling certainly but perhaps surpassing that of Larry Coryell. You decide.

“Phantasmagoria” is the final original to appear on “Reflections of Me.” It is not as spooky as the times would suggest.

According to Pasquale, “Everyone strives towards what they perceive as the ‘perfect’ or ‘ideal’ sound on their instrument. I put this vision on a pedestal - romanticized it, even - and would work each day to achieve a certain level of perfection. Quickly I saw that the more I learn, the more the definition of ‘perfect’ seemed to change.

“A phantasmagoria is a scene that is dreamlike, constantly changing and morphing into something new, often in strange ways. For that reason, I try think out of the box and pull inspiration from all genres. I look for musical direction in the great musicians of the past - from Bud Powell and Charlie Parker to Chopin, there is always something to be learned. In a sense, the song is a reflection of the present - who I am as a musician today and also of the adoration that I hold for the past.”

It is surely a work of ascendance and progression. Firmly rooted in the past, made manifest in the present but with a view to the future, it becomes a point of reference for looking back from the future. Altogether splendid.

“How High Is the Moon” is the Morgan Lewis composition that became a hit under Benny Goodman in 1940 and again under Stan Kenton’s arrangement in 1948.

The solo guitar arrangement has the same swing and sweetness of all the great versions. It is also a statement to describe Grasso’s own talents and aspiration. However high the moon is, he will get there.



~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl





Visit his website at: http://pasqualegrasso.com/Pasquale-Grasso
"Like" him on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/grassopasquale
Purchase "Reflections of Me" on MP3 at Amazon by clicking the link below.

Andréa Wood released her debut album, “Dyana,” to critical success and popular acclaim in 2011. Since that heady season of success, she has concentrated on education—her own and her students’—receiving a Master’s in Music in 2013, continuing towards a Master’s in Music Education currently and in her teaching so many others.

She teaches her listeners, as well, and one huge lesson is that music is not static but is fluid and ever-changing. What she presents on “Kaleidoscope” is not just an evolutionary transition—it is a Copernican Revolution. Things can no longer remain the same.

“Kaleidoscope” (Biophilia Records, BRCD0005) has been “Kaleidoscope” (Biophilia Records, BRCD0005)called Jazz but it includes equal measures of Soul and Hip-hop. There are three Hip-hop moments: Interlude 1 and 2 and in the bonus track which she did in cooperation with her brother, Nick Wood. Listening to what resulted on “Kaleidoscope” was like listening to Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” for the first time. You take a breath and realize that the world has just become a very different place.

Her band is remarkable. Angelo Di Loreta is on keys, Olli Hirvonen is on guitar with bassist Ethan O’Reilly and drummer/percussionist Philippe Lemm. Add to that mix of young artists a veteran like tenor saxman Donny McCaslin and things get cool.

Andréa Wood is not only a splendid singer, she is an excellent composer and arranger. There are several of her original compositions on “Kaleidoscope” that will be covered by other artists for years to come. And, of course, nobody can sing a song like the one who wrote it.

With all of that, she still reinterprets others’ songs and completely makes them her own. You find yourself saying, “Wait, don’t I know this song?”

The album takes off with the original tune, “Intuition.”  The opening piano riff with drums is a cool start. Angelo Di Loreto then opens a sweet left-hand groove that is snatched up by Ethan O’Reilly’s bass.

Donny McCaslin steps in and out with tenor saxophone. You just can’t get enough of this guy.

One important feature of the album is that the recording and mixing of the album places Andréa in a spatial mid-ground which she uses to maximum effect. She becomes an instrument in the band as well as the vocalist.

The song rolls away with the same cool groove that started it. Sweet and jazzy.

“The Arabesque of Love and Loss” is another Andréa original. This is Soul supreme. You can imagine Roberta Flack all over this one.

The lyrics are subject to the intonations but the lyrics are indeed touching on their own merit. Di Loreto gives a Fender Rhodes treatment of the piece as O’Reilly and Lemm are straight up on the rhythm section. A warm transition occurs in the final passages of “Intuition” as Di Loreta switches from Fender Rhodes to acoustic piano. The effect is pure gold.

As the song fades, you begin to hear the vocal effects bleed in from the following track “Interlude 1.” This effect-driven, vocally evocative interlude serves as the bridge to the first cover song on the album, Stevie Wonder’s “You And I.” Stevie’s song are perfection in their original form. Part of that perfection is that it holds up to almost any reinterpretation without any violence to the original. Andréa breathes her own life and soul into this great piece.

This is also the first track to put a spotlight on Olli Hirvonen’s guitar mastery. The electric guitar fits so well with Di Loreto’s piano and the rhythm section of O’Reilly and Lemm.

Andréa does much more than simply channel Stevie. She sings from her own heart and intelligence and leaves us hearing her and her alone. Andréa doesn’t get overshadowed by Stevie, she shares the spotlight with him.

“Take a Chance” sounds like it is already a standard. The Fender Rhodes opens the track for Andréa’s vocals. Hirvonen’s electric guitar is tight and fun while Lemm’s light drumming is a good listen as he and O’Reilly bounce under Di Loreto’s Fender Rhodes.

Andréa’s vocals are fanciful and charming. An altogether fun track.

Eden Ahbez’s “Nature Boy” enjoyed eight weeks at the top spot for Nat King Cole in 1948. Andréa simply makes the song her own. Seriously, she makes you forget that the great Cole ever recorded it. And that is saying something.

Donny McCaslin makes his second and final appearance of the album on “Nature Boy.” There is wonderful interaction between Andréa’s voice and McCaslin’s tenor sax. Di Loreto also offers a beautiful solo with the support of O’Reilly and Lemm. It is one of the true highlights of the album, performed flawlessly with the mixing pointing out every delicious morsel.

The track fades out into “Interlude 2.” The Glasper-like rhythm is cool and the vocalizations remain in the background until Andréa opens into “The Little Things.”

“The Little Things” is another original work. A heart-warming Soul tune, if ever there was one. The vocals are mesmerizing and the music is straight on the groove.

The vocals, of course, are captivating throughout the entire album but the effects on the vocals give a chorus feel. The guitar remains matched to the vocals’ chords even as the keyboards seem to go cross-current in a funky way.

“Kaleidoscope (Fall in Place)” grabs the listener from the very start. I mean, good Lord! This is lyrical and lovely and completely enchanting.

Di Loreto and Hirvonen are a great pairing. Hirvonen gets his brightest spotlight here and he makes it memorable.

The song is a finely written and delicately constructed piece, just like the crystalline structure of the kaleidoscope itself. This is the track I keep replaying.

Andréa then blindsides us with a Jazz conversion of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” I never saw it coming. This song got saved at Andréa’s First Church of Vocal Jazz. Olli Hirvonen’s sanctified guitar gets an “Amen!” from the congregation and Di Loreto’s piano is delightful in this brilliant arrangement.

“Parting Ways” is sweetly melancholic. Andréa’s vocals—alongside Di Loreto’s accompaniment—are warm and touching.

Ethan O’Reilly gets a long-awaited solo on bass which is equally tender before turning it over to Di Loreto’s piano.

Andréa’s returning vocals are pain-stricken and lonely. The hurt in something so lovely is the most heart-wrenching of all. Amazing. But that song about separation and loneliness is peacefully and hopefully caressed by the following piece, Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.”

Hirvonen’s opening guitar is a great nod-and-a-wink to Marley. The arrangement is more Gospel than Reggae and that is enhanced by Di Loreto’s B3 organ.

Andréa sings the line “Don’t worry, ‘cause every little thing is gonna be all right.” That line may be the most memorable of all of Marley’s wonderful lyrics. Andréa delivers the lyric with the same assuredness and hope. What a sweet way to end the album proper.

There is an important bonus track, the third with her brother Nick Wood. “Doowop” features Nick as vocalist and co-producer with Andréa. The three tracks with Nick Wood provide the Hip-hop infusion into the album.

“Kaleidoscope” is a work of jazzy, soulful brilliance. Mixing covers and originals, Andréa Wood declares—in her rich vocals—that things are not as they once were. And thank heavens for it.



                                                                                ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl



Visit Andréa Wood's website at:http://www.andreawoodmusic.com/
"Like" Andréa Wood on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreawoodmusic
To follow more great artists, check out Kari-On Productions at http://www.karigaffney.com/
Purchase "Kaleidoscope" on CD or MP3 at Amazon by clicking the links below.