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Frank Kohl makes The Crossing

8/29/2020

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Frank Kohl has been on my radar since 2011 when I first reviewed his album Coast to Coast. Again with 2013’s Invisible Man, I wrote “His focus on the music instead of the musician makes him a cherished artist.” And that remains true until this day.

Frank has now released The Crossing, his fifth album, and with him is long-time bass associate Steve LaSpina and guitarist John Stowell. Stowell also plays the nylon string guitar and fits so well with Frank and LaSpina. The Crossing contains several of Frank’s originals along with a couple of Carlos Antonio Jobim tunes that Frank and Stowell perform so well.

The Crossing is the most recent in a growing line of extraordinary guitar albums that feature Frank’s brilliant composing and incredible artistry. He doesn’t get old.

The album opens with the title track The Crossing, the first of Frank’s originals on the album. Frank takes on the melody while Stowell accompanies with those lush and languid chords. LaSpina, as always, is fabulous with that acoustic bass behind it all.

O Grande Amour is a Jobim classic and Frank and Stowell present a more relaxed bossa nova approach with Stowell on the nylon string guitar. LaSpina picks up with the bowed acoustic bass and the effect is sweet. You have to love Frank’s improvisational passages backed by Stowell’s light touch.

I’m Afraid This Masquerade is Over is the Allie Wrubel classic which he simply called The Masquerade is Over. Frank and the fellas make this tune swing. Listen to the dialogue between Frank and Stowell while LaSpina plays so understatedly that you really need to pay close attention. It’s worth the effort.

The Goodbye is another Frank original. The movement and emotion are wonderful. Frank’s evocative playing over LaSpina’s touching bass and Stowell’s light chords is wonderful. The composition is extraordinary and the performance is flawless.

Jerome Kern’s Yesterdays is a tune of fond reminiscence. The song was written for the musical Roberta but was overshadowed by another Kern song, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Frank takes on the classic and bends this to his own will and vision. Frank is beautifully virtuosic here and he doesn’t let go of the cool little groove he carves out.

Another Frank original, Middle of Nowhere, is an excellent example of the interplay between Frank and Stowell but LaSpina offers up a beautiful bass solo while the guitars bounce between each other. It is a joyful—sometimes playful—tune that is perfect for this trio.

Sojourn is a bit of a surprise from Frank’s pen with its swinging perfection. It is wistful and imaginative and Frank is right on target with this one. All three artists are straight-up amazing. But it gets even better on New Moon. The lyrical emotion and straightforward rhythms make for one of the best pieces on an already gorgeous album. Frank’s composing is rarely, if ever, better than here.

Frank closes the album with another Jobim beauty, Brigas Nunca Mais. The lyrics from Jobim’s Portuguese are translated like this.

                                                       Arrived, smiled, won and then cried
                                                  So it was me who comforted her sadness
                                        In the certainty that love goes through these bad phases
                                                      And it serves well to make peace, but
                                                          Then it was me who needed her
                                                             And she came to my rescue
                                                   And our love showed it was here to stay
                                                                Once again for eternity
                                                               So good to love in peace
                                                                      Fighting no more
 
Frank brings those lyrics to life with his interpretation. It is as if Frank and Stowell are playing the two lovers of the song’s lyrics in their individual guitar approach. Just like Tom Jobim and Ellis Regina. Beautifully done.

The whole album is a marvel of intelligent composing and flawless execution. Frank Kohl, as I said years ago, is deserving of the greatest attention and admiration. The Crossing is wonderful.
 
 
                                  ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Jenny Davis is Rearranged

8/29/2020

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Jenny Davis is a composer, band leader, and Jazz vocalist. In recent years she has focused her talents towards being an advocate for change. This is reflected in her fourth album as a bandleader called Rearranged. Of the 12 tracks on the album, nine of them have been written by Jenny Davis herself.

One of the exciting aspects of rearranged is Jenny’s recruitment of three-time Grammy-nominated Brazilian musician and composer, Jovino Santos Neto. Neto is the pianist for Rearranged. With vocalist Jenny and pianist Neto are Chuck Deardorf on bass, Jeff Busch on drums, Kurt Festinger on tenor sax, Dmitri Matheny on flugelhorn, Mark Taylor on alto sax, Heather Bentley on viola and violin, and David Lange on accordion. On three tracks are the Yeoman Warders Sax Quartet consisting of Kate Olsen on soprano sax, Mark Taylor on alto, Cynthia Mullins on tenor, and Jim Dejoie on baritone.

The album is kicked off with Aceptar. Nice way to start with that cool vocal bossa nova. The Jovino Santos Neto Trio backs Jenny and Kurt Festinger works in that smoky tenor sax.

Herbie Hancock’s And What If I Don’t follows with Jenny’s staccato intonations and the sweet arrangement. Jenny and the band turn this tune on its ear and it works.

Come with Me is the first part of a trilogy of Jenny originals for the Yeoman Warders Project. The piece is an introduction to Jenny’s worldview that so informs her activism. Vanessa Littrell joins Jenny on vocals with lyrics of open-minded, open-heartedness. The melody is mesmerizing and the lyrics are enlightening. Jenny’s delivery is nothing short of intoxicating.

Rearranged is also part of that trilogy. The plaintive, prayerful lyrics are stunningly rendered by Jenny with beautiful piano work from Neto. The prayer is to be changed into a person of love and faith in a world of disbelief and hatred. The payoff line is “If you could change me, change them, too.” Wonderful.

The trilogy is completed with Yeoman Warders a three-part suite featuring the Yeoman Warders Sax Quartet. It is an instrumental piece an several influences can be noted including John Coltrane. It is moving and emotional with touches of anger and more.

Invitation is by Bronislau Kaper, the Polish film score composer, from the 1950 film A Life of Her Own. Dmitri Matheny’s flugelhorn is deliciously smooth and warm. Jenny nails the tune and her intonation is at once sweet and sultry. Beautiful piano work.

Saying Yes is a delightful contrary tune with playful lyrics and vocals from Jenny. Festinger’s tenor sax is throaty and cool and Neto’s rapid runs and soulful chords are brilliant. Listen for Deardorf’s understated bass lines.

Calling You follows. The tune was written by Bob Telson for his album of the same name. It was also used for Twyla Tharp’s Sextet and Percy Adlon’s Bagdad Café.” No offense to Telson but Jenny takes ownership of this song. She delivers it perfectly. Beautiful instrumentation makes this song of love and longing irresistible.

Perfectly, Answer the Call comes next. The strings of Heather Bentley are a great addition to the Neto trio. The shifting emotions between vocals and instruments is intriguing and Neto gets some beautiful passages along with Deardorf’s cool bass solo. Jenny’s vocals are so cool.

Gemini Tango takes you into a new realm with Jenny’s exploration of the tango. Bentley’s strings with David Lange’s accordion is just what you want. Jenny takes a turn at astrology but that Argentine tango is rapturous. Wait for Neto’s solo. Good God, ya’ll.

Wise Up is another of Jenny’s instrumental pieces and it swings in full force. Taylor’s tenor sax and Deardorf’s bass get special attention, as well as drummer Jeff Busch and, of course, Neto. But it is the composition that carries the day. As impressive as Jenny is as a vocalist, she is equally captivating as a composer.

The album wraps with a live version of Rearranged, this time performed by The Sirius String Quartet. Technically, it is a Bonus Track but it recapitulates and summarizes the album so well that it must be included in the album as a whole. Jenny adds her vocals to the wonderful string quartet and those lyrics get you the second time as much as when you hear them for the first time.

In fact, the whole of Rearranged is an extraordinary look into ourselves and into the world. Jenny Davis makes the listener reexamine themself and others.

“If you could change me, change them, too.”

 
                               ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Troy Roberts retells Stuff I Heard

8/29/2020

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Troy Roberts gets around. After winning several awards and two Grammy nominations, along with nearly 50 recordings as a side man, Troy has released his 12th album as a leader entitled Stuff I Heard from Toy Robot Music. Having played regularly with Joey DeFrancesco, Jeff "Tain" Watts and Kut Elling, Troy has also performed and recorded with his own groups, The Troy Roberts Quartet and NU-JIVE.

Now Troy has released an album with a new approach to the material and to the format. Troy is paired with drummer Jim Macbride who has recorded with the likes of Roxy Coss, Nick Finzer, Alex Wintz and Chris Ziemba. In other words, you see Jimmy Macbride on an album and you can’t wait to crank it up.
With this pair, you got the makin’s! Troy handles not only the soprano, alto and tenor saxes, he also takes on electric and acoustic bass duties. And delivers on all of them. Troy also composed and arranged all the tracks on the album. Underachiever.

Troy kicks it all of with Little Room. Not only does Troy reveal his saxophone virtuosity on all saxes concerned but he turns in some brilliant bass work as Jimmy Macbride shows why he is everyone’s go-to guy on the kit. The movement of the tune is fascinating and full of fun.

Harry Brown reminds me of the Michael Caine vigilante action-thriller of the same name. Troy’s excellent Bop is brilliant in tone and punctuation. His alto bits are so fine. Pay attention to Jimmy’s cool drumming.

Lifeline is a cool-as-you-can-get composition with Near Eastern themed melodic lines and rhythms. Macbride’s passages are beautifully toned and sit so distinctively with Troy’s runs and imaginative motifs. Troy explores some wide-ranging intonations and it pays off so well.

Prayer of Hope shifts to a more meditative sound with Troy overlaying all three saxes in extraordinarily fine lines over sax arpeggios. It is almost liturgical in Troy’s composition. You can almost hear a pipe organ in the higher registers. Beautiful.

Rejekt swings hard and Troy’s tenor sax punctuations are so fine beneath the alto runs. Macbride plays amazing rhythms to frame the melody and improvs. Troy is tough on the electric bass. The two of them sound like a big band. This is one exciting piece of music with heavy funk and Troy and Jimmy work it hotly. Couldn’t get enough of this one.

Hightail is Troy at his hottest on the album. His tenor solo is a monster and Jimmy is in overdrive with him. The ostinato pedal adds a wider dimension to an already brilliant tune. There is nothing weak about this track or, indeed, the whole album but, as my uncle used to say, “This mother smokes!”

Aeonian gives the image or sense of its title—lasting for an indescribably long period of time. And I mean that in a good way. It comes across as a ballad of long reflection and reminiscence. The alto lead is meditative and deliciously melancholy. The soprano takeover is sweet and sad.

Solar Panels is a nod-and-a-wink to Miles Davis’ Solar. It is an upbeat, bouncy number with the soprano taking charge from the start. Jimmy is tight with the Troy swing and the results are fantastic as Troy works the acoustic bass. The two just may be a their tightest on this track. Hot stuff.

The Comedian is the closer on the album. It is not the light-hearted foray you might expect. It is more like Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci or might even put you in mind of Charlie Chaplin whose comedies always had a touch of melancholy to them. The writing is exemplary and the delivery from both Troy and Jimmy is moving and beautiful. The lilt of the soprano and tenor saxes is like the slow breathing the one who watches the world with sadness. Beautiful.

Stuff I Heard is a fascinating, imaginative album that is written with depth and beauty and performed with dedication and emotion. Troy Roberts and Jimmy Macbride deliver a flawless performance of exquisite music.
 
                     ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Anson Wright's  Only Love

8/29/2020

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Anson Wright has assembled a remarkable group of artists to complete his quartet for recording his latest album Only Love. With the exception of bassist Brian Casey, they represent the finest in the Portland music scene. And what a scene it is.

Guitarist, composer, poet, teacher, author Anson Wright leads the group and seven of the nine tracks on Only Love are his originals. On piano is one of my favorite pianists and composers in the world, also from the Portland area via Brasil, is Jasnam Daya Singh. Drummer Tom Scott Bishop is a brilliant artist and has released fine albums under his own leadership. Brian Casey is an extraordinary bassist and fits so very well within this particular quartet.

Wright opens the splendid album with Rahway Blues, one of his original compositions. It opens with a cool swing and the song introduces all the players admirably. Wright and the band take their parts with steady diligence. An excellent introduction.

Maddie in New York, another Wright original, follows with a cymbal opening from Bishop who expands into a full kit solo before being joined by guitar, piano, and bass. Wright’s guitar work is expressive and is paired beautifully with Jasnam, who never ever falters. Jasnam’s piano solo beautifully sets up Casey’s dynamic bass interlude. The band takes up a cool 8-note motif before the close. Good stuff.

Wright’s Solstice is a Jazz tone poem that shows off that great partnership of Wright and Jasnam. The trades are well-placed and well-played while Casey and Bishop work their magic from beneath. Wright’s delicate touches provide a fine counterpart to Casey’s bass lines.

Chelsea comes next with an ethereal approach from Wright on this, his original composition. The mood is reflective and delicate. Leads by Wright and Jasnam are exquisitely done and Casey offers a smooth bass solo. A fine piece, beautifully done.

Inner Motion sounds like the soundtrack to a cool spy movie. Jasnam is at his strident best as Wright hits precise pinpoint that is both cool and forward moving. Casey and Bishop propel the song forward with deliberate rhythm that remains melodic. The 1-2/1-2/1-2-3 motif is catchy and keeps your attention.

Merci Mon Frére is Jasnam’s first composition of the album. Lyrical and melodic, the guitar and piano are in perfect agreement. Jasnam’s compositions are forever touching and emotional. At least, for me. Casey and Bishop enhance the movement of the piece remarkably, accenting without crowding. And that may be the strength of this quartet—that they make space for one another and their contributions are always appropriate.

Warrior One is Wright’s piece with a more straightforward approach, more declarative than insinuating. The quartet all get their licks in and nothing is left unsaid. Wright’s lead moments are stellar and Jasnam’s piano is gorgeous.

Jasnam’s second and final composition is All Shall Rise to Thee. The piece is melodic and meditative, reflective and rarified with its understated beauty and movement. The back and forth of guitar and piano call forth a dialogue with the Divine, a call and response of love and awe. It is a spiritual reflection that evokes images of beauty and wonder. Stunning.

The album closes with the title track, Only Love. As with the opening of the album, the closing offers the quartet a chance to bid farewell. Wright’s lead is a thing of beauty and Jasnam’s support is moving and fascinating, then his solo takes off on cool runs as Casey and Bishop provide fascinating rhythms. An excellent end to a brilliant album.

Anson Wright’s Only Love is a wonderful album of stellar compositions with first-class artists who know how to deliver on Wright’s vision for the music. Beautiful compositions, beautifully performed.
 
 
                 ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl


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Alan Rosenthal adds the Elbow Grease

8/28/2020

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Alan Rosenthal returns in style and in force after his previous release Just Sayin’. With his new Elbow Grease, Rosenthal is at the piano once again composing eight of the nine tracks. He mixes up the instrumentation nicely with contributions from a topflight core group and line-up of contributors.

The album opens with (Preface) Another Sky with Rosenthal on solo piano. It is a beautiful piece that sets the stage remarkably for what is to come. It is an excellent piece that effortlessly crosses the boundaries between Bill Evans and Camille Saint-Saëns. Exquisite.

Up the Kazoo follows and shows the first shift of instrumentation and format. Joining Rosenthal’s piano is Alan Chaubert on trumpet, Patience Higgins on tenor sax, Scott Reeves on trombone, Bill Ware on vibraphone, Brian Glassman on bass and Steve Johns on drums. Johns was with him on Just Sayin’.

 The horns pick the fanfare with Ware’s vibes softly accenting the melodic line. The rhythm section of Glassman and Johns keep it all rolling with a military cadence that is deliciously belied by those vibes.

Blue J is the first of five tracks of the trio setting with only Rosenthal, Glassman’s bass, and Mike Campenni on drums. The trio is my favorite Jazz format and these three do great honor to that setting. The song is as blue as the title suggests but it is set within a lovely melody and a captivating four-note motif. The hint of melancholy never overwhelms of the whimsy of this worthy composition and performance.

Drop Me Here keeps the same trio with some excellent interludes and solos from Campenni on drums. Rosenthal lays down a fine melodic line and Glassman grooves beneath. The tune is a catchy number and the fun of the play is palatable to anyone with ears. Listen for the brief tribute to Bo Diddley.

The trio stays on for Guitar Knee. This is a captivating bluesy piece and Rosenthal and the lads just nail it. Glassman works in one cool bass solo while Rosenthal and Campenni swing the rhythm section. Another fine, modulating motif keeps your attention.

The quartet of Rosenthal, Peter Brainin on soprano and tenor sax, John Loehrke on bass and Steve Johns on drums step up for Monk Over Marrakesh. The highlights of the soprano sax are countered by the low groans of Loehrke’s bass before returning to the tenor sax. Brainin is fantastic and the interplay between himself and Rosenthal is sweet. Rosenthal’s touch is just so very fine. It’s almost like Thelonious Monk had reimagined the soundtrack for Casablanca as you hear an all-too-brief nod and a wink to As Time Goes By.

Jerome Kern’s They Don’t Believe Me is the only cover on the album and is beautifully rendered by the trio of Rosenthal, Glassman and Campenni. Fine solos from all three of the trio make for compelling listening. Plus, there is no denying the beauty of the tune.

Dextrously is a return to the quartet with Peter Brainin taking on some swinging Dexter Gordon tenor sax impressions. Steve Johns gives what may be his best performance of the album here and Rosenthal is just on fire. It’s easy to get lost in Brainin but Rosenthal just owns this piece. Loehrke’s bass solo is also worthy of rapt attention.

The album closes with Old-Fashioned Valentine. It is the trio that brings the musical feast to a close. In fact, while in danger of overextending the metaphor, they bring the dessert. The ballad is lovely with delicate brush work from Campenni and a precisely measured bass line from Glassman. Still, Rosenthal turns in a performance worthy of a Valentine.
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Elbow Grease is yet another jewel in the crown of Alan Rosenthal. He never ceases to amuse, inform, and enlighten. His compositions are extraordinary and his choice of supporting artists is precise and so appropriate. His own performing artistry is exemplary.
 
 
             ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl


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David Sills follows Natural Lines

8/27/2020

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David Sills, the multi-reed recording and performing artist, is set to release Natural Lines, his 17th album as a leader. Sills is based in Los Angeles and draws on that city’s best and brightest talent. With David Sills, who plays tenor saxophone and alto flute, is Mike Scott on guitar, Larry Koonse on guitar, Blake White on bass and Tim Pleasant on drums. Yes, a double guitar quintet.

Not to leave anyone out but I can’t get enough of Larry Koonse. Put him with Mike Scott and an excellent rhythm section, and David Sills has a band that lets him explore to his heart’s desire. 

Of the 12 tracks on the album, seven are written or co-written by Sills with the rest coming from the pens of Larry Koonse, Mike Scott, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and others.

The album opens with Mike Scott’s Minor Monk. It’s a swinging bop piece and the guitars trade some sweet passages. Pay attention to the driving rhythm section of Blake White on bass and Tim Pleasant on drums. Sills himself lays down cool lines over everything.

Sync or Swin is a Larry Koonse piece. Sills admits that he always tries to get Koonse to contribute a tune to his albums. He calls it “a tradition.” Hearing Sync or Swim, you understand why Sils calls him “such an interesting composer.” The guitar riffs are cool and the tenor sax from Sills is worth the price of admission.

Sonny’s Side is the first Sills composition of Natural Lines. It is easy to see that this is a tribute to Sonny Rollins with some of Sonny’s signature passages and the time shifts. The guitars get some fine moments and the rhythm section of White and Pleasant keep things lively, especially in Pleasant’s fascinating solo. Any Sonny Rollins fan will dig this track as Sills nails the parts flawlessly.

Alan Broadbent’s Quiet is the Star was discovered by Sills in a hand-scribed notebook by Broadbent. Broadbent was a pianist and Sills transcribes it for alto flute. It is a gorgeous piece that is so well suited for the flute. Scott and Koonse on electric and acoustic guitars weave a beautiful tapestry behind it all. Amazing composition that sounds like it belongs in the soundtrack a 1960s movie about life in the south of France. Think Michel Legrand.

Sills said that he wanted a ballad for the album and he tapped an old favorite from his repertoire, Lover Man. The song is by Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez and James Sherman. You can’t get enough of the interplay of Koonse and Scott as they set up Sills so finely. Brilliant guitar runs and duets give such good space for Sills’ tenor sax.

Foggy Daze is another smoking composition from Sills. It is actually a variation on a theme (or a contrafact) from A Foggy Day by George Gershwin. It bounces hotly with great bravado—and I mean that in a good way. The new line for the Gershwin tune was so satisfying for Sills that he was compelled to include it on the album.

Another Sills tune, and another contrafact, Mellow Stone, follows. It is a variation on Duke Ellington’s In A Mellow Tone. And just to make things really fun, Ellington’s piece is itself a variation from the 1917 standard Rose Room by Art Hickman and Harry Williams. Sills creates a languid, almost intoxicated, feel to the piece that is nothing short of deliciously decadent.

Then comes the Miles Davis monster Nardis. Sills takes it on from the alto flute and the results are everything you hoped for. White gets a cool introductory bass line before the main theme from Sills’ flute. Nardis is one of my favorite Miles pieces and the brilliant approach from the electric and acoustic guitars with the flute is excellent, even exemplary.

Jones’ Tones (David Sills) is based on a new line written for the Rodgers & Hart hit Have You Met Miss Jones? Sills tenor sax parts are brilliant and the guitars follow-up are equally rewarding. The easy swing of the rhythm section rolls the piece along so well. But the paired guitars are wonderful.

All the Little Things is a cool improv on Jerome Kern’s All the Things You Are. The tenor sax and guitars just take ownership of the Kern piece and work it and rework it through their improvisations into something truly magical. Couldn’t get enough of this one.

David Sills’ Outside Corner is not based on a pitcher’s cutting the plate.  It is famous among surfers referring to and exposed reef in Bali famous for consistently large waves. Sills wrote this in memory of his surfing in Bali. And it certainly carries a surfing imagery from all the artists involved. Sills evokes pictures of the board in the wave and the consistent guitars propel everything forward. A fun piece.

Sills closes out the album with Bill Evans’ Interplay. I think of Bill Evans playing with Freddie Hubbard and David Sills creates the same interplay with the alto flute and guitars. The effect of the alto flute is wonderful.
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All of Natural Lines is wonderful. The idea of the double guitar quintet with the tenor sax and alto flute gives David Sills the ability to weave lush tapestries and multi-layered explorations of fascinating compositions. Natural Lines is rewarding in every way.
 
                           ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl


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Jesse Fischer shows his Resilience

8/23/2020

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   It has been an excellent couple of months for Jesse Fisher. First, he participated in the phenomenal War Chant album by Ajoyo. Now he releases his latest project as a leader called Resilience. Resilience incorporates the influences of modern Jazz, African music, and Near Eastern music reflecting Jesse's own Jewish heritage.
   To help Jesse on his cause and quest, he brings along a core group and featured artists including saxophonist Godwin Louis, trumpeters Billy Buss and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, vocalist Becca Stevens, harmonica great Gregoire Marét, tenor sax player Morgan Guerin, drummer Obed Calvaire and percussionist Keita Ogawa, bassist David Cutler and guitarist Jordan Peters. Joining him from the Ajoyo line-up is the amazing Sarah Elizabeth Charles on vocals. It is a dream line-up, no doubt.
   The album starts with the title track, Resilience. It features trumpeter extraordinaire Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. It opens with cool horns lines and evokes great imagery of personal strength and rebounding in the face of adversity. Jesse’s piano riffs hold a firm line of determination and optimism with resurging horns and powerful percussion. It is almost an anthem to strength of will. Wait for the Moog solo that closes out the track. Not just resilient—triumphant.
   Healing is an elegiac piece with beautiful contributions from Godwin Louis on saxophone, Billy Buss on trumpet, and the amazing rhythm section of bassist David Cuter, drummer Obed Calvaire, and, of course, Jesse himself. It is an excellent piece to follow Resilience. After all, healing can come from resilience.
   Push/Pull is the first of only two vocal tracks and it features Becca Stevens on vocals. The song opens with Becca and Jesse on the first notes. It is a lament of returning cycles in our lives—in politics, inter-personal relations, and our struggles with and against ourselves. It is Jazz and folk with touches of Eastern rhythms and chords. Jesse draws on everything within his considerable attention.
   Refection Point has Jesse on the electric piano and he proves that, if it has keys, he can play it. He can make a ‘53 Buick sound like a symphony. Tenor sax player Morgan Guerin is featured and percussionist Keita Ogawa and drummer Obed Calvaire turn in a beautifully extended rhythm passage.
   Chorale is exquisite in its compiling of diverse influences like Black Church, Jewish traditions, European classicism, and more. Jesse mused, “I tried to imagine Glenn Gould, playing a bar mitzvah, at an A.M.E. church deep in Brooklyn…what would that sound like?” It can be plaintive, mournful, and still uplifting and hopeful. Almost the shortest piece on the album, it is also one of the most meaningful.
   All of that changes with Play Date. Celebrating children at play, it is heavy on the frivolity and joy. Cool synthesizers from Jess and a magnificent horn section with vibrant rhythms from the percussionists set up the brilliant play of trumpeter Billy Buss and guitarist Jordan Peters. A riotously fun song with supreme musicianship to make the fun look easy.  
   The Wanderer features Gregoire Marét on harmonica. It is melancholic but also more than a little meditative, like the musings of a troubadour or the reminiscences of the old railroad hobo. It is both sweet and sad and it brings back memories for even the most jaded listener. Jesse and the core band gives plenty of space for Gregoire’s explorations. Again, Jesse takes to the synthesizer with touching passages. Beautifully conceived, beautifully done.
   Same Mistakes features the wonderful vocals of Sarah Elizabeth Charles, who co-wrote the song with Jesse. It doesn’t get any better than Sarah on vocals. She can empower a song with the anger of the moment while delivering it with a delicacy and deliciousness that is truly incomparable. The band is tight within a construct of demanding liberation. And yet there is a certain sense of not-quite-resignation that is truly haunting.
   Jesse wraps it up with Meditation on Peace. What a magnificent explosion of hope and determination. Godwin Louis’ soprano sax with Jesse’s piano is a gorgeous pairing, so full of visions of what might be, could be, should be. This is a brilliant ending to a brilliant album.
   Jesse Fischer has not only envisioned and composed a beautiful album, he has brought together the right players for the right job. It is executed with power and precision and—dare I say—purity. Resilience does not lose its way once. It is focused and is a frontal assault at what life throws our way, and how we can overcome.
 
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                               ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Andreas Vollenweider returns after 10 years with Quiet Places

8/11/2020

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It has been more than 10 years since we have heard a new release from famed Swiss harpist Andreas Vollenweider. His new album Quiet Places is so worth the wait.

At the age of 22, he discovered a passion for the harp and, though he is gifted and proficient in piano, wind instruments, and percussion, it is the harp that has set him apart from so many other artists of our time. He has developed a style and approach unique to himself and has event crafted the instrument to his own liking. The results have been over 40 years of astonishing beauty and thought.

Andreas’ last release was 2009’s Air, an album of unabashed beauty. Releasing albums at a solid pace since 1979, this decade-long pause has been excruciating for those of us who love his music so much.

Again, it is worth the wait. The great news is that Quiet Places is part one of three new albums. Part two will be Slow Flow and part three will be Dancer. Andreas has also written his first novel, Reflection of Venus. Our idol has not been idle.

On Quiet Places, Andreas teams up with cellist Isabel Gehweiler and drummer/percussionist Walter Keiser. Keiser first played with Andreas in 1981. The 1981 album Behind the Gardens (with Keiser on drums) was my first step into the Vollenweider realm of wonder.

The culmination of this teaming of Andreas, Isabel and Walter are beyond tranquil. This album is a pilgrimage into recollection and imagination, emotion and thought.

The album opens with Pygmalion. Pygmalion was both king and sculptor in Greek mythology. The story is that he created a statue of a woman so beautiful that he fell in love with the statue. Isabel Gehweiler’s cello carries the mournful melody against Andreas’ pensive, reflective harp; her tragedy of unattainability against his hope of love. The piece summons reminiscences of plans gone awry, if not astray.

Polyhymnia is the muse of sacred poetry in Greek mythology. Indeed, Andreas and Isabel create their own sacred hymn of love of creation and the beauty of the world we see. The ascendant theme creates a work of enlightened joy and an expression of gratitude for all that is.

The Pyramidians follows next with a deliberate motion set by Andreas’ harp with Isabel’s cello playing low. The mathematical advances call forth images of ancient architects with their visions of height and splendor. Andreas’ recreates the warm and imaginative sounds that have set him apart for decades.

Following that is Entangled which opens with Andreas on the piano and features Isabel again on the cello. The gorgeous and reverential tones put one in mind of Debussy’s prelude La Cathédrale engloutie. Those numinous chords and the melodic fantasies are mesmerizing and inspiring.

Come to the Quiet Place is an invitation to contemplation. With Isabel’s cello and Walter on the drums, Andreas calls from deep to the deep with is ever-so-soft vocalizations. The synthesis of vocal tonality, harp strumming, bowing of the cello, and percussive drive are compelling.

Venus in the Mirror opens with the beautiful tremolo of Isabel followed by the delicate touch of Andreas. The intoxicating beauty of Venus is matched only by her reflection. That same beauty is reflected between Andreas and Isabel.

Bella Smiling is almost a ballad with drummer Walter Keiser as the only accompanist with Andreas. It is a beautiful melodic line with dynamic runs from Andreas. Andreas sings or intones softly, adding to the theme. I don’t know who Bella is but she must be adorable. The melody is playful and delicate, full of hope and joy. Listen for the indiscernible lyrics to put a smile on your own face.

Wanderungen (Hikes) features Andreas on the piano and Isabel on the cello, again. The wandering motifs and tones invoke visions of open vistas and running water. The piano yields beautifully, soulfully, to Andreas’ touch and the emotions that well up are both warm and sometimes melancholy. But the feeling of gratitude is never far away.

Sculpture features Isabel and Walter and opens with a bowing of the cello and beat of the snare that lay beautiful groundwork for Andreas’ airy tones. Isabel’s droning cello draws memories of the Mongolian band The Hu. Then come the East Asian motifs that absolutely transport the listener. An extraordinary piece.

 The album closes with Fields of Blue. The melody is almost liturgical and the spiritual flights of the harp with the groundedness of the cello is something nothing short of rapturous. Then the duo takes off into a Middle Eastern interlude before returning to the warmth and wonder of the theme.

The performances on the album are nothing short of flawless. That was to be expected. And the improvisations also what we have come to love and admire and even expect. But it is not expectation that accompanies the loveliness of Andreas Vollenweider—it is expectancy. The expectancy that comes from faith from what he has done before and the knowledge that something marvelous is about to happen.

Quiet Places was indeed worth the wait.

 
                        ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Horizons Jazz Orchestra plays the music of Lee Harris on The Brite Side

8/9/2020

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South Florida has made great strides in making a name for themselves and the Horizons Jazz Orchestra is beautifully helping that cause along with the release of The Brite Side, the Music of Lee Harris.

First, a word about Lee Harris. Harris was a baritone saxophonist, and composer and arranger who worked mostly in the New York City and Atlantic City areas. In 2016, Harris teamed up with Dennis Noday to found and co-lead Superband, a big band focusing on performing Harris’ compositions and arrangements. Harris composed and arranged music that is well-known to the public, even if he himself was not.

Harris’ failing health did not allow him to complete the Superband project but Jeanette C. Piña, a media promoter who became the executive producer of this album and turned The Bright Side into an album showcasing Harris' legacy.

Sadly, Lee Harris passed away before the project was finished and he was never able to hear the final project. Michael Balogh, the lead trombonist with Superband, became the musical director and conductor of the band that continued Harris’ music. With so many of the original band members moving on, the band name was changed to Horizons Jazz Orchestra and turned this, their debut album, into the tribute to Lee Harris that had been envisioned all along.

Balogh enlisted three of his friends to join in the recording as guest artists. Carl Sanders is a trumpet virtuoso and is featured on five of the 10 tracks with his brilliant solos. Jonathan Joseph, the famed Grammy-winning drummer who has worked with Spiro Gyra, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, David Sanborn, and even Jeff Beck, also appears on the album with woodwind specialist Billy Ross, a member of the Woody Herman Orchestra since he was 17 years old. Ross appears on four of the 10 tracks.

Of the 10 tracks on the album, there are five originals by Harris and five others that feature his arrangements of classic jazz standards. The arrangements are as exciting and creative as his original compositions. In fact, Lee Harris has that distinct way of making a song his own. This album is all the evidence you need.

Red Apple Sweet kicks off the album, a Lee Harris original. It is written in several sections, obviously as a play on the word suite. The opening section plays off the recognizable five-note motif from the old Gospel song, Wade in the Water. Jonathan Joseph gets some brilliant passages on the drums with Gary Mayone on the B3 organ. Hold on for Michael Balogh’s trombone solo. This is how you start on album.

Pure Imagination from Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse comes next with its brilliant work from Carl Saunders’ flugelhorn and the host of sax players. You’ll recognize where you first heard the song but, once again, this is Harris’ version and he does wonders with it, moving it from ballad to waltz.

After You’ve Gone, Finally is a great spin-up of the old Turner Layton Jazz standard. Scott Klarman and Billy Ross take some sweet sax solos along with Carl Saunders’ trumpet.

The Runner is a Lee Harris original that features Carl Saunders on flugelhorn. The piece is almost a tone poem evoking imagery of coastal travels and open, inviting vistas. The Brite Side, another Harris original, also captures the imagination. This time Gary Mayone’s keys and Billy Ross’ bluesy excursion on tenor sax take center stage and make for some fascinating listening.

Fourth Dimension, yet another original, also displays Mayone’s keys from the start with Saunders, Randy Emerick’s baritone sax, and Luke Williams’ guitar getting featured. This is a hopping piece that feels so good to just sit back and enjoy the swing. Saunders just nails the trumpet solo.

Billy Ross and Mike Levine co-wrote The Sound, a tribute to Stan Getz and arranged brilliantly by Harris. Billy Ross, of course, is the featured soloist on tenor sax. A beautiful piece, arranged with equal beauty, and performed…you guessed it…beautifully.

Then the album is closed with three works of renown, arranged by Lee Harris. Gershwin’s Summertime is one of the most played (and over-played) songs from the American songbook. But when it is done with the style and wonder of an artistic arrangement and performed so well, there is not much like it. It shakes off the dust and lives anew. Harris and the Horizons Jazz Orchestra have done just that.

Maria, from Leonard Bernstein, features Dennis Noday on trumpet and Joe Milleti on tenor sax. It is the odd one out on this album as it is the Don Sebesky arrangement that Noday played with Superband. It is a gorgeous piece, of course, and the band performs it exquisitely.

The album closes with the Billy Strayhorn classic, A Train Bossa. It is, of course, Take the A Train arranged in bossa nova. This is a fun and energetic take on a fun and energetic original. Billy Ross (tenor sax) and Carl Saunders (trumpet) take it home with their featured parts.
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The album The Brite Side is indeed a tribute to the composer-arranger who contributed so much, was proclaimed too little, and gave us a new way to listen and new things to hear. The artists and producers deserve all the gratitude we can give for keeping the legacy of Lee Harris fresh.

​                                      ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Mon David & Josh Nelson make the perfect DNA

8/8/2020

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In 2007, Mon David uprooted his family and followed his dream to the United States to bring his Jazz skills and talents to American audiences. He is a popular fixture in the Southern California Jazz scene. Now he has released his fourth album, this time with pianist-composer-arranger extraordinaire Josh Nelson, titled DNA (David/Nelson/Agreement).

Mon and Josh are two of the most accomplished and creative forces in the Jazz world today. Individually, they are remarkable. Together, they are unstoppable.

The album opens with Albert Hague and Allan Sherman’s Did I Ever Really Live. Mon and Josh interpret the standard so beautifully and so personally. And they do that with every song on the album. Michel Legrand’s You Must Believe in Spring is a phenomenal piece from a masterful composer. Yet, Mon and Josh handle it with honor and reverence and they return to us one of those beautiful pieces that sometimes goes too long without notice.

They also have no reservations about taking on such standards as Billy Strayhorn’s Lush Life or mashups like Straight No Chaser/ Billie’s Bounce from Thelonious Monk/Eddie Jefferson, Charlie Parker with lyrics from Mon David himself.

Then Josh Nelson takes on Bill Evans with the medley In Praise of Bill Evans: I Remember Bill/Very Early/Waltz for Debby. Mon sings of the beauty and impact of Evans’ music while Josh renders the Evans piano is such lush and warm, almost nostalgic, phrasing.

Then Mon puts his own signature to John Lennon’s Imagine. It is delivered with conviction and respect but Mon and Josh certainly make it their own. Mon adds a narrated passage that makes the message even more meaningful.

With other standards like If You Never Come to Me/Skylark (Jobim/Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer) and Blame It on My Youth (Levant/Heyman), the duo pours their hearts and souls into the music that shaped so much of our emotions. And emotion is what comes from hearing these two artists together.

They close the album with Pat Metheny’s Always and Forever. Mon David wrote the lyrics for their version. It is a splendid interpretation of the music of Metheny. It is a beautiful and emotional farewell.

The entire DNA album by Mon David and Josh Nelson is a personal and meaningful revisiting of these wonderful songs. They never subtract from the originals but rather add themselves to what has gone before.
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This is a marvelous album.
 
 
                           ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl


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