The Jazz Owl
  • Travis Rogers, Jr. -- The Jazz Owl
  • A Love of Music
  • Music Reviews
  • Reviews on Travis Rogers Jr.
  • Meetings with Remarkable People
  • SoulMates by Candlelight
  • Music in Portland
  • Toshi Onizuka
  • The Arts: Film, Literature and More
  • A Love of History
  • Baseball Stories
  • Personal Reflections

Susan Tobocman's Touch & Go is an Exercise in Beauty

8/8/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
Now this is a good album. Susan Tobocman has chosen a fine collection of standards, classics, and originals and a band of dedicated and interpretive artists that can give life to the instrumentation and can give her space for her own vocal expressions to make her album Touch & Go a work worthy of great attention and praise.

With Susan is the excellent Joel Frahm on tenor and soprano saxes, Pete McCann on guitars, Henry Hey on piano and Fender Rhodes, Matt Pavolka on basses, Michael Sarin on drums, and Dave Eggar on cello. This is an excellent line-up.

The album opens with Irving Berlin’s What’ll I Do. Pavolka bass carries the intro and the band creates a samba feel for Susan’s marvelous interpretation of the classic. It is not the typical legato punctuations from the band but is more smooth than dreary. The great Pete McCann nails the guitar work (over and over throughout the album) and Hey’s Fender Rhodes is wonderful but it’s those Susan vocals that wins the heart. Got to love her delivery and intonation.

Jimmy Webb’s Wichita Lineman is not something you normally hear interpreted by a female vocalist but Susan turns the lyrics from first-person singular to second-person. The Dave Eggar cello is a brilliant addition to McCann and Hey. Susan makes the song into a lovely ballad about the man she loves. Always a beautiful song, Susan takes it to a whole ‘nother place.

Next up is Gershwin’s The Man I Love. Once again, Susan eschews the drawn-out delivery of Ella Fitzgerald or Etta James and turns this into more of an upbeat expectation. Frahm’s sax solos are spectacular and Hey and the rhythm section turn this song upside down. Like most of the songs on the album, Susan arranged this song and it is splendid. I find myself loving her arrangements almost as much as her vocals.

She then offers her first original composition with Make Believe. Cool sax work from Frahm and the rhythmic changes from Sarin and Pavolka are delicious.

Leaves of Absence is another original and the soprano sax introduction is simply gorgeous. Then we get a duet from Frahm and McCann that is so cool. Hey follows up with an excellent piano passage. Only when the song comes to an end do you realize that it was an instrumental.

The biggest surprise comes with Susan’s arrangement and interpretation of John Lennon’s Help! The guitar, the piano, the bass and drums are brilliant and Eggar’s cello creates the plaintiveness that the words alone cannot convey.

I Could Get Used to This is another Susan original. It is so different from Make Believe or Leaves of Absence. Again, Frahm makes great contributions on the tenor sax with Pavolka and Sarin also contributing fine solos. As always, McCann is right on. Love the composition, the arrangement, the vocals.

Susan follows with another original, The Way to You. McCann weaves some of the most beautiful guitar work of the whole album here and Hey follows with beautiful piano. But the lyrics and the vocals of Susan are beyond compare. How wonderful. Then Susan follows with her fifth original of the album, the title track, Touch & Go. McCann and Frahm are highlighted on yet another instrumental.

Susan is nothing if not generous with time and space.

Where is Love by Lionel Bart is from the wonderful musical Oliver! The instrumentation is limited to Pete McCann’s acoustic guitar and Dave Eggar’s cello. So sweet, so melancholy. Susan makes it her own.

You Only Live Twice was John Barry’s title song for the James Bond movie of the same name. It was sung for the film by Nancy Sinatra. You only live twice/Or so it seems/One for yourself/and one for your dreams. Good stuff and Susan and the musicians take such a fantastic turn on that song. This song deserves repeat playing over and over and over.

Susan wraps up the album with an alternate version of Help! I’m so glad that she didn’t pick one version over the other but included both. When you hear them both, you’ll see what I mean.
​
Susan Tobocman is a Jazz lover’s dream. Her vocals are beyond compare but her arrangements and compositions are beyond description. She is talented and brilliant beyond measure. Touch & Go does not describe the power and beauty of the album; she was full on, right on, every step of the way.
 
 
                              ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

2 Comments

Kenny Washington asks What's the Hurry?

8/8/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
Finally! Kenny Washington has released his debut studio album. After enjoying him on David K. Mathews’ The Fantasy Vocal Sessions, Vols. 1 & 2 or his own two live albums Live at Anna’s Jazz Island and Live at Jazzhus Montmartre: Moanin’, Kenny has pulled together a brilliant band of long-time associates to give full-throated expression to his track list of choice.
And what a track list! From the Gershwins to Harold Arlen to Duke Ellington to Rodgers & Hart to Antonio Carlos Jobim to…wait for it…Charlie Chaplin.

Band supporting Kenny Washington's vocals are Josh Nelson on piano, Gary Brown on acoustic bass (except track 9), Lorca Hart on drums, Victor Goines on tenor sax and clarinet (tracks 3 &10), Jeff Massanari on guitar (tracks 2, 4 &11), Mike Olmos (track 5) on trumpet, Peter Michael Escovedo on bongos (track 7), Dan Feiszli on acoustic bass (track 9), Jeff Cressman on trombone (track 10), and Ami Molinelli-Hart on percussion (track 10).

It all starts with Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh’s The Best is Yet to Come, singing Out of the Tree of Life/I just picked me a plum. And yes indeed, this song is a plum and a great introduction to the album. It is a foretelling of the rest of the album and of Kenny career in music. Josh Nelson’s piano is cool and accompanies Kenny brilliantly. Kenny’s intonations and phrasings are spectacular.

S’Wonderful (George & Ira Gershwin) is accompanied by Jeff Massanari on guitar. Kenny treats us to a little whistle and scat on the outro and it is a wonderfully light reverie. Stars Fell on Alabama turns in a bluesy direction with Victor Goines on tenor sax. Nelson’s piano is sweet in step with Goines and some fine bass work from Gary Brown.

Then comes a fine binary star system of Harold Arlen’s I’ve Got the World on a String with Duke Ellington’s A Ain’t Got Nothin’ But the Blues. From the Massanari picking guitar on the former to the beautiful blues of the Josh Nelson piano and Mike Olmos trumpet. This track list is put together in excellent order with excellent transitions and Kenny simply owns it all.

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Rodgers & Hart) is a gorgeous piece of music. Kenny makes this his own in so many special ways. He just seems to feel it. I have always loved this song and Kenny makes me love it all the more. I’ll sing to her/Each Spring to her/And long for the day/When I’ll cling to her.

It makes me think of my sweet wife and Kenny sings exactly what I feel when I think of her. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Then we jump into the Peter Michael Escovedo bongo introduction of Invitation (Bronislaw Kaper/Paul Francis Webster). Gary Brown’s bass, Lorca Hart’s drums, and Josh Nelson’s piano are all just on fire. Kenny keeps control of the pace and emotion and lets the rhythm section lay out a fantastic carpet for him. It is eminently clear why Kenny has chosen these artists.

Here’s to Life (Phyllis Jean Molinary/Artie Butler) is an almost anthemic lament. Another beautiful piece with a melancholic delivery of gratitude and grace. Nelson’s piano pairs so effortlessly with Kenny’s exquisite vocals.

Sweet Georgia Brown is one of the best-known songs in the world, especially if you’re a Harlem Globetrotters fan. Dan Feiszli gets the acoustic bass duties and carries sole instrumental responsibilities against Kenny’s scats and vocals. The bass solo is worthy of attention and affection.

Chega de Saudade (No More Blues) is the Jobim classic rendered in English lyrics by Jon Hendricks. Kenny is supported by Nelson, Brown, Hart and Goines with the addition of Jeff Cressman on trombone and Ami Molinelli-Hart on percussion. Joy permeates the song with saying farewell to blues and heading to the happiness of home. Nelson echoes Kenny scat and pay special attention to Goines’ clarinet. This was a blast.

The album closes with Charlie Chaplin’s Smile. It is a fitting benediction. Such a beautiful close to such a beautiful album.
​
There isn’t a single weak spot on the whole album. Kenny Washington has the right artists for the right songs that are right for him. With all the waiting for this release, with all the desire to move along past where we are in the world, Kenny Washington is right in asking…What’s the Hurry.
 
 
                           ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

1 Comment

Farofa - Live at Omaha Performing Arts

8/8/2020

3 Comments

 
Picture
In the days of limited access to live music, innovative promoters and artists are finding a way to still bring the joy and magic of the live performance. God bless Jazz on YOUR Green, Omaha Performing Arts, Manager Marian Liebowitz, and the band of extraordinary artists called FAROFA.

On July 23,2020, Farofa headlined the Omaha Performing Arts live streaming concert that opened with the Omaha Guitar Trio—a 10-year-old trio—who performed admirably for 30 minutes. After a brief intermission, Farofa took the stage at the 56:30 mark.

Farofa is comprised of violinist Luis Mascaro, guitarist JP Mourão, bassist Isaias Elpes, and drummer/percussionist Felipe Fraga. The band is from Brazil but are all based in Los Angeles now. This band smokes. Even behind the PPE masks, you can tell that smiles were in abundance.

Farofa’s set opened with their original tune, Pacific Wind. Is FAROFA Jazz? Undoubtedly. But they also pull in influences from so many other spheres. Mascaro reveals his classical training and influence and Mourão, Elpes, and Fraga keep a tight foundation and rhythm for Mascaro’s wanderings.

The tune is captivating and the performance is brilliant.

Taca is another Farofa original and was an excellent follow-up to Pacific Wind. Fraga the drummer, who also does most of the introductions, is a marvelous drummer and worth watching, as well as hearing. Mourão turns in an excellent lead guitar solo before the band plays in corps. Watch Elpes on bass.

Third in the set was Egberto Gismonti’s Frevo which first appeared on his 1985 album, Solo, and was rereleased on his 1996 album Alma. Farofa does fantastic tribute to Gismonti’s composition and spirit. By the end of this piece, I was firmly a fan of Farofa.

Their energy is contagious, the passion unmistakable, and their precision flawless. The interplay of each and every one of the artists is intriguing and together they create music that can only be described as rapturous.

Lamento Sertanejo by José Domingos de Morais better known as Dominguinhos features amazing acoustic guitar work from JP Mourão who is joined by Mascaro’s violin. Mourão and Elpes team up in the corner and create moments of sheer brilliance between them. Fraga is as solid as you could ever hope. With episodes of solos, leads, and duos, the band closes the song in unison and it is electrifying.

The band departs from the Brazilian originals by turning to Pat Metheny’s Timeline but, by the time they are done, you’d swear Metheny was Brazilian. It is a beautiful alteration of—if not altercation with—the original. The rhythms make all the difference, as always. Mourão outs a sweet spin on the Metheny guitar bits and Eples turns in a fine, fine, fine bass solo. This was a fun piece.

Farofa returned to their originals with Regent Street which is introduced by a lyrical guitar and violin passage. The andante pace creates the mood of a stroll with textured highlights from everyone. Fraga’s drum interlude is not so much a solo as a pause for reflection. The melody is intoxicating and the song itself is just far too short. I wanted it to go on and on.

The concert set closed with what Fraga called “a mashup of two great Brazilian composers.” Assanhado by Jacob do Bandolim and Linha de Passe by João Bosco. Fraga reintroduced the band and the sense of sadness that the concert was closing was unmistakable. Fraga opened the piece with wonderful percussive work on the drums using one stick and one bare hand. That alone was worth the price of admission. At Fraga’s decrescendo, Mourão joined in before being accompanied by Mascaro’s violin. Elpes jumped on board with his bouncing bass and the “mashup” was remarkable.

It was a joyous romp that was energetic, spirited, fascinating, and leaving you wanting more. Farofa is a new band with original compositions and original takes on old songs. Farofa pulls the listener up to their level and makes you crave their understanding of life in the world we live.
​
Find them on their web page at farofatheband.com, their own YouTube channel, Facebook, Soundcloud, and Spotify.



            ~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl


3 Comments
Forward>>

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    August 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    Categories

    All
    Aaron Parks
    Akira Ishiguro
    Ches Smith
    Chuck Van Haecke
    Dewa Budjana
    George Colligan
    Goh Kurosawa
    Helen Sung
    Jack Dejohnette
    Kai Kurosawa
    Keith Jarrett
    Matt Mitchell
    Oscar Noriega
    Osmany Paredes
    Peter Erskine
    Pseudocidal
    Ruben Rodriguez
    Sharp Three
    Simakdialog
    Steven Kroon
    Susan Clynes
    Thierry Maillard
    Tim Berne
    Tim Berne's Snakeoil
    Tom Guarna

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.