Julian Julien is an extraordinary saxophonist and a fabulous composer. He paints in lush tones using a full orchestra with him to create grand vistas of sound. The orchestra supports the piano, bass and drums with Julien’s sax and other featured woodwinds, strings and more.
 
“Prelude” opens with a sense of primordial and breathy woodwinds alongside instinctive rhythms.
 
“Terre II” follows with the lovely melody carried by the piano and strings whose tremolo punctuations highlight the way. Julien’s sax on top, and the bass clarinet below, offer a layered procession for the melody. A lovely track.
 
“Iris I” is a short introduction to the Iris theme which recurs in six incarnations. The effects of the piano create a distance which is fascinating.
 
“Ailleurs” is introduced by the flute and picked up by the other woodwinds as chimes and would percussions are similar. The energetic, albeit meditative, quality is mesmerizing. The cumulative result, so far, shapes an evolutionary image of earth’s growth.
 
"Iris II" and "Iris III" open with chimes and ambient keyboards and percussion. The briefly chaotic element of “Iris II” transitions into a reverent, almost worshipful, procession that opens “Iris III.”
 
There is a developing ecstasy that is enthralling indeed. The falling away is peaceful.
 
“Una Attente” opens with sweet, Jazzy female intimations that, for the moment, give way to piano and bass. Warm strings follow and allow the return of the female voice as a distant backdrop. The piano attends in broken cascades. The song ends as it began, with vocal intonations.
 
“Iris IV” is another return of the theme but with Julien’s sax and the horns leading the procession.
 
“Doudou” opens with steady rhythms, joined by almost Arab motifs. The keyboards come over top with bass behind as the woodwinds push forward the lonesome melodic line.
 
"Iris V" moves the theme with electric keyboards which serve to carry the evolution forward. Interestingly, the rhythms remain a bit primitive in both meter and instrumentation. Assuredly, a message is being proclaimed by Julien – a message that declares that however much we are evolving, we remain tied to our primitive selves.
 
“Non-sens” is a bit of “Cosmos” imagery in the style of Vangelis and that is not a criticism. From that imagery emerges an industrial sense of measured mechanics. The horns and strings interact into a worldview of clockwork corporations with the individual calling out loudly through the trumpet’s voice. Eventually, the mechanical keyboard assumes and replaces the voice of the individual to be lost in the droning of industry. Powerful.
 
“Iris VI” sees the theme completely taken over by the mechanical.
 
“M. John Barry” concludes the album. It is the big groove piece of the album with baritone sax, organ and electric piano setting up the groove. Julien’s tenor sax calls in solitary determination, followed by a trumpet with the sax to call together above the fray. Both saxes call and answer with a fading, strangled trumpet drifting away.
 
Julian Julien’s “Terre II” is a vision of the world – a second world – that we have created, with very little resemblance to the world that was bequeathed to us. The compositions are epic (in the literary sense) and tell a tale of past, present and possible future. It is an instructional work of culture’s hopes and failings. The musicianship is superb and the entire work is a thing of intelligence and talent.         




~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl                                                      

Talk about working without a net. Doug MacDonald’s solo plus is a live recording of solo Jazz guitar. Risky business that.
 
The result is worth all of the risk, however, and Blujazz (BJ3432) has captured the phenomenal venture from August, 2014 at Umbrella Media Studio in Chatsworth, California. For those in attendance, the solo is obvious but, for those listening to the recording, it sounds like he has an accompaniment with him he creates baselines, counterpoint, you name it, to create a more than solo impression.
 
MacDonald uses standards, medleys and or original compositions to illustrate his point that, sometimes, a solo guitar is all you need.
 
The album opens with Nancio Herb Brown’s “You Stepped Out of a Dream.” He uses baroque strategies of opposing melodies to create a duet effect. More than an exercise in virtuosity, it is a meeting of heart, mind and skill to the light the listener.
 
“Triste” is the classic from Antonio Carlos Jobim. The melody plays off the baseline in gorgeous display of Jobim’s fine original. On the one hand, MacDonald makes you wish that you could see him perform this. On the other hand, I would not want to get caught up in watching his technique and miss the beauty of the music.
 
“Umbrella Waltz” is a MacDonald variation on the theme by Toots Thielemans. He creates a trio effect with Bass and contrapuntal melodic lines. It is a vivace waltz that is energetic and captivating.
 
Track four is a medley of “I’m Through with Love—Stairway to The Stars—These Foolish Things.” It is exquisitely delivered in lovely intonations and phrasing. The strum-slide-pick approach is delightful.
 
“If I Had You” follows. Is a touch of blues and is more wistful, even whimsical, than melancholy with a whiff of “My Favorite Things.”
 
Jobim ‘s “Wave” comes next. It is one of my favorite Jobim tunes. The melody is charming and MacDonald knows how to work it. He takes the theme apart and reconstructs it with fine artistry.
 
Another medley, “Autumn in New York—Chatsworth Minor Blues” is a union of Vernon Duke and Doug MacDonald himself as composers. The shift in tone and tempo is handled seamlessly by MacDonald.
 
David Raskin’s “Laura” has MacDonald on guitar with an overdubbed banjo. Great fun.
 
The medley of “Gentle Rain-Corcovado” is a meeting of two titans of guitar composition, Luis Banfa and, again, Jobim. Again, MacDonald knows precisely how best to interpret these masters in a new expression without betraying the originals. His approach here is different but absolutely fitting.
 
The “Out of Nowhere—The Song Is You” medley is a sweet pairing of Johnny Green and Jerome Kern. As one might expect the swing is cool and the delivery of the melody is spot on.
 
Victor Young’s “I Don’t Stand A Ghost of a Chance with You” is a bit of melancholy against rapid runs followed by strolling blues. Unevenly paced, like a lonesome lament, the emotions are allowed the upper hand.
 
“Blues in The World” is a Doug McDonald original. It is charming and expressive. This is an absolutely delightful foray into varied approaches to blues. Well structured and flawlessly executed.
 
"Bandera" follows. Another McDonald original, he brings along his nylon-string acoustic guitar to accompany the electric guitar. A pretty partnership of the two, "Bandera" makes fine use of both sounds and we've been together into a semi—Samba that sounds so good.
 
The album ends with Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Darn That Dream.” Just to include this song as the clothes after using “You Stepped Out of a Dream” is hilarious. It certainly frames the tracks in between and bags reinterpretation of those tracks. This track is a beautiful way to end a great album. 
 
Doug McDonald’s “Solo Plus” is certainly more than just solo. He doesn’t just play by himself but alongside himself and, often, against himself in a stunning display of creativity and virtuosity. He makes you think you’re seeing double or, at least, hearing it.               



~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl


For more great Jazz, check out blujazz.com.

Rik Wright is a brilliant musician and composer. The newest album of Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces, entitled “Green,” is another step in his artistic evolution. There is brilliant texturing and breadth to this fascinating album.
 
With Rik Wright is James DeJoie on alto sax and baritone sax, flute, and clarinet. On bass is Jeff Harper and Greg Campbell follows on drums and percussion to accompany Wright’s own brilliant guitar work.
 
Together, these artists create a brilliant work of Jazz with flavorings of rock.
 
The album opens with “Contradiction.” The dialogue between Wright and DeJoie is brilliant. The song has elements of Jazz against a rockish, blues feel. Jeff Harper’s base is solid and steady and Campbell’s drums are perfectly complementary. Wright’s guitar work is stellar.          
 
“Sugar Crash” follows after “Contradiction” and turns around a funky yet soulful theme into something tightly Jazz. Wright’s guitar work is fascinating and oh so tight with the bass and drums. At some points he gives a quick-as -a-wink Middle Eastern tinge. DeJoie’s baritone sax ripples along coolly behind. The late in the song interaction between baritone sax, bass and drums is exciting stuff. A super-tight group with splendid melodic elements.            
 
The third track is “Patience.” DeJoie returns to alto sax and this slower-paced song characterizes its title. When Wright steps in with his guitar, it is a gorgeous and airy turn of a melodic phrase. The guitar and sax speak in dialogue, then in chorus, and the result is something fascinating.
 
“Harmonic Tremor” jumps right out with hot sax licks and a swinging rhythm. All four of these artists work terrifically together. DeJoie picks up the baritone sax again and offers the throaty, melodic, yet rhythmic, line. The great rhythm solos set the stage for Wright’s stratospheric guitar work. I have always been impressed with Rik Wright’s guitar craft but, on “Green,” he turns it on like never before. Baritone sax, bass and drums serve to propel Wright’s guitar late in the song. This track is a keeper! But, then again, they all are.
 
“Alicia’s Waltz” is a bent-note beauty. Wright establishes a wonderful ambient motif followed by James DeJoie joining with a wistful flute. Parts of the piece put the listener in mind of Claude Debussy’s “Prelude to Afternoon of a Fawn.” Campbell’s brushes and Harper’s slowly strolling base support the flute and guitar and create an image of delicacy and charm. This is the only track on the album not written by Wright himself but, rather, comes from the pen of James DeJoie.
 
 “Wanderous” is a cool play on words for the title and is absolutely fitting for the music that comes with it. Coming in at almost 10 minutes in length, the song fulfills the prediction of the title, also. DeJoie takes on the clarinet in duet with Wright’s guitar. Together, they create a sweet sound of a walk through life’s landscapes, seascapes and dreamscapes. Beautiful work from the rhythm section as Campbell rolls then skips then jumps along the way. “Wanderous” is probably the crowning achievement of the whole album.
 
“Sunrise Pixels” is the spot where Wright puts his guitar stamp. It is the attractive, stunning guitar solo work that allows Wright to melodically, and so fully, explore the space on his own.
 
The album concludes with the song “Overcast.” Once again Wright and DeJoie play sonic dialogue, speaking together and then apart. The harmonic playing between the two is solidly underscored by the determined rhythm section. The theme is carried all the way to the end with Wright and DeJoie in harmony.
 
“Green” is, so far, the high watermark for Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces. A brilliant album that deserves much repeated play, the compositions of Rik Wright, including the one by James DeJoie, are exquisite displays of precise melody, lush harmony and  lockstep rhythm. “Green” finishes the trilogy begun by “Blue” from 2013 and “Red” from 2014. As beautiful as the previous two albums were, Rik Wright has saved the best for last.           





~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl       

One of the great things in Modern Jazz is its ability to not only amaze but also surprise. Neil Kelly and Robby Elfman are perfect examples of that.
 
Let us stipulate from the outset that they both have the requisite virtuosity. These guys have got the goods and with them are Lukas Vesely on upright bass and First Orbit Sounds Records’ favorite hit-man, Joe DeRose, who has released two albums as leader and has contributed to several of Hristo Vitchev’s magnificent albums. DeRose sets the table that the rest of the artists feast upon.
 
Neil Kelly’s guitar work is fascinating and Robby Elfman’s sax is enthralling. The two of them are dynamic and so very imaginative. The original compositions are splendid and the covers incredible.
 
The album leads off with “Stylus.” It kicks off as a hard-driving funky bit of groove. Elfman’s sax is raucous and frenetic while Kelly’s guitar is a fine bit of elegant distortion, while both of them display their mastery amidst the fury.
 
I admit, I was taken in from the very beginning.
 
“Flowers in the Fossils” follows. Vesely and DeRose keep a tight groove while Kelly’s refined and melodic guitar lines are lively as well as lovely. Elfman’s sax is soars with Kelly’s cool rhythmic guitar strumming.
 
An altogether remarkable piece full of energy and soul.
 
The third track caught me by surprise. It opens with a dream sequence that floats along until the introduction of the melody itself. That melody is immediately recognizable from the first three notes—it is Henry Mancicn’s “Moon River.” It was a beautiful set-up for the melodic line.
 
It is Robby Elfman who initiates the melody. The sax effects give a sense of the music carried across the water. Fitting. Meanwhile, Kelly’s delicate tones and arpeggios create a ripple on the watery image that is impossible to resist.
 
At the halfway point, the sax picks up the momentum for a moment until surrendering to the wafting bass. The main theme is carried languidly to almost the end by Elfman. It is Kelly’s guitar that drifts the songs away.
 
That sweet sense is overrun by the furiousness of “Ugh the Thug.” The rhythm section sets into a swing beneath the throbbing but lively—even humorous—work of Kelly and Elfman.
 
A fun romp that grooves with the best of them, this must have been great fun for these four great musicians.
 
In fact, the entire recording carries the unmistakable impression of energetic interaction and musical camaraderie.
 
“Inner Mission” continues the upbeat groove and light-hearted expression of serious music. They are certainly enjoying themselves but these cats aren’t fooling around.
 
Vesely’s use of bass effects contribute to a Jaco-type fusion atmosphere. The trading between Kelly and Elfman is electrifying. The legato sax in punctuated by the light touch of the guitar. You know a piece is new and surprising when you can think of nothing with which to compare it.
 
But nothing could have prepared me for the track that followed. It was John Lennon’s “Julia.” As melancholy as the original, it expands the melody beyond the limitations of the voice. Elfman’s righteous improvisations on the vocal line and Kelly’s precise and harmonic response are heart-breaking.
 
This was a wonder. Kelly’s chords underneath are as enchanting as Elfman’s expansions on top. I couldn’t get enough of this one.
 
“Anybody in There” opens with DeRose’s rim playing followed by Vesely’s effected bass. Guitar and sax follow on top of the cool groove of bass and drums. Kelly’s rhythm guitar enhances the imaginative sax work of Elfman which abruptly surrenders to the distorted guitar; precision gives way to power… for a moment. Elfman returns with the three-note motif and the rhythm section closes it out.
 
The album itself closes with “Landscape,” based on a poem of the same name by Mina Kelly. The imaginative composition is a flawless soundtrack to the poem. It moves from pastoral moods to the finger-snapping cool of seascapes to windy whisperings.
 
The poem and the piece are inseparable. They are symbiotic and sensual. A thing of true beauty.
 
“Inroads” by Neil Kelly and Robby Elfman is a dive into cool rhythms and haunting melodies. The talents and skills of all four musicians create a prismatic effect of tone and groove. “Inroads” is precisely what Modern jazz should be—original, exciting, expansive and uninhibited. Kelly and Elfman do all of that while maintaining melody and emotion.
 
This is the stuff of the future.
 

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl​
 

The Fred Hughes Trio has turned in some beautiful previous recordings such as Out of The Blue, Live, No Turning Back, Love Letters and, on DVD, In Concert. Now Hughes with Amy Shook (bass) and Frank Russo (drums) have offered a terrific holiday gift with I’ll Be Home for Christmas on ShoreThing Records.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas is an 11-track album with the standard holiday hits. The difference here is that these Christmas chestnuts are done with class and cool.

The album is opened with “Winter Wonderland.” The usual vocal line is replaced with simple chords to set the listener up for the fun improvisations to follow. A fine Latin groove takes over the piece and Shook’s bass steals a rolling solo to be followed by Russo swinging solo on drums. Hughes brings it back together with the familiar melodic line but with that ever-so-lovely Latin sway. A fine start.

“O Christmas Tree” begs to swing and Hughes lets it do just that. A bit Guaraldi, a bit Ellington and a lot of Hughes. This is “O Tannenbaum” the way it was meant to be heard. Listen carefully to get a kick out of Shook’s bass solo.

“Silver Bells” starts with solo piano has the essential New York City cool feel that the piece requires. Russo’s brushes give the image of swirling patterns of snow as taxis rush by and Shook’s murmuring bass gives the hum of electric lights.

The bustle of the street gives way to the coziness of the living room fireplace in “Let It Snow.” The piece swings delightfully like a couple dancing in the warmth of their home while the snow falls just outside the window. It is a playful, fanciful and mirthful shield against the cold of the outside.

“Silent Night” cuts loose in a brilliant and bluesy Gospel treatment. Far from “silent,” this is a raucous romp that thunders in celebration. The one has to be heard.

The Hughes Trio version of “White Christmas” must have Bing Crosby rolling over somewhere. A world away from the smooth croon, the Caribbean beat and warm melody conjures images of white sand on blue beaches more than white snow on blue lips.

“Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” is an R&B feast with equal portions of ham from all three of the trio. Exciting in its expectancy of the arrival of the man with the sleigh, it is like staying up late with loud celebrations waiting for Christmas morning.

“The Christmas Song” is warm and accepting and full of hope for everyone who still believes in the utter joy of friendship and love. It is sweet without being sappy. So help me, it makes you want to hug the nearest person. Hey! Get away from me, old man!

Of course, “Jingle Bells” just has to be jovial and bouncy and this is precisely what Hughes lays down. With a touch of Fats Waller, Hughes gets an additional bounce from Shook and Russo. It is a whimsical treatment, just like it should be. It tweaks your nose and bites you on the cheek.

Like everyone’s desire, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” promises to be close for the holidays. Amy Shook’s bass takes on the vocal line in a slow and sad realization that we may only be close to each other in our dreams. The track ends with great expectation from Hughes’ piano. Sad and lovely.

Thank goodness that Fred Hughes didn’t leave us hanging with the melancholy of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Instead, The Fred Hughes Trio gives a charming and warm farewell to us with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” It swings and sways and gets everyone in the place smiling. As the unsung lyrics declare, “Through the years /We all will be together/If the Fates allow/Hang a shining star upon the highest bough/And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.” Now that’s the way to end a Christmas album.

Fred Hughes has been swinging since 1981. He has released many albums of great Jazz and has been a great teacher of Jazz all the while. With “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Hughes and his trio teaches how to enjoy the holidays, think on the holidays, and do it in a Jazz way.

Thanks for making Christmas a little bit merrier, Fred, Amy and Frank.




~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl