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Woods by Carlos Jimenez

10/24/2022

Flautist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader Carlos Jimenez has made his mark in Latin Jazz, Jazz, and Salsa. He has released nine albums, including his most recent, Woods. Born in Yonkers but raised in Puerto Rico, Carlos has the talent and training for percussion, trumpet, and flute. It was the great Mongo Santamaria’s arrangements for flute that hooked Carlos on that instrument. Returning to New York, Carlos studied Classical flute and then moved on to include Jazz. And thank God he did.

His previous eight albums included his own compositions in addition to Latin and Jazz classics. “Since 2002”, Carlos states, “I have been performing steadily in a wide range of wonderful venues, festivals and theaters in New York and throughout the country.” His first Jazz recording was released in 2004, an album that featured Carlos’ mentor, Hilton Ruiz.

Featured on Woods are the marvelous Hector Martignon on piano, the powerful and poised Ruben Rodriguez on bass, and the formidable Vince Cherico—well-respected and oft-recorded, one and all. This is a line-up to impress. In addition, the songs are original compositions and all of Carlos’ inimitable arrangements, 10 songs in all, from Blues to Brasilian to Swing to Bebop and beyond. This is the stuff we love.

The album is kicked off with You’re the Best Pops, a Carlos original. From the start, the band proves why they are the ones chosen to be on this album. The straight-up Jazz piece is highlighted by Carlos’ brilliant flute work. The trills are tucked inside the melodic lines and the rhythm section is on fire. This is how to open an album.

Wheelbarrow Blues follows with cool piano and charming flute. This is an original composed by Carlos. It is bent to his own style and virtuosity. The song is a remarkable turnout for Carlos and the fellas. That charm and wistfulness is even more evident on the Carlos original, Eyes Over Dawn. This is an extraordinary vehicle for Carlos’ sparkling flute and the warmth of Martignon’s piano. Cherico’s brushwork is certainly worthy of close attention.

If you were waiting for some exciting bass from Ruben Rodriguez, Dreams of Brazil is what you were waiting to hear. Ruben opens with smoking bass lines that grab your attention. Flute, piano, and drums join in to ramp up this Brasilian beauty. You have to love the flute and piano pairing in Carlos’ construction of the song. Rodriguez and Cherico keep it driving hard. This is a winner.

Woods, the title track, is a beauty with its sweet flute and straight on beat from Cherico. Carlos and Hector work the piece over marvelously. The same goes for the Carlos original, Snuggle & Cuddle. It is a lovely and warm piece that is almost a Jazz lullaby. The melody moves from sweet ballad to almost melancholic blues.

Not That Far Away opens with swells and textures that are positively captivating. Everyone is spot on and so focused in their presentation of this lovely melody. The gentle rainfall closes out the track wonderfully. The tempo picks up with Bamboo Path. It is lively and bright and evocative of a warm walk in the bamboo woods. Carlos’ flute is magical, if not majestic, in the opening parts and Hector Martignon matches him with the piano which turns on the drive before surrendering back to Carlos. The rhythm section is as determined as you could ever hope to hear. A brilliant work.

Smoketacular puts the spotlight squarely on Cherico with a swinging introduction and excellent drum work throughout the piece. Cherico reminds of some of Elvin Jones’ cool work back in the day. Cherico plays melodically, a perfect complement to flute and piano. “Smoketacular” indeed.

The album closes with Outside in the Rain. It is a wonderful piece of music with excellent arrangement to highlight the four artists. Carlos’ throaty flute plays off so well against bass and drums before Martignon unleashes a Rachmaninoff piano bit. This is fabulous Jazz.

Carlos Jimenez’s Woods is an album deserving of rapt attention. It swings, it bops, it charms, it thrills. This is one to be placed on the permanent play section of anyone’s collection.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Miguel Zenón has released Música de Las Américas

10/18/2022

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The brilliant saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón has released Música de Las Américas, an album of all original music with his long-standing quartet of great renown. “This music is inspired by the history of the American continent: not only before European colonization, but also by what’s happened since—cause and effect,” says Zenón. It is music based on his love of the continent and the whole story, not just the happy parts.

It is also the return of that great quartet. With Zenón on alto saxophone are pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Henry Cole. Featured guest artists include Los Pleneros de la Cresta on panderos, percussion and vocals (track 2), Paoli Mejίas on percussion (track 3), Victor Emmanuelli on barril de bomba (track 6), and Daniel Diaz on congas (track 8). Each and every track was composed by Miguel Zenón.

The album opens with Tainos y Caribes which refers to the pre-Colombian Caribbean societies. “They were the two predominant societies but were very different: the Taínos were a more passive agricultural society while the Caribes were warriors who lived for conquest,” says Zenón. And he does a fantastic job of casting the image of these two disparate peoples. It begins with Perdomo’s rhythmic piano before Zenón adds his alto sax. The band has developed a telepathy that is oh-so-evident here and throughout the album. The rhythm section is marvelous in their furious exposition and development of the piece’s portrayal of clashing cultures.

Navegando (Las Estrellas Nos Guían) opens with nautical motifs of rising and falling in the description of the mariner subculture. The title translates as “Navigating the stars guide us” and Zenón says, “One thing that blew my mind was how they could travel the sea at long distances just using canoes while being guided by the stars.” Los Plenoeros de la Cresta add their remarkable percussion and vocals to the piece. Zenón’s smooth as silk alto guides the piece like Polaris.

Opresión Y Revolución follows with it rugged rhythms and challenging dissonance to reveal the revolutionary tensions across the continent. Zenón mentions the Haitian Revolution against the French, in particular. Paoli Mejίas’ percussive work with Perdomo’s equally percussive piano calls to mind the Voodoo rhythms of Haiti. It becomes clear by this point that this is indeed a musical documentary on the American continents.

Imperios and Venas Abiertas reveal opposite ends of the spectrum of American continental history from the rigidity and fury of empire to the exploitation of colonialism. In both cases, the music is intoxicating and fascinating with the rhythms, chord changes, and sheer virtuosity of the artists. Each one of the musicians deserve a concentrated hearing. That percussion is enhanced by Victor Emmanuelli on Bámbula which refers to the African dance rhythms brought to the New World from the Old.

Zenón’s América, El Continente continues the album’s theme of America, the continent, and its cultural isolation from the term America by the co-opting of the name by the United States. The piece is melancholy and charming, at the same time. The melody is lovely and the counterpoint of alto sax and piano is worth the attention.

The album closes with Antillano, named for the people of the Antilles. The forward-looking and hopeful attitude of the composition and performance is lush and warm. Daniel Dίaz’ congas add to the complexity with the subtly inserted odd-meter rhythms and the melodic lines of alto sax and piano are rapturous.

Miguel Zenón’s Música de Las Américas is, at once, entertaining and enlightening. Swinging and emotionally compelling, this is an album of incredible intelligence and warm heart. This album should be required listening for every person on the American continents.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Richard Williams' Hollywood Christmas

10/17/2022

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Composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Williams has given us a taste of everything on his new album Hollywood Christmas. From the more rock'n'roll arrangements to orchestral to big band, Williams is releasing his debut album. But don't think he's a kid or is new at this. He has been composing and performing for over 15 years. On this album, Williams is composer, arranger, conductor, producer, and pianist.

Williams has gathered together remarkable vocalists to help him achieve his vision. Says Williams, “Every singer has their own sound and own approach. I chose singers that I thought would do the best job on each of the songs and I then arranged the songs to fit each singer’s style and vocal range.” The results are wonderful.

Those vocalists include Alex Stiles, Nate Bryant, Company B, Rebecca Lopez, Evon Collett, Connor Ross, Taylor Miranda, Hayley Kirkland, Dmitry Noskoiv, Benny Benack III, Chelsea Brooke Olson, and Julie Seechuck. Not only vocalists but instrumentalists, as well, were brought into the project, including the core trio of Williams on piano, Trey Henry on bass, and Bernie Dresel on drums and a brilliant array of horn players. The strings and additional woodwinds were contributed by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra.

Williams has divided the album of 40 pieces into two sections. The first is the 22 vocals songs with the remaining 18 as instrumental tracks. Two of the vocal tracks are composed by Williams himself. They are Coming Home and Someway, Somehow. While the instrumental tracks are reprised tracks of the vocal versions, Williams’s original are not reprised in the instrumental section.

Alex Stiles is the singer for It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. So help me, I thought it was Andy Williams do the singing. Once I got past that, I was able to pay attention to the brilliant arranging for the instrumental score. Each and every one of the vocalists do, indeed, contribute a uniqueness that Williams beautifully exploits and the band simply nails every song.

Rebecca Lopez’s version of White Christmas is gorgeous. Her breathy delivery makes for a wonderfully wistful version of the song. And one pleasant introduction to an artist is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas as sung by Russian singer Dmitry Noskov. Williams first discovered Noskov singing online and put Williams in mind of Sinatra. You can hear the reminiscence of Sinatra but Noskov brings something wonderfully distinctive. You can hear the clearly Russian intonation on some of the vowels and, so help me, it only makes the song more charming.

Chelsea Brooke Olson sings a back-to-back pair of songs about home, Home for the Holidays and I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Chelsea’s voice is incredibly sweet and is perfectly suited to these songs of home and holiday. The arrangement is fantastic and the results of such a pairing is warm and wonderful. Indeed, the whole album is a work of love and life.

Richard Williams’ Hollywood Christmas is a beautiful tribute to the holidays of winter. Remembering family, friends, and home is always something to be cherished and Williams has made us feel the very same warmth and love that he feels.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Steve Knight's Persistence

10/17/2022

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Guitarist, composer, and educator Steve Knight has just released his debut album, Persistence. Definitely a working musician, Knight has performed in New York, Chicago, and the Caribbean. All of those places have lent their own unique styles and tastes to Knight’s composing and performing. Arriving in Chicago, he teamed up with bandmates Justin Peterson on bass and drummer Jeff Stitely. These three belong together.

The track list contains originals and covers alike but Knight and Company make them all sound like they are owned by Knight. Peterson and Stitely share that ownership and the results are marvelous.

Beginning with the album-opener Cisco a tribute to guitar great Pat Martino. Right from the outset, the trio shows how well they play together and the cool Jazz is lively and invigorating. Tom Petty’s Mary Jane’s Last Dance and Change the World, written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick then recorded by Wynona Judd, Eric Clapton, and more, are two brilliant covers. Both songs lose their Pop sounds and are transformed into excellent pieces. And if you think you hears influences from George Benson, Knight admits as much. And it is sweet.

Bassist Justin Peterson’s Art’s Rant is a bit of Jazz march. Meant to put you in mind of Benny Golson’s Blues March, there are cool and intriguing rhythmic change-ups that are loads of fun. Knight and Stitely obviously enjoy it as much as Peterson and, God knows, the listener loves it. This composition is certainly not Peterson’s sole contribution to the trio and, indeed, the album. His bass playing and solos on songs like Workshop, a Knight original composed during a Peter Bernstein workshop, prove again and again why he is in this trio.

Other Knight originals include Suspects, Real Type Thing, and Just Add Meaning. Suspects was one of Knight’s earliest compositions but don’t be fooled, this is mature song that was somewhat influenced by Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage. Real Type Thing “just seemed to write itself,” according to Knight. It is a funky piece that, at 3:43, is all-too-short. This could have gone on forever, as far as I’m concerned.

Chop Chop is a smoking hot Blues number that Knight just blisters. The virtuosity does not overbalance the fun. Peterson nails his bass lines with the speed of a Chicago taxi and Stitely gives us a terrific drum solo. Knight attributes the influence of the song to George Benson’s The Cooker. Listen to both and enjoy the influence.

Persistence, the title track, is largely the story of Knight’s dedication to making a career of Jazz. Persistence, the personal dedication as well as the song, has paid off marvelously. The theme of the song s belied by the light-heartedness of the melodies. An excellent Jazz-Pop number, it tells us something of Knight’s personality and temperament.

Two of the most intriguing tracks are actually two versions of the same song, Sharps Disposal. The title came from a doctor’s office visit wherein Knight saw the needle depository labeled as “sharps disposal.” The first version (track 4) starts off with a slow four-note motif before taking off into a F# minor Blues. Obviously, for Knight, the three sharps in the key are not disposable. The album closes with the slightly longer version of the song. You will notice the slight change in key, without all the sharps.

Steve Knight’s Persistence is a wonderful debut album that shows the writing and performing artistry of Knight but also is an exciting intellectual exercise for the listener. Knight and the band are more than entertainers, they are educators. Knight, Peterson, and Stitely, may we have more, please?

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Jim Witzel Trio & Quartet - Feelin' It

10/15/2022

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Guitarist, composer, and educator Jim Witzel released his first album Give and Take back in 1993. His paucity of recordings has not been due to lack of vision or interest. Rather, it is due to his overabundance of commitment to his teaching responsibilities at Santa Clara and San Francisco State Universities. Puts one in mind of Mr. Holland’s Opus. Teaching has a way of forcing itself to the head of the line.

Now, after all this time, Witzel has released Feelin’ It, a guitar-B3-drums trio with Brian Ho on the Hammond B3 and Jason Lewis on drums. The B-3 format has been a favorite of Witzel’s for a long time and this album shows Wizel and friends cutting loose on this format and the songs that highlight the format. Those songs include three originals from Witzel and other covers that range from John Lennon to the Gershwins to Lerner & Loewe. For his originals, Witzel brings tenor saxophonist Dann Zinn who has played with…well, everybody.

Zinn appears on the opening tune, the Witzel original and title track, Feelin’ It. The tune is like the straight-up Jazz of the 1960s and Witzel, Zinn, and Brian Ho make this into a lively, even vivacious, work of great fun and fascination. Lewis’ drumming is equally straight-up and he is worthy of great attention. The composition is great and well-structured for the romp of the artists’ contributions.

Beyond Beijing was written after jamming on a Chinese train ride. Witzel’s playing is captivating and sweetly melodic. Zinn’s tenor sax adds to the warmth and depth of the piece. The back and forth of guitar and tenor sax is delightful while the B3 and drums keep things moving ahead steadily. Then Ms. Information was, according to Witzel, inspired by Wayne Shorter and you can hear it but in Witzel and Zinn’s own vocabularies. That is the brilliance of Jim Witzel who can pay tribute but without rank imitation. He speaks with his own voice.

That is repeatedly proven with the covers he chose, beginning with the classic Romberg & Hammerstein tune Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise. The organ trio is masterful in their reinvention of this remarkable piece. The same is true in Nat Adderly’s The Old Country, the 1990 composition, but instead of Adderly and Vince Herring in partnership, Witzel and Ho form the formidable pair. And they make it work beautifully. Then the Gershwins’ I Loves You, Porgy gives way to the warm and melancholic. Closer to the Miles Davis version than the original light opera of the Gershwin brothers, Witzel focuses on the beauty of the piece, rather than the tragedy.

But my favorite covers are Lerner & Loewe’s If Ever I Would Leave You from 1960’s Camelot. While Robert Goulet (then Franco Nero in the movie version) sang it longingly, with an ample heaping of sappiness, Witzel turns it into a cool samba as B3 and drums keep the Brasilian rhythms in sweet swing. And then there is John Lennon’s Norwegian Wood. It is lusher than the Beatles’ original and without the tongue-in-cheek delivery of John and the boys. The focus here is on the brilliant melody that is so extremely well-suited to this style of guitar artistry and the lilting of the B3 and sway of drums. Witzel’s guitar approach almost evokes the sitar. It may not be an improvement on the Beatles but it is certainly a marvelous Jazz reinvention.

Jim Witzel’s Feelin’ It makes you do just that. You feel these originals and reimagining of covers. The organ trio is an excellent format to give the change and lift of these covers and perfectly suited to Witzel’s originals. This is an album worth pursuing.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Trayce Eileen's You Hit the Spot

10/15/2022

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Tracye Eileen has released You Hit the Spot, her fourth release and third full-length recording. Each and every one of her album’s reveal an evolutionary progression in her vocal skills, making each album better than the previous one. You Hit the Spot is exactly what we would expect from Tracye’s ever-blossoming talents. She is wonderful.

On You Hit the Spot, she returns to her straight-ahead Jazz roots. Her previous recordings centered on love songs but, for this album, she says, “I decided to be self-revealing because I want my music to be authentic and real with songs that people can connect with.” And she herself hit the spot.

There are two bands, with the smoking hot studio band of Jeremy Kahn on piano, Jon Deitemyer on bass, Stewart Miller on drums, and Steve Eisen on reeds, Raphael Crawford on trombone, and Victor Garcia on trumpet. Then there is the live trio of Dennis Luxion on piano, Paul Martin on bass, and Linard Stroud on drums. With both studio and live recordings, this album gives us everything we could ask.

I Love Being Here with You kicks off the album and what a start. The sextet swings, and swings well, while Tracye is as swinging as anyone. Her phrasing and intonation is terrific.

The Gershwin’s They Can’t Take That Away from Me is witty, sultry, sassy, and oh-so-entertaining with Tracye’s delivery and sense of humor. The trio is magnificent and, together, they all make this a version that would thrill George and Ira Gershwin.
Lerner & Loewe’s Almost Like Being in Love is from their 1947 musical Brigadoon. Tracye and the trio turn this into an excellent and straightforward Jazz tune that is fun and exciting. That is followed by Ray Noble’s The Very Thought of You. Tracye is warm and emotional and just steals your heart. Luxion’s piano with bass and drums make this a ballad of tenderness and some melancholy. A brilliant version of a brilliant composition.

Rodgers & Hart’s This Can’t Be Love is a bold declaration of exactly what she feels. Self-revealing, indeed. Martin’s bass is excellent and the trio make their brilliant contributions with aplomb. Then she closes the album with Edward C. Redding’s The End of a Love Affair. Written in the 1950s, it was recorded by Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, and others. But Tracye’s version with the sextet is the high-water mark and that is not an exaggeration. A fine end to such a brilliant album.

Tracye Eileen makes her mark with permanence on You Hit the Spot. With sass and swing, wit and wisdom, Trayce Eileen proves her worth and talent over and again. She makes you want to dance. And I don’t dance.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Nica Carrington's Times Like These

10/15/2022

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Vocalist Nica Carrington is set to take the Jazz world by surprise with her debut album Times Like These. This is Jazz vocals the way we like it!

The album features the inimitable John Proulx (an excellent vocalist in his own right) on piano, Chuck Berghofer on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums. In other words, you are expectant of a great album before you hear the first notes. And you will not be disappointed.

Her song list is wonderful, with tunes from Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer to Billie Holiday to Cole Porter to Michel Legrand and so many more. This is a collection of songs that always leave the listener satisfied.

Billie Holiday and Mal Waldron’s Left Alone is an early treat. Nica has all the emotion and talent to make a Billie Holiday song work, and work well. Written by Holiday, she never recorded it. Cheers to Nica and the fellas for giving us this magnificent song. Proulx is brilliant on the piano and is largely, if not entirely, responsible for putting this LA-based band together for the native New Yorker Nica. Berghofer and LaBarbera show over and over why Proulx brought them along. They were with him on his 2018 album Say It.

Michel Legrand’s The Summer Knows was also recorded by Proulx on Say It. Nica takes this wonderful song and makes it her own. Legrand is one of my favorite composers and I can be a bit critical about various renditions of his work. Nica nails it. So help me, I played it and replayed many times.

Nica;s voice is warm and charming she is absolutely intoxicating. Please, God, let this be the first of 50 albums to come. She has it all. Yes, the trio is magnificent and anyone is blessed to be recording with them. But they are equally fortunate to be recording with Nica Carrington. Listen to the artistry of the trio and their brilliant contributions to the album.

Johnny Mandel’s The Shadow of Your Smile is so sultry under Nica’s ministrations. This one is worth the price of admission, to be sure. I like LaBarbera’s subtle drums on this one and Berghofer is right in line with him. These guys are good.

Artie Butler and Phyllis Molinary’s Here’s to Life wraps up the album. What a way to close such a beautiful album. If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that we say what needs to be said when we have the chance. And so she does. Her last words are Here’s to Life/Here’s to Love/Here’s to you.

Nica Carrington’s Times Like These is a splendid album of grace and joy and love. Conceived during the pandemic, the album encourages us to recall the things that are important. Musicians and vocalist alike pour their hearts and talents out like a sacrificial oblation and out only response is gratitude.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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Roberta Donnay is Blossom-ing!

10/15/2022

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Blossom-ing! is Roberta Donnay’s 10th album and celebrates the music of Blossom Dearie, the American jazz singer and pianist whose heyday was in the 1950s and 60s. Dearie’s voice was called “light and girlish” and she collaborated with such Jazz greats as Johnny Mercer, Miles Davis, and more.

I revisited Blossom Dearie’s video and audio recordings to prepare but it only set me up to be stunned by Roberta Donnay’s tributes. Roberta is a marvel and somewhere Blossom Dearie is smiling. Roberta herself says that she “grew up listening to Jazz in the 1960s but didn't discover Blossom Dearie until many years later when I was lucky enough to hear her perform live. Her sweet voice and witty song interpretations enchanted and inspired me to delve deeper into her recordings and repertoire.”

With Roberta on vocals are Mike Greensill on piano, Ruth Davies on bass, Mark Lee on drums, José Neto on guitar and guest appearances by David Sturdevant on harmonica, and MB Gordy on percussion. This is a fun band with all the talent needed for this incredible album, an album that is brilliant on its own even without its tribute to Blossom.

the songs range from compositions by Billie Holiday to Cole Porter to the Gershwins to Jule Styne to Johnny Mandel and even one by Blossom Dearie herself. The songs are indeed from the Great American Songbook and Roberta simply takes ownership of them all.

She opens the album with Roberta’s Blues by Billie Holiday and adapted by Blossom Dearie. The “girlish” delivery of the song belies the naughty and sassy mood and lyrics of the song. All this is a magnificent setup for the songs that are to come.
I thought I was done with hearing anymore versions of Peel Me a Grape but Roberta turned me around on that, too. For one thing, I was completely taken with Greensill’s arrangement and piano work on the Dave Frishberg standard. But, Good Lord, Roberta just nails this song.

Ruth Davies’ bass gives a cool intro to Cole Porter’s Just One of Those Things. Then comes Roberta and it makes you want to just pop. It is the same feeling with each song from Someone to Watch Over Me to The Party’s Over to You Fascinate Me So to each and every one of the 16 songs on the album. It was probably Johnny Mandel’s I Wish You Love that hits the hardest. The band is deliciously understated which is completely in step with Roberta’s vocals.

The beauty of Blossom-ing! by Roberta Donnay is that the songs are so well chosen and nothing misses. The songs are emotional and sultry, witty and warm, and everything you could wish to hear in a vocal Jazz album. This is a work of extraordinary charm and beauty.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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The Talking Hands of Greg Hatza and Enayet Hossain

10/13/2022

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Greg Hatza and Enayet Hossain have performed together for years in the Jazz-World Fusion group Melodic Intersect. They also performed as a trio with Anjan Chattopadhyay (sitar) on Eastern Visions. The special chemistry between them forged a musical bond that begged for further exploration. Talking Hands is the result of that spiritual and musical alchemy.

The piano of Greg Hatza and the tabla of Enayet Hossain are a brilliant pairing for a Jazz that touches on World Music in a way that gives the impression that they always belonged together. That is evident from the inaugural song, the title song, Talking Hands. The percussive piano and the rhythms of the tabla make for an invigorating start and it never lets up from there.

The fun and funky Crazy Calcutta Streets with the electric keyboards and the rhythmically demanding tempos of the tabla. Sweet Shop takes on an almost R&B feel that is driven by the tabla and expanded upon by the cool keyboards and ambient string synthesizer.

Dark Matter is kicked off by the furious rhythms of Hossain’s tabla and occasional interjections of the keyboards with fascinating harmonics and lush passages that are captivating. Midnight Mood has great piano moments that are kept steady with Hossain’s straight-ahead tabla. Deep Love is in the same vein with Hatza on the electric keyboards with excellent ambient passages and soaring moments that are meditative and inspiring.

Sultan’s Dream is south Asian funk at its finest. Hatza has studied sitar and it shows in his tone choices. The Conversation has some of Hossain’s best moments with the more than just the beats and rhythms, it is the harmonics of his tabla that is so mesmerizing. Hatza’s keyboards lay down the bass lines and his bent notes again remind you of the sitar.

The album concludes with Dialogue, maybe the best song on the album in my judgment. The rapid-fire tabla with the brilliant melodic lines of the keyboards are amazing. Again, Hatza plays the keys with the rhythmic precision of Hossain’s tabla. This is a great way to close an album.

Enayet Hossain and Greg Hatza’s Talking Hands is the best of all worlds—Jazz motivations and melodies with Indian rhythmic precision that makes for wonderful listening.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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The Griffin Woodard Group reaches Completion.

10/13/2022

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The Griffin Woodard Group is a brilliant combination of artists centered around the leadership of composer and bass clarinetist Griffin Woodard. If you think there is a remarkable Focus and even telepathy among this group, it should come as no surprise that they held an extended retreat while performing at a music institute in New Hampshire. The album Completion is the result of that cohesion.

Completion is boldly and baldly autobiographical, recounting reminiscences and events that served to forge the personality, artistry, and will of Woodard. Of the 11 tracks on the album, ten are original compositions by Woodard with the eleventh being his arrangement of a venerated piece of worship.

Along with Griffin Woodard on bass clarinet are Coleman Rose on soprano and tenor saxophones, Abe Gold on piano, Miles Gilbert on bass, and Hugh Kline on drums. In whatever format these musicians play, there artistry makes an indelible stamp. They are joined on three tracks by Georgia Heers on vocals and, on one of those three tracks, by Deneen Jones.

Griffin Woodard describes the album in this way, “the Completion album has nothing to do with endings. The word completion means, to me, spiritual wholeness.” It's precisely the feeling one gets from listening to this album. I must confess that the album reminded me, in a spiritual sense, of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. It is a rare encounter to feel so moved, even touched, by an album. Especially, a debut album.

The album opens with Little Angel and the first tones you hear are from Woodard’s bass clarinet. Then comes the warm and charming vocals of Georgia Heers. Gold’s piano solo is a cool passage that sets the hook brilliantly with a four-note motif that stays in your head. But the pairing of Woodard and Gold—bass clarinet and piano—and the support of Gilbert’s bass and Kline’s drums that is so fine.

Then, surprisingly, comes Doxology which almost every churchgoer knows so well. It is the only piece on the album not from the pen of Woodard, albeit with his arrangement. With Woodard is the core trio along with Coleman Rose on soprano saxophone. To hear a beloved passage rendered so meaningfully in such an autobiographical sense is indeed touching. This is a work and performance astonishing beauty and elegance. Listen for the bass work of Miles Gilbert on Bass Interlude that is then followed by Camillus House and the return of Rose on soprano sax. The trading between Woodard and Rose is exquisite and the rhythm section is on fire.

That all changes with Bridget’s Song, a lovely ballad with sweeping passages from Gold’s solo piano. The reprise of Bridget’s Song is performed by the Quintet with Coleman on soprano sax. Then things take an enlightening turn with Alchemy, a duet between Woodard and drummer Kline. Amazing.

Marmalade witnesses the return of Georgia Heers on vocals after the warm bass clarinet introduction from Woodard. Heers and Gold play in duet with a slow inclusion of bass and drums. Gilbert and Kline are supremely understated but very effective. The outro is a thing of marvelous tone and texture. It is worth the wait.

Then comes the bright and bouncy Route 1 with Coleman Rose on tenor saxophone and smoking piano from Gold. The whole affair sounds like a tribute to Coltrane and McCoy Tyner. At 6:25, the song just wasn’t long enough.

The final two tracks are simply marvelous. Kyrie is sung by Heers and Deneen Jones with the refrain of Lord, have mercy. The chord changes are moving and the delicacy of the piano is in counterpoint to the pleas of the vocals. The soprano sax and bass clarinet with piano and bass carry the song out and beautifully set up the final track, Completion. Woodard, Rose and Gold open the song with the warm grace and reverence that comes with spiritual wholeness, as Woodard suggests. Bass and drums all provide their own elegance and wonder. All of the artists contribute brilliantly on this remarkable and memorable piece of serene and enlightened thanksgiving.

Completion by the Griffin Woodard Group is something spectacular. Moving from solo to duet to trio and all the way to septet, the format is always suitable for the composition and the artists make their own distinct imprint on every piece. The album is in the spiritual heritage of Coltrane’s Meditations or even A Love Supreme. For a debut album, Woodard has planted his flag.

~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl

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