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CD Reviews - September 2009 Reviews
by George Fendel
The Scene, Jimmy Rushing, vocals. SHORT TAKES
John
Pondel, John
Pondel, guitar. Until It’s Time, Jack Wilkins. Guitarist Wilkins begins his disc with an unfortunate opener, a Brazilian-style cover of “Arthur’s Theme,” which makes him sound like a smooth jazzer. It’s not until the fast jazz waltz of “Show Me” that we realize that Wilkins is more than just elevator jazz. His hollow-body guitar tone is indeed smooth, but his licks are inspired. Wilkins, though, seems to like both sides of the jazz world, since he returns to a pop-ier sense on James Taylor’s easygoing “Blossom.” Nowadays, when going the smoother route, an artist needs to establish chops up front for true jazz fans; otherwise, the results can be dismissed. Luckily, Wilkins can swing, as he shows on a grooving version of “Walk Don’t Run,” and “Airegin.” He definitely has quirky and varied tastes, toying with classical on “Fur Elise,” and Latin on a searing version of “Tico Tico.” It all seems to work somehow, though tenuously at times. 2009, MaxJazz, 69:34. Music Update, Jason Marsalis. Most may know the youngest Marsalis brother as a superb drummer, but here he hands over the sticks to David Potter and picks up the vibe mallets to show off his melodic and compositional skills. He still plays the kit on a few tracks, but this is mostly about Marsalis’s music. Along with Austin Johnson on piano and Will Goble on bass, this quartet toys with New Orleans rhythms, new modern fusion (“Offbeat Personality”), and terpsichorean-inspired march (“Ballet Class”). Marsalis proves himself to be a superb vibraphonist. He doesn’t have the flash of a Stefon Harris, nor the subtlety of a Bobby Hutcherson, but he is finding a voice. He gives plenty of soloing time to his pianist, and the two chorded instruments manage to work together nicely, neither getting in the other’s way. When Marsalis takes a percussive approach, as on the rhythm-only “Discipline Returns Once Again,” it seems to be more interlude meant to show that he’s still a drummer at heart. It’s the compositions for vibes that work best -- chordally-rich tunes like “Characters” and his cover of “Midnight Sun” -- that establish him as a player in the modern jazz world. It will be fun to see Marsalis’s growth as a solo artist, composer and arranger in the coming years. 2008, ELM Records, 54:20. Homecoming, Eddie Harris & Ellis Marsalis. ELM Classics has just re-released this 1985 album, a duo of Harris and the Marsalis patriarch. While this album seems to have passed me by the first time around, it’s a wonderful disc that sounds like it hasn’t aged a bit. This could be a new disc and be just as vital on the jazz scene. Harris and Marsalis create a musical intimacy, Harris with melodic, nimble playing and Marsalis with full sound and rich chordal structure. While most of the tunes are easy to hear, the duo takes it outside on the improvisational “Ethereal Moments 1 & 2,” showing that these veterans like to experiment. Plus, there’s enough reverb on the instruments to shake a house, making the ethereal effect even greater. We hear percussion on sax keys on the Latin-lite “Out of This World,” and Marsalis shows off his stride on the jaunty “Have You Met Miss Jones.” While the original album only went seven tracks, this reissue, produced by Jason Marsalis, adds five extra tracks, including new duets with Marsalis and rising New Orleans pianist Jonathan Baptiste, plus a quartet track adding Jason Marsalis and bassist Jason Stewart, an old-style blues with Batiste on the plaintive melodica. The duets between Harris and Marsalis are the meat of the disc, but the added tracks make this a must-have. 2009, ELM Records, 65 minutes. Baker’s Dozen (Remembering Chet Baker), John Proulx. When pianist and vocalist Proulx released his debut on MaxJazz in 2006, he was lauded as the next Chet Baker. While he doesn’t play the trumpet, Proulx’s high tenor was a spitting aural image of Baker’s smooth delivery. Now he has taken the comparison to the next level with a tribute to the late artist. It starts, predictably and fittingly, with one of Baker’s signature tunes, “Let’s Get Lost,” and his vocals are Baker-esque - soft, warm and inviting. Dominick Farinacci does a fabulous job on flugelhorn, playing with restraint and clarity. Proulx has the advantage over Baker in that he can play and sing at the same time, setting his vocals up with new arrangements and chords that highlight his laid back phrasing. Chuck Berghofer and Joe LaBarbera set the grooves and let Proulx’s vocals - including a fine job scatting on several tracks, including trading licks with Farinacci on an upbeat bopping version of “But Not for Me.” The arrangements and musicianship are different enough to have this not be a note-for-note tribute, and Proulx even adds one of his own tunes, “Before You Know It,” to state that this is his album and that, while he has many similarities to Baker, he is his own musician. We anxiously await Proulx’s next outing. 2009, MaxJazz, 61:10. Urban Myths, Joel Harrison. Guitarist Harrison made an impressive debut several years back with “Free Country,” sounding like an updated version of Pat Metheny with a pop-folk twist. On this disc he goes more electric, revisiting the sounds of the hard fusion ‘70s, updated with original compositions. The opener, “You Must Go Through a Winter,” fuses Miles Davis with Ornette Coleman, John McLaughlin and Frank Zappa for a searin,g psycho-fusion tune, with Christian Howes doing his best Jean Luc Ponty on violin and David Binney tearing up the alto sax. Harrison is a superb guitarist but an even better composer/arranger. The diversity of his tunes and his attention to detail make him a singular talent. The album shows the harder side of fusion, with interesting time feels -- the 5/4 float of “Mood Rodeo” being the most intriguing -- and tones that recall Scofield and Stern in their earlier days. The only recognizable melody is the flurry of notes of Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser.” Harrison has altered the tune to fit an obtuse aesthetic, with a heavy funk beat and frenetic feel. Harrison’s compositions may recall a past time in jazz, but the feel is so updated that it becomes merely a nod to the ‘70s rather than a trip back in time. 2009, Highnote Records, 55:30. Declaration, Donny McCaslin. McCaslin has established himself as the powerhouse tenor man today, taking the reins from the late Michael Brecker. Here he brings in a larger ensemble than his last trio outing. Upping his group to a sextet and adding a quintet of brass guest artists lets McCaslin experiment with more textures and colors. His playing is just as strong, and the expanded lineup allows him to improvise to an even greater extent. The brass pads out the chords but also takes a secondary role as harmonic and melodic interlude players. McCaslin is still the dominant tone here. His muscular sound flies over the top of the brawny-yet-pretty “Declaration” and punches out the angular melody on the beefy “Rock Me.” There are moments of beauty here, as on the tender “Jeanina” and the melancholy “Late Night Gospel,” but McCaslin isn’t known for his ballads. He’s a bold player with an even bolder sound. Here we get some diversity, thanks to the brass and bigger group, which rounds him out as an artist. 2009, Sunnyside Records, 60 minutes. Jack of Hearts, Anthony Wilson Trio. This is a classic B-3 Organ trio disc, but with two distinct feels, and the feature artist isn’t the organ player. Larry Goldings is certainly a featured artist, of course, but it’s Wilson, with his chunky guitar chords and inventive soloing, who stands out. Goldings and Wilson co-wrote several of the tunes, including the Latin-funky opener, “Mezcal,” and Goldings adds considerable depth to the disc. On the more swing-oriented numbers, like Wilson’s title track, Jeff Hamilton provides the groove while on the funkier, more contemporary numbers, Jim Keltner takes over on the set, as on the Latin-folk shuffle of “Vida Perdida Acabou.” The two drummers bring different feels to the disc, but both fit so well into their categories that the album becomes cohesive. There’s also an organic, analog feel throughout, giving the disc an intimacy and lively nature, as on the funk-driven “Harajuku.” The blending of Wilson and Goldings with the two drummers makes this a winner. 2009, Groove Note Records, 58 minutes. New York Rendezvous, Irene Atman. Vocalist Atman’s voice is rich and emotive. Her delivery is articulate and clear, with a lilting vibrato. Backed by pianist Frank Kimbrough, drummer Matt Wilson, bassist Jay Anderson and saxophonist Joel Frahm, Atman has assembled an all-star crew to let her reinterpret classic tunes like “Taking a Chance on Love,” “Time After Time,” and “Charade.” Her lengthy phrasing is better suited to slower tunes, including “Why Did I Choose You,” a lovely ballad where Atman caresses the melody. When the tempo speeds up and swings, she seems less in her element. Luckily, the rest of her band picks up any slight downward trend here, as Frahm’s inventive soloing proves. Atman is mostly playing to her strengths, including her nearly flawless Spanish accent on “Somos Novios.” When the swing is slower in tempo, as on “Time After Time,” her phrasing works much better. Atman excels on torch songs and ballads, and when she sings them, as on “Alfie,” she is a true talent. 2009, Irene Atman, 48:30. Entre Cuerdas, Edmar Castaneda. The harp isn’t supposed to be a jazz instrument. It’s too bulky, too odd, too, well, pretty. But not under Colombian native Castaneda’s able fingers. He brings out a completely different side of the multi-stringed instrument. Rather than annoying glissando’s or syrupy ballads, Castaneda makes the harp a rhythmic solo instrument. He is able to wow with fleet-fingered runs, rhythmic comping and a sense of excitement. Yes, excitement from a harp. His core trio features trombonist Marshall Gilkes and drummer/percussionist Dave Silliman, but he’s also joined by John Scofield on guitar, who rips a solo as Castaneda’s deft comping provides a new-sounding base and bass. There are times when the harp becomes more a thing of beauty, as on the haunting “Jesus de Nazareth,” but it’s when it becomes a Latin jazz tool that Castaneda really shines, as on the driving “Colibri,” which features an added chordal texture with Joe Locke’s exceptional vibes. Castaneda can even swing, as he shows on the good-natured “Colombian Dixie.” The harp as a jazz instrument works here and it’s a heck of a good time. 2009, Arpa y Voz Productions, 59 minutes. Rocket 88 - Tribute to Ike Turner, Mr. Groove Band. Ike Turner will never be thought of as a humanitarian, nor as an exceptionally good person. But he was a heck of a bandleader for a good amount of time. He helped promote R&B to a place on the radio charts, and he helped launch the career of Tina Turner. Here, an all-star band pays tribute to his musical contributions. It’s a rollicking good time, with plenty of guest artists, including Audrey Turner, Bonnie Bramlett, Tim Smith and Roddy Smith. A full horn section, led by fiery sax player Tim Gordon, blasts out R&B horn lines with vigor, and Smith’s guitars groove out the tunes. Darryl Johnson takes the lead on vocals for the most part, and his voice is a bit nasally compared to Ike’s deep baritone, somewhere between Ike and Tina in timbre. Some tracks, like Ike’s driving “Funky Mule,” work well, while some others just don’t have the raw energy, like “River Deep, Mountain High,” which doesn’t have the verve of the original. “Proud Mary” doesn’t have that frenetic energy like the original did, but the new arrangement it’s jazzier. Not sure that Ike deserved a big tribute album, but this one’s done with a punch of energy and groove that would have made him proud, I’m guessing. 2009, ZOHO Music, 49:50.
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