CD Reviews - May 2010
by George Fendel, and Kyle O'Brien

Century of Jazz Piano, Dick Hyman, piano.
In a dozen or so lines of a CD review, it’s impossible to adequately describe a five CD, one DVD set covering the entire development of jazz piano. So please accept my attempt to cover a few highlights. Dick Hyman is better suited than anyone to take on an exhaustive task such as this. And if you know someone who wants to learn volumes about the history of jazz piano, this set would make an awesome gift. Let’s put it this way: in stunning solo fashion, Hyman covers Joplin, James P, Jelly Roll, Mary Lou, Gershwin, Meade Lux Lewis, Waller, Hines, Willie the Lion, Tatum, Teddy, Duke, Basie, Erroll, Brubeck, Oscar, Monk, Tristano, Evans, McPartland, Lewis, Corea, Hancock, Silver and lots more. And if that’s not enough, Hyman then proceeds to blow you away with a group of on the spot improvisations of his own. But there’s more yet, He then plays 28 more original tunes and brief figures which he calls ‘in the manner of’ such stalwarts as Sir Roland Hanna, Hank Jones, Jay McShann, Joe Bushkin, Roger Kellaway, Derek Smith, Bud Powell, George Shearing, and even Bill Charlap. This is nothing less than jazz piano history, and kudos to Arbors Records for realizing the value of the art rendered here -- and the importance of this recording to future generations.
Arbors Records, 2010 (five CDs and one DVD).

Afterglow, Jody Sandhaus, vocals, Pete Malinverni, piano.
It seems hard to believe how very few recordings there have been featuring a singer and a pianist. Period. I remember an Ella-Paul Smith disc, and a couple beauties from Irene Kral and Alan Broadbent. But think about it -- how many others can you come up with? Well, here’s hubby and wife in a serving of beautiful, romantic ballads that they probably have shared in their own living room over the years. There are few examples of this kind of intimacy, as Sandhaus interprets these lovely tunes with a tenderness inspired, in part, by Malinverni’s perfect, direct to the heart solo piano. Musicians know when every note counts, and certainly that’s the case here. Most of the tunes are obscure gems, heretofore mainly overlooked by others, including the Gershwins’ “Isn’t It a Pity,” Marian McPatland’s “In the Days of Our Love” and Buke-Van Huesen’s “Do You Know Why,” among others. Some of you might recall “I’m In Love Again,” an album highlight that Peggy Lee had a hand in writing; and a rarity by Bob Dorough called “Love Came on Stealthy Fingers.” The surprise of the set? An easy call: Steve Allen’s “Impossible.” How nice to hear it again. It’s all for ‘pretty,’ and if there’s a place for pretty in your life, this lovely duet is waiting just for you.   
Self-produced, 2009, 50:30.

Cone And T-Staff, Wycliffe Gordon, trombone.
If you ventured a guess, you were right. ‘Cone’ is Wycliffe Gordon’s nickname among his pals in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and his co-leader on this date is ‘T-Staff,’ or trumpeter Terrell Stafford. And with a dynamite rhythm section of Mike LeDonne, David Wong and Kenny Washington, Cone and T-Staff have a new, straight ahead, blowing session for you. You know the proceedings are headed in the right direction with the opener, Wes Montgomery’s “West Coast Blues.” Other familiar vehicles include Oscar Pettiford’s “Tricotism,” Curtis Fuller’s “Arabia,” and a relaxed rendering of the not-yet-battle-weary “Robbin’s Nest.” Each of the leaders gets an exclusive also, with Stafford soloing ever so beautifully on Matt Dennis’s “Everything Happens To Me,” and likewise for Gordon as he growls his way, Al Grey style, through Duke and Strayhorn’s “Star-Crossed Lovers.” And each contributes an original or two to give balance and color to a set that proves it’s still okay to swing and to participate in the pure joy of making good jazz.
Criss Cross, 2010, 63:43.

Brasil Beat, Bill Beach, piano, vocals, composer, lyricist.
Okay, it’s one thing to sing nice Brazilian tunes. Many fine American singers have done so ever since the ‘60s bossa nova craze. But it’s a totally different ballgame when Portland, Oregon’s Bill Beach writes Portuguese lyrics to his own well-constructed melodies.   What’s more, Bill sings in a very subtle, unblemished and sincere manner. And, of course, he’s accompanying himself on the piano. Do you have any idea just what a challenge this must have been for one whose native language is a zillion miles distant from Portuguese? Well, Beach pulls it all off with great taste. Joined by fellow Portlanders Dave Captein, Reinhardt Melz and, on selected tunes, Gary Hobbs, Beach has crafted tunes that are imaginative, fresh and quite captivating. As if all this wasn’t amazing enough, the English translations to his lyrics are, for the mot part, literate and sometimes quite touching. For quite a few years now, Beach has been one of our city’s consistent treasures in its jazz piano cadre. With this album, we hear just where his Brazilian muse has taken him. Very highly recommended.
Axial Records, 2010, 52:49.

Have Band Will Travel, Stan Kenton Alumni Band directed by Mike Vax.
Whether you loved the Stan Kenton band or not, there’s no arguing that his brassy sound was unique, entertaining and immediately recognizable. His organization was also a springboard for some of the heroes of West Coast jazz. I’m not sure if every one of the players in the alumni gathering actually played under Kenton’s baton, but there are some familiar names here: Kim Richmond, Steve Huffsteter, Don Rader, Scott Whitfield, Kenny Shroyer and even Portland area drummer Gary Hobbs. You may expect a band like this to be regurgitating old Kenton material, but instead, they tackle quite a few tunes not necessarily linked to the Kenton era. Among them are “Softly As I Leave You,” “Long Ago and Far Away,” “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” and even Gerry Mulligan’s “Swing House.” Of course there are a few revisits to SK land, like “Intermission Riff,” Bernstein’s “Tonight” and the evergreen, “Invitation.” You’ll also notice a sprinkling of former Kenton arrangers in Johnny Richards, Lennie Niehaus, Scott Whitfield and Bob Florence, among others. All in all, it’s simply ‘that Kenton sound’ once again filling your living room and testing your speaker system!
Summit Records, 2010, 58:02.
   
Five Play Jazz Quintet, Five Play Jazz Quintet.
This San Francisco area fivesome has apparently played together for quite a period of time, but this is their debut recording, and a real sparkler it is! The 10 original tunes are almost all creations of either the group’s guitarist, Tony Corman, or its pianist, Laura Klein. The first tune, for example, is the aptly titled “Off the Ground,” a hard bopping yet lyrical vehicle featuring a Klein piano solo with major league chops. Other standouts included reedman Dave Tidball’s solo on an energetic, Latin-ish tune called “Indigone”; the attractive melody line of “Bright Golden Sunshine”; and the satisfying, down-home sound of “Sidesteppin’ Blues.” The group is completed by Paul Smith on bass and Alan Hall on drums. To their credit, the music presented here stays in a straightahead groove, never becoming too outside. Or, as the liner notes suggest, “modern jazz to be enjoyed by everyone.”  I couldn’t have said it better.
Jurassic Classics, 2010, 63:18.

Uncertain Living, The Britton Brothers Band.
The younger generation is coming on strong as is shown here by the Britton brothers, John on trumpet and Ben on tenor sax; on a menu of all originals, seven of the eight were contributed by one or the other. The music takes on every mood, tempo and color imaginable, sometimes quite compelling, although occasionally a bit off the edge of the diving board for me. An added attraction is the presence of tenor man Chris Potter, who guests on two selections. Completing the group in fine fashion are Jeremy Siskind, piano, Taylor Waugh, bass, and Austin Walker, drums. A couple standout tracks included “Molo,” perhaps the most straightahead, swinging track; and the oddly titled “June Humidity,” a composition written somewhere in the shadow of Thelonious Monk.
Self-Produced, 2009, 64:38.

Horace To Max, Joe Chambers, drums, vibes, marimba.
Now 67 years young, Joe Chambers was there in the halcyon late ‘50s thru the ‘60s, making post bop history on dozens of now famous recordings. Chambers makes it clear that two of his primary influences from that period were Max Roach and Horace Silver, hence the album title and the inclusion of several selections written by his two jazz heroes. Except for a sprinkling of guests here and there, Chambers’ basic group includes do-everything tenor man Eric Alexander, pianist Xavier Davis, and bassist Dwayne Burno. A new name to me, Nicole Guiland, provides very grown-up and hip vocals on two of Max’s tunes, “Mendacity” and “Lonesome Lover.” Other entries herein include Silver’s “Ecaroh” (spell it backwards), Monk’s “Evidence,” Wayne Shorter’s “Water Babies,” and a rare rowser by Kenny Dorham, “Asiatic Races.” It’s a nice bonus to hear Chambers chime in here and there on the vibes, and Alexander is the king of versatility, subtlety and swing in any setting. This is very accessible, classic, gimmick-free jazz. Hats off to Joe Chambers and company!
High Note, 2010, 49:52.

Living The Dream, Chris Tedesco, trumpet and leader.
The list of big bands out of L.A. is quite impressive. Consider, over the years, names like Terry Gibbs, Bill Holman, Bob Florence and Clayton-Hamilton. Now it’s Chris Tedesco’s turn to take the wheel, and he does so in fine fashion here with ten examples of big band excitement. Six of those ten selections were written either by Tedesco himself and/or his trombone player, Jim McMillen. They are bouncy, buoyant and invigorating. To give some extra flavor, add the voice of singer Tony Galla on four selections, and a bevy of strings on two tunes. The standards on the disc include “Willow Weep for Me,” “Moody’s Mood for Love” and an old Sinatra warhorse, “Learnin’ the Blues.” Among the originals, Tedesco displays top of the line trumpet chops on “I’ve Got Some Kind of Rhythm,” a distant cousin to Gershwin’s classic, “I Got Rhythm”; and one entitled “The Opener,” an ebullient winner. I’d have nixed James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s World.” The tune is simply out of place on an album that otherwise displays fine musicianship and solid solos.
Angel City Music, probably 2010, 54:56.

Live At The Red Sea Jazz Festival, John Fedchock, trombone.
Any of you who have been hip to John Fedchock’s past recordings know him as leader of a peerless New York Big Band. But this time we are treated to the trombone ace as leader of a sextet. It was August at the southern tip of Israel; not warm, but hot like Phoenix in August. Yet Fedchock and friends turned up the heat in an awesome set of real-deal jazz. The friends,’ all New York buddies of the leader, included Scott Wendholt, trumpet/flugelhorn; Walt Weiskopf, tenor sax; Allen Farnham, piano; David Finck, bass; and Dave Ratajczak, drums. With the exception of “Caravan” and Tom Harrell’s “Moon Alley,” the remaining tunes are all Fedchock originals. And in listening to these performances, one understands why Fedchock’s ‘other hat’ is that of band leader. The sextet roars, swoops, chides and solos with gusto and passion, but it’s funny how much of Fedchock’s writing sounds as though it could have easily been played by a big band. Well, maybe not so surprising after all. In any case, this is a five-star, high wire performance. It’s just what we’ve come to expect from John Fedchock.
Capri Records, 2010, 61:52. 

The Move, Jim Rotondi, trumpet, flugelhorn.
Despite the title, this recording is more about returning to a comfort zone, a straightahead swing sound, than it is about a move into other musical territory. Rotondi, with several earlier Criss Cross discs to his credit, brings familiar musical colleagues to this set, and it all comes off with precision, passion and power. Ralph Bowen, for example, is an under-rated tenor saxist who is rippingly good in the best of blowing session tradition. Alto sax ace Mike DiRubbo is by now a veteran of the hard bop wars, and how can one argue a rhythm section of David Hazeltine, John Webber and Joe Farnsworth? Five of the nine tunes are steamy original compositions from the players on the date, and all of them illustrate some inventive and often quite lyrical writing. Of the remaining tunes, “Progress” is a rather obscure Horace Silver creation, and the Burton-Lane beauty, “Too Late Now,” puts the solo spotlight on Rotondi and Bowen. Theirs is as pretty a version of this tune as any I’ve heard. Bacharach’s pop opus, “The Look of Love,” was never a favorite of mine, but Rotondi and company alter the tempo slightly, and it comes off well. Finally, there’s Harry Warren’s old warhorse, “I Wish I Knew.” It’s played muted, Miles-ish, and straight down the middle. Rotondi is a force on trumpet and flugelhorn, and he pulls off this recording with aplomb. Don’t they call that ear candy?
Criss Cross, 2010, 61:12.

Rhyme And Reason, Oleg Kireyev, tenor sax; Keith Javors, piano
According to the publicity piece accompanying this CD, Kireyev has earned high marks as one of the premier Russian saxophonists. The late Bud Shank said that Kireyev incorporates styles ranging from the 1920s through John Coltrane. There can be no doubt that Kireyev has done his homework, and it’s produced a big, full and satisfying tenor sound, sometimes a bit like a slightly more contemporary Dexter Gordon or Tubby Hayes. His co-leader on the date, pianist Javors, works seamlessly with Kireyev on six originals. Each of the selections had its own character, with widely divergent tempos. But it was easy to conclude that they all followed an uncluttered mainstream path. Nicely swinging at times, lyrical and lovely at others. The quartet is completed by the sympathetic work of Boris Kozlov, bass, and E. J. Strickland, drums. This quartet played with purpose, polish and precision. But most importantly, they still swung.
Inarhyme Records, 2010, 54:05.  

Motives, Wellstone Conspiracy.
Despite the name, this is basically Idaho reedman Brent Jensen on soprano sax with a Seattle rhythm section of Bill Anschell, Jeff Johnson and John Bishop. Jensen plays with great feeling, but I prefer his earlier efforts on alto. The music here is nearly all original, and it’s airy, bright and tasteful. The one standard is Billy Strayhorn’s classic “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing,” and it’s a rare beauty. However, anytime Jensen wishes to return to alto saxophone, as Cole Porter once said, it’s alright with me.
Origin, 2010, 51:11.

Opening, Carol Morgan, trumpet.
Morgan’s a contender. In a piano-less trio setting with Harvie S, bass, and Rich DeRosa, drums, Morgan carves out an intimate, rich trumpet sound on a host of well-crafted tunes that include Bud Powell’s “Celia,” Kenny Dorham’s “Prince Albert” and a silvery ballad treatment of Horace Silver’s Nica’s Dream.” The one standard from Songbook America is “Like Someone in Love.” Morgan has listened to lyrical players such as Chet Baker and Art Farmer, and like them, he brings to the table a refined, nearly flugelhorn-like sound. I was very impressed!
Blue Bamboo Music, 2009, 44:17.

Aliso, David Binney, alto saxophone.
Binney chooses to mix in a few items that swing with authority amidst some original compositions which did not resonate with me. His quintet moves nicely through Sam Rivers’ “Fuchsia Swing Song,” which is essentially the changes to “Night and Day.” And Monk’s “Think of One” is given a thorough reading. Other than those two, a couple of Wayne Shorter tunes had recognizable, even attractive melody lines. This is far more accessible than the aimless meanderings of the avant garde; however, it was a little over the horizon for me.
Criss Cross, 2010, 73:23.

The Bickel-Marks Group, Doug Bickel, piano, Dennis Marks, bass.
The familiar name in this group is actually tenor and soprano saxist Dave Liebman. And therein lies a cautionary note. I’ve always found Liebman’s tenor too growly for my straightahead sensibilities, and I’m just not a fan of the soprano as played by nearly anybody. But, having said that, Liebman holds back here, playing some very lyrical original music. The up tempo choices are soaring and sometimes searing; the best of them is “Truncated Theme,” a rapid fire romp on the changes to Miles Davis’s “The Theme.”
Zoho Records, 2010, 46:59.

If Only For One Night, Wallace Roney, trumpet.
Sixty seconds of Roney’s trumpet is all one needs to recognize his debt to Miles Davis. The opening tune, “Quadrant,” is loaded with electronic gimmickry far beneath Roney’s talent. Beyond that, this is a mesmerizing album. The title tune, for example, is pure Miles in its simplicity and passion. “Only With You” stops, goes and surprises; and Roney’s “Metropolis” is robust, in-your-face hard bop. “I Love What We Make Together” is a tender example of Miles’s most lyrical writing, and Roney gives it respectful gentility. Drop “Quadrant” from this album and Roney’s quintet is into something with depth and feeling.
High Note, 2010, 61:53.

Reviews by Kyle O'Brien