jazz adds, january 18, 2016
By Ann Porotti
charles lloyd. i long to see you. blue note. Starring the marvels, who are: bill frisell on guitar; reuben rogers, bass; eric harland,drums; greg leisz, steel guitar; reed master lloyd on tenor & alto + guests norah jones and willie nelson. a-list songs include dylan’s master of war, trads. la llorona, shenandoah, all my trials and abide with me, plus a batch of lloyd originals. casual, seamless craftsmanship and heart from a musical elder with much to say.
cyrille aimee. let’s get lost. mack avenue. Sophomore (debut= it’s a good day , 2015) release of Montreal vocalist and bandleader cyrille aimee– many tunes taken from three years on tour. diverse setlist spotlights sondheim’s live alone & like it, loesser & mchugh’s let’s get lost; pettiford’s laverne walk; plus classics, three little words, that old feeling. the band–two guitars, adrien moignard+ michael valeanux; sam anning on bass, rajiv jayaweera@drums–swings, with vocalist aimee, towards a gypsy jazz lightness.
superband. live from detroit jazz festival. mack avenue. Compilation from labor day weekend, 2015, features a seven piece band with drummer carl allen; tia fuller on alto & soprano; gary burton on vibes; kirk whalum on tenor plus newcomers to the annual event, christian sands on piano, and trumpeter freddie hendrix. mostly original compositions by members of the band. since 2012, collect the whole set.
larry novak. invitation. delmark. A sleeper from Chicago. Major piano stylist, an older gentleman who has worked with both sinatra and sarah, bellson and bailey. listen to cue #1, a solo piano version of waltz for debby–it could be bill evans, if evans had recorded that tune as a piano solo. but, novak’s first recording in 50 years is not an evans tribute, but rather a celebration of novak’s elegance and musical grace. with rusty jones@drums and eric hochberg on bass.
phil woods. live at the deer head inn. deer head. Fine late career gathering for alto master phil woods and an exceptional quintet of “oldsters:” bill mays on piano; steve gilmore on bass; brian lynch at the piano; bill goodwin@drums. deer head inn–since 1953– is America’s oldest continuously operating jazz club; this recording is from autumn, 2014–a year before woods died.
five play. live at the deer head inn. deer head. Sister group of the band diva, fifteen years of performing; led by drummer sherrie maricle, five play includes pianist/composer tomoko ohno; trumpeter jami dauber; bassist, noriko ueda; and reedist, janelle reichman. very inventive songlist.
michael brothers. reunion. girod. New Orleans label and musicians reunite and play standards including my personal favorite, jimmy rowles the peacocks. led by drummer michael brothers, and featuring matt lemmler at the piano, tim aucoin on bass, and the polished tenor/clarinet style of david evans who manages to play both on the closer, isfahan.
dave stryker/steve slage (expanded band). Routes. strikezone. Saxophonist steve slagle and guitarist dave stryker have collaborated on each other’s music for years, using a quartet format. latest recording doubles their size with horns a plenty: john clark, french horn; clark gayton, trombone+tuba; billy drewes, tenor+bass clarinet; plus the regular guys, mcclenty hunter@drums; bill o’connell on keys. Fort Greene scene, great plains, mingus’ self-portrait in 3 colors.
enrique haneine. instants of time. elegant walk. A new look for jazz pianist, now percussionist, enrique haneine. Raised in Mexico City by Lebanese parents, Boston educated, haneine has ventured off the careful jazz path of previous work; here an all originals playlist goes around the world of beats. with lex samu, trumpet; catherine sikora, tenor; michael rorby, trombone, carlo de rosa, bass; lori cotler, voice. demanding.
wayne wallace + orquesta sinfonietta. canto america. patois. Fabulous installment from trombonist wayne wallace and percussionist michael spiro as they dive further into a continuing exploration of Afro-Cuban music; giant band + strings, + vocals, the project came from Indiana University. el medico and la propaganda de hoy (a tribute to Cuba’s popular los van van & juan formell) convey the effort. it’s all about the dancing!
jerry weldon. on the move. doodlin’. New York City tenor and veteran of the lionel hampton and harry connick jr bands, weldon smolders on the blues side. in his current release. featuring bobby pierce on B3; steve homan, guitar and mike clark@drums.
svetlana + the delancey five. night @ the speakeasy. OA2. Svetlana (shmulyian) won me over with her hot jazz and swing–especially when she sings the Russian you are like a song. on guitar vinny raniolo gives us a lowkey gypsy mood; wycliffe gordon steps in with discreet, vocalist-friendly trombone, and the delancey five –dalton ridenhouse, charlie caranicas, adrian cunningham, rob garcia and george delancey keep the music dancing.
