Jazz/Blues Adds: March 11, 2014
By Ann Porotti
Feature image photographed by Martin Phillips
Jazz
Snarky Puppy. We Like It Here. ropeadope. New– from the “puppy”– comes with advance praise from dj Tim Schwarz across the Asian pond in Singapore. Though recorded @ Kytopia studios in Utrecht, NL, bassist Michael League’s liner notes tell a story of 7 years American toil followed by a blazing European tour. No two cues are alike, and it’s a big puppy: 20-40 musicians in the collective. the puppy got its start @ UT in Denton TX, now based in Brooklyn.
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble. Live Snakes. accurate. Boston-based musicians, led by reed master Ken Field, the snakes do well with their Mardi Gras inspired tribute to filmmaker Karen Aqua (who was Field’s wife). the center piece is the free jazz for Karen which flows into I’ll fly away, classic NoLa funeral stuff. lots and lots of horns; rest are rhythm.
Bahama Soul Club. The Cuban Tapes. buy-u. Club music inspired by classic film, I am Cuba (Mikhail Kalatozov, 1964), produced by the German studio of Olivier Belz & Andre Neundorf. new Cuban voices–Telmary, Arema Arega, Danay Suarwez plus tracks of Bessie Smith, Ruthie Foster. Eddie Filipp, drums; horns: York, Kervin Barreto. infectious.
Gene Ludwig-Pat Martino Trio. Young Guns. highnote. Rich organ-guitar-drums trio from 1968-69. Pat Martino on guitar; Pittsburgh pretender to the throne of Jimmy Smith, Gene Ludwig at the organ and Ohio drummer Randy Gillespie have at it. long, mellow and fiery, cues set a very high barre; the trio would be around for only 2 years. if you like the B-3, jazz guitar–Martino and Ludwig together, can’ t stop the fever.
Bruce Barth. Daybreak. savant. Vibes and piano, trumpet, bass & drums-that’s the lineup: Barth, piano & leader; Steve Nelson, vibes; Terell Stafford, horns; Vicente Archer and Montez Coleman keep the rhythm. classically trained, on his 13th recording, Barth explores the bop /post-bop piano of his teacher Jaki Byard.
Organic Trio. Home Remembered. uno. More from New Orleans. jazz guitarist Brian Seeger, Hammond B-3, organist Jean-Yves Jung, and drummer Paul Wiltgen celebrate their European tour’s conclusion with this all originals cd. produced by the music department @ University of New Orleans.
Cindy Scott. Historia. catahoula. New Orleans vocalist Cindy Scott with jazz chops and a soft bluesy purr. eclectic, never boring, playlist; solid band–Randy Porter, piano; Dan Loomis, bass; Jamison Ross, drums + guest vocalistt Karrin Allyson, & local hero Brian Seeger (see above).
David “Fathead” Newman. Cellar Groove with Tilden Webb Trio. cellar live. Precious cargo from the archives of the late Cellar Jazz club; 2004, music legend Newman (1933-2009) played this Vancouver gig with verve and maturity– Duke Pearson’ Cristo Redentor, pure poetry. with Tilden Webb @ the piano; Jodi Proznick, bass; Jesse Cahill drums.
Mike Allen Quartet with Hugh Fraser. Panorama. cellar live. West-coast classic jazz ensemble with all originals playlist: leader/tenor/soprano Mike Allen added in Hugh Fraser’s trombone to his Vancouver-based group: Miles Black, piano; Adam Thomas, bass; Julian Macdonough, drums. finely-tuned jazz from Cory Weeds’ cellar live catalog.
Fat Thumbs Ronnie. Time to Shine. legere. Unity Sextet piano wizard Fat Thumbs Ronnie celebrates all things keyboard-esque and synthesized. playlist is cast on a slight frame, perhaps a film narrative, or a novel; think mood not details, but always those sound effects telling you to sit back relax and enjoy the drive.
New Mastersounds. Therapy. legere. Funky-ambient with tangents of soul, and a hypnotic-house beat that creeps into retro styling. band came out of Leeds, England, now multi-national; Eddie Roberts, Simon Allen, Joe Tatton, Peter Shand = instrumentalists, Kim Dawson, vocals.
The Funky Mamas. Funky Mama. goodfellas. The Funky Mamas are not only guys but they are originally from southern Italy; funk, with a big badass horn section is what they play. long nighttime cues.
Blues
Smokewagon Blues Band. Live in Hamilton. indie pool/canada. Smokewagon– led by vocalist/harmonicat Corey Lueck– spotlights the blues scene in Hamilton, Ontario with their live recording. though most cues really roll and move, nothing is as good as their # 1, a cover of Bill Withers’ ain’t no sunshine. great sax– Gordon Aeichele; bass, Jason Colvecchia; drums, Tibor Lukacs; piano, Nick Succi; and guitar, Mike Stubbs.
Nick Moss band. Time Ain’t Free. blue bella. Blues guitarist/harmonicat from Chicago takes on 70′s rock & rock with an R&B twist; lots of good in this batch; excellent keys from Bryan Rogers; drums, Patrick Seals; Michael Ledbetter, guitar, composition; Matthew Wilson, bass.
Johnny Drummer. Bad Attitude. earwig. Original, slightly goofy tunes, from Chicago blues man self-named because at the time he played the drums; now, he sings, plays organ, harmonica, writes. Good band, excellent arrangements.
Patti Parks. cheat ‘n man. self. Seasoned blues band from Buffalo, NY, parks writes her own stuff,, sings with gusto and takes her blues invasion into soul, R&B, and even a little gospel. stellar horn section led by Gerry Youngman, Nick Salamone, Paul Vanacore.
Author: Ann Porotti, host of All That Jazz (Thursday, 10-noon) and co-host of Melodiya (Friday, 6-8pm), has fallen in love with all kinds of music as a result of writing the Jazz + Blues Adds blog.
