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New Jazz Adds – 4/28/2020

Lakecia Benjamin – Pursuance The Coltranes (ropeadope): Lakecia Benjamin offers what appears to be her fourth release and if you are, like I was, completely unaware of this incredible musician, grab this disc immediately! Benjamin plays alto sax and keyboards as well as adding background vocals. Her guests special guests include Gary Bartz, Steve Wilson and Greg Osby (alto sax), Reggie Workman, Ron Carter and Meshell Ndegeocello (bass), Jazzmeia Horn (vocal), Regina Carter (violin), Brandee Younger (harp), Marcus Strickland (bass clarinet), Keyon Harrold (trumpet), Marcus Gilmore (drums), Georgia Anne Muldrow, Dee Dee Bridgewater, The Last Poets (vocal), and Mark Carey (piano). This is fantastic celebration of and homage for the amazing works of the Coltranes. Benjamin is dazzling. Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.

Duchess – Live At Jazz Standard (Anzic): Reminiscent of the vocal trios like the Andrews Sisters, Duchess has grabbed the touch to strike a new match for this swinging style of harmony. Featuring Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner And Melissa Stylianou, songs like “Swing Brother Swing” and “The Chattanooga Choo Choo” are back in style again! This is a live performance and these ladies have got it down pat. They’re backed up by Michael Cabe (piano), Jesse Lewis (guitar), Matt Aronoff (bass) and Jared Schonig (drums). If that’s not enough for you, keep listening and they’ll remind you that “A Little Jive Is good For You”! Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.

Falkner Evans – Marbles (CAP Consolidated Artists Productions): “Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Falkner Evans is a New York-based pianist with an eclectic musical background.  A third cousin to iconic author William Faulkner, Evans grew up on classic 60s rock and R&B before getting hooked on jazz in high school. After touring for four years with the Grammy-winning western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, he moved to New York City in 1985.  In 2001 Evans made his debut as a leader with Level Playing Field.” (https://falknerevans.com/). “Evans is understated, measured and methodical.  Yet his way of elaborating a thematic structure…creates its own subtle surprises.  He makes you listen carefully to discover the complexities that he configures beneath his music’s attractive but subdued surface.” (Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times) That truly hits the nail on the head! In addition to Evans’ piano the accompanying players are Michael Blake (tenor and soprano sax), Ted Nash (alto sax, clarinet, flute), Ron Horton (trumpet, flugelhorn), Belden Bullock (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums) with Steve Nelson (vibes) on three songs. All but one song are original compositions by Evans. Click here and scroll down to listen to two songs from this disc.

Tom Graf – Radio (Borrowed Time): Tom Graf is a songwriter and lyricist. He has released a few discs some years back but I am unable to find any significant information beyond that. All of the songs on this disc were written or co-written by him. The music is quite pleasant and certainly jazz related. Musicians are Mike Olmos and Joel Behrman (flugelhorn, trumpet), Norbert Stachel (tenor sax, flute), Peter Horvath (piano, keys), Dan Feiszli or David Belove (bass), Jason Lewis or Peter Michael Escovedo (drums), Jeff Cressman (trombone), Steve Steinberg (tenor sax), David K. Matthews (keys, organ), Ray Obiedo (guitars), Lilan Kane (vocals), Michael Spiro (percussion), Rebecca Kleinmann (alto flute) and Mike Rinta (bass trombone) in a constant shifting of from song to song. Pleasant and straight-forward throughout. I regret I am unable to find a sample from this disc.

Dylan Hayes Electric Band – Songs For Rooms And People (blujazz): “There is no photo of Dylan Hayes on the CD jacket, but a quick search reveals a 20-something. Indeed, this is his debut album and it has tons of youthful energy flowing through the keyboards, whether acoustic or electric, that Dylan Hayes plays on Songs for Rooms and People. His Electric Band, a quintet with a couple of guests joining on select tracks, sets up some churning, irresistible grooves rooted in jazz, R&B, funk, and neo-soul.” (https://www.makingascene.org/dylan-hayes-electric-band-songs-for-rooms-and-people/) Players on the disc are Santosh Sharma ((tenor sax, Ewi), Tim Carey (electric bass), Martin Budd (guitar) and Xavier Lecouturier (drums) with Nicole McCabe (alto sax on one song) and Jay Thomas (trumpet on three songs). Though the set has a mix, I would expect fans of electronica would be most drawn to this sound. Click here and scroll way down to listen to songs on this disc.

Lauren Henderson – The Songbook Session (Brontosaurus): “Jazz and Latin Jazz vocalist, Lauren Henderson, paints reflective and impassioned stories with her haunting voice and enchanting compositions. Described as “somewhere between a comforting whisper and a cogent declaration” by The New York Times, Henderson’s eclectic influences spread across genres producing a distinct yet versatile sound…Henderson combines her passion for music, philanthropy, and business as the CEO of Brontosaurus Records and an internationally acclaimed recording artist.” (https://www.laurenhendersonmusic.com/about.html)  This is her sixth release. and it covers an array of styles. This is also her “…sixth musical alliance with pianist Sullivan Fortner.… A collection of jazz and Latin jazz standards, this self-produced record paints a story that reflects Henderson’s vast cultural influences…. Henderson uncovers the layers of her diverse background in English, Spanish and Portuguese. With the release of this nine-track collection, Henderson and Fortner – a revered duo with over a decade of musical collaboration – continue to mature and develop their collective and respective voices with bassist Eric Wheeler, long time collaborator of Henderson’s and Allan Mednard, an expressive and inventive drummer and percussionist.” (http://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/news/2020/03/3005.html) Highlights include “While We’re Young”, “Day By Day” and Besame Mucho”. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this release.

The Lost Melody – New Songs For Old Souls (Tic): Pianist Joe Davidian has led this trio for much of the past twenty years and he says that as they have moved more toward creating and playing their own compositions as a trio of equals. They also agreed to “champion melody first” in both improvisation and composition. This disc offers ten original songs – six from Joe Davidian (piano) and two each from Jamie Ousley (bass) and Austin McMahon (drums) and they have certainly matched their goals. If the melody had been lost in their previous work, I can assure you that melody is back in charge! This is a wonderful set! Check it out! Click here to catch them recording Jamie Ousley’s “A Minor Waltz”.

Nduduzo Makhathini – Modes Of Communication (Blue Note): “Over the course of his eight previous albums, perhaps what one can learn from the career of pianist, composer, and producer Nduduzo Makhathini is that an artist has achieved a tremendous breakthrough when they can tell a story so layered that its reach is limitless. The story continues with Makhathini’s remarkable ninth album, and his Blue Note Records debut, “Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds”. Makhathini grew up in the lush and rugged hillscapes of umGungundlovu in South Africa, a peri-urban landscape in which music and ritual practices were symbiotically linked. The area is significant historically as the site of the Zulu king Dingane kingdom between 1828 and 1840. It’s important to note that the Zulu, in fact the African warrior code, is deeply reliant on music for motivation and healing. This deeply embedded symbiosis is key to understanding Makhathini’s vision as a jazz man.” (http://www.bluenote.com/spotlight/nduduzo-makhathini-modes-of-communications-letters-from-the-underworlds/) Multi-faceted music designed to connect to ancient styles and attitudes. Click here for an introduction from Nduduzo Makhathini.

Rudresh Mathanthappa – Hero Trio (Whirlwind): “Born in Trieste, Italy to Indian émigrés in 1971, Mahanthappa was brought up in Boulder, Colorado and gained proficiency playing everything from current pop to Dixieland. He went on to studies at North Texas, Berklee and DePaul University (as well as the Stanford Jazz Workshop) and came to settle in Chicago. Soon after moving to New York in 1997 he formed his own quartet featuring pianist Vijay Iyer. The band recorded an enduring sequence of albums, Black Water, Mother Tongue and Codebook, each highlighting Mahanthappa’s inventive methodologies and deeply personal approach to composition. He and Iyer also formed the duo Raw Materials. Coming deeper into contact with the Carnatic music of his parents’ native southern India, Mahanthappa partnered in 2008 with fellow altoist Kadri Gopalnath and the Dakshina Ensemble for Kinsmen, garnering wide acclaim…. His sixteenth release as a leader/co- leader, Rudresh pays tribute to his greatest influences with an album of interpretations. Presented with characteristically original arrangements in trio format, Rudresh has enlisted the talents of long-time associates François Moutin on bass and Rudy Royston on drum.” (https://www.rudreshm.com/)  Click here to listen to “Red Cross” as performed on this disc.

Andy Milne & Unison – THE reMISSION (Sunnyside): “A fearless, versatile explorer, Juno Award winning pianist/composer Andy Milne has been a distinct and respected voice at the heart of New York’s creative jazz scene for over 25 years, collaborating with dancers, visual artists, poets and musicians spanning jazz, classical, pop, folk, and world music. At the piano he skillfully blends poetic gravitas with a playful sense of order. He has recorded and toured throughout the world with Ravi Coltrane, Ralph Alessi, Carlos Ward and Carla Cook, and has collaborated with a range of artists…. A former student of Oscar Peterson, Milne was at the center of the M-BASE Collective as a core member of saxophonist Steve Coleman’s bands, as well as performing with Cassandra Wilson and Greg Osby.” (https://andymilne.com/about) Eight of the ten compositions on this disc are Milne originals. He opens the disc with McCoy Tyner’s “Passion Dance” and closes with Benny Golson’s “Sad To Say”. John Hebert (bass) and Clarence Penn (drums) complete the trio. This disc is a wonderful invitation to enjoy a beautiful set that introduces wonderfully new ideas and beautiful melodies. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this release.

Roscoe Mitchell (With Ostravska Banda) – Distant Radio Transmission (Wide Hide): “Distant Radio Transmission was recorded as an improvisation by Roscoe Mitchell, Craig Taborn, and Kikanju Baku in 2013 and released as the third composition on Roscoe Mitchell Conversations 1 (Wide Hive Records WH-0317). It was then transcribed by Stephen P. Harvey, in 2016, with further Transcription and Orchestration of air sounds for Strings by John Ivers, in 2017. Finally, it was fully Orchestrated by Roscoe Mitchell in 2017 and recorded live. The Nonaah Trio (composed by Roscoe Mitchell) was recorded in Portland Oregon by Ryan Zubieta engineer and Josh Powell editing. The Nonaah Trio is Dana Reason (piano), John C Savage (flute) and
Catherine Lee (oboe). In 2013, when Ilan Volkov invited me to his Tectonics Festival in Glasgow, Scotland I decided to take this piece of music that began as a solo alto saxophone feature in 1971 and infuse it with the grandeur of a full orchestra. February 22, 2014 was the world premiere of my composition: Cutouts For Woodwind Quintet Composed by Roscoe Mitchell. The players were Roberta Michel (flute), Christa Robinson (oboe), Carlos Corddeio (clarinet),  
Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon) and John Gattis (French horn). This was recorded by Sascha von Oertzen in New York New York March 5th 2019 and mixed at Wide Hive Records June 2019 by Gregory Howe and Robert Kirby. Click here and scroll down to listen to a sample from this disc.

Henry Robinett Quartet – Jazz Standards Volume 1 – Then (Nefertiti): “American jazz musician, recording artist, composer, bandleader, teacher, and the list goes on, has been playing guitar six age thirteen. Robinett comes from an impressive musical bloodline, his father being a first cousin of the legendary jazz bassist Charles Mingus. Henry’s early musical influences were Jimi Hendrix and Charles Mingus, the latter with whom Henry lived in New York City for a short time. Henry has often reflected on what a profound impact the bassist has had on his life. He also remembers associations with saxophone great Sonny Rollins and rock legend Joni Mitchell.” (https://henryrobinett.com/short-bio.html) These recordings date from about twenty years ago when Robinett decided to take a break from his band the Henry Robinett Group to do something different. So he set up some in studio recording gigs with some players and recorded several tracks. The players joining Robinett were Michael Stephans (drums), Chris Symer (bass) and Joe Gillman (piano). This is the first of two releases from those recordings and the feature songs like “I Hear A Rhapsody”, “The Days Of Wine And Roses”, “The Way You Look Tonight”, “Soul Eyes” and Wayne Shorter’s “Pinocchio” among others. He certainly had a great break! Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop