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New Jazz Adds – 6/29/2021

Patricia Barber – Clique (Impex): “Patricia Barber, the performer known for boldly blurring the lines between poetry, jazz, and art song, has announced the forthcoming release of a new all-standards album Clique, due out  August 6th in breathtaking hi-fi. The long-awaited successor to  Nightclub, her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite first all standards album, Clique features a tracklist of tunes that Barber has frequently performed as encores throughout her illustrious career, including classics by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stevie  Wonder, Lee Hazlewood, Lerner & Loewe, Thelonious Monk and more. After growing an international cult following, earning the first-ever Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to a non-classical songwriter, and becoming an elected member of the American  Academy of Arts and Sciences, Patricia Barber is back with a “silk,  velvet, languid, warm” journey through music history as she  “respects traditions, bends them to make her own points, and freshens them into something new,” as noted in the album liner notes by NPR’s Susan Stamberg. These are relaxed, communal sessions. Her long-time core duo of bassist Patrick Mulcahy and drummer Jon Deitemyer ride up and down, in and out of Barber’s complex, sensitive playing and reflective singing. The support of her long-term players, along with guitarist Neal Alger and saxophonist Jim Gailloretto allow her to shine brightly while digging out striking moments for their own unique contributions. The chemistry is palpable, all-encompassing.  This group’s long-developed synergy—painstakingly curated by these musicians for years—provides both a metaphor and the perfect title for her new album.” (https://www.impexrecords.com/patricia-barber-clique-mqa-cd/) Click here to listen to “This Town” as only Patricia Barber can deliver – hip, to-the-point and wonderful!

Todd Cochran – Then And Again, Here And Now (Sunnyside): ““Then and Again, Here and Now” is a concept album comprised of tunes from The Great American Songbook.  This is the first recording I’ve done of standards and it put me in touch with my earliest dreams about the possibilities of reinterpreting existing music.  In a simple way this music allows me to associate with things I’ve always been drawn to.  And it’s not only the melodies or my familiarity with the tunes. When I think about it on a deeper level the many interpretations of standards – particularly for jazz musicians – was a way for “outsiders” to harmonize across hard divisions within American culture.  The stories, romances and destinations we dream about in these songs are universal.  I love seeing where concepts of expression were developed and shared and how jazz became an emissary for improving relationships and breaking down social barriers.  The musical reimagining and reinterpreting (of standards) led to entire movements of musical styles.  As a pianist, I look at stride, swing, bop, and cool as distinct and fascinating approaches to The Music.  Everywhere I look I see beautiful intersections of influences – and having never before recorded an album of standards – my idea was to research the origins of a collection of songs and create a narrative that retold the places and times and sentiment of when they were originally created but with an impressionistic representation of these pieces within today’s chaotic reality.” (https://toddcochran.com/tc3/) Click here to listen to samples of the songs and transcriptions that Cochran reinterprets on this release.

Petter Eldh – Project Drums, Volume 1 (Edition): “Swedish Producer Petter Eldh announces his new album “Projekt Drums vol. 1” which embraces his love of heavy beats, psychedelic sounds and musical collaboration. This first volume is made of six diverse tracks from some of the most exciting drummers working on the scene today: Savannah Harris, Eric Harland, Nate Wood, James Maddren, Gard Nilssen and Richard Spaven. The music is hard-hitting and mesmerising, it’s full of complexity and sonority but at the heart are the drums: the beat and groove alongside a kaleidoscope of sounds and effects. The arrangements include a total of sixteen instrumental collaborators comprising harpists, french horn and marimba players and a plethora of keyboards and unique synths. It’s original and highly engaging. No single listen will do it justice! Click here to listen to a sample of the song “Goods Yard” from this release.

Kevin Hays / Ben Street / Billy Hart – All Things Are (Smoke Sesions): “Recorded live and crowdless at the Smoke Jazz Club in New York to celebrate veteran drummer Billy Hart’s eightieth birthday, All Things Are is an old-fashioned piano trio record made by old friends. Bassist Ben Street has been Hart’s rhythm partner in the latter’s eponymous quartet for fifteen years, and pianist Kevin Hays – whose .cv includes names like Sonny Rollins, Joshua Redman, John Scofield, Chris Potter and more – first shared musical space with Hart in the late eighties. The trio takes on a program of three Hays originals and three “contrafacts” of well-known standards. The latter means rearrangements and extrapolations on “Scrapple From the Apple” (as “Unscrappulous”), “Stella By Starlight” (as “Twilight”) and “All the Things You Are” (the hard-swinging title track) – all reminiscent of the originals, but not close enough to truly be covers…. Besides, considering this threesome’s incomparable improvisational chops, any tune becomes a new tune in their hands. Hays’ incredible piano chops and melodic sense and Hart and Street’s telepathic bond allows the musicians to turn on a dime, without ever letting the seams show.” (https://bigtakeover.com/recordings/KevinHaysBenStreetBillyHartAllThingsAreSmokeSessions) Click here for a short sample from this release.

Lauren Henderson – Musa (Brontosaurus): Julian Lage – Squint (Blue Note): “Henderson uncovers the layers of her diverse background in English and Spanish.  Her compositions paint stories reflecting journeys imposed through the African Diaspora in  connection to Henderson’s Panamanian, Montserratian, and vast Caribbean roots as they interplay with her North American upbringing….Jazz, Latin Jazz, Flamenco, R&B and Soul roots aid in an exploration of culture, society, race, love and the complexities encountered as we navigate life’s obstacles.” (https://www.laurenhendersonmusic.com/about.html) Henderson contributed three originals and two that she co-composed. Very smooth. Click here to listen to the songs on this release.

Julian Lage – Squint (Blue Note): “Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation, Julian Lage has spent more than a decade searching through the myriad strains of American musical history via impeccable technique and a spirit of infinite possibility. After notable Blue Note appearances on The Nels Cline 4’s Currents, Constellations (2018) and Charles Lloyd’s 8: Kindred Spirits (2020), the acclaimed GRAMMY-nominated artist is poised to make his own Blue Note debut with the June 11 release of Squint. Produced by Margaret Glaspy and Armand Hirsch, the dynamic 11-song set featuring 9 originals showcases both Lage’s remarkable songcraft and adventurous sense of improvisation which takes flight in the company of his trusted trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King (The Bad Plus).” (https://store.bluenote.com/products/julian-lage-squint) Click here to listen to Julian Lage performing on Saint Rose from this release.

Joe Marcinek Band – JMB4 (Self-produced): ““For being a band built primarily on improvisations with guest artists at each event, this studio album is very well put together. Lead guitarist Joe Marcinek is actually the keyboardist in the band Fresh Hops, so now turning over to the guitar he has proved himself to be a very dynamic and well-rounded musician.” (https://www.joemarcinekband.com/about)  Click here to listen samples of the songs on this disc.

Mark Masters Ensemble – Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster (Capri): “Duke Ellington was one of the most iconic and influential composers in the history of jazz, crafting indelible music that continues to be revered and revived to this day. Arguably the pinnacle of his artistry occurred between 1940 and 1942, when his revered Orchestra featured the groundbreaking bassist Jimmie Blanton and the tenor saxophone master Ben Webster. For a genius composer who famously wrote for musicians rather than instruments, this era of the Duke Ellington Orchestra – now known as the Blanton-Webster Band – proved especially inspirational to both Ellington and his frequent collaborator, composer Billy Strayhorn. That inspiration is carried forward by the brilliant arranger and bandleader Mark Masters, who revisits the music of the Blanton-Webster Band on his latest album, reimagining these classic compositions with his own unique interpretation. In addition to his own virtuosic Mark Masters Ensemble, the project spotlights the legendary Art Baron, the last trombonist hired by Ellington himself in 1973. Baron occupied the plunger trombone chair, a standout element of the Ellington Orchestra, for the final year of the bandleader’s life, and continued with the band under the baton of the founder’s son, Mercer Ellington. (https://modernjazztoday.com/album/masters-baron-meet-blanton-webster-mark-masters-ensemble/) Click here to listen to “Duke’s Place” and other samples from this release.

Charnett Moffett – New Love (Motema): “A supremely versatile musician… Moffett is a master of post-bop jazz whose dizzying versatility more than earns him his place among the world’s best jazz bassists.” (U Discover Music: 50 Best Bassists In Jazz (2019) – “A bass wonder man.” (Downbeat) – “Jaw-dropping virtuosity.” (Jazziz) An artist with an unusual abundance of spirit, chops, and charisma, Charnett Moffett has released sixteen acclaimed albums and has toured the world as one of the most innovative and versatile acoustic and electric bassists in jazz. He debuted on the Blue Note label in 1987, and after signing with several other labels through the years, in 2008 he found his ‘home’ at the Motema label where he has released his seven most recent projects. Moffett’s career began as a child prodigy, appearing first on record in his father Charles Moffett’s band at age 8. In addition to his leadership career, he has collaborated as a ‘bassist to the stars’ on over 200 albums, many of them considered to be classics in jazz.” Moffett offers a stunning blend of world music and jazz. Click here to listen to the songs on this release.

Moonmot – Going Down The Well (Unit): “MoonMot plays refreshingly radical jazz with a large portion of punk attitude.” (Elina Duni, ECM recording artist and member of jury at BeJazz Transnational 2019)  “Going Down the Well is the debut by UK/Swiss Sextett MoonMot. The album contains eight original compositions written by all band members. The music of MoonMot features various sound and compositional concepts, such as twelve tone composition, distorted horn sounds, song forms and linear compositions. The band members also present themselves as highly skilled improvisers.” (      ) The musicians are Dee Byrne (alto sax, effects), Simon Petermann (trombone, effects), Cath Roberts (bari sax), Oli Kuster (fender rhodes, effects), Seth Bennett (bass) and Johnny Hunter (drums).” Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.

Anais Reno – Lonesome Thing: Sings Ellington & Strayhorn (Harbinger): “Anaïs Reno, a 17-year old Drama major at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts in NYC, was born on November 29, 2003, in Geneva, Switzerland. Despite her very young age, Anaïs has been artistically very active, involved in the performing arts since age 8. After winning the 2016 Forte International Competition’s Platinum Award at Carnegie Hall, Anaïs won Second Place at Michael Feinstein’s Great American Song Book Academy competition in Carmel, Indiana in the summer of 2018, and First Place at the Mabel Mercer Foundation competition, in New York, in March of 2019. In the fall of 2020, Anaïs was presented with the Julie Wilson award. Studying voice and music since 2013 with Sarah Tolar as a recipient of the Renati-Kaplan Scholarship Program at the 92nd Street Y as well as with her father, a former opera singer, Joan Lader, and Lee Lobenhofer, Anaïs has had a rapidly growing career as a singer with a love for jazz and the Great American Songbook. Since age 10, Anaïs has had the opportunity to sing with highly acclaimed professionals in the field and perform in prominent venues. Thus, she has performed with the NY Philharmonic in David Geffen Hall with her own compositions, Anaïs made her Rose Hall debut in 2019 in Lincoln Center in the Cabaret Convention, and shortly after sang at NJPAC with Billy Stritch, Catherine Russel and Clint Holmes. She has had three solo shows at Feinstein’s 54 Below with Billy Stritch and Tedd Firth, the first being at age 13. She had two shows in May and December of 2019, the latter celebrating the music of Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington. August of 2019, she performed with the Birdland Big Band. Additional performances include the Friars Club, the National Arts Club and the Player’s Club. She has also performed several times at Carnegie Hall. She has released her debut album celebrating the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn called “Lovesome Thing”, accompanied by the Emmet Cohen Trio. During COVID, she gave two online concerts through the 92 Street Y, with Billy Stritch and Tedd Firth.” ( https://www.anaisreno.com/) Click here to watch Billy Strayhorn’s “Still in Love”, which is also performed on this disc.

Sarah Wilson – Kaleidoscope (Brass Tonic): “While deeply shaped by jazz, Wilson’s music stylistically owes as much to avant pop, Afro-Latin grooves and indie rock as the post-bop continuum. Wilson’s artistic work reflects a dynamic interplay of theater, jazz, dance, and film, which frame her unique, fresh compositional style. Sarah Wilson’s 2021 third album Kaleidoscope (Brass Tonic Records) reflects that unique chemistry inspired by some of the key musicians in her creative life. She’s joined by a nonpareil cast of improvisers, including pianist Myra Melford, drummer Matt Wilson, violinist Charles Burnham, bassist Jerome Harris, and guitarist John Schott. Her music has premiered nationally and internationally and she has earned wide critical acclaim for her recordings including her 2010 Brass Tonic Records release, Trapeze Project. This CD features herself on trumpet and vocals with pianist Myra Melford, bassist Jerome Harris, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, and drummer Scott Amendola and showcases her “…danceable, visually evocative, and melodic music that is both sophisticated and accessible” (Jazziz). Click here to listen to “Presence” (for Carla Bley)” from this release.

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop