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New Jazz & Blues – 2/22/2022

New Jazz:

Taru Alexander – Echoes Of The Masters (Sunnyside): “Taru Alexander is an award-winning American jazz drummer, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He is a son of jazz legend Roland Alexander, an American post-bop jazz tenor saxophone player from Boston, Massachusetts. During his three decades of a professionally successful career, Taru appeared as a sideman on more than fifty albums… While still studying at the age of sixteen, Taru recorded his first album as a sideman accompanying Fred Ho Afro-Asian Ensemble on the Black Saint record label. Soon after, he established himself at the New York jazz scene and became one of the sought-after drummers.” (https://www.tarualexander.com/bio) Click here to listen to “KoJo Time”, an introduction to one of Alexander’s original songs. 

Dopolarians – The Bond (Mahakala): “Once upon a time, three musicians, who came of age together during the last century’s thriving free jazz scene in Memphis, joined forces in far off Little Rock. And they were gifted, and it was good. Alto saxophonist Chad Fowler and pianist Christopher Parker were experimenters going back to the 1990s, hovering in the orbit of the famed University of Memphis jazz department, two Arkansas jammers sharing a house in the Bluff City. They did one-off sessions with the likes of Frank Lowe or George Cartwright, or in combos with local luminaries. Ultimately Fowler introduced Parker to a Memphis singer named Kelley Hurt. The years rolled on. Cut ahead a quarter century, and the three were living in Arkansas again, with Parker and Hurt now married, and all of them still committed to finding something fresh in jazz….” (https://dopolarians.bandcamp.com/) Time has passed in various directions, but further out is their main direction. “Which brings us to The Bond, the group’s latest offering to the gods of free expression and lyrical beauty, once again under the Mahakala Music imprint. With Fielder, their most inspiring force, having moved on, it was only fitting that they return to the beat that unlocked their potential in the first place: Brian Blade. And in this free context, Blade reveals his creative depths as never before, applying his acuity in the fleeting moments of creation, composer indeed. Also returning to the Dopolarians’ fold is trumpeter Marc Franklin, filling Jordan’s slot with brassier tones. In November of 2020, on the very day that the world breathed a collective sigh of relief over the defeat of a racist presidential incumbent, the group convened once again in Marigny Recording Studio, the very site of their initial sessions with Fielder. And what transpired was truly phenomenal, an achievement of musical telepathy and empathy equal to any in the free jazz tradition. In three extended pieces, “The Bond,” “The Emergence,” and “The Release,” the collective hive-mind of Brian Blade, Chad Fowler, Marc Franklin, Kelley Hurt, Christopher Parker, and William Parker conjures up a dream, an ineffable narrative, springing from the unconscious, and flying free in directions both gripping and glorious.” (https://dopolarians.bandcamp.com/) The musical line-up is William Parker (bass), Brian Blade (drums), Kelley Hurt (vocals), Chad Fowler (alto sax), Christopher Parker (piano) and Marc Franklin (trumpet). Click here to listen “The Release” and the remaining songs on this release.

Gui Duvignau – Baden (Sunnyside): “The music of Brazilian guitarist and composer Baden Powell has enchanted listeners for decades. His ability to combine elements of jazz, classical, and Brazilian folkloric music into his own singular genre that was spoken only on his nylon string, acoustic guitar has maintained his quiet legend status throughout the world. Born in France, but raised in Brazil, bassist/composer Gui Duvignau was drawn to the music of Baden Powell through his Brazilian guitarist friends, who all considered Powell a fundamental figure in the worlds of Brazilian music and acoustic guitar. During his own guitar study, Duvignau asked friends for pointers and they continually referred him to Powell’s techniques. Further exploration of Powell’s repertoire led the bassist to the revelations provided by the fantastic music of the guitarist. Years of studying and performing the music of Baden Powell led Duvignau to the idea of developing a recording celebrating the great guitarist. Duvignau’s new recording, Baden, uses Powell’s beloved songs as a foundation for explorative interpretations and improvisations from Duvignau’s fantastic ensemble, along with two highly esteemed guests, Ron Carter and Bill Frisell. As a well-studied musician, Duvignau was astounded by Powell’s classical-honed technique and ability to communicate across genres. The guitarist’s music was a breath of fresh air and there was a sense of the spiritual in everything that Powell played, including the many interpretations he made of religious music of Brazil’s African-derived religions, like Candomblé and Umbanda. The guitarist was unique as he looked more toward the influences of samba rather than the bossa nova style that was popular at the time. Duvignau felt that the best way to pay tribute to Powell was to play his music as openly as possible; not try to make a recording that was a Brazilian jazz record.” (https://guiduvignau.bandcamp.com/album/baden)  Click here to listen to the performances on this release.

Addison Frei – Time And Again (Next Paradigm): “From early musical experiences in Lawrence, Kansas to summiting heights in New York and abroad, pianist Addison Frei has brought joy to countless audiences through a warm musical spirit and melodic sensibility. A proud Yamaha Artist, Frei’s recordings include Time and Again (2022), Oread (2021), No Defense (2018), Future Speak (2017), Transit (2016) and Intentions (2014). Amidst a musical landscape reliant on remote collaboration and new approaches to presenting music, an emerging collection of compositions demanded a return to the format that inescapably calls us back, time and time again: trio. This session documents the living, breathing connection forged between three musicians in one room, in real time.” (https://addisonfrei.bandcamp.com/album/time-and-again)  Click here to listen to the songs on this release.

Ethan Iverson – Every Note Is True (Blue Note): “Since his departure from the modern jazz trio the Bad Plus, Ethan Iverson has been doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. He’s recorded with saxophonist Mark Turner, played gigs with the legendary drummer Billy Hart and released an ambitious Bud Powell tribute album on the Sunnyside Records label. For Every Note Is True, Iverson has found himself on the coveted Blue Note label with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jack DeJohnette as his rhythm section. And while you can certainly take Ethan Iverson out of the Bad Plus, Every Note Is True demonstrates that you can’t always take the Bad Plus out of Ethan Iverson. The musical identity he forged with his old band is still very much a part of him, steadily nudging traditional piano trio jazz in directions that, depending on the song, swing a little less but rock a little more. It’s an album that has everything going for it; snappy compositions, exceptional musicianship and a healthy dose of variety. After enough spins, even staunch supporters of traditional jazz will warm to it. You don’t land a giant like DeJohnette in the studio without paying your dues and doing your homework. Every Note Is True begins oddly. “The More It Changes,” from which the album takes its title, was co-written by Iverson and his wife Sarah Deming. Lasting barely over a minute, Iverson sets Deming’s lyrics to a parlor tune circa the Tin Pan Alley era. The couple collected recordings from 44 different friends singing the melody into their phones and ran them together. The result is like something out of an old movie, where the camera slowly pans across a mild party scene where the piano player leads everyone in song. This time, lines like “The song goes on when the band goes home” reflect our shared sense of modern isolation rather than simple good times. Because they compiled so many voices, the “s” consonant gets a little slushy at times, but that’s what Iverson wanted. “I love amateur singing!” he admits in the press release. “An amateur choir or a children’s choir is a glorious, almost cinematic sound.” So, mission accomplished. It’s when “The Eternal Verities” kicks in when the listener can say “ah, right, this is an album from a Bad Plus member!” Like the most memorable originals from his former band, Iverson has a way of making standard chords and harmony sound downright novel. The busy metropolitan shuffling of “She Won’t Forget Me” is equally modern in feel but traditional in melody. ”Merely Improbable” juggles a loose swinging beat during the solo passages and an introductory figure that accurately portrays the song’s title. Getting the three musicians to hang together over such changes does seem improbable but, thanks to this recording, shines through as possible. These three songs would not be out of place on any number of Bad Plus releases. Elsewhere, Iverson is comfortable taking different routes. “Blue,” the lone track not composed by the pianist, is a DeJohnette original dating back to the late ‘70s when the drummer was recording with guitarist John Abercrombie and bassist Dave Holland for the ECM label. Iverson’s approach becomes more ambient in nature, giving the upper register that gently-falling-snow quality while DeJohnette improvises on the kit. “For Ellen Raskin,” named after the Newbery-winning author of The Westing Game, waltzes into similar territory where Iverson’s pedal-sustained arpeggios color the trio’s surroundings. The solo track “Had I But Known” is where Iverson summons the spirit of Bill Evans, bending harmony around a sighing melody that is in no hurry to resolve. The happy bop of “Goodness Knows” sounds as though Iverson composed it after listening to Thelonious Monk all day. The swing is left intact, assuring the listener that no matter how wonky the melody, they can still tap their feet. “Praise Will Travel,” an ode to good karma, seems to combine all of the above. DeJohnette puts a swing in his rock beat and Grenadier keeps the groove moving with his smoothly worked intervals. Iverson, for his part, is pulling inspiration from everywhere. His triplet melody has bounce to it but also rings out like a classically trained pianist trying to escape. Grenadier and DeJohnette play through dizzying changes that would leave lesser trio leaders stranded. At three-and-a-half minutes, it’s almost a shame that the song is so short. With the exception of the slow blues “At the Bells and Motley,” the songs on Every Note Is True aren’t that lengthy. In a genre known for extended solos and jams, Iverson has done his small part to subvert certain expectations in jazz. This isn’t to suggest that he’s thrown the rule book out entirely. His approaches to blues and bop are nothing short of reverent and his tendency to view jazz through a classical or rock lens does nothing to dilute its power. If his songs turn out to be four minutes long instead of 10 minutes long, then so be it. It really doesn’t matter when Every Note Is True.” (https://spectrumculture.com/2022/02/13/ethan-iverson-every-note-is-true-review/) Click here to listen to “The Eternal Verities” from this release.

Irene Jalenti – Dawn (Antidote Sounds): “Dawn announces the arrival of a distinctive, fully formed singer. Jalenti has a deep, complex, compelling voice and the emotional authenticity that only comes with life experience. She is well supported here by her working DMV rhythm section (pianist Alan Blackman, bassist Jeff Reed, drummer Eric Kennedy). Three impact players make appearances as guests: trumpeter Sean Jones, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, and guitarist Cristian Perez. Jalenti writes some of her own songs and composes musical settings for poems. (“Alma Desnuda,” by Argentine poet Alfonsina Storni, is pure gliding grace.) But the best moments on Dawn are songs you thought you knew until you heard Jalenti sing them. Her dark voice reveals unsuspected nuances in familiar material. “Let It Be” is a newly triumphant testament. When Jalenti proclaims, “There will be an answer!” you believe her. “How Deep Is the Ocean?” is similarly personal and dramatic; her interpretation turns the song’s rhetorical questions into a powerful declarative ceremony. “Beautiful Love” is sheer exhilaration. Jalenti rephrases it into lines of irregular length. Then, with overdubs of herself, she lavishes upon it a choir of scatting voices. Then Sean Jones flies away with it.” (https://jtm.jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/irene-jalenti-dawn-antidote/) Click here to listen to the songs on this release.

Stephen Martin – High Plains (OA2): “Stephen Martin has established himself as a uniquely gifted, and intensely spirited jazz saxophonist. Born in Champaign, IL and raised in St. Louis, MO, Martin began playing saxophone at age 9 and thrived in a community with a rich tradition in jazz….Martin studied under Grammy-Nominated jazz legend Bobby Watson, and world-renowned classical saxophonist Tim Timmons… Martin has developed a personal sound on saxophone characterized by a relentless energy and adventurous ideas. The vibe of his music ranges widely from sensitive and inviting to thunderous and enraged – inspired by perhaps his deepest musical influence, John Coltrane.” (https://stephenmartin.bandcamp.com/album/high-plains) Backing players on this disc are Peter Schlamb (vibraphone & piano), Ben Leifer (bass), and David Hawkins (drums), with special guests Bobby Watson (alto sax) and Matt Otto (tenor sax). Click here to listen to the songs on this release.

New Standard Quintet – Another Time, Another Place (New Standard Music): “The New Standard Quintet is a dynamic Chicago-based ensemble led by saxophonist Ken Partyka. Adept at weaving in and out of different jazz genres, the personnel is comprised of five of the most versatile musicians in the city. This is the second CD offering from the Chicago based New Standard Quintet, following the 2011 release of The Many Faces. This CD features 7 original compositions, exploring a diverse range of styles, including hard bop, second line, tango, jazz waltz and fusion.” (https://newstandardquintet.bandcamp.com/album/another-time-another-place-2) The players are Ken Partyka (saxophones), Curt Bley (bass), Pat Fleming (guitar), Todd Howell (drums), Tom Vaitsas (piano, keyboards) and Kalyan Pathak (percussion on tracks 2-3-4). Click here to listen to the songs on this set.

Anna Laura Quinn – Open The Door (Next Level): “With a voice rightly praised as a “well-worked instrument” whose stylings and energy “bring new vitality to classic tunes by the likes of Cole Porter and Duke Ellington,” (Holly Devon, ANTIGRAVITY Magazine), vocalist and arranger Anna Laura Quinn steps forward boldly with Open the Door, a selection of nine deeply emotive, introspective, and textured arrangements that stand as landmark tributes to how music – and the musicians and experiences she has encountered – has profoundly shaped her into the person, musician, and creator that she is today. New Orleans-based vocalist Anna Laura Quinn is rapidly gaining notice for her particular blend of contemporary jazz, well-loved tunes from the American Songbook, French and Brazilian music, and more, and delivered with style, emotional power, and sensitivity, and a joie de vivre that recalls the charm and mystique of a bygone era. A self-proclaimed “jazz acolyte,” Anna uses her voice to convey her deep regard for the legacy of jazz music to audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and musical proclivities.” (https://outsideinmusic.bandcamp.com/album/nextlevel-open-the-door) Quinn is backed up by Ed Barrett (guitar), Ben Fox (bass), Brad Webb (drums), Kate Campbell Strauss (tenor/bari Sax) and Brent Rose (tenor sax). Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this release.

Sala Brothers – Jazz Compilation (Self-produced): “The Sala Brothers were born in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Long Island as young children. Joe discovered his true calling, trumpet, at the age of eleven. Tom began drums at the age of ten. Joe, a young trumpet protégé, won numerous music awards including First Trumpet, New York State Orchestra. As teenagers, Joe and Tom were already working musicians developing their musical vocabulary. They attended Berklee School of Music in Boston. The Sala Brothers have performed with a vast number of jazz artists, as well as artists from other genres, including the following: Gary Burton, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton, Victor Feldman, Billy Higgins, John Scofield, Tom Harrell, Claudio Roditi, Billy Childs, Justo Almario, Lionel Hampton, Al Hirt …and vocalists, including Della Reese, Carmen McRae, Al Jarreau, Maureen McGovern, Linda Hopkins, Diane Schuur, Billie Preston, Jennifer Holiday, Ernie Andrews, B.B. King, Jo Dee Messina, Phil Perry, Barbara Morrison, Keb “Mo”, Dr. John, Paul Anka, Barry Manilow, O.C. Smith, The Temptations and The Four Tops.” (http://www.salabrothers.com/) “I’m a jazz musician, composer and writer. I believe that jazz, music, as well as all art forms has the potential not only to illuminate and clarify life’s experiences and challenges, but can be used as a tool to help bring an individual closer to the light of one’s own soul. In so doing, an individual becomes more attuned to the light within all souls with an increase in empathy, love and compassion. I believe this is an artist’s greatest challenge.” (Joe Sala) I regret I regret I am unable to find a sample from the Sala Brothers new disc.

Piet Verbist – Secret Exit To Another Dimension (Origin): “Antwerp bassist, Piet Verbist, has been a central figure in the Belgian jazz scene for decades. With his fifth album on Origin, Verbist turns to the guitar trio format and rekindles his long-time connection with guitarist Hendrik Braeckman, a regular with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra and a fellow force in modern jazz circles. Along with the creative interplay from drummer Lionel Beuvens, the trio unravels an intimate set of originals – along with Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl” and Monk’s “Pannonica” – building broad atmospheres of color, groove and mood. “Verbist’s compositions…give compelling testimony to the ways musical friendships can last a lifetime—and how serendipity, inspiration, and a deep dedication to the music can create a spark when friends’ paths do eventually cross.” (DOWNBEAT) Click here and click on the individual song titles to hear the songs on this release.

Deanna Witkowski – Force Of Nature (Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild): “On Force of Nature, her lovingly conceived and radiantly realized seventh album, Deanna Witkowski has created a multi-leveled masterpiece…the album displays her glorious musicianship and encyclopedic command of genres and techniques, while also revisiting the compositional genius of the major 20th-century artist Mary Lou Williams. The album also documents the firm musical and spiritual connection between Williams and Witkowski… To fans and students of her music, Mary Lou (who died in 1981) stands tall as one of the best-known but still undervalued women in jazz history: a marvelous and harmonically intrepid pianist; a pioneering composer-arranger, admired (and hired) by Duke Ellington; an influential educator and early adopter of bebop; and one of the first jazz artists to infuse her music with her Catholic faith, most notably in three jazz Masses.” (https://mcgjazz.bandcamp.com/album/force-of-nature) The players on this set are Deanna Witkowski (piano), Clay Jenkins (trumpet 1, 4, 5, 10), Scott Latzky (drums 1-7, 11), Dwayne Dolphin (bass 8, 9, 12),  Roger Humphries, (drums 8, 9, 12) and Daniel Foose, (bass 1-7, 10, 11). Click here to listen to the songs on this release.

New Blues:

Big Al And The Heavyweights – Love One Another (VizzTone): “New Orleans based drummer Al Lauro joined the band of Outlaw Country star David Alan Coe (who nicknamed him Big Al) in the late 70s. He became good friends with the band’s guitarist, Warren Haynes, and they started a side project called the Unknown Blues Band, which played off and on for a few years. Next came Big Al and the Heavyweights, who quickly became a popular touring band. LOVE ONE ANOTHER, their seventh album since 1998, was recorded in Slidell, Louisiana, and produced by the band and George Curreau. Special guests include guitarist Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) and harmonica virtuoso Jason Ricci. From beginning to end, this album represents the band’s most adventurous and eclectic recording, full of blues, roots rock and a little country, well-crafted songs and dynamic performances. The Heavyweights currently include Lauro on drums, piano player/vocalist Wayne Lohr, guitarist/vocalist Marcel Anton, and bassist/vocalist Mark Parsons.” (https://www.roughtrade.com/us/big-al-and-the-heavyweights/love-one-another) Click here to listen to the songs on this release.

Louisiana Red & Bob Corritore – Tell Me ‘Bout It (VizzTone/Swmaf): Blues in the good style with Louisiana Red on vocals and on guitar and Corritore on harmonica with a variety of players to complete sounds. Eleven songs with shifting players such as Bob Margolin, David Maxwell  (piano) and Chico Chism (drums). Right to the point without many frills! Click here to listen to “New Jersey Blues” from this set. 

John Mayall – The Sun Is Shining Down (Forty Below): “Just after his 88th birthday in 2021, John Mayall, the long-reigning king of British blues, announced he was hanging up his road shoes. He also noted that he would continue to record and felt excited by the work he was doing. The Sun Is Shining Down (album number 60) was completed just before that announcement. As evidenced here, his ability to write and record vital modern blues with excellent musicians continues unabated. These ten tracks showcase a cast of invited all-star guests; most are guitar slingers — after all, this is the man who gave us Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, and countless others. His own band comprises guitarist Carolyn Wonderland, bassist Greg Rzab, drummer Jay Davenport, and a horn section for the proceedings. Mayall sings, plays piano, Wurlitzer, Hammond B-3, and harmonica.
Opener “Hungry and Ready” is a swinging Chicago blues with Mississippi-born bluesman Melvin Taylor playing lead guitar atop hard-grooving horns. Mayall, in excellent voice, still plays a deft, wailing harmonica. Taylor’s solo is mean and winding. South Carolina blues hero Marcus King takes the lead chair for “Can’t Take No More,” a funky roadhouse blues driven by B-3 and a cracking drum kit. King lays down layer after layer of tasty guitar fills. Former Heartbreaker and current Fleetwood Mac axeman Mike Campbell guests on Bernard Allison’s “Chills and Thrills,” offering his funky, yet precise economical style as the perfect foil for Mayall’s voice and evil B-3. Buddy Miller adds a nasty blues tone and grimy solo to “I’m as Good as Gone.” Violinist Scarlet Rivera accompanies the band on “Deep Blue Sea.” Her sweeping fills and labyrinthine solo expand the tune’s frame to the breaking point, and Mayall’s piano work is exemplary, coming right out of the stride and NOLA traditions, adding color and texture with a Wurlitzer. Ukulele innovator Jake Shimabukuro trades tasty, snarling lines with Wonderland on “One Special Lady” (a jump blues) as Mayall’s B-3 prods the band to support them. Taylor tears it up again on a cover of Roosevelt Sykes’ “Driving Wheel.” His stinging fills punctuate each sung line as the horns stroll and roil underneath. Wonderland shines as a soloist on the closing title track. Her sinister, steamy blues, razor-wire fills, and accents bubble and bump atmospherically around and under Mayall’s organ and moaning vocal while the band shuffles, swells, and vamps all around them. Wonderland doesn’t merely trade lines with Mayall, she offers a tight, soulful solo and plays call-and-response with herself, offering tight lines and smoky phrases. Hopefully, life goes according to plan and Mayall gets to deliver many more recordings before he’s done, because The Sun Is Shining Down sounds hungry and vital. Mayall delivers these rough-and-ready blues like a champ. Click here to listen all of the songs on this release.

Reddog & Friends – Booze, Blues and Southern Grooves (Survival South Records): “Fine and mellow. That’s the description that comes to mind after listening to the latest soulful album from Reddog and Friends, his sixth, and his first since 1993’s “After the Rain.”
And just who is Reddog? At first it was the name of his band, a staple in the Atlanta area for decades, and now working out of the Pensacola, Fla., area. “I spotted an advertisement for a vintage clothing store named Reddog, and the ad had beautiful, long, lean, red dogs,” Reddog told author/blogger Cindi Brown. “I thought it would be a good band name. As band personnel changed over the years, everyone just started calling me Reddog.”
Reddog himself is Jeff Higgins, a singer with a laid-back vibe; a songwriter with a lyrical ear, and a guitarist who favors “soulful Southern blues.” His vocals here are mellow; tastefully simmered inside slow-burning guitar licks. His style is a fine example of how less can be more, letting the soul pour freely into the space between the notes. Right from the opening track, “Love, You’ve Got to Spread the Word,” with its smooth groove and soothing message, sets the tone. Backup singers Carla Russell, Mary Mason and Angela Hacker add authentic harmonious sentiments here and throughout. Their vocals add an excellent touch. “The Blues Will Get You Everytime” follows, a hand-clapping ode to the power of the music. “Down, Down, Down” is slow and torchy, “She’s a Georgia Peach” is ripe with rhythm. “Simple Song” is anything but, letting gorgeous backup vocals break free. “Searching for Some Soul” shuffles along nicely, sort of a theme song for the entire album. These aren’t all of the excellent original eleven tracks, but they’re some of my favorites. The final cut, “Honest Man,” makes its case as a lyrical summation — possibly Reddog’s personal blues creed.
This is an album full of thoughtful, entertaining, excellent music from someone whose voice needs to added to the blues conversation after a long absence from the national scene. The notes below from Reddog describe his friends, and how they came to record this album.
And by the way, “Fine and Mellow” is not just a clever lead-in to this article, although I think the phrase captures Reddog’s spirit nicely. It was one of the few songs written by the great Billie Holiday, and its presentation in 1957 was arguably one of the great live musical performances in TV history. (Jim White) Click here to check out “Back in the Bottle Again” more tracks from that release. 

Val Starr & The Blues Rocket – Healing Kind of Blues (Sandwich Factory Records): “VAL STARR is the singer, rhythm guitarist, writer and producer for VAL STARR & THE BLUES ROCKET. They exploded onto the Sacramento blues scene in 2011, and have been exciting northern California blues lovers ever since. For the last decade, they have recorded five CD’s and three singles, the newest featuring Victor Wainwright on keys.  Their musical repertoire features original blues boogies, blues rock, ballads, sultry shuffles and up-tempo swing, and Val Starr loves to get people up on their feet dancing to that California Blues! The Blues Rocket band is made up of the talented California blues musicians: John Ellis on bass; Frankie Munz on harp; Paul Farman on drums, and Tim Brisson on guitar. Click here to listen to the songs on this release. 

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop