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New Jazz News – 7/6/2021

Alchemy Sound Project – Afrika Love (Self-produced): “The Alchemy Sound Project often blurs the line between notated music and improvisation while carrying a pronounced modal flair and spirituality in the style of John Coltrane, Billy Harper, Horace Tapscott, Pharaoh Sanders and Charles Tolliver. As had been the case with the previous records, the core quintet – woodwind players Erica Lindsay and Salim Washington, trumpeter Samantha Boshnack, pianist Sumi Tonooka and bassist David Arend – invites a trombonist and a drummer to join them. Michael Ventoso and Chad Taylor, respectively, were the elected ones for this third outing.” (https://jazztrail.net/blog/alchemy-sound-project-afrika-love-album-review) “Each of the core members contributes a composition to the album, and it’s a testament to the musicians’ shared sensibilities that the pieces feel entirely cohesive, cut from the same cloth.” (https://www.allaboutjazz.com/afrika-love-alchemy-sound-project-artists-recording-collective)  Click here to listen to the title song.

Joe Alterman – The Upside Of Down (ropeadope): “Joe Alterman is a breath of fresh air on the music scene. I love hearing him play! It’s happy music with tasty meat on the bones! He covers all the bases creatively, rhythmically and harmonically, and his playing is destined to reach a wide, wide audience. I’ve known Joe for the best of ten years and I deeply appreciate our friendship. It’s always refreshing to get a call from him – or, at least once every several days I have to get my Joe Alterman fix and I call him.” (Ramsey Lewis ) “I have had the pleasure of listening to Joe Alterman’s latest, recorded at Birdland, February 2020. One of Mr. Alterman’s gifts is listening to and drawing from the past Masters of this Art Form that has contributed immensely to the present world of music.” (Ahmad Jamal) Click here to listen to a sample Joe Alterman’s craft.

Altoizm – Altoism (Self-produced): “AFAR Music is proud to announce the July 16, 2021 release of Altoizm, the self-titled debut recording from a three-headed alto saxophone supergroup led by Greg Ward, Rajiv Halim, and Sharel Cassity. Featuring a rocksteady yet explosive rhythm section of Richard D. Johnson (piano), Jeremiah Hunt (bass), and Michael Piolet (drums), Altoizm is seven tracks and 42 minutes of original jazz. Ward, Cassity, and Johnson have each written two tunes, and Halim adds “Bembe’s Kids,” a melodically complex tune that’s perhaps the first to simultaneously honor both the bembé rhythms native to sub-Saharan West Africa and the madcap animated comedy Bébé’s Kids, a symbolic nod, Halim says, to “the chaotic social, economic, and political environment in which Black American music has been— and continues to be—developed.”Musically, it’s a bluesy, noirish tune that sees that chaos and raises it a mischievous grin, while getting the absolute most out of three saxophones playing both in unison and in harmony. It takes great individual talent but also real chemistry as a unit to pull off the kinds of sophisticated arrangements presented here. Even though these three saxophonists are used to being featured soloists and, collectively, have released about a dozen albums as leaders, their chemistry with each other is palpable. Far from being able to discern any ego, what shines through most prominently is the collective desire to produce purposeful and meaningful compositions.” (https://lydialiebman.com/index.php/2021/06/16/new-release-saxophone-supergoup-altoizm-f-greg-ward-rajiv-halim-sharel-cassity-to-release-self-titled-debut-on-july-16-2021-via-afar-music/) The performances are wonderful. I regret I am not able to find a sample from this release.

Miles Davis – Merci Miles! Live At Vienne (Warner / Rhino): This release is one of the last performances Miles Davis played. His band included Kenny Garrett (sax), Deron Johnson (keys), Foley (lead bass), Richard Patterson (bass) and Ricky Wellman (drums). “Wrinkle” is one of the last songs he composed and other composers were Zane Giles,Randy Hall and Wayne Linsey. The remaining songs were two songs by Prince, two by Marcus Miller and one by Robert Hyman and Cyndi Lauper. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this release.

Paul Giess – Hymns, Volume 1 (ropeadope): “Writing music comes easy to me – but writing music that really means something is often hard.  Before I even decided on the concept of my upcoming album “Hymns Vol. 1,” I was sitting at my piano facing this difficult task. I had a moment where the notes I was writing didn’t carry the depth of meaning I was looking to convey. I needed to answer some fundamental questions:  How do I express my values through music? What makes my life experience unique, or valuable? and How will I answer these questions while making a connection with audience members?  I found my answer in my childhood growing up in the Unitarian Universalist church, which I always felt had a formative impact on my life.  I learned a set of core values, but I was also encouraged to find my own beliefs by studying other religions as a part of a coming-of-age program.  Showing up to a marriage equality march on Washington was just as likely to be a UU community event as was a Sunday service.  So in my writing process, I decided to set aside my need to prove myself as a composer of original music, and instead turn to the UU hymnal, “Singing in the Living Tradition”.  This is a natural home for a jazz album whose roots always end up in spirituals and gospel music.  The hymnal allowed me to explore a variety of hymns, some widely familiar, and some undiscovered gems, and bring my own flavor to them.   It allowed me to explore forces I don’t understand (through the song “Guide My Feet”), to follow aspirations of “Immortal Love”, and to express the ongoing struggles in my own path to “Find a Stillness”.   Not everything in the hymnal fit the bill, but using it as a source did provide an answer to my questions,  added to my own spiritual development, and hopefully provided meaning for listeners.  In the making of this album, I also experienced personal development through Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s assistance as producer.  Jamaaladeen, a bassist with a star-studded career (if you don’t know, look him up!), helped me overcome limits I had placed on my musical vision.  He made our day in the studio flow with energy and ease, but his real magic came with some special musical parts we added in post-production.  He wanted spoken word, organ, and strings in places I hadn’t planned.  I was resistant!  But knowing I was receiving advice from a wiser, elder musician, I eventually listened.  This experience helped me learn to be more trusting and to have faith in collaboration, another element of spiritual growth. http://www.ifyc.org/article/uu-beginnings-musician-invites-new-spiritual-conversation-jazz-album I regret to find a sample to share from this release.

Scott Hamilton – Swingin’ Again (Blue Duchess): “After leaving Roomful of Blues, the gifted guitarist Duke Robillard has made several jazz recordings, naturally all infused with the blues. This time out Duke enlisted the magnificent jazz tenor saxophonist, Scott Hamilton to co-lead the band through an exquisite set of jazz and blues standards. Three of the album’s ten selections are vocal, this is a true foot-tappin; and finger snappin’ delight.” (https://www.kuvo.org/new-music-monday-jimi-swingin-again-la-source-codes/) “Tenor sax giant Scott Hamilton and blues guitarist Duke Robillard get together with the Duke Robillard Band for a Swingin’ set of classic jazz and blues that are bound to make you tap your feet while mixing a classic cocktail. With special guests Sugar Ray Norcia, Jon-Eeik Kellso, Sunny Crownover and Tim Ray!” (https://www.dukerobillard.com/) Smooth swing. I regret I am not able to find any samples to post.

Harold Land – Westward Bound! (Reel to Real): An unsung hero of the tenor saxophone! “Harold Land was born in February 18, 1928, but was raised in San Diego from the age of six. In high school, he discovered Coleman Hawkins’… “Body And Soul” and music became intended destiny.” Hamilton played with Joe  and Jimmy Liggins and became a member of the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet. Land was praised by numerous players and was praised by Sonny Rollins commenting, “I never heard him make a mistake” and also commenting that “Harold was very much his own man.” (Liner notes) This set offers songs from 1962, 1964 and1965. Straight-forward jazz throughout. backing players are Carmell Jones (trumpet),Buddy Montgomery (piano), and Jimmy Lovelace (drums) 1962; Hampton Hawes (piano), Monk Montgomery (bass)  and Mel Lee (drums) 1964 and John Houston (piano), Monk Montgomery (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums) 1965. I regret I am not able to find any samples to post.

Will Lyle – LA Source Codes (Self-produced): “With a degree from Berklee College of Music and a Presidential scholarship to study with bassist Ron Carter at the Manhattan School of Music, he’s toured Japan with Billy Kilson’s quartet, Jakarta, Indonesia with Ron King Big Band and is a member of hard bop pianist Jon Mayer’s trio….  (https://www.jazziz.com/new-releases/l-a-source-codes/) A source code is a piece of computer language that is readable by a human programmer. The talented young bassist-composer Will Lyle sees bebop and the jazz language as a musical source code that is kept alive by both the keepers of the flame and the younger players who push the music forward. Born in Southern California, Will began studying cello when he was three and also played drums, guitar, piano and percussion, taking up the electric bass at the age of 12. “I had aspirations to become a producer and I originally went to Berklee for musical production, but during my freshman year I heard Paul Chambers and Scott LaFaro and decided that that was what I wanted to do.” Will acquired an acoustic bass and practiced up to 12 hours a day. After graduating, he toured Japan with drummer Billy Kilson, resettled in Los Angeles, and has since worked with many top artists including the musicians heard on this release, his recording debut as a leader. L.A. Source Codes teams the bassist with three generations of musicians. Two great veterans, pianist Jon Mayer and drummer Roy McCurdy, are featured on “Be My Love” (taken at a perfect medium-swing tempo) and a sensitive version of “Two For The Road.” The quartet, with tenor-saxophonist Bob Sheppard (who takes several blazing solos), pianist Mahesh Balasooriya, and drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith, plays high-quality modern mainstream jazz on “Forasteira” (the first of the leader’s four originals), Cole Porter’s “So In Love” (inspired by Cedar Walton’s big band arrangement), Grant Green’s medium-tempo blues “No. 1 Green Street,” and “I Believe In You,” a song that Will has loved since hearing the Frank Sinatra/Count Basie recording.(https://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2021/05/new-album-will-lyle-l-a-source-codes/”) Click here to listen to the opening song on the disc.

Bob Mintzer & WDR Big Band Cologne – Soundscapes (Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild): “As chief conductor of the great WDR Big Band for the last 6 years, Bob Mintzer was ready to showcase his own material with the world class large ensemble. An amalgam of moods, grooves and intricate textures, Soundscapes not only showcases Mintzer’s writing for this indelibly tight, universally esteemed ensemble, it also fi nds him doing double duty as principal soloist on tenor sax and Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) while providing a spotlight for such other outstanding soloists as longtime WDR members Paul Heller on tenor sax, Karolina Strassmayer and Johan Hörlén on alto saxes, Ruud Breuls and Andy Haderer on trumpets and Andy Hunter on trombone. Few composers write mostly original music for large ensemble and hardly any, then, have much of the music available in a published format for other bands and students to study and play. Mintzer stands alone as the preeminent composer/arranger for big band at this time. (https://bobmintzermusic.com/blog/new-bob-mintzer-cd-with-the-wdr-big-band-soundscapes-available-nowhttps://bobmintzermusic.com/blog/new-bob-mintzer-cd-with-the-wdr-big-band-soundscapes-available-now) Click here to listen to “The Conversation”, a Bob Mintzer composition from this release.

John Stein – Serendipity (Whaling City Sound): “Internationally renowned jazz guitarist John Stein was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri USA where he took up his instrument at an early age. His talent for and love of music ultimately earned him a faculty position at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he was a longtime Professor in the Harmony Department. John Stein is an experienced teacher, clinician, recording artist, and author. John has performed as a leader or a sideman with some of the world’s finest jazz acts, and his compositions and performances cover the spectrum of jazz styles. John is a prolific recording artist as a leader, in addition to the contributions he has made to other artists’ projects.…My music is the result of a lifetime’s involvement with my instrument, the guitar, and many hours studying theory, composition, arranging, and musical history,” says John. His warm and deeply expressive creative jazz performances move and excite audiences wherever he appears.” (https://johnstein.com/about-john/) Click here to listen to samples of each of the songs on this release.

Will St Peter / Steven Heffner / Steve Barnes – Honestly (OA2): …a whispered, three-way conversation, each instrumental part distinctly executed in service to the group dynamic…”Authenticity” could be used to describe their unpretentious, straightforward style…
(All About Jazz) Individually developing their musical voices and pursuing careers from the far corners of the country, Maine guitarist Will St. Peter, Washington State bassist Steve Heffner and the Los Angeles-based drummer Steve Barnes each found their way to the creatively fertile grounds of the University of North Texas’s expansive music program over the last decade. “Honestly” documents the chance meeting of kindred spirits and the development of their shared aesthetic as a trio through spacious, conversational readings of standards such as Mancini’s “Days of Wine and Roses” and Sammy Fain’s “I’ll Be Seeing You,” compositions by St. Peter, and modern jazz classics such as Ornette Coleman’s “Turnaround” and Steve Swallow’s “Falling Grace.” (https://originarts.com/oa2/recordings/recording.php?TitleID=22191) Nice variety and style! Click here to listen to samples of two songs on this release.

Angela Wrigley Trio – You Don’t Know What Love Is (Cellar Live): “Cellar Music Group is thrilled to announce the June 18, 2021 release of You Don’t Know What Love Is, the debut album from consummate vocalist and composer Angela Wrigley and her spirited Angela Wrigley Trio. The group presents a collection of material that transcends the jazz genre, with Angela’s stunning vocal performance matched only by the exquisite interplay of her A-list band. The Angela Wrigley Trio is made up of three musical cohorts and friends: Angela Wrigley on vocals, piano and rhodes; Derek Stoll on bass, piano and organ; and Dave Lake on drums. Additionally, the album features stellar contributions from percussionist Bob Fenske, alto and tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds, trumpeter Vince Mai and trombonist Rod Murray. Drawing from jazz standards, rock hits and pop classics, the Angela Wrigley Trio has created a body of work that intricately describes the story of love and loss, hope and longing, and what it means to deeply and truly be “in love.” Angela’s own compositions describe these feelings with poignant accuracy, and with the dedication of her bandmates she delivers an emotional and heartfelt depiction of what it means to have loved deeply, and lost…. With deeply personal interpretations of classic songs that have resonated with the bandleader throughout her upbringing and up until the present, You Don’t Know What Love Is walks listeners through a retrospective of Wrigley and her trio’s musical journey. The album’s eleven tracks document the resilience and resolve of three tremendous players who stayed the course and gathered together – when physically gathering in general became impossible – to create a work of beauty, honesty and soul.” (https://cellarlive.com/collections/all/products/angela-wrigley-you-dont-know-what-love-is)  Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this terrific release.

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop