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Jazz and beyond ... Reviews by John Stevenson
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Posted by: eJazzNews Readeron Thursday, August 03, 2006 - 03:14 PM |
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The House that TRANE Built: The Story of Impulse Records (Impulse)
Meticulously researched and judiciously assembled by Ashley Kahn, this four disc compilation offers listeners a wide-angled aural assessment of Impulse’s prolific output. The distinctive orange and black imprint, identified itself more than any other jazz label, with the struggle for the rights of black people during the turbulent American 1960s. Kahn has simultaneously published a book bearing the same name as the compilation. The author’s central thesis is that Impulse’s creative impetus largely revolved around John Coltrane, whose own staggering creativity helped put the label on the music map, and inspired an entire generation of searching, earnest jazz musicians. It sounds suspiciously like one of those ‘great man’ theories of history, but will nevertheless create considerable interest in the Impulse back-catalog. From John Coltrane’s Greensleeves (Africa Brass) to Charles Lloyd’s Forest Flower (Man From Two Worlds) to Gato Barbieri’s India (Chapter One Latin America) to Archie Shepp’s Mama Too Tight (Mama Too Tight), there is an ample amount of material to satisfy the most impulsive jazz tastes.
The Royal Dan: A Tribute (Tone Centre)
If there were three soundtracks of the 1970s and 80s, the music of Steely Dan would be one of them. Impeccable production values (some might say squeaky clean and anal retentive ones), intelligent lyrics and a yen for gang-pressing the best jazzmen into recording service, Don Fagen and Walter Becker were (and still are) the business. The Royal Dan revisits the hits with a core band of drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, ‘Jackets bassist Jimmy Haslip, keyboardist Peter Wolf and master tenor saxist Ernie Watts. A who’s who arsenal of electric plectrists (Robben Ford, Jeff Richman, Mike Stern, Frank Gambale and Al Dimeola among others) wail and caterwaul their way through Dan repertoire such as Peg, Dirty Work, FM, and Josie. Colaiuta manages to almost replicate Steve Gadd’s impossibly complex drum intro on Aja.
Alicia Bay Laurel: What Living’s All About, Jazz Blues & Other Moist Situations (IW)
With a provocative title like this one, Ms Laurel will certainly catch the attention of any reviewer! This is most certainly one of the most audacious, heartfelt and honest discs I’ve put in my CD player for the year. Alicia (who sounds like the artistic love child of Joan Baez and Tom Waits) brings a folk-singer’s sensibility to bear on jazz and pulls no punches: On America The Blues, she declaims: America, the beautiful/you’re thorny as a rose:/Radiation, global warming/Poisoned food from GMOs./ She also sings a delightful version of Eden Ahbez’s Nature Boy. The accompaniment from guitarist Nels Cline, drummer John B Williams and pianist Rick Olson is divine.
Diana Krall: From This Moment On (Verve/Universal)
Not since 2001’s The Look of Love has Ms Krall’s dulcet tones been recorded against the lush backdrop of a full orchestra. This latest effort revisits that format, and what a fantastic set of collaborators Diana has found in the form of Tommy LiPuma and the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Guitarist Anthony Wilson also shares the spotlight in parts on tunes ranging from It Could Happen to You, How Insensitive, and of course, the title, From This Moment On. Smooth and seductive as ever.
Yellowjackets: Twenty Five (Headsup)
Twenty five years is a darn long time in the life of any band, let alone one functioning in the oftimes precarious world of jazz, but the Yellowjackets have fearlessly walked the walk. On this attractive CD/DVD commemorative combination package the band-members past and present talk the talk with entertaining interviews, archival concert footage, recent live concert footage (Naima Club in Forli, Italy, 2005). The CD component is taken from a live set recorded in Paris last October. The DVD contains some nice updates of early the early hits: Matinee Idol and Imperial Strut.
Marc Cary: Focus (Motema)
Ex Abbey Lincoln sideman Cary has become the toast of the jazz community for this very original outing. However, his distinctive probing and intense style of play came to the attention of the jazz community since at least the early 1990s. With the exception of his trio’s take on the Jackie McLean number Appointment in Ghana, the disc is virtually made up of Cary compositions. Aided and abetted by the agile Sameer Gupta on drums and tables and an attentive David Ewell on string bass, Cary explores Native American percussive patterns along with African-derived ones. His artistic quest mirrors that of piano titans such as Randy Weston, particularly on the tour de force Voyage to the Inside.
Joy Bellis: Coming Alive (White Butterfly)
With Coming Alive, Joy Bellis serves notice that an accomplished singer has burst out onto the global jazz stage – fully formed as if from the head of Zeus. Marrying definite vocal charm and crystal clear articulation, she handles the standards repertoire with easeful poise. With the no-nonsense support of David Epstein on piano, Robert Sabin (bass), Jeff Davis (drums) and Doug Hindrichs (percussion), Bellis brings fresh interpretations to Frank Loesser’s Never Will I Marry, Bobby Troup’s The Meaning of the Blues and Harold Arlen’s Out of This World, among others. With such a smashing standards outing, this reviewer patiently awaits Ms Bellis’s all-original recording!
Wayman Tisdale: Way Up! (Rendezvous)
Tisdale is an ex-NBA player who funk’s things up on bass as well as he dunk’s it up on the basketball court. Uniquely, he uses electric bass guitar as a lead solo instrument and he definitely has it ‘going on’ as far as his affinity with R&B, soul and smoove jazz grooves. On Way Up! He is joined by a star-studded cast of the smooth-jazz genre with typically nice results. George Duke contributes Tell It Like It Is and his keyboarding wizardry and Jeff Lorber and Tony Braxton share the proceedings on It’s A Good Day. There’s also a nice update of Kool & the Gang’s Get Down On It.
Tsiganov Brothers (Tsiganov)
With the exception of Pat Metheny Group drummer Antonio Sanchez , all of the personnel on the disc are Russian-born, New York-resident jazz stars. Pianist Misha Tsiganov and his vibraphone playing sibling Alexei, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, and acoustic bassist Boris Kozlov, are all carving their respective niches on the New York jazz scene. They etch a place on this outing, more specifically, as enthusiastic, ace improvisers on predominantly bossa- and samba-oriented numbers. It’s an infectious rhythmic concoction.
Manhattan Bones: Tribute (Creative Jazz Records)
The trombone never had the same hip status as the sexier saxophone, but it hasn’t been short of valiant champions in jazz, such as the magnificent J.J. Johnson. This particular recording (featuring trombonists Scott Reeves, Tim Sessions, Mark Patterson, and Tim Newman) is the perfect vehicle to showcase the incredible range, complexity and dynamics of the instrument both in ensemble/unison and solo contexts. On numbers such as J.J. Johnson’s Shutterbug, Gabriel Faure’s Pavane, and Wayne Shorter’s Tom Thumb, the trombonists really break new ground for the instrument with exquisite backing from pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Mike McGuirk and drummer Andy Watson.
Gerry Gibbs and the Thrasher Big Band: Live at Luna (Whaling City Sound)
With more than enough talent to spare as a fine drummer and orchestrator, it doesn’t harm things to have a father who is a legendary figure in jazz (Terry Gibbs). So it should come as little of a surprise that Gerry should demonstrate a high level of accomplishment on this outing. Ignore the self-indulgent liner notes and you will happen upon a treasure trove of lively big band (20-piece) arrangements of old and new pieces such as Maiden Voyage (Herbie Hancock), Some Skunk Funk (Brecker Brothers) and When I Dream. The sound is sharply reminiscent of the loose but luminescent Jaco Pastorious' Word of Mouth big band.
Tom Scott: Bebop United (MCG)
If you’ve relegated Tom Scott to the smooth-jazz, LA-silver-screen-soundtrack bin, think again. Before he became one of Hollywood’s top music maestros, Scott was actually a straight ahead jazzman. Bebop United is a fitting return to bebop form. It’s a frightfully serious disc featuring Gil Goldstein tickling the ivories, Duane Burno manning the bass, Willie Jones on drums, Jay Ashby on trombone, Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone and Randy Brecker on trumpet. Arguably one of the strongest bebop/hardbop recordings of the year, the live set includes Wayne Shorter’s Children of the Night, Chick Corea’s Tones for Jones Bones and Scott’s very own Back Burner.
Funsho Ogundipe: Omo Obokun Afrobeat Chronicles Vol 2 (Flying Monkeys)
You could say that Funsho is one of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s musical children. Utilising Afrobeat, Yoruba rhythmic patterns and highlife, Ogundipe plays lean keyboard lines and utters gentle vocals. He’s also assembled some remarkable musicians on this project, including Average White Band guitarist Jim Mullen, Frank Tontoh (son of Osibisa trumpeter Mac Tontoh) and trumpet king Byron Wallen. The hottest tracks include Revenge of the Flying Monkeys part 2, Oga! and Omo Obokun.
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