Archives for October 23, 2009

Correspondence: CD Prices, Spelling

A few times you’ve linked to Amazon listings for Venus releases, such as the Charlap/NY Trio disc in your new set of picks. Just a caveat about this, of which you may be aware. These are CD-Rs with reprinted liner booklets and info. Obviously the price reflects this and Amazon and Venus are to be applauded for offering this important music at a more reasonable price stateside. However, I picked up a Kenny Barron CD recently and the inserts listed nothing but the musicians’ names and song selections. There was no recording date nor were there composer credits. As something of a fanatic about this sort of information, it was disappointing. Perhaps there was a translation issue involved. In any event, I wanted to mention this to you.
Rich Juliano

(The Charlap CD is also available from Amazon in the US at the import price of $44.98. In Japan, their country of origin, Venus CDs sell for 2,500 yen; at today’s exchange rate, $27.40 US. I did not intend to choose for Rifftides readers, but the $30.99 difference between the import and the CD-R may be attractive to some. — DR)

Just got the new Anita O’Day Jazz Icons DVD. Loved the DVD and enjoyed your notes. By now you’ve probably noticed that the “editors” – I assume it was the editors, changed your spelling of June Cristy’s last name in the notes to “Christie.”
Steve Ramm

(I don’t know how that happened. I’m willing to accept the blame, especially since the accurate spelling is neither Cristy nor Christie, but Christy. — DR)

Hear Ye! New Recommendations

This time around, CDs by Bill Charlap’s “other” trio, Miguel ZenÃ³n exploring his PR roots and the uncanny Mitchell/Marsh duo. Also: a DVD of Art Farmer in his prime and a book about Scott La Faro. Kindly direct your attention to Doug’s Picks in the center column. The Rifftides staff wishes you good listening, viewing and reading.

CD: Bill Charlap

New York Trio, Always (Venus). This is pianist Charlap’s other trio, with bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Bill Stewart rather than his Blue Note companions Peter Washington and Kenny Washington. In his eighth CD for the Japanese label he honors Irving Berlin by lovingly playing the melodies of ten Berlin songs, then improvising on the pieces with inventiveness, harmonic ingenuity and interaction with Leonhart and Stewart. Charlap’s keyboard touch and subtle use of dynamics, notable throughout, are captivating in the unaccompanied version of “Russian Lullaby” that ends the album.

CD: Miguel ZenÃ³n

Miguel ZenÃ³n, Esta Plena (Marsalis Music). The alto saxophonist and composer illuminates and elevates la plena, the peoples’ music of his native Puerto Rico. ZenÃ³n augments his quartet with percussionists playing pandero, seguidor and requinto drums to provide the music’s rhythmic heart. ZenÃ³n’s playing further establishes him as one of the most important young soloists in jazz. Pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Henry Cole are impressive throughout. ZenÃ³n aids understanding of the music with a scholarly liner essay tracing the history and cultural importance of la plena.

CD: Red Mitchell, Warne Marsh

Red Mitchell, Warne Marsh, Big Two (Storyville). Bassist Mitchell (1927-1992) and tenor saxophonist Marsh (1927-1987) played as a duo for two nights in 1980 at the Fasching Club in Stockholm. In this intimate recording, Storyville engineer Nils EdstrÃ¶m captured the brilliance and inventiveness of their work. Long unavailable, the 2-CD set captures them at the peak of their powers. Among the highlights: Marsh channeling Lester Young’s famous “Lady Be Good” solo, then creating a memorable one of his own, and the two romping through Miles Davis’s “Little Willie Leaps.”

DVD: Art Farmer

Art Farmer, Live in ’64 (Jazz Icons). Farmer’s quartet with guitarist Jim Hall was one of the greatest small groups in jazz history. For this television appearance, he featured pieces never released in the quartet’s recordings. Among them are an exhilarating “Bilbao Song,” Sonny Rollins’s “Valse Hot” and Cole Porter’s “So in Love.” Steve Swallow is the bassist, Pete LaRoca the drummer. Deeply experienced together by this time, the four were breathtaking in their individual and collective performance. The BBC-TV video is crisp, the audio clear. This is a jewel in Jazz Icons’ eagerly anticipated fourth release.