Archives for April 2017

Phelan Burgoyne Trio, Quiet Unquiet (Pumpkin Records)

Drummer Burgoyne’s trio may seem now and then to be floating toward somnolence, but the tidal urgencies and complexities of his drumming are unlikely to encourage napping. The ingenuity and intellectual rigor of guitarist Rob Luft and alto saxophonist Martin Speake are equally responsible for keeping the listener’s attention. Burgoyne and Luft were Speake’s students at London’s Royal Academy of Music. Now the professor is a sideman in his former student’s little band, which is increasingly prominent in British music. Moderate sonic manipulation occasionally enhances the music, as in “Midnight Train to Malmö.” If you are not aware of the digital molding, it seems natural—and isn’t that the idea? Luft and Speake achieve keening intensity on “Purple Z.” Burgoyne fashions a cymbal-fest before the piece slowly subsides into a thoughtful echo. The first third of “Green T” is an exercise in reflection for Luft’s guitar and Burgoyne’s cymbals before Speake soars, then darts, in a solo whose passion takes his alto well into the altissimo range. The eight pieces in the album, all composed by Burgoyne, include two short tracks titled “Quiet Unquiet I” and Quiet Unquiet II” that demonstrate the melodic quality of his solo technique. The musicality and appeal of this little band seem likely to keep bringing them attention.

In a demonstration of their stylistic flexibility, here is the Burgoyne trio at the Royal Academy in 2015 with the 20th century Vienesse composer Alban Berg’s “Schliesse Mir Die Augen Beide.”

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) would have turned 100 years old today. She often affected audiences the way she was affecting Dizzy Gillespie when Bill Gottlieb took this celebrated photo.

It is impossible to find the perfect performance by which to remember Ella, there were so many. Let’s settle (ha) for this one. She played well with others.

This spring, the magnolia tree at the edge of the yard is in full bloom. I was determined to show you an image of just one of its magnificent blossoms. Then the challenge—this being primarily a jazz blog—became finding a piece of music that would be a suitable companion, something to listen to as we enjoy the blossom. After searching through the record collection, then online, I concluded that the rock and roll and warmed-over Dixieland I found would not do. Then, up popped a duo called, of all things, Magnolia. They are vocalist Anne Hartkamp and guitarist Phillipp van Endert. They are based in Cologne, Germany. Here they are with “Footprints,” a Wayne Shorter composition that for forty years has been one of the most performed of all Shorter pieces. It’s a good idea to have your hand near the volume control. You may find the sound a bit low in spots.

Cuong Vu 4TET, Ballet (Rare Noise)

Trumpeter Vu and three fellow Seattle adventurers explore pieces by Michael Gibbs. It was guitarist Bill Frisell’s idea to bring the British composer to the University of Washington last year for concerts of his orchestral music as well as sets by Vu’s quartet with Frisell, bassist Luke Bergman and drummer Ted Poor. In a news release, Vu is quoted as saying that their aim was, “…our individual aesthetics coming together and trying to find a common goal/language.” The language is post-bebop bordering on free jazz. Recorded at the concerts, the 4TET—with exhilaration and a sense of risk—apply their unique idiom to five Gibbs compositions. “Ballet” begins as a series of collective abstractions and soon assumes a waltz feeling. Vu’s dazzling state-of-the-trumpet-art solo leads to him and Frisell ending with Gibbs’s eccentric melody appearing in the piece for the first time.

“Feelings And Things,” an abstract ballad, is primarily an occasion for Vu to bring his lyricism to the fore and let one of Gibbs’s most attractive melodies speak for itself. Ted Poor introduces “Blue Comedy” in a short, incisive solo charged with hi-hat licks and Roy Haynes pops. As Vu and Frisell introduce the tricky melody, the trumpet’s first few notes  echo. Whether that is intentional is impossible to know, but it’s an intriguing effect. Frisell invests his solo with quirky asides and what sound like country licks. Rhythmic intensity builds under the impetus of Vu’s gnarly solo. Far from getting in the way, Poor ‘s drum chatter under Bergman’s bass solo enhances it.

“And On The Third Day” is an exercise in drama and emotional density. Vu rasps, growls and echoes before settling into what could be taken, briefly, for a resonant Esbjörn Svensson excursion in Nordic placidity. Soon enough, however, he is fluttering, swooping, playing extended growls and, in general, giving a lesson in 21st Century jazz trumpet fluency. In his solo, Frisell uses amplifier distortion and alternates power chords with decisive downward strokes. As the track eases toward its close after 12 minutes of heat, the lower register of Frisell’s guitar guides us to a peaceful conclusion. This track has remarkable power. To absorb it, the listener may want to take the trip at least twice.

“Sweet Rain,” probably Gibbs’s best-known piece, opens with Vu’s trumpet as mellifluous as a cello—in distinct contrast with the raucousness of his work in “And On The Third Day.” The lyricism of Frisell’s solo has soft, but hardly timid, support from Poor’s brushes. This is Vu’s and Frisell’s first album together since 2005’s It’s Mostly Residual. Twelve years is too long between collaborations by musicians who are so stimulating together.

“Four” is one of the best-known jazz tunes attributed to Miles Davis. He may actually have written it, although a substantial number of musicians maintain that the composer was the alto saxophonist and blues singer Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson. It is all but certain that Vinson also wrote “Tune Up,” another modern jazz standard for which Davis took credit. Regardless of authorship, “Four” quickly became a jazz standard following its first recording by Davis on his 1954 Prestige album Blue Haze. It has been performed countless times since.

During a visit to Copenhagen in 1968, Sonny Rollins tackled “Four” with a rhythm section of Kenny Drew, piano; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, bass; and Albert “Tootie” Heath, drums. Rollins sets the scene with an unaccompanied introduction in which he does not quote every song he ever heard. It only seems that way.

Classic Savoy BeBop Sessions 1945-49

Just a quick run-through of the names involved in this ten- CD set might be enough to whet the curiosity of the uninitiated and the appetites of devotees of the music that changed jazz in the 1940s. A few of them: Bud Powell, Allen Eager, Milt Jackson, Fats Navarro, James Moody, Tadd Dameron, George Wallington. Not to mention Art Blakey, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Stitt, J.J. Johnson and Brew Moore. Mosaic Records has assembled and remastered dozens of performances from the period when Savoy Records was at the top of the bebop heap. The tracks include master takes and alternates brought up to high sonic standards. This is a major box-set event, even in the light of Mosaic’s enviable track record.

Coleman Hawkins made the tenor saxophone a jazz instrument. Bud Freeman (1906-1991), two years younger than Hawkins, followed as another of the horn’s early masters. Freeman (pictured) started on C-melody saxophone and was a member of Chicago’s Austin High Gang, which also included Frank Teschemacher, Dave Tough and Jimmy McPartland. After he switched to tenor sax in the mid-1920s he went on to play with Ben Pollack, Red Nichols, Ray Noble, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Eddie Condon, among many others. He called his own band The Summa Cum Laude Orchestra. His tone was light compared with most other tenor saxophonists of his era, and almost without vibrato. Freeman was one of the rare early jazz pioneers who became interested in new forms; in the 1950s he studied with Lennie Tristano.

In the mid-1960s, Freeman was a guest on Jazz Alley, a television program hosted by his Chicago pianist contemporary Art Hodes. In this segment, Hodes begins by introducing the young soprano saxophohnist Bob Wilber, who does not play, and then Freeman, who does. The bassist is R.L. Wilson, the drummer Bob Cousins. Not all of the introductions are distinct, so here is the tune list: “You Took Advantage of Me,” “Dinah” and “Three Little Words.”

Rifftides reader Arthur Hill writes from somewhere in Oregon:

Yes, Virginia—there is a jazz club in Salem, Oregon, called Christo’s, a restaurant and lounge. They recently announced that with the closure of Jimmy Mak’s in Portland, “We have been asked to host, for a continual run of second Saturdays, the Mel Brown Septet.”

The next engagement in the run will be on May 13th at 8:30 pm. Unless they have knocked down some walls, it is a small space (maybe about 44 can be shoe-horned in), so reservations are a must (503-371-2892, but don’t call until after 5 pm, as they are all in the kitchen.) Musicians listed are Brown, drums; Gordon Lee, piano; Tim Gilson, bass; Renato Caranto, tenor sax; John Nastos, alto sax; Derek Sims, trumpet; and Stan Goetz. On Thursday, May 4th, the club will have trumpeter Dmitri Matheny’s group and further into the month a trad jazz group on the 13th; Chris Brown Quartet on the 20th. These all start at 7 pm, two sets that are usually over around 9:30. I have no idea how they have been are able to do this for the past several years. Most shows sell out.

Thanks to Mr. Hill for his alert.

Mel Brown’s groups of various sizes were mainstays at Jimmy Mak’s for years. It’s good to know that he’ll be in action in Salem, an hour south of Portland on Interstate 5. From one of Brown’s gigs at Mak’s in 2009, here is his septet with Gordon Lee, piano; Derek Sims, trumpet; Renato Caranto, tenor saxophone; Warren Rand, alto sax; Andre St. James, bass; Stan Bock, trombone; and guest trumpeter Farnell Newton, who has the first solo on a blues that may or may not have a title.

The Monday concert that paid tribute to the 2017 National Endowment For The Arts Jazz Masters is now online, all three hours of it. In addition to new Jazz Masters Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ira Gitler, Dave Holland, Dick Hyman and Dr. Lonnie Smith, the three-hour concert includes performances by a variety of other prominent artists. The link makes it possible to fast-forward and search. Thanks to the NEA’s Elizabeth Auclair for sending it. To watch and listen to the concert, click here.

At the invitation of the Rifftides staff, reader Michael Phillips sent a report about the NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert last night at the Kennedy Center. Mr. Philips (pictured left) lives near Washington, DC. He  is a clean-energy consultant who “used to play guitar in swing and jump blues bands” and now co-hosts a jazz radio show.

By Michael Philips

In person, the music was electrifying. In a tribute to Dick Hyman, his long-time friend, semi-protégé and distant cousin Bill Charlap joined with Aaron Diehl for a medley on twin grand pianos. They started playfully with a few measures of Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer,” then went through a series of increasingly complex Hyman tunes. The pianists played overlapping harmonies and rhythms, and when the baton was passed each sat silently while the other soloed.

Another highlight was the ensemble playing in tribute to Dave Holland. For a few minutes, the rest of the band stopped as trombonist Robin Eubanks and saxophonist Chris Potter went off on an extended mutual solo. Partly because of his work with Pat Metheny and his many Down Beat awards, Potter is already well known among jazz fans. Eubanks showed that he deserves as much attention as his guitarist brother Kevin and his late uncle, pianist Ray Bryant.

A poignant moment came in the tribute to Dr. Lonnie Smith when the blind 16-year-old organist Matthew Whitaker, playing the Hammond B-3, led a quartet through Jimmy Smith’s “Mellow Mood .“ The piece also featured a superb solo by guitarist Mike Moreno.

The pit band was the talented all-female 15-piece Diva Jazz Orchestra led by Sherrie Maracle. They did a yeoman’s job backing alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and pianist Dan Tepfer during their tribute to jazz writer Ira Gitler, and in accompanying singer Dianne Reeves and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera as they honored brand new Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater.

During a listening session at NPR headquarters the day before the NEA concert, bassist Dave Holland recounted a time in 1968 when he was playing at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London. During a break, his friend Philly Joe Jones told him that Miles Davis was in the audience and wanted him to join Miles’ band. Holland said he thought Jones was pulling his leg, but Jones insisted that he should talk to Miles during the next break. At the break, Holland looked for Davis but was told he had gone back to his hotel. The next morning, he waited until a respectable hour, then called the hotel, only to be told that Miles had checked out and gone to the airport. Holland called Philly Joe and asked him what he should do. Jones said to hang tight, that he’d hear from Miles.

A week went by, then another week. Three weeks later on a Tuesday at three o’clock in the morning Holland got a call. It was from Miles’ manager asking if he can make a gig with Davis in New York on Friday. Of course Holland said yes, then raced around London getting a visa and a plane ticket and was on the first flight he could arrange. All the while, he was listening to Miles’ music, but didn’t really know what to expect at the gig. He arrived in New York the afternoon before the date and went to Herbie Hankcock’s house. Herbie went over the changes of some tunes with him, but Holland showed up for the gig with minimal preparation. Miles appeared at the last minute, counted off the first tune and they were off and running.

Holland stayed with the Davis band for two years.

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(Michael Phillips’ radio program In the Jazz Kitchen airs Thursdays from 9 to 11pm Eastern time on the non-profit, community-based station WOWD-FM 94.3. It streams live at takomaradio.org.)

Funding for the arts in The United States may be eliminated or drastically reduced if the Trump administration has its way, but an established arts showcase will be presented this evening, we hope not for the last time. The 2017 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters will be honored at the John F. Kennedy Center Washington, DC. They are pictured above. Here are the NEA’s descriptions:

Dee Dee Bridgewater, vocalist, producer, broadcaster
Ira Gitler, author, editor, producer, educator
Dave Holland, bassist, cellist, composer, bandleader
Dick Hyman, keyboardist, composer, arranger
Dr. Lonnie Smith, organist, composer

All but  Gitler, who is ailing, will be present and are expected to speak. Gitler’s son Fitz will represent him. At 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, the NEA will stream the event live on its website. National Public Radio will carry it at NPR.org/Music

From the NEA announcement:

The concert will include performances by NEA Jazz Masters Paquito D’Rivera and Lee Konitz, as well as Bill Charlap, Theo Croker, Aaron Diehl, Robin Eubanks, James Genus, Donald Harrison, Booker T. Jones, Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, Peter Martin, Mike Moreno, China Moses, Steve Nelson, Kassa Overall, Chris Potter, Dianne Reeves, Nate Smith, Dan Tepfer, and Matthew Whitaker.

For further information, see the NEA site. If Rifftides readers watch or listen to the presentation, please jot a note or two and let us know your impressions by way of the comment function below.