The Rifftides computer is taking a few spa days at the local Apple store. We’ll be back once rejuvenation is complete.
Archives for September 2017
Other Matters–Language: So…
Increasingly, radio and television newscasts include stories in which anchors interview correspondents in the field. That is part of a pattern: reduced news budgets, smaller staffs and greater dependence on the survivors of newsroom cuts. Anchors, of course, also conduct interviews with newsmakers, hundreds of them a day across the broadcast spectrum. Listeners accustomed to English spoken properly may be nonplussed, even irritated, when interviewees begin their answers with “So——.” It happens in approximately 65 percent of responses (that’s a staff estimate; the percentage may be higher). Whether the person being interviewed is a sixth-grade dropout in a homeless shelter, a United States senator or a reporter whose job description assumes familiarity with the language, spoken English is being “So-ed” to a faretheewell. One popular explanation, or excuse, is that the responder to a question is buying a second to think of an answer. For President Ronald Reagan, “Well—” was the crutch. Others prefer “Uh—”. The sixth-grade dropout may be excused. Professionals who make a living with the language should not be.
“So—” had not become ubiquitous when Rifftides first brought you the poet Taylor Mali’s video examination of some of the turns English usage had taken. This was in 2009.
Whaddaya think—as a good Brooklynite might ask—has English usage improved in eight years?
Monday Recommendation: Bill Charlap Trio
Bill Charlap Trio, Uptown Downtown (Impulse)
Pianist Charlap’s trio dazzles the listener from beginning to end of this album. He, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington do not bowl us over with flurries of technique, speed and high volume. They do it with musicianship, subtlety and the cohesiveness that has intensified during their two decades as one of the most compelling of all jazz piano trios. A few of the large and small delights:
•The musicians’ uncanny togetherness on Gigi Gryce’s tricky “Satellite.”
•The suggestion of a taxi horn at the conclusion of a compelling version of Stephen Sondheim’s title tune.
•The softness of Charlap’s keyboard touch underlaid by Peter W’s counterpoised bass line and Kenny W’s nearly subliminal brushes in “Spring Can Really Hang You  Up The Most.”
•Charlap’s perfect Ellington right-hand flurries that open “Sophisticated Lady.â€
•The trio sliding into the melody of “There’s A Small Hotel.”
This is one of the year’s finest albums.
Weekend Extra: Kelly And Montgomery Smokin’
Wynton Kelly Trio, Wes Montgomery, Smokin’ In Seattle (Resonance)
The Resonance Records label’s stream of previously unreleased music includes a collaboration of guitarist Wes Montgomery (1925-1968) and pianist Wynton Kelly (1931-1971) that is a major addition to the discographies of both musicians. The recording captures them in the spring of 1966 at The Penthouse, a Seattle jazz club that managed to flourish in an era when the Beatles invasion and the steady inroads of rock and roll were pushing jazz steadily further down the list of the public’s listening choices. The resourceful management and booking practices of Penthouse owner Charlie Puzzo kept his club alive when others throughout The United States were going under.
Kelly’s four-year stretch with Miles Davis had brought him widespread recognition. Montgomery’s Smokin’ at the Half Note and other recordings with Kelly had helped make him one of the most talked-about guitarists alive. By the time of this album, Ron McClure had replaced Paul Chambers on bass. As the Seattle gig unfolded, it was apparent that McClure, Kelly and drummer Jimmy Cobb were coalescing into one of the most cohesive and irresistibly swinging of all rhythm sections of the era.
The Seattle CD opens with an up-tempo “There Is No Greater Love,†setting a high bar that the quartet soars across again and again during nearly an hour of 50-year-old music whose freshness makes it seem new. Montgomery’s trademark octaves are important to the success of “What ‘s New.†His mastery of the blues is evident in several pieces including trumpeter Blue Mitchell’s “Sir John.†A brief blues in F fades out after less than three minutes and yet provides some of Montgomery’s jolliest playing of the gig, nearly as happy as in his waltz-time “West Coast Blues.†Kelly and the trio are featured in Tadd Dameron’s “If You Could See Me Now,†a version whose bluesy aspect and tremolo passages make it at least the equal of the pianist’s other recordings of that classic. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “O Amor em Pazâ€* contributes a refreshing Brazilian flavor and a dancing sequence of Montgomery octaves before a blazing but far too short “Oleo†by the quartet closes the album.
*(In the information on the CD packaging, Resonance Records misidentified this title as that of another Jobim song. I inadvertently perpetuated the error. “O Amor em Paz” is the correct name of the piece. Thanks to several readers for catching the error.)—DR
Pete Turner, Eminent Jazz Photographer, Dies
Pete Turner, the photgrapher whose work became cover art for dozens of memorable jazz albums,has died at 83. His pictures, including the one above, often appeared on albums of Creed Taylor’s CTI label in the 1960s and ‘70s. Following the digital revolution, CTI also used them on CD reissues of classic albums. For more about Turner, including photos of some of his other covers, see Nate Chinen’s article on WBGO’s website.
While we acknowledge Turner’s artistry, let’s listen to a piece from Jim Hall’s remarkable <em>Concierto</em> with Hall, guitar; Paul Desmond, alto saxophone; Chet Baker, trumpet; Ron Carter, bass; Steve Gadd, drums; and Roland Hanna, piano. Here’s the title track, Hall’s adaptation of the Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.â€
RIP Pete Turner and all of the Concierto musicians except Ron Carter and Steve Gadd. The album itself is alive and well.
Recent Listening In Brief: 3 Trumpets Redux
Dick Titterington, The 3 Trumpet Band Live at The 1905 (Heavywood)
The 3 Trumpet Band recorded their third album before an audience at The 1905, an upscale pizza emporium on the east side of Portland, Oregon. Some reviewers have called the place the successor to the belated Jimmy Mak’s club. That’s a stretch, but the night Dick Titterington and his sextet recorded this album there, listeners might have been persuaded that it was so. Trumpeters Titterington, Paul Mazzio and Thomas Barber are the front line, with the all-star Portland rhythm section of pianist Greg Goebel, bassist Dave Captein and drummer Jason Palmer. All of the compositions are by Titterington, with the exception of Captein’s “Ass Divot,†whose title may not have anything to do with golf.
The opening track, “Kakistocracy,†establishes a level of trumpet virtuosity that holds throughout the album. The dictionary says that a kakistocracy is “a system of government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.†From the slurs, squeezes and growls of Titterington’s opening solo on that piece to the beautifully harmonized ending of “Bass Line,†the musicianship is scrupulous, with no indication of kakistocracy but plenty of energy and inventiveness. The descriptive trumpet sparring and allusions of “The Dark Clown†are what horror novelist Stephen King might have come up with if he wrote music. Mazzio’s and Barber’s solos intensify the ominous atmosphere of the piece. Pianist Goebel’s showcase is “Emma,†with a short, evocative, solo that Barber’s trumpet solo matches for expressivity. Goebel follows with rich harmonies in an extended improvised coda. It is a moment of meditation in an album packed with stimulating trumpetism.
Monday Recommendation: Tatum’s Town
Bob Dietsche, Tatum’s Town (Bobson Press)
Most Art Tatum devotees know that Toledo, Ohio, was his hometown. It was where his genius became evident when he was a teenaged Fats Waller disciple. Many Tatum fans may not know that Toledo’s active jazz community in the 1920s and ‘30s included a number of musicians destined to become important jazz artists. Among them were trombonist Jimmy Harrison, guitarist Arv Garrison, Count Basie saxophonist Candy Johnson and, later, younger musicians like vocalist Jon Hendricks and pianist Stanley Cowell. Dietsche traces the development of jazz in his hometown and does for Toledo what he did for Portland, Oregon, in his 2005 book Jumptown. Tatum’s Town is slightly marred by indexing confusion and lax copy editing, but it is packed with anecdotes and information about a jazz scene that thrived before, during and after the swing-to-bop transition and produced Tatum, one of the music’s pivotal figures.
Recent Listening In Brief: Victor Gould
Victor Gould, Clockwork (Fresh Sound New Talent)
A Los Angeles native now in New York, pianist Gould debuts as a leader in an album showcasing him and an impressive collection of established musicians. He apprenticed as a sideman with, among other leader, Vincent Herring, Wallace Roney and Ralph Peterson. As a composer and arranger Gould works in a wide instrumental spectrum. His pieces range from the fleet “Sir Carter†in a trio with E.J. Strickland and bassist Ben Williams, to compositions for a sextet augmented with strings, Anne Drummond’s flute and the Latin percussion of Pedrito Martinez. Saxophonists Myron Walden and Godwin Louis and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt are important as soloists and in ensembles. Influences detectable in Gould’s writing include those of John Coltrane in “Apostle John†and Wayne Shorter in Shorter’s modern classic “Nefertiti.†However, in his concept, playing and—notably—his writing, Gould seems poised to make his mark as an original. He has surrounded himself here with a cadre of consequential twenty-, thirty- and forty-something New York peers.
Cerra On Early Getz
Thanks to Steven Cerra of Jazz Profiles for including, in his recent profile of Stan Getz, notes that I wrote for the box set reissue of Getz’s recordings for the Roost label. As Steve mentions in his introduction, Getz’s elegant work toward the end of his life tends to obscure what he achieved with his Roost sessions in the early 1950s. His recordings with groups featuring guitarist Jimmy Raney and pianist Horace Silver are from an important early period in his success. The collection has a cross-section of dates from that era that also features as sidemen Al Haig, Duke Jordan, Tiny Kahn, Johnny Smith and Bill Crow, among others.
To tease you into reading Steve’s post, here’s Getz in 1951 with Raney, pianist Haig, bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Kahn playing Johnny Mandel’s “Hershey Bar.â€
For the Cerra post, go here.
Bill Evans. Remember
Rifftides reader and audio chronicler Mike Harris writes:
37th anniversary of death of pianist Bill Evans. Worth a tip of the cap?
Worth more than that. It’s worth reminding us all, if we need reminding, of how much we lost on this day in 1980. Here’s Bill Evans recorded secretly by Mr. Harris at the Village Vanguard in 1967. Eddie Gomez is the bassist. Philly Joe Jones is the drummer.
Mike Harris’s surreptitious, long-since-approved, recordings of Bill Evans are contained in an eight-CD box set. It sells at sky-high prices on auction web sites but is still available here at or near the original price. Note that it will come from third-party sellers.
Reminder: Free Piano-History Concert Download
Rifftides readers asked if it would ever be available, so Bill Mays and I offer a performance of our History Of Jazz Piano project at no charge. Following a good deal of attention to technical detail and a thorough audio remastering, the concert is a free download on Bill’s website at this internet address (that link will take you there if you click on it).
We have performed the History three times in various parts of the world and plan to do further versions of it at festivals. The photograph shows Bill and me accepting roses following the performance at last year’s Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival. For now, the 2015 presentation lives as a digital presence on the web. Again, go here to see Bill’s announcement and get instructions for downloading both halves of the two-hour concert, free of charge. This project is close to our hearts. We hope that you will enjoy hearing it as much as we enjoyed doing it.
Recent Listening: Rigby And Eckemoff
Jason Rigby Detroit-Cleveland Trio, ONE (Fresh Sound New Talent)
The simplicity of the Rigby Trio’s cover design matches the uncomplicated instrumentation—saxophone, bass and drums. It is a configuration used to great effect by Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman in classic recordings when they were at the height of their powers. Whether the 42-year-old Rigby has reached that stage in his career remains to be heard, but in this 2016 album he affirms his skill as an improviser on tenor and soprano saxes. Indeed, although he wrote five pieces for the album, they are springboards for his explorations and those of bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Gerald Cleaver and do not disclose the sophistication of his arranging in earlier albums like Translucent Space and The Sage. They impart Rigby’s unflagging energy as a soloist and the symbiotic relationships he has developed with Brown and Cleaver. The opening “Dive Bar,†as an example, is a gripping conversation between Rigby’s tenor and Cleaver’s drums. Rigby uses the standards “You Are Too Beautiful†and “Embraceable You†primarily as bases for unfettered improvisation that includes occasional short, often witty, quotes from the songs. The album title suggests that there may be more of this trio on the way. It will be interesting to hear what’s next.
Yelena Eckemoff, In The Shadow of a Cloud (L&H)
Cleaver joins pianist Yelena Eckemoff in this impressive two-CD album of original compositions. Now a New Yorker, the Russian-born Eckemoff includes, along with Cleaver on drums, three more of the city’s most prominent jazz artists; saxophonist/flutist Chris Potter, guitarist Adam Rogers and bassist Drew Gress. As in Blooming Tall Phlox earlier in 2017 and several other albums on her L&H label, Eckemoff’s classical training is apparent in her playing and in the impeccable construction of compositions recalling her life and family in Russia. Her continuing collaborations with leading American and European musicians reflect her status in the jazz community. That was as true of the acceptance and enthusiasm of the four young Finns who joined her for Blooming Tall Phlox as it is for the US stars of this new Eckemoff venture. Among the highlights are the evocative title tune with its melding of nostalgia and urgency, the unrepressed excitement of “On the Motorboat,†Potter’s floating soprano saxophone in the irresistible “Waltz of the Yellow Petals,†and “The Fog,†in which Gress’s bass line buoys a feeling that manages to be at once mysterious and reassuring. Throughout, Eckemoff’s impeccable keyboard touch, harmonic resourcefulness and intriguing compositions make In the Shadow of a Cloud an important addition to the discography of a pianist whose reputation continues to expand.
Monday Recommendation: Hagans On Cassavetes
Tim Hagans, NDR Bigband, <em>Faces Under The Influence: A Jazz Tribute to John Cassavetes</em/>, Waiting Moon Records
In this work inspired by American independent film pioneer John Cassavetes (1929-1989), Hagans triumphs as composer, trumpet soloist and producer. He bases his tribute in impressions of characters in six Cassavetes films, plus a piece named for the director. Devotees of Cassavetes’ movies will recognize the names of the characters, beginning with “Lelia†from Shadows(/em> (1959) and including “Seymour Moskowitz†from Minnie and Moskowitz (1971). Hagans’ instruments here are his trumpet and the superb NDR Bigband, the jazz orchestra of Hamburg Radio. Several master soloists from the NDR include bassist Ingmar Heller and alto saxophonist Fiete Felsch. Hagans’ own solo work—saturated with feeling balanced by technique—reaches an apex in his unfettered solo on “John Cassavetes.† His writing in that piece and throughout is impressive for intersecting lines and incorporation of references to a variety of jazz styles. The album is a milestone in Hagans’ career.
How About Some Blues?
Sometimes, you just want to hear a good old-fashioned unadulterated blues. And sometimes—fairly often, actually—the members of Savoy Brown feel like playing one. Here they are in 2013 on the Clocktower stage at the Kitchener, Ontario, Blues Festival. Since it was founded in 1965 the band has gone through almost too many personnel changes to keep track of, although that is possible if you go to this web page and scroll down to Members. Today’s Savoy Brown is led by guitarist Kim Simmonds with Pat DeSalvo on bass and Garnet Grimm on drums. Here they play a piece entitled, with uncanny accuracy, “Slow Blues.â€Â They’re in B-flat. Feel free to play or sing along.
It may be that not all jazz listeners cotton to that uncomplicated approach to the blues, but those who do might consider looking up Savoy Brown’s album called Witchy Feelin’. It features the same musicians. Its eleven tracks include a gritty Kim Simmonds piece titled “Memphis Blues,†which is not the 1912 W.C. Handy composition that helped pave the way for popular acceptance of jazz. It feels good anyway.
Weekend Listening Tip: Wycliffe Gordon
Jim Wilke writes that he will feature trombonist, trumpeter and vocalist Wycliffe Gordon Sunday on Jazz Northwest. Here is Jim’s announcement:
Wycliffe Gordon celebrated the music and soul of jazz great Louis Armstrong in concert at Jazz Port Townsend last July. The concert was recorded for radio and will air Sunday, September 10 at 2 PM Pacific on 88.5 KNKX and stream at knkx.org. Wycliffe Gordon is well known as a trombonist, but is also adept with trumpet and vocals in this concert including music Louis Armstrong made famous with his recordings and performances all over the world. Joining Wycliffe Gordon in this concert are the versatile swing clarinetist and saxophonist Adrian Cunningham, Bill Cunliffe on piano, Martin Wind on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums.
(L to R) Cunliffe, Gordon, Cunningham, Wind, Hamilton’s drums
     Wilke; Gordon with Jazz Journalists’ Assn. trombonist-of-the-year award.            Hamilton in background. (photos, Jim Levitt)
Jazz Northwest airs on 88.5 KNKX every Sunday afternoon at 2 PM Pacific. After broadcast, programs are archived and may be streamed at jazznw.org.
Wycliffe Gordon will return to Seattle November 4 and 5 for concerts with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. For details, see srjo.org .
Charlie Shoemake’s Changes
Demanding to be heard, now and then one of the LPs in the surviving Rifftides collection of vinyl records sends vibes—appropriately in this case. The album called Sunstroke appeared in 1979 on the Muse label with Charlie Shoemake on vibraharp in his first album as a leader. His stellar rhythm section had Kenny Barron on piano, Cecil McBee on bass and Al Foster playing drums, with David Schnitter on tenor saxophone. For the occasion, Shoemake wrote a piece commemorating how jazz transformed as the music moved from swing to bebop. He called it “42nd Street Changes.†In the sense of “changes†as harmonic progressions, the tune provided challenges to the musicians and—to the rest of us—exhilarating listening.
It is odd, in the case of so stimulating an album, that Sunstroke has never been reissued as a CD or in any other digital form.
Labor (and Labour) Day, 2017
This is Labor Day or, if you prefer the Canadian spelling, Labour Day. There is official observance of the day established in Canada in 1872 and the US in 1887 to honor the economic and social contributions of working people. It long ago expanded to a three-day holiday weekend that marks the unofficial end of summer, the return of children to school and huge sales at department stores, automobile dealerships and sellers of electronics. Millions of Americans celebrate Labor Day by grilling and consuming pieces of meat marinated in or covered with barbecue sauce.
So, what could be more appropriate than to honor the laboring classes with two versions of Lil Hardin Armstrong’s classic composition. The first, from 1927 is by the man she was married to at the time and his Hot Five. The second, cooler, with the title and the beat altered, was recorded 41 years later.
Louis Armstrong (tp); Kid Ory (tb); Johnny Dodds (cl); Lil Armstrong (p); Johnny St. Cyr (bj). November 9, 1927.
Depending on your computer setup, you may have to watch and hear the next one by clicking “Watch on YouTube” in the box below. If so, we are orry for the inconvenience. The music is worth it.
Paul Desmond, alto saxophone; Herbie Hancock, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Airto Moreira, drums; Joe Beck, guitar; Wayne Andre, Paul Faulise, Bill Watrous, Kai Winding, trombone; John Eckert, Joe Shepley, Marvin Stamm, trumpet; Ray Alonge, Tony Miranda, French horn; Don Sebesky, arranger. November 20, 1968.
Happy Labor Day, whether you are in the US, Canada or Timbuktu.
(A version of this post appeared in Rifftides three years ago. The enthusiastic response suggested that we do it again.)