Two For Fourteen

Got two new CDs today that will  be releases for 2014 that I like quite a lot. One is Pete Mills , "Sweet Shadow" (Cellar Live 2014), a quintet outing that packs a nice punch. Mills plays tenor sax and has rounded up a nice group: Pete McCann on guitars, Martin Wind on bass, Matt Wilson on drums, all of whom I know, and a newcomer who is a standout on piano, Erik Augis. Together they create a feeling of old time hard bop/post bop as they spin through twelve songs, most by Mills, who writes in a classic style reminiscent of classic Blue Note sessions of the 50s and early 60s. Plus there are two short duos of free ranging music with Mills on tenor and Wilson on the drum set. A lot to like, including special arrangements for two classics,  "Serenade to a Cuckoo" and "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend."  I think lovers of the mainstream will find a lot to like here.

A note to listeners --- The Cellar Live label will continue, but the Cellar Night Club will be closing. Hopefully we will continue to get great music from Cory Weeds, both as producer and as a musician, as this new CD is only one of many great recordings that I have from the label. Good luck to Mr. Weeds on his endeavors.

The same Matt Wilson is back on the second recording, which is the Matt Wilson Quartet, "Gathering Call" (Palmetto 2014) -- with Jeff Lederer on winds, Kirk Knuffke on cornet, Chris Lightcap on bass and Wilson on drums -- and a special guest, John Medeski, on piano. Wilson has a flair for creating a special sound full of energy and creativity, last year with his Arts and Crafts Band and now with this quartet and Medeski. This is a hard grooving delight full of nice tunes, sharp cuts and turns, and virtuosity in each seat. The songs are a mix of straight ahead hard play ("How Ya Going"), atmospheric lyricism ("Dancing Waters"), and fascinating covers of Ellington, Charlie Rouse, and even Beyonce ("If I Were a Boy"). Matt Wilson clearly thinks of music as fun, and audiences as his muse. He creates for his listeners enjoyment and his infectious spirit pervades the music.

So we are off and running into the New Year with a bang.

Three Masterful Solo Pianists

I spent a while in the car Tuesday going from Connecticut to New Jersey for meetings -- non-rush hour the trip was about 75 minutes, coming home at rush hour it was about three hours. So I got to listen extensively to three CDs that I wanted to write about. As I listened, these CDs provoked me to think about what is jazz and what is modern classical piano. Was I listening to John Medeski or Eric Satie, Vladimir Neselovskyi or Claude Debussy; John Taylor or Franz Liszt? Is this music jazz? In fact, what is jazz in the context of these and many other similar CDs?

I am not going to try to decide what is or isn't jazz. It doesn't matter -- all that does frankly is that I like each one. Let others decide categories. What is important to me is conveying what these three piano recitals sounded like to me, to give enough of a feel so that readers might want to experience one or more themselves.

And all three are beauties.

So how do they feel? Well, at the end of 2012 I defined my favorites for the year into a set of categories, and these three CDs fall across two of them: Modern Lyrical Jazz (my interpretaton represented by the dancers) and Modern Impresssionistic Jazz (interpretation pictured as the seascape).  The distinguishing feature of the former is that modern lyrical jazz uses melodies as a point of departure more so than the modern impressionistic jazz, which does not necessarily begin with a distinctive melody but rather a mood.  In the first group I hear longer melody lines and tuneful harmonies;  the music flows, the lines are rounded and the constancy of movement is strong.  Modern impressionistic jazz to me is characterized by the creation of an atmosphere using sound and dynamics rather than melodies as the organizing principle, with rounded tones that envelope one in a comfortable place, with movements that are subtle and flowing, and with lots of open space. Mood and color trump melody and flow, and the dynamic range is minimized.

John Taylor "Insight" (Sketch 2003) is not a new CD but it is new to me. I found it rummaging through old CD bins recently and being a big fan I picked it up immediately. Taylor is British, and while he is very well-known in the U.K. I am not sure how widely known he is in the U.S., although he should be. His solo CDs are marvelous, his recordings with Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone as Azimuth are fantastic, and he has a number of outstanding trio recordings on CamJazz and ECM. He was born in 1942 and is a self-taught pianist who established himself in the UK by the end of the 1960s.  He has been heard with other U.K. stars such as John Surman, Alan Skidmore, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, and as noted above began working in groups with Kenny Wheeler and others in the 1970s. The work with Surman, Jan Gabarek and Wheeler, among others, are part of his repertoire with ECM. In 1977, with Wheeler and Winstone, Taylor formed Azimuth.  He is well known for his rich and lyrical play and is an accomplished composer as well. His trios include either Marc Johnson and Joey Baron, or Palle Danielsson and Martin France. "Insight" is Modern Lyrical Jazz as defined above. It is a solo recording full of rich melodies and improvisiations, wonderful harmonies and a range of dynamics and tempos. Taylor fills his songs with stunning melodies and strong left hand movements so that his tunes sound orchestral at times. Lush would be the word that comes to mind for the pieces, eight by Taylor himself and one each from Steve Swallow, Diana Taylor, and Kenny Wheeler. Each is impeccable and stylish, none stands out so all stand out. This is for those who love Jarrett, Pierranunzi, Steve Kuhn and others of that ilk.

Vladimir Neselovskyi "Tunes for Today" (Sunnyside 2013) is a newcomer and his debut CD is a striking recording that covers some jazz classics, some classical repertoire, and some compositions by Neselovskyi himself. He definitely smears that line between jazz and classical as he covers both genres with passion and originality. His music fits into the Modern Lyrical Jazz category as well,  but begins to move towards freer impressionism as he deconstructs melodies into striking patterns and sublime colorings. He has worked in Gary Burton's band for some time and this is his first outing as a leader, and it is a dynamic piece of creativity and vision. It starts with his own "Spring Song" and bell-like play from the uppermost keys of the piano. What follows is a spritely piece, as much classical sounding as it is jazz. Neselovskyi's touch is immediately apparent -- quick runs with a light touch, followed by more dynamic legato lines and chords, all blended into a fascinating demonstration of both his compositional and playing skills. As the piece develops its drama increases, the dynamics grow, the speed intensifies, but the control is always there and connection made to the rest of the music before and after. When he moves into the next track, Chopin's "Mazurka op. 67 no.4" , it is striking how similar the music is to the opener, as I said blurring the line between jazz and clasical music. Neselovskyi clearly knows the repetoire and plays the piece straight at first, gradually moving into his impressions and improvisations seamlessly. Next up is the standards repetroire with "All the Things You Are", a chance to really see how creative the mind of the pianist can be. He picks out the tune over a rolling left hand to open the peice, but as it goes on the melody becomes more and more broken up and gradually it disappears into a lovely set of improvisations over a continuous left hand of quarter notes. The piece picks up intensity and volume as it moves onward, reaching some really intricate and large lines with more drama, until it resolves once again at the end. The pattern continues as he moves right ahead into the classical repetoire, this time an expansion of Bach's "Sinfonia No. 11 in G Minor BWV 797" which is the equal of those pieces that have come before and will come after. Two other pieces were written by Neselovskyi, one by Freddie Hubbard, and one by Tchaikovsky; and there are two more standards "My Romance" and "Body and Soul." "Body and Soul" begins with the melody in the left hand, with a bit of reformation to involve some minor chords, but by and large it is recognizable. Gradually the improvisations take over and the melody is almost entirely subsumed into the improvisations, popping up here and there in short bursts. It's a bravura use of the song to create something entirely knew and wonderfully creative. He does similar things to "My Romance" that are breathtaking to hear. The only mis-step to me is when he sings on Track 9, his own lyrics over Tchaikovsky's  "Andantino in modo de canzona." Even with that one hitch, this is one of the best CDs I have heard to date in 2013. By the way, it was produced by Fred Hersch, which says something about the quality of Neselovskyi in the eyes of one of the best pianists of our time.

John Medeski's "Past Time" (Okeh 2013) is notable for many reasons. First, it is the premiere recording on the restored Okeh label. Second, this is an amazing departure from his work with Medeski, Martin and Wood, even their accoustic works. And third because it is a very simple yet lovely meditation composed of 11 very quiet fully improvised miniatures that truly capture the essence of what Medeski himself states in the notes to the recording:

I only hope that this recording can be listened to late in the night, when social responsibilities are over, when the political questions of the day have been dealt with, when all the gossip has come to an end, when all the needs and wants have been put to momentary rest, when all plans have been made, when you are tired of words, and you are ready to yield to the sounds of these simple contemplations for the Gaveau [The piano manufacturer].

This is music for those who like quiet, slowly evolving tunes, and simplicity. This is Modern Impressionistic Jazz.  It has a unified air and a very limited, quiet dynamic range. Medeski uses very few large chords and many more single note melody lines, along with a very delicate touch. The first piece, "A Different Time" is played very slowly with a simple tune picked out one note at a time in the right hand while a very quiet  left plays a simple pair of notes underneath. Pensive, with lots of space, its delicacy is arresting as it fades to black. "I'm Falling in Love Again", one of only two covers (this one by Willie Nelson), comes next and is a bit more spritely with its simple melody picked out in the higher registers with simple chords played underneath; it is much like the sound of a music box, delicate and peaceful to the ear. The next piece, "His Eye is on the Sparrow" has a richer sound, more keys being played in the melody, more legato lines and more use of the pedal to extend the sounds. And yet it is still played slowly and at the same quiet dynamic level, particularly as it settles in. "Ran" introduces dissonance for the first (and only) time using chord clusters up front with spaces in between them. This is much more abstract than the rest of the pieces and somewhat jarring in context,  but it is only two minutes in length. It is followed immediately by a return to the music box qualities of earlier pieces with "Graveyard Fields", which has a lovely cascading melody at times and a simple single note melody at other times with a steady, very low rumbling bass in the left hand. And so it goes through four more meditations -- all very quiet and deliberate, all slowly rolled out and quietly played, and all quite lovely.  

Four More Trios: Outside Looking In

Of the group of piano trios I picked out a couple of weeks ago, these are the furthest outside of the mainstream, but not so far as to be called avant guard or free jazz, etc. Each is characterized by strong melodic lines, with a combination of written and improvised play. Finally, the idea was to pick out trios that wer just that, trios of piano, bass (or stringed instrument) and drums (or percussion) with no guest appearances by wind or brass instruments. Purely trios. One of the three herein breaks the mold a bit, but the other three do not. Anyway....

The first is Hiromi's latest, "Move" (Telarc 2012) with Anthony Jackson on contrabass guitar and Simon Phillips on drums. Perhaps not so out there after all, Hiromi is well-established by now with a host of earlier CDs as a bombastic, enthusiastic, agile, and original pianist. Here her goal was to present a suite of songs that describe her day, from wakening through going to sleep, and much of the original compositions are nicely written with some lovely melodies and interplay with the band. Unfortunately, once again Hiromi emphasizes dexterity, creativity and speed but not so much when it comes to dynamics, contrasts, and expression. I do not wake up this quickly, and surely am more tired out at the end of the day, so the arc of the day here is limited. This is very much a "look at me" production. I have to say I do like the music and there is a time and place to listen to Hiromi, particularly when I am looking for something lively and spirited, but her CDs can get to be tiring to listen to in one sitting given the limited range of expression. She is dazzling no doubt, and when she does go mellow, as she does for parts of "Endeavor", and quite a lot for "Brand New Day" it can be charming to hear. If you like Hiromi, and I do, then you will like this CD, but maybe like me in small servings.

"Space is the Place" (Storyville 2012) is a trio recording by Carsten Dahl on piano, Arild Andersen on bass, and Jon Christiansen on drums, all familiar names from the Northern Europe chamber jazz scene as well as from ECM recordings. This is very much in that same mode, very peaceful music that never goes over the top, and very textured with the addition of bells, chimes, inside piano play, and other percussive effects. It is an album you will feel as much as hear. It is more sound-based than melodically driven, and the space referred  to is clearly not outer-space but the space between notes, and the inner space of one's perceptions. All of the compositons are from Dahl, and his notes refer to his goal to provide a lot of freedom to explore sounds and melodies, and he achieves this with a wonderfully recorded session.

Third on this post is a group I never thought I would sit down, listen to, and enjoy --- Medeski, Martin and Wood, but I have to say that I love their latest, the all-acoustic "Free Magic" (Indirecto 2012). In fact, since listening to it I have dipped back into their discography and have purchased their only other two acoustic CDs, "Live at Tonic" (Blue Note 2000)  and their first, "Notes from the Underground" (Accurate Jazz 1992). Yes, there are still some very frantic parts to each of the recordings, but when they settle in their trio plays pretty conventionally, with the emphasis on melodic interplay and clean lines and imporvisations. There are five tracks in all, with the last one being the only cover, a mash-up of "Nostalgia in Times Square" by Mingus and "Angel Race" by Sun Ra, and despite the known proclivities of the two composers to go to the edges this track is really great stuff and great interpretations of the songs within the trio context. "Blues for Another Day", the second track, starts out with a wild four minute whirlwind of sound, kind of an "uh-oh", but then settles into a relaxed piano blues that slowly goes from a piano solo into a more driven trio blues, with some strong use of the high hat to drive it along. It is a wow piece attributed to Medeski. Track 4, "Where's Sly", is another Medeski piece that starts with the piano in the bass clef playing another blues in a middle tempo, and then picks up into a near frenzy until it settles back again after about 7 minutes. There are all sorts of sounds and textures, major dynamic shifts, and some outstanding play from the percussion by Martin that highlight this track. I strongly recommend this CD, and encourage others like me to give MM&W a chance.

Finally, another musician who I have taken to, at least in certain settings, is John Zorn.  I have posted about him before, "Stretching Out: Discovering John Zorn" (March 13), and this time around I draw your attention to "A Vision in Blakelight" (Tzadik 2012) which is a bit more than a trio recording but still confined to percussion instruments:  John Medeski on piano and organ, Kenny Wollesen on vibes and bells, Carol Emanuel on harp, Trevor Dunn on bass, Joey Baron on drums, and Cyro Baptista on percussion. (One track has a narrator reading from Blake's Jersusalem but I myself skip through it) All of the music was writtenand arranged by Zorn. Some of the works are based on strong melodies and others are more like watercolors with lots of interesting effects from a wide range of sounds. ther are several pieces where I thought of the music of Ronin or The Necks, but with a bit more movement provided; others were more strongly rooted in melody lines and a trio setting. Watercolors in sound, the music engenders feelings of mystery and of the mystical as it weaves through the ten pieces. The packaging is terrific as well, with some outstanding paintings of angels that convey the same sense of mystery.  Zorn's musical compositions are unlike those of any others I can think of and a listen to this CD will be a rewarding experience for those willing to try.