Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Larry Goldings & Bob Ward • Vоdoo Dogs
By GLENN ASTARITA
Monty Alexander • Echoes of Jilly's
Review by Scott Yanow
Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander is a sophisticated, prolific performer with an urbane, swinging style informed by the bop tradition, as well as the reggae and Caribbean folk he grew up with. Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, Alexander first started playing piano around age four and took classical lessons from age six. By his teens, however, he had discovered jazz and was already performing in nightclubs. Although his early career found him covering pop and rock hits of the day, it was his love of jazz-oriented artists like Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole that brought him the most inspiration.
In 1961, he moved with his family to Miami, Florida to better pursue his musical ambitions. It was there that Alexander met restaurateur and Frank Sinatra associate Jilly Rizzo, who eventually hired him as the house pianist at his New York nightclub, Jilly's. For the next several years, Alexander lived in New York and worked at Jilly's, where had the opportunity to befriend and perform with a bevy of stars including Sinatra, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, and others. Buoyed by this success, in 1964 he traveled to Los Angeles, where he recorded several well-received albums for the Pacific Jazz label, including Alexander the Great and Spunky. A handful of additional efforts followed, including 1967's Zing! on RCA and 1969's This Is Monty Alexander on Verve. In 1969 he also appeared on vibraphonist Milt Jackson's That's the Way It Is.
In the 1970s, Alexander built a long-lasting relationship with Germany's MPS (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label and released a steady stream of albums, including 1971's Here Comes the Sun, 1974's Perception!, and 1977's Cobilimbo with longtime friend and collaborator Ernest Ranglin. These albums found Alexander pushing his sound in new directions and often combining jazz with elements of the Caribbean musical traditions of his youth. During this period he formed working relationships with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton. As a trio, they debuted to much acclaim on 1976's Live! Montreux Alexander, and would continue to work together in various configurations over the next several decades. The pianist also continued to record with Milt Jackson, and made appearances on albums by Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Phyllis Hyman, and others.
The '80s were also a fruitful period for Alexander, who continued to combine his love of straight-ahead jazz and Caribbean music with the release of such albums as 1983's The Duke Ellington Songbook, 1985's The River, and 1986's Li'l Darlin'. He also reunited with Clayton and Hamilton on 1983's Reunion in Europe and paired with bassist Ray Brown for several dates, including 1985's Full Steam Ahead and 1987's The Red Hot Ray Brown Trio. More albums followed, including 1994's Live at Maybeck and 1995's reggae-inflected Yard Movement. He rounded out the decade with 1997's Frank Sinatra-inspired Echoes of Jilly's and 1999's Stir It Up: The Music of Bob Marley.
In 2000, Alexander's artistic achievements were recognized by the Jamaican government with his designation as a worldwide music ambassador and as Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica. That same year, he collaborated with reggae giants Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on Monty Meets Sly & Robbie, followed in 2001 by Caribbean Duet with pianist Michel Sardaby. He then paired again with Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis for 2002's Triple Scoop and 2003's Straight Ahead. Two tribute sessions followed with 2008's The Good Life: Monty Alexander Plays the Songs of Tony Bennett and 2009's Calypso Blues: The Songs of Nat King Cole. Alexander then highlighted his fusion of reggae, ska, R&B, and jazz on 2011's Harlem-Kingston Express and 2014's Harlem-Kingston Express, Vol. 2: River Rolls On, both recorded at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/monty-alexander-mn0000589256/biography
De 1963 a 1967, el pianista Monty Alexander tocaba regularmente en Jilly's en la ciudad de Nueva York, un lugar popular donde Frank Sinatra ocasionalmente venía y, en muy raras ocasiones, cantaba una o dos canciones. Este trío con el bajista John Patitucci y el baterista Troy Davis le da a Alexander la oportunidad de rendir homenaje tanto a Jilly's como a Sinatra. Interpretando 13 de los cientos de canciones asociadas con el cantante, Alexander toca versiones melódicas y swingers de temas como "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Just One of Those Things", "Fly Me to the Moon", "Come Fly with Me" y "Here's That Rainy Day", entre otros. La mayoría de las canciones son bastante familiares, y Alexander no se estira mucho (la única salida real es su inquietante solo de melódica no acompañado en "Strangers in the Night"), pero sus interpretaciones son bastante agradables y accesibles.
El pianista jamaiquino Monty Alexander es un intérprete sofisticado y prolífico, con un estilo urbano y swinging inspirado en la tradición del bop, así como en el reggae y el folclore caribeño con el que creció. Nacido en Kingston, Jamaica, en 1944, Alexander comenzó a tocar el piano alrededor de los cuatro años y tomó clases de piano clásico a partir de los seis años. En su adolescencia, sin embargo, había descubierto el jazz y ya estaba actuando en clubes nocturnos. Aunque al principio de su carrera lo encontró cubriendo éxitos del pop y el rock de la época, fue su amor por artistas orientados al jazz como Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra y Nat King Cole lo que le trajo la mayor inspiración.
En 1961, se mudó con su familia a Miami, Florida, para perseguir mejor sus ambiciones musicales. Fue allí donde Alexander conoció al restaurador y socio de Frank Sinatra, Jilly Rizzo, quien finalmente lo contrató como pianista en su club nocturno de Nueva York, Jilly's. Durante los años siguientes, Alexander vivió en Nueva York y trabajó en Jilly's, donde tuvo la oportunidad de hacerse amigo de un grupo de estrellas como Sinatra, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson y otros. Animado por este éxito, en 1964 viajó a Los Ángeles, donde grabó varios discos muy bien recibidos para el sello Pacific Jazz, entre ellos Alexander the Great y Spunky. Siguieron un puñado de esfuerzos adicionales, incluyendo Zing! de 1967 en RCA y This Is Monty Alexander de 1969 en Verve. En 1969 también apareció en la película del vibrafonista Milt Jackson "That's the Way It Is".
En los años 70, Alexander estableció una relación duradera con el sello alemán MPS (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) y editó un flujo constante de álbumes, incluyendo Here Comes the Sun de 1971, Perception! de 1974 y Cobilimbo de 1977 con su amigo y colaborador Ernest Ranglin. Estos álbumes encontraron a Alexander empujando su sonido en nuevas direcciones y a menudo combinando el jazz con elementos de las tradiciones musicales caribeñas de su juventud. Durante este período formó relaciones de trabajo con el bajista John Clayton y el baterista Jeff Hamilton. Como trío, debutaron con gran éxito en Live! Montreux Alexander, y continuarán trabajando juntos en diversas configuraciones durante las próximas décadas. El pianista también continuó grabando con Milt Jackson, e hizo apariciones en álbumes de Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Phyllis Hyman, y otros.
Los años 80 también fueron un período fructífero para Alexander, que continuó combinando su amor por el jazz y la música caribeña con la publicación de álbumes como The Duke Ellington Songbook (1983), The River (1985) y Li'l Darlin' (1986). También se reunió con Clayton y Hamilton en la Reunión en Europa de 1983 y se asoció con el bajista Ray Brown en varias fechas, incluyendo Full Steam Ahead de 1985 y The Red Hot Ray Brown Trio de 1987. Siguieron más álbumes, incluyendo Live at Maybeck de 1994 y Yard Movement de 1995, con un aire de reggae. Completó la década con los Ecos de Jilly de 1997 inspirados en Frank Sinatra y Stir It Up de 1999: La música de Bob Marley.
En el año 2000, los logros artísticos de Alexander fueron reconocidos por el gobierno jamaicano con su designación como embajador mundial de la música y como Comandante en la Orden de Distinción por sus destacados servicios a Jamaica. Ese mismo año, colaboró con los gigantes del reggae Sly Dunbar y Robbie Shakespeare en Monty Meets Sly & Robbie, seguido en 2001 por Caribbean Duet con el pianista Michel Sardaby. Luego se emparejó de nuevo con Ray Brown y el guitarrista Herb Ellis para la Triple Scoop de 2002 y la Straight Ahead de 2003. Dos sesiones de homenaje siguieron con The Good Life de 2008: Monty Alexander toca las canciones de Tony Bennett y Calypso Blues 2009: Las canciones de Nat King Cole. Alexander luego destacó su fusión de reggae, ska, R&B y jazz en el Harlem-Kingston Express de 2011 y en el Harlem-Kingston Express de 2014, Vol. 2: River Rolls On, ambos grabados en el Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola del Lincoln Center.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/monty-alexander-mn0000589256/biography
Monday, May 30, 2022
Jimmy Smith • In Hamburg Live! 65
Django Reinhardt • Die andere Saite
by Joseph Dinkins
Dexter Gordon • True Blue
Review
by Michael G. Nastos
True Blue is led in title under the auspices of Dexter Gordon as a welcome home party conducted by Don Schlitten for the expatriate tenor saxophonist in 1976. Essentially a jam session, this very talented septet features a two tenor-two trumpet front line, utilized to emphasize the soloing strength of the horns, not necessarily in joyous shouts or big-band like unison outbursts. The real star here is Barry Harris, and if you listen closely to his comping behind the soloist or his many colorful chords and single-line runs, you realize how brilliant he continued to be in his prime during this beyond-bebop time frame. The distinctly different, legato flavored sound of Al Cohn contrasts nicely to the broader range and richer tones of Gordon, while Blue Mitchell's warm West Coast trumpet phrasings also run aside but a little behind the animated and clipped brassy sounds of Sam Noto, a player deserving much wider recognition, and playing to the hilt on this recording. The session kicks off with the classic superimposed melodies of "Lady Bird" and "Half Nelson," with melodies split between the trumpet and tenor tandems. In a larger context this is democracy at its finest, with a finish of eight-bar exchanges, Noto's wiry voicings and Gordon's distinctive, throaty sound, but once again Harris is the glue, with his inventive chord shadings constantly adding depth and substance. The ballad "How Deep Is the Ocean?" is led out by Harris ad extensia, while Cohn's solo features held notes that sets him apart from Gordon in shorter partnerships including Noto. Then Mitchell gets his due on the seventeen-and-a-half minute title track, his basic blues swinger where the four horns all play joyously together with little harmonic variation. Mitchell's solo is the first of all, but his is the tone setter in a lighter context, a sky blue sound where air is more important than heft. Gordon's solo, on the other hand, is memorable, sporting his signature swagger, with Harris and drummer Louis Hayes triggering a trading of fours to end the set. There is a companion CD, Silver Blue, that contains the remainder of these famous sessions, a remembrance of the golden years for several of these players, after which Gordon (1990,) Cohn (1988,) and Mitchell (1979) would pass away, but left large legacies.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/true-blue-mw0000262927
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Reseña
por Michael G. Nastos
True Blue se titula bajo los auspicios de Dexter Gordon como una fiesta de bienvenida a casa dirigida por Don Schlitten para el saxofonista tenor expatriado en 1976. Esencialmente una jam session, este septeto de gran talento cuenta con una primera línea de dos tenores y dos trompetas, utilizada para enfatizar la fuerza solista de los vientos, no necesariamente en gritos alegres o arrebatos al unísono tipo big-band. La verdadera estrella aquí es Barry Harris, y si escuchas atentamente sus compases detrás del solista o sus muchos acordes coloridos y ejecuciones de una sola línea, te das cuenta de lo brillante que seguía siendo en su mejor momento durante esta época más allá del bbop. El sonido claramente diferente y con sabor a legato de Al Cohn contrasta muy bien con el rango más amplio y los tonos más ricos de Gordon, mientras que los cálidos fraseos de trompeta de la Costa Oeste de Blue Mitchell también se sitúan a un lado, pero un poco por detrás de los animados y recortados sonidos descarados de Sam Noto, un jugador que merece un reconocimiento mucho mayor, y que toca a tope en esta grabación. La sesión arranca con las clásicas melodías superpuestas de "Lady Bird" y "Half Nelson", con melodías repartidas entre los tándems de trompeta y tenor. En un contexto más amplio, esta es la democracia en su máxima expresión, con un final de intercambios de ocho compases, los enérgicos voicings de Noto y el distintivo sonido gutural de Gordon, pero una vez más Harris es el pegamento, con sus inventivos matices de acordes añadiendo constantemente profundidad y sustancia. La balada "How Deep Is the Ocean?" está dirigida por Harris ad extensia, mientras que el solo de Cohn presenta notas sostenidas que lo distinguen de Gordon en asociaciones más cortas, incluyendo a Noto. A continuación, Mitchell recibe su merecido en el tema que da título al disco, de diecisiete minutos y medio de duración, su blues swinger básico en el que las cuatro trompas tocan alegremente juntas con poca variación armónica. El solo de Mitchell es el primero de todos, pero el suyo es el que marca el tono en un contexto más ligero, un sonido azul cielo donde el aire es más importante que el peso. El solo de Gordon, por otro lado, es memorable, luciendo su característico pavoneo, con Harris y el baterista Louis Hayes desencadenando un intercambio de cuatros para terminar el set. Existe un CD complementario, Silver Blue, que contiene el resto de estas famosas sesiones, un recuerdo de los años dorados de varios de estos músicos, después de los cuales Gordon (1990,) Cohn (1988,) y Mitchell (1979) fallecerían, pero dejaron grandes legados.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/true-blue-mw0000262927
Joe Pass • The Complete Catch Me! Sessions
Al Hirt • Latin in the horn
The Islanders • The Enchanted Sound of the Islanders
Sunday, May 29, 2022
Chuck Wayne • Tasty Pudding
Dave Nathan. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jcfixqygldke
Tyree Glenn • At The Embers
Charles Kynard • Woga
The John Coltrane reference
Few jazz musicians have had the lasting influence or attracted as much scholarly study as John Coltrane. Yet, despite dozens of books, hundreds of articles, and his own recorded legacy, the "facts" about Coltrane's life and work have never been definitely established. Well-known Coltrane biographer and jazz educator Lewis Porter has assembled an international team of scholars to write The John Coltrane Reference, an indispensable guide to the life and music of John Coltrane.
The John Coltrane Reference features a a day-by-day chronology, which extends from 1926-1967, detailing Coltrane's early years and every live performance given by Coltrane as either a sideman or leader, and a discography offering full session information from the first year of recordings, 1946, to the last, 1967. The appendices list every film and television appearance, as well as every recorded interview. Richly illustrated with over 250 album covers and photos from the collection of Yasuhiro Fujioka, The John Coltrane Reference will find a place in every major library supporting a jazz studies program, as well as John Coltrane enthusiasts.
I'd Rather Be the Devil Skip James and the Blues
Skip James (1902–1969) was perhaps the most creative and idiosyncratic of all blues musicians. Drawing on hundreds of hours of conversations with James himself, Stephen Calt here paints a dark and unforgettable portrait of a man untroubled by his own murderous inclinations, a man who achieved one moment of transcendent greatness in a life haunted by failure. And in doing so, Calt offers new insights into the nature of the blues, the world in which it thrived, and its fate when that world vanished.
The Devil’s Music, How Christians Inspired, Condemned, and Embraced Rock ’n’ Roll
When
rock ’n’ roll emerged in the 1950s, ministers denounced it from their
pulpits and Sunday school teachers warned of the music’s demonic
origins. The big beat, said Billy Graham, was “ever working in the world
for evil.” Yet by the early 2000s Christian rock had become a
billion-dollar industry. The Devil’s Music tells the story of this transformation.
Rock’s
origins lie in part with the energetic Southern Pentecostal churches
where Elvis, Little Richard, James Brown, and other pioneers of the
genre worshipped as children. Randall J. Stephens shows that the music,
styles, and ideas of tongue-speaking churches powerfully influenced
these early performers. As rock ’n’ roll’s popularity grew, white
preachers tried to distance their flock from this “blasphemous jungle
music,” with little success. By the 1960s, Christian leaders feared the
Beatles really were more popular than Jesus, as John Lennon claimed.
Stephens
argues that in the early days of rock ’n’ roll, faith served as a
vehicle for whites’ racial fears. A decade later, evangelical Christians
were at odds with the counterculture and the antiwar movement. By
associating the music of blacks and hippies with godlessness, believers
used their faith to justify racism and conservative politics. But in a
reversal of strategy in the early 1970s, the same evangelicals embraced
Christian rock as a way to express Jesus’s message within their own
religious community and project it into a secular world. In Stephens’s
compelling narrative, the result was a powerful fusion of conservatism
and popular culture whose effects are still felt today.
Sahel – Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara
This groundbreaking volume examines the extraordinary artistic and cultural traditions of the African region known as the Sahel (“shore” in Arabic), a vast area on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert that includes present-day Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad. This is the first book to present a comprehensive overview of the diverse cultural achievements and traditions of the region, spanning more than 1,300 years from the pre-Islamic period through the 19th century. It features some of the earliest extant art from Africa as well as such iconic works as sculptures by the Dogon and Bamana peoples of Mali. Essays by leading international scholars discuss the art, architecture, archaeology, literature, philosophy, religion, and history of the Sahel, exploring the unique cultural landscape in which these ancient communities flourished. Richly illustrated and brilliantly argued, Sahel brings to life the enduring creativity of the different peoples who lived, traded, and traveled through this crossroads of the world.
Saturday, May 28, 2022
Eric Marienthal & Chuck Loeb • Bridges
What happens when the guy manning the guitar seat in Fourplay meets up with the erstwhile sax guy for the Jeff Lorber Fusion? More than what you might expect. In fact, Eric Marienthal (the sax guy) and Chuck Loeb (the guitar guy) both defy and go beyond expectations on the surprisingly eclectic and entertaining Bridges. Marienthal re-teams with Loeb since his last solo album, It's Love (eOne, 2012) and this collaboration is one of the rare pairings where musicality takes precedence over throwing some "names" together and see if anything of interest happens (too often nothing does).
These are two artists who are the quintessential "oh yeah, them too" names who get overlooked whenever lists are made of the best musicians on their respective instruments of choice. That's an oversight which Bridges will correct. Don't make the mistake of assuming this is more smooth jazz sludge or jazz fusion fuzziness. This is not that nor any other sub-category of jazz. It's only jazz and that's all it aspires to be.
Marienthal and Loeb lead a tight band with bassist John Patitucci, drummer Byron Landham and percussionist David Charles locking down the rhythm. Loeb takes a few laps around the Pat Metheny track on tunes like "Westward" while Marienthal takes an understated approach at times then alternates to fiery soloing that never stays into excess. That's always an assumed risk when musicians whose claim to fame is outside of straight-ahead jazz. They overplay which is frenzied or underplay which is dull.
Neither of those missteps are made here as the formulas and fall backs are tossed out. There are no cover tunes (unless you count one byJim Hall licks while Marienthal seems to have a ball when he solos in for a landing as Patitucci and Landham hold the bottom down. Loeb last visited this territory with the criminally overlooked Plain n' Simple (Tweety Records, 2011) where he demonstrated how comfortable he is playing it straight, but for the ears of this listener, Marienthal's range of saxophone stylings were a revelation.
Loeb's "Daily Bread" sets the table for a paired-down duet between himself and Marienthal's loney soprano sax and it's lovely and meditative. The aforementioned Jarrett offering "Lucky Southern" opens with Patitucci bass followed by Marienthal, Loeb, Landham and Charles joining in on the fun. By the time the last notes of the bluesy "Noir" fade out there's a whole new appreciation of the versatility amply displayed by the band.
When a musician goes above and beyond what is expected from them that is what the idiom is all about. Jazz is not about meeting expectations. It's about exceeding and transcending them and that's what makes this album both exciting and gratifying. Bridges finds Marienthal and Loeb nailing each and every one of those in a tour de force of finesse, artistry and simple old moxie. Highly recommended for both the devout fans of the duo as well as the skeptic with an open mind and responsive ear.
By Jeff Winbush
September 4, 2015
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bridges-eric-marienthal-shanachie-records-review-by-jeff-winbush
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¿Qué sucede cuando el hombre que ocupa el asiento de la guitarra en Fourplay se encuentra con el antiguo saxofonista de Jeff Lorber Fusion? Más de lo que cabría esperar. De hecho, Eric Marienthal (el saxofonista) y Chuck Loeb (el guitarrista) desafían y superan las expectativas en el sorprendentemente ecléctico y entretenido Bridges. Marienthal vuelve a formar equipo con Loeb desde su último disco en solitario, It's Love (eOne, 2012) y esta colaboración es uno de los raros emparejamientos en los que la musicalidad prima sobre el hecho de lanzar algunos "nombres" juntos y ver si ocurre algo de interés (con demasiada frecuencia no ocurre nada).
Se trata de dos artistas que son la quintaesencia de los nombres "oh sí, ellos también" que se pasan por alto cuando se hacen listas de los mejores músicos en sus respectivos instrumentos de elección. Es un descuido que Bridges corregirá. No cometas el error de suponer que esto es más bien un lodo de jazz suave o una fusión de jazz difusa. Esto no es eso ni ninguna otra subcategoría del jazz. Es sólo jazz y eso es todo lo que aspira a ser.
Marienthal y Loeb lideran una banda muy compacta con el bajista John Patitucci, el baterista Byron Landham y el percusionista David Charles, que se encargan del ritmo. Loeb da unas cuantas vueltas a la pista de Pat Metheny en temas como "Westward", mientras que Marienthal adopta un enfoque discreto a veces y luego alterna con solos ardientes que nunca se quedan en el exceso. Ese es siempre un riesgo asumido cuando se trata de músicos cuyo reclamo de fama está fuera del jazz directo. Exageran, lo que resulta frenético, o se quedan cortos, lo que resulta aburrido.
Aquí no se comete ninguno de esos errores, ya que se desechan las fórmulas y los retrocesos. No hay versiones (a no ser que se cuente una de Jim Hall), mientras que Marienthal parece divertirse cuando hace un solo para aterrizar mientras Patitucci y Landham mantienen el fondo. Loeb visitó por última vez este territorio con el criminalmente pasado por alto Plain n' Simple (Tweety Records, 2011) donde demostró lo cómodo que se siente tocando directamente, pero para los oídos de este oyente, la gama de estilos de saxofón de Marienthal fue una revelación.
Daily Bread" de Loeb establece la mesa para un dúo entre él y el solitario saxo soprano de Marienthal y es encantador y meditativo. La ya mencionada "Lucky Southern" de Jarrett se abre con el bajo de Patitucci seguido por Marienthal, Loeb, Landham y Charles uniéndose a la diversión. Cuando las últimas notas del blues "Noir" se desvanecen, se aprecia la versatilidad de la banda.
Cuando un músico va más allá de lo que se espera de él, de eso se trata el lenguaje. El jazz no consiste en cumplir las expectativas. Se trata de superarlas y trascenderlas, y eso es lo que hace que este álbum sea tan emocionante como gratificante. En Bridges, Marienthal y Loeb dan en el clavo en todos y cada uno de esos aspectos, en un tour de force de delicadeza, arte y simple moxie. Muy recomendable tanto para los fans devotos del dúo como para los escépticos con una mente abierta y un oído receptivo.
Por Jeff Winbush
4 de septiembre de 2015
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bridges-eric-marienthal-shanachie-records-review-by-jeff-winbush
www.ericmarienthal.com ...