Music Week [320 - 329]

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Music Week

April archive (finished).

Music: Current count 33179 [33137] rated (+42), 221 [226] unrated (-5).

Trying desperately to wrap up the month today, and don't feel like writing much anyway. I will say that the concentration of A- records in the Old Music is mostly due to opening up a stash of downloads, shared by friends and stashed away for months or maybe years. I found them while looking for some more recent jazz records. Also found a few non-product offerings that I won't bother reviewing but someday may find time to listen to. (They exist because Robert Christgau deemed them worth reviewing; e.g., Gary Giddins' post-WWII roadmap, and an Adam Schlesinger playlist. There's also something called "The Sound of the City Pt. 1" -- probably a Charlie Gillett compilation, but I don't know which one: looks chronological, 1946-1951, and I recognize most, maybe all, of the songs, from "I Wonder" to "Cry.")

In new music, Fiona Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters appears to be the best-reviewed new record of 2020 (so far), rating 94 (23 reviews) at AOTY, 100 (24 reviews) at Metacritic, topping both lists. It's in 2nd place in my metacritic file, behind Waxahatchee: Saint Cloud. I played it twice last week, and wasn't blown away, but I suppose I'm still open to persuasion (if I bother playing it again). At least I hear something there, which I can't say for Rina Sawayama's well-regarded Rina (far and away the second highest ranked 4/17 release).

Fewer musician deaths this week. The one I know best was disco artist Hamilton Bohannon (1942-2020). I only have one of his LPs in my database (1976's Dance Your Ass Off), but I could swear I had 4-5 at the time, so I have to wonder how much more got lost to my shabby 20th century bookkeeping. I didn't consider any of the albums great, but I did love their minimalist dance grooves. When I moved on to CDs, I picked up Deep Beats: Essential Dancefloor Artists Vol. 4 (1973-75 [1994], Castle/Deep Beats), a very solid A-.

I'm much less familiar with Detroit DJ Mike Huckaby (1966-2020), but for an expert appreciation, see Michaelangelo Matos: Remembering Mike Huckaby, a towering figure in Detroit house music. I can add that the Record Time store in Roseville, MI that Huckaby worked at was a favorite haunt of mine on my trips to Detroit, and the collection of electronic dance music there regularly boggled my mind (although I spent more time in their slightly more modest store in Ferndale, much closer to where I was staying).

Also on the list was Ian Whitcomb (1941-2020), a one-hit wonder from 1965 ("You Turn Me On!"), who wrote the first popular history of rock and roll that I read, After the Ball (1972 -- the second was Charlie Gillett's The Sound of the City). I do have Whitcomb's 1965 LP in my database at B+ (I managed to track it down in the 1970s, but it's long gone now).

PS: Haven't yet done the normal monthly accounting for the April Streamnotes file. I'll wrap that up later in the week. I should also note that I've decided to add all December 2019 releases to the 2020 Music Tracking file, and also to the Metacritic file. I had previously decided to include 2019 releases that hadn't picked up any votes in the 2019 EOY Aggregate. Since EOY lists tend to appear before the year is done, most publications are already skewed by at least a month, so I thought I should reflect that. The Jazz Critics Poll's official year-end definition is Thanksgiving, so I'm getting close to that. I use the Music Tracking file to help count JCP ballots, so this change will have some practical value.

New records reviewed this week:

Against All Logic: 2017-2019 (2017-19 [2020], Other People): Nicolas Jaar, electronica producer in New York, records under aliases as well as his own name, this the second compilation of his work as AAL. B+(***)

Robby Ameen: Diluvio (2019 [2020], Origin): Drummer, from Connecticut, plays Afro-Cuban jazz, third album as leader, broke in with Dizzy Gillespie in 1984, many side credits (e.g., with Ruben Blades, Dave Valentin, Conrad Herwig, Kip Hanrahan). High octane. B+(*) [cd]

Fiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters (2020, Epic): Singer-songwriter, fifth album since 1996, increasing elapsed times between albums: 3, 6, 7, 8 years. Previous albums built around her piano, but this one is drums, practically all drums, even the vocals arranged as chants. Probably the best-received album so far this year, but while I have to credit its distinctiveness, I don't particularly get it (or expect to). B+(***)

#Bloomerangs: Moments and Fragments (2020, Instru Dash Mental): Piano trio (Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe, Chris Parker) plus guitar/banjo (Rodrigo Cotelo), the latter providing most of the writing credits and listed as producer, with everyone else claiming a song or two. B+(*)

The Ian Carey Quintet + 1: Fire in My Head: The Anxiety Suite (2019 [2020], Slow & Steady): Trumpet player, Bay Area, seventh album, lively postbop sextet with alto sax, bass clarinet, keyboards, bass, and drums. B+(**)

Chicago Underground Quartet: Good Days (2018-19 [2020], Astral Spirits): Long running duo, Rob Mazurek (trumpet, electronics) and Chad Taylor (drums), with 7 albums 1998-2014, sometimes Trio (4 albums 1999-2007), one previous Quartet album (2001) -- guitarist Jeff Parker returns here, with along with newcomer Josh Johnson (synth bass, organ, piano). Played this a lot, and keep bouncing up and down on it. B+(***) [cd]

Alex Cunningham & Claire Rousay: Specifically the Water (2020, Astral Spirits): Violin and drums duo, free jazz at its most elemental, abstract and rather scratchy. B+(*) [cd]

Kaja Draksler Octet: Out for Stars (2019 [2020], Clean Feed): Slovenian pianist, half-dozen albums since 2008, second Octet effort, again with two singers, two reeds (Ab Baars, Ada Rave), viola, bass, and drums. Strikes me as scattered and aimless, which I blame the vocals for (gets better when they shut up, but still leans operatic). B-

Colin Fisher Quartet: Living Midnight (2019, Astral Spirits): Bio describes him as North American multi-instrumentalist, probably Canadian, plays saxophone (tenor/alto) here, guitar elsewhere, has a couple previous albums and a dozen-plus side credits. Quartet, with Daniel Carter on sax (clarinet/flute), Brandon Lopez (bass), and Marc Edwards (drums). Avant, three long pieces (71:37). B+(***) [cd]

Nick Fraser/Kris Davis/Tony Malaby: Zoning (2019, Astral Spirits): Canadian drummer and pianist, the saxophonist a long-time associate of Davis; two more names in smaller type and half of the pieces: Ingrid Laubrock (tenor sax) and Lina Allemano (trumpet). Rather abstract. B+(**)

Gordon Grdina Septet: Resist (2017 [2020], Irabbagast): Canadian guitar/oud player, builds this group around East Van Strings -- well-known jazz musicians Jesse Zubot (violin), Eyvind Kang (viola), Peggy Lee (cello), and Tommy Babin (drums) -- adding saxophonist Jon Irabagon and drummer Kenton Loewen. B+(*)

Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid: Shards and Constellations (2019 [2020], Intakt): Piano-cello duo, from London and Chicago. B+(**)

James Brandon Lewis/Chad Taylor: Live in Willisau (2019 [2020], Intakt): Terrific tenor saxophonist, although the raw tone wears thin on me here and there. Pretty good drummer, too, in some ways even more impressive here. Note that every time he switches to mbira something special happens. A-

Luís Lopes Humanization 4tet: Believe, Believe (2018 [2020], Clean Feed): Portuguese guitarist, group name from the title of a 2008 album, although the group is unchanged, and everyone writes: Rodrigo Amado (tenor sax), Aaron Gonzalez (bass), and Stefan Gonzalez (drums). B+(***)

Laura Marling: Song for Our Daughter (2020, Chrysalis/Partisan): British singer-songwriter, seventh album since 2008. "Features more sparse and minimal arrangements to create an intimate sound." Never sounded more like Joni Mitchell, although my favorite Mitchell albums have a bit more spunk. B+(**)

Brian Marsella: Gatos Do Sul (2020, Tzadik): Pianist, American (I think) but closely linked to Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, who sets the groove here, fluffed up by acoustic guitar, accordion, violin, voice, and flutes. B [dl]

Joe McPhee/Dave Rempis/Tomeka Reid/Brandon Lopez/Paal Nilssen-Love: Of Things Beyond Thule Vol. 1 (2018 [2020], Aerophonic): Two saxophonist (McPhee also plays pocket trumpet), cello, bass, and drums, limited edition vinyl from a show at the Hungry Brain in Chicago. B+(**) [dl]

The Mountain Goats: Songs for Pierre Chuvin (2020, Merge): Front cover continues: "10 new songs. March 2020." John Darneile's alias, operating solo here, 18th album since 1994, a short one (27:17). B+(**)

Simon Nabatov: Time Labyrinth (2019 [2020], Leo): Russian pianist, moved to America, long based in Cologne, Germany; many records since 1988. Septet here, four horns, no drums, so it fractures and meanders a lot. B

Simon Nabatov: Plain (2019 [2020], Clean Feed): Cover continues: "with Chris Speed [tenor sax, clarinet], Herb Robertson [trumpet, cornet, voice], John Hébert [bass], Tom Rainey [drums]." B+(*)

Chris Poland: Resistance (2020, Ropeadope): Guitarist, started out in thrash metal band Megadeth, more recently led fusion bands OHM and OHMphrey, occasional solo albums since 1990. Lead song starts with some vocal then a Rhymefest rap, but nothing else follows in that vein. Finds its groove with a nice, spacey "Maiden Voyage" (Herbie Hancock). B+(*) [cd]

Quelle Chris & Chris Keys: Innocent Country 2 (2020, Mello Music Group): Detroit rapper Gavin Tennille, eighth album since 2012, offers a sequel to his 2015 album, also with SF producer Keys. B+(***)

Tom Rainey/Ingrid Laubrock: Stir Crazy (2020, self-released): Drum and sax duo, based in Brooklyn, started recording and releasing weekly improv pieces at home during the lockdown, this rolling up the the first four (57:18), with a fifth installment also on their Bandcamp, and most likely more to come. Nice rapport. B+(**) [bc]

Rina Sawayama: Sawayama (2020, Dirty Hit): Pop singer, born in Japan, family moved to London when she was five, has done some modeling and acting, first album after the EP Rina. Music aims for arena rock, sometimes with a bit of dissonance, but that doesn't help either. B-

Serengeti: Ajai (2020, Cohn): Chicago rapper David Cohn, many albums since 2002, this one produced by Kenny Segal. B+(**)

Viktor Skokic Sextett: Basement Music (2020, Jazzland): Swedish bassist, born in Gothenburg, father Croatian, first album as leader, wrote all the music. Group has trumpet, two reed players (bass clarinet), piano, and drums. Fractured postbop, sly, sneaks up on you. B+(***) [cd]

Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra: Puertos: Music From International Waters (2019, Avantango): Pianist, from Argentina, based in New York, debut was a quartet album in 2010, not sure how much more he has. Large ensemble here, mostly NY names although Pablo Aslan (bass) and Julien Labro (bandoneon, accordion) are experts. Leans toward lush. B+(**)

STRFKR: Future Past Life (2020, Polyvinyl): Portland, Oregon group, released 2008 eponymous debut as Starfucker, shortened name for fourth album (2013, the only one that charted). Light vocals, a lot of shimmer to the guitar(s), can enjoy riding out a riff. B+(**)

The Strokes: The New Abnormal (2020, Cult/RCA): A big deal c. 2000, especially in New York, diminishing returns after their debut, with Julian Casablancas' solo career dead-on-arrival. First album since a 2013 effort I didn't bother with after giving their 2011 album a C-. New one has a great title for the moment, and an opener that reëstablishes their groove cred. On the other hand, the singer can still get on my nerves. B+(*)

Dave Stryker With Bob Mintzer and the WDR Big Band: Blue Soul (2019 [2020], Strikezone): Guitarist, long resume, in front of a standard big band with Mintzer arranging and conducting as well as featured on tenor sax. One song each from the leaders, the cover standards including Marvin Gaye, Prince, and "Wichita Lineman." B+(*) [06-05]

Thundercat: It Is What It Is (2020, Brainfeeder): Singer-songwriter Stephen Bruner, has dabbled in punk and funk and settled in whatever this is, some obscure but surprisingly popular postmodern strain of pop. B

Anne Waldman: Sciamachy (2020, Fast Speaking Music): Poet, 40-some books, recorded an album with John Giorno in 1977, has several more since 2011 with nephew Devin Brahja Waldman producing and playing sax, with spots here for Ambrose Bye (synth), William Parker (n'goni), Laurie Anderson (violin), and others. B+(**) [sc]

Lucinda Williams: Good Souls Better Angels (2020, Highway 20): Singer-songwriter from Louisiana, father a poet and literature professor so she grew up with words, although at this point she probably likes her guitars more. After a long string of brilliant albums, I couldn't find her post-2011 albums, so I was initially shocked at how worn her voice had become, and how much fury she expressed. Several plays later she's still fraying my nerves, but this feels pretty damn substantial. A-

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

African Head Charge: Churchical Chant of the Iyabinghi (1991-94 [2020], On-U Sound): Adrain Sherwood's dub group, outtakes from the period's albums (Songs of Praise, In Pursuit of Shashamane Land), 10-13 years after their debut. Beats and echo, as if that's all you need in this world. B+(**) [bc]

Old music:

Blue Lu Barker: 1946-1949 (1946-49 [2000], Classics): Jazz/blues singer from New Orleans, married to guitarist Danny Barker (whose Sextet is credited with the first eight songs here), recorded for Decca 1938-39 (on Classics 704), for Apollo in 1946 and Capitol 1948-49 -- the later ones are collected here, including her best-known song, "Don't You Feel My Leg." A- [dl]

Lil Green: Romance in the Dark: 1940-1946 (1940-46 [1971], RCA): Blues singer, born in Mississippi, moved to Chicago, where she started recording in 1940, and died young (34?) in 1954. Wrote her two most famous songs here ("Romance in the Dark," "Knockin' Myself Out"), most of the others by Joe McCoy or Big Bill Bronzy (who plays on most of them, along with piano and bass; the final "Blowtop Blues" uses a big band). A-

Orüj Güvenç & Tümata: Rivers of One (1997, Interworld): Turkish clinical psychologist, musicologist, and Sufi sheik, group possibly an acronym for "Group for the Research and Promotion of Turkish Music." His 1995 Ocean of Remembrance was my sister's favorite album ever, much praised for calming the spirits -- something I'm naturally skeptical of, but can attest to nonetheless. Played ney, oud, and rebab, and sung a little. Three more pieces here, nothing hurried, not a problem. A-

The Lee Konitz Quartet: Tranquility (1957, Verve): With Billy Bauer on guitar, Henry Grimes on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums, playing one original each by Konitz and Bauer, "Lennie Bird" by Tristano, and some typically subtle standards. B+(***)

Myra Melford/Zeena Parkins/Miya Masaoka: MZM (2014-16 [2017], Infrequent Seams): Piano (some prepared), harp/electronics, 21-string koto. Saw a review of this as a new record and sought it out, but looks to be several years old. Deeply fractured sound earns its obscurity, as well as your attention. B+(*)

Sarah Riedel/Carl Svensson/Viktor Skokic: Perfectly Still (2012, Footprint): Swedish jazz singer, wrote two songs here, three from bassist Skokic, one from guitarist Svensson, guest spots for reeds and percussion, other covers (notably "Surabaya Johnny," "All or Nothing at All"), all but one in English. [4/12 tracks on Napster, others on label website] B+(*)

Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20 (2016, Highway 20, 2CD): Fourteen leisurely songs, runs 86:13, including long side-closers at 9:05 and 12:44, for a rather low-key, easy-going album. Starts with words from her father, Miller Williams, then from Woody Guthrie, includes two songs invoking heaven (the more insistent one goes "open up the doors of heaven/let me in"), and ends trad. ("Faith & Grace"). B+(***)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Brian Andres Trio Latino: Mayan Suite (Bacalao) [05-15]
  • Brian Landrus/Fred Hersch/Drew Gress/Billy Hart: For Now (BlueLand) [05-15]
  • The MacroQuarktet: The Complete Night: Live at the Stone NYC (2007, Out of Your Head, 2CD) [05-01]
  • Josh Nelson Trio: The Discovery Project: Live in Japan (Steel Bird) [05-01]
  • Viktor Skokic Sextett: Basement Music (Jazzland)
  • Michael Thomas: Event Horizon (Giant Step Arts, 2CD) [05-08]

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Music Week

April archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 33137 [33094] rated (+43), 226 [216] unrated (+10).

Late getting this out, mostly because I got caught up in updating the Metacritic file, or maybe I was just putting off the task of writing about dead musicians. I did find that several lines had gotten dropped from the file, so I've started to patch them up again, but I may have lost information along the way (the most prominent contenders I'm aware of were Grimes and US Girls). Aside from consulting AOTY and Metacritic, I brought most of the jazz sources up to date.

When I wrote up a list with 12 musicians last week, I forgot to mention Hal Willner. Some obituaries emphasize his association with Saturday Night Live, but I credit him with a series of brilliantly eclectic tribute albums, the best being his 1985 Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill.

Some more recent deaths of note here:

Tidal has an April 20 survey of Remembering the musicians felled by Covid-19, including Grimes, Logan, Konitz, and Willner, others I reported on last week, plus a few I had missed, like avant-disco chanteuse Cristina Monet (went by first name, I have her down for 3 A-list albums 1980-84, so I was a pretty big fan). Two more I'm less familiar with are: Marcelo Peralta and Moraes Moreira.

I wound up spending much of the week playing to Lee Konitz records I had missed. The collected grade list is here. The new finds didn't match the previous peaks, but some are quite remarkable, and some high B+ records below could grow on me if given the chance -- one thing you can count on with Konitz is that he's thinking ahead of you. Aside from the records reviewed below, his list includes the following (all A- except as noted):

  • Lee Konitz: Subconscious-Lee (1949-1950 [1991], Prestige OJC) A
  • Lee Konitz/Gerry Mulligan: Konitz Meets Mulligan (1953, Pacific Jazz)
  • Lee Konitz/Warne Marsh: Lee Konitz With Warne Marsh (1955 [2006], Atlantic/Rhino)
  • Lee Konitz: Live at the Half Note (1959, Verve)
  • Lee Konitz: Motion (1961 [2003], Verve) A
  • Lee Konitz: Motion (1961 [1998], Verve, 3CD)
  • Lee Konitz: I Concentrate on You (1974, SteepleChase)
  • Lee Konitz: Jazz à Juan (1974, SteepleChase)
  • Warne Marsh/Lee Konitz: Two Not One (1975 [2009], Storyville, 4CD)
  • Art Pepper Presets "West Coast Sessions!" Volume 3: Lee Konitz (1980 [2017], Omnivore)
  • Lee Konitz/Martial Solal: Star Eyes 1983 (1983 [2009], Hatology)
  • Lee Konitz/Harold Danko: Wild as Springtime (1984 [1997], Candid)
  • Lee Konitz/Barry Harris: Lullaby of Birdland (1991, Candid)
  • Lee Konitz: Jazz Nocturne (1992, Evidence) A
  • Lee Konitz: Another Shade of Blue (1997 [1999], Blue Note)
  • Lee Konitz: Sound of Surprise (1999, RCA)

Konitz continued producing excellent records well into his 80s, even past his 90th birthday: the last four I have under his name I have at B+(***), including last year's Nonet album Old Songs New (as good as any of his 1970s Nonets). Another B+(***) not on the grade list is Dan Tepfer's Duos With Lee (2008). Another is Grace Kelly's GraceFulLee (2007). Yet another is Ethan Iverson's Costumers Are Mandatory (2013).

Looks like Napster has another 75-80 Konitz albums I haven't heard, but they are getting hard to place, and I could use a break. In fact, I'm thinking I'll slow down this week, and do some house cleaning. I started pitching old music magazines, which no one seems to have any interest in. I thought about donating CDs to a library somewhere, but dropped the ball on that. Laura's nagging me about books, too. I don't see that as much of a problem, but in general it would be good to lighten the load and open up some space. Maybe clear my head a bit, then figure out what to really work on next. I'm at wit's end now.

New records reviewed this week:

Omer Avital Qantar: New York Experience (2019 [2020], Jazz & People): Israeli bassist, long based in New York, group named for his 2016 album, with two tenor saxophonists (Asaf Yuria and Alexander Levin), piano (Eden Ladin), and drums. Big, sweeping sound, strikes me as overly splashy but has its moments. B+(*)

The Chats: High Risk Behaviour (2020, Bargain Bin): Australian punk group, founded 2016, bassist Eamon Sandwith sings, closest they've come to an album (14 songs, 28:08). Got form, clear too, so you can understand when they get muddled. B+(*)

Chris Dingman: Embrace (2020, Inner Arts Initiative): Vibraphone player, third album, quite a few side credits (including Steve Lehman). Trio with Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Tim Keiper (drums). B+(*) [bc]

Jimmy Greene: While Looking Up (2020, Mack Avenue): Saxophonist, from and based in Connecticut (teaches at Wesleyan), was a bit younger than the "tough young tenors" lionized in the 1990s but fits in nicely -- first album was a SteepleChase Jam Session with Mark Turner and Don Braden. Got unwanted fame when his daughter was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, and he responded with a well-received album Beautiful Life -- I much preferred his 2017 album, Flowers: Beautiful Life Volume 2. Plays soprano on three cuts here, tenor on seven, flute, clarinet, and bass clarinet. Backed by Aaron Goldberg (piano), Lage Lund (guitar), Reuben Rogers (bass), Kendrick Scott (drums), with marimba/vibes on two tracks (Stefon Harris). The soprano may be closer to heaven, but the tenor is more soulful, which is what matters here. B+(***)

Jeff Hamilton Trio: Catch Me If You Can (2019 [2020], Capri): Drummer, co-leader of the Clayton-Hamilton big band, half-dozen albums as a leader, most (or all?) piano trios like this one. You have to open the gatefold to find out who he's playing with: Tamir Hendelman and Jon Hamar. Eight standards, two from Hamar. B+(*) [07-17]

Hailu Mergia: Yene Mircha (2020, Awesome Tapes From Africa): Ethiopian keyboard player, part of the Walias Band in the 1970s, toured the US in 1981 and stayed, spending many years driving a DC taxi cab. Rebooted his career after this label released some of his old tapes. Trio with bass guitar and drums, playing candy-colored groove pieces. B+(**)

Ras Michael: Live by the Spirit (2020, Hen House Studios): Michael George Henry, from Jamaica, Rastafarian, learned nyabinghi drumming, alled his 1970s-80s band Sons of Negus. He's always projected a remarkable calmness, and at 76 has slowed down even more -- most obvious on his remake of a classic, "By the Rivers of Babylon." B+(**)

Mono: Before the Past: Live From Electrical Audio (2019, Temporary Residence): Instrumental rock group from Japan, founded 1999, three pieces here, LP-length (29:27) but not in any hurry, slowly building, gently fading away. B+(*) [bc]

Farnell Newton: Rippin' & Rumblin' (2020, Posi-Tone): Trumpet player, originally from Miami, moved on through Philadelphia and Denver to Portland, where he got his degree. Fourth album since 2011. Earns its title, with Brandon Wright even hotter at tenor sax, Brian Charette on organ, and Rudy Royston on drums. B+(**)

Porridge Radio: Every Bad (2020, Secretly Canadian): British indie band, singer-songwriter-guitarist Dana Margolin, fifth album since 2015 (although this is the first on a label anyone might notice). Can get a bit dense, but "Long" is a song where they make that work. B+(*)

Samo Salamon/Igor Matkovic/Kristijan Krajncan: Common Flow (2019 [2020], Sazas): Slovenian guitarist, wrote all the songs here, is joined by trumpet and drums. Keeps a moderate pace going, letting the trumpet shine, clear and lucid. A- [cd]

Samo Salamon/Igor Matkovic/Kristijan Krajncan: Rare Ebb (2019 [2020], Sazas): Same group, recorded same day, saving the more atmospheric pieces. B+(**) [cd]

Diane Schuur: Running on Faith (2020, Jazzheads): Standards singer, 25 or so albums since 1982, starts with two Percy Mayfield songs, mostly goes with rock-era songs (Carole King, Paul Simon, "Let It Be"), the lesser knowns more striking, and stronger as it ends with "Swing Low Sweet Chariot." With Ernie Watts on tenor sax, as co-producer. B+(***) [05-08]

Yves Tumor: Heaven to a Tortured Mind (2020, Warp): Sean Bowie, born in Miami, raised in Knoxville, now based in Turin, Italy. Fourth album. I have him filed under electronica, but he's far outgrown that niche, projecting like an arena rock star, like Bowie in the 1970s but, fitting our changing times, at once grander and more ephemeral. That, at least, is my impression on one hearing. If I were serious about covering pop/rock trends these days, I'd have to give him many more. B+(**)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Noah Howard: Live in Europe Vol. 1 (1975 [2020], Sconsolato): Alto saxophonist, originally from New Orleans, released two fiery avant records on ESP-Disk in 1966, moved to Europe, died in France in 2010. Quintet with Takashi Kako on piano, Kent Carter on bass, and two drummers, playing less avant fare, like "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and a 12:04 take of Coltrane's "Olé." B+(**) [bc]

Old music:

Miles Davis/Stan Getz/Gerry Mulligan/Lee Konitz/Sonny Rollins/Zoot Sims: Conception (1949-51 [1956], Prestige): Various artists compilation, starts with a 6-song 10-inch Lee Konitz LP (New Sounds), followed by two-sided singles from Davis, Getz, and Mulligan, with Davis appearing on four of the Konitz sides (along with Sal Mosca, Billy Bauer, Arnold Fishkin, and Max Roach; the other two are duets with the guitarist), with Rollins on the Davis tracks, and Sims on one of the Mulligan tracks (along with JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, so go figure). The Konitz tracks are intriguingly off kilter, the others more conventionally boppish/cool. B+(**)

Bill Evans Trio With Lee Konitz & Warne Marsh: Crosscurrents (1977 [1992], Fantasy/OJC): With Eddie Gomez on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums plus the two saxophonists, on six standards (the CD reissue expanded with three alternate takes). B+(***)

Jasper Høiby: Fellow Creatures (2016, Edition): UK-based Danish bassist, cites Naomi Klein for title. Quintet with Mark Lockheart (sax), Laura Jurd (trumpet), piano, and drums. Slippery postbop with intriguing horn figures. B+(***) [bc]

Illinois Jacquet Quartet: Live at Schaffhausen, Switzerland March 18, 1978 (1978 [2015], Storyville): Texas tenor, always a jazz swinger but back in the 1940s spawned a wave of honking saxes that broke into r&b jukeboxes. Quartet with Hank Jones (piano), George Duvivier (bass), and J.C. Heard (drums), with Jacquet singing several songs. Runs 77 minutes, with breaks for piano and bass solos, and some patter. B+(***) [bc]

Lee Konitz: At Storyville (1954 [1988], Black Lion): Alto saxophonist, early in a career that only ended at 92 this year, a disciple of Lennie Tristano and one of the inventors of cool jazz. Live shot from Storyville Club in Boston, a quartet with Ronnie Ball (piano), Percy Heath (bass), and Alan Levitt (drums). Some stock patter, but Ball impresses, and Konitz is light as a feather. A-

Lee Konitz: Konitz (1954 [1989], Black Lion): In the label's Storyville series, but actually a studio session in New York, with Ronnie Ball (piano) plus bass and drums. Padded out with alternate takes -- the last six first appearing on CD. B+(**)

Lee Konitz: Body and Soul (1954 [2003], Black Lion): Same group as on Konitz, more New York City sessions, started as a 10-inch LP, eventually padded to 48:13 with alternate takes, including three of "Bop Goes the Leesel," where the play on the title matches the twists in the music, and four equally twisted takes on "Nursery Rhyme." B+(***)

Lee Konitz: In Harvard Square (1954-55 [1996], Black Lion): More from Storyville in Boston, seven short (max 4:01) tracks with the quartet from Konitz, three longer live ones (22:37) with the At Storyville quartet. B+(**)

Lee Konitz: Inside Hi-Fi (1956, Atlantic): Quartet, one side with Billy Bauer (guitar) ad Arnold Fishkind (bass), the other with Sal Mosca (piano) and Peter Ind (bass), both with Dick Scott on drums. B+(***)

Lee Konitz: The Real Lee Konitz (1957, Atlantic): Quartet with Billy Bauer on guitar, plus bass (Peter Ind) and drums (Dick Scott), with trumpet added for two songs. Three originals, the rest covers including "You Go to My Head," "My Melancholy Baby," "Sweet and Lovely," and "Easy Livin'." A-

Lee Konitz: The Real Lee Konitz (1957, Atlantic): Quartet with Billy Bauer on guitar, plus bass (Peter Ind) and drums (Dick Scott), with trumpet added for two songs. Three originals, the rest covers including "You Go to My Head," "My Melancholy Baby," "Sweet and Lovely," and "Easy Livin'." A-

Lee Konitz: Very Cool (1957, Verve): With Don Ferrara on trumpet, who also wrote two (of six) songs (vs. one for Konitz), and Sal Mosca on piano. Ends with an upbeat but not especially interesting "Billie's Bounce." B+(*)

Lee Konitz: An Image: Lee Konitz With Strings (1958, Verve): Arrangements and orchestra conducted by William Russo, with the alto saxophonist featured throughout. Working with strings seems to have been on every saxophonist's bucket list. Strings here are slightly above average, but Konitz is less consistent in topping them. B

Lee Konitz: You and Lee (1959 [1960], Verve): Large ensemble, arranged by Jimmy Giuffre, with 5-6 brass but Konitz's alto sax is the only reed, Bill Evans (piano) plays on half, Jim Hall (guitar) on the other, plus bass (Sonny Dallas) and drums (Roy Haynes). B

Lee Konitz Quintet: Peacemeal (1969 [1970], Milestone): Label founder Dick Katz produces, plays keyboards, contributed three songs -- matching Konitz himself and Bela Bartok, with "Lester Leaps In" and "Body and Soul" the covers. With Marshall Brown (valve trombone), Eddie Gomez, and Jack DeJohnette. I don't get much of anything from Bartok, but the covers and "Subconscious-Lee," sure. B+(*)

Lee Konitz: Spirits (1971 [1972], Milestone): Discogs gets the credits backwards here: they read the (*) cuts as adding Sal Mosca (piano), but in fact they are the ones that were recorded in a second sessions, adding bass and drums. The three other tracks are alto sax/piano duos, all Lennie Tristano pieces. Tristano dominates the album, with five of his pieces, one by Warne Marsh, plus three by Konitz. The duos are sharp line drawings, but only fleshed out with the full band. B+(***)

Lee Konitz: Lone-Lee (1974 [1987], SteepleChase): Solo alto sax, two songs, "The Song Is You" and "Cherokee," the former 19:25 on the 1976 LP but stretched to 38:41 for the CD, the latter 17:47. B+(**)

Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz Nonet (1977, Chiaroscuro): Inconsistent packaging, the front cover centering a smaller "Nonet" under the artist name, like that alone is the title, but the back cover offers an eponymous The Lee Konitz Nonet. This is the second of four 1976-79 Nonet albums: two trumpets, two trombones, two saxes, piano-bass-drums. The large group swallows him while building on group effort. B+(***)

Lee Konitz: Tenorlee (1977 [1978], Candid): Plays tenor sax for a change, backed by Jimmy Rowles (piano) and Michael Moore (bass) -- the title song a short Konitz original, the rest standards. Rowles excels, but Konitz could just as well be someone else. B+(*)

Lee Konitz Nonet: Yes, Yes, Nonet (1979 [1986], SteepleChase): Trombonist Jimmy Knepper is the workhorse here, contributing four (of seven) songs. B+(**)

Lee Konitz Quartet: New York Album (1987 [1988], Soul Note): Napster misfiles this under pianist Harold Danko -- for no reason I can see, but most of their albums wind up in the wrong bins. Also with Marc Johnson (bass) and Adam Nussbaum (drums). B+(***)

Lee Konitz: Zounds (1990 [1992], Soul Note): Quartet with Kenny Werner (piano/synth), Ron McClure (bass), and Bill Stewart (drums). Seems typically idiosyncratic, the sweet spots coming toward the end when they're least concerned with breaking ground ("Taking a Chance on Love," "Piece for My Dad," "Soft Lee"). B+(**)

Lee Konitz Trio: Free With Lee (1993, Philology): Alto sax with two guitarists (Augusto Mancinelli and Donovan Mixon), playing standards (most from jazz figures like Brubeck, Davis, Ellington, Evans, and Shorter), plus the joint improv title track (two takes). B+(**)

Lee Konitz/Renato Sellani: Speakin' Lowly (1993 [1994], Philology): Duets, alto sax and piano, all standards, mostly ballads, starting with "Laura" and "Speak Low," ending with "My Funny Valentine" and "Yesterdays." Nicely paced, quite lovely. A-

Lee Konitz: It's You (1996, SteepleChase): Trio with Ron McClure (bass) and Billy Hart (drums), four Konitz originals, one from McClure, "Angel Eyes" the only cover. B+(***)

Lee Konitz: Dearly Beloved (1996 [1997], SteepleChase): Quartet, with Harold Danko (piano), Jay Anderson (bass), and Billy Drummond (drums) -- probably his most standard group for the decade, playing six standards, all stretched out between 7:45 and 14:24. A-

Lee Konitz: Pride (1999 [2000], SteepleChase): Quartet, with George Colligan (piano/organ), Doug Weiss (bass), and Darren Beckett (drums). Two Jobim songs, oblique originals, sentimental standards. B+(***)

Lee Konitz: Parallels (2001, Chesky): Quintet, with Mark Turner (tenor sax), Peter Bernstein (guitar), bass and drums. B+(**)

Giuseppi Logan: More (1965 [1966], ESP-Disk): Alto saxophonist, from Philadelphia, recorded two avant-jazz albums for ESP-Disk in 1964-65, nothing much for a long time, then surfaced for a couple more in the 2010's. This is his second, also playing flute and bass clarinet, with Don Pullen on piano, Milford Graves on drums, and either Eddie Gomez or Reggie Johnson on bass. Pullen is pretty young here (21), but turns some heads. B+(***)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Tetuzi Akiyama/Nicolas Field/Gregor Vidic: Interpersonal Subjectivities (Astral Spirits -19)
  • Robby Ameen: Diluvio (Origin)
  • Josh Berman/Paul Lytton/Jason Roebke: Trio Discrepancies (Astral Spirits -19)
  • Chicago Underground Quartet: Good Days (Astral Spirits)
  • Chris Cogburn/Juan García/Ignaz Schick: Anáhuac (Astral Spirits)
  • Alex Cunningham & Claire Rousay: Specifically the Water (Astral Spirits)
  • Colin Fisher Quartet: Living Midnight (Astral Spirits -19)
  • Nick Fraser/Kris Davis/Tony Malaby: Zoning (Astral Spirits -19)
  • Dylan Hayes Electric Band: Songs for Rooms and People (Blujazz)
  • KVL: Volume 1 (Astral Spirits -19)
  • LP and the Vinyl: Heard and Seen (OA2)
  • Chris Poland: Resistance (Ropeadope)
  • Charles Rumback: June Holiday (Astral Spirits)

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, April 13, 2020

Music Week

April archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 33094 [33056] rated (+38, 216 [216] unrated (-0).

Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden today. I don't think he needed to do so this early, but he seems to be building a personal relationship which will make him more influential as the campaign progresses, and hopefully after Biden wins. Those of us who don't know Biden personally still have some distance to go to embrace the idea. But one thing that's long been clear to me is that even the worst Democrats are open to discussion of progressive ideas, while Republicans are not, locked into their right-wing echo chamber. I'd also add that Biden, unlike ideological centrists like Schumer and the Clintons, is a guy who is happy to roll with the waves. He's never been a principled defender of working people, of civil rights, of peace and justice, and that's left him with a very shoddy record to run on. But he's not a steady opponent either, and when reality shifts he tries to stick with it. That may not be what we want, but it could be what we need.

Worth reading here (and I'm sure there'll be more by the weekend):

I filled out my DownBeat Critics Poll ballot last week, the evening before the deadline. I started quite late, and quickly grew exhausted, so I wound up racing through the 20-odd pages of the ballot. Normally I take notes as I go along (this year's are here), but I wound up referring to them more than revising them. To rush things along, I wound up simply repeating last year's picks in most categories. I haven't even sorted out the jazz albums lists, and didn't bother even copying the blues and "beyond" album lists -- safe to say I've heard virtually none of the blues albums (I wound up writing in Al Gold's Paradise, the only A-list blues album I've heard all year long). Maybe I'll return to the file and clean it up a bit later -- or just try to forget this year. I've noticed that my votes rarely register in the published totals anyway, and I've never been very keen on ranking musicians, so maybe it's best not to put much effort in.

More old records this week than new ones. Not my intent, but Storyville Records keeps adding to their Bandcamp page (207 records at the moment), and I found a Buddy Tate record that tempted me. That led me into a deeper dive into Tate and his fellow Texas Tenor Arnett Cobb. Nothing I found this week quite matches their Very Saxy (with Coleman Hawkins and Lockjaw Davis), Cobb's Part Time, or Tate's two Buck & Buddy albums (with Buck Clayton), but Cobb's lesser Prestiges are pretty consistent, and Tate is often terrific (even when his bands aren't). I didn't exhaust their later European live dates, but did look out for records on France's Black & Blue label -- most were reissued c. 2000 in their Definitive series, and I've found a lot of great records there.

Some of the records below were recommended in Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide: April, 2020 (subscribers only). He also reviewed a non-album, attributed as Adam Schlesinger: The End of the Movie (Carl Wilson Spotify playlist), collecting scattered works by the late Fountains of Wayne singer-songwriter. If you're interested, you can find it in the Carl Wilson article linked below. [PS: OK, tried it, doesn't work. The playlist widget in the Consumer Guide file only gives you short fragments of each song, so it's worse than useless. Maybe if you subscribe to Spotify, you'll have better luck] I don't see any point in reviewing non-product. I saw FOW once and was bored out of my skull, although I eventually heard a couple of albums that I rather liked (in the comfort of my home): Welcome Interstate Managers (2003), and Out-of-State Plates (2005).

Of more concern, to me at least, is Christgau's dive into John Coltrane's recorded work. This is what he came up with (including a related extra; I'm adding recording dates and, in brackets, my own grades, and footnote numbers):

  • John Coltrane: The Best of John Coltrane (1956-58, Prestige) A- [B+] (1)
  • John Coltrane: Ken Burns Jazz (1956-67, Verve) *** [A-] (2)
  • John Coltrane: The Africa Brass Sessions, Vol. 2 (1961, Impulse!) A [A] (3)
  • John Coltrane: "Live" at the Village Vanguard (1961, Hallmark) A [A-] (4)
  • John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (1964, Impulse!) A- [A+] (5)
  • Pharoah Sanders: The Impulse Story (1966-73, Impulse!) *** [A-] (6)

Footnotes, before going further:

  1. Review doesn't specify release date (mine is 2004), but notes that "it does seem to be the first disc of Prestige Profiles: John Coltrane" (2005), which I also have at B+. On the other hand, I gave an A- to the 6-CD Fearless Leader box, which covers the same 1956-58 span. I don't usually upgrade boxes, but I probably got lost in sheer breadth and depth, but I seriously doubt that he did much on Prestige that rivals his early Impulse! period. Also, I don't particularly care for jazz best-ofs. Replaying this one tonight, I haven't heard anything that blows me away, or that I don't like. I'll also note that I was warned off the 16-CD The Prestige Recordings, which expands to include all of Coltrane's sideman dates. Some, of course, are important (like "Tenor Madness" with Sonny Rollins and the quickies Miles Davis cut to break his contract), but you also get a lot of him playing second fiddle to Red Garland, Kenny Burrell, and lesser lights (not that I don't like Paul Quinichette).

  2. My grade based on the 1995 2-CD release of The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions, graded A -- although note that I had previously graded Africa Brass Volumes 1 & 2 (a 1988 single-CD release which had the two albums in original order) at A-. [PS: I managed to build a playlist matching the album, and gave it a spin; could be A or A-. By the way, even though the first Africa/Brass album was credited to the Quartet, all tracks have 15-18 musicians, mostly extra brass but Eric Dolphy is hard to miss.]

  3. Coltrane barely got mentioned in Burns' Jazz documentary, but the product tie-ins were more sensibly distributed. I'm not a big "Giant Steps" fan, so I wouldn't single out that omission (among dozens of others -- especially since the Giant Steps album yields two other equally famous songs), but damn near everything that did make the cut is not just good but iconic, and the Miles Davis Quintet opener and the Rashied Ali duo closer stretch the timeline as far as one can imagine. 13:40 of "My Favorite Things" makes the point (that all future tenor saxophonists will also have to learn to play soprano), and A Love Supreme is represented with a 7:46 taste.

  4. The Hallmark release is a straight reissue of the 1962 Impulse! album (3 tracks, 35:50), which has been reissued many times (Discogs lists 90 editions, 80 on Impulse!, 1 on Verve [which owns Impulse!]; the rest are European reissue labels which picked the record up after the EU's 50-year copyright limit lapsed). Hallmark's appeared in 2014, but since it's identical to Impulse!'s original, why cite it? My A- grade came from a quick Rhapsody stream. I previously graded the expanded Live at the Village Vanguard: The Master Takes (1998) and the 4-CD The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (1997) at A, and no doubt would have done the same with the original had I not seen it as inferior value.

  5. I also gave an A to A Love Supreme [Deluxe Edition] (2002), which adds a second CD with a longer live version from Paris. By the way, I never gave much thought to this record as being spiritual. It just struck me as the most perfectly plotted single piece of jazz ever recorded.

  6. After his debut in ESP-Disk, Sanders recorded a dozen albums for Impulse, my favorites Tauhid (1966) and Village of the Pharoahs (1973), but he was less consistent than Coltrane, so I considered the survey more useful. Of course, there is also a Coltrane The Impulse Story, another solid A-.

Christgau mentions favorably Giant Steps and My Favorite Things -- two 1959-61 Atlantic albums which were eventually boxed as The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1995, 7-CD once you pack all the extra takes in). Coltrane was a good saxophonist at Prestige (1956-58), during which time he played in important groups with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, but he didn't become special until he figured out how to exploit modes and turn them into expansive sheets of sound. The classic formulation of that was on Davis's Kind of Blue (1959), one of the most beloved of all jazz records. Coltrane's Atlantics expanded on that discovery -- my favorite album there is the last, Olé. He put his Quartet together when he moved on to Impulse! (which later issued a box called The House That Trane Built: The Best of Impulse Records), and from 1961-64 it's hard to think of anything he did wrong (well, aside from the Johnny Hartman album, though even it has fans) -- Crescent is a good example, like one of the second tier Himalayan peaks, overshadowed by Everest and K2 but still massive and 25,000 feet high.

From 1965-67 he kind of freaked out, inventing (or maybe just radicalizing) the squawkiest strain of the avant-garde. I hated Ascension (1965) for the longest time before I kind of got into it, and still have Sun Ship graded C+, but his Rashied Ali duo on Interstellar Space (1967) is marvelous. Since his death, Coltrane has become the most influential tenor saxophonist since Hawkins and Young, or saxophonist period since Parker. By the 1990s, it seemed like everyone was trying to play like him (at bit less so now). Pharoah Sanders had the most direct claim -- in his trinity, he was the son, Coltrane the father, and Albert Ayler the holy ghost -- and it's tempting to say that the very best posthumous Coltrane records are Welcome to Love (1990) and Crescent With Love (1992). More recently, Nat Birchall has the sound down cold.

You can find my Coltrane grade list here. I've written much of this before, now collected in Recorded Jazz in the 20th Century, which you'd have to download all of to pick out the Coltrane pages.

Looking forward, I have some downloads that look promising, especially from Astral Spirits, but I haven't listened to them yet because they're a pain in the ass. Also got some vinyl I've been too lazy to check out, again a bunch of extra work (assuming the gear still works).

People have been dying recently, including musicians. Without looking hard, here are a few of the obituaries and tributes I've noticed:

Some of these pieces came from a longer list published by the New York Times. I noticed today that legendary Formula One driver Stirling Moss has died, age 90, evidently of something else. I was a big F1 fan as a teenager, and he was already long retired. I remember him as a very astute writer, covering the circuit for Road & Track (which I thought at the time was the best edited magazine in the world). Another prominent figure of my youth died, at 85: Al Kaline. I don't recall being conscious of baseball before 1957, but can still recite the 1957 all-star teams (that was the year Cincinnati stuffed the ballot boxes -- the NL ordered that several Reds be dropped in favor of players they beat, like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron; it was also a year when the AL picked a bunch of Tigers, including starting pitcher Jim Bunning; no one doubted that Kaline belonged in right-field, next to Mickey Mantle in center and Ted Williams in left -- nor did the NL have a problem with Frank Robinson joining Mays and Aaron).

New records reviewed this week:

John Anderson: Years (2020, Easy Eye Sound): Country singer, looks pretty weathered on the cover although he's still five years younger than me. His voice is still in good shape, and he has Dan Auerbach producing, a solid album. B+(**)

Thomas Anderson: Analog Summer (Four-Tracks and Then Some) (2020, Out There): Singer-songwriter from Oklahoma, has been releasing quality albums since 1988 (or '89 or '90, sources vary; Discogs counts 5, Wikipedia 7, I have 10 in my database). Subtitle suggests this is a continuation of his Four-Track Demos from 2012 and Four-Track Love Songs from 2013. Seems sloughed off until he finds a band for "You Should Be With Me" and "Johnny Wah-Wah." B+(**)

Erlend Apneseth: Fragmentarium (2019 [2020], Hubro): Norwegian, plays Hardanger fiddle, a folk instrument and not the only one here (Ida Løvli Hidle plays accordion, Stein Urheim plays fretless bouzouki as well as guitar). But they don't fall into customary grooves, their jazz touches keeping the tension palpable. B+(***)

The Exbats: Kicks, Hits and Fits (2020, Burger): Twelve punk anthems, not sure what the breakdown is between new and old songs ("I Got the Hots for Charlie Watts" was a 2018 album title but not a song thereon). B+(***)

Grrrl Gang: Here to Stay (2017-18 [2020], Damnably, EP): Indonesian group, from Yogyakarta, in English, three members, one female, short compilation of previously released singles and 5-cut "mini-album": still only adds up to eight songs (two takes of "Dream Grrrl"), 25:52. Less punk than the alt-side of pop. B+(**)

Kirby Heard: Mama's Biscuits (2019, self-released): Folk singer-songwriter, formerly from "a big city in the Midwest," now settled into "a sleepy southern town," first album aside from a bluegrass duo with "Bob." Seems a little vague, but I'll hang onto "I guess you don't have to know Jesus to write a gospel song." B+(**)

Heroes Are Gang Leaders: Artificial Happiness Button (2020, Ropeadope): Jazz-poetry group, the latter mostly Thomas Sayers Ellis, although other voices predominate (most female). Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis is the other principal here, with four more names on the second line, and various guests (including William Parker and Jaimie Branch). Reminds me of Funkadelic as a community, but the funk is much bent and twisted, the messages mixed and sometimes oblique, but the interludes are transcendent. A-

Jasper Høiby: Planet B (2019 [2020], Edition): Danish bassist, based in UK, best known for group Phronesis. Trio with Josh Arcoleo (sax) and Marc Michel (drums). Spoken word intro is politically astute -- one of his groups, Fellow Creatures, derives from a Naomi Klein book -- and the music follows, impressively. A- [bc]

Large Unit/Fendika: EthioBraz (2018 [2019], PNL): Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love's avant big band plus elements from Ethiopia and Brazil, notably the Ethiopian group Fendika, its singers and dancers, Brazilian percussionists, and guitarist Terrie Ex. Closer to world music than to jazz, but the edginess is quite remarkable. A- [bc]

Ashley McBryde: Never Will (2020, Warner Nashville): Country singer-songwriter from Arkansas, based in Nashville, second album (or fourth counting two self-released efforts). Strong voice, big production. B+(**)

Grant Peeples: Bad Wife (2020, Rootball): Another folkish singer-songwriter from Florida, claims to have learned the words to every Roger Miller song by the time he turned twelve (that would be 1969), Discogs lists three albums but his store has close to a dozen. Eleven songs "written by women I've worked with in one way or another," though it wasn't easy to find the credits. B+(*)

Matthew Shipp/Mark Helias/Gordon Grdina: Skin and Bones (2018 [2019], Not Two): Piano/bass/guitar (or oud) trio. Piano and bass lock together tightly, much as I'd expect, the guitar another dimension. B+(***)

Lou Volpe: Before & After (2020, Jazz Guitar): Guitarist, from New York, recorded an album in 1973, another in 2006, not much more. No explanation of title, but front cover has pictures now and as a child with a toy guitar, back cover as a young man. Two covers, rest originals, various bass and drum combos suggest this has been recorded over some time, but no details. Nice, sweet sound. B+(**)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Future/Zaytoven: Beast Mode (2015 [2020], Epic/Freebandz): Short mixtape by rapper Nayvadius Wilburn, working with producer Xavier Dotson. B+(**)

Lennie Tristano: The Duo Sessions (1968 [2020], Dot Time): Pianist, went his own way in the 1940s when everyone else was chasing Bird, Diz, Bud, and Monk, snaring a few acolytes like Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz. Previously unreleased, not sure when recorded but after he stopped performing in 1968, before he died in 1978. Six duets with tenor saxophonist Lenny Popkin (much like Marsh), two with pianist Connie Crothers (who often played with Popkin), and eight with drummer Roger Mancuso. B+(**)

Old music:

Arnett Cobb and His Orchestra: 1946-1947 (1946-47 [1999], Classics): The Texas Tenor's first recordings as a leader, prefaced by four credited to various leaders with "the Hamptone All Stars" -- Cobb started playing in Lionel Hampton's band in 1942. Mostly jump blues, a few with vocals, already a powerhouse. B+(***)

Arnett Cobb: Smooth Sailing (1959, Prestige): Tenor saxophonist from Texas, came up in big bands in the 1930s, succeeding Illinois Jacquet in Lionel Hampton's band (1942), nicknamed "the wild man of the tenor sax." He cut eight LPs for Prestige 1959-62 -- best known his Party Time and the four-sax jam Very Saxy. This seems to be his first with Prestige, a quintet with trombone, organ, bass, and drums. Soul jazz with some muscle. A-

Arnett Cobb: Movin' Right Along (1960, Prestige): Backed by piano trio -- mostly Bobby Timmons, but one cut with Tommy Flanagan -- plus congas. Less "wild man," more ballads, but "Exactly Like You" has never been done so jaunty. A-

Arnett Cobb With the Red Garland Trio: Blue and Sentimental (1960 [1993], Prestige): Reissue combines two albums, Sizzlin' and Ballads by Cobb, both with Garland on piano and J.C. Heard on drums, bass split between George Tucker and George Duvivier. The former sizzles less than Cobb's norm. His ballads are gorgeous, but the pianist could have been anyone. B+(***)

Arnett Cobb: Deep Purple [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions] (1973 [1995], Black & Blue): Recorded in Toulouse, with Milt Buckner (organ), Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (guitar), and Michael Silva (drums), originally released as Again With Milt Buckner, reissue moves the title song up front and adds one extra. Not great organ, but the saxophonist easily transcends such limits. B+(***)

Arnett Cobb: Jumpin' at the Woodside [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions] (1974 [2001], Black & Blue): Live shot in Paris, with Lloyd Glenn (piano), Tiny Grimes (guitar/vocal), Roland Lobligeois (bass), and Panama Francis (drums). Originally a 6-cut LP, expanded here to 11. Cobb sounds terrific here, his blues jumping, his ballads soaring. A-

Arnett Cobb: The Wild Man From Texas [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions] (1976 [1997], Black & Blue): Cobb has several compilations with this title, mostly early work from his post-Basie juke box days. He was less wild as he aged, but developed his knack for ballads. From Paris and Toulouse, nine musicians, including a second tenor sax (Eddie Chamblee), Earl Warren (alto sax), Milt Buckner (organ), and Panama Francis (drums). B+(***)

Arnett Cobb/Jimmy Heath/Joe Henderson: Tenor Tribute Vol. 2 (1988 [1993], Soul Note): Five more songs from the same 1988 session that produced Tenor Tribute (released 1990), including three every tenor saxophonist must know but few dare: "Cotton Tail," "Tenor Madness," "Flying Home" (on the other hand, everyone's played "'Round About Midnight"). Three tenor saxes (nearly as impressive as the quartet, including Cobb, on Very Saxy), backed by piano trio (Benny Green). B+(***)

Duke Ellington: At the Hollywood Empire (1949 [2004], Storyville): I haven't listened to much live ELlington from the late 1940s, although between The Treasury Shows and the Carnegie Hall Concerts there is quite a lot to choose from. This is a live radio shot, 17 songs, 71 minutes, an announcer introducing songs and identifying soloists -- especially triple threat Ray Nance (trumpet, violin, vocal, much bluesier than Al Hibbler's croon). B+(***)

Dexter Gordon: Jazz at Highschool (1967 [2002], Storyville): A "jazz clinic" for music students at Magleaas High School, picked up and broadcast by Danish National Radio. Gordon had moved to Denmark, found American expats Kenny Drew and Al Heath available, and was joined by Denmark's most famous bassist, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. B+(***)

Al Grey/Arnett Cobb: Ain't That Funk for You (1977 [2002], Black & Blue): Trombone and tenor sax, backed by Ray Bryant (piano), John Duke (bass), and JC Heard (drums). Closer to blues and swing than funk, but who's complaining? B+(***)

Sun Ra: Celestial Love (1984 [2015], Enterplanetary Koncepts): Originally released 1984, I count 11 musicians plus singer June Tyson on two cuts -- pretty straightforward standards ("Sometimes I'm Happy," "Smile"). They also do two Ellington pieces. [CD reissue 2020, Modern Harmonic] B+(*)

Buddy Tate: Celebrity Club Orchestra (1954 [2016], Black & Blue): Tenor saxophonist from Texas, played with Andy Kirk in the 1930s, and Count Basie 1939-48. Same title as a 1968 album, causing much confusion: both were recorded in Paris, this one with a septet plus occasional singer Inez Washington, a swing throwback where the saxophonist sounds exceptionally poised. A-

Buddy Tate/Claude Hopkins: Buddy and Claude (1960 [1999], Prestige): Hopkins was a stride pianist, spent a couple years in Paris with Josephine Baker and Sidney Bechet, returned to the US and led bands in the 1930s, and continued playing well into the 1970s. He led a 1960 album with Tate (tenor sax) and Emmett Berry (trumpet), Yes Indeed!, which is combined here with another 1960 album, headlined by Tate and featuring Clark Terry (trumpet), but no piano. B+(**)

Buddy Tate/Milton Buckner: When I'm Blue [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions] (1967 [1995], Black & Blue): Buckner plays organ and vocalizes (a lot) -- neither very inspired, even if he does seem awfully pleased with himself. With Wallace Bishop on drums, and some tasty tenor sax. B+(*)

Buddy Tate: Buddy Tate & His Celebrity Club Orchestra [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions] (1968 [2002], Black & Blue): Live shot from Paris, not the 1954 Celebrity Club Orchestra which Black & Blue also released. With Bud Bascomb (trumpet), Ben Richardson (flute, alto/baritone sax), Dicky Wells (trombone), Skip Hall (piano/organ), John Williams (bass), Billy Stewart (drums). Well steeped in the blues. B+(***)

Buddy Tate: Buddy Tate and His Buddies (1973, Chiaroscuro): All-star session, joining Tate is fellow Texas Tenor Illinois Jacquet, with Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Mary Lou Williams (piano), Steve Jordan (guitar), Milt Hinton (bass), and Gus Johnson (drums). B+(***)

Buddy Tate: The Texas Twister (1975 [1987], New World): A studio session in February of a year when he ultimately produced a lot of live records while touring Europe. Paul Quinichette offers a second tenor sax, allowing Tate to also play clarinet and sing (he's a pretty good blues belter). With Cliff Smalls (piano), Major Holley (bass), and Jackie Williams (drums). B+(***)

Buddy Tate: The Texas Tenor (1975 [2014], Storyville, 2CD): Two sets, one Live at La Fontaine with a European band (with Tete Montoliu on piano), the other from Antibes with a group that billed itself as All Stars Jive at Five: Doc Cheatham (trumpet), Vic Dickenson (trombone/vocal), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), George Duvivier (bass), and Oliver Jackson (drums). The Stars do shine, but Tate is often better without the competition. [NB: These sets were previously released as Tate A Tete at La Fontaine and Jive at Five.] B+(**)

Buddy Tate: Body and Soul: Live in Dublin 1976 (1976, [2008], Nagel Heyer): Live set, backed with what looks like a local piano trio (Tony Drennan, Jimmy McKay, Jack Daly), sounds as distinctive as ever on the slow ones, but still enjoys hard swing. B+(**)

Buddy Tate/Abdullah Ibrahim: Buddy Tate Meets Abdullah Ibrahim: The Legendary 1977 Encounter (1977 [1996], Chiaroscuro): Five quartet tracks, with Cecil McBee (bass) and Roy Brooks (drums), tenor sax and piano. No piano on the first tracks, no sax on the last two. B+(**)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • #Bloomerangs: Moments and Fragments (Instru Dash Mental)
  • Gordon Grdina Septet: Resist (Irabbagast)
  • Heroes Are Gang Leaders: Artificial Happiness Button (Ropeadope)

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Music Week

April archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 33056 [33307] rated (+49), 216 [219] unrated (-3).

Surprised by the high rated count, but I guess I haven't been doing much else. Lists by Chris Monsen (although I also should have looked here) and Phil Overeem gave me some ideas to check out.

Last week I noted that I had been working on my Jazz Guide files, bringing them up to date, and I published links to the ODT files. Now I've updated an additional series of files, where I've scraped up my non-review political, music, and miscellaneous writings (most easily from the Notebook. I've written up an Index page that provides links to the ODT files. You are welcome to download those files and read them (although not to copy, modify, or redistribute them without my permission. The ODT file format is used by the free software suite LibreOffice. The format is publicly available, so it's possible that other programs can import and display the files (e.g., Microsoft Word since 2010). I need to look into possibly exporting the files into other formats (certainly, PDF is possible). I imagine E-book format(s) would be more useful, but I'm not a user let alone expert, so that's something I'll need to learn more about.

The writing in these "books" is almost identical to things I've published elsewhere on the website. (I've corrected errors where I noticed them, but have done very little editing, even though I understand that a lot of editing is called for.) Most of this was done by cut-and-paste from web browser or from my trusty emacs text editor (which preserves a bit less markup). The main thing about these files is that the Jazz Guides are sorted by era then artist name, while everything else is presented oldest-to-newest (FIFO, as opposed to the LIFO you get reading a blog).

It remains to be seen how much editing I will eventually manage to do, but the collection phase completion makes it much easier to do something with the writing. I've always wanted to write books, and I sense that time is running out for that. My wife has taken a stab at sifting through the 2000-09 political blogs, but hasn't come up with as much as a plan there. I have a few rough ideas, and I'll try to develop them as I find time. One thing I wonder about now is how easy it would be to organize the music reviews into a reference website (possibly using Mediawiki). I doubt they are adequate as is, but wonder if other people might find them a useful framework to build on. Would be nice to have some kind of comment framework here, as I could use some feedback.

By the way, I got one letter last week which raised my spirits. Also noted how hard it is to find vaguely remembered things on the website, so I cobbled together a Google-based Website Search function, which appears on many (but far from all) pages (bottom of the left nav section on blog pages). This is based on code I had written for Robert Christgau, and does nothing more than add "site:tomhull.com" to a Google search string, redirecting the output to a new tab/window. Still, I've already found it faster than my relatively knowledgeable guesses as to where things are. A while back I realized that the ancient Sitemap needs a major revision. I did a tiny bit of work on it, then dropped the ball.

Someone pointed out that Wikipedia's page for John Coltrane's A Love Supreme cites my A+ grade under "Professional ratings." As a side effect, whoever did that created a stub redirect page for Tom Hull (critic), which is currently empty (aside from the useless redirect).

Got an invite to participate in DownBeat's critics poll, but they're on a tight deadline this year, which I'll be up against soon. They claim one can fill the ballot out in 45 minutes, but it usually takes me 6-8 hours (and not just because I find so much to gripe about along the way).

Got Democratic Primary ballots from the state party today -- due back early May. That one was easy: ticked the box for Bernie Sanders, signed the ballot, and sealed the envelope. The state has refused to pay for presidential primaries in the past, so the parties have been left to organize caucuses. The last two caucuses I attended (2008 and 2016) involved hours of waiting in line, after which they just counted votes and sent us on the way, so this one will be much more efficient. They're even allowing for ranked choice voting, but in what is now a two-person race I didn't see any value in that. This system was figured out before Covid-19 wrecked everything. We also filled out the census online, so no anxiety there either.

New records reviewed this week:

Harrison Argatoff: Toronto Streets Tour (2019 [2020], self-released): Tenor saxophonist, based in Toronto, second album this year after a quartet with Harry Vetro called Harrison²: Trout in Swimwear. This one is solo, with a couple bits of voice neither helping nor hurting. Fairly long at 70:45. B+(*)

Jeich Ould Badou: Music From Saharan WhatsApp 03 (2020, Sahel Sounds, EP): From Mauritania, plays tidnit (a form of lute), accompanied by drum machine, recorded at home on an iPhone 7. Part of a monthly series of EPs that seems to be vanishing as fast as they appear. B+(*) [bc]

Kelsea Ballerini: Kelsea (2020, Black River): Pop-country singer-songwriter, from Knoxville, TN, third album. B+(*)

Marshall Chapman: Songs I Can't Live Without (2020, Tall Girl): Country singer-songwriter, alt before that was a thing, did three albums on Epic, one on Rounder, then found herself on her own label. Past 70 now, with a bucket list set of nine covers. Opens with Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song," spends time from Nashville to Memphis, closes with "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" -- tailored for today. B+(**)

Childish Gambino: 3.15.20 (2020, RCA): Rapper/TV star Donald Glover, fourth album since 2011, has twice as many mixtapes. No titles, just time markers in what coceptually is a single track. Music feels like a spoof on the Beach Boys, but doesn't work as such, and I'm not getting much of anything else out of it. B

Gerald Cleaver: Signs (2017-19 [2020], 577): Drummer, from Detroit, tries his hand at electronics. His strong suit is rhythm, and the album flags when he forgets that. B

Avishai Cohen Big Vicious: Big Vicious (2020, ECM): Trumpet player, from Israel, based in New York, formed band -- with guitar, electric bass, two drummers -- six years ago, first album. Shiny but not so splashy, long on texture, with a bit of funk bass moving it along. Vicious? Big? B+(**)

Jennifer Curtis & Tyshawn Sorey: Invisible Ritual (2020, New Focus): Violin and drums duo. B+(**) [bc]

Jay Electronica: A Written Testimony (2020, Roc Nation): From New Orleans, age 43, Wikipedia gives his name as Elpadaro F Electronica Allah, but likely some of that came with conversion to Islam. Released a mixtape in 2007, has various guest appearances but this is his first album. B+(*)

Lily Hiatt: Walking Proof (2020, New West): Singer-songwriter, father John Hiatt, grew up in Nashville, fourth album. B+(**)

Sigurd Hole: Lys/Mørke (2019 [2020], Eivesang, 2CD): Norwegian bassist, tenth record, second solo, divided into "Light" and "Dark" sides. B+(*)

Gabe Lee: Farmland (2019, Torrez Music Group): Nashville singer-songwriter, first album, DIY folkie production, can do a pretty good John Prine voice, throwing in the occasional Dylan inflection. B+(**)

Gabe Lee: Honky Tonk Hell (2020, Torrez Music Group): He's got a band this time, and blasts out of the gate, sounding more like rockabilly than honky tonk. Eventually reverts to form, just louder. B+(**)

Grégoire Maret/Romain Collin/Bill Frisell: Americana (2020, ACT Music): First two names (harmonica and keyboards) above the title, guitarist below, drummer Clarence Penn in the fine print on the back. The European leaders (from Switzerland and France) don't dig very deep for their "Americana": covering Mark Knopfler and Jimmy Webb, borrowing two from Frisell, and writing the rest in a similar vein, which they breathe extra life into. B+(**) [cd] [04-24]

Mr. Wrong: Create a Place (2020, Water Wing, EP): Portland punk trio, three women, first "album" called Babes in Boyland, this another short one at nine songs, 15:33, fun as it goes. B+(***) [bc]

Mythic Sunship: Changing Shapes: Live at Roadburn (2019 [2020], El Paraiso): Danish "space rock" band, eighth record since 2010, previous titles include Another Shape of Psychedelic Music. No vocals, four 7-12 minute tracks, could pass for fusion but they'd rather go for dense and heavy than anything transcendent. B+(**)

The Necks: Three (2020, Northern Spy): Long-running Australian piano trio, formed 1987, with Chris Abrahams (piano), Tony Buck (bass), and Lloyd Swanton (drums). Three long pieces (21:00-22:46), the first especially strong on rhythm. B+(**)

Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra: If You Listen Carefully the Music Is Yours (2019 [2020], Odin): Norwegian drummer, mostly in his Acoustic Unity project although I probably noticed him first in Cortex. Goes big here with ten horns (seven saxophones and three brass), three bassists, and three drummers. Lives up to their name. A-

Onipa: We No Be Machine (2020, Strut): London group, name connects to Ghana as does vocalist KOG (Kweku of Ghana), paired with guitarist Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist), plus synth bass, drums, and electronics. Title song is ironically mechanical, but most songs pick up the slack, with South African idioms bleeding into West. B+(***)

Tineke Postma: Freya (2018 [2020], Edition): Dutch saxophonist (alto/soprano here), seventh album, quintet recorded in New York with Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Kris Davis (piano), Matthew Brewer (bass), and Dan Weiss (drums). B+(**)

Princess Nokia: Everything Is Beautiful (2020, Platoon): New York rapper Destiny Frasqueri, her 1992 Deluxe much praised ("the most complete New Yorker to hit hip-hop since Heems if not Nas"), splits her follow-up into two, divided by good/bad and/or nice/naughty tropes. Leans toward the former, but so offhanded it's hard to tell. 12 tracks, 31:07. B+(***)

Princess Nokia: Everything Sucks (2020, Platoon): Slightly shorter (10 tracks, 24:41), more mischievous early on, although by midway she's just doing her thing. Either/both could grow on me if I made the effort. B+(**)

Jessie Reyez: Before Love Came to Kill Us (2020, Island): Canadian singer-songwriter (lyrics anyway), parents Colombian, first album after two EPs, pop with some hip-hop, including a couple of featured big name rappers (Eminem, 6lack). B+(**)

Andreas Røysum Ensemble: Andreas Røysum Ensemble (2020, Motvind): Norwegian clarinet player, composer, individually credited with middle name Hoem. Most pieces run 8-9 pieces, one short one dropping down to reed quartet. Opens with a swirling dervish of sound, compelling until it breaks down in cacophony near the end. B+(**)

Skepta, Chip and Young Adz: Insomnia (2020, SKC M29): British MC Joseph Junior Adenuga, sixth album, joined by two more rappers, keeping it sharp and pithy. B+(**)

Torben Snekkestad/Agustí Fernández/Barry Guy: The Swiftest Traveler (2018 [2020], Trost): Norwegian, plays tenor and soprano sax, trumpet, and clarinet, backed by piano and bass. Joint improv, except for a bit at the end credited to Paul Hindemith. B+(**)

Soccer Mommy: Color Theory (2020, Loma Vista): Sophie Allison, born in Switzerland, grew up in Nashville, singer-songwriter, has some solid songs. B+(***)

Sufjan Stevens & Lowell Brams: Aporia (2020, Asthmatic Kitty): Stevens is a vastly talented singer-songwriter who once planned on making an album for every state in the union, but never got past his Illinois masterpiece. Brams is his stepfather and business partner, whose 2009 album was called Library Catalog Music Series: Music for Insomnia. This was sorted from jam sessions, is all instrumental, billed as "new age." I'd say resplendent background music, won't put you to sleep, wake you up either. B+(*)

Nora Jane Struthers: Bright Lights, Long Drives, First Words (2020, Blue Pig Music): Nashville singer-songwriter, born in Virginia but grew up in New Jersey. Fifth album since 2010, plus two in a duo with her father, Alan Struthers.

Superposition: Superposition (2018-19 [2020], We Jazz): Finnish group, led by drummer Olavi Louhivuori, with two saxophoists -- Adele Sauros (tenor) and Linda Fredriksson (alto/baritone) -- and Mikael Saastamoinen (bass). First album. They sound great out of the gate, then inexplicably slow things down. Eventually they make something of that, too. B+(***)

Tamikrest: Tamotaït (2020, Glitterbeat): Tuareg group, from deep in the Algerian Sahara, got some notice at the Festival au Désert in 2008, toured Europe in 2010 and started recording, this their sixth album -- even one piece in English, but mostly notable for their take on the Saharan guitar grind. B+(**)

Sophie Tassignon: Mysteries Unfold (2020, RareNoise): Singer, born in Belgium, based in Berlin, backed by her own electronics and overtracked voice for a classical choral effect. Eclectic song choice. The one I'm most familiar with is "Jolene" -- deep and gloomy. B+(*) [cdr] [04-24]

The Tender Things: How to Make a Fool (2020, Spaceflight): Austin-based country group, Jessie Esbaugh the singer-songwriter, originally from Kentucky, aiming at Gram Parsons. B

The TNEK Jazz Quintet: Plays the Music of Sam Jones (2020, TNEK Jazz): Jones (1924-81) was an important hard bop bassist, led a dozen albums, played on hundreds, especially with Cannonball Adderley. This group covers six of his songs, plus one from Kenny Barron. The front cover lists bassist Kent Miller first, followed by drums, piano, two saxophonists. B+(*)

Stein Urheim: Downhill Uplift (2018 [2020], Hubro): Norwegian guitarist, plays many other instruments and sings some, tenth or so album since 2009. B

Wako: Wako (2019 [2020], Øra Fonogram): Norwegian quartet: Martin Myhre Olsen (sax), Kjetil André Mulelid (piano), Bárður Reinert Poulsen (bass), and Simon Olderskog Albertsen (drums). Fourth album since 2015. Feel varies considerably, especially with the guests -- including some lush strings. B+(*)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Tony Allen/Hugh Masekela: Rejoice (2010 [2020], World Circuit): Nigerian drummer (started with Fela Anikulapo Kuti) and the late (d. 2018) South African trumpet player, a worldwide jazz star. About what you'd hope for: a strong afrobeat ensemble with extra brass lustre and stellar solos. A-

Cadence Revolution: Disques Debs International Vol. 2 (1970s [2020], Disques Debs/Strut): Zouk from the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, selected from the archives of Henri Debs' label, which was founded in the 1950s and released over 100 records in the 1970s. One of my favorite records is the Earthworks 1988 compilation Hurricane Zouk, and this reminds me enough (as it happens, I just replayed it yesterday) to recommend it. A- [bc]

Jamaica All Stars [Studio One] (1970-74 [2020], Studio One): Reissues two label samplers, Vol. 1 from 1972, Vol. 2 from 1974. Not sure how far they look back, but those I've managed to track down are fairly recent. And while I recognize most of the names, the songs aren't classics (ok, "Happy Go Lucky Girl" is pretty classic). B+(*)

Léve Léve: Sao Tomé and Principe Sounds 70s-80s (1970s-80s [2020], Bongo Joe): Two small islands in the Gulf of Guinea, uninhabited until colonized by Portugal from 1493, turning them into slave depots and sugar plantations. They gained independence in 1975, their music African but with pan-Portuguese (especially Brazilian) airs. Sixteen songs from ten groups (Africa Negra tops with three), 5 minutes the median. B+(***)

Ana Mazzotti: Ninguem Vai Me Segurar (1974 [2019], Far Out): Brazilian singer, recorded two jazz-inflected samba albums 1974-77, this the first, produced by José Roberto Bertrami. Starts nice and bouncy, with a change of pace for a cover of "Feel Like Making Love." B+(**)

Ana Mazzotti: Ana Mazzotti (1977 [2019], Far Out): A second album, short and sweet. B+(***)

Ranil Y Su Conjunto Tropical: (Limited Dance Edition) ([2020], Analog Africa): Cumbia group from Iquitos on the Amazonian side of Peru, led by singer Raúl Llerena Vásquez, aka Ranil. No dates on these songs -- indeed, Discogs has no dates for 13 albums, only one date for his singles (1977), and one previous compilation (2010). Wish I knew more about this, but unclear to me even whether Vásquez is still alive. But the music is, seductive too. A- [bc]

Ranil Y Su Conjunto Tropical: Stay Safe and Sound Ranil Selection!! ([2020], Analog Africa): This one is even less clear, running 10 songs, 28:10 (vs. 14, 40:01 above), evidently available as a free sampler (but no dupes from other volume). B+(***) [bc]

Yabby You: King Tubby's Prophecies of Dub (1976 [2020], Pressure Sound): Little agreement on who did this or what the title is: cover looks like The Prophets, elsewhere I've seen The Aggrovators -- both group names Vivian Jackson (aka Yabby You) has used. Bandcamp page drops King Tubby's from the title (clear on the cover), pointing out that Pat Kelly was the enginer, and that "Tubby had partly stepped back from mixing work, but was still credited with most of the music coming out of his studio." Still, sounds like vintage King Tubby. B+(***) [bc]

Old music:

Disques Debs International Volume 1: An Island Story: Biguine, Afro Latin & Musique Antillaise 1960-1972 (1960-72 [2018], Disques Debs/Strut): Hugo Mendez (Sofrito) and Emile Omar (Radio Nova) compiled this selection from Henri Debs' label, following the evolution of music in the French Caribbean from folk and neighboring influences into its own distinctive style, marked chiefly by infectious rhythm, chanting voices, and splashy horns. B+(***) [bc]

Mr. Wrong: Babes in Boyland (2017, Water Wing, EP): First short album, not counting their 2016 Distraction Demo (only 2 of 7 songs on Bandcamp). This one has nine songs, 17:57. Ends strong. B+(**) [bc]

Papa Bue's Viking Jazzband: Greatest Hits (1958-70 [1989], Storyville): Danish trombonist Arne Bue Jensen founded this trad jazz band in 1956, died in 2011, recorded a couple dozen albums (some with visiting heroes like George Lewis, Wingy Manone, Edmond Hall, Wild Bill Davison). There's a story that Shel Silverstein gave them their name (he called them "Danish Vikings") in a review where he noted that they play New Orleans and Chicago jazz better than any American band. Not sure I'd go that far, but they're pretty impressive. Even sold a million copies of one of their hits here ("Schlafe Mein Prinzchen"). B+(***) [bc]

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • The Ian Carey Quintet + 1: Fire in My Head: The Anxiety Suite (Slow & Steady) [04-24]
  • Dave Stryker With Bob Mintzer and the WDR Big Band: Blue Soul (Strikezone) [06-05]

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, March 30, 2020

Music Week

March archive (done).

Music: Current count 33007 [32971] rated (+36), 219 [212] unrated (+7).

Not an exceptional week, but as expected, rated count topped 33000. Unless things change, that's more a measure of time than anything else. I'd reckon my average haul per week is about 30, so I chalk up another thousand every 30-35 weeks, roughly 7-8 months. Looking back, I crossed 32000 the week of September 2, 2019, so I must be averaging a bit more. This week got off to a slow start, but picked up speed when I delved into Pharoah Sanders' back catalog. Didn't find anything there I had missed as good as Tauhid (1966), Village of the Pharoahs (1973), Africa (1987), Welcome to Love (A+ in 1990), or Crescent With Love (1992).

Spent some time last week adding recent reviews to my Jazz Guide draft files. Got up to December, so I should finish that task this week. Page counts up to 835 (20th Century, 335k words) and 1855 (21st, 857k words). I'm also collecting non-jazz capsules (827k words, but works out to 1928 pages with a less dense font). The guides are sorted by artist, so that can get tedious. The non-jazz capsules are just collected in order published, so that's easier.

You can download the guides here and here. They are in LibreWriter ODT format. LibreOffice is free software, with a word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation editor, and other programs -- presumably everything that's in Microsoft Office. You can download and install it on Linux, Microsoft, and Apple computers, at no charge. You can import most file formats (including Microsoft Word), and can use it to generate PDF and HTML files. You can probably open an ODT file in Microsoft Word (post-2010 releases).

I doubt if these are very useful, other than that they consolidate widely scattered reviews by artist, in some kind of order (by recording date for 20th, release date by 21st). It would be an insane amount of work to turn these into a useful guides: the most obvious step would be to move the biographies to the artist heads, even though that may reduce most record "reviews" to mere grades. I'm thinking now that it may be best to copy them to a website (perhaps using Mediawiki?). Presumably, the current editing is a necessary step in that direction (although it also feels like a time sink).

March had five Mondays, so more records than usual this month: 186. The monthly archive is here.

New records reviewed this week:

Lakecia Benjamin: Pursuance: The Coltranes (2020, Ropeadope): Alto saxophonist, from New York, third album, bassist Reggie Workman co-produces. No credit details for the "over 40 jazz heavyweights" employed here, but Jazzmeia Horn, Brandee Younger, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Dee Dee Bridgewater sing (or scat), and the Last Poets narrate, with mentor Gary Bartz opening and Greg Osby closing. De trop, but pans out here and there. B+(*)

Jerry Bergonzi: Nearly Blue (2019 [2020], Savant): Tenor saxophonist, many records since 1984, recorded this in Italy with Renato Chicco (organ) and Andrea Michelutti (drums). Three originals, seven standards. His best records have been his most straightforward, and this is no exception. A-

Andy Bianco: NYC Stories (2020, Next Level): Guitarist, based in New York, couple previous albums, cover singles out Wayne Escoffery (tenor sax) and George Burton (piano) for "featuring." B+(*)

Vito Dieterle: Anemone (2018 [2020], Ride Symbol): Tenor saxophonist, based in New York, first album (shares release date with a second, recorded later, mainstream affair with organ (Ben Paterson), guitar (Kris Kaiser), and drums (Aaron Seeber). One original (the title song), with two Billy Strayhorn songs always catching my ear. B+(***)

Vito Dieterle/Joel Forrester: Status Sphere (2019 [2020], Ride Symbol): Duets, tenor sax and piano, five songs by the pianist, seven by Thelonious Monk. B+(**) [cd]

Amina Figarova Edition 113: Persistence (2018 [2020], AmFi): Azerbaijani pianist, clasically trained in Baku, based in New York. More than a dozen albums, this one distinguished by Rez Abbasi on guitar, but also dotted with flute, EWI, and guest vocals. B [cd] [04-10]

Monika Herzig: Eternal Dance (2019 [2020], Savant): German pianist, previous album called Sheroes, credits "Monika Herzig's Sheroes" on the cover, including Jamie Baum (flute), Reut Regev (trombone), Lakecia Benjamin (alto sax), Leni Stern (guitar), and Akua Dixon (cello), others on bass, drums, and percussion. Five originals, one each from Regev and Stern, covers of Queen, Bowie/Eno, and "Motherless Child." B+(*) [cd]

Dua Lipa: Future Nostalgia (2020, Warner): English pop star, parents Albanians from Kosovo, second album, multiple co-writers and producers everywhere, eleven tight songs (only one over 3:41), mixes the hardest dance grooves up front, peaking with "Physical" (as in "let's get"). A-

Harold Mabern: Mabern Plays Mabern (2018 [2020], Smoke Sessions): Pianist from Memphis, moved to New York in 1959 and landed a gig with "Sweets" Edison. He cut his first album in 1968, and this looks to be his last, from a three day stand that previously yielded Iron Man: Live at Smoke, before dying in September 2019. The latter was a quartet, with Eric Alexander (tenor sax), John Webber (bass), and Joe Farnsworth (drums). This set, with two covers, five Mabern originals, and one by Alexander, adds Vincent Herring (alto sax) and Steve Davis (vibes), making it a little busy. B+(**)

Christian McBride: The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons (2013 [2020], Mack Avenue): Mainstream bassist, has been working on this since 1998, when he first performed it, his icons Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and Martin Luther King Jr., a decade later adding Barack Obama with "Apotheosis: November 4th, 2008." With big band, choir, narrators reciting inspirational words -- although Obama's conciliatory inaugural address elicits more sadness than anything else today. Several monologues break into song. By far the best is least political, most cultural victory, "Rumble in the Jungle." B+(**)

Thollem McDonas/William Parker/Nels Cline: Gowanus Sessions II (2012 [2020], ESP-Disk): Piano/bass/guitar, the cover listing only the former's first name (as usual), the others' surnames. Leftovers from their 2012 album, two LP-sized jams (18:42/18:49). Cline doesn't do much other than add color here. B+(**)

Arúan Ortiz With Andrew Cyrille and Mauricio Herrera: Inside Rhythmic Falls (2019 [2020], Intakt): Cuban pianist, based in New York, the others drums and percussion (the latter is also Cuban), all three also credited with voice -- mostly on the opener. B+(**)

Painted Faces: Tales From the Skinny Apartment (2017 [2019], ESP-Disk): Florida "weirdo" David Drucker, moved to New York in 2011, has more than a dozen albums starting in 2009, announces his intentions here with "Chicks That Are Into Beefheart (and Jandek)." I checked this out because it's on a label that's into adventurous avant-jazz releases, but with their "only the artist decides" aesthetic, they're susceptible to weirdos of all stripes, and have trouble sorting them out. Guitar and reverb, lo-fi noise, aleatory vocals, not devoid of interest but more work than I care to exert. B-

Vanderlei Pereira and Blindfold Test: Vision for Rhythm (2020, Jazzheads): Brazilian drummer, long based in New York, Discogs lists 15 albums since 1986 he's played on, but this may be his first as a leader. Shifting rhythms and textures. B+(*) [cd] [05-22]

Radical Empathy Trio: Reality and Other Imaginary Places (2017 [2019], ESP-Disk): Thollem McDonas (keyboards), Nels Cline (guitars), and Michael Wimberly (drums). Two tracks conceived as LP sides (18:30 and 18:31). B+(*) [bc]

Dave Sewelson: More Music for a Free World (2018 [2020], Mahakala Music): Baritone saxophonist, first album the precursor this is more of, but I've been aware of him for a while, in groups like Microscopic Septet, Fast 'N' Bulbous, and William Parker's big bands. Quartet with Steve Swell (trombone), Parker (bass), and Marvin Bugalu Smith (drums). Two long improv pieces, a shorter one to close. A-

SFJazz Collective: Live: SFJazz Center 2019: 50th Anniversary: Miles Davis In a Silent Way and Sly & the Family Stone Stand! (2019 [2020], SFJazz): Group started in 2004 with Joshua Redman as artistic director, Gil Goldstein arranging and composing, and Bobby Hutcherson eminent, but they were gone by 2007, as the evolving group has turned into a premier repertory jazz ensemble -- as evidence by this program, the two 1969 albums intercut. Martin Luther McCoy sings Sly's parts. Ensemble is down to a septet, all recognized names, with Warren Wolf keeping the vibes prominent, and guitarist Adam Rogers visiting from New York. Nice concept for a concert. B+(**)

Shabaka and the Ancestors: We Are Sent Here by History (2015 [2020], Impulse!): British saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, born in London, grew up in his parents' native Barbados, a prominent member of two of England's most successful jazz outfits (Sons of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming), second album with this group, recorded in Johannesburg with South African musicians. Expands on pan-African roots with spirit of Coltrane and Sanders. A-

Kandace Springs: The Women Who Raised Me (2020, Blue Note): Standards singer, jazz/soul crossover, third album, has an intriguing voice, styles this as a tribute to a dozen iconic women singers ranging from Billie Holiday to Norah Jones (the one who shows for a duet). Backed by Steve Cardenas, Scott Colley, and Clarence Penn, with various featured guests (notably two Chris Potter cuts). Has some moments, but turned me off toward the end. B

Ohad Talmor: Long Form (2015 [2020], Intakt): French saxophonist, grew up in Geneva, based in New York, not much under his own name but he met Lee Konitz in 1989, and has frequently toured and recorded with him. Sextet, with Shane Endsley (trumpet), Miles Okazaki (guitar), Jacob Sacks (piano), bass, and drums. B+(***)

Waxahatchee: Saint Cloud (2020, Merge): Katie Crutchfield, from Alabama, fifth album since 2012, doesn't rock much, and I'm too slow on the uptake to figure out the rest. Still, after several plays, gets me in the end. A-

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Antoinette Konan: Antoinette Konan (1986 [2019], Awesome Tapes From Africa): Singer-songwriter from Côte D'Ivoire, first album, arranged by Bamba Moussa Yang. B+(*) [bc]

New Improvised Music From Buenos Aires (2012-17 [2019], ESP-Disk): Various artists, only a few I've heard of (Pablo Ledesma, Paula Shocron), fourteen tracks, compiled by Jason Weiss. Interesting stuff, my favorite a piece by avant-sax trio Cinética, "Improvisation 0681." B+(***) [bc]

Charlie Parker: The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection (1944-48 [2020], Craft, 4LP): I don't have the slightest interest in the packaging: four 10-inch LPs (6-8 songs each), packed in a box with a booklet I haven't seen. The music is essentially the same as I first head on 1976's 2-LP Bird/The Savoy Recordings (Master Takes) (later on a single 1985 CD, which unlike this is organized chronologically by session), and has been repackaged numerous times since. I must have a half-dozen copies of everything here, and at various times have graded it anywhere from B to A-, varying by how crummy the sound was, whether any vocal tracks were included, and how bad a mood I was in. I'm not going back to systematize those grades, but figured a quick streaming pass would give me a temperature check. The music originally appeared on 78s. The 10-inch LPs this is modeled on appeared as New Sounds in Modern Music (1950-52), followed by 12-inch LPs like Charlie Parker Memorial (1955). I recognize almost everything, noting that Parker (like Monk) tends to reuse his pet ideas, also that the singles format compresses many pieces to the point of claustrophobia, the hour-plus wearing me thin and sore. I'd never buy this packaging, but shouldn't dock it: perhaps it helps to break it up into 15-20 minute chunks. B+(**)

Pharoah Sanders: Live in Paris 1975 (1975 [2020], Transversales Disque): Tenor saxophonist, a decade into his career, he has plenty of material to work with. Quartet with Danny Mixon (piano/organ), Calvin Hill (bass), and Greg Bandy (drums) -- the sung finale a cosmic hoedown. B+(**)

Old music:

John Coltrane Featuring Pharoah Sanders: Live in Seattle (1964 [1994], Impulse!, 2CD): His famous Quartet plus a second tenor sax (Sanders) and Donald Garrett (bass clarinet), often muddying the waters. First released in 1971 as a 2-LP (72:36), expanded here (same six tracks, but now 132:44). B+(*)

Harold Mabern: Iron Man: Live at Smoke (2018, Smoke Sessions, 2CD): Pianist, pretty good shape for 81, quartet with Eric Alexander (tenor sax), John Webber (bass), and Joe Farnsworth (drums). One to remember him by, even if he's frequently upstaged by Alexander, who hasn't sounded this vigorous in ages. A-

Charlie Parker: In Sweden 1950: The Complete Recordings (1950 [2002], Storyville): Live shot, based on three shows, with a pick up band, notably Rolf Ericson on trumpet. LP (10 tracks) originally appeared on Sonet in 1959. Storyville reissued it in 1973, and Spotlite came up with a more complete 2-LP in 1973, matching these 14 tracks. Storyville's 14-track version bears the label's 50th Anniversary sticker, suggesting 2002, but the Bandcamp date is 2020. (Definitive also reissued all 14 tracks in 2002.) Sound is so-so, but give Parker some breathing room, and he eventually he'll do something with it. B+(**) [bc]

Pharoah Sanders: Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun) 1970, Impulse!): Two sidelong pieces, draws on Arabic for the title, Africa for the rhythms, and the cosmos for shimmering aura. With Woody Shaw (trumpet), Gary Bartz (alto sax), Lonnie Liston Smith (piano), and pretty much everyone adding to the percussion. B+(***)

Pharoah Sanders: Thembi (1970-71 [1971], Impulse!): A mixed bag, with with some sax close to and some beyond the pain threshold, exotic flutes and fifes, and various other diversions. Title cut is wonderful, but nothing else works out nearly as well. B+(*)

Pharoah Sanders: Black Unity (1971, Impulse!): One 37:21 piece, originally split over 2 LP sides, mostly groove and jive, with a few rough spots. B+(**)

Pharoah Sanders: Live at the East (1971 [1972], Impulse!): Starts strong with a 21:43 "Healing Song," ends in typical fashion, drags in the middle. B+(*)

Pharoah Sanders: Love in Us All (1972-73 [1974], Impulse!): Two extended pieces, "Love Is Everywhere" and "To John" (which no doubt means Coltrane). With James Branch adding to the flute, Joe Bonner on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, lots of percussion. B+(**)

Pharoah Sanders: Love Will Find a Way (1978, Arista): First of two albums he did with Norman Connors on Arista. It's not a very fruitful pairing, with chintzy strings and Phyllis Hyman vocals. Occasionally the saxophone peeks through. B

Pharoah Sanders: Save Our Children (1998, Verve): Second Verve album, last chance he had to show off on a major label, and he does indeed offer a neat encapsulation of his worldview -- exotic percussion from Trilok Gurtu and Zakir Hussain, funk keyboard by Bernie Worrell, electronic mix by Bill Laswell. Doesn't short change the saxophone but keeps it bound up. B+(*)

Pharoah Sanders/Graham Haynes: With a Heartbeat (2003, Evolver): His discography thins out after 2000, with this the last (or latest?) album listing his name first, although he's popped up in guest slots at least through 2014. Not especially strong here, but Haynes (cornet/electronics) and Bill Laswell (producer, bass, keyboards, flute, arrangements) have turned out a fitting extended treatment of Sanders' long-established cosmic vibe. B+(***)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Harrison Argatoff: Toronto Streets Tour (self-released -19)
  • Jerry Bergonzi: Nearly Blue (Savant)
  • Jeff Hamilton Trio: Catch Me If You Can (Capri) [07-17]
  • Monika Herzig: Eternal Dance (Savant)
  • Samo Salamon/Igor Matkovic/Kristijan Krajncan: Common Flow (Sazas)
  • Samo Salamon/Igor Matkovic/Kristijan Krajncan: Rare Ebb (Sazas)
  • Diane Schuur: Running on Faith (Jazzheads) [05-08]
  • The TNEK Jazz Quintet: Plays the Music of Sam Jones (TNEK Jazz)
  • Sophie Tassignon: Mysteries Unfold (RareNoise) [04-24]
  • Lou Volpe: Before & After (Jazz Guitar) [04-01]

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Music Week

March archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 32971 [32935] rated (+36), 212 [216] unrated (-4).

I did a bit of website work last week. Robert Christgau told me that he's working on a piece on his wife Carola Dibbell's novel, The Only Ones, which is set in a post-pandemic dystopia, something more immediately imaginable this week than a month or two ago. Her website got wrecked when my server bit the dust last year, and I've been slow to rebuild it, so he wanted me to do some work on that: in particular, to restore the Notices page, with its collection of links to reviews and interviews. I did that, and fiddled with the menus a bit. He also sent me Carola's 1998 B-52s piece, and I scrounged up a previously missing 2003 Gaby Kerpel review.

A bigger chunk of work was taking a twitter thread Carola wrote in September 2019 about her cancer treatment, and formatting it as a plain old web page. This still needs some work. I haven't yet figured out how to do the video links. The images are handled a bit better, but still not right. With one exception, I'm using the ones cached by Twitter, but they're in various sizes, given somewhat uniform treatment by transformations and windowing in the CSS code. The thing that would help the most would be to vertically center the clipping rectangle over the image, instead of positioning it from the top. That's more/less what Twitter is doing, but don't quite see how.

I did set it up so you can click on an image and see the original, although that may not be obvious. I'll try to do some more work on this in the next week or two. One thing worth checking out is the Bibliography, particularly if you can find and submit any of the currently missing pieces. My plan is to move the archive from Christgau's website to Carola's, probably duplicating their joint pieces.

Three 2019 releases in this week's A- haul: two (Jeb Bishop, Wojtek Mazolewski) didn't appear on any 2019 lists, so I'm including them on my 2020 list; the other (Ben Webster in Denmark) was one that I knew about and looked for, but it's only recently become accessible via Storyville Records' Bandcamp page. Also found the first volume to the Hank Jones set I reviewed last week, and a few more items of interest. Storyville is a Danish label which has specialized in picking up archival recordings of American stars, especially on tour in their environs. Also a fair number of releases by Scandinavian artists. I'm looking forward to exploring the label further.

I will flag a slight caveat on Irreversible Entanglements: I'm not fully satisfied with my understanding of the record, but I usually limit Bandcamp releases to two plays, after which I go with my best guess. I also gave an A- to their eponymous first album, and a B+(**) to their EP. On the other hand, I've never given Moor Mother (vocalist Camae Ayewa) better than a B+(**) for her hip-hop albums. I like the jazz group quite a bit, but she's still something of a mystery to me.

Still another week before I have to close out March Streamnotes. Assuming a normal week, the rated count should clear 33,000.

PS: Just heard that pianist Mike Longo, 83, is a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic -- see Nate Chinen's obituary. I have four of his albums in my database, notably [B+(***)] Step On It, a 2013 trio with Bob Cranshaw and Lewis Nash.

New records reviewed this week:

Daniel Bingert: Berit in Space (2019 [2020], Moserobie): Swedish bassist, father is saxophonist Hector Bingert (originally from Uruguay, where Daniel lived as a child), first album, composed, arranged, conducted, and produced but doesn't play: Torbjörn Zetterberg plays bass, with Per Texas Johansson and Jonas Kullhammar the saxophonists, Karl Olandersson on trumpet, Charlie Malmberg on piano, and Moussa Fadera on drums. Elegantly composed pieces, nothing too harsh. B+(***)

Jeb Bishop Flex Quartet: Re-Collect (2015 [2019], Not Two): Trombonist, originally from North Carolina, made his mark in Chicago (especially in the early Vandermark Five), where this was recorded. Quartet with Russ Johnson (trumpet), Jason Roebke (bass), and Frank Rosaly (drums). What you look for in a pianoless quartet: two freewheeling horns, the main distinction here that the trombone gives as good as it gets. A-

Jeb Bishop/Jaap Blonk/Weasel Walter/Damon Smith: JeJaWeDa: Pioneer Works Vol. 1 (2019, Balance Point Acoustics): Trombone, voice/electronics, drums, bass. Much noise, Blonk's appetite for chaos seems boundless, and the other have fun -- more than the listener, I'm sure. B+(*) [bc]

CP Unit: One Foot on the Ground Smoking Mirror Shakedown (2018 [2020], Ramp Local): Led by alto saxophonist Chris Pitsiokos, who also contributes electronics, backed by electric guitar (Sam Lisabeth), electric bass (Henry Frazer), and drums/more electronics (Jason Nazary). Fourth group album, short at 4 tracks, 32:29, gets a bit overheated toward the end. B+(***)

Aaron Diehl: The Vagabond (2020, Mack Avenue): Pianist, from Columbus, Ohio, fifth album, a solid, thoughtful trio with bass and drums. B+(*)

Expansions: The Dave Liebman Group: Earth (2018 [2020], Whaling City Sound): Plays soprano sax and recorder here. Quintet dates from 2013, fourth album, with members contributing songs: Matt Vashlishan (wind synth), Bobby Avey (piano), Tony Marino (electric bass), Alex Ritz (drums/kanjira), while Liebman ties this to a series of previous albums with other groups: Water (1997), Air (2006), and Fire (2016). B+(*)

Fire! Orchestra: Actions (2018 [2020], Rune Grammofon): Free jazz orchestra, grew from Mats Gustafsson's Fire! trio, picking up a wide swath of mostly Scandinavian avant-jazzers. This is a single 40:01 piece by Krzysztof Penderecki, recorded live at a festival in Krakow. B+(**)

Elliot Galvin: Live in Paris at Fondation Louis Vuitton (2018 [2020], Edition): British pianist, a "young Django Bates" if you like, has appeared on albums recently with Laura Jurd and Binker Golding, goes solo for this one, a bit commandeering. B+(*)

Naama Gheber: Dearly Beloved (2019 [2020], Cellar Music): Standards singer, born in Israel, based in New York, first album, backed by Ray Gallon's piano trio plus Steve Nelson, whose vibraphone gently washes over the nicely done classics. B+(**) [cd] [04-10]

The Good Ones: Rwanda, You Should Be Loved (2019, Anti-): Group from Rwanda, led by singer-guitarist Adrien Kazigira, with Janvier Havugimana and Javan Mahoro adding background vocals and percussion. B+(*)

Alex Goodman: Impressions in Blue and Red (2019 [2020], Outside In Music, 2CD): Guitarist, from Canada, based in New York City, sixth album since 2007. Two discs, two quartets with the same lineups (alto sax, bass, drums) but different musicians. B+(***)

The Haden Triplets: The Family Songbook (2020, Trimeter): The late bassist Charlie Haden's daughters (Petra, Rachel, Tanya), second group album (Tanya has by far the most substantial solo career). Old songs, tight harmony, guitar. B+(**)

Paul Heaton/Jacqui Abbott: Manchester Calling (2020, Virgin EMI): The singer-songwriter star behind my favorite 1990s group, the Beautiful South, and the group's alternate singer (1994-2000). Fourth duo album, occasional blasts of the old songcraft, nothing that's really sunk in given the short time I've allocated -- a far cry the the hundreds of spins I gave Welcome to the Beautiful South (1990) and 0898 Beautiful South (1992). Then comes "A Good Day Is Hard to Find" and I wonder if I've given it short shrift. B+(**)

Lisa Hilton: Chalkboard Destiny (2019, Ruby Slippers): Pianist, from California, two dozen albums since 1997. Quartet with JD Allen (tenor sax), Luques Curtis (bass), and Rudy Royston (drums). Not her first album with Allen, who is an asset here, though not as strong as on his own albums. B+(**)

Idle Hands: Solid Moments (2019 [2020], Posi-Tone): Label artists, assembled by producer Marc Free into a house supergroup: Will Bernard (guitar), Behn Gillece (vibes), Sam Dillon (tenor sax), Art Hirahara (piano), Boris Kozlov (bass), Donald Edwards (drums). Lively mainstream mix. B+(*)

Irreversible Entanglements: Who Sent You? (2019 [2020], International Anthem): Voice and texts by Camae Ayewa, better known as Moor Mother, backed here by a free jazz quartet -- sax (Keir Neuringer) and trumpet (Aquilles Navarro), bass (Luke Stewart) and drums (Tcheser Holmes), with extra percussion from all. A- [bc]

Landgren & Lundgren: Kristallen (2018 [2020], ACT Music): Swedish duo, Nils & Jan, trombone/vocals and piano, active since 1984 and 1993, respectively. Nils' vocals are nothing special, but occasionally touching (e.g., "The Nearness of You"), even though I'd rather hear his trombone. Jan is in both cases a sensitive accompanist. B+(**)

Thomas Marriott: Trumpet Ship (2016 [2020], Origin): Trumpet player, from Seattle, twelfth album, quartet with Orrin Evans (piano), Luques Curtis (bass), and Mark Whitfield Jr. (drums). Title song from Sonny Simmons, most others originals. B+(*) [cd]

Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet: When Angels Fall (2019, WMQ/Agora Muzyka): Polish bassist, at least ten albums since 2008, released an impressive Polka album in 2014, turns here to his country's premier jazz composer, Krzysztof Komeda (1931-69). Quintet with trumpet, tenor sax, piano, and drums. Some remarkable passages here, surprise shifts, maybe a bit much drama. A-

Roscoe Mitchell With Ostravska Banda: Performing Distant Radio Transmission Also Nonaah Trio, Cutouts for Woodwind Quintet and 8.8.88 (2019 [2020], Wide Hive): As the Art Ensemble of Chicago founder and mainstay turns 80 this year, his work is being adapted for various classical ensembles, with his participation. I wish it worked better. B+(*) [03-27]

Shunzo Ohno: Runner (2019 [2020], Pulsebeats): Japanese trumpet player, eighteenth album since 1975, first I've heard, although he has moved in circles I may have crossed, such as his work with Gil Evans. Not seeing any string credits, but his "symphonic vision" is much in evidence. Short (29:45). B [cd] [04-03]

Charles Pillow Ensemble: Chamber Jazz (2019 [2020], Summit): Alto saxophonist, also plays flute and other woodwinds (including oboe and English horn here), often found leading or in big bands. This is billed as a nonet but I count a few extras, even before getting to the strings. Extravagantly lush, gets on my nerves. B

Jure Pukl: Broken Circles (2019 [2020], Whirlwind): Slovenian saxophonist (soprano, tenor, bass clarinet), half-dozen albums since 2010. Quintet with guitar (Charles Altura), vibes (Joel Ross), bass (Matt Brewer) and drums/kalimba (Kweku Sumbry). B+(**)

Tim Shaghoian: Gentle Beacons (2019 [2020], Origin): Tenor saxophonist from California, first album, all originals, nice, highly textural postbop with guitar, piano, bass, and drums. B+(*) [cd]

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

16-17: Phantom Limb (1995-2018 [2020], Trost): Hardcore noise group, sax-bass-guitar-drums, recorded in Switzerland in 1995, vocals dubbed in recently in San Francisco, mixed and mastered by saxophonist Alex Buess (also credited with electronics), and palmed off as metal (on an avant-jazz label). B

Duke Ellington: Uppsala 1971 (1971 [2019], Storyville): Vault tape, a concert in Sweden, with his great 1960s orchestra starting to give way (Johnny Hodges died in 1970, and the only name left from his legendary brass section is Cootie Williams, with Cat Anderson most irreplaceable). Paul Gonsalves gets a nice feature spot, there's a long (and rather messy) "Tone Parallel to Harlem," a "Medley" with vocalists, followed by Money Johnson growling his way through "Hello Dolly." B+(**)

Hank Jones: In Copenhagen: Live at Jazzhus Sklukefter 1983 (1983 [2018], Storyville): Previously unreleased piano-bass-drums trio date from Copenhagen, with Mads Vinding on bass and Shelly Manne on drums. They stretch out on a nice set of standards, including one from Bud Powell and two from Charlie Parker. B+(***) [bc]

Ben Webster: Ben Webster's First Concert in Denmark (1965 [2019], Storyville): Tenor sax great, visited Copenhagen in 1965 and liked it enough to move there. Opens with a bit of solo piano -- Webster's first instrument, and he still pounds out a respectable beat. Then quartet, with Kenny Drew (who had moved to Denmark some years earlier), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pederson (bass), and Alex Riel (drums). His standard fare, from "Pennies From Heaven" to "Cottontail," and as gorgeous as it gets. A- [bc]

Old music:

Jeb Bishop: 98 Duets (1998, Wobbly Rail): Trombonist, based in Chicago, a key member in Vandermark 5. No idea what the title signifies, as I count only 12 duets with 6 partners: Josh Abrams, Hamid Drake, Mats Gustafsson, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Wadada Leo Smith, and Ken Vandermark. No big surprise that this is all fairly marginal. B+(*)

Jeb Bishop Trio: 2009 (2009, Better Animal): Trombone trio, with bass (Jason Roebke) and drums (Frank Rosaly). B+(***)

Jeb Bishop: Three Valentines & Goodbye (2016 [2017], 1980): Solo trombone with "later processing." Gets a little harsh. B [bc]

Dexter Gordon: Atlanta Georgia May 5, 1981 (1981 [2003], Storyville): Tenor sax great, emerged in the 1940s, moved to Europe in 1962, back to US in 1976, recordings thin out quickly after 1980, with his death in 1986, so this live set is rather late. Quartet with Kirk Lightsey (piano), Rufus Reid (bass), and Eddie Gladden (drums). B+(***) [bc]

Archie Shepp/Don Cherry/J.C. Moses/John Tchicai/Don Moore: Archie Shepp & the New York Contemporary Five (1963 [2004], Storyville): Recorded live in Copenhagen four days after the set initially released on Sonet and later on Delmark (2010), with several of the same songs -- this one initially appearing in 1972. Two saxes (Shepp on tenor and Tchicai on alto), cornet, bass, and drums. A-

Archie Shepp/Lars Gullin Quintet: The House I Live In (1963 [1980], SteepleChase): A radio shot from Jazz Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, with the tenor saxophonist early in his career, the baritonist late, Tete Montoliu on piano, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. Four tracks, 9:20 to 19:00, standards, Shepp blowing hard but harder to place the usually swinging Gullin. B+(***)

Ben Webster: At Montmartre 1965-1966 (1965-66 [2003], Storyville): Two quartet sets, NHØP (who else?) on bass for both, Kenny Drew and Alex Riel on the longer (9 songs, 50:51) January 1965 set, Atli Bjørn and Rune Carlsson on 3-song, 22:52 appendix. Common songbook gems, nicely but unexceptionally done. B+(**) [bc]

Ben Webster: In Norway (1970 [2013], Storyville): Live at PUB Trondheim, with a presumably local piano trio -- Tore Sandnaes, Bjørn Alterhaug, Kjell Johansen. Emphasis on ballads, as gorgeous as ever, plus tamer than usual takes on his Elliigton classics, "C Jam Blues" and "Cottontail." B+(**) [bc]

Ben Webster: Live at Stampen Stockholm 1969-1973 (1969-73 [2004], Storyville): Tracks from three sets (2-3 each), all backed with piano-bass-drums (Red Mitchell from 1971, Teddy Wilson and Ed Thigpen in 1973), most with trumpet (Arne Ryskog or Roffe Ericson). Webster died six months after the last session. My impression has long been that he faded a few years before, but he gets quality help here, especially on a 12:43 "Satin Doll." Note that they shuffled the 1971 set to the end, so it ends with the sax up front. B+(***) [bc]

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Vito Dieterle: Anemone (Ride Symbol)
  • Vito Dieterle/Joel Forrester: Status Sphere (Ride Symbol)
  • Amina Figarova: Persistence (AmFi)
  • Grégoire Maret/Romain Collin/Bill Frisell: Americana (ACT Music) [04-24]
  • Vanderlei Pereira and Blindfold Test: Vision for Rhythm (Jazzheads) [05-22]

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, March 16, 2020

Music Week

March archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 32935 [32897] rated (+38), 216 [223] unrated (-7).

Nothing much to say here. We're in a self-imposed lockdown, perhaps related to pandemic fears but with overtones of disappointment and maybe disgust at the world around us. Being "retired," and not uncomfortable, that's a luxury we can afford.

One technical matter I should note is that I've decided to add to the 2020 tracking file and associated lists records released in 2019 that I never noted in the 2019 tracking file. This mostly affects the 2020 metacritic file, which I've been building up to reflect favorable reviews as compiled by various sources -- the first big chunk came from December 2019 releases that Dave Sumner mentioned in his The Best Jazz on Bandcamp: January 2020.

I've always allowed for previous-year records to appear in current lists, especially for items that I received promos of after January 1, or sometimes for records that I simply had no cognizance of until after the calendar rolled over. The first example like that this year was François Carrier's Wide, released in Dec. 2019. I decided a fair test for this would be whether the record appeared in my music tracking list, since that incorporated everything that showed up in any tracked EOY list for 2019 (5170 records in the tracking file; 4912 in the EOY aggregate files). Since I only decided on this course last week, there may be a few records caught in the lurch.

Most of the carryover records were released in late 2019, but technically I'm allowing any unlisted 2019 records to appear in the 2020 lists. That includes the Schlippenbach-Narvesen Duo record below, which I certainly knew existed (but couldn't previously find) but somehow escaped my 2019 lists. (Also Duke Ellington's Uppsala 1971, which we'll deal with next week.) On the other hand, Muriel Grossmann's Reverence, out Dec. 15, 2019, had appeared on a couple of minor 2019 lists, so remains there, despite my "discovery" of it among Sumner's picks. So it's all a bit arbitrary, but is at least a system. (Occurs to me that I could go back into the 2019 list and pull out release dates after Thanksgiving -- Francis Davis's Jazz Critics Poll cutoff -- and include them in both lists. Need to think on that, but that might be the right thing to do.)

Under old music, I did take a flyer on some one Swamp Dogg records, since nearly all of them appear to have cropped up on Napster and/or the artist's Bandcamp. I didn't exactly get done, though I did get a bit exhausted. I'm still a big fan of his 1996 compilation, Best of 25 Years: F*** the Bomb, Stop the Drugs, as well as his 1970 debut, Total Destruction to Your Mind (which, if I recall correctly, didn't even figure in the comp).

Looked for but didn't find the Vol. 1 to go with the Hank Jones vault issue. Was pleased to find a Bandcamp page for an earlier Schlippenbach-Nardesen Duo release, but it only had two "bonus" tracks on it, not enough for a review. They did sound pretty good.

New records reviewed this week:

Steve Beresford & John Butcher: Old Paradise Airs (2019 [2020], Iluso): Avant-jazz duo, Butcher plays soprano and tenor sax, Beresford is credited with piano, objects, electronics -- not his usual kit, but after 40+ years as a gadfly I'm still not sure what is. B+(*) [bc]

Raoul Björkenheim: Solar Winds (2019 [2020], Long Song): Guitarist, born in Los Angeles but mother is Finnish and he grew up there, breaking in with drummer Edward Vesala before starting his fusion group, Krakatau, in 1988, and later, Scorch Trio. Quartet with violin (Emanuele Parrini), bass, and drums, playing six Coltrane tunes and two originals. Exciting to start, wears a bit toward the end. B+(***)

Cornershop: England Is a Garden (2020, Ample Play): British group, Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres, formed in 1991, fused Punjabi influences with electropop, released brilliant albums in 1997 and 2002, to which everything else more or less compares. This sounds much like them, reviving a sound we've been missing. A-

Day Dream: Originals (2019 [2020], Corner Store Jazz): Piano-bass-drums trio: Steve Rudolph, Drew Gress, Phil Haynes. Rudolph wrote four pieces, the others (much better known musicians) three each. Thoughtful, nicely balanced. B+(**) [03-27]

John DiMartino: Passion Flower: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (2019 [2020], Sunnyside): Pianist, tends to look back at the tradition, as he does here, re-examining the usual book of Strayhorn classics. Eric Alexander (tenor sax) is in good form, and the rhythm section -- Boris Kozlov (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums) -- are impeccable. Raul Midón sings "Lush Life." B+(**) [cd] [04-10]

Liberty Ellman: Last Desert (2019 [2020], Pi): Guitar player, was a reputation as a producer, leads a sextet of label regulars -- Steve Lehman (alto sax), Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jose Davila (tuba), Stephan Crump (bass), Damion Reid (drums). Clever postbop, surfaces slipping easily past one another. B+(***) [cd] [03-27]

Fat Tony & Taydex: Wake Up (2020, Carpark, EP): Houston rapper Anthony Jude Obi, father an engineer from Nigeria, has a handful of albums, depending on where you divide the short ones -- e.g., this one has nine tracks, 22:03. Don't know anything about the beat guy, but he earns his keep. B+(***)

Harrison²: Trout in Swimwear (2019 [2020], self-released): Toronto-based quartet, pronounced "Harrison Squared," the group name from Harrison Argatoff (tenor sax) and Harry Vetro (drums), with Mike Murley (tenor sax) and Steve Wallace (bass). Edgy postbop. B+(***) [cdr]

Kirk Knuffke: Brightness: Live in Amsterdam (2020, Royal Potato Family): Trumpet player, straddles avant and mainstream, prolific since 2009, leads a trio with Mark Helias (bass) and Bill Goodwin (drums). B+(*)

Urs Leimgruber/Andreas Willers/Alvin Curran/Fabrizio Spera: Rome-ing (2018 [2019], Leo): Swiss saxophonist (soprano and tenor), thirty-some albums since 1983, backed here with guitar, piano, and drums, from a live date in Rome. Four parts, 68:50, joint improv. B+(**)

Hayoung Lyou: Metamorphosis (2019 [2020], Endectomorph Music): Pianist, born in Korea, studied in Boston, based in New York, first album, quintet with two saxophones (Jasper Dutz on alto and Jacob Shulman on tenor), bass, and drums. Wonni Jung sings one song, similar to but less appealing than the slippery saxes. B+(***) [04-17]

Megan Thee Stallion: Suga (2020, 300 Entertainment, EP): Rapper Megan Pete, quickly follows last year's debug mixtape with a nine-cut, 24:33 EP. A-

Stephen Riley: Oleo (2018 [2019], SteepleChase): Tenor saxophonist, from North Carolina, steady stream of albums since 2005. Quartet with Joe Magnarelli (trumpet), Jay Anderson (bass), and Adam Nussbaum (drums), mostly playing Sonny Rollins songs (4, with "On Green Dolphin Street" and 4 more from Ellington, Coltrane, Charlie Parker, and Gigi Gryce). B+(***)

Caroline Rose: Superstar (2020, New West): Real name, singer-songwriter from Long Island, fourth album, first two country-ish (Napster lists her as "rockabilly revival"), since moved into pop, but title is a stretch. B

Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble: The New Immigrant Experience: Music Inspired by Conversations With Dreamers (2019 [2020], Tapestry, 2CD): Brazilian saxophonist, teaches in Massachusetts, just listed as composer and conductor here, with a full big band at his disposal. He's taken on ambitious projects of late -- The Awakening Orchestra, The Reunion Project -- and this is one of the most sweeping. B+(*) [03-20]

Carl Saunders: Jazz Trumpet (2019 [2020], Summit): Trumpet player, originally from Indianapolis, moved to Los Angeles, played with Stan Kenton, starting a long career of playing in big bands (Bill Holman, Bob Florence, Gerald Wilson, Clare Fischer), straddling a couple decades in Las Vegas. Quartet, backed by piano (Josh Nelson), bass (Chuck Berghofer), and drums (Joe Labarbera), about half originals, the rest bop-friendly standards. Good showcase for a fine trumpet voice. B+(***) [cd]

Schapiro 17: New Shoes: Kind of Blue at 60 (2019 [2020], Summit, 2CD): Big band, Jon Schapiro arranged and conducted, and wrote six pieces to go with five from Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and one from pianist Roberta Piket. Doesn't much remind me of the album, but something mysteriously infectious about it. B+(***) [04-03]

Alexander von Schlippenbach/Dag Magnus Narvesen Duo: Liminal Field (2018 [2019], Not Two): Piano-drums duo, second album together, the Norwegian drummer has impressed repeatedly since 2007. Still less remarkable than the pianist, who "morphs Monk" and more. A- [bc]

Paul Shaw Quintet: Moment of Clarity (2019 [2020], Summit): Drummer, from New Jersey, played in Air Force bands, first albums as leader, wrote all seven pieces, somehow wrangled what I'd call an all-star band: Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), Brad Shepik (guitar), Gary Versace (piano), Drew Gress (bass). B+(***) [cd] [03-27]

Shopping: All or Nothing (2020, FatCat): British post-punk trio, Rachel Aggs sings and plays guitar, fourth album, all good, this short (10 songs, 30:54) one especially reminding me of Gang of Four. A-

Jay Som: Anak Ko (2020, Polyvinyl): Singer-songwriter Melina Mae Duterte, from California, parents Filipino. Fourth album since 2016. Has a quiet, subtle charm. B+(**)

Moses Sumney: Grae: Part 1 (2020, Jagjaguwar): Singer-songwriter from San Bernardino, CA; parents from Ghana, where he moved at age 10, before returning to study at UCLA. Second album, or first half of it (a Part 2 is promised for May). Has opened for Dirty Projectors, and if you imagine them trying to do soul, you might find yourself in his vicinity. B

Swamp Dogg: Sorry You Couldn't Make It (2020, Joyful Noise): Jerry Williams, started out as an Atlantic r&b producer, released a brilliant debut as Swamp Dogg in 1970, and has been fading in and out ever since, his best moments the ones farthest out. Plays it safe here with a round of soulful blues, but lured John Prine in to cameo on two nostalgic ones, which are daring enough. B+(**)

Torres: Silver Tongue (2020, Merge): Singer-songwriter Mackenzie Scott, fourth album since 2013, also writes poetry and short stories, and has a fondness for Broadway theatre. That develops into a density I've never found easy to parse. Not without its appeal, though. B+(*)

Oded Tzur: Here Be Dragons (2019 [2020], ECM): Israeli tenor saxophonist, based in New York, not his first album although this is touted as his "ECM debut." Backed by piano (Nitai Hershkovits), bass (Petros Klampanis), and drums (Johnathan Blake). Originals, ending with a cover ("Can't Help Falling in Love"). Nice balance, piano makes the strongest impression. B+(**)

The United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note: Air Power! (2019 [2020], self-released): Big band, 18 musicians plus Technical Sgt. Paige Wroble singing a couple songs, opens with standards before they bury the originals in the middle. Especially fond of high brass notes and sharp blasts of massed horns, perhaps trying to add a bit of irony to the title. B- [cd]

U.S. Girls: Heavy Light (2020, 4AD): Singer-songwriter Meghan Remy, from Chicago, married a Canadian musician and moved to Toronto in 2010. Seventh album. Read a review that refers to her as "a sound collagist and pop music obsessive," and I can hear more of that than I care to credit. Lots of scattered talk, and occasional heavy riffs. Not unimpressive, but I can't say as I like any of it. B-

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Hank Jones Trio: Live at Jazzhus Slukefter Vol. 2 (1983 [2020], Storyville): The day after Vol. 1, released in 2019, with Jones on piano, Mads Vinding on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. Standards, the pianist's touch as deft as ever. B+(***)

Arthur Russell: Iowa Dream (1974-85 [2019], Audika): Born 1951 in Iowa, died 1992 in New York, age 40, AIDS, at the time little known, mostly as a disco producer and occasional cellist with a couple of obscure records. Soul Jazz Records tried to make a case for him with their 2003 comp, The World of Arthur Russell, and his archives have since yielded a few more albums. This starts off with demos for Paul Nelson at Mercury, trying on the singer-songwriter mode of the time. Undistinguished, until he starts throwing us some curves, like the talkie "Barefoot in New York" (not that they always come close to the plate). B+(*)

Old music:

Marc Benham: Fats Food: Autour De Fats Waller (2016, Frémeaux & Associés): French pianist, first album, solo, mostly Waller pieces, sneaking in four originals. B+(*)

Martin Creed: Thoughts Lined Up (2016, Telephone): Scottish conceptual artist, won the Turner Prize in 2001, third albums since 2012, some more recent singles. Twenty-four short songs, all over the map, some interesting enough to justify Christgau's recent CG discovery, others . . . well, they'd take more work than I feel up to at the moment. B+(***)

Swamp Dogg: 13 Prime Weiners, Everything on It: The Best of Swamp Dogg (1970-76 [2013], Essential Media Group): Originally compiled in 1982 (on War Bride). Six songs from his 1970 debut, Total Destruction to Your Mind, leaving six more good ones, plus seven slightly later songs from Gag a Maggot (1973) and/or Greatest Hits (1976, nothing from the debut). His 1995 Best of 25 Years is a broader overview, but this covers a period when he was erratic but could be intensely soulful (as well as funny). A-

Swamp Dogg: You Ain't Never Too Old to Boogie (1976 [2013], Essential Music Group): Originally recorded by Vee-Jay and released on DJM in 1976. Sound is rather shoddy, but with organ and horns doesn't need much finesse. Songs are crude, too, from "It's a Bitch" to his epitaph-to-date, "I Had a Ball (I Did It All)." B+(**)

Swamp Dogg: Don't Give Up on Me: The Lost Country Album (1976 [2013], Essential Music Group): No info on when this was recorded, why it was "lost," or who found it. The "digitally remastered" CD is available at retailers, and it's on most streaming platforms, but hasn't been entered into the discographies at Discogs, Musicbrainz, or AMG. I did find them on The Excellent Sides of Swamp Dogg Vol. 5 (2007), attributed to "unreleased country album 'The Mercury Record'," following You Ain't Never Too Old to Boogie (1976), but couldn't find a Vol. 6 to pin the date down. Nine songs, runs 31 minutes, the title from Solomon Burke, no obvious country covers or production, but one song (evidently an original) is "He Don't Like Country Music (And He Hates Little Kids)." B+(*)

Swamp Dogg: Finally Caught Up With Myself (1977 [2013], Essential Music Group): Originally released by Musicor in the label's last days (only 4 more albums in the 2500 series, the last A Piece of the Rock by Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes Starring Sir Monty Rock III. This one was attributed to Swamp Dogg & the Riders of the New Funk. Dabbles with funk and disco and winds up just a bit smoother than before. Among the puzzles: "Understanding California Women" (which he doesn't). B+(*)

Swamp Dogg: An Opportunity . . . Not a Bargain!!! (1977 [2013], Essential Music Group): Originally on Wizzard Ltd., recycles eight (of nine) songs from You Ain't Never Too Old to Boogie (1976), adding two new ones: "Shafts Mama" (a funny spin-off) and "Let's Do It Again" (and again and again). B+(***)

Swamp Dogg: Swamp Dogg (1981 [2013], Essential Music Group): Released on Wizard in 1981 and/or ALA in 1982. Five cuts, 34:39, most stretched out with disco grooves -- I keep expecting "Salty Dog" to morph into "YMCA." B

Swamp Dogg: Resurrection (2007 [2013], Essential Music Group): Originally on SDEG Records. Jump forward and he gets political, starting with "In a Time of War Who Wins" and asking "What kind of fool were we to let them crown an idiot king?" More on race too, including the 12:05 title song, a rant I don't feel like enduring again, even if I can respect the anger. B

Grade (or other) changes:

Gerald Beckett: Mood (2019 [2020], Pear Orchard): [cd]: erroneously listed label as Summit: B

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Naama Gheber: Dearly Beloved (Cellar Music) [04-10]
  • Thomas Marriott: Trumpet Ship (Origin) [03-20]
  • Tim Shaghoian: Gentle Beacons (Origin) [03-20]

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Music Week

March archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 32897 [32856] rated (+41), 223 [244] unrated (-21).

Close to a year ago, an old friend approached me about creating a game that hopefully would help torpedo Joe Biden's presidential run, mostly by exposing and publicizing many of the dastardly deeds he has been party to. My friend offered to put some money up, and I got him in contact with a game designer and offered to help on tech questions, but I wasn't very enthusiastic about the project. Not sure what exactly my feelings were: on the one hand, I figured Biden would fall apart as a viable candidate without any push from me; on the other hand, I had a vague sense of wanting to stay aloof from the fray, so while I was pretty certain that Sanders was my favorite, I've tried not to judge any of the other candidates harshly, figuring the best thing was to let the campaign play out. That other hand seems to be playing out now, and I'm finding it rather depressing.

Michigan votes tomorrow. In 2016 Clinton was heavily favored there, but Sanders pulled out an upset victory, which helped keep his campaign credible through the rest of the primaries. Sanders had taken over the polling lead there in early February, and has steadily built up his share ever since (from 23.8% to 31.6%), but in the last few days Biden has opened up a huge lead, currently polling 54.8% (from a low of 17.0% on Feb. 24, just 14 days ago). And that's just the average: one poll has him leading 65% to 24%.

Nationwide polling, which had Sanders in first place from Feb. 11 (22.0% to 21.6% for Biden, 13.5% for Warren, 12.7% for Bloomberg, 9.0% for Buttigieg, 3.7% for Klobuchar) through March 3 (29.0% to 18.1%) has now flipped all the way to 51.6% for Biden to 33.5% for Sanders. That's pushed FiveThirtyEight's Democratic Primary odds for Biden up to 99 in 100, effectively declaring Biden the inevitable winner. But isn't this all very peculiar? It's remarkable that Sanders increased his polling share while he was on top, and has continued to increase them even as Biden shot past him. Biden hasn't gained any ground from Sanders. He's merely swept up everyone else.

Still, you have to wonder, how much do people really know (or for that matter care) about Biden? As Vice President, he rarely (if ever) had an opportunity to voice his own opinion on anything. His Senate career is public record, but little publicized and mostly forgotten. His plagiarism scandal is ancient history. And while Republicans are going to make hay out of his family's efforts to make money off his career, his fellow Democrats did little to air the issue. Indeed, in the last two weeks the only Democrats who had to face much criticism were Sanders and Bloomberg. When he did face some scrutiny, back in Iowa and New Hampshire, he took a beating.

I doubt my friend's game would have shifted public opinion, but you have to wonder about how uninformed his new supporters are, and whether knowing more would have made any difference. It feels like they were stampeded by their fear of Trump into making a decision they're likely to regret. I'm feeling the regret now, big time. For more personal reasons, I've been pretty bummed out for a while now, which has only gotten worse considering this wave. I started working on yesterday's Weekend Roundup post on Thursday, and it was a hard, cruel slog. All year I've been viewing this election through my "four eras" model, where the Reagan-to-Trump era is held to be ending, replaced by a dramatically new era. A defining characteristic of political eras is that opposition parties tend to think like the dominant ones. Clinton and Obama were remarkable politicians, but they inevitably danced to the Republicans' tune. I didn't require that the new era be ushered in by a leader as different as Sanders, but I did think that the one candidate least able to make the transition was Biden, as he was the most thoroughly ingrained with Reagan-era thinking. Biden's nomination means that my big idea has turned from hopeful to tragic. Here we had this tremendous opportunity to turn things around, and squandered it by nominating the one candidate least able to make the break -- even assuming he beats Trump to get the chance.

If Biden continues to win like this, I'm tempted so say I'm done with politics. I'll vote for Biden against Trump in November, and I'll vote for local Democrats (unless Vern Miller runs again, which is pretty unlikely). But I don't see what else I have to offer. I may go back to the drawing board and write some long-term (which is to say utopian) political essays. But political analysis for the foreseeable future is going to turn on questions of mass delusion -- not just last week's Biden surge, but similarly irrational turns like the one that elected Trump in 2016. (Hint: in both cases, the surge occurs at the same time the candidate is largely hidden, the decisive negative focus pointed elsewhere, and the media unclear on how it's being played.)

Quite a few records this week, with close to half of them coming from my promo queue, which I cut in half. Such attention was overdue, but I was also having trouble figuring out which records to look up on Napster and Bandcamp, so in some ways this was just easier. Not as many finds this week as last, but three A- records is a pretty average week.

Was delighted to get some promos from the Polish label Fundacja Sluchaj, then disappointed that they turned out to be rather marginal. I also received a copy of Georg Graewe/Ernst Reijseger/Gerry Hemingway: Concertgebouw Brugge 2014, which I had previously graded B+(**) based on their Bandcamp stream. I reviewed 15 of their records in 2019 -- the only A- was Agustí Fernandez: One Night at the Joan Miró Foundation, with Awatair: Awatair Plays Coltrane, Brad Barrett: Cowboy Transfiguration, and François Carrier: Nirguna at B+(***). A- records from previous years: Barry Guy: Barry Guy @ 70 (2018), and Evan Parker/RGG: Live @ Alchemia (2017).

Shouldn't be so hard to identify new records worth streaming now that I have my 2020 metacritic file up and running. I'm tracking all but the metal grade lists (80+) on AOTY and Metacritic (but looking less often at the latter, as it takes more work). I'm also factoring in a few other review sources (including All About Jazz, Downbeat, and Free Jazz Collective) and lists (like Phil Overeem's latest), and I've started to look at Bandcamp's guides. The latter got me to thinking about 2019 releases that only got noticed after January 1. In recent years I've been very hard-assed about filing them in their calendar years, but if I do that I lose track of them. Besides, EOY lists (including Jazz Critics Poll) are almost always slightly out of sync with the calendar. I finally decided the rule should be: any late 2019 record that didn't get any points in the 2019 EOY Aggregate will be counted as new in the 2020 list. Of course, that means I have to go back to a few reviews that I initially skipped, so things are a bit inconsistent at the moment.

New records reviewed this week:

Bad Bunny: YHLQMDLG (2020, Rimas): Puerto Rican reggaeton rapper Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, third album (counting last year's one with J Balvin), acronym stands for "Yo hago lo que me da la gana" ("I do what I want"). B+(**)

Gerald Beckett: Mood (2019 [2020], Summit): Flute player, half-dozen albums since 2004, wrote four (of nine) pieces here, covers other postbop jazz musicians (Barron, Mabern, Marsalis, Chestnut, Ron Carter) to take out his own mainstream turf. B [cd]

Boogat: El Gato Y Los Rumberos (2020, Ray-On, EP): Daniel Russo Garrido, born in Montreal, parents from Mexico (and Paraguay?), dozen albums since 2004, sings and raps in Spanish (and French?). Title cut jumps, but slips elsewhere. Five songs, 20:22. B

Benjamin Boone With the Ghana Jazz Collective: Joy (2019 [2020], Origin): Saxophonist, teaches in Fresno, CA; has two very good records with poet Philip Levine. Got a Fulbright Scholar ticket to Ghana, where he put this ambitious group together. Strikes me as excessive on many counts, which makes it hard to hear the trad fusion concepts. B [cd] [03-20]

Caribou: Suddenly (2020, Merge): Dan Snaith, from Canada, started in laptronica, more electropop now, fifth album as Caribou (other names he's used are Manitoba and Daphni). B+(**)

François Carrier/Tomek Gadecki/Marcik Bozek/Michel Lambert: Wide (2018 [2019], FMR): Alto sax/drums duo, one of my favorites, goes to Poland, picks up a second saxophonist (Gadecki, on tenor) and a bassist (Bozek, who also plays French horn). The result is a freewheeling riot, a bit too much for me, although when I can pick Carrier out, he sounds as sharp as ever. B+(***) [cd]

Brandy Clark: Your Life Is a Record (2020, Warner): Country singer-songwriter, third album, more or less as good as the first two. Picks up a surprise duet partner (Randy Newman) on her most political song ("Bigger Boat"). A-

Jeremy Cunningham: The Weather Up There (2020, Northern Spy): Drummer, based in Chicago, originally from Cincinnati, second album, in a number of projects, ranging from a duo with Dave Rempis to crossover efforts. This starts with his quartet -- Josh Johnson (alto sax/bass clarinet), Jeff Parker (guitar), and Matt Ulery (bass, although Paul Bryan takes over for 4 songs here) -- then adds guests, including his Chicago Drum Choir (with Makaya McCraven and Mike Reed), Jamie Branch (trumpet), Ben LaMar Gay (vocals/electronics), Dustin Laurenzi (tenor sax), and Tomeka Reid (cello). B+(**)

Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats: Unlocked (2020, Loma Vista, EP): Florida rapper, four albums since 2013, produced by Kenneth Blume III, tied into a 24-minute short film. Eight tracks, 17:52. B+(*)

Davido: A Good Time (2019, RCA): David Adedeji Adeleke, born in Atlanta but parents are Nigerian, his father a prince and a billionaire business magnate (his company is called Pacific Holdings Limited). He grew up in Nigeria, attending elite schools in Lagos, college in the US, then after his interest turned to music he moved to London. Closer to neo-soul than to afrobeat, but his mix of beats and production glitz serves him well. B+(***)

Sarah Elgeti Quartet With Friends: Dawn Comes Quietly (2019 [2020], Gateway Music): Danish tenor saxophonist, also plays flute and bass clarinet, several previous albums. Writes lyrics as well as music, sung here by Sidsel Storm. One title is "A Lot of People -- A Lot of Sad Stories." Most in Danish, I presume, but sad, sure. B [cd]

Vincent Glanzmann/Gerry Hemingway: Composition O (2017 [2020], Fundacja Sluchaj): Two percussionists, some electronics, voice, harmonica; joint composition, runs 36:33 in 6 parts. Limited palette, but consistently interesting. B+(***) [cd]

Joyce Grant: Surrounded by Blue (2019 [2020], Craftedair/Blujazz): Standards singer, but three (of eight) songs are by pianist Douglas McKeehan, and the others aren't all that standard ("My Baby Just Cares for Me," "Help"). B [cd]

Wolfgang Haffner: Kind of Tango (2019 [2020], ACT Music): German drummer, several dozen albums since 1989, this billed as the third entry in a "Kind of . . ." trilogy. Three Astor Piazzolla tunes are more than kind of, but the band's originals are less. With guitar (Ulf Wakenius), accordion, piano, vibes, and bass/cello (Lars Danielson). B

JC Hopkins Biggish Band: New York Moment (2019 [2020], Twee-Jazz): Pianist, third album with this group, has done some producing on the side. Band is big enough (about ten pieces), not counting five vocalists that lean toward cabaret. Odd song out here is the one cover (and one instrumental), a super-hot take of Mingus' "Better Git It in Your Soul." B+(**) [cd] [04-05]

Christopher Icasiano: Provinces (2018 [2020], Origin): Filipino-American percussionist from Seattle suburbs, not sure if he was born in US or immigrated, but works some Filipino field recordings into this debut solo effort (after a couple records with/as Bad Luck), along with synthesizer and shells. Too ambient too much of the time, but has some moments. B [cd]

Charles Lloyd: 8: Kindred Spirits (Live From the Lobero) (2018 [2020], Blue Note): Tenor saxophonist, quintet -- Julian Lage (guitar), Gerald Clayton (piano), Reuben Rogers (bass), Eric Harland (drums) -- celebrating his 80th birthday. Available in a deluxe box with 3-LP, 2-CD, DVD, and 96-page hardcover book, but all I've heard is a 4-track, 59:47 stream. Doesn't strike me as something special, although his sax is still a source of delight. B+(**)

Paul Lytton/Nate Wooley: Known/Unknown (2018 [2020], Fundacja Sluchaj): Drums-trumpet duo, Lytton from the late 1960s a key figure in the European avant-garde, mostly in groups led by others (e.g., Evan Parker, Barry Guy, Alexander von Schlippenbach, later on Ken Vandermark). Wooley is 27 years younger, attracted to those same leaders, prolific since 2005. Three cuts, 77:09, both add some minor electronics, with not much obviously happening for long stretches. Ends with a nice stretch. B+(*) [cd]

Denise Mangiardi: Brown Book (2019 [2020], Alice's Loft Music): Singer-songwriter, based in London although she started in New York and studied at Berklee, has composed classical works ("3 full-scale orchestral works as well as many chamber pieces"). Added words to a Monk piece, wrote the rest, employing well known jazz musicians (Mark Soskin on piano, saxophonists are Tony Dagradi, Dave O'Higgins, and Jerry Bergonzi), with strings by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra. B+(**) [cd]

Joe McPhee/John Edwards/Klaus Kugel: A Night in Alchemia (2018 [2020], Not Two): Leader credited with trumpet and saxophones, backed by bass and drums, a live set from Krakow, Poland. The sort of powerhouse performance he always seems capable of. A-

Pat Metheny: From This Place (2020, Nonesuch): Jazz guitarist, gained a popular following with his fusion work (RIP Lyle Mays) although he's often ventured elsewhere. This is rather expansive, with groove and texture, even the Hollywood Studio Symphony. B+(*)

Nutria: Meeting in Progress (2019 [2020], Ears & Eyes): Byron Asher, originally from Maryland, based in New Orleans, plays tenor sax, clarinet, and bass clarinet. With his large Scrontch Music group, released a well-regarded album last year. This group is a trio with bass (Trey Boudreaux) and drums (Shawn Myers). They keep it tighter, more intimate. B+(***) [cd]

Agnes Obel: Myopia (2019 [2020], Blue Note): Danish singer-songwriter, fourth album, wouldn't put much weight on that it's on a jazz label, or that it's also distributed by Deutsche Grammophon. She plays keyboards, augmented by violin and cello. Has a haunting ambience to it. B+(**)

Kassa Overall: I Think I'm Good (2020, Brownswood): Jazz drummer, from Seattle, based in Brooklyn, also plays hip-hop, which seems closer to the mark here until you notice that most of the "feat." entries are for jazz musicians (Joel Ross, Theo Croker, Sullivan Fortner, Aaron Parks, Vijay Iyer -- on a tribute to Geri Allen). B+(*)

Keith Oxman: Two Cigarettes in the Dark (2018 [2020], Capri): Denver-based tenor saxophonist, sixth album since 1995, joined here by Houston Person (tenor sax) on six (of ten) cuts, backed by piano (Jeff Jenkins), bass, and drums. Three Oxman originals, one from Jenkins. Annette Murrell sings two songs. Mainstream with a lot of terrific-sounding sax. B+(***) [03-20]

Jonah Parzen-Johnson: Imagine Giving Up (2020, We Jazz): Baritone saxophonist, based on Brooklyn, half-dozen albums since 2012. This one appears to be solo (and not for the first time), playing over electronic rhythm tracks. B+(**)

Gloria Reuben & Marty Ashby: For All We Know (2018 [2020], MCG Jazz): Canadian standards singer, better known as an actress (mostly TV, but was in the movie Lincoln), also wrote a memoir. May be her first album. Ashby is a guitarist, and arranged these songs, mostly taking them slow and steady. B+(**) [cd]

Reverso [Frank Woeste/Vincent Courtois/Ryan Keberle]: The Melodic Line (2019 [2020], Out Note): Chamber jazz: piano, cello, trombone. As with the group's 2018 debut (Suite Ravel), they draw inspiration from modern classical composers (in this case Les Six, a group including Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc). B+(*) [cd]

Suzanna Ross: Is Bewitched* . . . *Not Bothered, Not Bewildered (2019 [2020], self-released): Standards singer, first album. Title song is the theme to the Elizabeth Montgomery TV show (1964-72), not the Rodgers & Hart classic, so you can't complain the title wasn't explicit enough. Other picks are less obscure, aside from two in French. Pianist Gregory Toroian produced and arranged, and is backed by bass and drums. B [cd] [03-20]

Chanda Rule + Sweet Emma Band: Hold On (2018 [2020], Blujazz/PAO): Jazz singer, rooted in gospel and soul, added lyrics to several trad songs (7/9 credited to Trad, the other "I'll Fly Away" and "Come Sunday"). Has some blues spunk, and horns. B+(**) [cd]

The Secret Sisters: Saturn Return (2020, New West): Sisters Laura and Lydia Rogers, from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, fourth album since 2010. Nice harmonies, inspirational closer. B+(*)

Sestetto Internazionale: Live in Munich 2019 (2019 [2020], Fundacja Sluchaj): Italian group name, but only one Italian in line up: Gianni Mimmo (soprano sax). The others are Alison Blunt (violin, British, born in Kenya), Achim Kaufmann (piano, German), Veli Kujala (quartet tone accordion, Finnish), Ignaz Schick (turntables/sampler, German), and Harri Sjöström (soprano and sopranino sax, Finnish). Has its chamber jazz air, but broken up, especially with the electronics adding surprising percussion. B+(***) [cd]

Sløtface: Sorry for the Late Reply (2020, Nettwerk): Norwegian punk/pop group, Haley Shea sings, co-writes with guitarist Tor-Arne Vikingstad, originally called Slutface (new spelling keeps old pronunciation). Second album. Could be prophetic. B+(***)

Curt Sydnor: Deep End Shallow (2019 [2020], Out of Your Head): Keyboard player, based in Richmond [VA], Google lists him as "progressive rock," his own self-description as "a different kind of jazz" is more credible but hardly more inspiring. Come to think of it, I can imagine his rave-ups filling the dead space in a Yes album, but they'd disrupt the chill. B- [cdr] [03-20]

The Third Mind: The Third Mind (2020, Yep Roc): Legend has it that Teo Macero's formula for producing Miles Davis albums was "gather great musicians in a studio, pick a key and a groove and then record everything live over several days." Then edit and shape those improvs into compositions. Dave Alvin decided to try working like that, with Victor Krummenacher (bass), David Immerglück (guitar/keybs), Michael Jerome (drums), and "special guest" Jesse Sykes (guitar). The latter provides a vocal, as do most of the others, on most of the songs, lest you think they've done a jazz record. Still, great to hear Alvin's distinctive guitar stretch out. And as songs go, those are pretty good, too. A-

Waclaw Zimpel: Massive Oscillations (2020, Ongehoord): Polish clarinetist, varied catalog since 2008. Mostly electronics here, rendering the title literal, toned down for the last piece, which adds guest bass and voice. B+(**)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Brent Jensen: The Sound of a Dry Martini: Remembering Paul Desmond (2001 [2020], Origin): Alto saxophonist, reissue of his first album, recorded live at the Bakery in North Hollywood, quartet with guitar (Jamie Findlay), bass, and drums. Three Desmond songs (including a terrific "Take Five"), seven more standards. Nice way to start a career. B+(**)

New Stories: Speakin' Out (1999 [2020], Origin): Seattle-based piano-bass-drums trio, with Marc Seales, Doug Miller, and John Bishop; recorded four albums 1994-2001 (counting one headlined by Lynn Bush). Bonus here is tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts, who guests on five (of nine) tracks, and blows everyone away. B+(***) [cd]

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Daniel Bingert: Berit in Space (Moserobie) [03-13]
  • Roscoe Mitchell With Ostravska Banda: Performing Distant Radio Transmission Also Nonaah Trio, Cutouts for Woodwind Quintet and 8.8.88 (Wide Hive) [03-27]

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Music Week

March archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 32856 [32823] rated (+33), 244 [245] unrated (-1).

[PS: Made some changes below, fixing a bad typo, and noting that Buttigieg (as well as Klobuchar) has endorsed Biden. Beto O'Rourke has also endorsed Biden.]

Might as well sweep up some loose ends missed from yesterday's Weekend Roundup, starting with Amy Klobuchar drops out of the 2020 presidential race. I didn't expect this until after Super Tuesday, where she still had a chance to win her home state, Minnesota. Instead, she's headed to Dallas to endorse Joe Biden. She may figure this "bold move" puts her in good stead to become Biden's VP pick, but I doubt there's a deal: the nomination is still pretty far off, so Biden needs to reserve his options, and she's really not that important.

When I started writing about Dylan Matthews' If anti-Bernie Democrats were serious, they'd unite around Joe Biden right now, it was still just a piece of armchair quarterbacking. I figured all the candidates had already sunk so many resources into Super Tuesday -- just three days after South Carolina, and tomorrow as I write -- that the sensible thing for all to do would be to let that play out. That Steyer, who had focused hard on South Carolina, saw his third-place finish as the end there wasn't a big surprise, but Buttigieg and Klobuchar never had a prayer in South Carolina, and could easily have waved away their inevitable failures there. (Buttigieg finished a respectable fourth there, with 8.25%, ahead of Warren's 7.06%. Admittedly, Klobuchar's 6th place 3.15% was a pretty poor showing.)

The main, and perhaps the only, reason candidates drop out of the presidential race is the money dries up. Steyer had his own money, so we can fairly assume he made his own decision. But Buttigieg and Klobuchar were dependent on donors, and big donors at that, so they were finished as soon as their donors' calculations drifted elsewhere. Indeed, both coupled their withdrawals with endorsements of Biden -- even though Buttigieg's donors seemed closer to Bloomberg, who having sunk a lot of money into Super Tuesday is still in the race. Still, part of the calculation here is recognition that Bloomberg has failed to establish himself as anywhere near as effective a candidate as Biden -- a pretty low bar. Assuming the polls are correct that Biden beats Bloomberg everywhere, you'll hear a lot next week about how Bloomberg split the "moderate" vote, putting pressure on him to drop out soon. After all, Bloomberg got into the race for fear that Biden would stumble. He was right that Biden did, but himself proved to be even more hapless.

In some circles, you'll also hear complaints about Warren splitting the progressive vote. (E.g., Sarah Jones: The most progressive thing Warren can do is leave the race.) It's certainly the case that if she can't win Massachusetts (and/or her native state of Oklahoma) it's hard to imagine where else she could win. While in theory she could still be a compromise pick at a deadlocked convention, I doubt that having lost everywhere is going to persuade delegates whose prime concern is nominating a candidate who can beat Trump. Still, I have to respect that she's not caving in on the eve of the big election -- even if all that shows is that her donors aren't as fickle as the ones who decided that Biden's 49% in South Carolina -- a state he's polled over 60% in most of last year -- makes him a juggernaut. And, frankly, her spirited evisceration of Bloomberg earns respect, even from those of us who prefer Sanders. Bloomberg may be trying to buy votes from the "moderate lane" but he's really just a "Never Trump" Republican, and his nomination would be the end of the Democratic Party as a source of hope for the vast majority of Americans.

We'll know more in a couple days. By the end of the week, the race may be down to just Sanders and Biden, to be decided over the next few months in large battleground states from New York to Illinois. Those split only slightly in favor of Clinton in 2016, with Clinton winning in party strongholds (like NYC and Chicago) and Sanders everywhere else. Sanders is better organized this year. Clinton and Biden have various tradeoffs, which don't necessarily favor one or the other.

I didn't write much about coronavirus yesterday, but we should stress one key point: while many health issues are non-contagious, and therefore even systemic failure only has piecemeal effects, this sort of contagious pandemic affects not just the individuals who get sick, but also the public that interacts with them. Therefore, this puts exceptional emphasis on public health. The US, where illness is most often seen as little more than an opportunity for business to exploit, is especially ill-prepared for this -- and would be even if the people who in charge of the public response weren't ridiculously incompetent, especially at the Trump-Pence level. (Nonetheless, I did feel it was premature to point out pieces like this one: Ryu Spaeth: The coronavirus is Trump's worst nightmare.

The virus has exposed another pretty major systemic weakness, starting with the stock market crash last week. For more on this, see Charlie Warzel: Coronavirus will test our new way of life. As Warzel explains, the search for extreme economic efficiency has left most businesses with fragile supply lines, so local disruptions quickly hit other locations, or even become global shortages.

I expected to find more pieces on the prevalence of "irritable mental gestures" at this year's CPAC, but most must have already vanished in the blogroll scrolls. Here's one I missed, touching on themes I did notice: Osita Nwanevu: At CPAC, the socialists are coming to get you.

Back to music, an exceptional number of A- records this week, all (but one) in the "new music" domain. Three came from my queue (Kenny Barron, Al Gold, TorbjÖrn Zetterberg). One was a leftover from December 2019 that only showed up in Dave Sumner's January edition of The best jazz on Bandcamp. There is quite a bit of back catalog by Muriel Grossmann, so I should probably search further, but it's also possible that Llorenç Barceló's organ is what made the difference this time. Guitarist Ross Hammond was known to me, but looks like he has a bunch of records I've also missed.

Of the others, the late rapper Mac Miller's swansong is the biggest surprise, and the only record here that's been widely praised. (Well, further down the list there's Grimes, and further still Destroyer, 070 Shake, J Hus, and Beatrice Dillon.) The Evan Parker/Paul Lytton duo is the third straight A- from Intakt -- but the Tim Berne Snakeoil, despite the return of Marc Ducret from his best-ever period, didn't quite make it four straight. I suppose I should have resisted Waco Brothers' retreads, but couldn't. Stuck in my brain ever since: "$ Bill the Cowboy." [PS: Only after my initial draft did I figure out that these are reissues instead of remakes.]

I did an update to Robert Christgau's website last week, then didn't get around to making a public announcement (beyond the one on the website itself), or even my promised update to the "tech" mailing list. Added to the website are all the pieces from And It Don't Stop subscription newsletter. We had always planned on adding them sooner or later, but it proved difficult to nail down just when (even after I went ahead and did it). As subscribers know, some content there is restricted to those who pay for it ($5 per month), and some is free. I believe you can subscribe to just get the free stuff, but haven't tested that. The restricted material is primarily the new Consumer Guides, as they demand by far the most work to research and write, so it was felt that they should be withheld for a fairly long period, so subscribers get a sense of exclusivity for their money. The number they came up with is eight months, so I locked that in to the Consumer Guide columns. It was also (eventually) decided to embargo the free material for one month, but that happened after my update, so what got through is already unlocked. In the future, I'll apply the one-month lock on free articles, but not on Xgau Sez, because it's easiest (for now) just to plug it into the pre-existing unlocked framework.

A couple more technical details. I added an And It Don't Stop menu selection under "Writings," which leads you to a directory where most of the free articles reside (exceptions are Xgau Sez, 2019 Dean's List, and Consumer Guides (currently stubs, which will unlock when the time comes). I added a feature to the directory index code to pick up descriptions (copied from the article subheds) and add them to the listing, which should make it easier to identify articles. It also adds a HMTL "meta description" declaration, which may help Google (and others) with their indexing. The same format could be used for adding "meta keywords" declarations, but I'm not doing that yet. The changed code is commonly used throughout the site, so one could go back through the thousand-plus articles and use it to add descriptions and/or keywords -- a daunting but not impossible task. (One reason I did it here was that Christgau had already written text that I could use for the purpose.)

I've also added And It Don't Stop entries to the Bibliography, which gives you a serial index by date. Long ago I had planned to eventually replace these flat files with database queries, which would be more flexible for searching by date, publication, maybe even subject or keywords. Never did that, and didn't even bother imposing the five-year chunk rule to what used to be "2010-2014" (but now is "2010-" and continuing to grow). We would be better off if we did all of the indexing from the database, but I keep dragging my feet on the project, so it remains conceptual.

I haven't added the new consumer guide entries to the database yet. It appears as though they, too, have to be timelocked, so anything I did now wouldn't be visible to you for another 4-5 months. The obvious way to do this is to modify the SQL code to pull out the "ent_date" table entry, then write some PHP code to drop the review and grade on entries less than eight months old. I'd have to track down all of the places where this code exists (probably 10-20), standardize the tables, and pass them through a filter to enforce the timelock. Not hard, but I haven't yet finished converting all of the database code to work with PHP 7, so that needs to be done at the same time.

One thing I'd like to do at the same time is to grab a list of newsletter subscribers and use it to validate users, so subscribers can see the latest reviews on the website as well as via And It Don't Stop. Substack doesn't seem to have any useful API for this, so I'd have to hack something less dynamic. Not impossible, but a fair bit of learning curve (e.g., it would require use of cookies, something I've avoided so far).

It bothers me that I've made so little progress on this project. The last few weeks have been especially depressing, extending several months of lethargy. I keep thinking that once I finish the weekly posts, I'll get to doing some real work. Will see what happens tomorrow.

New records reviewed this week:

070 Shake: Modus Vivendi (2020, GOOD Music/Def Jam): Hip-hop singer-songwriter Danielle Balbuena, from New Jersey, first album (after a mixtape and an EP). B+(**)

Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band: Just Like Moby Dick (2020, Paradise of Bachelors): Singer-songwriter from the western fringe of country, born in Wichita, grew up in Lubbock (title of his 1979 album, probably his best), has a reputation as a visual artist as well as over a dozen albums. B+(***)

Kenny Barron/Dave Holland Trio Featuring Johnathan Blake: Without Deception (2019 [2020], Dare2): Piano-bass-drums trio, on Holland's label, crediting him as producer. Credits favor Barron 4-2, with covers of Ellington, Monk, Mulgrew Miller, and Sumi Tonooka -- pianists all (Miller was Barron's partner for The Art of Piano Duo: Live, and Tonooka was one of his assistants at Rutgers, and a brilliant pianist in her own right). One of those rare piano trios where everything seems just right. A- [cd] [03-06]

Antoine Berjeaut: Moving Cities (2017 [2019], I See Colors): French trumpet player, third album, cover proclaims "produced by Makaya McCraven." The drummer also share composition credits, and many sources give him top-line co-credit, merited far beyond his beats. B+(**)

Tim Berne's Snakeoil: The Fantastic Mrs. 10 (2019 [2020], Intakt): Alto saxophonist, debut in 1979, released four albums on ECM with this group -- Oscar Noriega (clarinets), Matt Mitchell (piano), Ches Smith (drums), replacing Ryan Ferreira with Marc Ducret at guitar (Ducret played with Berne on many 1991-2007 albums). A bit too much clutter for my taste, but a lot of talent, with a few amazing stretches. B+(***)

Calle Loiza Jazz Project: There Will Never Be Another You (2019 [2020], self-released): Latin jazz group, from Puerto Rico, reunites a quartet first formed in 1990 -- listed first is either pianist Mark Monts de Oca or drummer Jimmy Rivera -- with ample reinforcements. B+(**) [cd]

Chicago Farmer: Flyover Country (2020, Chicago Farmer): Folksinger-songwriter Cody Dieckhoff, grew up in the small farming community of Delavan, Illinois, wound up unassimilated in Chicago, covers Hank Williams (an eery "Ramblin Man"), cites John Prine as his model. Seventh album, including a live one from 2018 that Christgau recommended and I was unable to find. Takes pride in dirty uniforms, disparages $13 beer, invokes the Mississippi Delta. A-

Destroyer: Have We Met (2020, Merge): Vancouver BC band, principally singer-songwriter Dan Bejar, twelfth album since 1996, who also lurks in the background of New Pornographers. Some nice touches here and elsewhere, but ultimately never enough to make me care. B+(*)

Beatrice Dillon: Workaround (2017-19 [2020], Pan): British electronica, mostly beats ("a hypnotic series of polymetric permutations at a fixed 1150bpm tempo"). B+(**)

Yelena Eckemoff: Nocturnal Animals (2018 [2020], L&H Production, 2CD): Russian pianist, got a good education in classical music before moving to US in 1991, where her interests eventually turned to jazz (especially from 2009 forward). Recorded this one in Oslo with all-stars Arild Andersen on bass and Jon Christensen and Thomas Strønen on drums. B+(**) [cd]

Nick Finzer: Cast of Characters (2019 [2020], Outside In Music): Trombonist, from Rochester, based in New York (although he seems to have a connection to UNT), several albums, this a sleek postbop sextet with Lucas Pino (reeds), guitar, piano, bass, and drums. B+(*)

Al Gold: Al Gold's Paradise (2019 [2020], self-released): Bluesman from New Jersey, plays guitar and mandolin, sings, writes his own songs. Don't know much about him other than that he organizes block parties and jams. Sounds old and gritty enough for the blues, even with his light touch. Roped some jazz musicians into his project, including Dave Stryker and Jared Gold. A- [03-06]

Grimes: Miss Anthropocene (2020, 4AD): Canadian pop singer-songwriter Claire Boucher, born in Vancouver, studied in Montreal, fifth studio album since 2010. Hard to get a firm handle on this, as it gets hard and even a bit noisy toward the end, but is likely to grow on you. B+(***)

Muriel Grossmann: Reverence (2019, RR Gems): Saxophonist (soprano/alto/tenor), born in Paris, grew up in Austria, based in Ibiza (Spain), eleventh album since 2007. Quintet with guitar, organ, bass, and drums: long, sinewy groove pieces with cosmic dust, reminiscent of Coltrane at his (or her) most spiritual (do I detect a bit of uncredited harp?). A- [bc]

Ross Hammond/Oliver Lake/Mike Pride: Our Place on the Wheel (2020, Prescott): Guitarist, more than two dozen albums since 2008 -- I've heard less than a third, my favorite 2013's Cathedrals. Credited with steel guitar here, he plays a low key, almost ambient, blues, with alto sax shading and harmonizing, and percussion accents. A-

The Heliocentrics: Infinity of Now (2020, Madlib Invazion): London jazz-funk collective, core members Malcolm Catto (drums), Jake Ferguson (bass), and Jack Yglesias (keybs); original inspiration was Sun Ra, but they've adapted to key guests (Mulatu Astatke, Lloyd Miller, Orlando Julius, Melvin Van Peebles) and mostly recorded on world/funk labels (Madlib's sole credit here is executive producer). I have my doubts about the vocals, but the instrumental pieces are pretty impressive, especially the closer, "People Wake Up." B+(***)

J Hus: Big Conspiracy (2020, Black Butter): British rapper Momodou Lamin Jallow, mother a Fula from Gambia, second album. B+(**)

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis: The Music of Wayne Shorter (2015 [2020], Blue Engine, 2CD): Big band, working their way through ten Shorter compositions, arranged by nine band members (Sherman Irby doubled up), with guest solos by Shorter himself. The latter stand out, but the band is uncharacteristically out of sorts. B-

Dawda Jobarteh: I Met Her by the River (2018, Stern's Africa): Singer-songwriter from Gambia, based in Copenhagen, plays kora, opens with an instrumental. B

Mike McGinniss/Elias Bailey/Vinnie Sperrazza: Time Is Thicker (2020, Open Stream Music): Clarinet/bass/drums, five joint originals, four covers, ending with a sprightly "Just One of Those Things." B+(**) [cd]

Mac Miller: Circles (2018 [2020], Warner): Rapper Malcolm McCormick, from Pittsburgh, overdosed a month after his fifth album dropped, was working on this at the time, finished off by Jon Brion. Started out as some kind of redneck rapper, sung more later, dulling his image, but nothing prepared me for these relaxed, easy going grooves. He never made it as a soul man, but somehow turned into a pretty attractive ghost. A-

John Moreland: LP5 (2020, Old Omens): Country singer-songwriter, born in Texas, based in Tulsa, fifth album with just his own name (after two with the Black Gold Band, one with the Dust Bowl Souls). I liked the last two a lot, but this seems a bit understated, or maybe (judging from the title) uninspired. B+(**)

Tami Neilson: Chicka Boom! (2020, Outside): Born in Canada, moved to New Zealand in 2007, singer-songwriter on the rockabilly side of country, fifth album, third with a bang in the title. Ten short songs, 27:51. Half rock hard, half aim for deep. B+(**)

Never Weather: Blissonance (2019 [2020], Ridgeway): Drummer Dillon Vado, grew up in San Jose, played in Rata-Tet and Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, first album for this quintet, maybe for Vado as leader. With sax (Aaron Wolf), trumpet (Josh D. Reed), bass (Tyler Harlow), and guitar (Justin Rock). Defines blissonance as "when an otherwise blissful experience in nature is disrupted by the recognition that one is having an adverse impact on that place they are ejoying by being there." In other words, postmodern irony. B+(*)

Evan Parker/Paul Lytton: Collective Calls (Revisited) (Jubilee) (2019 [2020], Intakt): Duo, tenor sax and drums, title refers back to their 1972 duo, Collective Calls (Urban) (Two Microphones). Nothing jarring here, just remarkable interaction cultivated over half a century. A-

Dan Rosenboom: Absurd in the Anthropocene (2020, Gearbox): California trumpet player, born in Berkeley, teaches in Pasadena, ranges from avant to fusion to soundtrack work, signed to a London label he tries his hand at their crossover funk and damn near nails it. B+(**)

Torbjörn Zetterberg & Den Stora Fragan: Are You Happy (2019 [2020], Moserobie): Swedish bassist, lots of side credits since 2005, fourth album leading this group: originally a sextet -- trumpet (Susana Silva Santos), trombone (Mats Ålekint), sax (Jonas Kullhammar), clarinet (Alberto Pinton), drums (Jon Fält) -- plus organ and more drums on two cuts. A- [cd]

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Terry Allen + Panhandle Mystery Band: Pedal Steel + Four Corners (1985-93 [2019], Paradise of Bachelors, 3CD): First piece fills a 35:32 side. The latter collects four slightly shorter works (25:46-28:57). Spoken word, interesting (albeit long-winded) stories, music ambient with the occasional Texas twist. B+(*)

Mogadisco: Dancing Mogadishu (Somalia 1972-1991) (1972-91 [2019], Analog Africa): Even before war tore the country apart near the end of this period, one of Africa's poorer and more mistreated countries, which doesn't make for a particularly vibrant music scene. Twelve tracks, most similar to Ethiopian with a lot of organ and a bit of Arabic influence, three from what's probably the nation's most famous band (Dur-Dur Band), two each from Mukhtar Ramadan Iidi, Bakaka Band, and Ilfin Band. Still, a most agreeable dance groove.

The John Tchicai Quartet: Live at the Stone (2007 [2020], Minus Zero): Danish tenor saxophonist, part of New York Art Quartet back in 1964, died in 2012. Returned to New York for this date, his pick up band: Garrison Fewell (guitar), Adam Lane (bass), Vijay Anderson (drums), with Steve Dalachinsky reading a poem. B+(*)

Waco Brothers: Resist! (1995-2005 [2020], Bloodshot): Mekon Jon Langford's Chicago bar band, motto "hard times call for hard country," twenty-five years since their debut. You'd think the times would help write a new batch of songs, but they decided to pick some old ones, sounding harder than ever. Lots to resist these days, but not them. A-

Old music:

Evan Parker/Agustí Fernández: The Voice Is One (2009 [2012], Not Two): Tenor sax and piano, recorded in Barcelona, often dazzling. [4/6 tracks] B+(***)

Evan Parker & Joe McPhee: What/If/They Both Could Fly (2012 [2013], Rune Grammofon): Duo set from Konsberg Jazzfestival, Parker on tenor sax, McPhee starts on pocket trumpet but also plays soprano sax (in what sounds like an homage to Parker). Title lists the three pieces, total 39:13. Two giants, cautiously circling each other. B+(***)

Waco Brothers: Waco Express: Live and Kickin' at Schuba's Tavern Chicago (2008, Bloodshot): As befits a great bar band, a hot live sampler. B+(***)

Waco Brothers & Paul Burch: The Great Chicago Fire (2012, Bloodshot): Burch is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter with more than a dozen albums since 1996. Title cut is hot enough, rest not their sharpest. Ends with a raved-up Dylan cover. B+(*)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • François Carrier/Tomek Gadecki/Marcik Bozek/Michel Lambert: Wide (FMR)
  • Day Dream: Originals (Corner Store Jazz) [03-27]
  • Alex Goodman: Impressions in Blue and Red (Outside In Music, 2CD) [03-13]
  • Hayoung Lyou: Metamorphosis (Endectomorph Music) [04-17]
  • Shunzo Ohno: Runner (Pulsebeats) [04-03]
  • Carl Saunders: Jazz Trumpet (Summit)

Ask a question, or send a comment.

Monday, February 24, 2020

Music Week

February archive (finished).

Music: Current count 32823 [32778] rated (+45), 245 [242] unrated (+3).

Moving into 2020, starting with my most mechanical tasks. The usual ones are the Year 2020 file, with rated records plus my physical CD queues, and Music Tracking 2020, with additional records I've heard of. The latter is longer than in previous years at this time, because I've created a Metacritic Aggregate file. The latter will eventually morph into an EOY Aggregate, much like 2019.

Last year I started adding in points for 80+ reviews as collated by AOTY. I've made a couple of adjustments this year: the grades are marked by '*' (instead of '+'), and I've added A:i/j to most lines, where i = the average critic score, and j = the number of reviews. While this information is useful in itself, it also helps me locate new reviews/grade changes. AOTY tracks 50+ publications, although several don't have any entries thus far this year. I've included all except for several metal magazines (Metal Hammer, Metal Injection, Metal Sucks), basically because the odds of finding anything of interest to me there are approximately nil. (Nonetheless, 18 metal albums have crept into the list, as many other publications cover at least some metal. I haven't ventured beyond AOTY yet, other than to add my grades and those of Robert Christgau (counted as before: A = 5, A- = 4, down to * = 1).

I had done something like this several years ago, but stopped as it got to be too much work, but resumed last year. Using AOTY helped simplify the work, compared to looking at each publication myself. But given that AOTY has a fairly narrow rock bias, I also factored in a few other sources, especially for jazz (Downbeat, All About Jazz, Free Jazz Collective). I expect I'll get around to doing that sooner or later. Even as it stands, I have a fairly coherent view of what's new in 2020. A few of those records appear in the list below, and I'll check out more in coming weeks. I'm not fully committed to keeping this up, but mechanical tasks like this have been my default fallback lately.

Still, the two best new releases this week didn't clearly emerge from AOTY lists. Rather, they appeared in Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide (subscriber only). By the way, I have all of the free content from And It Don't Stop ready to post on Christgau's website, but have been hung up by indecision about whether we should force people to go to the subscription newsletter to find the pieces. We've decided that the Consumer Guides will be impounded for eight months, and that's demotivated me from adding the reviews to the CG database. I'd like to come up with some kind of scheme where subscribers get a cookie which would allow them to see embargoed entries in the database, but that will require some new code, and I don't have a scheme yet to validate the subscriber list.

Maybe I'll do some work on this and other website projects this week. Finally opening some time up.

This is the last Monday of February, so time to wrap up the Streamnotes: February 2020 archive. Review count is short compared to most months (106), because I extended January, and last Monday falls relatively early this month. More significant statistic is that I only got to 31 new releases (27 of new music), only 2 of which hit A-. That could be one of the lowest totals ever. On the other hand, a lot of old jazz this month, especially from Duke Ellington. I spread out from there, starting with artists who covered Ellington (and Billy Strayhorn) songs, band alumni (like Cat Anderson and Paul Gonsalves), and followed related links (like Fresh Sound reissues). Now that my rush to hear as many 2019 releases as possible is over, it's nice to spread out a bit.

Following up from yesterday's Weekend Roudup, 100% reporting (see Vox's tallies) hasn't changed much. Amy Klobuchar clung onto her 5th place in both raw votes totals, but slipped to 6th in the top-line County Convention Delegates totals. Next stop is the South Carolina primary this Saturday (February 29). Biden has led all year -- 46.4% to 12.0% for Sanders back on May 29 -- but the race tightened a couple weeks ago (25.0% to 18.4%), with the most recent polls showing Biden winning by 1%, 4%, or 15%. The bigger contest will be on March 3 ("Super Tuesday") in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia. Bloomberg will be on the ballot then, and has been heavily advertising in those states.

Here's an article that argues back against the electability assertions of "moderate" Democrats: Ibram X Kendi: When will moderates learn their lesson?

New records reviewed this week:

Carla Bley/Andy Sheppard/Steve Swallow: Life Goes On (2019 [2020], ECM): Piano/sax/electric bass trio, together 25 years, Bley the composer, past 80 now, her ear for melodies undiminished. Tasteful chamber jazz. B+(***)

Moses Boyd: Dark Matter (2020, Exodus): British drummer, best known for his jazz duo Binker Moses (with saxophonist Binker Golding), taps into electronica and grime as well as jazz. First solo album (or second if you count Moses Boyd Exodus). Range of material here, often not pitched as jazz, but sometimes the drummer can't help himself. B+(**)

Frank Colón: Latin Lounge (2019 [2020], Technoprimal Music): Percussionist, born in DC, grew up in Puerto Rico, moved back to DC for college, and wound up in New York. Has a couple albums, dozens of side credits. Pleasing groove music, more substantial than the title suggests. Vocal bits don't help, but are few and widely scattered. B+(**)

Drive-By Truckers: The Unraveling (2020, ATO): Rock group out of Alabama and living in the real world, which they are none too happy about, but make a lot more sense than their blinkered and deranged forebears. A-

John Ellis and Andy Bragen: The Ice Siren (2016 [2020], Parade Light): Commissioned piece, originally performed in 2009. Ellis plays tenor sax and clarinets. Bragen wrote the libretto -- yes, this is some kind of opera ("epic narrative song cycle"), sung by Miles Griffith and Gretchen Parlato, with guitar, tuba, percussion, and strings. Not so bad when you pay close attention, but . . . B [03-20]

Eminem: Music to Be Murdered By (2020, Aftermath/Shady/Interscope/Goliath): Detroit rapper Marshall Mathers, eleventh studio album, realizes people are no longer interested in what he has to say, complains about that, but also writes his most striking original yarns in some time. Borrows his unifying concept from Alfred Hitchcock, who is sampled periodically, in a typically brilliant production with Dr. Dre. Runs 64:22 and seems longer, in no small part because it's so densely packed. A-

Georgia: Seeking Thrills (2020, Domino): British, surname Barnes, father co-founded electropop group Leftfield, started as a drummer, added synthesizers, second album. Reminds me of Madonna, but the genius part hasn't kicked in yet. B+(***)

Gilfema: Three (2019 [2020], Sounderscore): Guitarist from Benin Lionel Loueke, sings some, backed by Europeans on bass (Massimo Biolcati) and drums (Ferenc Nemeth). Third album together, idiosyncratic groove with a light touch. B+(*) [04-03]

Holy Fuck: Deleter (2020, Last Gang): Electropop band from Toronto, fifth album since 2005. With a lot of guitar in the mix, they're sounding a lot like New Order these days (but the genius part hasn't kicked in yet). B+(***)

Kesha: High Road (2020, Kemosabe): Pop singer-songwriter Kesha Sebert, fourth studio album, has some edge. B+(*)

Les Amazones D'Afrique: Amazones Power (2020, RealWorld): West African all-female supergroup, second album, after some shuffling the featured singers: Mamani Keïta, Rokie Koné, and Niariu. B+(**)

Valery Ponomarev Big Band: Live! Our Father Who Art Blakey: The Centennial (2019 [2020], Summit): Trumpet player, from Russia, moved to US in 1973, played with Art Blakey in the late 1970s. Big band, live tribute, songs from the Blakey (Silver, Shorter, Golson, "Caravan"). B

RJ & the Assignment: Hybrid Harmony (2019 [2020], self-released): Reginald Johnson, from Chicago, based in Las Vegas, plays keyboards, fourth album, quotes Monk for inspiration: "I say, play your own way. Don't play what the public wants." But he's not pushing any boundaries with his groove and vocals (four singer credits here). B [cd]

Gil Scott-Heron: We're New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven (2010-19 [2020], XL): Started in 1970 speaking over jazz/funk beats, a decade before rap was recognized as such, fading away after 1982, with a 1994 album, then 2010's I'm New Here, remixed in 2011 by Jamie XX as We're New Here. I found both of those albums overly cryptic, and haven't given him much thought since his 2011 death. Now comes another remix, with Chicago drummer McCraven sharpening up the funk and adding depth to the blues. B+(**)

Mark Segger Sextet: Lift Off (2019 [2020], 18th Note): Toronto-based "avant-chamber-jazz group formed in 2008," not sure this isn't their first record, and short at that: 8 tracks, 28:54. The three horns (Jim Lewis on trumpet, Heather Saumer trombone, Peter Lutek reeds) trashes the chamber-jazz concept, as if the drummer wasn't enough. But his fractured time is free and fertile, and he has musicians who make good use of it. B+(***)

Sergi Sirvent Octopussy Cats: Flax-Golden Tales (2017 [2019], Fresh Sound New Talent): Spanish pianist, impressed me early on but I lost track when the promos stopped coming. Octet, starts with a slow, lovely "Body and Soul," moves on to Shorter, Coltrane, Evans, Henderson, and Ellington, all richly textured. B+(**)

Dave Soldier: Zajal (2019 [2020], Mulatta): Plays guitar and keyboards here, violin and electronics elsewhere, seems closer to classical than to jazz although perhaps better thought of as a cosmopolitan eclectic (one recent project involved an orchestra of elephants). He composed these pieces, adding lyrics in Arabic, Hebrew, Romance, and Farsi from Andalusia before the dark ages of the Spanish Inquisition. B+(*) [cd]

Tame Impala: The Slow Rush (2020, Interscope): Australian group, Kevin Parker the main guy, often touted as psychedelic (no idea what that means), fourth studio album, has beat, texture, atmosphere. For a while I thought I could hear what others must be hearing. Then I found I didn't care. B+(*)

The Westerlies: Wherein Lies the Good (2018 [2020], Westerlies): New York-based brass quartet, two each trumpets and trombones, all originally from Seattle, first appeared on an album with Wayne Horvitz, have another album I haven't heard. Beyond the 14:37 title piece (by Robin Holcomb), many short bits, some trad, some filtered through the Golden Gate Quartet or Charles Ives. B+(***)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Rashied Ali Quintet: First Time Out: Live at Slugs 1967 (1967 [2020], Survival): Drummer, from Philadelhpia, originally Robert Patterson, joined John Coltrane in 1965, becoming the driving force for Coltrane's final avant phase. Ali didn't start releasing his own records until 1973, so this early tape is something of a find. With Dewey Johnson (trumpet), Ramon Morris (tenor sax), Stanley Cowell (piano), and Reggie Johnson (bass). Two long pieces, second has a strong section. [The 2-LP edition has extra tracks, not heard. Label also has a 2-LP Duo Exchange: Complete Sessions, by Ali and Frank Lowe from 1972, but the digital only has two tracks, 29:26; I gave the 1999 Knitting Factory reissue of Duo Exchange an A-.] B+(*)

Duke Ellington: The Washingtonians (1924-26 [2019], Squatty Roo): Ellington's first band name, used briefly after he moved to New York from DC, abandoned when they settled into the Cotton Club in 1927. Fourteen very early tracks, an early ragtime influence, some backing corny singers. Would rate higher but for the surface wear ("Parlour Social Stomp" is one where the music wins out). B

Bryan Ferry: Live at the Royal Albert Hall 1974 (1974 [2020], BMG): Two albums in, the Roxy Music vocalist took a sidestep and released two albums of wry and ironic rock and roll covers (with one original, the Roxy-ish "Another Time, Another Place") that either one loathed or loved. I was in the latter camp, and counted one of his later shows among my all-time favorites. This concert was earlier, in between the two releases: 9 songs from his debut, 4 from the second, one more ("A Really Good Time" -- another Roxy Music song, unreleased at the time). Loses a bit of detail from the albums, and not enough presence to make up the deficit. B+(**)

John Vanore: Primary Colors (1984-85 [2020], Acoustical Concepts): Trumpet/flugelhorn player, played with Woody Herman in the 1980s, recently released a tribute to Oliver Nelson. This material is old, from impromptu sessions scattered over a year or more, with Ron Thomas on keyboards, an elemental postbop palette. B+(**) [cd]

Old music:

Cat Anderson and His Orchestra: Cat's in the Alley (1958-59 [2011], Fresh Sound): Trumpet player, joined Ellington in 1944, a virtuoso especially reknown for his spectacular high notes. This combines his first two solo albums, Cat on a Hot Tin Horn (a big swing band with long stretches of altissimo trumpet) and Ellingtonia (a septet with Budd Johnson on tenor sax and clarinet, and Ray Nance on violin). B+(***)

The "Cat" Anderson Orchestra: Cat on a Hot Tin Horn (1958, Mercury): In above. B+(***)

Cat Anderson and the Ellington All Stars: Ellingtonia (1959, Wynne): In above, but not as much Ellington as the cover suggests. B+(**)

Cat Anderson: Cat Speaks [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions] (1977 [2003], Black & Blue): Quintet, recorded in Paris, with Sam Woodyard (drums) from Ellingtonia, and locals on tenor sax/clarinet (Gérard Badini), piano (Raymond Fol), and bass (Michel Gaudry), with two uncredited vocals (probably Anderson). When in doubt, safe bet to play some blues. B+(***)

Cat Anderson: Plays WC Handy [The Defnitive Black & Blue Sessions] (1978 [1997], Black & Blue): More Ellington veterans here (Sam Woodyard, again, and lesser knowns: Harold Ashby, Aaron Bell, Norris Turney, Booty Wood) weaving a fine texture for these venerable blues stomps. A nice framework for Anderson to show off his chops, especially with the mute. A-

Josephine Baker: Breezin' Along [Art Deco Series] (1926-27 [1995], Columbia/Legacy): Born in 1906 in St. Louis, she kept the name of her second husband, divorced shortly before these early recordings, by which time she had appeared in vaudeville, in Broadway chorus lines and revues, and had made her first appearances in France (sometimes barely clad in a short skirt of bananas). She she became a huge star in France, a citizen, a hero of the anti-Nazi Resistance, and a civil rights crusader. B+(***)

Benny Bailey: In Sweden: 1957-1959 Sessions (1957-59 [2011], Fresh Sound): Trumpet player, from Cleveland, toured with Lionel Hampton and decided to stay in Europe, initially in Sweden where he recorded the four EPs and one LP collected here, later in the Netherlands, where he died in 2005. Mostly locals in the bands, listed on front cover: Arne Domnerus, Ake Person, Gösta Theselius, Joe Harris. B+(**)

Benny Bailey: Grand Slam (1978 [1998], Storyville): Hard bop quintet, recorded back in New York with Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Richard Wyands (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Billy Hart (drums). Keeps hitting harder. B+(***)

Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band: Echoes of Ellington (1976 [2008], Timeless, 2CD): British trad jazz trombonist, started in 1954, slowed down when he hit 80, released this in two volumes, then as a 3-LP set in 1978, before it eventually got consolidated on 2-CD. Some stock Ellingtonia, but banjo and guitar are evident, and the leader has a taste for jungle music. B+(**)

Arne Domnérus: Dompan! (2000 [2001], Fresh Sound): Swedish alto saxophonist, also plays clarinet, a major figure since the 1940s. Title continues: recalls three major influences in his musical life . . . Ellington, Strayhorn, Hodges. Quartet, with Jan Lundgren (piano), Tom Warrington (bass), and Paul Kreibach (drums), playing twelve tunes, starting with "The Jeep Is Jumpin'." B+(***)

Duke Ellington: Historically Speaking: The Duke (1956, Bethlehem): Ellington recorded two albums for Bethlehem in 1956. This is the first, twelve tracks (39:26), mostly fast takes on old classics. B+(*)

Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Presents . . . (1956, Bethlehem): More from the same session, less clear what the concept is, the dangling ellipses going nowhere I can discern. Two vocals: Jimmy Grissom on "Everything but You" and Ray Nance on "I Can't Get Started," also a fine spot for his violin. Takes a turn toward the exquisite with "Day Dream." B+(**)

Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington's Concert of Sacred Music (1965 [1966], RCA): Ellington called this "the most important thing I have ever done." I never saw the point, but after the overwrought intro ("In the Beginning God" for 19:36), this has a few moments, not least the tap dance. B+(*)

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1950 (1950 [2001], Classics): Starts with Billy Strayhorn Trio -- Ellington on second piano with Wendell Marshall on bass, the cuts now known as Great Times!, with two bits from Wild Bill Davis and His Real Gone Organ (a trio with Johnny Collins on guitar and Jo Jones on drums, one song by Ellington but not clear they belong here). Orchestra appears on second half, with an Al Hibbler vocal on "Build That Railroad," and two longer pieces better sampled on Masterpieces by Ellington. B+(**)

Paul Gonsalves/Harry Carney/Mitchell "Booty" Wood: Stanley Dance Presents the Music of the Great Ellingtonians (1960-61 [2008], Fresh Sound, 2CD): Combines three albums produced by Dance: Harry Carney: The Duke's Men; The Booty Wood Allstars: Hang In There; and Paul Gonsalves/Harold Ashby: Tenor Stuff. The leaders were moonlighting from Ellington's Orchestra (Wood, by far the least famous, played trombone). Only bassist Aaron Bell is on all three. Carney's nonet is the most Ellingtonian, with both Gonsalves and Wood, as well as Ray Nance and Sam Woodyard. Woods' album includes Johnny Hodges (listed as Cue Porter). B+(**)

Al Haig/Jamil Nasser Combo: Expressly Ellington (1978 [1979], Spotlite): Piano/bass leaders, with Art Themen (tenor saxophone) and Tony Mann (drums), keeps it lovely and elegant. B+(***)

Coleman Hawkins and His All-Stars: The Complete Jazztone Recordings 1954 (1954 [2010], Fresh Sound): Twelve pieces -- I have 11 of them on the 1987 Xanadu CD Jazz Tones -- half quartet tracks with Billy Taylor (piano), Milt Hinton (bass), and Jo Jones (drums), the other half add trumpet (Emmett Berry) and trombone (Eddie Bert). Nice set of standards, a bit light. A-

Earl Hines/Jonah Jones/Buddy Tate/Cozy Cole: Back on the Street (1972, Chiaroscuro): Normally I only list the names above the title, and indeed Hines/Jones (piano/trumpet) look to be slightly more equal than the other cover names -- they co-wrote the two originals -- but the others (tenor sax/drums) are comparable stars, and take stellar turns. As do the lesser names left off the cover: John Brown (bass) and, especially, Jerome Darr (guitar) -- the latter's solo on "Pennies From Heaven" stands out, in part because the bass comping behind it is spot on. A-

Jonah Jones: 1936-1945 (1936-45 [1997], Classics): Trumpet player, from Louisville, got his start on a riverboat, played in big bands from 1928 (Horace Henderson) through the 1940s (Stuff Smith, Jimmy Lunceford, Benny Carter, Cab Calloway). This starts with six tracks backing singer Ray Porter, and includes four tracks from Milt Hinton & His Orchestra as well as two sets of four from Jones-led groups. B+(**)

Jonah Jones: Confessin' [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions] (1978 [1999], Black & Blue): Recorded in Paris, with Andre Persiani (piano), Major Holley (bass), and JC Heard (drums). Some blues, some Ellington, a "Sheik of Araby." Presumably the vocals are Jones' -- good enough, his trumpet even better. B+(***)

Don Redman and His Orchestra Featuring Coleman Hawkins: At the Swing Cats Ball (1957 [2005], Fresh Sound): Redman played clarinet and alto sax for Fletcher Henderson, left in 1927 to become music director of McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and led his own Orchestra from 1931-1940. He remained active until his death in 1964, but has little to show for his post-WWII years. This combines two big band sets that were distributed to broadcasters but not for sale. Melvin Moore sings a couple. Neither retro nor modern, a slick in-between. B+(*)

The World's Greatest Jazz Band of Yank Lawson & Bob Haggart: Plays Duke Ellington (1973 [1999], Jazzology): Later album cover has been rejiggered to further confuse, but this is how the 1976 original and 1999 reissue appeared, and how the band was usually credited during its 1968-78 active period (occasionally resurrected until Lawson died in 1995). A long list of notable musicians passed through the band. At this point they were a nonet, but Billy Butterfield joining on trumpet, Phil Bodner on clarinet, Al Klink on sax, George Masso and Sonny Russo on trombone, John Bunch on piano, and Bobby Rosengarden on drums. Not as flashy as their boast suggests, but a graceful repertoire band, the extra trombone palpable. B+(***)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • John DiMartino: Passion Flower: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (Sunnyside) [04-10]
  • Liberty Ellman: Last Desert (Pi) [03-27]
  • Vincent Glanzmann/Gerry Hemingway: Composition O (Fundacja Sluchaj)
  • Georg Graewe/Ernst Reijseger/Gerry Hemingway: Concertgebouw Brugge 2014 (Fundacja Sluchaj)
  • Paul Lytton/Nate Wooley: Known/Unknown (Fundacja Sluchaj)
  • Denise Mangiardi: Brown Book (Alice's Loft Music)
  • Nutria: Meeting in Progress (Ears & Eyes)
  • Keith Oxman: Two Cigarettes in the Dark (Capri) [03-20]
  • Suzanna Ross: Is Bewitched* . . . *Not Bothered, Not Bewildered (self-released) [03-20]
  • Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble: The New Immigrant Experience: Music Inspired by Conversations With Dreamers (Tapestry) [03-20]
  • Schapiro 17: New Shoes: Kind of Blue at 60 (Summit, 2CD) [04-03]
  • Sestetto Internazionale: Live in Munich 2019 (Fundacja Sluchaj)
  • Curt Sydnor: Deep End Shallow (Out of Your Head) [03-20]

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