Cornet Power & Trumpets Resound

June is a such a busy month.  The Arts world begins to transition to outside the concert hall and into sheds or tents, onto public greens and other open spaces. For those of us who live in Connecticut, June is the month of The International Festival of Arts & Ideas, a two-week explosions of lectures, walking tours, theater, indoor and outdoor concerts, a cornucopia of events that take over the city of New Haven to give audiences an amazing view of what the human mind and body is capable of.

That writ, this post only covers one event from the Festival. Instead, the focus is on two concerts and one recording, all of which feature cornetists or trumpeters.  Here's a quick overview courtesy of www.beginband.com: "The trumpet or cornet is the smallest and highest member of the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by buzzing the lips into a mouthpiece. The difference between a trumpet and cornet is very minor. They both play the same notes and they sound virtually the same. In appearance, the trumpet looks a bit longer and more slender than a cornet. The real difference has to do with the way the tubing of the instrument flares. A cornet is more cone shaped or conical than a trumpet."

Several weeks ago, cornetist, composer, and all-around great person Stephen Haynes sent an email blast about a new project that has taken several years to bring to fruition.  Knuckleball features Mr. Haynes in a brass quartet plus drummer that makes its debut on Tuesday June 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor Street in Hartford.  The quintet (see above) includes three cornetists - Mr. Haynes, Taylor Ho Bynum, and Los Angeles-resident Dan Clucas - plus Ben Stapp (tuba) and Eric Rosenthal (drums and percussion).  Stapp is one of the finer young tuba players, ranking alongside Jose Davila (Henry Threadgill's Zooid) and Dan Peck (Anthony Braxton, Tony Malaby's Novela) as someone who has moved the instrument into the forefront of creative music. Rosenthal, a Wesleyan graduate (as is Bynum), lives in Boston and is a long-time member of the Klezmer group Shirim and its more "radical" offshoot, Naftule's Dream.  Taylor Ho Bynum should need no introduction as he has been active on the CT music scene (as well as the international stage) for the better part of two decades.  One of the founders of Firehouse 12 Records, he has worked and recorded alongside Anthony Braxton since his Wesleyan days (and nights) as well as with guitarist Mary Halvorson, drummer Tomas Fujiwara, the late conceptualist and trumpeter Bill Dixon, and has several duo recordings with drummer Rosenthal as well as Mr. Haynes.  Dan Clucas is a new name to me: one listen to his albums, especially the two solo dates, on his Bandcamp page (danclucas.bandcamp.com) and you'll hear how he should fit right into this mass of brass.  

I understand how audiences might look a bit askance at this lineup, expecting a lot of noise and not much else.  Yet, my experience with the music that these people create has taught me that, yes, it can be challenging but it is created with love, humor, honesty, and respect for each other and the creative process. And, the experience is often better in concert than on recordings (not to knock the recorded output of any creative musician) as you can the performers communicate, sweat, act, react, interact, and take the music to places even they don't expect it to go.  

For more information and reservations, go to www.realartways.org/event/knuckleball/2018-06-12/. 

Photo: Charles Eshelman

Amir ElSaffar, who was recently heard in New Haven performing at Firehouse 12 with Jamie Baum's Septet+, returns to the city on Sunday June 17 to play a live concert on the New Haven Green as part of the Arts & Ideas Fest.  This time, he's bringing 10 members of his Rivers of Sound Orchestra, adding 13 members of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and performing a program of nearly-all new music! Last June, New Amsterdam Records issued ElSaffar's stunning two-CD set, "Not Two", a recording that combined the composer's study of Middle Eastern maqams and the use of stringed instruments such as the oud and the santir (hammered dulcimer) as well as his study of vocal styles and various percussion.  The results (reviewed here), are entrancing, moving, and an aural delight.

This Sunday performance is free and open to the public.  Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, snacks, children, grandparents, and more to luxuriate in this fascinating music.  For more information, go to www.artidea.org/amirelsaffar.

Here's a sample of the sounds:

Trumpeter and composer Adam O'Farrill, the 23-year old son of composer/pianist Arturo O"Farrill and grandson on composer/arranger Chico O'Farrill, has been active on the contemporary music scene from an early age.  He and his older brother, drummer Zack, formed the O"Farrill Brothers Band and released two albums for the ZOHO label, the first in November of 2010 and the other in December of 2012. In 2014, he formed a new quartet with brother Zack, tenor saxophonist Chad Leftkowitz-Brown, and bassist Walter Stinson.  After touring and recording with saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa's Birdcall and bassist Stephan Crump's Rhombal, O'Farrill issued his group's debut disk on Sunnyside Records: "Stranger Days" emphasized powerful rhythms, great group interaction, and intelligent melodies, with a sound that captures the listener on the first note.


2018 finds the quartet, now dubbed Adam O'Farrill's Stranger Days, moving to Biophilia Records for its second album "El Maquech".  All the elements that made the group's debut s appealing are evident here and more.  The majority of the new album was recorded in April of 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, as the group was in the midst of its first tour.  The team of Stinson and Zack O'Farrill truly push the music forward, not just supporting the trumpet and saxophone, but challenging them (as the excellent compositions) to take the music in fascinating directions.  Therefore, pieces such as "Verboten Chant" and "Henry Ford Hospital" kick and strut with rhythmic variations and harmonic interactions.  Plus, such fire!  Listen to how the composer utilizes the front line before heading into solos. On "...Ford..", Leftkowitz-Brown comes blessing out of the "head" with a head of steam.  He and the trumpeter engage in a bit of call-and-response as well as unison "splats" before "O'Farrill steps out for a blazing trumpet solo.

Both "Henry Ford Hospital" and the title track (named for a beetle indigenous to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico) were inspired by artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). The latter tune is built off a traditional Mexican melody that the trumpeter found on a recording by Orquesta Jaranera Sonora Yucateca. It's fun to compare the two versions: the Orquesta makes the melody dance, especially thanks to the pounding drums and percussion while the newer version is respectful of the melody and rhythm (excellent work by Zack O). After the quartet throughly exposes the melody and harmony, the solos start to move into a "freer" territory.  Even as the bass and drums stick to the rhythm patterns, the trumpet and sax take a number of liberties (notice how the rhythm goes into a short swing section before a spirited restatement of the opening melody).

There are two tracks that also call out to be mentioned.  "Shall We" is a duet for trumpet and drums, a quick frolic that is playful, displaying the love and respect the brothers have for each other and their joy for making music. "Get Thee Behind Me Satan", a spiritual that O'Farrill first heard sung by Ella Fitzgerald in the 2012  Paul Thomas Anderson movie "The Master", is performed as a trumpet solo.  It's fascinating to hear he plays the melody, breaks down the tempo as the music moves along, going into rubato, his breathiness, the echo, and how the young man brings the piece to a close.  It's a visceral shock when, just seconds later, "Henry Ford Hospital" opens with its brash clarion-call of sax and trumpet.

"El Maquech" is not just an impressive sophomore album from Adam O'Farrill's Stranger Days, it's a powerful reminder of creative music keeps growing, taking elements from different cultures, making music that is fresh and challenging.  Enjoy the roar but also pay attention to how the musicians work together, fitting their sounds to the leader's vision.  Don't ignore this album and definitely see this band live!!

In keeping with Biophilia Record's mission statement, the music is issued as a download. If you buy it from the label, you receive in the mail the fascinating origami art work and a download code.

For more information, go to www.adam-ofarrill.com and www.biophiliarecords.com/artist/?id=880174455.

Here's the title track:

A Musically Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

Ah, to be in Connecticut this coming weekend. A profusion of wonderful music can be heard (not to forget the marching bands on Memorial Day Monday) in the clubs and concert spaces.

Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street in New Haven, continues its Spring Concert Series on Friday night with flutist, composer, and arranger Jamie Baum and her Septet+.  It's the first night of three consecutive CD Release concerts - Saturday, the ensemble plays at The Cell Theater in New York City while Sunday, Ms, Baum returns to her home town to perform at The Fairfield Theatre Company, Stage One. They are celebrating the release of "Bridges", the group's new album (reviewed here). On Friday evening, there will be two sets, the first at 8:30 p.m., the second at 10 p.m. Best of all, the musicians on the recording - Jamie Baum (flutes, singing bowl), Amir ElSaffar (trumpet, vocals), Sam Sadigursky (alto sax, bass clarinet), Chris Komer (French horn), Brad Shepik (guitar), John Escreet (piano), Zack Lober (bass, singing bowl), and Jeff Hirshfield (drums) - will crowd into the Firehouse performance space and present the wonderful music on the album plus more.

For ticket information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.

Here's a taste:

If you have ever considered spending a weekend along the Connecticut shoreline, say in Old Lyme, this is the weekend to book a room at the Old Lyme Inn. Not only for the fine food and furnishings, but also for the fact that The Side Door Jazz Club is attached to the Inn and owner Ken Kitchings and his music manager, Rich Martin, have a three-night music extravaganza planned. On Friday night, pianist and composer Renee Rosnes (pictured left) celebrates her new Smoke Sessions Records release, "Beloved of the Sky" with an all-star quartet that features Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Peter Washington (bass), and Carl Allen (drums).  Ms. Rosnes, who is married to pianist Bill Charlap, has not only released 16 albums as a leader but also has worked with the late Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, and the SFJazz Collective.

For more information, go to reneerosnes.com.

Here's a track from the new album which features Mr. Nelson and Mr. Washington as well as saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Lenny White:

On Saturday night, trumpeter Wallace Roney brings his Quintet to Old Lyme, an ensemble that features a veteran rhythm section - bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Ronnie Burrage - and two fine young musicians - 18-year old saxophonist Emilio Modeste and pianist Oscar Williams.  Mr. Roney, a native of Philadelphia, PA,  has been active on the jazz scene for nearly three decades. He cites three great trumpeters - Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis - as his mentors.  Over the last decade, Roney has become a mentor for numerous musicians, taking them on the road and into the studio to create music that ranges from mainstream jazz to more electronic adventures, always with a melodic flair and powerful solos.

For more information, go to www.wallaceroney.com.

Here's the Quintet live from Paris, France, from 2017:

Photo: John Abbott

Stay that extra night because, on Sunday, The Side Door presents composer and vocalist René Marie.  One of the most engaging singers and performers on the contemporary scene, Ms. Marie started performing at a young age and turned professional in her mid-teens.  She got married at the age of 18 and became a stay-at-home mother.  It was her son who convinced her to get back into singing. Getting back to music caused a rift in her marriage and she soon was divorced.  Ms. Marie moved to Washington D.C., made her name on the club scene, signed to the MaxJazz label (now Mack Avenue) and released her debut album at the age of 45!  Slowly and steadily, she has developed her musical persona and stage presence that is so appealing.

Joining her will be her touring and recording Trio including long-time members Elias Bailey (bass) and Quentin Baxter (drums) plus newest member (3 years and counting) pianist John Chin. For more information, go to renemarie.com.

Here's the title track of her 2016 Motema album, "Sound of Red":




The Side Door opens its door at 7:30 p.m. and the first set commences one hour later. For more information and reservations, go to thesidedoorjazz.com or call 860-434-2600.

Hopefully, you'll be able get to one or more of these shows.

2017 - What a Year, Especially for Music! (Part 1 - Voices)

Most years are a blend of happy and sad, chaos and peace, health and illness, loss and gain. 2017 certainly was that way for me. Reading the news from home, from Washington, throughout the country and the world, one is not surprised that our capability for shock is tested every minute our eyes and ears are open.  Music reflects all that and more; often music deflects all that and more.  We have as much a need to be entertained as we do to hear our favorite artists try to speak or sing "truth to power."  No surprise that Kendrick Lamar's recent CD is titled "DAMN" and in all caps.   The lists of favorite television show are peppered with programs ("Handmaid's Tale", "Dark", "Stranger Things") that warn us of dictatorships, of totalitarian governments of the near-future, of women continuing to struggle to be equal.  Are we surprised by the almost daily "sexual harassment" charges levied at movie and television personalities, at producers and directors, at trusted newsmen.  And at government officials.

Music reminds many of us of what can be good, that the creative process brings people and audiences together, if not to change the world than just a small part of it and, maybe, just for two to four hours.

Listed below, and in subsequent posts, are the albums that brought me joy and hope through this year,  created by artists who made me question my beliefs or soothe my spirits.  Step Tempest was quieter than normal this Fall, actually since the end of July.  Not that I wasn't listening to music but, perhaps, I needed it step back to see a bigger picture. True, I was committed to other projects that took more of my time that I expected but, in the past, I found the time to write because the artists who send me their music, the publicists who are kind to hang with me, the people I interact with when I are writing and doing radio interviews appreciate the work I do. No excuses, no apologies. Just thought you should know.

Part one is but 10 of the, possibly, 36 recordings I think deserve recognition.  This list contains albums with voices, many with poetry, some I never had the opportunity to write about.

If you held me down and ordered me to tell which album was my true #1 choice, I would admit to "Matt Wilson's Honey And Salt Music Inspired by the Poetry of Carl Sandburg" (Palmetto).  It's not just because I saw the band live at The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, CT, and was invited on stage to read with the band ("We Must Be Polite" with the delightful Bo Diddley-beat and more)...well, that was great (I mean, Ron Miles, Jeff Lederer, Dawn Thomson, Martin Wind, and the irrepressible Mr. Wilson....did I mention Ron Miles?) but the album has so much going for it, so much diverse music, pithy poetry, and at the center of its big heart, the need to connect in dark times.  Might not be your cup of joe (or Matt for that fact) but every time I listen to the album or relive the live gig, it brings a smile to my face.

Been a good couple of years for poet Emily Dickinson what with, at least three CDs of her works set to music plus the brilliant 2016 movie "A Quiet Passion."  Jane Ira Bloom connected with Ms. Dickinson when she discovered that poet was a pianist and that her poetry has a sense of improvisation about it.  Ms. Bloom and her brilliant ensemble (bassist Mark Helias, drummer Bobby Previte, and pianist Dawn Clement) created the 2-CD "Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickinson" (OTL Records); CD One features 14 originals plus the Rodgers-Hart classic "It's Easy to Remember" while the second disk has the same songs plus the voice of actress Deborah Rush reading snippets of the poetry that inspired the songs (save for "It's Easy....")  Ms. Bloom takes a different approach than Matt Wilson, the music is not inspired by Americana but is certainly American music, with swing, with flowing melodic passages, splendid interplay, and soaring improvisations.  What a tribute, what a treat!

"Freedom Highway" is the latest album from Rhiannon Giddens and it posits the racial insecurities rife in the United States in the heart of the music.  For all those people who woke up the morning after the 2016 and saw that our country truly was not united (not that it wasn't obvious during the previous administration and the highly flammable voices raised during the endless election cycle), for those people whose voices were just beginning to be heard in this country, this music hears your concerns and gives you hope.  Perhaps the best way to move forward after being knocked to the ground is to keep telling your stories of hope, of reconciliation, of recognition, of dancing until your body expels the evil spirits, of remembering that battles are rarely won without sacrifice and pain. Yes, there are moments of pure joy, moments of anger, pride, lust, love, of hope.

Trombonist-composer Ryan Keberle & Catharsis looked for hope on "Find The Common, Shine a Light" (Greenleaf Music). Original songs mixed with intelligent covers ("The Times They Are A'Changing", "Fool on The Hill", "Al Otro Lado del Rio") played by a band that enjoys working together including trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer Eric Doob plus the voice and guitar of Camila Meza.  Also a response to the 2016 election, the music reached out to divergent audiences across this country, reminding people that creative musicians see what's going on in the world they travel through, that they react by playing music to exemplify community, togetherness, showing how men and women from different backgrounds can share a common  vision.

Ms. Meza is also part of pianist-composer Fabian Almazan's album-length suite "Alcanza" (translate to "reach") - the music, released on the pianist's Biophilia Records, speaks to the need of conservation of natural resources, to education, to the proliferation of wars and homelessness and more.  The rhythm section of Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Henry Cole (drums) know when to stoke the fire (and when to hold back) while Almazan's string arrangement are sophisticated and essential.  Note how melodic the solos are, how those arrangements frame and interact with the voice and soloists, and just how powerful the music is.  A shout-out to the string section of violinists Tomoko Omura and Megan Gould, violist Karen Waltuch and cellist Noah Hoffield for their stellar work.  All in all, a splendid recording.

Trumpeter, vocalist, saunter player, composer and arranger Amir elSaffar expands upon his studies of Iraqi maqams with his 2-CD masterwork "Not Two" (New Amsterdam Records). Written for his 17-piece Rivers of Sound Orchestra, the songs flow with grace and elegance, moves on the power of the brilliant rhythm section (drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Carlos de Rosa), and draws on many traditions to create an aural sound painting  that shifts gears all the time. Keeps you on your toes does this music without condescending to popular tastes or being strictly traditional - the more creative composers do that and Amir elSaffar is deserving of all the accolades he has received for his brilliant contributions to music and to educating his listeners to the width and breadth of Arabic culture.

Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, and Melissa Stylianou - collectively known as Duchess - added much-needed brightness to a cold and dark winter (heck, the whole darn year) with "Laughing at Life" (Anzic Records). The group's music, a potent and pleasurable mix of standards from the "Great American Songbook" and beyond.   Each with solo careers and two with young families, they come together to invite listeners out of the ordinary and the humdrum into a world where harmonies, melodies, smart and sassy arrangements (from the fertile mind of Oded Lev-Ari) and sometimes saucy and often sweet lyrics tell delightful stories.  Special guests Wycliffe Gordon (trombone, scat vocal) and Anat Cohen (clarinet) augment the musical trio of Michael Cabe (piano), Matt Aranoff (bass), and Jared Schonig (drums) - guitarist Jesse Lewis and tenor saxophonist Jeff Lederer also add their unique voices to several tunes.  The music can certainly stand on its own but does the sun shine brighter when these three voices step out in front. Whew! What joy!

Ms. Gardner joins forces with pianist Ehud Asherie for "The Late Set" (Anzic Records), an aural evocation of smoky nightclubs, out of the glare of the lights of Broadway, perhaps down a set of stairs, with glasses clinking while the audience sits quietly listening.  Mostly composed of ballads, the performers do not rush through these performances (mostly from well-known composers of the 1920s-1950s. Asherie is the perfect accompanist, framing Ms. Gardner's supple voice with lovely reactions,interactions, and harmonies.  O, and that voice....plenty of emotion, a dash of playfulness, every lyric can be understood, even felt. "The Late Set" is more than the midnight hour at the cabaret - listen to the songs and you'll hear the fine line between blues, joy, and sadness.

I'm still processing the amazing 2-CD "Dreams and Daggers", the latest album from Cécile McLorin Salvant. Mostly recorded live at The Village Vanguard with her Trio of Aaron Diehl (piano), Paul Sikivie (bass), and Laurence Leathers (drums), this music often shimmies, shakes, struts, slithers, slides, and sashays out of the speakers. Plus don't miss the songs that whisper, sigh, shudder, and sit in wonder. There are also several shorter tracks recorded in the studio where Ms. Salvant's voice is accompanied only by the strings of the Catalyst Quartet and piano - those tracks, arranged by bassist Sikivie, add a classy touch but your brain will be forever rearranged by the torch songs, by the intelligent choice of material from the Great American Songbook and the early blues of Bessie Smith (pianist Sullivan Fortner accompanies the vocalist on "You've Got To Give Some") and Ida Cox.  The multi-sectioned "Somehow I Never Could Believe", composed by Langston Hughes and Kurt Weill for their "American" opera "Street Scenes" (1947), is a certifiable masterpiece as performed by Ms. Savant and the Trio.  So much to behold here.

Vocalist Lizz Wright strikes pay dirt on "Grace", her second album for the Concord Music Group. Produced by Joe Henry, who surrounds this lovely alto voice with the twin guitars of Chris Bruce and Marvin Sewell, the acoustic bass of David Piltch (one great underrated bass player), drummer Jay Bellerose, and the keyboards of Kenny Banks and Patrick Warren plus an occasional choir.  Compare her version of "Stars Fell On Alabama" (first recorded by the Guy Lombardo Orchestra in 1934) to the one on the Duchess CD - two great interpretations with Ms. Wright's dreamy reading displaying her Southern roots (born in Georgia and now living in North Carolina) while Henry's arrangement gives the song a glow of late evening.  Ms. Wright covers tunes from Birds of Chicago, Bob Dylan, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, k.d. lang, Ray Charles, and others, making each song her own without losing the beauty, joy, anger, and soul within.

Each one of these albums buoyed my spirit - the next list will feature albums from younger musicians, from veterans, from masters, and several delightful reissues.

The Languages of Large Ensembles

After a series of genre-breaking albums for Pi Recordings, trumpeter, vocalist ,and composer Amir ElSaffar moves to New Amsterdam Records for "Not Two", a fascinating double-CD, the first to feature his 17-member Rivers of Sound Orchestra. The eight song-program continues his search into adapting Iraqi song forms into Western music while his large ensemble differs from a traditional big band by adding more percussion and stringed instruments (such as the buzuq and oud.  Yet, the band rises and falls on the powerful work of drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Carlo DeRosa, musicians along with saxophonist Ole Mathisen and oud master Zaafir Tawil who have been members of his Two Rivers Ensemble  since his 2007 debut as a leader ("Two Rivers").

photo by Alice Gebura

It would be unfair to describe each song but it is fascinating to hear how the different voices weave in and out of and around the enthralling rhythms.  Also striking is the composer's use of several voices working in counterpoint (for example, how the tenor saxophone and oboe solo together as other voices rise and fall behind them on"Penny Explosion").

"Rivers of Sound" is a perfect name for this group -  for many centuries, the river (and the seas and oceans) was one of the primary sources of cultural and economic movement.  That interaction between people of different cultures, when benign, help to infuse different sounds and words (as well as customs) into the everyday life of cities and countrysides.

These collisions of cultures and ideas are evident throughout the music on "Not Two". The violin with oud and buzuq on the opening of "Layl (Night)" carry the melody; then the vibraphone is added, then the reeds, the santur (hammered dulcimer), more voices added as the percussion thunders and pounds.  Soon, ElSaffar rises out of the storm, a plaintive vocal reaching towards the heavens.  There is also such urgency to this music. Listen to how "Shards of Memory/B Half Flat Fantasy" unfolds, the powerful motion, the different voices (at one point, JD Parran's bass saxophone carries the bottom yet is also in sync with the trumpet and violin), the hypnotic melodic exchanges between oboe and guitar, on and on right up to the glorious "...Fantasy" at the very end.

In essence, to get the full effect of this music, one must listen all the way through. And, when you return, all those different voices stand out more and more. How ElSaffar employs the guitar, how the vibes add lightness, the percussive quality of the piano (akin to Latin dance music), the different sounds of the hand percussion, the reed voices, the violin, and so forth. At times, so soft, the music whispers in your ear; at other times, the ensemble pounds, plucks, and roars pulling the listener into this glorious din.

Above all, Amir ElSaffar makes "human" music: joy, sadness, anger, humor, intermingle with other emotions. Give yourself up to and immerse yourself into "Not Two" - the pleasures are endless.

For more information, go to www.amirelsaffar.com.

Listen here:

Rivers of Sound Orchestra:

Personnel: Amir ElSaffar (trumpet, santur, vocals), Carlo DeRosa (acoustic bass), Craig Taborn (piano), Dena ElSaffar (violin, jowza - 4-stringed bowed instrument), Fabrizio Cassol (alto saxophone), JD Parran (bass saxophone, clarinet), Ole Mathisen (tenor and soprano saxophones), Mohammed Saleh (oboe, English Horn), Naseem Alatrash (cello), Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone), Miles Okazaki (guitar), George Ziadeh (oud, vocals), Tareq Abboushi (buzuq), Nasheet Waits (drums), Rajna Swaminathan (mridangam), Tim Moore (percussion, dumbek, frame drum), Zaafir Tawil (peecussion, oud).

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Steve Coleman, saxophonist, composer, and conceptualist, moves from strength to strength and has done so for nearly four decades. He's won several major awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur "Genius Grant".   Whether leading a large ensemble or a compact quintet, his music is filled with surprises, melodies that move with the deftness of a dancer, and rhythms that draw from all corners of the Black music continuum.

His new album, "Morphogenesis" (Pi Recordings), features a new ensemble, Natal Eclipse, an octet without a drummer (Neeraj Mehta adds a percussive voice on four of the nine tracks but she is not a trap set drummer). Besides the leader, there are two reed players (tenor saxophonist Maria Grand and clarinetist Rane Moore) plus the wondrous voice of Jen Shyu that gives this music a bit of a lighter feel than other Coleman recording.  The composer has stated that this music was inspired by his study and appreciation for boxing, hence titles such as "Shoulder Roll", "Dancing and Jabbing", and "Inside Game." Both Ms. Moore and bassist Greg Chudzik are members of the "modern-classical group Talea Ensemble (and are members, along with violinist Kristin Lee, of the leader's Council of Balance ensemble) while Ms. Grand, Ms. Shyu, trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, and pianist Matt Mitchell have been involved with others of Mr. Coleman's groups.

Two of the nine tracks, "NOH" and "SPAN", are in-studio improvisations and, as such, play into the true meaning of morphogenesis ("...biological process that causes an organism to develop its shape.")  The first piece builds from the percussion slowly developing rhythm, the clarion call of the alto sax, deep bass notes, and Ms. Shyu's vocal into an arresting exploration.  The second piece also starts slowly, this time from a melodic fragment played by the alto sax into a delightful sonic puzzle. Note how each member of the ensemble plays the rhythm of the piece at one time or another.  

It has been noted time and again that Steve Coleman is a musical descendant from Charlie Parker but I can hear Henry Threadgill, at times, in his sound but especially in his adventurous compositions.  The manner in the composer utilizes each voice, how the support of the bass and piano often are in rhythmic counterpoint to the soloists. The clarity of the recording stands out as well, the sonic "weight" of the bass is as important as that of the clarinet and violin, never overshadowing any instrument but equal.  When listening to pieces such as "Morphing" or "Horda", you'll hear echoes of music from the Middle East, the Deep South of the United States, 19th and 20th Century European classical music, be bop, and more, all part of the evolving language of Mr. Coleman's music.  

As with the ElSaffar recording above, listen to "Morphogenesis" all the way through before going into deeper explorations.  Approach the program as a live concert where it is impossible for a listener to hear everything.  Then dig in. Enjoy the powerful melodies, listen to the excellent solos (the leader is generous in making sure every voice is heard throughout), follow the different trails the composer lays out for his ensemble members, take your time to enjoy this impressive recording. Natal Eclipse refers to astrology and certainly has great meaning for the composer. For the purposes of this music, the group is an engaging balancing act.  Steve Coleman is continually exploring and we are the beneficiaries.  

For more information, go to m-base.com/biography/ and to pirecordings.com/album/pi69.

Here's a taste:


Natal Eclipse:
Personnel: Steve Coleman (compositions, alto saxophone), Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Maria Grand (tenor saxophone), Rane Moore (clarinet), Kristin Lee (violin), Jen Shyu (vocals), Matt Mitchell (piano), Greg Chudzik (bass), Neeraj Mehta (percussion).

"Crisis" & Fusion

Trumpeter, vocalist, composer, and arranger Amir ElSaffar, a native of Illinois, is the son an American mother and a father born in Iraq.  He studied at De Paul University in Chicago and soon was playing in various orchestras and groups in that great hub of music.
After moving to New York City at the turn of the 21st Century, the trumpeter was playing with Cecil Taylor, Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa. He also began to study the music of his ancestral home, specifically Iraqi maqam which is "a set of notes with traditions that define relationships between them, habitual patterns, and their melodic development." (To find out more about the musical form, go to www.maqamworld.com.) To do this studying, he traveled to Iraq and Europe to find the maqam masters. By 2006, ElSaffar had learned to speak Arabic, to sing maqamat, and to play the santur (the Persian hammered dulcimer).  ElSaffar is the leader of 5 ensembles including Safaafir (a group dedicated to playing maqamat in original settings) and the Two Rivers Ensemble (a sextet - there is also a "large ensemble" version - that plays music utilizing the modal system unique to maqam with elements of jazz.)

ElSaffar formed the latter group a decade ago with the rhythm section of Nasheet Waits (drums), Carlos DeRosa (bass), Tareq Abboushi (buzuq, a Persian string instrument related to the Greek bouzouki and Turkish saz), Zafer Tawil (oud, violin, qanun - a Persian zither - and Arab percussion) and Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone). In 2007, the group released its debut album for Pi Recordings, "Two Rivers." By the release of 2011's "Inana", tenor saxophonist Ole Mathisen had replaced Mahanthappa and remains with the sextet to this day.

Around the time the 2nd CD was released, ElSaffar received a commission from the Newport Jazz Festival for a new work to be premiered in 2013.  The composer spent 8 months living, studying and composing the work in Egypt while keeping a wary eye as the positive outcomes of the Arab Spring of 2011 began to unravel.

The piece was ready in time for its premiere (click here to watch a video about the Newport Festival date) and, earlier this year, the Sextet entered the studio.  The resulting album, titled "Crisis" (Pi), is both a continuation of the maqam studies of the group's first 2 recordings and a reflection of the turmoil in Iraq and the Middle East.  The blend of traditional Middle Eastern and Black American music is even more seamless than on the earlier albums. The "Crisis Suite" opens with a barrage of drums from Waits that leads to the opening theme of "Introduction - From the Ashes." Everyone drops out save for ElSaffar (santur, vocal) and Abboushi's echoing buzuk.   Listen to the flow of the second track ("The Great Dictator"), how the melody moves and the rhythms shift, how the brilliant drum work of Waits keeps the pulse and sets a fire under Mathisen's hard-edged tenor spotlight.

In the midst of the sextet work, ElSaffar plays a mournful trumpet solo. Titled "Taqsim Saba", the composer and performer dubs the work "a lamentation on oppression and destitution" - the music rises up into the horn's higher ranges before coming to its final, hushed, notes. DeRosa opens the following piece "El-Sha'ab (The People)" in his own quiet world before Waits and the rest of the ensemble crash in.  There's a funky, Middle-Eastern, vibe here, the declamatory trumpet and saxophone weaving around the buzuq, the drummer pushing very hard while the bass throbs below.  ElSaffar steps up and digs into a strong solo, one that echoes his singing voice in places.  The addition of Mathisen's soprano sax is a treat.

"Flyover Iraq" and "Tipping Point" are the 2 long pieces (8:19 and 13:40 respectively) that close the 7-movement "...Suite." The former is fired by Wait's incendiary drumming (he is in "high energy" mode up until the 7:30 mark when everyone stops and DeRosa takes the tune out by himself with a powerful bass statement. The rolling rhythms of the opening minutes of the latter track begin to give way to harder beats, a trumpet and saxophone dialogue, and an oud solo shadowed by the buzuq while the beat breaks down.  The trumpet and tenor saxophone solos follow, both musicians delivering a powerful message. The beat continues to press forward, Tawil going hand in hand percussion before a forceful buzuq solo enters.  The scene changes several times before the fiery rubato close.

The final 2 tracks are variations, the first "Aneen (Weeping), Continued" acting as an epilogue and based on a section from the "Two Rivers Suite."  That slow meditation fades out and then into the full version of "Love Poem", a tune that is part of the "Crisis Suite" with lyrics from the 13th Century Sufi mystic Ibn Arabi. The earlier reading only employs several lines of the text while the closing track had ElSaffar singing all the lyrics.

Amir ElSaffar is building quite the repertoire for his ensembles, traditional music apart from but also married to contemporary rhythms.  His 2013 quintet recording "Alchemy" featured his trumpet and Mathisen's tenor sax in the company of drummer Dan Weiss, bassist Francois Moutin and the impressive young pianist John Escreet. While several of the pieces on that critically acclaimed CD are based on Middle Eastern modes, there's more of an American jazz feel overall. With his return to the Sextet, "Crisis" reflects the trumpeter/composer's journey into a world that harbors danger and extracts sadness from those attempting to survive the purging of a people's history by forces out to remake the countries of the conflict-ravaged area. Those of us who are far away from the reach of militant strikes and endless suffering ave this this music, music that serves to tell an important story and still sound innovative while also preserving ancient customs. "Crisis" is brilliant and important music for the 21st Century.

For more information, go to www.amirelsaffar.com.  Take note, this band will play a week of live dates that includes 2 nights in Chicago and one each in Northampton, MA, New Haven CT (Firehouse 12!!) and Toronto Canada.  See this music live, it's so important.