The Music That has Taken Me Through.....

This pandemic has shaken up everyone's world.  Illnesses are exaggerated, masks are a necessity (not for all but those non-wearers are chancing fate), and we all know someone or ones who has/ have passed. The past month has been quite an emotional time for our family and, while I have not been able to write, I have been listening to a lot of music. This post will include several that have stood out!

Looking at the cover of the new Dayna Stevens 2-CD set, "Right Now: Live at the Village Vanguard" (Contagious Music), just might bring a tear or two to one's eyes. People mingling outside the NYC nightclub, no masks, conversations aplenty, is a sight for sore eyes. Listening to the album might just do the same.  You are posited at a front row table at the Vanguard, the quartet––Stephens (tenor and soprano saxes, EWI), Aaron Parks (piano), Ben Street (bass), and Gregory Hutchinson (drums)––goes through two sets of original material throughout his catalog plus several new pieces (and one Parks composition).  It seems civilized.  The band is fine shape, the leader enjoying their company, and the crowd excited and responsive.  Listen to how the rhythm section pushes Stephens to dig deeply on pieces such as the bluesy "Lesson One" and how the Caribbean rhythms pulsate throughout "Tarifa" (listen below). Stephens playful soprano sax lines are a highlight of the program.

Stephens switches to his EWI (electronic wind instrument) once in each set. His instrument is connected to a Leslie Speaker (the kind often associated with the Hammond B-3 organ) and he exploits that sound on the album's final track "Blakonian Groove" (dedicated to drummer Johnathan Blake)––the piece starts slowly but once Hutchinson starts kicking hard, the moves moves forward with a purpose. In the first set, "Radio-Active Earworm" takes a more introspective approach especially after the leaders long introduction, pianist Parks steps into a handsome musical canvas that builds up to Stephens powerful solo.  The EWI takes on more of a "synth-sound" yet never feels contrived or forced.  

There's plenty of fine music on "Right Now!" from the running start of the opening track "Smoking Gun" to the  Thelonious Monk-inspired  "You Are Me Blues" to the rambunctious "JFK International" and more. Like the best Black American Music, the rhythm section deserves kudos for lighting the fires underneath Dayna Stephens and Aaron Parks while Stephens gets extra credit for doing such an excellent job mining her repertoire.  Live music indeed––enjoy!

For more information, go to daynastephens.net/.  To purchase the specially-priced album, go to https://daynastephens.bandcamp.com/album/right-now-live-at-the-village-vanguard. 

Click the link to hear the delightful "Tarifa"!

Drummer and percussionist Devin Gray was in awe of drummer and percussionist Gerald Cleaver long before they met in 2006––the awe melted into respect as they became friends and musical experimenters.  "27 Licks" (Rataplan Records) is described by Gray as "....a small capture of our “just another day” vibe in the farming of our musical lives."  Nine tracks, 42 minutes, all drums, many rhythms, a delightful conversation during which you can hear all influences disappear and the joy of playing reigns supreme.  It's a waste of time to try and figure out who's playing which part, what's written and what's not––instead, go with their flow and listen with your feet and your body.  Let the songs roll around in your brain, play it loud.  

To find out more and to purchase the album, go to https://rataplanrecordsnyc.bandcamp.com/album/27-licks. 

Click here to check out "The F-Train Drain"!

Brian Shankar Adler goes it alone in the studio for his latest album. "For a Gallery On the Moon" (Chant Records) features the artist on a plethora of instruments; the list reads bowed cymbals, buddha machine, ghatam, gong, kanjira, key chimes, manjira, mridang, opera cymbal, paper, ride cymbals, river rocks, slit drum, tabla, thunder sheet, and electronics.  No traditional drum set to be found or heard. That said, the album is a delightful sound adventure; there are moments that are inventive in the way that books for young children (ages 2-6) can be; in other words, Adler is continually playing with sounds and combinations of instruments, asking the listener to use his/ her imagination to fill in the story. For example, is the use of the thunder sheet in "Flight" meant to symbolize the sounds a flock of geese hear on a late summer evening.  Are the sounds of the gong and ride cymbals on "Cym" inviting or threatening?  The tabla drums on "Relative(s)" create a trance-like rhythm that draws one closer.  

Photo: Jill Steinberg

"For a Gallery On the Moon" lasts just 0ver 31 minutes yet is a travelogue like few you have encountered this year (or, perhaps, other years).  There are moments that bring the music of Terry Riley to mind ("Ghost Box") while the backwards tones of "rahdarkahC" remind this listener of the experimental phase of The Beatle and Jimi Hendrix.  Make up your stories for this music because that's part of what Brian Shankar Adler wants you to do. The percussionist also wants to take you out of your hectic world, make you relax and think about anything but politics and pandemics.  Sounds like a good idea!  

For more information, go to www.brianadler.com.  To hear more and purchase the album, go to https://brianshankaradler.bandcamp.com/album/for-a-gallery-on-the-moon.

Click here for the opening track "Young Blood"!

Creative Explorations by Groups of Equals

Rudy Royston is one those drummers who makes an impact on the musicians he works with from the first note of a song. He plays with such fire, often pushing his fellow musicians to greater heights and, to my mind, more powerful solos.  Royston, a Texas native who came of age in Denver, CO, studied music in college but really learned about his craft (not just playing but composing, arranging, and listening) while working with trumpeter Ron Miles.  He's gone on to play with a great number of musicians including Bill Frisell, Dave Douglas. J.D. Allen, Ravi Coltrane, and Rudresh Mahanthappa.  In person, he's a joy to watch, mostly because he always looks like he's having the time of his life.

"Flatbed Buggy" is Rudy Royston's third album as a leader as well as the third to released by Greenleaf Music.  For this effort, which reaches back to the drummer and composer's childhood memories, he's gathered a topnotch group of collaborators including Gary Versace (accordion), John Ellis (bass clarinet, saxophones), Hank Roberts (cello), and Joe Martin (bass).  Those of you expecting a collection of hard-blowing "jams" will be pleasantly surprised by the delicate nature of much of this material and how melodic the material.  That does not mean it's "wimpy" or "smooth jazz" - tracks such as "Hourglass", "the opening "Soul Train" (sorry, no Don Cornelius), and the effervescent "Bobblehead" dance out of the speakers.  Yet, it's the blend of accordion and cello, the way Ellis weaves his bass clarinet in and out the music or adds his soprano to the exciting performance of "Bobblehead" that stand out.  Yes, this music has power and it comes from the interactions, from the irrepressible rhythms, the solid foundation that Martin's excellent bass work provides.  On occasion, you may hear the influence of Mr. Frisell's "Americana" music or the way the late Jimmy Giuffre weave folk melodies into his music but this is Rudy Royston telling his own tales.

Each song has a storyline.  "boy...MAN" opens with a lovely cello melody and then wraps that around there accordion and cello.  Here, Royston guides the ensemble forward, opening the piece up to a strong bass solo that builds intensity to a powerful close.  Later on in the program, "girl...Woman" starts as a lovely ballad again with Roberts in the lead and Versace playing counterpoint and in unison.  The track includes a stunning accordion solo, introspective and gentle, ref;active of a day spent in the country.  Ellis, Versace, and Martin weave their individual sounds each other over the quiet colors of cello and the leader's cymbals.  But, even with all these quiet interactions, the quintet drops into a lively, "pop music" groove to take the piece out.

"Flatbed Buggy" is one of those albums to listen to all the way through.  There's so much to "hear", so many stories and histories embedded in this music that it's impossible to appreciate what Rudy Royston has so majestically created on one pass through.  At times stunning, at others times, joyful yet always melodic and rhythmically rich, this album deserves your full attention!

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

Put on your dancing shoes and listen to this:

Trumpeter and composer Jonathan Finlayson, long-time collaborator of saxophonist Steve Coleman, continues to spread his creative wings on "3 Times Around" his third album for Pi Recordings.  The new album features pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist John Hébert, and drummer Craig Weinrib, all of whom appeared on Finlayson's 2017 Pi release, "Moving Still", and replaces guitarist Miles Okazaki with tenor saxophonist/flutist Brian Settles and alto saxophonist Steve Lehman.  While the influence of Mr. Coleman is evident on the opening two tracks and the impressive 14-minute opus "The Moon Is New", this music is no cookie-cutter impression of Finlayson's mentor's music.

"Feints" and "Grass" open the program, their exciting rhythms and percussive melodies (and counterpoint) making for intense listening. The first extended solo one hears on cut one is by Mitchell - he does not disappoint as his solo hurtles ahead as he interacts with with Weinrib's powerful drumming spurring him on.  Then, the interplay of Settles, Lehman, and Finlayson soars atop the dynamic rhythm section.

The pace changes when you enter the rubato world of "A Stone, A Pond, A Thought" - here, the trumpet leads the saxes in atop rumbling piano, thrumming bass, and various "colors" from the drummer.  Hébert's impressive bow-work is featured in the middle of the nine-minute "sound sculpture" before the sextet returns to push the intensity higher but never falling into a rhythm.  That intensity carries over to the episodic "The Moon Is New" - after the powerful opening, the piece moves in several directions and puts the spotlight squarely on The leader, Lehman, Settles, and Mitchell, all the while the rhythm section scurrying around under those soloists.  The shorter yet no-less-powerful "Refined Strut" follows and the music is as advertised.  Concentrate on how the rhythm section creates the irresistible "strut" and the on how the reeds and trumpet decorate the melody.

Photo: Paul de Lucena

"3 Times Round" is dedicated to the late Muhal Richard Abrams (1930-2017) and the conceptualist/composer's sense of adventure is a large influence on how Jonathan Finlayson approaches his original music.  The sound of this ensemble is so full yet never cluttered nor cliched.  The sextet is emotionally and musically attached to this project all the way through - I really enjoy listening to and am deeply impressed by the playfulness of Craig Weinrib as he dances along with the ensemble.

For more information, go to jonathanfinlayson.com.

Here's the album's opening track:

Although you do not see it anywhere on the album cover, this is the second album from the quartet known as Dirigo Rataplan. The ensemble, organized by drummer and composer Devin Gray, features trumpeter David Ballou, tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, and bassist Michael Formanek.  In 2004, Gray assemble a trio owht the trumpeter and bassist, adding the tenor sax to the mix after moving to New York City several years later.  Their 2012 debut album, originally released on SKIRL Records, sets the soundstage for the quartet's new release.  Gray's music takes its influences from myriad sources, from folk melodies, funk rhythms, and blues changes, from "free" explorations and the classic interactions of Ornette Coleman's Quartet from the Atlantic Records years (1959-61) to create its contemporary sounds.

Chamber Music America

It's a real joy to hear how these musicians play together, how they explore the various routes that Gray's compositions offer them. When you have four such individual voices, the music can either be an exercise in technical virtuosity or a four-way street with everyone listening to each other, conversing as equals, giving the music their full attention.  That's what you get with "Dirigo Rataplan II". One supposes you could listen just for Eskelin's melodic saxophone or Ballou's articulated melodies and exploratory solos or Formanek's fascinating bass work (who has a more melodic approach to the bass than him?) or how Gray leads the band without commanding the spotlight.

DowntownMusic.net

Listen to "Quantum Cryptology" to hear how the band navigates the melody line and how each gets a solo while the rhythm section creates a different yet interactive foundation/counterpoint.  Note how "Trends of Trending" opens in the pocket then moves inward, the trumpet and saxophone conversing across the bass and drums. Hear how Formanek's bass lines up high on the neck of his instrument dances over the scuttling drums on "What We Learn from Cities." The softness of the opening of "Intrepid Travelers" hints at blues for the first half then moves subtly away.

Dirigo Rataplan II" contains music that asks you to listen, does not beseech the listener, but seduces with its melodies and interplay/interactions as well as the intelligence of the music.  Is this strictly intellectual music? A kind of "highbrow jazz"?  What Devin Gray has created with Ellery Eskelin, David Ballou, and Michael Formanek is a delight from start to finish.

For more information, go to devingraymusic.com.  The quartet appears tomorrow in CT at Firehouse 12 - go to firehouse12.org for more information. They'll travel down to Baltimore, MD, on the next day and back to Philadelphia, PA, to close their short tour.  For more information, go to devingraymusic.com.

Here's the opening track:

CT Gig Alerts (Friday & Saturday 10/05 & 6)

Autumn is here and the time is right for jazz in concert venues and performance spaces!  This weekend in Connecticut promises little foliage but three fine shows, all of which are worth your time and effort to attend.

Saxophonist, bassist, composer, and educator Mark Zaleski returns to The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme.  His band includes brother Glenn on piano, tenor saxophonist Jon Bean, guitarist Ciao Aifune, bassist Danny Weller, and drummer Oscar Suchanek.  They'll play music from Mr. Zaleski's second album, 2017's "Days, Month, and Years" as well as his latest project which is a collection  of rearrangements, reconstructions, and deconstructions of Michael Jackson's songs.  What you'll hear over the course of the two sets is great interactions, smart melodies, and powerful solos. Plus it's great fun.

For tickets, call 860-434-2600 or go to thesidedoorjazz.com. To learn more about MZ, go to www.markzaleskimusic.com.

Here's the Mark Zaleski Band live in 2016;

Firehouse 12 in New Haven continues its Fall 2018 Concerts Series this Friday night with a visit from drummer Devin Gray and his quartet know as Dirigo Rataplan.  He's celebrating the release of the group's second album "Dirigo Rataplan II"  - besides Gray, the group features bassist Michael Formanek, tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, and trumpeter Dave Ballou (the same lineup as on the 2015 self-titled album released onSkirl Records). This is one of those delightful groups that blurs the lines between styles (or genres, if you'd rather) so you'll hear snatches of blues, "free" jazz, funk, folk elements, a trace of Ornette Coleman-like interplay, and impressive interactions.

Dirigo Rataplan takes the stage for the first set at 8:30 p.m.  The second set - a separate charge - starts at 10 p.m.  You should enjoy this exploratory music not only for the way the band digs into the music but also because each musician has a distinctive "voice".  The crisp attack and sound of Ballou, the smooth yet searching tones of Eskelin, the melodic majesty of Formanek's bass playing, and Gray's exciting yet thoughtful drumming.  To find out more, go to devingraymusic.com.  For tickets, call 203-785-0468 or go to firehouse12.com.

Here's a short compilation of the album (which, on Bandcamp, is titled "Dirigo Rataplan II" - go figure.

On Saturday evening, The Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main Street in Middletown, welcomes the duo of Christian Artmann (flutes) and Laszlo Gardony (piano).  They will be celebrating Mr. Artmann's new Sunnyside Recording, "Our Story", a quartet album (with guest vocalist) that Mr. Gardony (who often graces the piano seat at The Buttonwood with his exciting and melodic playing) is an important member of the group.  For the Middletown date, it's the two of them sans rhythm section (or guest vocalist).  Mr. Artmann's music is quite handsome, ethereal at times, and his flute sound is graceful and gracious.  He can also swing when the music calls for it.

Mr. Artmann studied classical music in his native Germany as he was growing up, discovering in his teens. He's studied at Harvard Law School, Princeton University, and the Berklee School of Music.  He has toured Europe playing in both classical and jazz settings as well as clubs and performance venues in the United States.  "Our Story" is his fourth album as a leader since 2010, three of them with the delightful rhythm section of bassist Johannes Weidenmuller and drummer Jeff Hirschfield. To find out more about the flutist, go to artmannjazz.com.

The music commences at 8 p.m. on Saturday.  For tickets and more information, go to buttonwood.org/event/laszlo-gardony-and-christian-artmann/.

Here's the opening track from the new album: