What I'm Listening To (1)

Pianist and composer David Virelles, born and raised in Cuba, moved to Canada in the early 2000s at the behest of musician. Jane Bunnett. While attending college, he recorded with the flutist and came into contact with saxophonist Steve Coleman. On the strength of a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. Virelles moved to New York City to study with Henry Threadgill, going on to record with the saxophonist/ composer as well as artists such as Mr. Coleman, Chris Potter, Paul Motian, Wadada Leo Smith, Mark Turner, and many others. As a leader, he's recorded for both ECM and Pi Recordings.

It's on the latter label where you'll find "Nuna", a 16-track, mostly solo (percussionist Julio Barretto appears on three of the tracks), extravaganza. Unlike his previous Pi recording (the digital-only "Transformación del Arcoiris"), Virelles plays acoustic piano throughout save for the opening "Spacetime" on which he adds the percussion instrument marimbula.  The music ranges from Cuban folk melodies to melodic excursions to rhythmic fantasies to free-form improvisations to trance-like journeys. Composed and recorded during the pandemic, the music flows like a giant stream from start to finish. And that's the best way to listen––start with "Spacetime" and don't stop until the ringing chords of "Casa" fade away.  It's quite a musical adventure, one that never overstays its welcome and is so rewarding. 

"Nuna", like all of the music David Virelles has created as a solo artist, is fascinating.  His formal training as well as his study of Black Music from playing with so many fine creators, has expanded his vision so that the pianist cannot be pigeon-holed into one genre. Nor should he be. Open your ears and mind, dear listener, and you will be rewarded.

To find out more about the pianist, go to www.davidvirelles.com.

To hear more and to purchase "Nuna", go to https://davidvirelles.bandcamp.com/album/nuna.  There's even a 4-song bonus EP available on the pianist's Bandcamp page (https://davidvirelles.bandcamp.com/album/nuna-bonus-tracks). 

Hear "Ghost Town": 

Photo: Frank Schemann

Born in Oakland, CA, in February 1955, tenor saxophonist and bass clarinetist David Murray seemed to come fully formed on the Black Music scene in the mid-1970s.  Before moving to New York City, he had played with pianist Horace Tapscott. Before being one of the four co-founders of the World Saxophone Quartet in 1977, he released three Lps in 1976 including the brilliant "Flowers for Albert" (India Navigation Records) and the equally powerful Trio recording "Low Class Conspiracy" (Adelphi Records).  He was prolific through the 1980s and 90s with a series of splendid Octet recordings on Black Saint and quartet dates on DIW plus his work with the WSQ. Murray was never tied to one genre––he could play "free", "in the pocket", in intimate duo sessions, with a big band, in different Caribbean "modes", rearranging the Grateful Dead music for big band and more.

In 2020, the saxophonist created his BRAVE NEW WORLD TRIO (pictured above) with bassist Brad Jones and drummer Hamid Drake. The results of their collaboration can now be heard on "Seriana Promethea" (Intakt Records).  The title track opens the eight-song program on a surprisingly and delightfully funky note with Jones' powerful bass lines and Drake's dancing drums underneath the happy-go-lucky bass clarinet lines. The next track, "Necktar", ups the ante with hard-edged rhythms,  swinging and solid bass lines while the leader romps on tenor sax.  "Metouka Sheli (Ballad for Adrienne)" is a soulful ballad that brings to mind the trio Air (with Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall) especially in Murray's fluttering tone and how the rhythm section moves through the piece.  The album's sole cover tune is "If You Want Me to Stay", a 1973 hot for Sly & The Family Stone––the trio pushes the rhythm forward harder than the original but dig how Jones captures the insistent feel of the bass lines.  Drake kicks with abandon while the tenor saxophone shouts and "testifies".  

The album closes "Am Gone Get Some", a rollicking jaunt pushed by the drums underneath the far-ranging "walking" bass and the leader's scampering tenor solo.  The liner notes reported that the trio recorded in Zurich, Switzerland, after a series of European gigs and it really shows in the group's tightness, support, and desire to push each other further.  No cliches here, no "comping" to fill out the songs, just three musicians at their height of their powers having a great time making music.  I look forward to more experiences from David Murray and his BRAVE NEW WORLD TRIO––in the meantime, "Seriana Promethea" is a true delight!

For more information and to purchase the album, go to https://intaktrec.bandcamp.com/album/seriana-promethea-2. 

Here's the title track:

Mr. Parker's Trios

Photo: Peter Gannushkin

Earlier this year, AUM Fidelity released "Migrations of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World", a massive yet splendid 10-album set of original music composed and arranged by bassist-composer William Parker.  10 separate groups, 91 tracks, 594 minutes of music, which takes down to ingest, ruminate upon, and understand.  Like the recent works of Wadada Leo Smith and Anthony Braxton (also multiple disk sets), Mr. Parker's music is telling stories, narratives that blend tradition, history, and are very much a reflection of the present day. In the weeks leading to the Pandemic shutdown, the bassist recorded two albums that continue the exploration that his earlier albums began.

Both new releases are trio dates. "Painter's Winter" features the leader on bass, trombonium, and shakuhachi, Daniel Carter (trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax, clarinet, and flute) and Hamid Drake (drums).  The program opens with the hard-driving "Groove 77" led by Mr. Parker's thick bass lines, Drake's funky yet creative drumming, and Carter's muted trumpet lines.  The rhythm section, mixed up high, is in sharp contrast to the thoughtful trumpet throughout.  The title tracks opens with Mr. Parker on trombonium (a smaller, curved, trombone), Carter's flowing flute, and Drake's spare yet conversational drums.  The intensity of the flute and brass interaction picks up and the music begins to bounce as the drummer gets into conversation.  The listener can sit back and revel in the deep sounds.

Carter's smooth-toned alto leads the way on "Happiness" with the bassist, at times, playing counterpoint and Drake right/ tight in the groove. The music slows down for a frantic arco bass solo but afterwards picks up in speed. The introspective is in stark contrast to Drake's dance around the drum set and Mr. Parker's occasional walking bass line.  "Painted Scarf" pairs clarinet and shakahuchi with, at the onset, very quiet or little percussion. Over the 10:49, Drake pushes his bandmates by creating a Native American rhythm which ratchets up the intensity.  "A Curley Russell" closes the program; Mr. Parker dedicates the piece to the late "Curley" Russell, the "be-bop era" bassist who played with Tadd Dameron, Charlie Parker, Art Blakey, and Bud Powell (among others).  Carter's lively alto sax leads the way with the bassist's thick tones helping to fill the bottom.  Drake creates a rollicking drum solo which lights a fire under the saxophonist who then creates his most impassioned solo on the disk. After the delightful bass solo, the trio takes the song out in a spirited fashion.

"Painter's Winter" is an album to savor, to sit back and let the sound wash over you time and again.  William Parker, Daniel Carter, and Hamid Drake have history, as they say, know each other well, and sound as if they are having a great time –– you will as well!

For more information, go to www.williamparker.net.  To purchase the album, go to 

https://williamparker.bandcamp.com/album/painters-winter. 

This is "Painter's Winter":

"Mayan Space Station" posits Mr. Parker in the studio with guitarist Ava Mendoza and drummer Gerald Cleaver.  With Ms. Mendoza's highly amplified sound, one could easily call this group a "power trio".  Mr. Parker's locks in with the drummer and this music often has an irrepressible groove.  It's hard to sit still listening to "Domingo"; notice how the guitarist creates a sound and attack not unlike that of Nels Cline but one also hears traces of Tom Verlaine (Television) and blues great Michael Bloomfield (when he played with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band on "East-West"). Mr. Parker's infectious groove jumpstarts "Rocas Rojas" with Cleaver diving right in, moving about his drum kit in glee, Ms. Mendoza wailing and shredding above.  The title track opens in the spirited fashion of Arthur Blythe's "Down San Diego Way" with Cleaver's drums (he's using brushes, no less) and percussion paired with Mr. Parker's solid four-note bass runs. Ms. Mendoza jumps in, roaring in musical approval until the 4 minute mark, slows down for a moment, and picks up her sonic attack. The guitarist steps out of the spotlight halfway through the 14:42 track to make way for the raucous bowed bass solo over Cleaver's crashing cymbals and snappy snare.  

"Canyons of Light" is a rubato piece with tremendous cymbal and cowbell work, shimmering/ furious arco bass, and long tones and moans from the guitar. As Ms. Mendoza goes into "attack mode", the rhythm section continue to thrash around beneath. There is a hint of a steady rhythm as the piece fades down at the 10-minute mark.  It's a challenging piece of music that stands out for its aural expressions and passionate musicianship.

Photo: Peter Drukker

The album closes with "The Wall Tumbles Down", another hard-edged piece with a irresistible groove. Ms. Mendoza's chordal romp over a guitar drone gives way to a solo that builds up from a simple riff into a bluesy wailing spotlight.  One can hear the influence of Vernon Reid and Sonny Sharrock especially later in the piece when she loops police sirens. The loops don't disappear until the last minute of the piece. Perhaps, these are the walls of racism, sexism,, and intolerance: nevertheless, it's a powerful finish to an album of powerful moods and sounds.

"Mayan Space Station" is music that demands to be played loud, windows open to the world. William Parker wants to touch the world, wants to help people get out of the doldrums and away from the fears that come blasting out of our televisions, radios, and "smart" phones.  Kudos to Ava Mendoza and Gerald Cleaver for their contributions to this most appealing recording. 

To purchase the album and see more of William Parker's catalogue on AUM Fidelity, go to https://williamparker.bandcamp.com/album/mayan-space-station.

Hear the opening track, "Tabasco":

Drums, Reeds, Strings, and more

The trio of Adam Rudolph (percussion, voice, chordal instruments), Ralph M. Jones (reeds, wooden flutes, voice), and Hamid Drake (percussion, voice), have played together for many years in various ensembles. Rudolph and Drake first met in 1969 going on to work with jazz groups in the Mid-West while Jones and Rudolph met in 1974 and had a long relationship/ friendship with reed master/ educator Yusef Lateef.  Jones has been a member of Rudolph's Go: Organic Orchestra since its inception two decades while Drake has played and recorded with the other two musicians as part of Rudolph's Moving Pictures ensemble. They've got history.

Several years ago, the three musicians formed the Karuna Trio. "Karuna" is a Sanskrit word for "compassionate action" and is related to the work of reiki (compassionate healing) –– in Buddhist traditions, the word simply translates to "compassion").  If one approaches the music the Trio makes on its second recording, "Imaginary Archipelago" ( as actions for healing, it may give you a better idea of what the ensemble attempts to do with its music.  Yes, the music can be considered mystical but it's also timeless while, through the use of electronics and editing, quite contemporary.  There are moments throughout the 67-minute program (11 separate tracks) that are cacophonous but the music never erupts into pure noise.  It may remind some of Dr. Lateef's sonic experiments as well as Miles Davis's post "Bitches Brew" period (1970-74).

If you allow the music on "Imaginary Archipelago" to overtake your senses, the experience will serve to help you through these and any frightful times.  The music that Karuna Trio creates is not about technique but has everything to do with interactions, to rhythms, to drones, to creating sounds as prayer, to allowing the imagination free range to express itself. You do need to know the names of songs or who plays what, you just need to surrender to the sound. My favorite time to listen to this album is in the early moments of daylight with the birds outside our windows singing for the sunshine. As the music plays, the bird's songs join in as the chorus to the drums and reeds.  Give this form of peace a chance!

For more information, go to https://metarecords.com/karuna-ensemble.html.  To listen to and purchase this album, go to https://drakejonesrudolphkaruna.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-archipelago-2.

Here's a sonic glimpse into the Trio's music:

Photo: Vince Segalia

In 2017, saxophonist, flutist, and bass clarinetist Brian Landrus released "Generations" on his own BlueLand Records label –– he wrote all the music and arrangements for a 25-member large ensemble that included am eight-member string section. It was and is a major accomplishment in the now 42-year old musician's career, the ninth recording in his nearly two-decade career which started on 2007 with his debut album "Forward", a self-produced album issued on Cadence Jazz Records.  Since 2010, Landrus has issued all his music on BlueLand and, pretty much, has gone his own way. How does one follow up that highly acclaimed album?

His new recording, "For Now", is the second straight Landrus album co-produced by Robert Livingston Aldridge (the classical composer and Professor at Rutgers University who also helped on arrangements); this time, he's joined by Herschel Garfein who worked with pianist Fred Hersch on "My Coma Dreams" and who is also a composer plus is on the faculty of the Steinhardt School of Music at New York University.

Landrus has organized quite the ensemble to play this 14-song program (11 originals, two from Thelonious Monk, and "Invitation" by Bronislaw Kaper)––the nine musicians include the afore-mentioned Mr. Hersch, Billy Hart (the fourth time the drummer has recorded with the reed player), Drew Gress (bass), Michael Rodriguez (trumpet) plus a four-piece string section composed of violinists Sara Caswell and Joyce Hammann, violist Lois Martin, and cellist Jody Redhage-Ferber.  Instead of a "concept" album, Landrus has put together a program that shows his wide-angle approach to composing and arranging. The date kicks off with a swinger, "The Signs", which has a sharp theme that opens up to delightful solos from Rodriguez, Hersch, and Landrus (baritone sax).  Make sure to pay attention to what the rhythm section brings to the song.  Hart kicks and splashes cymbals, getting deep in the groove while Gress keeps the music together.

There are a number of delightful tracks on the album. "Clarity in Time" is a handsome ballad that features eight of the nine musicians (the trumpeter sits this one out). Landrus's baritone sax leads the way; his tone and attack may remind some of Harry Carney, or even tenor giant Ben Webster, plus the piano solo is rich and endearing.  Hart leads the quintet into "J.J." and Landrus leaps out of the thematic section with a hearty solo followed by a dancing trumpet solo.  The drummer really prods the soloists forward. "For Whom I Imagined" opens with the string quartet before the bass clarinet plus Hart's splendid cymbal and drumset play move the piece forward. Landrus overdubs a second bass clarinet as well a terrific flute solo.  The standard "Invitation" belongs to the strings and baritone sax for the opening prologues before the rhythm section enters and the music jumps forward. Listen closely to the interaction of the strings and sax before the latter steps out for a lively solo. The string arrangement on "Her Smile" adds such a sparkling to the baritone solo; Ms. Caswell steps out for a delightful solo followed by a string quintet break (Gress joins them).  To top it off, Billy Hart kicks the bottom out with glee! His work on the next track, "The Wait", really shines as well (no surprise the veteran drummer is a treat throughout the program).

The two Monk tunes also stand out.  "'Round Midnight" is Landrus alone on bass clarinet.  His breathy tone and circular lines in and around the classic melody as well as the performance is short (2:46) makes the piece sweeter. Hersch joins Landrus (baritone) for "Ruby My Dear" – the two take their time to work through the melody and then their two-way conversation is quite harmonious, closing the program in a introspective blue mood.

Brian Landrus shouldn't and doesn't feel the need to top his previous album.  Because he did not fall victim to the "to this" syndrome, "For Now" strikes this listener as the equal of "Generations", looser, more open, with the airy string arrangements helping this production stand out. Filled with delightful music played by an excellent ensemble, this album will brighten your life!

For more information, go to brianlandrus.com.

Here's a taste:

Braithwaite & Katz · The Miss - Brian Landrus