Masters at Play + A Pleasing Surprise

Over the past seven years, saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman has been touring and recording with his Expansions quintet. The group –– Matt Vashlishan (alto sax, flute, clarinet, EWI), Bobby Avey (piano, electric piano, synth), Tony Marino (acoustic bass), and Alex Ritz (drums, frame drum) –– is extremely versatile with each musicians having impressive credentials. I had the joy of seeing the group live at The Side Door Jazz Club in CT and their interactions along with Mr. Liebman's compositions (this was around the time of the release of the band's fourth album for Whaling City Records, "Earth" in late 2019) made for compelling listening.  

Mr. Liebman & Expansions fifth album is "Selflessness: The Music of John Coltrane" –– it's their first for Dot Time Records and continues the saxophonist's decades-long quest to investigate and to reinvigorate the music produced in the last eight years of Coltrane's life (1959-1967).  The nine-song program opens with with "Mr. Day" (from "Coltrane Plays the Blues"): here, the quintet ups the tempo and the front line dances away. Vashlishan goes first with a fiery alto solo which leads to a really funky piano romp over the rampaging drums. Mr. Liebman enters, his soprano sax solo (he only plays soprano on this album plus one track with wooden flute) starting in a cool vein before Ritz's fiery drums push him to dig in. A lively frame drum intro sets an Andulausian atmosphere to "Ole" before the wooden flute, clarinet, and electric piano push the music into a trance-like feel.  Marino's foundational bass line moves the reeds and piano to address the theme. Avey's synth solo sounds more like a guitar until his phrases remind one of the work Chick Corea produced with the electric Return to Forever.  Both Mr. Liebman and Vashlishan's solos have a Middle-Eastern tinge. 

As you move through the program, you stop making comparisons and bask in the excellent music.  "Peace On Earth" is a stunning reminder that John Coltrane could produce the loveliest of musical prayers while "Compassion" echoed the composer's embrace of meditation practices. On the Expansions version, the soprano sax weaves its way through fields of electronic sounds (EWI and synths) while the rhythm section keeps a steady rhythm for all to ride atop.  The album's title track opens with an Eastern feel before the rhythm section create a start-stop that gives the bottom a Hip Hop feel with the soprano and alto saxes move in and around each other which becomes a call-and-response. Avey's acoustic piano solo has touches of classical, Bud Powell, thundering chords, and more.

Photo: Ray Cho/studio MYEL

One of the bigger surprises is the quintet's take on "My Favorite Things".  After a lovely solo piano intro, the band enters in a rapid-paced 4/4 beat with the piano, alto, and soprano addressing the theme.  Vashlishan takes the first solo over the driving rhythm section (no piano) –– Mr. Liebman is next over the responsive bass and drums, Avey churning out solid chords as the intensity builds.  The energy emanating from the speakers is exhilarating.  

"Selflessness" closes with a reverential take of "Dear Lord".  After a powerful prayer-like bowed bass introduction, flute (Vashlishan) and soprano sax present the theme over a soft synth wash, bass, and the "pitter-patter" of the drums. It's the perfect finishing touch to an album that grows stronger upon each listen and leaves one wanting more. Dave Liebman Expansions does more than pay tribute to John Coltrane; they illustrate how alive with possibility his music continues to be and do it all without resorting to imitation. They give this music new wings.  You'll also notice that while Dave Liebman is the leader, this quintet is truly a cooperative, allowing all voices to be heard.  

Dot Times Records released "Selflessness" on September 3 and Mr. Liebman celebrated his 75th birthday on the following day.  May he live long and play on!

For more information, go to https://davidliebman.com/home/groups/expansions-dave-liebman-group/.  To hear more and to purchase the album, go to  https://dottimerecords.bandcamp.com/album/selflessness. 

Here's the ensemble's fascinating take on "My Favorite Things":

It's been two decades since Kate McGarry released her first album.  Much has happened in that time, some sad, a lot good.  Ms. McGarry has worked with Fred Hersch, in John Hollenbeck's Big Band alongside Theo Bleckmann, in the vocal quartet known as MOSS, left New York City for North Carolina with her partner (life and musical) guitarist/ arranger Keith Ganz. Besides her debut album (reissued in 2003 by Palmetto Records), she's recorded six more albums as a leader or co-leader (with Ganz).  Each one covers a lot of musical territory, has an atmosphere all its own, and illustrates just how splendid a vocalist Ms. McGarry is.  It's been three years since she, Ganz, and keyboardist Gary Versace crowd-funded and issued "The Subject Tonight is Love".  At the time, I spoke with her and she said that they recorded a lot of material and it might show up as another album.

Now there is a new album. "What To Wear in the Dark" (Resilience Music) is credited to the "Kate McGarry  + Keith Ganz Ensemble (featuring cornetist Ron Miles & Gary Versace)".  Five of the 10 tracks were recorded in May of 2017, the same sessions that produced the previous album. The group becomes a quintet with the addition of drummer Obed Calvaire. Four tracks were recorded in March of 2020 without Miles and, this time, the rhythm section is Sean Smith (bass) and Clarence Penn (drums). One other track, "On the Road To Find Out", composed by Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) for his 1970 Lp "Tea For The Tillerman", was  recorded in March 2021 at the individual musician's home; besides Ms. McGarry and Ganz, that ensemble features Erin Bentlage (vocals, vocal arrangement), Becca Stevens (vocal, charango), Michelle Willis (vocals, Wurlitzer), Christian Euman (drums), and James Shipp (brushes, pandiero). 

Photo: David Goddard

Ms. McGarry arranged the opening track, the Howard Dietz/ Arthur Schwartz classic "Dancing In The Dark". Versace's accordion creates a waltz tempo while the vocalist digs into the lyrics. Miles' cornet accompanies her vocal improvisation while Calvaire's brushes dance over the drums.  The song sets the stage for a surprising program, one that includes Donald Fagen & Walter Becker's "Barrytown", a lovely, emotional, expansive, take of Joni Mitchell's oft-recorded "Both Sides Now", and a playful stroll through Paul Simon's "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", complete with bubbly Wurlitzer electric piano and a low-key cornet solo that is the essence of "groovy" and "gritty".  The opening of that last track features an except from pianist-author Hal Galper's "A Touring Musician" –– Ms. McGarry rushes her way through the description of how tough it is for working musicians on all levels of popularity to find and make their way. After a breathless climax, she and the quintet break into "Slow down, you move too fast".  And don't we all feel that's the way is.  The "groove" is irresistible as is Ron Miles' delightful solo.

There's plenty to love on this album.  The lovely trio (vocal, guitar, and organ) take on "Desperado" which has the feel of a James Taylor piece as well as that stunning version of "Both Sides Now". That latter track is one of Joni Mitchell's most-recorded pieces yet just listen to how Ms McGarry weaves her way through the words. The whisper-soft brush work of Clarence Penn and wonderfully melodic bass work of Sean Smith build a soft foundation for Versace's impressionistic piano and Ganz's quiet acoustic guitar lines.  Ganz's smart re-arrangement of George Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun" revolves around the the galaxies of melody, acoustic and electric guitar, the throbbing rhythm section, and Versace's burbling organ (listen below –– does the organ sound like Rod Argent's iHammond B-3 in The Zombies "Time of the Season" to you?)

The team of Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz is proving to be a formidable one; "What To Wear in the Dark" has so much to offer a listener in search of songs that touch the heart, the mind, and the feet (several of these tunes will make you want to dance, in the dark and in the light!) Add to that the fine musicianship of Gary Versace and Ron Miles as well as the other musicians and voices that are on the recording and you have an unforgettable musical experience.

For more information, go to https://katemcgarry.com/.  

Hear "Here Comes The Sun":

Photo: Jean Levac/Ottawa Citizen

Vocalist and educator Sheila Jordan is, to quote many aficionados, a "jazz singer's Jazz Singer."  After growing up in the coal-mining country of Pennsylvania, she discovered Charlie Parker, found her way back to her birthplace, Detroit MI, where Ms. Jordan worked with numerous Black musicians. After performing with a jazz vocal trio, she moved to New York City where she married Parker's pianist Duke Jordan.  It was believed that she made her recording debut with George Russell as well as a brilliant 1963 Blue Note Lp, "Portrait of Sheila", a session that featured guitarist Barry Galbraith, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Denzil Best.  There was no immediate follow-up; in fact it was 15 years until her SteepleChase recording "Sheila" with bassist Arild Andersen. She's gone on the record numerous albums including a series of dates with pianist Steve Kuhn as well as duos with bassist Harvey S.

Imagine everyone's surprise when Capri Records issued "Comes Love: Lost Session 1960".  Recorded in June of 1960 on tje long defunct with an unnamed piano trio (at the time, Ms. Jordan had been working with pianist Johnny Knapp but no information from this session exists), the 11 standards find the vocalist in full voice, her great control, phrasing, and ability to make a song hers right in place.  None of the songs appear on the Blue Note album but you can hear all the elements that would be the mature Sheila Jordan. She and the trio dance their way through the 98 seconds of "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Don't Got The Swing), her scatting and vocal style hinting at Ella Fitzgerald. "I'll Take Romance" also swings delightfully; the vocalist doesn't take many liberties with the melody but her voice is so youthful and the song satisfies.

Ms. Jordan 1953

The ballads are worth the price of admission. Whether it's the opening track, "I'm The Track", the dark-tinged "Ballad of the Sad Young Men", Billie Holiday's bittersweet "Don't Explain" (you can hear the composer's influence on Ms. Jordan's performance), the wistful "These Foolish Things", or the impressionistic "Glad to Be Unhappy", her enunciation, the sympathetic rhythm section, and the vocalist's conviction draw the listener and you realize this album is a true treat.  

The final track, the swinging "They Can't Take That Away From Me", illustrates many of Ms. Jordan's performance style that remains 61 years later. She can be sassy, she can break your heart, but Sheila Jordan always make the listener feel she's singing just to him or her.  Great find and kudos to Capri Records for buying the rights to release "Come Love". 

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

Give a listen to the opening track:

Braithwaite & Katz · I'm The Girl - Sheila Jordan

McCoy Tyner 1938-2020

Pianist and composer McCoy Tyner, a native of Philadelphia, PA's amazing music scene, died March 6 2020 at the age of 81.  Thinking about how his presence on the contemporary music scene mirrored my discovery of jazz, it was his collaborations with John Coltrane on "A Love Supreme" and "Impressions" that first turned my ears and mind away from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, pointing the way to another music, one that also had its roots in African American experience but offered so much more than "She Loves You" and "I Can't Get No Satisfaction". The music created by Mr. Coltrane, Mr. Tyner, Elvin Jones, and Jimmy Garrison (now all passed on) was as powerful to my ears as a large ensemble, each instrument an orchestra unit itself.

But it was 1972's "Sahara", Mr. Tyner's debut album on Milestone Records, that really turned me on the amazing musician he was.  With a quartet that included Sonny Fortune (alto and soprano saxophone, flute), Calvin Hill (bass), and Alphonse Mouzon (drums, percussion, trumpet), the music soared, roared, cried, and celebrated life in all its amazing colors and sounds.  That album started a string of amazing recordings for MIlestone over the next decade, all led by his powerful piano work, filled with percussive chords and lightning-fast runs that pull the listener along on the most amazing journeys.

A favorite from that era, "Song of the New World" (1973), features the Quartet (with Joony Booth replacing Calvin Hill) string orchestra, a brass section, an oboist, and the great Hubert Laws on flute and piccolo:



Mr. Tyner went on to record many more albums for numerous labels, returning to Blue Note and Impulse in the 1990s and on to Telarc in the early 2000s. Eventually, he started the McCoy Tyner Music label (through Half Note Records) – his final "official" recording is "Solo: Live From San Francisco". Recorded in 2007, the album came out in 2009. He dances his way through 11 tracks, from his own pieces to time-proven standards as well as several John Coltrane compositions.  His sound and ear for blending percussive chords with lengthy solo flurries remains pure and the recording is a true delight. Mr. Tyner performed into the 2010s but had quietly retired to his New Jersey home several years ago

McCoy Tyner's influence on other pianists in uncontested and one imagines his approach to the piano will never really fade away. He gave us so many musical gifts and the world is a much better place for his life!

Here's a tune from Mr. Tyner's 1972 Blue Note album "Extensions" (recorded in 1970) featuring Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone), Gary Bartz (alto sax), Ron Carter (bass), Elvin Jones (drums), and Alice Coltrane (harp):  

Masters Of & At Play

I do not believe anyone would argue the importance of John Coltrane (1926-1967) on 20th Century Black American Music (and beyond).  His tenor saxophone playing, built off the advancements of Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Don Byas, and others, created sounds that still ripple through music. And his soprano work laid the path for people such as Wayne Shorter and Dave Liebman.  His quartet music, especially the group with McCoy Tyner, Paul Chambers or Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones remains a touchstone for artists such as Branford Marsalis and Joe Lovano.  Coltrane's long-form compositions as well as his lengthy performances set the table for experimentalists in the AACM and in Europe.  His embrace of spirituality opened doors for artists such as Pharaoh Sanders, Franklin Kirmeyer, Marion Brown, and Archie Shepp not to forget what his widow Alice Coltrane created in the 1970s and 80s.

As this article is about to post, we are four weeks away from the 50th anniversary of his passing (from liver disease).  To honor his life and legacy, Resonance Records is releasing "Compassion: The Music of John Coltrane", a recording from the 40th Anniversary show that BBC3 commissioned from Dave Liebman in 2007. The producer, Robert Abel, asked the saxophonist if he could assemble the Saxophone Summit, a sextet that had been in existence (and still is) for the gig but several key members were not available including Ravi Coltrane, the Coltranes son.  The quintet Liebman (tenor/soprano saxophone, wooden recorder, C flute) did assemble included Joe Lovano (tenor sax, aulochrome - a double soprano saxophone - alto clarinet, Scottish flute) plus the splendid rhythm section of Phil Markowitz (piano), Ron McClure (bass) and Billy Hart (drums).

The two saxophonists chose material from the last decade of John Coltrane's life.  Opening with the hard-driving "Locomotion" (from the 1957 Blue Note recording "Blue Train", the band locks in and the music soars.  All the soloists shine, thanks to their dedication to the project as well as the locomotive rhythm section.  The one medley on the program, "Central Park West/Dear Lord", is a feature for the saxophonists. The first tune features Lovano dancing through his solo. A quick shift moves into a sparkling piano introduction leading into Liebman's expressive soprano sax in the spotlight. Neither saxophonist imitates the "Coltrane sound" which helps both pieces shine.

There's a splash of humor in the use of recorded and Scottish flute to introduce the delectable "Olé" but, when the rhythm section kicks in, the tenor (Lovano) and soprano (Liebman) lead the way. The piano solo is a delight, goosed forward by Hart's explosive drumming. Then the saxophonists have their say leading to Liebman's powerful soprano adventure. Also pay attention to McClure who is a strong "foundational" player.

Every song on the album stands out. From the heartfelt ballad "Dr. King" (clarinet and flute in the lead) to the expressive blues of "Equinox" (tenor/soprano) to the lengthy (17:27) "Compassion" (originally released in 1965 on "Meditations").  A long poly-rhythmical drum solo serves as an introduction for that final track then the two tenors state the theme and the music takes off.  Lovano breaks out the aulochrome and creates quite a solo, switching in-and-out of the double reed sound nt unlike many of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's multi-reed adventures. The piano solo starts at a high level and keeps rising.  A rapid-fire interaction with Liebman, now on soprano and Lovano on tenor, takes the piece to its conclusion.

"Compassion" is a wonderful tribute as well as a reminder of the vivid trails that John Coltrane blazed during his short but often amazing tenure in our world.  This quintet, co-led by Dave Liebman and Joe Lovano, never settles for merely replaying the past but illustrates how the music has grown in time and was doing what jazz does best - moving forward on the strength on its innovators.

For more information, go to www.resonancerecords.org/release.php?cat=HCD-2030.

Dave Douglas, trumpeter, composer, podcaster, and label owner, has always been productive with, at least, two to three ensembles going at the same time. Several years ago, he partnered with electric bassist Steve Swallow and the Doxas brothers (tenor saxophonist and bass clarinetist Chet and drummer Jim) to create Riverside.  The American-Canadian quartet's self-titled debut album was dedicated to the multi-reed master Jimmy Giuffre. The ensemble chose to create new music inspired by the clarinetist/saxophonist whose career moved from big bands to small groups to "free" music to electronic experimentation.  Steve Swallow had worked with Giuffre in his Trio with pianist Paul Bley that played totally improvised music in the early 1960s. At that time, Swallow played acoustic bass - when Giuffre reconvened the Trio in the late 1980s, the bassist had switched to electric bass changing the overall sound of the group.

The music on and attitude of the second Riverside album, "The New National Anthem" (Greenleaf Music), was inspired by composer, pianist, and wife of Steve Swallow, Carla Bley.  The title track, originally recorded by Gary Burton for his 1967 Lp, "A Genuine Tong Funeral",  is just right for an anthem; you know, long enough for the flag to be raised but before the crowd gets restless. Ms. Bley, who is known for both the political nature of her music as well as the humor often found in her compositions, also composed "King Korn" which first appeared on a 1963 Paul Bley Lp (and which the late pianist recorded on several other occasions). Here, the piece has an Ornette Coleman/Don Cherry feel thanks to the sharp interactions of the trumpet and clarinet.  Her other contribution is the Kurt Weill- inspired "Enormous Tots" (from her "Tropic Appetites" suite and the bouncy, martial, feel is perfect for both Chet Doxas (on tenor) and the trumpeter to play around with delight.

jongarelick.com

There's a cowboy music-cum-Nino Rota feel to "Il Sentiero", a tune with a boozy trumpet solo, pounding drums, sweetly melodic bass, and rippling clarinet, a touch of carnival in the Old West.  Douglas's "King Conlon" is his musical response to learning "King Korn" (programmed as the following track) - it's a delightful jumble, perhaps more Charlie Parker than Conlon Noncarrow.  There's a hint of be-bop in the trumpet-clarinet-drums that opens the piece. Drummer Doxas swings delightfully while Swallow dances along with the soloists.

The saxophonist's "View From A Bird" has a lovely solo bass introduction, a good reminder that Swallow is like no one else, putting musicality in front of technique, the third melodic member of the group. Sometimes, you have to listen closely to hear what he is playing but it's worth the concentration. Listen to how he and drummer Doxas lock the groove down on "Americano" and how he continues to do so even as his section mate kicks the tune to a higher level. Also, pay close attention to how good this music sounds, how you can everyone's part even when they play loud.  Notice Swallow's stunning solo on "Demigods", how it perfectly fits the bluesy nature of the song and does not interrupt the flow. The bassist contributed a new song, "Never Mind", to the session, a blues-drenched ballad with strong solos from the saxophonist and trumpeter.

Long-time listeners to the music of Dave Douglas may hear a comparison to the trumpeter's "Magic Triangle"/ "Leap of Faith" quartet (with Chris Potter, James Genus, and Ben Perowsky), also a piano-less ensemble.  Still, Riverside is blessed by the maturity of trumpeter/composer, the presence of master musician Steve Swallow, and the influences that the Doxas brothers bring to the music, not to forget lessons learned from listening to the music of Carla Bley.  "The New National Anthem"  is worth your attention (and you do not need to stand and salute, unless you want to).

Here's a track to enjoy: