Saxophone Sounds for the New Year!

 

Over the course of 24 albums, tenor saxophonist and composer Rich Halley has created music that takes from various streams within the Jazz tradition and makes it his own.  Just listen to the first minute of "Corroboration", the opening track of his new album, "Boomslang" (Pine Eagle Records) –– the saxophonist engages in a conversation, sans rhythm section, of short phrases with the bright, tart, sounds of Los Angeles, CA-based cornetist Dan Clucas. One expects the music to go in a "free" direction but when bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Carson Halley enter, the music drops into a jaunty uptempo joyride. Given that it's one of the five pieces (out of nine in the program) that is a group improvisation, the piece is episodic and changes directions several times in the six-minute performance.

The album takes its name from a snake from mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The snake only bites when backed into a corner and its fangs contain a deadly poison. There's nothing poisonous about Halley's music. "Northern Plains" opens with the younger Halley (Rich's son) playing Native American rhythms on his drum kit that leads to a melody that blends traditional elements of Native American melody with blues.  After a powerful tenor solo over the thunderous drums, the band drops into a rhythm with its roots in the hard bop of Art Blakey.  

Right in the middle of the program is the 12-minute group improvisation "Dispholidus" (also named for a sub-Saharan snake).  The front line really stretches out pushed forward by the urgent rhythms. Bassist Reed takes his own powerful solo, a true solo as he is all alone; when the sax and trumpet step in, he steps out so Halley and Clucas can wrap their phrases around each other.  The rhythm section returns, Halley steps out for another compelling solo which Clucas follows with his own exciting spotlight.

Rich Halley has always been one to create his own trail through the vast landscape of creative music. One should not be surprised by the funky beat throughout the raucous "The Lean" and the fiery tempos pushing "The Converse" into the audio stratosphere.  The energetic music and exciting solos that fill the tracks on "Boomslang" make you sit up and take notice! Kudos to all involved.

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

Here's the opening track:

Braithwaite & Katz · Corroboration - Rich Halley

Saxophonist (tenor and alto) Nick Hempton, originally from Sydney, Australia, has been in the United States, New York City to be exact, since 2004.  His early albums (he now has issued seven) show a player who loves melody, loves to improvise, and has a round sound one associates with jazzmen from the 1950s and 60s playing in late-night venues. After issuing albums on Posi-Tone Records and SmallsLIVE, Hempton issued "Night Owl" in 2019 on his own label – that album featured Peter Bernstein (guitar), Kyle Koehler (organ) and Fukushi Tainaka (drums) with music that hearkened back to classic Blue Note Records sessions that paired Jimmy Smith with the likes of Lou Donaldson and Stanley Turrentine.

Nearly three years later, Hempton takes the same ensemble into GB's Juke Joint, a recording studio in Long Island City, NYC, and lets them loose on a delightful 10-song program. "Slick" (which may be the saxophonist's nickname) slides down into the nightclub right from the opening notes of the opening track "The Runaround".  Nobody is in a hurry; instead, they all jump on Tainaka's solid shuffle-swing digging into the groove creating solos to point to all participants having a great time.  Six of the tracks are originals with four "standards" sprinkled into the program. The first of those tracks is Mel Torme & Robert Wells "Born To Be Blue" featuring splendid, emotionally rich solos, from the guitarist and saxophonist plus empathetic support from Koehler as well as sweet brush work from Tainaka.  Another standard and ballad, "The Gypsy" (composed by Billy Reid in 1945) is oh-so-sweet with Hempton's tenor showing the influence of Coleman Hawkins throughout his solo and on the coda.  

Photo: Caroline Conejero

Still, this band is built to swing. Pieces such as "Frying With Fergus", "Liars Dice", and "Upstairs Eddie" gives everyone the chance to "blow" supported by the infectious swing of the drums and the organists's excellent bass pedal dancing. Then there's "Short Shrift" with leaps out of the speakers sounding liek the musical equivalent of the band running to catch the last train back to the city.  The performance just might take your breath away yet it is joyous and lots of fun.

"Slick" ends on a sweet note with an uptempo but not fast performance of Allie Wrubel & Herb Magidson's "The Masquerade is Over".  Hempton's alto solo has a bluesy, playful, feel while Bernstein takes off from the melody without ever losing sight of it.  Koehler digs right in cruising atop the easy swing of the drums.  It's the perfect close to a pleasing set of music.  Nick Hempton creates music whose goal is to make you happy, entertain you, and take your mind off of the world outside your door. Nothing wrong with that at all!

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

Here's the album opener:

Catching Up January 18 (Pt. 1)

Over the past several decades, guitarist and composer Rez Abbasi has been "fusing" sounds from India and his native Pakistan with the varied influences of Western Music, specifically jazz and blues. His 12th album as a leader, "Unfiltered Universe" (Whirlwind Recordings), features his long-time companions Vijay Iyer (piano), Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone), Johannes Weidenmueller (bass), and Dan Weiss (drums) and adds the cello of Elizabeth Mikael.  Iyer, Weiss, Mahanthappa, and Weidenmueller appeared on 2011's "Suno Suno" and 2009's "Things to Come" and the leader sees this record as a third in a trilogy of recording that use South Asian music as touchstone for his compositions and the improvisations.  The blend of alto sax, acoustic piano, and guitar with this highly active rhythm section makes for a winning combination.

John Rogers photo

"Propensity" opens the program and, right from the start, the listener should pay attention to the different components. The extended melody, the powerful combination of bass and drums, the vocal characteristic of Mahanthappa's alto sax, the way the arrangement includes the cello as counterpoint. and the excellent solos.  The title track follows.  This melody, played by the alto and guitar, has a lovely almost melancholy flavor especially when the cello enters shadowing the lines played by the piano.  Notice the "freedom" yet structure in the rhythm section during the solos as well as Iyer's heavy chordal work.  The rhythms slow down at the onset of the piano solo and one can really hear the articulated notes and how, slowly, surely, Iyer works in tandem with Weidenmueller and Weiss.

With exception of "Thoughts", a short (1:41) but rambunctious guitar solo, the songs stretch out but no piece is overdone.  It's fun to hear how the tempos change within songs, how the different voices interact, how the power of the alto sax is matched by the guitar and piano but is not a "war" of virtuosi.  The leader plays with great fire throughout yet there are moments of simple beauty as well.  The longest track (11:54), "Turn of Events", take its time to get going but once the song hits a rhythmic stride, the musicians still don't hurry.  The mysterious melody finally arrives, played by the guitar, sax, and cello and it's as if everything as fallen into the right places. Soon, Mahanthappa and Abbasi are soloing together as the pianist pulls the rhythm section forward.  But, they drop for a piano solo framed by only the bass and drums yet you can hear how Iyer builds his powerful spot from the main melody and rhythm of the composition. Ms. Mikael steps out for a quick solo with Weidenmueller's bass as a counterpoint before the bass is by himself.  Guitar and piano create a percussive dialogue before the sextet returns for the reprise of the opening theme.

"Unfiltered Universe" is structured yet has such a "free" feel at times it seems as if the musicians are spinning a magic story.  While Rez Abbasi talks about the importance of carnatic music to this album, all the influences seems to have merged into an original sound.  Give a listen and then another - this music all seduce you.

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

Here's the title track:

It was Peter Margasak in the Chicago Reader who hipped his readers to the "Flow", the new Delmark album from the Paul Gialorrenzo Trio.  I went out and purchased the album on the power of his suggestion.  Yes, it's a piano trio album, released at a time when one get lost easily in the plethora of piano trio recordings. But, I understand his enthusiasm.  Pianist and composer Gialorrenzo, a native of Long Island, NY who now resides and works in Chicago, has crafted an album that may remind some of work of Herbie Nichols or Bud Powell or Thelonious Monk. He's not afraid of changing tempos in mid-phrase and is blessed to have the rhythm section of Joshua Abrams (bass) and Mikel Patrick Avery (drums) who not only follow his creative paths he creates but push, poke, prod, and "swing like mad" along the way.

Listen to how "Rolling" does just that, how it rolls along on the walking bass lines and ride cymbal and how the melody and solo dances atop it.  Throughout the nine-song program, the emphasis is on melody, interplay, and  the narrative Giallorenzo weaves into every track.  Feet have to tap on "Flipd Scrip" and heads will lean in on the opening melody of "Interstice": with the entrance of bassist Abrams on the latter track, the piece moves in a "freer" direction but never goes all the way out. In fact, there's a section that is "deep" blues.

The two pieces that bookend the album, "A-Frolicking" and "A Way We Go", point to the playfulness of this music, the type of repertoire that make audiences sit up and smile.  The Paul Giallorenzo Trio swings with glee, the music never feels forced, and you can see the musicians are paying close attention to each other.  "Flow" is a delight from start to finish.

For more information about this fascinating musician, go to paulgiallorenzo.com.

Saxophonist Nick Hempton (alto and tenor) has issued four fine albums on Posi-Tone Records, mostly with his fine Quartet.  With the release of "Trio Stonk: Live at Smalls" (SmallsLIVE), the Australian native has downsized but not to the detriment of his music. With his rhythm section - George DeLancey (bass) and long-time associate Dan Aran (drums) - Hempton moves his way through seven pieces, five of which are originals.  Not hard to compare some of the pieces to the 1950s Trio work of Sonny Rollins - listen to the opening of "Dropping A Franklin" or the playful take of "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" and you can hear it in the way Hempton phrases and the gentle swing of the rhythm section.  There are even a few Rollins quotes on the opening of "Not That Sort of Jazz That Stewart Likes", a delightful romp that has an easy groove.

The lovely take of the standard "Poor Butterfly" is a highlight, the alto sax dancing around the structural work of the bass and drums. The singing tone of the sax, the gentle brush work, and intelligent counterpoint from the bass, all combine for a sweet ballad.  "A Whistling Blues" opens with just sax and bass playing a "down home" tune with the feel of David "Fathead" Newman supporting Ray Charles.  The blues gets deeper when the drums enters to slowly push the tune forward.

Trio Stonk plays with verve, a sweet sense of humor, and the desire to entertain people who like jazz. Neither confrontational nor challenging, Nick Hempton and company make music that's filled with joy, soaked in the blues, not afraid to swing, and possessing a sense of humor.  Relax and dig into these tasty sounds.

For more information, go to nickhemptonband.com.

Give a listen:

Nick and Nicky

Nick Hempton came to the United States from his native Australia, saxophones in hand, a young man with a dream that one day his music would be heard around the world (or, at least, that's how I believe the story should go.)

Since organizing the Nick Hempton Band in 2005, he's released 3 CDs with the latest 2 out on Posi-Tone Records. This year, he's decided to try a new approach, a fan-friendlier approach but not "crowd-sourcing."  The "Catch and Release Experiment" is a unique idea, one in which the band - Hempton (alto, tenor saxophones), Dan Aran (drums), Jeremy Manasia (piano) and Dave Baron (bass) - will, over the course of 1 year, "write, rehearse, record, and release one new song every 6 weeks." The songs will be made available on the Band's website, on iTunes and Amazon.

If you have ever listened to Nick Hempton's music, you'll know he's a confident player with a sweet sound on alto and a swinging approach to the tenor.  His compositions leave plenty of room for solos but he does not skimp on melody.  Drummer Aran has been in the band since its inception and one cannot miss his rapport with the leader.

The first track, which takes its name from the "experiment", will be released on Tuesday July 15.You can join in on the fun by going to nickscatchandrelease.com.

Earlier this year vocalist/composer Nicky Schrire returned to her native South Africa after 4 years in New York City where she studied music, recorded 2 CDs and an EP, made scads of friends and ran herself ragged trying to get her career moving forward.  Despite strong positive critical responses, Ms. Schrire felt she needed a change of scene and made plans to settle in London, England.  First, she went home to recharge, see family and friends and to slow down for a little while.  She's now in London, starting to gig and getting established.

Before Nicky Schrire left the US, she recorded 11 original pieces in New York City with pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Desmond White and drummer Jimmy Macbride plus tenor saxophonist Jonas Ganzemuller on 3 tracks.   Titled "Demo 2014", the music seems fully realized but was not marked for release.   However, this music deserves to be heard so this post is a personal "shoutout" to Ms. Schrire to consider making these songs commercially available.  (Update - these tracks are not yet commercially available in any form and, after consulting with the artist, she has generously forwarded the following song for our enjoyment:)


While in Capetown, Nicky Schrire formed a duo with cellist Ariella Caira, recorded a 5-song EP that also begs to be heard.  Time will tell.

To find out more about the person and her engaging music, go to www.nickyschrire.com.