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:

Pomegranate Up Front

Composer, conceptualist and cornetist Stephen Haynes releases his new CD today June 9.  Titled "Pomegranate" (New Atlantis Records), the album catches Mr. Haynes with an exciting quintet that features Joe Morris (guitar), Ben Stapp (tuba), William Parker (contrabass violin, sintir, bass shakuhachi), and the amazing percussionist Warren Smith (drums, percussion, marimba). The recording captures the musicians in the performance space of Firehouse 12 in March of 2013 with music dedicated to Haynes' teacher and mentor Bill Dixon (1925-2010). In the notes on the recording's Bandcamp page, it is written that Mr. Dixon "loved the low end and he would have dug this instrumentation."  There are instances throughout the album that one is reminded of Henry Threadgill's Zooid, specifically in the blend of the tuba and guitar.

photo by Enid Farber

But, this is most certainly the intersection of Mr. Dixon's teaching, Mr. Haynes' fertile imagination and the big ears/open minds of the musicians involved. The title track, for instance, goes from a quiet conversation between the cornet, bass and drums to a high-energy full band groove.  The musicians move from being on top of Mr. Smith's powerful drumming to playing behind the beat to exciting chatter.  A blend of African rhythms and Southeast Asian elements infuse "Mangui Fii Reek (I am Still Here)" with a lighter quality that pulls one in - pay attention to the rhythmic variations in the guitar and bass plus how the drummer accents and complements them.  "Becoming" (the longest track at 17:18) opens with the sound of air through the cornet before Morris creates a hypnotic rhythm and the rhythm section moves underneath. The textures of the marimba and moaning/shimmering guitar give Haynes room to move through the piece. As everyone contributes to the flow, the music becomes hypnotic (especially during the splendid guitar solo).

William Parker anchors the light-hearted "Crepuscular" with a repetitive yet funky bass line while the marimba dances, the tuba whistles below (yes, whistles!) and the guitar plays delightful circular phrases.  Mr. Haynes moves in and out of the mix, actually stepping out of the song for last few minutes.  he's front and center for a fiery solo on the final track "Odysseus (Lashed to the Mast)" - here, the high-energy emitted by the rhythm section spurs the soloists forward (Stapp stands out in both a supportive role and as a soloist.)

jazz chicago 2007

"Pomegranate" stands out for its impressive music but moreso for the the interplay of the ensemble, their commitment to the project and for how Stephen Haynes and company harness/channel the myriad influences each person brings to the performance. It most certainly a tribute to the teaching and mentorship that Bill Dixon (pictured) gave to Mr. Haynes and all the people he taught over his career.

For more information, go to newatlantisrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pomegranate.

This Great Week of Music in CT with a CD Pick Included

As the Firehouse 12 Spring Concert Series winds down to a precious few, the management throws a fascinating curve.  This Thursday evening at 8 p.m., the performance venue opens its very heavy door to contemporary classical pianist and vocalist Lisa Moore.  The Australian native and former member of the Bang On A Can Allstars, is no stranger to the space as this is her 6th appearance in 10 years and third in a solo setting. The program, titled "Moving Mountains", features the World Premiere of Stephen Cabell's "Three Movements for Piano", the US Premiere of "Sliabh Beagh" from Australian composer Kate Moore (no relation), John Luther Adam's "Among Red Mountains", and Chris Rogerson's "Noble Pond." There is only one set. To find out the artist, go to www.lisamoore.org.  

Here's Ms. Moore playing a work from Philip Glass:

The following evening (June 5), alto saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa also makes his 6th appearance in the Elm City performance space (his maiden voyage was in May of 2007).  This is his 4th show as a leader and celebrates the release of his latest CD, "Bird Calls" (ACT Records).  The music, all composed by the leader, is based on and influenced by Mahanthappa's love for Charlie Parker. Joining him will bassist Francois Moutin, pianist Matt Mitchell, the exciting young trumpeter Adam O'Farrill, and drummer Jordan Perlson (all of whom perform on the CD save for the drummer).  The compositions and performances on the recording are incredibly exciting, there's such a joy in the group's playing, I would not be surprised to hear that the music is even better in person.

Rudresh & company will play 2 sets - 8:30 and 10 p.m. For ticket information for both shows, go to firehouse12.org or call 203-785-0468.

Here's a taste of the new recording:

Busy weekend at The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme with 3 shows in 3 nights.  In a special Thursday showcase, Jan and Ken welcome the Steve Davis Quintet as they celebrate the release of "Say When", the trombonist's tribute to one of the biggest influences on his sound, the late J.J. Johnson.  Joining the Hartt School Professor will be the ever-youthful Harold Mabern (piano), Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone), Nat Reeves (bass) and Joe Farnsworth (drums).  Expect this music to swing mightily especially with the man from Memphis in the piano chair.

On Friday night, the young Ukrainian-born pianist Vadim Neselovskyi comes to town with his Trio for 2 sets of music that will range from jazz to classical and other stops in-between. A graduate of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Neselovyski has worked with Pat Metheny and toured extensively with vibraphonist Gary Burton.  Not sure who's in the rhythm section (I'll add it to the post when I find out) but you are sure to be impressed. His only US recording as a leader is the 2013 solo piano CD "Music for September" (Sunnyside Records). To find out more, go to www.vadimneselovskyi.com.

Here's a track from that Sunnyside debut:

On Saturday June 6, it will be Renee Rosnes sitting behind The Side Door piano and the Canadian native (and wife of pianist Bill Charlap) brings a splendid Quartet including vibraphonist Steve Nelson, bassist Todd Coolman (such a great last name for a jazz musician) and the delightful drummer Lewis Nash.   Ms. Rosnes has worked with many jazz greats including Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter and Bobby Hutchinson. She spent 11+ years touring with the legendary saxophonist James Moody plus spent 6 seasons with the SF Jazz Collective (2004-09).  As a leader, Ms. Rosnes has released 13 recordings.

Doors open each night at 7:30 p.m. with the music set to commence at 8:30.  For more information, call 860-434-0886 or go to thesidedoorjazz.com.

Here is Ms. Rosnes along with Lewis Nash and bassist Peter Washington performing Joe Henderson's  "Isotope":

Another successful season of the "Improvisations" series at Real Art Ways in Hartford comes to a close this Sunday June 7 with "Spectacle II." Join curators/organizers Stephen Haynes (cornets) and Joe Morris (guitar, bass) with 13 other musicians for a concert that will most assuredly knock your socks off (I hate to get technical).  This year, the participants include vocalist extraordinaire Fay Victor (pictured), Allan Chase (saxophones), Jerome Deupree (drums, percussion), Adam Matlock (accordion),

photo by M Weintrob

Junko Fujiwara (cello), Minta White (flute), Sam Lisabeth (guitar), Will Bridges (alto saxophone), Travis Bliss (tenor saxophone), Zachary Bowden (bass), Jaimie Branch (trumpet), Jason Belcher (baritone horn), and the ever-adventurous Andrea Parkins (accordion). There will music performed by groups of different sizes throughout the afternoon while Ms. Victor weaves her magical vocals in and out of the sounds.  For more information and reservations, go to www.realartways.org/event/improvisations/2015-06-07/. You can also call RAW, which is located at 96 Arbor Street in the Capital City, at 860-232-1006.

In this week's CD Pick, Stephen Haynes will release his new CD on June 9.  Titled "Pomegranate" (New Atlantis Records), the album catches Mr. Haynes with an exciting quintet that features Mr. Morris (guitar), Ben Stapp (tuba), William Parker (contrabass violin, sintir, bass shakuhachi), and the amazing percussionist Warren Smith (drums, percussion, marimba). The recording captures the musicians in the performance space of Firehouse 12 in March of 2013 with music dedicated to Haynes' teacher and mentor Bill Dixon (1925-2010). In the notes on the recording's Bandcamp page, it is written that Mr. Dixon "loved the low end and he would have dug this instrumentation."  There are instances throughout the album that one is reminded of Henry Threadgill's Zooid, specifically in the blend of the tuba and guitar.

photo by Enid Farber

But, this is most certainly the intersection of Mr. Dixon's teaching, Mr. Haynes' fertile imagination and the big ears/open minds of the musicians involved. The title track, for instance, goes from a quiet conversation between the cornet, bass and drums to a high-energy full band groove.  The musicians move from being on top of Mr. Smith's powerful drumming to playing behind the beat to exciting chatter.  A blend of African rhythms and Southeast Asian elements infuse "Mangui Fii Reek (I am Still Here)" with a lighter quality that pulls one in - pay attention to the rhythmic variations in the guitar and bass plus how the drummer accents and complements them.  "Becoming" (the longest track at 17:18) opens with the sound of air through the cornet before Morris creates a hypnotic rhythm and the rhythm section moves underneath. The textures of the marimba and moaning/shimmering guitar give Haynes room to move through the piece. As everyone contributes to the flow, the music becomes hypnotic (especially during the splendid guitar solo).

William Parker anchors the light-hearted "Crepuscular" with a repetitive yet funky bass line while the marimba dances, the tuba whistles below (yes, whistles!) and the guitar plays delightful circular phrases.  Mr. Haynes moves in and out of the mix, actually stepping out of the song for last few minutes.  he's front and center for a fiery solo on the final track "Odysseus (Lashed to the Mast)" - here, the high-energy emitted by the rhythm section spurs the soloists forward (Stapp stands out in both a supportive role and as a soloist.)

"Pomegranate" stands out for its impressive music but moreso for the the interplay of the ensemble, their commitment to the project and for how Stephen Haynes and company harness/channel the myriad influences each person brings to the performance.

For more information, go to newatlantisrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pomegranate.

Lots of Live Music in CT (5/09 - 5/12) + CD Pick

The Uncertainty Music Series, created and curated by composer Carl Testa, welcomes the Scott Clark 4tet to Elm Bar, 372 Elm Street in New Haven on Wednesday May 9 for a 9 p.m. show.  Last week, I wrote about the group, led by drummer-composer Clark and based in Richmond, Virginia, and, since that time, have had the opportunity to hear the recording that is in search of a label. The 4Tet's music is fiery, punchy, thoughtful and thought-provoking and, at times, great fun.  Composed of drums, bass, saxophone and trumpet, the music has its roots in the experimentations of the Ornette Coleman groups of the late 1950s and early 60s.  But, Clark is definitely the leader, with many of the songs building up from the drums (setting the pace and the mood).  All the members are fine soloists and this is music with plenty of substance and little filler. According to Clark's website (scottwclark.wordpress.com), the second set "will be the second performance of our suite of music based off of the book “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” by Dee Brown and on my own research into my family history."

On Saturday evening May 12, the Series moves to Neverending Books, 810 State Street in New Haven for a performance by the duo of Christopher Riggs (guitar) and Carl Testa (bass, electronics).  The sounds commence at 8 p.m.  To get a taste of the duo's collaborations, click here.  For more information about the series, go to uncertaintymusic.com. 

Those of us who love adventurous music have a difficult decision to make on Friday May 11. We must go to New Haven and choose between Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts (performing at 8 p.m. in Yale University's Morse Recital Hall, 470 College Street or Michael Bates Acrobat: Music By and For Dmitri Shostakovich at 8:30 p.m. in Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street.  Drummer-composer-educator Wilson and A&C are the concluding concert in the 2011-12 Ellington Jazz Series at the University's School of Music.  The group includes Michael Rodriguez (trumpet, subbing for Terrell Stafford), Martin Wind (bass) and Gary Versace (piano, organ, accordion.)  "An Attitude for Gratitude" (Palmetto Records), the band's 4th CD,  continues Wilson's quest to create music that is approachable without being sappy or programmed.  To find out more about the concert, go to music.yale.edu or call 203-432-4158. 

Meanwhile, the Vancouver, Canada, native Michael Bates (bass) brings an accomplished group to the Firehouse for an evening of fascinating music.  Joining him will be Russ Lossing (piano, Fender Rhodes), Greg Tardy (clarinet, saxophone), Russ Johnson (trumpet) and Michael Sarin (drums) and they will explore
music the bassist composed after studying the 20th Century Russian Shostakovich (1906 - 75).  The latter was quite a figure in the last century, creating music that reflected the changing society in which he lived.  Much happened to him and around him and he often had issues with the Soviet officials. On one hand, he composed "serious" music, filled with myriad influences (and certainly some of them were European) but also felt forced to compose "nationalistic" works.  By the early1960s, Shostakovich wrote darker works, including his "13th Symphony - Babi Yar" based on the poems of Yevgeny Yevtushenko that look at the oppression and slaughter of Russian Jews.

Bates' music makes great use of Lossing's atmospheric Fender Rhodes, Sarin's explosive drumming and the blend of reeds and brass.  The music can be quite serious; yet there is also a playful edge to certain pieces. Jazz lovers will enjoy the interplay, the melody lines played by 2 or more instruments that come together and move apart.  Bates and Acrobat play 2 sets, 8:30 and 10 p.m. - for tickets and more information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.

This Saturday (May 12) at 2 p.m., Joe Morris (guitar) and Stephen Haynes (trumpet, cornet) present "Improvisations VIII", the latest in the duo's ongoing series at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor Street in Hartford.  Joining them will be Jason Kao Hwang (violin, viola) and New Haven resident Nathan Bontrager (cello).  Hwang has been active of the jazz/new music scene for 3 decades, working with artists such as Professor Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, and bassist William Parker as well as leading or co-leading numerous ensembles (several that feature New Haven-based cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum.)  Bontrager just played this past weekend as part of Broadcloth (in the Uncertainty Music series) and in the ensemble behind vocalist Anne Rhodes.  For more information about "Improvisations" and ticket availability, go to www.realartways.org. 

Pianist Bill Carrothers makes his home on the Upper Penisula of Michigan, not a place to settle down if you plan on pursuing a busy career in music. But, busy is in the eye and mind of the beholder. Mr. Carrothers has a wicked sense of humor which is on display at his electronic home - www.bridgeboymusic. His CDs range from trio explorations of the music of Clifford Brown to songs from the Civil War played as solo piano pieces to larger group takes on the songs from World War I.  All these creative efforts do not make for great commercial success. Yet, I'll lay odds Carrothers does not really care about the hoopla of success. 

His new CD, "Family Life" (Pirouet Records), is comprised of 15 pieces for solo piano and may bequietest music you'll hear this year.  Yet, the intensity of melody and emotion that one hears in this music will touch you long after the last notes fade.  Like the snapshots on the cover, the stories implicit in the music are of nights spent around the dinner table, of days walking in the woods, of sitting on a chair after the children have gone to sleep and listening to them breathe, of memories of parents and relatives who shape your life even after passing. 

It does not pay to  explain the individual tracks; every listener will hear something in this music that will resonate in his or her life (I would be surprised if you could not or did not connect with this music.) Shut off the lights, turn off the computer, open the shades, relax -you might even fall asleep - but do not sleep on this music, an oasis in an ever-maddening world.  Check out Bill Carrothers website (listed above) or go to www.pirouet.com/home/album.php?release=PIT3063 to hear for yourself.