When drummer, percussionist, and composer Ches Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000, one of his gigs was to accompany a Haitian dance class. He soon moved to NewYork City where he began to play and record with guitarists Mary Halvorson, Nels Cline, and Marc Ribot plus saxophonists Tim Berne, John Zorn, and Darius Jones. Smith also began to immerse himself in Haitian music, picking up several mentors along the way and began to incorporate the various rhythms in his music. In 2015, he went into the studio with pianist Matt Mitchell and master percussionists Daniel Brevil and Markus Schwartz to record an album of instrumentals and chants under the monicker of We All Break. Issued only on Bandcamp, the album received very little publicity.
We All Break has expanded to twice its original size with the addition of vocalist Sirene Dantor Rene, acoustic bassist Nick Dunston, drummer/ vocalist Fanfan Jean-Guy Rene, and alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón. The octet's new album, "Path of Seven Colors" (Pyroclastic Records), expands upon the ideas of the debut album (included at no extra cost if you purchase the CD –– you should do that because it's one of the loveliest packages on the market today). One can know hear how Smith and company are able to be more melodic and more experimental. From the opening minutes of the first track "Woule Poe Mwen" ("Roll it for Me") when the hand percussion and rolling piano lines usher in the lead singer and vocal responses, you hear the more traditional Haitian music. Whereas the first voice you hear on the following track "Here's The Light" is Miguel Zenon's expressive alto saxophone. The male and female leads tell their story with the choir gently ululating in response. The saxophonist's expansive solo over the poly-rhythmic piano, bass, and drums not only channels the voices but also the spirit of traditional music
Photo: YouTube
Four of the eight tracks are over nine minutes and are episodic in that they incorporate several melodies and rhythms. "Leaves Arrive" (9:39) with Ms. Dantour leading the chorus in a chant praising the great forest and the spirit over minimalist accompaniment. The rhythm picks up led by the voices and clapping hands. When the voices depart, Zenón and Dunston lead the melody in; both solo over the powerful drumming aided by Mitchell's percussive piano lines. "Lord of Healing" (13:36) is the longest track. Mitchell quietly leads in the melody, Daniel Brevil takes over, first singing by himself and then joined by the choir. There's a long section for solos –– Mitchell and Zenón create impressive improvisations over the drums and bass (Dunston is described in the liner notes as the "fifth drummer" – he's all that and a melodic powerhouse as well) and the music becomes more exciting and intense.
Daniel Brevil and Ches Smith
The music rolls forward throughout the album. The program is a delightful hybrid, asking the listener to accept the traditional songs with the modern themes of Ches Smith's original music. And it works very well. The vocals, with deep roots in the tradition, help to "ground" the music, giving the musicians the freedom to explore. When you listen to the title track, the piano opening is modern and angular but when the drums enter, the music, with its blend of ancient and contemporary, feels timeless (Mitchell's solo work is stunning throughout).
"Path of Seven Colors" is an absorbing, exciting, musical adventure. Blending the spiritual and community aspects of Vodou music with Black American music and concepts Ches Smith & We All Break has surprised the listener and soothed him/her at the same time. Go, get lost in the amazing aural adventure.
Bassist and composer Mario Pavone returns to Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street in New Haven, this Friday (5/21) with his Dialect Trio. Pianist Matt Mitchell and drummer Tyshawn Sorey join the CT native for an evening of sonic explorations, edgy melodies, compelling solos, and absorbing interactions. I have always maintained that Pavone writes from the bass outward and love how his thick lines propel the melody as well as what his associates do with his compositional approach.
The Trio's second CD, "Chrome" (Playscape Recordings) , was issued in the Autumn of 2017 and is, arguably, one of Pavone's most exciting recordings. This is a group that knows how to push each other, they listen, respond to, and inspire each other plus create excellent solos. Engineer Nick Lloyd (of Firehouse 12 Studios) does an amazing capturing the sound of Pavone's bass so you can not only hear his solos but also how he interacts with Mitchell and Sorey. There's a great sense of rhythm as well as "freedom" in this music. The compositions save one are Pavone originals and the one is a group improvisation inspired by and named for pianist Paul Bley who passed six months prior to the recording.
This should be quite a musical experience and is the last date on a short CD release tour. For ticket information, go to firehouse12.org or call 203-785-0468.
Here's the Trio from 4 years ago right before recording their first album together:
I love getting emails from Brian Charette - he's such a busy guy, making so many different kinds of music with so many people. His latest missive included the poster above and links to the CD that the CT-born organist recorded with tenor saxophone master George Coleman. Mr. Coleman, a Memphis, Tennessee, native turned 83 in March and is in the midst of a career that stretches over six decades. He has recorded with B.B. King, Lee Morgan, Max Roach, Slide Hampton, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones, so many others. Steeplechase Records owner and producer Nils Winthers captured Mr. Coleman in the studio last December with Charette, guitarist Vic Juris, and drummer George Coleman Jr. The results of their day together can be heard on "Groovin' With Big G" and, if you read the poster closely, the quartet celebrates the new CD with a date at the Blue Note, 131 West 3rd Street in New York City this coming Monday night. They'll play two sets - 8 and 10:30 p.m. - for more information, go to www.bluenote.net/newyork/index.shtml or call 212-475-8892.
Mr. Coleman and Mr. Charette also play in a trio setting on Saturday May 26 at 7 p.m. in The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, NY. To find out more and make reservations, go to www.thejazzloft.org or call 631-751-1895.
Give a listen to the Quartet live in the WBGO-FM studios:
Musical inspiration can come from so many different places. For saxophonist, flutist, and composer Patrick Cornelius, the music on his 5th album as a leader, ""While We're Still Young" (Whirlwind Recordings) had as its "seeds" the poems of A.A. Milne that the Cornelius read to his young children before they went to sleep.
Before you start to think this is "kids" music, note the ensemble arranged for this production. Besides Cornelius (alto and soprano saxes, flute), there is John Ellis (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Jason Palmer (trumpet), Nick Vayenas (trombone), Miles Okazaki (guitars), Gerald Clayton (piano), Peter Slavov (bass), and Kendrick Scott (drums). As I have written in reviews of earlier Cornelius CDs, he concentrates on melody and, like composers for larger ensembles such as Bob Brookmeyer, Gil Evans, and Maria Schneider, the solos grow naturally from the melodic material. With the extra colors available in this album's musical palette, this material has more depth.
The program is divided into 6 "Movements", each taking its title from a Milne poem . The album starts with "Sand Between The Toes"; the opening section is a lovely prologue featuring the brass, alto sax and bass clarinet. Scott's propulsive leads the band in, pushing the handsome melody, played initially by alto and guitar, forward. The different voices work around the theme until all drop out for a piano melody rises up and over the rhythm section (nice counterpoint from Slavov as Scott pushes forward.) That's followed by solos from Cornelius, Vayenas, and Okazaki before a return to the opening melody.
Milne and Christopher Robin
One of the more intriguing aspects of this music is that this is truly ensemble music. Yes, each track has solos; still each instrument has its voice in the story. Okazaki, Palmer and Cornelius (soprano) each get to tell the story on "Water Lilies" (nice bow to Erik Satie right before the piano returns the song to the guitarist to conclude). "Jonathan Jo" jumps atop a modern start-and-stop "swing" beat before Ellis (on tenor) has a playful solo that leads into a snappy and funky interchange for the ensemble before Clayton and Vayenas dig into their solos.
Vincent Soyez
Lots to love on this album, from the Thad Jones' inspired "Lines and Squares" to the sweet sway of "The Invaders" (great section work) to the evening prayers that inspired the final track, "Vespers". If you really sit and listen, you can hear just how well these voices fit together. There are many moments when it seems like more than 8 people are playing yet I do not detect obvious overdubbing.
"While We're Still Young" is a joy from beginning to end. Patrick Cornelius, whose recorded music had always seemed mature, takes a giant step forward with this project. Find the AA Milne poems, find the wonder and the exhilaration within, and then do the same with this music. Those elements are there and so much more.
The producer, along with Patrick Cornelius, of this album is composer, arranger, and educator Kyle Saulnier. He teaches, as I do, at Quinnipiac University. I asked him about his role on this project. He responded "I met Patrick in graduate school at the Manhattan School of Music, where we were classmates and we've been friends since. I got involved pretty early on as a sounding board for some of Patrick's compositions for the record, I think he was looking for some general feedback from a composer (though he's a spectacular writer, he hardly needed my input). He asked me to co-produce the recording since I was already familiar with the project and the charts themselves, and he was looking for some directorial assistance in the studio since he was also playing, which can limit one's objectivity in the studio." Patrick chimed in with "Kyle is selling himself way short here. Not only did he give me actual arranging lessons (to help me remember many principles that I had forgotten lo these many years since I last wrote for a medium-sized ensemble), but he also GREATLY assisted me in the sibelius copy work when my scores were completely lost a month before the premiere due to an unfortunate accident involving my laptop and a full mug of coffee. He also helped me rehearse the ensemble so that I could concentrate on being a "sideman" and provided invaluable feedback and coaching during the record date. I basically gave him carte blanche to make decisions regarding takes, punches, do-overs, etc on the day of the recording for this same reason." Here's "Sand Between The Toes" performed live at Berklee, courtesy of "The Checkout" and WBGO-FM:
If it's a sunny day, raise the blinds, open the window and turn up the speakers. On a cloudy day or late at night, keep the volume level lower but sit back and join pianist Larry Goldings. He's invited listeners to join him "In My Room" (BFM Jazz) and, yes, it's a personal journey but should ring true for many people. If you've listened to music all your life, chances are good that the tunes blasting out of your AM radio when you were 13 (or FM radio at 18) still reverberate with you. It's why "oldies revues" are so popular, they remind so many of us of simpler times.
Larry Goldings mixes old standards with "pop" tunes from the 60s and 70s plus a few originals on this recording. It may be a jaunt down "Memory Lane" but this no attempt to cash in on a trend - it's just good music lovingly played and recorded. The title track is the Brian Wilson ballad and Golding's really captures the innocence and longing in the song. Elsewhere, he does a sweet job on both "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Beautiful Dreamer". There's also a fairly straight-forward take on The Zombies' "A Rose For Emily" while Golding does a sweet job of finding the emotional heart of Joni Mitchell's "All I Want." The pianist, who has never had an issue about mixing musical styles, digs into Abdullah Ibrahim's "The Wedding" - his left hand takes on a more formal role than in the South African piano master's version, adding wonderful colors to the folkish melody.
Of the originals, "Crawdaddy" is a lilting tribute to New Orleans, with touches of both Allen Toussaint and Scott Joplin while "Roach" is dedicated to drummer Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln. The latter track references the duo's version of "Driva Man" from "We Insist: The Freedom Now Suite", doing so with drama, force and emotional strength.
One can (and, I believe it's Larry Golding's design) look at this recording as a journey of the pianist's musical discoveries. Starting in his room and going "Here, There, and Everywhere" (the Lennon-McCartney song that ends the CD) in the course of 16 tracks, there's so much variety here yet the program never wavers from its mission of melodic explorations. A "Romantic" conceit perhaps but done so honestly that the results are quite satisfying. For more information, go to www.larrygoldings.com.
Having seen (and chatted with) the Heath Brothers Band live in Chicago last year made me happy they would grace The Village Vanguard this week with their presence. Saxophonist Jimmy and younger brother and drummer "Tootie" (Albert to some) have been "on the road" for almost 4 decades while continuing their separate careers as leaders and sideman (bassist brother Percy passed in 2005 but the band plays on. WBGO-FM was in attendance on the first night of the quartet's stay (bassist David Wong and pianist Jeb Patton round out the HBB) and you can hear the opening set of Wednesday July 6 by go to www.npr.org/2011/07/07/137630342/the-heath-brothers-live-at-the-village-vanguard.
True, it's more fun to seen and hear them live but the folks at WBGO-FM do a fine job of making one feel part of the crowd in attendance. Dig that crazy boater on the always fashionable "Tootie" - he really should take part in a fashion show with fellow drummer and snappy dresser Roy Haynes!
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