Greenleaf Spring & Australian Autumn

 

30-plus years into a fascinating career, one is still impressed by the music Dave Douglas composes, records, and performs.  When you think that trumpeter, educator, Greenleaf Music head, podcast host, festival coordinator, and so forth, is most comfortable in one of the various quintets he leads (or co-leads, in the case of Sound Prints), he'll record a solo trumpet album ("Hudson Solos") or work with an ensemble made up of students from Australia's Monash University ("The Dream: Monash Sessions") or record hard rock funk music for listening to during demonstrations with bassist Melvin Gibbs, guitarist Rhafiq Batia, and drummer Sim Cain ("Marching Music")––that's just in the last 24 months.

The trumpeter's new album, "Secular Psalms", is a 10-song program inspired by "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb", painted between 1420-1432 and hung in Sgt. Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. Douglas initiated the project before the pandemic shut down the world, choosing a band (six members in all) from Europe and the United States; artists include Berlinde Deman (tuba, serpent, voice), Marta Warelis (piano, prepared piano, pump organ), Frederik Leroux (guitars, lute, electronics), Lander Gyselinck (drums, electronics), Tomeka Reid (cello), and the leader on trumpet and background vocals. The blend of tuba or serpent (a wooden brass instrument!) with amplified guitar, cello, trumpet, the various keyboards, and voice is fascinating.  While the music is inspired by 14th Century composers, there is a 21st Century "avant-garde" as well as 1960s-70s "prog-rock" feel (if there was a flute, this music could easily be linked to Jethro Tull (check out "Agnus Dei" and see if you agree). 

 

Photo: Gemma Vander Hayden

You understand you are in a different musical right from the opening seconds of "Arrival".  The trumpet melody is supported by electronic sounds, cello, and the guitar with Ms. Deman's serpent playing a quiet counterpoint.  The drone created by cello and serpent carries the piece as does the subtle drive of the drums.  "Mercy" jumps forward with the trumpet and cello on the melody––the lyrics blend Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy", "Kyrie Eleison", and a short phrase penned by Douglas. Leroux's funky, raunchy, guitar solo offsets the solemnity of the lyrics as does Ms. Reid far-ranging cello work. If you listen closely to the vocals, you can hear Douglas shadowing Ms. Deman's voice.  

Photo: Johan Jacobs

If you listen closely, not only are Ms. Deman's vocals important to the sound but so are her tuba and serpent contributions (that's her on the left). Listen to how she and Ms. Reid join with Gyserlinck to create a rhythmic flow on "Instrumental Angels" and how her counterpoint enlivens "Hermits and Pilgrims".  Her soulful vocal on "If I'm In Church More Often Now", based on lyrics composed by Christine de Pasan (1364-1430?), makes the poet's sentiment contemporary as we now see many people looking for answers from their spiritual leaders in these often-scary times.  Douglas's original "Edge of Night" closes the album, the lyrics speaking to how music can heal, can serve to push us forward, all the while the drone created by the pump organ, the cello, and the lute takes on a chant-like feel.  Leroux switches to electric, joining the trumpet, cello, percussion, and serpent in accentuating the closing lyrics "Making this music, will help us to heal/ Even as the world continues to reel/ We laugh/ We dance/ We love/ We pray/ Even as we mourn."  

"Secular Psalms" is a stunning album, all the more so because all the parts were recorded remotely at different times, then edited and remixed by Tyler McDermid and Dave Douglas. The album stands out in the trumpeter's oeuvre not only because it's an amazing collection of music and performances but also because like 2012's "Be Still" and 2015's all-instrumental "Fabliaux", the songs, messages, and instrumental experimentation gives the listener deep insight into the trumpeter's inner life.  Listen and be moved!

For more information, go to https://greenleafmusic.com/out-now-secular-psalms/. To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://davedouglas.bandcamp.com/album/secular-psalms. 

Listen to "We Believe":

Photo: Monika Jakubowska

Saxophonist and composer Trish Clowes (pronounced "clues") hails from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. At the age of 19, she moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music. Seven years later (in 2010), Ms. Clowes issued her debut album "Tangent" on Basho Records––an ambitious project for sextet and, on two tracks, a full orchestra with vocalist. Two years later, not only did she release her second album as a leader ("And In the Night-Time, She Is There") which featured her touring quintet with a string quintet and guests, the saxophonist was named a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. The BBC commissioned Ms. Clowes to compose for their Concert Orchestra which garnered her a British Composer Award in 2015. That piece of music can be heard on her third Basho release, 2014's "Pocket Compass", her first full album with her Quintet with three tracks featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra.  Over the next few years, Ms. Clowes kept herself quite busy with many different commissions and projects including "Emulsion", a fascinating improvised music "happening" that continues to this day.

Photo: Brian Homer

In 2016, the saxophonist created MY IRIS, a quartet that features two members of her Quintet, guitarist Chris Montague and drummer James Maddren, plus pianist/ organist Ross Stanley. The bass-less ensemble's self-titled album was issued on Basho in early 2017 followed two years later by "90 Degrees Gravity" (also on Basho). The quartet was hoping to record in April of 2020 but the pandemic put that project on hold.  Ms. Clowes did self-release "MY IRIS Live!", a digital-only album through Bandcamp in 2020, a "low-fi" six-track set from an October 2019 live date.  

The group finally got into the studio at the end of August 2021 and the results of their efforts can be heard on "A View With a Room", Ms. Clowes debut for Greenleaf Music.  Still working with MY IRIS, many of the saxophonist's eight original pieces were composed during the world's lockdown. One can hear a restlessness, an urgency, in several of the songs such as the funky title track and the driving "No Idea".  The first track has such a "poppy" feel (note the bouncing piano line and dancing drums). The leader's solo is a joyful romp which leads right into pianist Stanley's spirited and playful spotlight.  Montague steps out next and he makes a more intense statement and the band picks up on that fieriness.  Ms. Clowes kicks off "No Idea" in musical conversation with drummer Maddren––notice how the piece then breaks into separate conversations (guitar with just drums before the piano reenters followed by sax, piano, drums, and quiet guitar). 

"Amber" is dedicated to Amber Bauer, CEO of Donate4Refugees, a London-based charity that Ms. Clowes works as an ambassador––if the charity's head is an energetic as this music, she'll do well.  The rhythm and main melody suggests Steely Dan (circa "Aja") and the band makes the most of the r'n'b swing of the piece. Guitarist Montague stands out on "Time", his Country-ish riffs reminiscent of Bill Frisell while there's a touch of Bruce Hornsby in Stanley's spot. The lovely ballad "Morning Song" is muted like the hour before daybreak, the handsome melody opening to a classically-inspired piano solo.  The short yet hushed tenor solo makes way for a powerful guitar statement and the set of fascinating chord changes before the close.

The program closes with "Almost". The piece opens rubato, scurrying brushes on snare, scattered piano chords, atmospheric guitar phrases, and disjointed saxophones phrase that slowly take shape into a lilting ballad. Nobody rushes but the song seems to grow more soulful as Ms. Clowes rides the guitar chords and the piano glissandos forward.  A shift in direction so that the guitarist can push the song forward and, as the intensity builds, the leader's soprano sax rises up above the rhythm section for a moment, like a colorful bird riding the thermals. Stunning, stirring, a momentary burst of pure joy.

Trish Clowes may be a new name to US audiences but do check out her music and, especially her work with MY IRIS.  "A View With a Room" feels like a musical balm, creating a sense of joy in the midst of complicated and often dangerous world––do spend time soaking in these sounds!

For more information, go to trishclowes.com/.  To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://trishclowes-glm.bandcamp.com/album/a-view-with-a-room.

Here's the afore-mentioned "Amber":

I first became aware of Australian-born saxophonist Angela Davis back in 2013. At that time, she was studying for her Masters of Music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA.  That was also the year Ms. Davis self-released her debut album, "The Art of the Melody". Two years later, her second album, "Lady Luck", featured the saxophonist alongside pianist Dan Tepfer, bassist Linda May Han Oh (who was also on the debut album, drummer Richie Barshay, and a string quartet. Ms. Davis moved back home, to Melbourne, where she serves as a lecturer at both University of Melbourne and Monash University.  She's married to trumpeter Mat Jodrell and they have a son, Max.  Since returning home, she's released one album, "Little Did They Know", for ABC Jazz, the label of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Ms. Davis's fourth album is the result of a Commission from the ABC Fresh Start Fund.  "Suite for Max" (ABC Jazz) is dedicated to her son born right before the pandemic. The five-movement, 36-minute, "Suite" features the saxophonist's "working" quartet including guitarist Stephen Magnusson, bassist Frank De Sario, and drummer Patrick Danao.  The opening "Movement" bears the influence of the Joe Lovano/ Bill Frisell/ Paul Motian trio, especially in floating rhythmic feel and Magnusson's guitar tone.  Max's father, Mat Jodrell, shows on the next track and his addition charges the album's atmosphere with Danao being more aggressive without overwhelming the music.  The leader's takes the first and most lyrical of the solos. The guitarist also creates a fine solo with his rippling phrases swooping and diving about the interactive rhythm section.

 

"Movement 4" opens like a quiet lullaby, Ms. Davis's gentle tenor leading the way. The handsome and fully-realized gives way to short solos then to the guitar and saxophone dancing around each other and landing back at the melody.  Bassist De Sario provides the counterpoint while the drummer moves from his cymbals back to a solid beat as the music draws to a close.  A tender guitar melody serves as a prologue on "Movement 5" which takes its lively feel from the engaging.  Ms. Davis's playing, at times, has a feathery feel as she was a leaf dancing on an Autumn breeze. Magnusson lets loose on his solo without jacking up his volume, making the most of the dancing rhythms of the bass and drums.   The saxophonist leads the band through a melodic coda, reminiscent of the way Keith Jarrett led his American Quartet (there's Paul Motian again) on their mid-70s albums.  

"Suite for Max" won't shake your world but that's not its purpose.  The music that Angela Davis composed for this project is the result of her watching her son begin to move, begin to claim his own space in the world, all the while wide-eyed at wonders all around.   Ms. Davis rarely plays on the fiery side; instead, she gravitates towards the melodic side of music.  Listen to this music at the break of dawn or at the close of the day; it's such pleasant company!

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

Here is "Movement #2" from "Suite for Max":

Record Store Day Spring 2022 & Resonance Records

 Saturday April 23 2022 marks the 14th Annual Record Store Day, a day to celebrate the "brick-and-mortar" stores where one can go and browse albums from all styles of music.  With vinyl making a comeback over the past decade, many labels use the day to introduce new recordings, holding off on digital or CD releases so that the platters get to be celebrated. As one who grew up listening to 45 rpm "singles" and to full-length albums (and whose younger daughter learned to read by reading album jackets and lyric sheets while the music was playing), this day is more than a trip down Nostalgia Lane.  There is something indescribable about the smell of an unwrapped album and the joy of liner notes.

For the past decade, Resonance Records has issued some great albums on Record Store Day and 2022 is no exception.  To celebrate the 100th Birth anniversary of bassist, composer, author, and activist Charles Mingus (4/22/1922-1/05/1979), label co-President and album co-Producer Zev Feldman (trumpeter David Weiss is the other co-Producer) is issuing the three-Lp "Mingus: The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott's", a document of the mercurial artist and his sextet at the close of a very successful 1972 European tour. Mingus was enjoying a career renaissance thanks to receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1971; the same year, choreographer Alvin Ailey had adapted several of the bassist's compositions for his ground-breaking dance troupe. In early 1972, Mingus's auto-biography "Beneath the Underdog" was published and Columbia Records issued his large jazz orchestra album "Let My Children Hear Music" (before dumping him and many of their jazz artists the following year). 

In usual Resonance style, there is a great booklet with numerous photos and interviews but you're going want to hear this music.  The ensemble includes Charles McPherson (alto sax), Bobby Jones (tenor sax, clarinet), 19-year old Jon Faddis (trumpet), Roy Brooks (drums, musical saw), and the relatively unknown John Foster (piano, vocals––he would stay in Europe as did Jones but the pianist died relatively young in 1976). Of the nine tracks, two are over 30 minutes and one, "Mind Readers Convention in Milano", just three seconds shy of that mark.  Two more pieces are over 18 minutes so you get the idea––each song is a concert in its own right with long solos, numerous tempo changes, and fascinating interaction.  "Fables of Faubus" stretches out to 35 minutes (!) yet is so fascinating that it's tough to tear one's self away. Definitely pay attention to the bass solo as Mingus inserts a number of lines from such American songs like "The Star-Spangled Banner", "Dixie", "Short'nin' Bread", and others.

Foster, who joined the band at the beginning of the tour, is quite a treat to listen to. His piano style is very much like the person he replaced, Jaki Byard, and on "Pops" (a.k.a "When The Saints Go Marchin' In"), he does a credible imitation of Louis Armstrong's inimitable vocalizations. Foster drops the imitation for a soulful vocal on "Noddin' Ya Head Blues" that is notable for the powerful bass work and several fine sax solos.  Faddis, who turned 19 a few weeks before the tour, is in great form––he may have been nervous working for the combative Mingus but there is no evidence of shyness in his playing.  Brooks fits right in; if anything, he's more "exciting"a player than Mingus's long-time companion Danny Richmond.  Bobby Jones, who also stayed in Europe and enjoyed a long career, wasn't as bluesy a tenor as, say, Booker Ervin, or fiery as George Adams (who played with Mingus before and after this ensemble, but he was an intelligent, intuitive, player on tenor and pretty good on clarinet. Charles McPherson, 23 at the time of this recordings, play with abandon, at times, on these tracks but, to his credit, does not try to be Eric Dolphy or Jackie McLean

The enclosed booklet includes two interviews with McPherson (one alongside Mingus, another just last year), as well as conversations with Eddie Gomez, Christian McBride, the writer Fran Lebowitz (a close friend of Susan Graham Mingus), British critic and historian Brian Priestley, and more. There are great pictures but the best part of the package (besides the music), is how good the music sounds. Mingus's bass work is impressive throughout and he truly seems to be enjoying himself and his band. Most of this music sounds contemporary as if it coul have been recorded in the last several years. Pieces such as "Pops" and Charlie Christian's "Air Mail Special" sound somewhat dated but serve to fill out the portrait of an artist who was restless and creative until his untimely passing.  "Mingus: The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott's" is the perfect gift for Charles Mingus's 100th Birth Anniversary year and well worth checking out.

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/charles-mingus-the-lost-album-from-ronnie-scotts-cd/ or to https://charlesmingusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-lost-album-from-ronnie-scotts.  

Give a listen to "The Man Who Never Sleeps":

Over the past 10 years, no one has done more to fill in the gaps of pianist Bill Evans live recordings than Resonance Records.  The first release, "Live at Art D'Lugoff's Top of the Gate", came in 2012 followed by 2016's "Some Other Time: The Lost Sessions From The Black Forest", the first of two albums recorded in the Summer of 1968 when drummer Jack DeJohnette was a member before he went off to join Miles Davis. 2019 brought "Evans in England" recorded live at Ronnie Scott's London club inDecember of 1969 while 2020's "Live at Ronnie Scott's" was recorded 17 months earlier with bassist Eddie Gomez and DeJohnette.

For Record Store Day 2022, Resonance is releasing two 2-CD sets recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina, one in 1973 (with Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell who is on two of the earlier releases listed above) and another in 1979 (see below).  The earlier recording came at a particularly good, stable, time in Evans' life. Having been addicted to heroin for almost two decades, he was on Methadone, gigs were plentiful, the Trio had been together for five years, and his recordings were selling well.  From start to finish, the music on "Morning Glory": The 1973 Concert at The Teatro Gran Rex, Buenos Aires" flows easily. The album takes its name from the fact the performance took place at 10 a.m. (!!) on a very cold Sunday morning in June. Yet, the Trio sounds great buoyed by an audience excited for this artistic respite from the political tensions that rocked the country. 

The material will be familiar to aficionados of the Evans ensemble. Pieces such as "Who Can I Turn To, "Re: Person I Knew", "T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Blues)", "Emily", songs this Trio had played hundreds of time sound fresh and the interplay, especially, of Evans and Gomez, is outstanding.  The pianist also liked to incorporate the occasional "pop" tune into his repertoire; the title track (originally spelled without the "g" at the end of the first word) was composed by Bobby Gentry for her 1968 "The Delta Sweete" Lp. Listen below to "Waltz for Debby" and you'll hear music that exemplifies why Bill Evans, despite all his baggage, became the model for many piano trios that followed. The lyricism and the intimacy, the articulated phrases plus the occasional bluesy swing, all this and more make "Morning Glory" a splendid document.

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/bill-evans-inner-spirit-2cd/ or to https://billevansjazz.bandcamp.com/album/morning-glory-the-1973-concert-at-the-teatro-gran-rex-buenos-aires.

Hear's the afore-mentioned "Waltz For Debby":

The political tensions that swirled around the 1973 Buenos Aires concert had only gotten worse six years later when Bill Evans returned. Evans had changed as well. He divorced his wife, married and had a son, finally kicked heroin but when his brother Harry committed suicide earlier in 1979, he started getting deeper into cocaine. Eddie Gomez left in 1977 and the pianist went through two bassists (Chuck Israels and Michael Moore) before 25-year old Marc Johnson joined him and drummer Joe LaBarbera (who replaced Marty Morell in 1975). By the time the band got to Argentina, they were firing on all cylinders and the fact that they continue the Trio's commitments kept Evans alive (he would eventually die 50 weeks after this concert).  

In the midst of a vicious military dictatorship came the three musicians and the audiences were more than ready.  "Inner Spirit: the 1979 Concert at The Teatro General San Martin Buenos Aires" documents two sets played on September 27.  The pianist often sequestered himself before concerts and often needed help getting to the piano; once there, his superb musicianship took over (most nights).  The first set opens with "Stella by Starlight", a surprise to the rhythm section but after the long solo piano introduction, the bass and drums fall right into place.  Johnson's bass tone is quick thick but his regular forays into the higher register and his delightful counterpoint inspire Evans to continue his adventurous playing. Melody still remains the most important of the Trio's mission; still, on the uptempo tracks, this trio really smokes.

Photo: David Redfern

I find it quite ironic that Evans chooses to play the "Theme From M*A*S*H" considering its subtitle is "Suicide is Painless" (considering his brother's recent death but the music becomes very exciting as the trio builds the intensity of the tune–listen below.  Paul Simon's "I Do It For Your Love" starts with a short solo piano reading of the theme before the eloquent bass lines and soft brushes work lay down a gentle cushion for the long piano improvisation. "Letter To Evan" closes the first disc, a lovely song dedicated to his son (who was 4 at the time), a lovely solo piano lament for time spent away from each other.

Disk #2 opens with one more piano solo, a fascinating journey through George Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" that shows how percussive the pianist's playing was becoming. The concert picks up steam with two powerful tracks in a row, "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "If You Could See Me Now". The former begins to cook after the opening featuring solos from all three.  The Tadd Dameron piece that is a ballad yet listen to how the trio interacts, respecting the melody even as the de-construct the piece.  The album closes with a 17+ minute take on Miles Davis "Nardis" and what a version this is. The piano solo opens the piece lasts nearly eight minutes and it's a true joy to hear Evans deconstruct the melody and set the framework for Johnson and LaBarbera to join him.  The bass solo calms the piece down for several minutes as Johnson for four minutes so he can explore numerous melodic avenues. After a quick abstract on the main melody, the drummer picks up his mallets and dances around his kit. After an explosive climax, the pianist and bassist join the drummer to bring the track to its close.

"Inner Spirit" is an appropriate title for an album recorded in a tough political environment by an artist pursued by his vices and sorrows.  Yet Bill Evans had always been able to marshal his resources once he sat down to play.  He was in the midst of killing himself but the beauty of his music is undeniable. He does not sound theatrical playing with artifice; instead, he seems to get stronger from the first notes forward.  Mark Johnson and Joe LaBarbera are excellent partners––this is music that should be heard!

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/bill-evans-inner-spirit-2cd/ or  https://billevansjazz.bandcamp.com/album/inner-spirit-the-1979-concert-at-the-teatro-general-san-mart-n-buenos-aires. 

Here's "Theme from M*A*S*H":

Ornette, Or Not

Here are two  bands, each peopled by musicians who all have their own ensembles and whose sonic palette is influenced by that of the Ornette Coleman quartet of the late 1950s-early 1960s that recorded for Atlantic Records. The group featured Ornette (alto saxophone), Don Cherry (pocket trumpet), Charlie Haden (acoustic bass), and either Billy Higgins or Ed Blackwell on drums.  

Kind Folk features (from left to right) Colin Stranahan (drums), John Raymond (trumpet, flugelhorn), Noam Weisenberg (bass), and Alex LoRe (alto saxophone). The quartet takes its name from a Kenny Wheeler piece and his spirit certainly can heard throughout their 2018 debut "Why Not" (Fresh Sound New Talent). In June of 2021, the group reconvened, each member bringing in new material. Stranahan, having worked with guitarist/pianist Kurt Rosenwinkel, suggested to his compatriots one of his tunes ("Mr. Hope") as well as bringing in an arrangement of Elliot Smith's "Between the Bars". Perhaps it was the time in lockdown and all the lost gigs (plus the worries of surviving the pandemic) but there is an extra urgency to this music.

"Head Towards The Center" (FSNT Records) is the album's name and also the final track.  The nine-song program opens with a group improvisation, "Where Am I", a veritable sonic and physical centering piece that introduces listeners to the quartet's leanings towards melody.   The bassist strums the band in on Raymond's 'Power Fall", a piece that reminds this listener of the music of Booker Little (1938-1961). LoRe's solo rises out of the unison theme and he partakes in an exciting push/pull with the bass drums.  Raymond hovers in the background until he steps into his spirited, crisp-toned, exploration of ideas.  He switches to flugelhorn for his other tune "Sweet Spot".  The bassist introduces the melody while the brass and alto murmur in the background.  One hears a tinge of Lee Konitz in the clear-tones of the alto sax lines. There's a hint of melancholy in the flugelhorn solo that picks up intensity as it rolls forward.

LoRe, Weisenberg, and Stranahan dance "Mr. Hope" in with Raymond joining on the last part of the theme. The song really swings with the fast-paced waking bass line and the drummer's hearty swing.  More strummed bass chords followed by a slow bass melody opens the Smith track, a deliberate, sweet, blues-soaked ballad. The combination of soft alto sax lines with Raymond's emotional flugelhorn phrases in the solo section is a highlight of the program, especially when Stranahan responds to their growing urgency.

As I wrote above, the title track closes the album. The throbbing floor drums beneath the intertwined reed and brass opens the song in a somber fashion. As the music moves forward, the contrapuntal lines pick up intensity, freeing up the drummer while the bass holds down the bottom.  LoRe and Raymond continue to feed off each other until a drum solo over strummed bass chords brings the music to a close.

 "Head Towards the Center" is an album built around the love of music and melody, the excitement of exploration and interaction, and the need to push away the darkness of daily life. Kind Folk does listeners a kindness by playing with integrity and passion, not settling for easy solutions. Give them a good listen!

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

Here's the quartet's version of Elliot Smith's "Between the Bars":

Way North, the collaboration of three Canadians––tenor saxophonist Petr Cancura, trumpeter Rebecca Hennessey, and bassist Michael Herring––with American drummer/percussionist Richie Barshay came together in 2014 (same year as Kind Folk above) through their love of music.  There's a New Orleans-inspired looseness to their music but don't get the idea they are lazy. They like melody, harmony, danceable rhythms, mixing it all together in a delightful gumbo.

"New Dreams, Old Stories" (Roots 2Boots Recordings) is the quartet's third album and continues their adventures into jazz, blues, funk, and more. The title of the album is a nod to Old & New Dreams, the quartet that featured saxophonist Dewey Redman, Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell, and Charlie Haden (all alumni of Ornette Coleman's ensembles). Bassist Herring, in fact, penned the ballad "If Charlie Haden Couldn't Write a Song to Bring World Peace , What Hope is There for Me?", the lovely ballad right in the middle of the 12-song program. Outside of that, much of this music will keep you tapping your feet.  The album opens with Ms. Hennessey's "Play"––listeners  can ravel in the playful melody, in the delightful dance of the rhythm section, and in the sweet solos.  The tempo seems to be doubled on Cancuras's "I'm Here To Stay" with Barshay's thundering drums pushing Herring into a "running" bass line.  

Several tracks include group vocals including the bluesy ballad "Come Over to Our House". Composed by Herring, there are short vocal refrains wrapped around the soulful tenor sax solo, the sweet trumpet spot, and a sparkling bass solo.  Ms. Hennessey's "Dr. Good" has a raucous New Orleans feel, a snappy vocal chorus, a growling tenor sax spot, a clarion call from the trumpet, stomping drums, and a thick bass line.

Drummer Barshay, who now teaches in Boston and also performs with The Klezmatics, offers up the sprightly Venezuelan traditional "Pajarillo Verde", replete with delightful rhythm changes, splendid bass work, and short but pithy solos all around.  Barshay also arranged Jackie McLean's "Dig" for the quartet––it's a playful romp that features powerful solos and on-the-dime tempo changes. 

"New Dreams, Old Stories" closes with the lilting ballad/lullaby "When You Say Goodnight to Me"––composed by Ms. Hennessy and Herring, the music feels likes a hymn and, at the same time, a love song. Sweet and satisfying, it's just the right song to finish a program that is so inviting, so much fun, and so well-played.  Way North is not about technique, it's about how one can have a good time in the midst of a crazy world creating music from the heart and soul. Enjoy!!

For more information, go to http://waynorthband.com/.  To hear more of the album, check out the band's other two albums, and to purchase any or all of them, go to https://waynorth.bandcamp.com/. 

Here's the title track: