Family, Friends, Dancing, and Singing (Large Ensembles)

 

In a perfect musical world, pianist, composer, bandleader, and label owner Orrin Evans would be a bonafide superstar. Think about it – the music he creates is such a delightful fusion of Black Music old and young. He can "out", he can play "in", he's a great "comper" and has no fear of mixing soul/ r'n'b into different settings.  Over the course of 20 albums on labels such as CrissCross, Palmetto, Posi-Tone, Smoke Sessions, and his own Imani Records, he's led groups of all sizes, from trios to 14-member big bands and, bless his soul, has yet to make a boring record.

"Walk a Mile in My Shoe" (Imani Records) is the fifth album from the Captain Black Big Band: nine members strong for this recording (plus guests bassist Anthony Tidd, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and organist Jesse Fischer as well as seven tracks with vocalists), the the nine-song program ranges from "standards" to 70s "pop" tunes to Blues to soul. Evans serves as "overseer" with production credits going to "the Village" (current and former band members. Trombonist David Gibson contributed four arrangements, Mark Stasio two, and one each from Josh Lawrence, Todd Bashore, and original member John Raymond.  The vocalists –– Paul Jost, Joanna Pascale, Bilal, and Lisa Fischer –– all bring unique singing styles to the mix and it's a real pleasure to hear how the arrangers create new worlds for each one.

The album opens with "Dislocation Blues"; penned by the late Chris Whitley the songs creeps in on the funky drums of Anwar Marshall and the liquid electric bass of Anthony Tidd. Paul Jost digs into the lyrics shadowed by Evans and organist Fischer.  Jost also shines on Todd Bashore's brilliant, smoky, and elegant arrangement of David Gates's "If" (first recorded by Bread in 1971).  Caleb Wheeler Curtis plays a wonderful soprano saxophone solo yet it's the arrangement of the sections that truly stand out.  The ensemble sounds so big yet the arrangement as well as the excellent sound mix keeps the vocalist front and center.

Photo: Rob Davidson

Other highlights include vocalist Lisa Fischer sounding great on her two appearances. She absolutely "owns" "Blues In The Night" (from the prolific pens of Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer) yet the brilliant arrangement by Mark Stasio also stands out. The piano solo scorches the speakers. Listen below to Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed". Here, Ms. Fischer sounds so tender, accompanied in the opening moments by only trumpeter Nicholas Payton and Evans.  Josh Lawrence's fine arrangement has echoes of Burt Bacharach especially when accompanying the vocal after the solos. 

Photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn

The one purely instrumental piece is a smashing brass and reeds only arrangement (David Gibson) of Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".  Short and ever-so-sweet!!

Bilal's two appearances include a funky original "All That I Am" (with Nicholas Payton grooving with the band) and a heartfelt take on Marvin Gaye's pleading "Save The Children".  The lyrics are still quite prescient and the vocalist makes sure the listener understands the plight of inner-city youth.  The instrumentalists capture the feel of the early-to-mid 70s groove that the late Mr. Gaye on his albums.

The album title "Walk a Mile In My Shoe" refers to the malformation of Orrin Evans's left foot, a condition that kept him from playing sports with his friend. The cover shows the special shoes he had to wear. Don't feel bad for him. Mr. Evans used his experiences, his surgeries, the pain, and, as he done often over his career, created a positive message of perseverance and moving forward.  This particular reminds of the programs the late trumpeter Lester Bowie created for his Brass Fantasy ensemble, the blend of old and new, jazz and pop, the delicious funky backbeat, the swirling arrangements. It's like a variety show and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Fun for the whole family.

For more information, go to https://orrinevansmusic.com/portfolio/captain-black-big-band/. To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://orrinevansimani.bandcamp.com/album/walk-a-mile-in-my-shoe. 

Here's the CBBB with Ms. Lisa Fischer on Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed:":

Personnel:

Sean Jones, Josh Lawrence – trumpets
Todd Bashore – alto saxophone, flute
Caleb Wheeler Curtis – tenor/soprano saxophones
David Gibson, Reggie Watkins – trombones
Vicente Archer, Madison Rast – double bass
Anthony Tidd (“Dislocation Blues”) – electric bass
Anwar Marshall, Mark Whitfield II – drums
Orrin Evans – piano

Guest soloists: Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Jesse Fischer (organ)

Guest vocalists:

Lisa Fischer ("Blues In The Night" and "Overjoyed")

Paul Jost ("Dislocation Blues" and "If")

Bilal ("All That I Am" and "Save The Children")

Joanna Pascale ("Sunday In New York")

Photo: Jonathan Yee

Florida-native and trumpeter Jonathan Powell moved to New York City in 2001 where he found work in a number of bands but, most notably, the Afro-Colombian ensemble La Creacion. He's gone on to work with Arturo O'Farrill & His Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Eddie Palmieri, Snoop Dogg, Ricky Martin, Miguel Zenón, and Pedro Giraudo (amog many others). In 2007, he started his own band, nu Sangha, and has since released two albums.  He moved to Colorado Springs, CO, to become part of the U.S. Air Force Falconaires Big Band. Before he left, he went into a New York City studio to record a new album, one that reflect his two decades as a sideman in numerous ensembles.

"Mambo Jazz Party" (Circle 9 Records) is as, the title says. a "party".  Just check out the personnel list; see all those percussionists, the brass and reeds, and then take a listen to the track below Now, try to sit still. I didn't think so. Powell, whose brother Jeremy plays tenor saxophone on 10 tracks and flute on one more, has the kind of sharp tone that cuts right through the band. His section work is exceptional. The trumpeter's experiences in Latin ensembles echoes throughout the program. There's the amazing rhythm section built around bassist Luques Curtis and drummers/percussionists Camilo Molina, Marcos Lopez, Marcos Torres, and Luisito Quintero. The rhythms percolate, bounce, sway, rumble, thunder, and make one want to dance around the floor. For example, "Paramahansa" bubbles in on congas, bongos, and more until the ensemble enters to state the sweet melody. The brass swirl all around the percussion on the fiery take of Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge", the piercing tones of the trumpet matched the mellower sound of Doug Beavers on trombone. 

Manuel Valera joins the "party" for several tunes including the sensuous take of Herbie Hancock's "Butterfly". His electric piano and synth work dances around ad underneath Powell's "electric" trumpet solo before the keyboardist dances atop the band. 

Listen below to Eddie Palmieri's "Un Dia Bonita" featuring the exciting vocals of Anthony Almonte. Notice that brilliant percussion, the hypnotic piano work of Mr. Valera, and how much fun the vocalist is having. Of course, you cannot miss the groove. 

Tracks like "Frogwala" and the album opener "Juancito" will test your speakers capability to withstand the thunderous rhythm section. The latter track also features a solo from the great trombonist Jimmy Bosch, founder of La Orquestra and his Sexteto de Otro Mundo. Powell's "Totem Pole" closes the program. The opening moments bring McCoy Tyner's large ensemble to mind but solos by bassist Luques Curtis, the leader, and trombonist Doug Beavers emphasize the Latin sound as does the rollicking drum solo from Camilo Molina that closes the piece.

Need an excuse to party. Roll up the rugs, fire up the grills, chill the libations, and throw "Mambo Jazz Party" on the stereo. Jonathan Powell has created a delightful antidote to the blues and the news –– open your ears and put on your party shoes.

For more information, go to www.jonathanpowell.net/. To purchase the album (digital, CD, or two-Lp set), go to https://jonathanpowell.bandcamp.com/album/mambo-jazz-party.  

Personnel:

Jonathan Powell trumpet, flugelhorn, & EVI
Andrew Gould alto saxophone 
Jeremy Powell tenor saxophone & flute 
Jimmy Bosch trombone solos ("Juancito")
Doug Beavers trombone

Itai Kriss flute 
Louis Fouché alto saxophone solo ("Juancito")
Nir Felder electric guitar ("Hope")
Axel Tosca piano, fender rhodes & synth
Manuel Valera fender rhodes & synth ("Butterfly" and "Yogananda")
Luques Curtis bass
Camilo Molina drums & timbales, shekere & clave, maracas & guiro, bongos, and bata (10)
Marcos Lopez congas 
Marcos Torres congas 
Luisito Quintero bongos, guiro, campana, miscellaneous percussion 
Ariacne Trujillo lead vocal ("You're Everything")
Anthony Almonte lead vocal ("Un Dia Bonita"), coros ("You're Everything")

Jeremy Bosch coros ("You're Everything" and "Un Dia Bonita" )

Listen to "Un Dia Bonita II": 

Dj SWEET Salsa DAVID GUADALUPE · " Un Dia Bonito " Jonathan Powell Feat. Anthony Almonte

See the Light

 

There was a long time in the recorded history of Black American Music, especially Improvised Music, that records labels big and small put together recording sessions that combined leaders of various ensembles in their own "Super Session."  Norman Granz did it in the 1950s with his "Jazz  at The Philharmonic" series, Milestone/Prestige producer Orrin Keepnews did something similar in the 1970s and 80s with Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcherson. and others. Wayne Shorter's Quartet, founded in 2000, is, perhaps, the most successful of the "leaders-full" group – pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Pattitucci, and drummer Brian Blade are all established artists who joined the late Mr. Shorter to create a two decades of explorations and sonic adventures.

Photo: Erika Kapin

The members of Lux Quartet have a similar lineage to Mr. Shorter's group. Pianist Myra Melford seemingly exploded onto the "jazz scene" out of Chicago to New York City in the early1990s with her HatArt trio recordings and has gone to lead or co-lead numerous ensembles. Drummer Allison Miller has been leading ensembles since the early 2000s, creating music that blends story and song, rhythm  and freedom; she also is a highly sought-after side person.  Saxophonist Dayna Stephens has also been in the spotlight since the mid-2000s creating albums and groups that celebrate tradition as well push at the borders of said tradition.  Bassist Scott Colley has a list of credits ranging from recordings and live gigs with guitarist Jim Hall, saxophonist Donny McCaslin, pianist Andrew Hill, vibraphonist Gary Burton, and so many others to eight albums as a leader. Put these four musicians together and the sky's the limit!

"Tomorrowland" (ENJA/Yellowbird) is the Lux Quartet's debut album. Ms. Melford and Ms. Miller, the co-leaders of the band, contribute three compositions apiece to the program with Mr. Stephens and Mr. Colley adding one of their own.  All that aside, when you put on the album, this is most assuredly a group effort.  The opening track, Ms. Melford's "Intricate Drift", comes in on a martial beat and a slinky melody line. First thing one hears is bassist Colley's counterpoint to that melody.  The alto sax solo skitters atop the now-dancing rhythm section. Ms. Melford's piano solo builds off the delightful alto spot, introducing a touch of Monk and a lot of angular melody lines and chords.  Ms. Miller's "Congratulations and Condolences" opens like a mid-1960s John Coltrane piece with the soprano sax melody bouncing off the high-powered rhythm section.  The energy jumps up considerably for the sax solo.  Ms. Melford follows with her knuckle-buster solo like a whirling dervish in the midst of a sand storm.

Image: Michael Jackson

The following track, "Deeply Us" (also a Miller composition), is a beautiful ballad on which Mr. Colley's bowed bass and the truly emotional piano solo stand out. Mr. Stephen's tenor does not really enter until half-way through but his melodic journey is gentle and heartfelt. Nothing is rushed or truncated, all the elements in their places. 

Listeners who remember the great San Francisco Bay-area drummer Eddie Marshall (1938-2011, pictured left) who played with the fusion quartet The Fourth Way as well as vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson (among many others) will enjoy Ms. Miller's "Speak Eddie".  Starting out as a fast "bop" tune, the quartet immediately drops into a march beat to state the theme. Ms. Melford charges ahead into her solo firing up the rhythm section to alternate tempos, her dancing two-fisted attack raising the bar. What follows is a bass and sax conversation (sans piano and drums) with the musicians teasing, cajoling, and, all of a sudden, Ms. Miller takes Colley's place dueling with Stephens before the drummer takes over for a short, fiery, solo before everybody returns for a quick statement of the theme. 

The album closes with the title track, the bassist's contribution, and it too is a powerful ballad. After a two-minute solo piano introduction, the bassist shows his masterful melodic side which leads to the tenor taking the lead over the swirling cymbals and piano-bass conversation. The most impressionistic piece on the program, the second half of the performance rises and falls on the bowed bass, skittering cymbals, and the saxophone's gentle pleading, perhaps praying. The intensity ramps up until the inevitable fall back down to silence. 

The more I listen to "Tomorrowland", the more I hear a group effort. It's understandable for some to concentrate on the four excellent musicians in the Lux Quartet. One really has to listen as we were the fifth member of the group sitting alongside the rhythm section. Judging by the videos online (see one below), the band is excellent in person. Jump in – tomorrow is sounding quite good!

For more information, go to https://myramelford.com/projects/project/display/id/29/Lux-Quartet. To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://lux-quartet.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrowland. 

Watch the band play "Intricate Drift":

O yes, one more review and a quick one: 

Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel really came into his own as a bandleader, composer, and guitarist in the late 1990s when he organized The Next Step Band, a quartet featuring Mark Turner (tenor saxophone), Ben Street (bass), and Jeff Ballard (drums). Sometimes, pianists Brad Mehldau or Scott Kinsey joined the core quartet.  Rosenwinkel signed with Verve Records in 2000, producing a trio of albums over the next three years featuring these musicians. "The Enemies of Energy" was issued first – the album had been recorded in 1996 and, upon its release, received great critical acclaim in the United States and around the world.  "Live at Smalls 1996" (Heartcore Records) shows the group at its best, navigating through six tunes, five of which exceed nine minutes, with an infectious energy that begs one to play the album loud...and often. It's a treat for the listener to get lost in the improvisations –– Turner and the leader are particularly impressive all the way through. Under headphones, one can hear the subtlety that Ballard and Street bring to the music, not just holding the pieces together but really pushing the front line.  

Listen below to "Use of Light" to hear a group that listens, responds, and is involved in telling its story!

For more information, go to https://heartcore-records.com/blogs/news/kurt-rosenwinkel-the-next-step-band-live-at-smalls-1996.  To hear more and purchase the album, go to  https://kurtrosenwinkel.bandcamp.com/album/the-next-step-band-live-at-smalls-1996.

Give a listen: