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: