Brass, Drums, Stories to Tell

photo by Austin Nelson

There are days when it's hard to believe that Dave Douglas has been recording since 1993 as it seems he's been around much longer (I mean that nicely).  As a composer, his music continues to mature and expand. As a bandleader, he continues to take chances and not settle into a routine for long stretches or time. As a soloist, he has a recognizable sound yet eschews cliches in favor of continually challenging himself.  Douglas is one of the more prolific recording artists (perhaps not in the same league as Anthony Braxton and pianist Satoko Fujii) with 47 CDs as leader or co-leader and as many if not more as a "sideman." His work with Myra Melford and John Zorn's Masada also stands out as highlights in his career.

His newest album, "Little Giant Still Life" (Greenleaf Music), is a collaboration with the brass quartet known as The Westerlies (trumpeters Riley Mulkerhar and Zubin Hensler plus trombonists Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch) plus drummer Anwar Marshall.  The music is inspired by painter Stuart Davis (1892-1964), whose work combined Cubism and Early American Modernism to help usher in the age of "pop art."  Take a look of one of his paintings (left) - "Hot Still-Scape for Six Colors - 7th Avenue Style" -  and you might be able to see the influence of jazz music and improvisation on the artist.

artstack.com

The music Douglas composed for this sextet is, at times, as bright as the Davis's canvasses.  "Swing Landscape" evolves into a groove so serious, informed by the blues and funk, it's hard to sit still.  "Percolator" opens not with an imitation of a coffee pot at work but more like a "swing" take of a Steve Reich minimalist melody.  Marshall gooses the band forward, the stop-start rhythm supporting the melody and solos in such a playful manner.  The circular melody line that opens "Colonial Cubism" is played by the trumpets while the trombones create the bottom and the drums dances beneath. Don't bother thinking about the music and the paintings are related; listen instead to the smart interactions, the powerful solos, and fascinating melodies.

Do not overlook the fine ballads such as "Codetta" and "Worlds Beyond the Sky" as each song is a world unto itself. What one notices here (and, honestly, throughout the album) is how the listener cannot and should not try to put this music into categories.  Maybe it's me - we seem to be in a time where the most creative music defies easy categorization. One can imagine that these pieces could be translated to string quartet and trumpet or a trio of guitar, bass, and drums.  One of Dave Douglas's strong points is the malleability of his material and we are the beneficiaries of his hard work and inspiration.

If "Little Giant Still Life" inspired you to seek out the paintings of Stuart Davis or check out other recordings of The Westerlies or check out Anwar Marshall's work with Fresh Cut Orchestra or Kurt Rosenwinkel, then Dave Douglas has accomplished much with ensemble and recording.  The music should not be ignored either - the album is a treat from start to finish.

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

Here is the title track:

Pianist and composer Jamie Reynolds has created a compelling new project.  Titled "Grey Mirror" (Fresh Sound New Talent), the Canadian native (now a resident of New York City) blends four pieces by his trio (bassist Orlando LeFleming and drummer Eric Doob), five with The Westerlies brass quartet, four with his Trio plus guitarist Matthew Stevens, and one beautiful piano solo, into a statement about creativity and how music can be seen and heard through various lenses.

The program is bookended by two versions of "The Earliest Ending", the first a short performance by the brass while the second features the trio plus guitar. The latter performance stretches out to 6:11.  It's quite a contrast with the final track having a series of dynamic climaxes and tempo changes, moving into a powerful "rock" beat that roars to a finish before the piano enters by myself to echo the opening melody.

Elsewhere, there are "mirror" versions of "Small Worlds", the first  with the leader on Wurlitzer piano while Stevens and the rhythm section ratchet up the energy.  This piece as well has more of a "prog rock" feel (listen to how LeFleming's electric bass plays the main melody and how Doob drives the track).  The "brass" version is slower, less insistent and more "prayer-like", yet with a darker edge.  Another "mirror" track pairs the Erik Satie-like piano solo "Lake Cycle" with the brass quartet - here the latter version is reminiscent of melodies created by Robin Holcomb.  Both performances are riveting, gentle, musical, and quietly filled with emotion.  Finally, there is the mysterious ballad "Church", the trio version with overdubbed Wurlitzer creating a percussion-like curtain for the solid melody while The Westerlies plays the melody fairly straight-forward over pulsating brass for 1:21.

There is so much variety here, from the high-powered "Sleep" (Stevens guitar loud yet shimmering) to the mysterious interactions on "Green-Wood" (rattling percussion, circular melodies played on the different keyboards) to the powerful stride of "Untitled Interlude" (a trio piece with no overdubs but endowed with a generosity of spirit.)

The concept of playing compositions by two different configurations is intriguing and Jamie Reynolds pulls it off with aplomb.  It does not hurt that there are pieces specifically for each of the ensembles (and the solo piece).  It would have nice to hear more of The Westerlies (they have the bulk of the shorter pieces) and just as nice to hear more trio interactions with Matthew Stevens but "Grey Mirror" is still a worthwhile experience, one that is fun to go back to again and again.

For more information, go to jamiereynoldspiano.com.

Most American listeners know bassist Lloyd Swanton (born 1960, Sydney, Australia) from his 30 years as a member of The Necks, a trio (piano, bass, and drums) that is known for its minimalist, long, compositions, often without improvisation. Their live gigs are always improvised. Swanton is also the founder bandleader of The Catholics, a septet that plays music from across the jazz spectrum with nods to music of the Caribbean and Africa (that group is in its 26th year of existence).  Swanton has played with many different leaders and groups from his native land but especially for his work with the late saxophonist Bernie McGann.

Knowing all that probably won't prepare you for his absorbing double CD "Ambon" (Bugle Records).  Named for an island in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), the place was the site for a bloody battle between the Japanese Army, Navy, and Air Force and a group of soldiers from Australia.  Outmatched from the beginning, the island (considered a strategic site in the Pacific theater) fell to the Japanese who used the bases to conduct raids on other combatants, even air raids on Australia.

One of the soldiers captured o the island was Lloyd Swanton's uncle Stuart Mill Swanton. His uncle spent most of his adult life before the joining the Australian Army working with the underprivileged people in the Melbourne area and playing violin. A year after he joined up, his battalion sailed to Ambon.  The older Swanton survived the ferocious battle and spent the rest of his life (3 and 1/2 years) as a prisoner of war (In an ironic twist, he died the day before the Japanese surrendered and his camp liberated - but few people survived).  Amazingly, Stuart Swanton kept a diary of his captivity and it is now part of the Australian War Memorial.

The album is a collection of tunes ranging from gospel tunes that Uncle Stuart composed in the 1930s to songs inspired by the diary to a field recording from Ambon over which a reed and brass quartet plays a hymn.  Swanton organized quite the ensemble, a 12-piece orchestra that includes Paul Cutlan (saxophones, clarinet, recorder), Sandy Evans (tenor and soprano saxophones), James Greening (trombone, cornet, baritone horn, tuba), Alex Silver (trombone), James Eccles (viola), Chuck Morgan (ukulele), Jon Pease (guitar), Michel Rose (pedal steel guitar), Fabian Hevia (cajon, percussion), Ron Reeves (kendang - Southeast Asian two-headed drum, percussion), and Hamish Stuart (drums, percussion) plus Jess Ciampa (glockenspiel on "The Ambon Waltz").

Sydney Morning Herald

There is nearly 109 minutes of music on the two CDs and extensive liner notes that tell the horrific story of life as a prisoner of war.  The captives were treated poorly but still found time to create art, build makeshift instruments, write songs and plays, and take care of each other even as they were starved to death or succumbed to disease.  Yet, the majority of the music is uplifting. On CD 1, the 14+ minute "Ambiont Jungle" blends the kendang drums with the ensemble and the sound of the viola (an instrument that belonged to Stuart Swanton) for a powerful representation of the setting in which the soldiers were dropped.  "Camp Concert I" is a 27 minute suite in three parts that uses the guitars, ukulele, and viola to great effect. Again, the music is quite melodic with no hints of the troubles as if the composer took pieces of the captives dreams, the most positive parts, to create the suite.  The last cut is "Hymn: Blessed Holy Spirit" that opens with excerpts from Uncle Stuart's diary; halfway through, the brass and reeds play the hymn.  The spoken text speaks to the daily horrors of being a prisoner and dealing with cruel captors.

CD 2 continues the powerful description of camp life but, this time, the instruments on "Camp Concert 2: Top Brass" include a tenor saxophone without a mouthpiece, the bell section of a trombone, a flute with a saxophone mouthpiece, a bass clarinet without a reed, and much more, all to symbolize the improvisation prisoners had to do everyday.  Other striking pieces include "Meat Case Bass" and "Big Noise From Hawthorn"; the former is a solo piece also symbolizing the make-shift life in the camp while the latter features the bassist and drummer playing the same instrument. "Work Song: The Long Carry" is a blues dedicated to the extremely hard work the prisoners did every day of the week. The piece includes powerful solos from trombonist Greening and guitarist Pease.  Now, one can feel the men are being systematically drained of their spirit and strength.  Stanton's final original piece, "The Ambon Waltz", celebrates liberation, the happiness of the soldiers who came to bring the freed prisoners back home, but also refers to those who survived and needed to be carried to the boats that brought back them to freedom.

There is great power in this story, one that may not resonate with my fellow Americans but anyone who had a parent, grandparent, relatives or friends who served in the Pacific know the horror stories of the prison camps (if you have read the story of Louis Zamperini related in the book and movie "Unbroken") knows these terrible experiences. In the hands and mind of Lloyd Swanton, "Ambon" is a story of hope, love, resistance, survival, and remembrance.  You need to hear this music, need to read the story of Stuart Mill Swanton, to remind you of the futility of war and the atrocious consequences.

To find out more and hear excerpts, go to www.rufusrecords.com.au/catalogue/BUG010.html or to www.buglerecords.com.

Hiatus Listening: Rediscovering Rufus Records

Laying around doing nothing has always been an Achille's Heel for me.  When I wake up, my mind is engaged, either thinking about what I need to do today, what I should have done yesterday, what music I want to listen to, reviews I need to finish, or, the one that really makes me alert, how the cat needs to be fed before she shreds the love-seat.  There is usually nothing logical about this process (save for wanting throw a shoe at the cat) - basically, I "go with the (mental) flow."

The other morning as I was scrolling through the jazz selections on bandcamp.com, I came across an album by the Alister Spence Trio, an ensemble based in Australia that recorded on the Rufus Records label. I had been introduced to the Trio and the record label when I wrote for Bob Rusch's CADENCE Magazine in the 1990s, discovering music from halfway around the world that resonated with a person living in CT.  Mr. Rusch sent me music created by saxophonist Bernie McGann (pictured above), by Ten Part Invention (a little big band led by drummer John Pochée), by pianist Tim Stevens, and others.  I began an email correspondence with label president Tim Dunn - we chatted about all sorts of things but I was most impressed by Mr Dunn's dedication to original music created by Australian musicians.  Like CrissCross Records and Gerry Teekens, François Zalacain at Sunnyside Records, Marc Free and Nick O'Toole at Posi-Tone Records, Manfred Eicher and ECM, Tim Dunn knows what he likes to hear and works hard to spread the word and the sounds. After I stopped writing for CADENCE and about music for a while, Mr. Dunn and I lost touch.

After I discovered that bandcamp.com had the Spence Trio recording, I typed in the name "Bernie McGann" and was pleased to see that the alto saxophonist (who passed in 2013 at the age of 76) had a number of live recordings released several years ago.  On Friday, the day that Bandcamp decided to donate its share of profits from sales to the Transgender Law Center, an organization based in Oakland, CA, whose mission is "to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression." Bandcamp's 24-hour sale netted, approximately, $700,000 for the Law Center.  Yes, this reviewer purchased "Wending" by Bernie McGann (90 minutes of live recordings from 2005 and 2012).

I also rediscovered Stevens - I already had in my possession two of his earlier recordings, a splendid Trio CD and a wonderful, exploratory, solo piano album from 2002 titled "Freehand."  His latest recording, "Media Vita", is his fourth solo endeavor and features 12 pieces composed during 2016 when the Melbourne-based musician wrote a new song every day.  I purchased that album as well and will review it at a later date (the pile of CDs waiting to reviewed is awfully high - no complaints, just reporting the facts) so it will be a few weeks.  On first listen, I am pleased by the attractive melodies and how they flow. No question that Stevens is a technically impressive piano but this music has much more emotion than technique - in fact, the composer writes that "there is no free improvisation."

One of my favorite McGann recordings is "Bundeena", an album which features one of my Top 100 songs (really, who can narrow a list down to 10 after listening to music for over 60 years), a song titled "Big Moon" composed by bassist Lloyd Swanton (from The Necks).  Named for the town in which McGann lived, located on the southern outskirts of Sydney along the bay from which the town takes its name, the trio recording blends a myriad of influences (Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Lester Young, etc) to create a delightful 52-minute experience.  McGann was an adventurous player, not adhering to one genre at any time, and his rhythm section - bassist Swanton and drummer Pochée - keep right up, pushing, prodding, driving, and smoothing the way.

Here's "Big Moon" and, below that, the opening track from "Media Vita":





Find out more about the record label by going to www.rufusrecords.com.au. To find out more about pianist and composer Tim Stevens, go to timstevens.com.au.

Tal Stories Two

One of the joys of reviewing is when a CD (or digital download) arrives in the mail and you are immediately bowled over by a musician unknown to you .  The day "Gentle Giants" (self-released) showed up, so did the album below with vocalist Danielle Wertz. Both feature pianist and composer Tal Cohen, a young Israeli-born musician who finished school in Perth, Australia, before attending graduate school at the University of Florida in Miami.  He's won numerous awards for his musicianship, has performed with Joe Lovano and George Garzone plus drummer Ari Hoenig and Australian saxophonist Jamie Oehlers, and is now living in the United States.

Listening to "Gentle Giant", I am reminded of my initial reaction to Wynton Marsalis's 1986 album, "Black Codes From the Underground."  There is an audacious quality to the music, making one sit up and pay attention to what each musician is playing and how the ensemble interacts.  We could argue all day long whether the music is "new" or not but that's not the point here. Cohen and company - Robert Hurst (bass), Nate Winn (drums), Greg Osby (alto and soprano saxophone on four tracks), and the afore-mentioned Jamie Oehlers (tenor saxophone on six tracks) - make this music breathe, alive with possibility, and going in unexpected directions.  Case in point - the album opens with "Nardis", arguably the most famous Miles Davis composition that the trumpeter never recorded to his satisfaction but was pleased by pianist Bill Evans's many recordings of the tune.  The music grows outward from the rhythm section, the slinky bass line that opens the piece and the atmospheric introduction.  Oehlers (a mentor to the pianist in his school years in Australia and beyond) plays the melody while the piano, bass, and drums give the rhythms a Middle-Eastern feel.  Listen to how Cohen builds his solo, the intensity he discovers, the interactions with Hurst and Winn. There is delight in this performance, power as well but a great feeling of playfulness.

The album is filled with fine melodies (all but the opening track are Cohen originals), many with the combination of Israeli folk songs blended with the influence of Chopin and Scriabin.  "Lo Haya" is a two-part piece, the first a lovely duet with Oehlers, the second a lullaby built from a phrase from the original melody.  "Part 2" opens with a lovely introspective piano solo then adds the rhythm section building to a powerful interchange between the two saxophonists as the intensity builds and builds.  The saxophonists also combine on the delightful "Great PK (for Shuli)" which swings powerfully right from the get-go with strong solos all around.  Osby gets the spotlight on "Gavetsch"; he follows a particularly high-spirited piano playing with pieces of the melody, interacting with the rhythm section, spurring both Hurst and Winn to respond - in an odd choice, the tune's reprise "Hazil Magil" is programmed three tracks previous and is a different take of the piano solo only.  The album closes with "Chopin Meets Abach".  Paraphrasing Cohen's notes, it's music that contrasts the peace the composer gets from classical music (Chopin) and the Israeli citizens need for a protective mask (Abach is the name of the mask's manufacturer) during the Gulf War.  With eh rhythm section creating a powerful racket, Osby's soprano saxophone phrases rise like a flock of birds.

"Gentle Giants" is an excellent introduction to Tal Cohen, his music and his vision. This is music that is easy to get lost in, to let the sounds flow in and out of you. While, at times, the music sounds so spontaneous, one can hear that the music spent time living with the pieces, playing them and finding so much depth.  This album is actually Cohen's second as a leader - his debut "Yellow Sticker" (also featuring Jamie Oehlers) was released in 2011 - and is a delight from start to finish.

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

"Intertwined" (self-released) features the combined talents of Tal Cohen and vocalist Danielle Wertz. Ms. Wertz, a native of Virginia, met the pianist when both were studying at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Her voice will remind some of Kate McGarry, Gretchen Parlato, Sara Gazarek, and Sheila Jordan. There's a quality of lightness that shines through whether she is romping through the melody, as she does on the title track or wrapped in the gentle melody of "Autumn Leaves." On the latter track, Jamie Oehlers adds his breathy tenor saxophone, responding to the vocalist as well as creating a memorable solo. Listen to how Cohen weaves his lines throughout the piece, not only building the foundation but also responding to the emotion of his companions. The sparsity of the accompaniment allows Ms. Wertz to explore the words, their meanings, their relationship to the melody and the improvisations.

Actually, the first sounds one hears on the opening track is Oehlers's hypnotic melodic fragment leading in "Beautiful Love", a song first made famous in 1931 by the Wayne King Orchestra. The gentle vocal and the articulate piano work join the saxophone as the trio open the piece, each one listening to the other and responding.  Cohen's "Chopin Meets Abach" blends wordless vocals with a rolling piano line, the power of the music coming from his the voice builds along with the piano, not always in contrast but in union with the message of the composition.

The story the duo tells on "Manhattan In the Rain" (composed by Duncan Lamont) is powerful description of chance encounter that goes from good to sad. It is performed without sentimentality or treacle but with honesty and beauty (the rainstorm conjured up by Cohen's piano is magical).  Throughout the program, one can hear how time the musicians spent exploring the songs, moving away from cliched performances into interpretations that are more personal.  That's what audiences usually want. If artists are going
perform standards, make the pieces sound brand-new.  If the emotions are honest, the music has power.

"Intertwined" is powerful. Danielle Wertz and Tal Cohen have created an album that transports the listener beyond the ordinary. Be open and the music will seem like an adventure, a good and satisfying experience.

For more information, go to www.daniellewertz.com or to www.talcohenmusic.com.

Here's a video that tells the story behind the recording: