Matthew Shipp is an artist who always has gone his own way. His frequent collaborations with artists such as saxophonist David S. Ware, bassist William Parker, saxophonist Ivo Perelman, and others plus his dozens of albums in various sized-ensembles for labels such as ESP-Disk, Thirsty Ear, Hat Hut, CJR, and others, offer adventurous listeners journeys to exotic places and powerful sounds. He's recorded 10 solo albums through his career; Shipp does not necessarily change the way he plays but one can really hear his active and exciting left hand, the lower registers often creating the storms and incessant rhythmic fire that excites the listener.
"The Piano Equation" is the pianist's debut album for Tao Forms, the brand-new company formed by Shipp's former drummer Whit Dickey (who he has known since 1992). The 11 pieces are exploratory in nature, that illustrate where the artist was on May 22, 2019, in a mental and physical space where melody, rhythm, harmony, abstractions, drones, and fiery solos exist, often within the same piece. The majority of the material come in under five minutes but the listener is never cheated. Pieces such as "Land of the Secrets" and "Tone Pocket" are piano explorations that contain rich melodic passages; the former has the feel of a song written for a movie while the latter vena in a similar fashion before Shipp builds the intensity. The blues permeates the opening minutes of "Vortex Factor"––there's a short section when the left hand captures the power of "Fats" Waller and another where you hear a tinge of Cecil Taylor.
One cannot picture Matthew Shipp being anyone but himself. He has long pushed against borders, labels, eschewed cliches and easy listening. Yet, as he has matured and continued to master his instrument, the pianist, composer, and conceptualists has truly become his own person. Don't bother putting a label on this music––"Vortex Equation" is Matthew Shipp in, arguably, one of the finest albums he has ever created.
Pianist John Di Martino has fashioned and long and exciting career as both a sideman and leader. Born in Philadelphia, PA, he studied with hometown legend Jimmy Amadie and with Lennie Tristano. He has recorded and toured with artists such as Ray Barretto, Freddie Cole, Houston Person, Nicki Parrott, Bobby Sanabria, and others while issuing numerous albums for the Japanese Venus label and several others.
For his latest album, "Passion Flower" (Gemini Music/ Sunnyside), he toured to the music of Billy Strayhorn while assembling a group that includes bassist Boris Kozlov, drummer Lewis Nash, and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander plus one notable vocal contribution from Raul Midón.
It's no surprise that Di Martino chose Strayhorn's music as both the musician and the great composer (1915-1967) share a penchant for melody. Strayhorn, whose association with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, is well-documented, was plucked out of Pittsburgh after Maestro Ellington heard his songs, many of which seemed as if they were made for his Orchestra without sounding truly "Duke-ish". Even though one made heard the majority of these songs many times played by many different artists, it's fun to spend an hour in the company of these musicians and songs. Midón does a splendid job on "Lush Life" and the trio (Alexander sits this one out) elegantly frames his voice so that one cannot help but hear the pathos in the lyrics.
There is a great amount of swing to be heard here. Right out of the gate, "Johnny Come Lately" dances its way into your ears. The quartet dances through "Isfahan (Elf)" which includes a most melodic turn by Kozlov. It's such a treat to listen to the rhythm section throughout the album but especially here in support of the soloists. Alexander lays into his spot, showing his blues chops and delight in dancing with the accompanists. His tenor attack on "U.M.M.G." catches the anxiety of the song's composer as he is being treated for cancer. Yet, the song has such an exciting forward motion even when Kozlov steps out over the active brush work of Nash and the distant saxophone. "Blood Count" follows, a dark emotional ballad––in fact, one of Strayhorn's last compositions which he finished in the hospital––that features Alexander and Di Martino only. The tenor solo is stunning, powerful, yet lyrical. Tunes that have recorded hundreds, if not thousands of times, such as "Chelsea Bridge" and "Take The A Train" still stand tall as the musicians imbue the music with such spirit and emotion. The former retains its impressionistic feel while the latter opens with a driving duo of saxophone and drums. When the rest of the band enters, the music goes racing down the tracks.
The final three tracks all reference flowers in their titles. "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing", one of Strayhorn's earlier works, is a piece for solo piano; the emotional richness of Di Martino's performance is breathtaking. "Absinthe (Lament for An Orchid)" has such a mysterious feel with its subtle medium-tempo dance, almost a tango. The album closes with "Lotus Blossom", another solo performance by the leader. An older Strayhorn tune, another one that had several titles before the composer settled on its final name, was an Ellington favorite. Originally written for Johnny Hodges, the piece has a classical feel without hewing to one style. Here, it is a perfect choice to close the program as it reminds the listener once again what a melodic composer Billy Strayhorn and why his music never goes out of style.
One may pass on "Passion Flower" but do so at your own loss. John Di Martino and his cohorts create a program that may seem familiar yet is so passionate, emotionally rich, lively, and heartfelt that Billy Strayhorn's songs come to life. Listen and learn!
In September of 1963, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra began a State Department of the Middle East, Turkey, India, and various other cities and countries in the region. When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22 of that year, the tour was abruptly cancelled and the large ensemble returned home. Yet, Elington and his musical partner Billy Strayhorn began composing music inspired by the journey. It was December 19th, 1966 that the band entered the RCA Victor studios in New York City to record the nine tracks that made up the oddly-titled "The Far East Suite" released in June 1967, just a few weeks after Strayhorn passed away from cancer.
Nearly five decades later, the Balkan Brass jazz band known as Slavic Soul Party! decided to perform the Suite in its entirety. In July of 2016, the band released "Slavic Soul Party! Plays Duke Ellington's Far East Suite" (Ropeadope Records) - the nonet, composed of John Carlson and Kenny Warren (trumpets), Matt Musselman and Tim Vaughn (trombones), Ron Caswell (tuba), Peter Hess (saxophones, clarinet), Peter Stan (accordion), Chris Stromquist (snare, percussion) and leader Matt Moran (tapan, goč, bubanj - all hand-held drums) - plays the program in the order of the original album. One of the joys of the works of Ellington and Strayhorn (especially from the 1940s forward) is how adaptable much of it is. Slavic Soul Party makes sure you hear all the great melodies and then put its signature percussive fire under the music. "Tourist Point of View" rushes out of the gates at top speed, Moran and Stromquist pushing the rest of the band to play with great fire. Kudos to Caswell's tuba work as he is impressive throughout. With five brass and only one reed player, accordionist (well, that's an instrument with reeds!) Stan is an important voice providing depth and flair. The funky take of "Bluebird of Delhi" (imagine James Brown letting his band loose) has great work from Hess (on clarinet) on a smart arrangement by Moran.
Thanks to the work of trumpeter Carlson, there's a drunken swagger to "Ifashan" while Hess's baritone plays sweetly on "Agra" while the band staggers just a bit (on purpose) before hitting its stride halfway through. "Mount Harissa" opens with a fine trumpet (Warren?) reading of the melody (listen for Caswell's sustained low notes) - after a short unaccompanied trumpet statement, the band kicks into a raucous dance beat and the trumpeter continues forward. Even more of a party is the high-energy performance of "Blue Pepper"; you can just see the Brass band dancing through the streets. Stan gets the spotlight on "Amad" with an opening solo that goes from an imitation of a a steam train to high-intensity lines interspersed with drones. When the rest of the band kicks in, the trombones blare, the trumpets blast, the tuba lays down a hardy beat, the drums pound away (Hess, on alto, joins the trumpets on the melody) and the piece flies along. Watch for the interchange of brass and reeds with the accordion na minute before the "Bali Hai" finish.
Duke Ellington purists might be scared away but this rendition of "Far East Suite" is full of spice and fire. It is impossible to sit still through the up-tempo songs and even the ballads have a touch of spunk. Somehow, I missed reviewing the "Slavic Soul Party Plays Duke Ellington's Far East Suite" upon its release late last summer. If you have yet to discover this delightful album, check it out. It's pure joy!
Here's "Blue Pepper":
Composer and arranger Brett Gold took a long route to creating his New York Jazz Orchestra and recording his self-releaseddebut album "Dreaming Big." Though he had played trombone through high school, his double-major in college was History and Film Studies. Gold then earned his law degrees, concentrating on international and corporate tax law. He continued working but started his return to music in the 1990s and then, in 2004, began studying with the album producer Pete McGuiness and David Berger (among others) and soon became involved with the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop where he was mentored by Jim McNeely, Mike Holober, and Mike Abene. Over his time there, he developed the compositions and arrangements heard on his album.
A glance at the personnel and you'll see members of the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra, and the Tony Kadleck Big Band. As one might expect from a debut, the composer shows his comfort in wiring for different styles but, to his credit, the album never becomes a simple "blowing session." Only one of the 11 tracks has more than two soloists and five have just one. That leads one to believe that Gold wrote for specific players in the manner of Duke Ellington, Bob Brookmeyer, Gil Evans, Ms. Schneider, and several others. Perhaps the best part of this album is that, even though the program runs nearly 72 minutes, the music is always involving, with melodies that capture your mind and heart, emotionally rich solos, and, on several tracks, great forward motion.
That "forward motion" is quite evident on the opener, "Pumpkinhead, P.I." Yes, there's a bit of stop-and-start but the band really romps under the hardy tenor solo of Charles Pillow. There are also several tracks that exude joy. "Lullaby for Lily" was composed shortly after the arrival of the composer's daughter. After a high-stepping opening, the music slows for a sweet soprano sax solo from Mark Vinci who later trades lies with trumpeter Scott Wendholt. Whereas "Stella's Waltz" was composed to honor the marriage of Gold's father and stepmother. One can see the couple whirling around the floor dancing to the sweet melody as it passes from section to section. William Shakespeare devotees will be pleased to see the song title "Exit, Pursued By A Bear" as it was one of the few stage directions the Bard ever wrote. The subtitle, "Slow Drag Blues", could be the real title as the song is a vehicle for a jocular trombone solo from Bruce Eidem and a short, sweet Phil Palombi bass solo. Pay attention to how the various musicians also have a playful role, especially the flutes, bass clarinet, and bass trombone right at the end.
Two of the pieces have a connection to the Middle East. "Al-Andalus" (which refers to Spain during the Muslim rule from the eighth Century until 1492) bounces along on a beat that has the feel of Gil Evans-Miles Davis and "Sketches of Spain". Kudos to trumpeter Jon Owens for a great and wide-ranging solo. The final track on the album, "Nakba", is the longest (11:30) and the most political. The word is Arabic and translate to "catastrophe" is the term that Arabs use to describe the 1948 war after the partition of Palestine created the state of Israel. The "voice" of the song is Tim Ries on soprano sax but pay attention to the great work of the various sections. The flowing melodies from the reeds, the intense rhythm work, the sharp sound of the brass (and occasional "air-raid" warnings), the occasional "alarm-like" sounds from the piano, all that and more draws the listener into the conflict in and outside of the music. Powerful music, indeed.
"Dreaming Big" is certainly the modus operandi for composer and arranger Brett Gold. He's put his heart, soul, money, brains, creativity, and more into this project; this is music that deserves to be heard. Lord knows if this is a band that will ever tour but, if they do, I would not hesitate to buy a ticket.
Personnel: Jon Owens: trumpet, flugelhorn; James de la Garza: trumpet, flugelhorn; Dylan Schwab: trumpet, flugelhorn; Scott Wendholt: trumpet, flugelhorn; Mark Vinci: alto, soprano sax, clarinet, flute; Matt Hong: alto sax, clarinet, flute; Dave Riekenberg: tenor sax, clarinet; Tim Ries: tenor, soprano sax, flute, clarinet (3, 5-7, 11); Charles Pillow: tenor, soprano sax, clarinet (1, 2, 4, 8-10); Frank Basile: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Bruce Eidem: trombone; John Allred: trombone; Bob Suttmann: trombone; Jeff Nelson: bass trombone; Ted Kooshian: piano; Sebastian Noelle: guitar (3, 5, 6, 7); Phil Palombi: bass; Scott Neumann: drums. Here's a track:
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