More Live Music + Keyboard Trio CD

Infinity Hall, 32 Front Street in Hartford, presents David Bromberg in concert Thursday Oct 23 at 8 p.m.  Bromberg, who plays guitar and mandolin plus sings in a earnest style, has been playing blues, folk, country, rock - Americana is the best overall genre - since the late 1960s, working with Jerry Jeff Walker, Bob Dylan and so many more. After some time off the trail, Bromberg returned in 2011 with a great recording for the Appleseed Recordings label titled "Use Me" and now is touring in support of "Only Slightly Mad", a fine collection that opens with a raucous, rocking, version of "Nobody's Fault But Mine" - the piece features some nasty slide guitar.

Joining will be the CD producer Larry Campbell, a master of many stringed instruments plus local folk artist Eric Michael Lichter.  For ticket information, go to www.infinityhall.com or call 866-666-6306.

The Hartford Jazz Society presents saxophonist J.D. Allen and his Quartet in concert Friday 10/24 at 7 p.m. in Polish National Home, 60 Asylum Avenue in Hartford.   Since 2008, the Detroit native has released 6 CDs, 4 on Sunnyside Records with his fine Trio and the most recent 2 with his new Quartet (the latest, "Bloom", was issued several months ago on the Savant label.) Joining him will be pianist Victor Gould, bassist Alexander Claffy and drummer Jonathan Barber (a native of Hartford).  To his credit, Allen has carved his own sound in a crowded field of saxophonists with his focus on melody and short yet rich solos.

Opening the show will be the East Catholic High School Jazz Ensemble.  For ticket information, go to www.hartfordjazzsociety.com or Integrity 'N' Music in Wethersfield.

Busy weekend at The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme. On Friday, the young tenor saxophonist Chelsea Baratz comes to the club; recommended by pianist Orrin Evans, the Pittsburgh native has been gathering fans with her fine musicianship since first arriving on the scene a mere 4 years ago. Her debut CD, "In Faith", came about in 2011 and is a pleasing blend of jazz, funk and r'n'b.

Her bands includes Eric Wheeler (bass), Joe Blaxx (drums) and Warren Fields (keyboards). Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the first set commences at 8:30.  Go to thesidedoorjazz.com for ticket information or call 860-434-0886.

On Saturday, Jan and Ken welcome vocalist Marianne Solivan for 2 sets of contemporary music. Ms. Solivan is certainly a citizen of the world, having lived in Venezuela, and New Jersey before sending her high school years in Massachusetts. After studying at the New England Conservatory of music in Boston, she began working with musicians like Roy Hargrove and clarinetist Daryl Harper.

Her second album as a leader, "Spark", was issued in September on HiPNOTIC Records. Self-produced, the recording is a splendid blend of standards and originals, with Ms. Solivan's handsome vocals framed by the piano of Xavier Davis, basis Matthew Parish and drummer Gregory Hutchinson.

For her Old Lyme gig, she's bringing pianist John Chin, bassist Neal Caine and drummer Montez Coleman.   The first set starts at 8:30 p.m.  Check the website and/or number above for ticket information.

Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street in New Haven, continues its classy Fall 2014 Concert Series this Friday evening with The Wee Trio.  Composed of Dan Loomis (bass), Jared Schonig (drums) and James Westfall (vibraphone), the ensemble came together 6 years ago in Brooklyn, playing (mostly) original music built upon one of the better rhythm sections in creative music. They released 4 CDs, the most recent being 2013's "Live at The Bistro" released on the group's Bionic Records. Loomis has worked with T.S. Monk, the David Bixler Quintet and, most notably, with drummer Ernesto Cervini's Quartet.  Schonig also is a busy player, working with Tyler Blanton, Erika Von Kleist and powering the Nathan Parker Smith Large Ensemble.

Together, The Wee Trio rocks, swings and struts with the best of them.  They'll play 2 sets - 8:30 and 10 p.m. - for more information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.

The Yale School of Music/Ellington Music Series presents the great bassist Ron Carter and his equally talented Trio at Morse Recital Hall, located in Sprague Hall at 470 College Street (corner of Wall Street), New Haven.  Carter was a member of the legendary Miles Davis Quintet from 1963-69, creating many memorable rhythms alongside drummer Tony Williams.  He's also played on over 2,500 recordings in a career that has spanned 50+ years.  Joining him will be guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Donald Vega.  Expect the music to have a deep groove, to swing with grace and to be filled with melodies. For ticket information, go to music.yale.edu or call 203-432-4158. 

The monthly "Improvisations" series at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor Street in Hartford, continues this coming Sunday (10/26) with a 3-way conversation featuring series curators Stephen Haynes (cornets, trumpets), Joe Morris (guitar, bass) and their guest, vibraphonist Bryan Carrott. Mr. Carrott has worked with Ralph Peterson, Gunther Schuller, David "Fathead" Newman, and in the Broadway production of "The Lion King."  He is truly a "mallet master".

It's a an early show - 3 p.m. - for more information and tickets, go to www.realartways.org/livearts.htm#Improvisations or www.facebook.com/events/767506246638548/.
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Here's a unique twist on the piano trio genre - the Parker Abbott Trio, composed on pianists Teri Parker and Simeon Abbott plus drummer Mark Seeger, has a new CD, "The Wayfinders" (self-released) that blends acoustic and electric pianos as well as synthesizers into a pleasing musical experience. The pianists have been working throughout Canada for the past several years, recording a duo CD in 2010 that experimented with different styles of music on different keyboards. Adding a drummer has focussed their attention on melodies and structure, creating a sound that veers closer to progressive rock than jazz.  The blend of synths, keys and a skid backbeat propels the opening track "Nature Speaks", sounding not unlike Elton John meets Andy Partridge (XTC).  The Rhodes and drums set a funky and mysterious pace on "Coral Castle" while "Companions" would not sound out of place with words or vocals by Peter Gabriel. The Wurlitzer sound on "Circus Piece" creates a spooky ambiance, heightened by the rhythm moving in and out of waltz time. The longest cut, at 7+ minutes, "With Robots We Live Forever" has moments that remind this listener of Rush (the chord changes and the driving rhythms at the beginning and near the end.

The sounds created by the Parker Abbott Trio on "The Wayfinders" probably won't attract many straight-ahead jazz fans but this is no "New-Age" musical fantasy. There are stories inside these songs, carried by the finely-crafted melodies, heightened by the interactions of the two keyboardists and booted by the contributions of drummer Seeger.  Throw away your expectations and just listen - you will find much to like in this piano trio.  For more information, and to listen to all the tracks go to parkerabbott.ca.

Sept. 12 - An Embarrassment of Richness + Super Group Music

I understand that, if you look at a calendar of jazz events in New York City on any given night, there's at least 2 shows you might want to attend (3 or more on the weekends). Living here in CT, we are blessed by our proximity to The Big Apple and its plethora of venues. Still, there are a growing number of great concert spaces in our state that vie for one's attention. Listed below are 4 shows taking place on the same night, any one of which is your worth your attention.

The Firehouse 12 Fall 2014 Concerts Series begins this Friday; it's an impressive lineup with a strong start.  The Ingrid Laubrock Quintet, led by the German-born tenor saxophonist/composer, will play 2 sets - 8:30 and 10 p.m. - of music that truly is her own. Ms. Laubrock, who has worked alongside the likes of Kenny Wheeler, Professor Anthony Braxton, dave Douglas, Mary Halvorson and so many others, creates music that runs the gamut from experimental to through-composed, from austere to playful. Her group features Tim Berne (alto saxophone), Ben Gerstein (trombone), Dan Peck (tuba) and her husband Tom Rainey (drums), all musicians who navigate the creative music waters with grace, wit and plenty of muscle.

In the coming weeks, the Firehouse, located at 45 Crown Street in New Haven, presents the trio of Evan Parker, Joe Morris & Nate Woodley (9/19), guitarist Michael Gregory Jackson & Spirit - Signal - Strata (9/26), and the Michael Musillami Trio + Kris Davis (10/04).  For more information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.

About 15-20 minutes (by foot) to the northeast of The Firehouse, The Yale School of Music Ellington Jazz Series presents the Ravi Coltrane Quartet in concert at 8 p.m. in Morse Recital Hall, 470 College Street. Coltrane, the second son of Alice and John Coltrane, has long out-paced his father's great legacy and created one of his own. He's a fine tenor player/composer as well as the co-owner of RKM Music, label that has recorded trumpeter Ralph Alessi and pianist Luis Perdomo, both of whom have played in Coltrane's Quartet. Besides cutting his improvisational teeth in Steve Coleman and Elvin Jones's groups, the saxophonist has recorded 6 CDs as a leader, the latest being 2012's "Spirit Fiction", his debut for Blue Note Records.

On Friday, Coltrane brings a new group to the Elm City campus venue, replacing the piano with guitarist Adam Rogers and adding the rhythm section of Matt Brewer (bass) and Nate Smith (drums).  Each member of the group is a leader on his own; Rogers and Brewer have CDs on the Criss Cross label while Smith, currently the drummer in Dave Holland's Quintet and Big Band, has a CD coming on BJU Records later this month.

For ticket information, go to music-tickets.yale.edu/single/eventDetail.aspx?p=12486 or call 203-432-4158.  To learn more about the leader, go to www.ravicoltrane.com.

WHUS-FM, the radio station for the University of Connecticut in Storrs, presents the Michael Musillami Trio + special guests Kris Davis & Jimmy Greene in concert at 8 p.m. in Von Der Mehden Recital Hall, 875 Coventry Road, Unit 1128.  Guitarist/composer Musillami, whose Trio with bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller, has been exciting audiences for the past decade +, is celebrating a new 2-CD set titled "Pride" just released on the leader's Playscape Recordings label (my review is here).  The second disk in the set is a live date from 2007 featuring violinist Mark Feldman but the first album was recorded earlier this year with the lineup that will perform at UCONN.  Ms. Davis appears on the entire program but Mr. Greene (who has recorded several times with Playscape artist Mario Pavone) only appears on 2 cuts.  Not sure what the live concert will include but I cannot imagine the saxophonist will sit out most of the show.   

The ticket prices are incredibly low (free for students) - for more information, go to www.facebook.com/events/250312131829323/.

The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme welcomes flutist and soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett with her new group Maqueque.   Ms. Bunnett, a Canadian musician whose musical tastes are international (if not universal), organized this group of musicians on one of her sojourns to Cuba and they are a sassy, exciting, bunch, who have really added a spark to her music.  Maqueque includes Dayme Arocena (voice), Magdelys Savigne (bata drums, congas, percussion, voice) Yissy Garcia (drums), Yusa (tres, bass guitar) and Danae Olana (piano, voice). Judging by the music on their just-released self-titled debut CD (Justin Time) and their August appearance at the Litchfield Jazz Festival, Jan and Ken of The Side Door might just want to reinforce the walls; this sextet plays with great fire and joy. To find out ore about this fascinating collaboration, go to www.janebunnett.com.

Doors open at 7:30 and the music commences at 8:30 p.m. For more information, go to thesidedoorjazz.com or call 860-434-0886.

On Saturday night, The Side Door presents the Bruce Barth Quartet. Pianist Barth, one of the finer keyboard artists of the quarter-century, is bringing an all-star group including Jerry Bergonzi (tenor saxophone), Linda Oh (bass) and Montez Coleman (drums).  Although he's up in the Boston-area, we don't get to see and hear Mr. Bergonzi very often; his muscular tenor is a welcome sound any time on hears it. The splendid rhythm section will make this a fun show.  Check out The Side Door website for more information.
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"Coalition", the new CD featuring Kenny Werner (piano, electric piano), Miguel Zenon (alto saxophone), Benjamin Koppel (alto, mezzo-soprano, baritone saxophones), Ferenc Nemeth (drums, percussion) and Lionel Loueke (guitar, bass, vocals), initially was scheduled to a project for the pianist. He chose the musicians; having played with Koppel, Nemeth and Loueke in the past, Mr. Werner wanted to hear Zenon's voice in that mix.  After rehearsing and playing several gigs, Werner writes in the liner notes "the group stopped being mine....It became a true Coalition."  

Not just a Coalition but a full-blown treat, a splendid session from beginning to end. The only real question is "With all this firepower, why did it take 3+ years for this music to be released?  It's out now, thanks to Half Note Records, and well worth investigating.  Heck, the opening 2 tracks, Zenon's "Phonetics #2 (Folk Dance)" and Werner's "April Blue" truly whet one's appetite. The former opens with the composer clapping out the infectious rhythm while Loueke adds his voice and funky "chicken-scratch" guitar - all of sudden, Nemeth takes over the rhythm, goosed on by the guitarist's deep bass lines.  The piano and reeds enter and the piece really takes off. Zenon plays his usual energetic solo (he has such an inviting sound) as does Koppel (also on alto).  In between the 2 (not quite which alto is which), Werner really digs into his solo urged on by the drums and bass guitar.
Meanwhile, the latter piece opens in a Latin groove, Koppel's baritone playing the melody with the alto sax.  The chord progression keeps the piece moving in an upward motion. Nemth's active drumming and Loueke's thick bass lines plus clicking guitar are attractive, giving the piece its forward motion.

Loueke's "Flying", originally on the guitarist's 2010 "Mwaliko" CD, opens with quiet guitar and the composer's overdubbed/electronically altered voices.  One can also see the dancers jumping about to the rhythmic fire and, suddenly, the piece breaks out into a mid-1970s Weather Report-like funky swing, Werner's electric piano matching lines with the guitar. Zenon flies over the stop-and-start groove.  During the keyboard solo, Koppel's baritone shadows the bass line, adding his deep voice to the mix.  I laughed out loud at least 5 times at the brash energy and smoking rhythms that everybody plays.

"Swan Song" is the only ballad in the program and features a long, melodic, unaccompanied piano solo that is undeniably lovely and emotionally rich. Koppel's sweet solo on mezzo-soprano also stands out, soaring atop the spare but solid bass and drums. Loueke's fiery guitar solo changes the mood (the rhythm in the latter part of the piece is reminiscent of Keith Jarrett's work with Dewey Redman, Paul Motian and Charlie Haden) but the handsome blend of saxophones carries the tune to a peaceful conclusion.

The final 2 tracks take the CD on more rhythmic adventures, with "Tune 4" flowing on a Afro-Cuban rhythm with 2 excellent saxophone solos (Koppel's closes his mezzo-soprano spotlight with a nod to Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas") and a rousing piano spot.  "Wishful Dreaming" opens quietly with just acoustic piano behind Loueke's guitar and wordless vocals. Once the band enters, the rest of the band comes in on a waltz with the 2 saxophones weaving in and around each other.  Slowly, the intensity picks up during Zenon's sweet solo, setting the stage for Koppel's even more intense mezzo-soprano solo.  Werner tamps down the fire with a fine piano solo over the "clicking" guitar and Nemeth's handsome brush work. The main theme returns slowly fading out until Loueke's voices return and the reeds and piano flutter in the background.  A serene finish to a great adventure.

Coalition has 4 live dates planned for 9/25-28, one at The Regatta Bar in Cambridge, MA and the remaining three at the Blue Note in NYC.  It'd be a sin if this quintet does not tour more.  However, their debut recording sounds great, especially at higher volumes (under headphones, the music shines brilliantly). The Half Note website remains under construction and Kenny Werner's site (kennywerner.com) contains no info about the quintet other than the live dates.

Lots of Live Music in CT (5/09 - 5/12) + CD Pick

The Uncertainty Music Series, created and curated by composer Carl Testa, welcomes the Scott Clark 4tet to Elm Bar, 372 Elm Street in New Haven on Wednesday May 9 for a 9 p.m. show.  Last week, I wrote about the group, led by drummer-composer Clark and based in Richmond, Virginia, and, since that time, have had the opportunity to hear the recording that is in search of a label. The 4Tet's music is fiery, punchy, thoughtful and thought-provoking and, at times, great fun.  Composed of drums, bass, saxophone and trumpet, the music has its roots in the experimentations of the Ornette Coleman groups of the late 1950s and early 60s.  But, Clark is definitely the leader, with many of the songs building up from the drums (setting the pace and the mood).  All the members are fine soloists and this is music with plenty of substance and little filler. According to Clark's website (scottwclark.wordpress.com), the second set "will be the second performance of our suite of music based off of the book “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” by Dee Brown and on my own research into my family history."

On Saturday evening May 12, the Series moves to Neverending Books, 810 State Street in New Haven for a performance by the duo of Christopher Riggs (guitar) and Carl Testa (bass, electronics).  The sounds commence at 8 p.m.  To get a taste of the duo's collaborations, click here.  For more information about the series, go to uncertaintymusic.com. 

Those of us who love adventurous music have a difficult decision to make on Friday May 11. We must go to New Haven and choose between Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts (performing at 8 p.m. in Yale University's Morse Recital Hall, 470 College Street or Michael Bates Acrobat: Music By and For Dmitri Shostakovich at 8:30 p.m. in Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street.  Drummer-composer-educator Wilson and A&C are the concluding concert in the 2011-12 Ellington Jazz Series at the University's School of Music.  The group includes Michael Rodriguez (trumpet, subbing for Terrell Stafford), Martin Wind (bass) and Gary Versace (piano, organ, accordion.)  "An Attitude for Gratitude" (Palmetto Records), the band's 4th CD,  continues Wilson's quest to create music that is approachable without being sappy or programmed.  To find out more about the concert, go to music.yale.edu or call 203-432-4158. 

Meanwhile, the Vancouver, Canada, native Michael Bates (bass) brings an accomplished group to the Firehouse for an evening of fascinating music.  Joining him will be Russ Lossing (piano, Fender Rhodes), Greg Tardy (clarinet, saxophone), Russ Johnson (trumpet) and Michael Sarin (drums) and they will explore
music the bassist composed after studying the 20th Century Russian Shostakovich (1906 - 75).  The latter was quite a figure in the last century, creating music that reflected the changing society in which he lived.  Much happened to him and around him and he often had issues with the Soviet officials. On one hand, he composed "serious" music, filled with myriad influences (and certainly some of them were European) but also felt forced to compose "nationalistic" works.  By the early1960s, Shostakovich wrote darker works, including his "13th Symphony - Babi Yar" based on the poems of Yevgeny Yevtushenko that look at the oppression and slaughter of Russian Jews.

Bates' music makes great use of Lossing's atmospheric Fender Rhodes, Sarin's explosive drumming and the blend of reeds and brass.  The music can be quite serious; yet there is also a playful edge to certain pieces. Jazz lovers will enjoy the interplay, the melody lines played by 2 or more instruments that come together and move apart.  Bates and Acrobat play 2 sets, 8:30 and 10 p.m. - for tickets and more information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.

This Saturday (May 12) at 2 p.m., Joe Morris (guitar) and Stephen Haynes (trumpet, cornet) present "Improvisations VIII", the latest in the duo's ongoing series at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor Street in Hartford.  Joining them will be Jason Kao Hwang (violin, viola) and New Haven resident Nathan Bontrager (cello).  Hwang has been active of the jazz/new music scene for 3 decades, working with artists such as Professor Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, and bassist William Parker as well as leading or co-leading numerous ensembles (several that feature New Haven-based cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum.)  Bontrager just played this past weekend as part of Broadcloth (in the Uncertainty Music series) and in the ensemble behind vocalist Anne Rhodes.  For more information about "Improvisations" and ticket availability, go to www.realartways.org. 

Pianist Bill Carrothers makes his home on the Upper Penisula of Michigan, not a place to settle down if you plan on pursuing a busy career in music. But, busy is in the eye and mind of the beholder. Mr. Carrothers has a wicked sense of humor which is on display at his electronic home - www.bridgeboymusic. His CDs range from trio explorations of the music of Clifford Brown to songs from the Civil War played as solo piano pieces to larger group takes on the songs from World War I.  All these creative efforts do not make for great commercial success. Yet, I'll lay odds Carrothers does not really care about the hoopla of success. 

His new CD, "Family Life" (Pirouet Records), is comprised of 15 pieces for solo piano and may bequietest music you'll hear this year.  Yet, the intensity of melody and emotion that one hears in this music will touch you long after the last notes fade.  Like the snapshots on the cover, the stories implicit in the music are of nights spent around the dinner table, of days walking in the woods, of sitting on a chair after the children have gone to sleep and listening to them breathe, of memories of parents and relatives who shape your life even after passing. 

It does not pay to  explain the individual tracks; every listener will hear something in this music that will resonate in his or her life (I would be surprised if you could not or did not connect with this music.) Shut off the lights, turn off the computer, open the shades, relax -you might even fall asleep - but do not sleep on this music, an oasis in an ever-maddening world.  Check out Bill Carrothers website (listed above) or go to www.pirouet.com/home/album.php?release=PIT3063 to hear for yourself.