Inspiration, Imagination, & Intent

 

There are many listeners of contemporary music no matter the genre are usually looking for spiritual uplift. Listeners say they love technical prowess or "new" sounds but what makes us return to music is how it moves us. Music is a "full-body experience" – for this listener, it usually starts with moving my feet, then enters into my brain, and finally into my heart.  If it feels "real nice", play it twice.  That's why I like the music of John Coltrane, of McCoy Tyner, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bill Withers, Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt, and others. And Anthony Branker. His music often makes one think, his titles lead one to investigate Black experiences and history, and his rhythms often bring you up out of your seat. Over the course of 10 albums, all released by Origin Records, he's assembled some of the best musicians, given them music to sink their creative teeth, and a created a lot of memorable performances.  

Given the overt political nature of a good number of his albums (2013's "Uppity", 2014's, "The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite", and 2023's "What Place Can There Be for Us"), Dr. Branker's 10th album (and third with his group Imagine), "Songs My Mom Liked" takes a different tack.  His 88-year old mother (she turns 89 on June 27) has been dealing with the ongoing effects of cognitive dementia. Dr. Branker has been driving her to appointment and elsewhere playing his albums in the car. His mother responded so positively to certain songs that he began to collect a group of them, rearranging them for this septet that features Fabian Almazan (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass), Rudy Royston (drums), Pete McCann (guitar), Phillip Dizack (trumpet), Donny McCaslin (tenor and soprano saxes), and Aubrey Johnson (voice).  Nine of the 12 songs are from Dr. Branker's earlier albums and none recorded by this particular group.

With different "voices" and approaches to the material, this program is brimming with energy, imagination, and joy. Right out of the gate, "Praise" jumps out of the speakers powered by the rhythm section with Royston's drums front and center. This is McCaslin's first recording with Dr. Branker and he shines throughout the program. Listen below to "Sketches of Selim" to hear how he and trumpeter Dizack interact and build off each other's solo. Fabian Almazan also brings a heightened sense of urgency to each one of his solos while his work as part of the rhythm section is a delight. The rollicking "The House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads" takes off at a blistering pace with Ms. Oh and Royston furiously pushing the group forward. Each of the soloists (Dizack, Almazan, and McCaslin) rides the rhythmic waves, sometimes behind the beat but mostly enjoying the frenetic drive.  Later in the program, "To Be Touched (By the Spirit)" gives the listener an insight to one of the composer's touchstone influences; the power and glory of McCoy Tyner. Almazan's incredible solo stands out flowing out atop Royston's stunning drum work and the foundational bass playing. McCaslin comes roaring out out of the piano solo feeding the percussive fire even as his lines raise higher and higher.  A richly melodic and percussive bass solo leads the band back to a quick reiteration of the main theme.

Aubrey Johnson is heard on "Three Gifts (From a Nigerian Mother to God", her lovely wordless solo reading of the theme opens the piece before Dizack and the band enter to repeat the theme.  She can be heard in the background singing in unison with McCaslin's tenor. She drops out for the solos but returns to sing the melody and, later, counterpoint, in the background.  

One of the other highlights is the trio version of "Imani (Faith)" with Ms. Oh and Royston laying down a reggae beat for McCaslin's tenor to soar and roar atop.  The bass solo stands out for its melodic reach and bluesy intent.

Pete McCann performs on a couple of tracks including "When We Said Goodbye", where he states the handsome melody while producing a rippling solo supported by the responsive rhythm section.  McCaslin builds off the energy of the guitar solo for his own splendid spot.

The album closes with the one song not composed by Dr. Branker. "If..." was composed by his daughter Parris at the age of 11! The proud father arranged the piece for the group with McCann replacing Dizack. It's a high tempo, high spirited conclusion to a most excellent program.

"Songs My Mom Liked" is a treat from start to finish. The excellent septet of musicians transform the 12 songs in the program into living representations of Dr. Anthony Branker's spirit, beliefs, and desire to communicate through music.  There are moments where one hears the spirit of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the fire of Max Roach, the cool burn of Miles Davis, the spirituality of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, and the Caribbean roots of his family (Trinidad and Barbados). These songs are glorious prayers to the power of belief, love, family, hope, and music.  All of Dr. Branker's albums are recommended, all are excellent: "Songs My Mom Liked" is, arguably, the best he and his groups have yet produced.

For more information, go to www.anthonybranker.com/ – the site needs to be updated but there is still plenty to learn. To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://anthonybranker1.bandcamp.com/album/songs-my-mom-liked-2.

Listen to "Sketches of Selim":

Ms.Oh and the Future

 

Photo: Shervin Lainez

Before the pandemic, bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh was a very busy person, not just working on her own projects but also performing and/or recording with Pat Metheny, drummer Johnathan Blake, Vijay Iyer as well as with her husband, pianist Fabian Almazan (plus a number of other recording sessions).  Then, the world closed down in March of 2020 and the gigging stopped.  Ms. Oh and Mr. Almazan moved to Perth, Australia, (where the bassist was raised and retains citizenship) to have their first child. The time spent with their baby gave Ms. Oh the time to think her role as a musician in a splintered world, what was important to her, and how could her music has a positive effect on the dialogue swirling around divisive issues such as health-care, climate change, war, and other issues. The music can also be heard as a meditation on time, how we use ours and how time is ever-moving as it moves us.

Upon their return to the United States, put together a quintet that features her husband, drummer Obed Calvaire, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, and vocalist Sara Serpa.  They entered Brooklyn Recording on June 13 2022 with 10 new original works.  "The Glass Hours" is powered by the powerful melodies, exciting rhythms, and the spirited interactions of the quintet.  Opening with "Circles", the theme is addressed by the wordless vocal, tenor sax, and the potent bass while the pianist and drummer push the music forward. Pay close attention to the rhythm section––Calvaire plays with great presence throughout but especially under the soloists. The handsome bass solo that opens "Chimera" gives way to a thunderous piano solo supported by the drums and bass––that falls into a sense of stasis as the voice, sax, bass, and piano play circular figures while Calvaire dances through his solo.

Photo: Shervin Lainez

"Jus Ad Bellum" is a rubato ballad that addresses man's need to go to war. Ms. Serpa's passionate vocal is underpinned by the war-like drums and scurrying piano lines. The tenor sticks close to the vocal until the forceful bass solo.  The layered voices (including Ms. Oh's) during the drum spot remind this listener of the work of Steve Reich. Watch the video below of "The Imperative", see how the band listen and respond to each other, and note the fluidity in Ms. Oh's bass lines––she is so melodic as well as percussive.  Everyone contributes, each with their own cogent statement as well as their work in the ensemble. 

This material can be thorny, the sound thick at times but the music never falls apart. Notice how the excellent mix (Dave Darlington) ensures that the listener is in the midst of the band, that no one instrument is lost in the crisp sound, Not only is Ms. Oh the foundation of the music but she's the main driver (that frees up Calvaire to respond to the soloists and be part of the melody).  Mr. Almazan benefits from this as well with how he plays underneath the ensemble and how he approaches his own solos (he's certainly one of the most fluid of musicians).  And Ms. Serpa? Because the majority of the time she's singing, there are no words, just syllables. On a piece such as "Phosphorus", she teams with Turner to not only present the melody but also weave their lines in and around each other.  On this track, Ms. Oh's switches to electric bass, dancing along with her husband on the energetic piano solo. 

"The Glass Hours" closes with "Hatchling" (which one imagines is dedicated to her son)––Ms. Oh is on electric bass again so it's the sax, voice, and piano that present the melody then break it into melodic fragments.  The piece moves into a long rubato section before the piano and voice build off the bounce of the bass and drums to playfully strut and dance to the close!  

Linda May Han Oh has become one of the most sought-after bassists in the world. With good reason; how she articulates her notes and her melodic development within a song can be dizzying at times, yet she never overplays or, better, never "showboats".  This album, her sixth, is worth diving into deeply1

For more information, go to https://lindamayhanoh.com/.  To hear more and purchase the album, go to  https://lindamayhanoh.bandcamp.com/album/the-glass-hours. 

Here's the opening track, "Circles":

Watch the group in the studio perform "The Imperative":

"....Soul Grown Deep Like The River"

 

Dr. Anthony Branker is quite an accomplished person with a list of achievements that would fill this page. I spoke to him in 2017 at the time Origin Records released "Beauty Within", his seventh album of original compositions (and six issued by the Seattle, WA-based label). At that time, he had recently stepped down as the head (and founder) of the Jazz Studies Program at Princeton––he currently is Adjunct Professor at the Mason Gross School of Music at Rutgers University. I am impressed by his ability to tell stories, truths about issues such as racism, equality, spirituality, and more, writing music that sounds familiar yet can be challenging, swings yet sings. The son of Caribbean immigrants, Dr. Branker once played his music (he was a trumpet player) in venues around the world. Dr. Branker has also conducted ensembles for Terence Blanchard and Wynton Marsalis as well as orchestras in Israel, Germany, Japan, Estonia, and in the United States. 

His eighth album, "What Place Can Be For Us: A Suite In 10 Movements" (Origin), is the second recording with his Imagine ensemble, an octet built around guitarist Pete McCann, pianist Fabian Almazan, and bassist Linda May Han Oh plus Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone), Remy Le Boeuf (alto and soprano saxophones), Philip Dizack (trumpet, flugelhorn), Donald Edwards (drums), and on two tracks, Alison Crockett (vocal and spoken word). As you should be able to tell by the title, the themes of this new collection are inclusion, immigration, belonging, citizenship, and the never-ending racism that permeates the United States.  Ms. Crockett is featured on the opening track, "The Door of No Return", an episodic that blends the squalling guitar of Pete McCann, the telegraph notes from the piano, and the words of poet Beatriz Esmer. There is a powerful solo from Smith III as well as well as brilliant background arrangements.  The words hearken back to The Middle Passage (many more Black Africans were enslaved in Brazil than anywhere else on the American continent).  

Ms. Crockett returns for "I, Too, Sing America" from Langston Hughes 1926 collection "The Weary Blues".  It's a powerful work with fine piano work and a commanding solo from Smith III yet be sure to listen to how the alto sax and trumpet play a drone beneath the tenor sax and the heartfelt vocal. 

Elsewhere, there's the nervous energy of McCann's guitar solo and the wistful alto sax solo from Le Boeuf on "Indivisible", the melancholy reminiscence of "Sundown Town" with far-ranging solos from Almazan and Dizack, and the "prog-rock meets hard bop" riff on "Sanctuary City" and the crackling guitar of McCann and keening tenor sax.   

It's hard not to think of boats filled with refugees on "We Went Where Wind Took Us" but the music has more of a hopeful feel as well as fine solos from Ms. Oh and Almazan.  After a lovely solo piano introduction, "The Trail of Tears to Standing Rock" reminds us all of how the Andrew Jackson Presidency pushed Native Americans onto lands where their crops could not grow; not that succeeding US Presidents made the situation any better, creating reservations that keep them held down. Now when they fight the oil pipeline that will split their land up and subsequently cut them off from or contaminate their water supply, their protests still fall on deaf ears.  

As you should be able to tell, Dr. Anthony Branker does not shy away from controversy; instead he channels his concerns, beliefs, and his fears into music that often vibrates with urgency, compassion, commitment, and impressive musicianship.   Don't you shy away from  "What Place Can Be For Us: A Suite In 10 Movements"––instead, embrace its activism, its message, and its power.

For more information, go to www.anthonybranker.com/.  To hear more and to purchase the album, go to

https://anthonybranker1.bandcamp.com/album/what-place-can-be-for-us-a-suite-in-ten-movements.

Here's the ensemble playing and presenting the words of poet Langston Hughes on "I, Too, Sing America":

Vocalist and educator Christine Correa came to the United States from her native Bombay, India, in 1979––she came to attend the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA, which is where she met two people who became very important in her life, pianist Ran Blake and pianist Frank Carlberg who is a frequent collaborator as well as her husband.  Ms. Correa is currently on the faculties of Columbia University’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program, Teacher’s College at Columbia University and the New School as well as the Director of the Maine Jazz Camp. She's recorded five duo albums with Ran Blake, 10 albums (in groups of various sizes) with Mr. Carlberg, and, at least, a half-dozen with other artists but never an album under own name.

Until now.  "Just You Stand and Listen With Me" (Sunnyside Records) is a tribute to two recordings drummer Max Roach recorded with his then-wife, the vocalist Abbey Lincoln, 1961's "We Insist! Freedom Now Suite" (Candid Records) and "Percussion Bitter Suite" (Impulse! Records).  For her album, Ms. Correa utilizes the musical voices of Sam Newsome (soprano saxophone), Andrew Boudreau (piano), Kim Cass (bass), and Michael Sarin (drums).  The 11-song program opens with the opening cut from "We Insist!", "Driva' Man", a fiery slave song with lyrics by Oscar Brown, Jr.  Ms. Correa's vocal is underpinned by the strolling rhythm section bolstered by the angular piano chords. Newsome's soprano solo is soaring and free-wheeling while Sarin's narrative drums over the walking bass also stands out.

Brown, Jr. adapts Paul Lawrence Dunbar's poem "When Malindy Sings"––the poet wrote his piece in "original" dialect but this adaptation is no "Uncle Remus". The music really swings with kudos to Boudreau for a fine solo.  Ms. Lincoln wrote the words for "Mendacity"; her lyrics could have been written today. Here's an example; "The campaign trail winds on and on/In towns from coast to coast/The winner ain't the one who's straight/But he who lies the most." Sarin's drums are quite expressive while Newsome again serves as response to Ms. Correa's call. Listen below!

There's so much to take on this brilliant album. Ms. Correa's duet with drummer Sarin in the first 90 seconds of "All Africa" is a stunning introduction to the body of the song in which the vocals name various tribes of the African Continent. The soprano sax solo over the drums is powerful, very moving and expressive. The wordless vocals on "Tears for Johannesburg" speaks to the treatment of the oppressed black citizens under South Africa's apartheid regimes. The ensemble moves in and out of time throughout plus there are excellent solos from Newsome and bassist Cass.

The album closes with Brown, Jr./Roach's "Freedom Day", a piece that is, at times, frolicsome, free, impulsive, pulsing with urgency, and in the end, questioning if we are really "free" (certainly the Black population of the United States has rarely been truly free to be).   

From start to finish, "Just You Stand and Listen With Me" is quite powerful.  Christine Correa not only celebrates the amazing and controversial music of Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, and Oscar Brown, Jr. but also asks questions about whether her adopted country–the United States–can ever truly be the place where "All Men (and Women) Are Created Equal".  

For more information, go to https://christinecorrea.com/. To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://sunnysiderecords.bandcamp.com/album/just-you-stand-and-listen-with-me-2. 

Hear Ms. Correa singing Abbey Lincoln's words on "Mendacity":

Trumpet Stories Based on History (Distant Past & Recent)

Dave Douglas goes from strength to strength. The trumpeter, composer, label owner, podcast host (he's an excellent interviewer), and social activist, is a musical adventurer. He writes and records with numerous musicians, rarely releasing more than two or three albums with the same lineup. This allows him so much creativity, to have different voices and instruments interpret his music.  His "sound" is crisp, reminiscent of the "cleaner, clearer" styles of Clifford Brown and Booker Little.

His newest adventure is "Dizzy Atmosphere" (Greenleaf Music) Inspired by John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, Douglas went into the studio with long-time associate Joey Baron (drums) plus four younger musicians including Fabian Almazan (piano), Matt Stevens (guitar), Carmen Rothwell (bass), and Dave Adewumi (trumpet). The program, seven Douglas originals and two Gillespie-penned gems, reminds one of the trumpeter's other tribute albums including 1990's "In Our Soul" (Mary Lou Williams), 1995's "In Our Lifetime" (Booker Little), and 1997's "Stargazer" (Wayne Shorter) –– each album included several songs by the artist plus a majority of Douglas compositions.  You can find the first and third albums by going to davedouglas.bandcamp.com and the second at www.newworldrecords.org/products/dave-douglas-in-our-lifetime.

Piet Mondrian (MOMA)

The album opens with "Mondrian", named for the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) who moved to New York City in 1938, spending the final six years of his life and career influenced by the sights and sounds of the city. The painting on the left, "Broadway Boogie-Woogie"captures the hustle-and-bustle of the wartime years.  Douglas's music moves in a powerful, if a bit, anxious manner building up from Almazan's left and Ms. Rothwell's foundational lines.   Gillespie was in the City at that time as well and this music captures his youthful vigor and sense of exploration. The second track offers a play on words: "Con Almazan" refers back to "Con Alma".  The Douglas variation features an excellent give-and-take for the two trumpets, a powerful guitar statement, a majestic piano solo, and adventurous work from the bassist and drummer.

 The two Gillespie pieces are right in the middle of the program.  "Manteca" (credited to Gillespie, Gil Fuller, and Chano Pozo) has an irresistible bounce, playful interactions between trumpets, guitars and piano, plus delightful solos from Douglas and Adewumi riding atop the groove.  "Pickin' The Cabbage" is purportedly Dizzys first published piece; recorded in 1940 by Cab Calloway's Orchestra , the ensemble where you could find the composer in the trumpet section at the time. It's a funky blues and, again, the two trumpeters have a great time playing off each other.  Ms. Rothwell and Baron provide quite a deep bottom plus the drummer gets a rousing solo.

Photo: Lawrence Sumulong

The three ballads on the program stand out as well. "See Me Now" finds the sextet moving slowly through the melody with the composer's muted trumpet in the lead. Note the melodicism of the piano in contrast to the quiet moaning of the guitar. The two trumpets open "Pacific" (the title may refer to how "peaceful" the music is) before Almazan moves gently, in an introspective manner, through the melody. The trumpets and guitar take over  moving contrapuntally through the next few minutes. Listening to Adewumi and Douglas playing in and around each other along with the waves of notes from the piano is a reminder that music can soften the blow of everyday life by challenging us to listen creatively.  The album closes with "We Pray", a handsome piece with a sweet trumpet melody, another fine piano solo, and excellent brush work from Baron. This piece as well as "Pacific" also appear on 2019's "Devotion", Douglas's album with Uri Caine and Andrew Cyrille.

Photo: Yousuf Karsh

"Dizzy Atmosphere" bears the subtitle "Dizzy Gillespie at Zero Gravity", an apt title as older generations of musicians probably felt that Mr. Gillespie's entry on the music scene was an alien invasion. Yet, the title also reminds us that his music turned a lot of ears, his joie-de-vivre, his mentorship, his endless curiosity, and crackling trumpet sound changed our world for the better.  Dave Douglas taps into that wellspring of creativity and curiosity, fashioning sounds that serves as a reminder that creative music has often moved forward by looking back and digging deeper.

For more information, go to greenleafmusic.com and/ or davedouglas.com. The album will be released on May 1, 2020 –– go to davedouglas.bandcamp.com/album/dizzy-atmosphere for purchase information.

Here's one of the two Dizzy tunes on the album:

Trumpeter, composer, and educator Ian Carey, born in Binghampton, NY, has lived-in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past two decades after studying in various places including in New York City (he attended the New School) where one of his teachers was Maria Schneider.  Carey is also a fine writer with occasional blog posts that are fun and educational (check an example out here).  He leads the Quintet + 1, an ensemble that has the same rhythm section since his 2006 5-piece group debut; pianist (acoustic and electric) Adam Schulman, bassist Fred Randolph, and the dynamic drummer Jon Arkin.  Saxophonist and flutist Evan Francis appears on the first three recordings with tenor saxophonist Kasey Knudsen becoming the + 1 on the third –– bass clarinetist Sheldon Brown replaced Francis for the fourth recording, 2016's "Interview Music".

The lineup remains the same for Carey's fifth release, "Fire In My Head (The Anxiety Suite)", his debut for Slow & Steady Records (the first four were released by the trumpeter's Kabocha Records). The "Suite" is comprised of five sections, each with individual themes yet connected to the whole in many ways.  Carey is a democratic leader, making sure everyone is heard, has their moments in the spotlight, but it's his way with arranging the pieces that truly stand out.  Listen below to "II: This Is Fine"; note how the brass and reeds share the melody, echoing each other, coming together then pushing apart, in and out, back and forth, while the rhythm section pushes the piece forward with abandon.  Schulman's solo is a hard-bop, single-note, romp followed by the leader's intense statement before bassist Randolph steps out.

Carey composed this music in the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. In the album liner notes, he admits to struggling with anxiety throughout his life and that the issue was heightened by the events leading up to Election Day and its aftermath.  While there is a nervous undercurrent to this music, there is also a creative guide to surviving these times. "III: Thought Spirals" is an intelligently constructed piece that leaves room for through-writing, tempo changes, group interplay, solos, and even a short section for a trumpet and reeds sans accompaniment.  The "glue" on this track is Schulman's hypnotic Fender Rhodes drone that permeates the piece.

On earlier recordings, one could clearly hear Carey's influences from both the classical and jazz world.  Those have been folded into the mix plus the fact that the trumpeter had multiple opportunities to work with this group of musicians performing and refining the program gives the music a freshness.  Each voice is clearly delineated yet there is also a clear group "sound." "Fire In My Head (The Anxiety Suite)" was recorded before but is being released during the current global pandemic.  There are times when the density of the sound verges on overwhelming but there is also an undercurrent of hope in the "Suite".  Perhaps, that's because the final track, "V: Resistance", speaks to our ability to rise above the foolishness and. childish behavior of certain officials and do what's right for ourselves, our children, our community, and, inevitability, our country. Sheldon Brown's powerful solo on that track stands out as an expression of freedom.

"Fire In My Head (The Anxiety Suite)" is powerful music made all the more relevant in our current situation. This music will resonate long after the blows from the Coronavirus have been absorbed and (hopefully) eliminated.  The Ian Carey Quintet + 1 has thrown down the gauntlet; listener, start healing your self through creativity, confrontation, and reflection.

For more information, go to iancareyjazz.com –– for purchase information, go to iancarey.bandcamp.com/album/fire-in-my-head-the-anxiety-suite.

Here's the second movement a.k.a . "This Is Fine":

Trumpeter and composer Ben Holmes, a native of Ithaca, NY, now lives in Brooklyn, NY.  He's studied Jewish Music, in particular Jewish music of the 20th Century with the emphasis on popular musicians such as clarinetist Dave Tarras plus trumpeters Ziggy Elman and Mannie Klein.  Holmes has co-led the Tarras Band with clarinetist Michael Winograd, co-leads a duo with accordionist Patrick Farrell and played with Vampire Weekend as well as Slavic Soul Party. As a leader, he's recorded a Trio album in 2012 and Quartet album (for Skirl Records) in 2015.

In 2019, Holmes appeared as part of a larger ensemble on Michael Winograd's "Kosher Style", one of the best klezmer albums of the past few years.  Now, he's released "Naked Lore" (Svejk Music/ Chant Records), a nine-song program of originals based on classic Jewish and Klezmer melodies. Joining the trumpeter is Brad Shepik (acoustic and electric guitars) and Shane Shanahan (percussion) –– the makeup of the band will remind close listeners of Dave Douglas's Tiny Bell Trio, an ensemble that Sheik played with as well.  But the music here has more of Middle-Eastern and Iberian Peninsula feel, with the hand percussion.  The Portuguese guitar adds a Mediterranean feel to "Swamplands Chusidl" but the funky rhythm Shanahan creates places the listener in Brooklyn. Holmes gets such a clear tone from his trumpet, a classical sound, yet the music does not feel stilted in any manner.

Pieces such as "The Sunbeast Emerges" (listener below), "Interlude on Avenue J", and "Two "Oh No!"s and an "Oh!", no "No!" have an urgency that jumps out of the speaker. Shanahan creates an insistence that pulls the trumpet and guitar, especially during Shepik's solo on the last track listed. "Interlude..." features more percussive excitement as the guitar and trumpet create a circular melody that is quite alluring.  "Invocation II/ The Dust of Unremembering" opens with a stunning solo trumpet statement that runs nearly three minutes. The second half of the six minute opens with Shepik playing a hypnotic guitar figure while Shanahan wails away on the frame drum. When Holmes reenters, he's playing muted trumpet and the music takes on an air of mystery.

YouTube

The final two tracks include the soothing then raucous "First We Were Sad; Then We Danced" and the lovely medium-tempo "All Together".  "First..." tells you all you need to know right in the title while "All..." also starts slowly then picks up on the strength of the rollicking percussion.

"Naked Lore" should be considered one as of the albums involved in the "changing of the guard" in contemporary Jewish music. Listeners who love music well-played as well as challenging can find a home here in these melodies and rhythms. Ben Holmes is an exciting trumpeter, an excellent musician whose has found his soul in this music and makes you see and hear it as well.

For more information, go to www.ben-holmes.com. To purchase the music, go to benholmes.bandcamp.com/album/naked-lore.

Here's a taste of "The Sunbeast Emerges":

A Break, A Concert, A Journey!!

My wife and I are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the third Birthday of our granddaughter Margo.  She was born on the first day of summer and, honestly, has been a bright addition to our family.

It's a very busy weekend in the Windy City. The Cubs are playing the New York Mets, the Rolling Stones kicked off their delayed US Tour last night (6/21) in the comfort of Soldiers Field (40,000 capacity), Yo-Yo Ma played Bach and planted a tree in Unity Park (read about the unique concert here), Hugh Jackman performed at the United Center, Cuban pianist Cucho Valdes plays in Millennium Park on Monday night (6/24), and, as usual, the clubs and concert halls are busy throughout the city.

Tonight, we are going to see the Fabian Almazan Trio perform at Constellation. Mr. Almazan (also born in Cuba), bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Henry Cole are in the midst of a tour that takes them around the country in support of his new Biophilia album "This Land Abounds With Life."  Inspired by the pianist's return to his homeland after 23 years, the music jumps with life and sounds, history and mystery, and much more.  I have seen these three musicians play before but never together and am looking forward to an evening of power and grace, flowing melodies and bustling rhythms.

Here's one of the tunes from the album:



If you're in Chicago tonight (6/22), go to www.constellation-chicago.com for ticket availability.  Then check out the sight to see wh else is gracing the stage of the performance venue this summer.

To learn more about the artist, go to www.fabianalmazan.com.

Piano Trio Journeys With Friends Home & Away

Fabian Almazan came to the United States from his native Cuba when he was 12 years old.  Settling in Miami Beach, FL, he continued his music education and, particularly, his work on the piano. In 2007, he went to play with trumpeter Terence Blanchard, a relationship that continues to this day. His first album as a solo artist, "Personalities", was issued in 2011 on Palmetto Records. That album featured bassist (acoustic and electric) Linda May Han Oh (now his wife) and drummer/percussionist Henry Cole plus two tracks with a string quartet.  Since then, he has performed and recorded with artists such as John Hollenbeck, Gretchen Parlato, saxophonist Adam Larson, vibraphonist Chris Dingman, bassist Ike Sturm, and vocalist Nicky Schrire (among others).  Almazan has also released three albums since his debut and, along the way, started his own label, Biophilia Records, with an eye towards social consciousness, recycling, climate change, and more. The label does not produce physical CDs, only high-quality downloads included with all their origami-influenced album jackets.

His fifth album, "This Land Abounds With Life", is a return to the trio format (although one track features a string quartet). The music was inspired by Almazan's return to Cuba after 23 years.  He was particularly entranced by the various songbirds he encountered in the green spaces and forests away from the cities – in fact, he made numerous recordings of the avifauna (indigenous birds) and their songs are featured on several tracks. The12 tracks, spread out over a generous 83 minutes, were recorded in New Orleans, LA, over two days in December 2018. Almazan chose that location for several reasons;  1) - because he really likes the recording studio and 2) - it's the most Caribbean-like city in the US, its music having been inspired by people from Central and South America but especially the islands closest to the mainland.

From the opening moments of "Benjamin" (named for the oldest character, the donkey, in George Orwell's "Animal Farm") to the sweet solo piano reading of Willie "The Lion" Smith's "Music on My Mind" that closes the album, Almazan, Ms. Oh, and Cole take the listener on quite a journey.  One of the more amazing tracks –and the longest at 12:51 – is "The Everglades", a musical journey through the heart of one of the natural attractions in Florida and one that is threatened by the sprawl of humanity.  The music starts quietly as if the trio were on a walk at the break of day. The tension and intensity builds up through Ms. Oh's bass solo followed by Almazan's powerful solo supported by Cole's powerful drums. They change gears, moving into a rampaging rhythm, the piano filling the sonic space.  After the storm passes, the piano goes alone, a slow, prayer-like melody. The bass then enters, Ms. Oh's simple support serving as foundation.  Cole's quiet drum work comes in quietly. There are no more eruptions, only a musical appreciation of the natural beauty there in front of us.

Almazan's music is not only inspired by the birds but the people he met as well.  "The Poets" opens with a vocal recording of Cuban poet El Macagüero de Pinar who improvises based on a phrase supplied by the pianist.   The music that follows bounced with such delight, its power supplied by piano chords and Cole's playful percussion. The late Nelson Mandela inspired the lyrical yet robust solo piano piece "Juala" (Cages).  The rolling piano chords in the left hand suggest both Keith Jarrett and Cecil Taylor but the musicality is all Almazan.  The composer reaches back to the rich musical life of Cuba during the 1920s and 30s to create "Folklorism" – the music sounds contemporary thanks to the drummer's rhythmical approach. Almazan creates a melody that opens up to include the dance rhythms of the time he is sourcing plus the colorful melodies composed by several composers of that era.  The string quartet of violinists Megan Gould and Monica Davis, violist Karen Waltuch, and cellist Eleanor Norton shows up on Carlos Varela's "Bola De Nieve", a piece the Trio recorded on the 2011 album.  The strings fill out the sound and the pianist's arrangement gives them more to do than just play pretty backgrounds. Each musician gets several lines to play on her own, either in support of a solo or as the song moves into a different section.

There's so much more but you should discover the myriad joys that "This Land Abounds With Life" contains on your own.  At 35 years old, Fabian Almazan is at the height of his creative and performance powers. He can and will do much more that one would not be surprised to see him surpass those heights as new projects are created.   What he has created here, with the help of Linda May Han Oh and Henry Cole, is powerful, filled with emotion and splendid musicianship, and songs than resonate long after the sounds fade.  Brilliant!!

For more information, go to www.fabianalmazan.com. For purchase, go to fabianalmazan.bandcamp.com/album/this-land-abounds-with-life.

Here's the Trio in the studio performing the powerful and playful opening track:

Anat Fort was born in Israel but came to the United States in the waning years of the 20th Century to study at William Paterson University in New Jersey. There, she was mentored by the likes of Harold Mabern and Rufus Reid plus spent time learning from Paul Bley.  Her debut album, "Peel", was issued in 1999 – that's the same year she met drummer Roland Schneider and bassist Gary Wang.  The trio began weekly rehearsals, slowly, steadily, building a repertoire and began touring throughout the US, Europe, and Israel.  She signed with ECM Records but her 2004 album, "A Long Story", featured drummer Paul Motian, clarinetist Perry Robinson, and bassist Ed Schuller. It was not until 2007's "And If" that the Trio first appeared on record. Mr. Schneider moved to Berlin, Germany (he's also a member of bassist Anne Marie Iversen's Ternion Quartet) and Ms. Fort moved to Tel Aviv while Mr. Wang stayed in the US working with numerous groups and artists including T.S. Monk, Matt Wilson, and Dena De Rose.  Still, they did not break up choosing to continue to play tours and  recorded an album in 2016 with multi-reed master Gianluigi Trovesi.

On the first day of May 2018, the trio entered LowSwing Studios in Berlin, Germany and recorded the 10 tracks that comprise "Colour" – it's their debut on Sunnyside Records and the album illustrates how their friendship, their musical bond, and ideas have grown in the past two decades.  Ms. Fort is an articulate pianist.  Her lines flow easily out of the compositions and even the improvised pieces have a melodic structure. The bluesy swagger of "Sort Of" meshes well with the quiet ballad "BBB" that opens the album.  The former tune opens like a ballad from Ray Charles and hits its stride during Ms. Fort's second solo.  The latter track takes its time to develop, not unlike a work from Keith Jarrett. It's fascinating to hear the rhythm section so clearly, Wang's counterpoint and Schneider's movement around the kit and especially, his fine cymbal work.

Sit back and let this music fill your ears.  If you like music that takes its time to develop, dig into "Part Trio" and the lovely ballad "Goor Katan."  The more playful pieces, such as "Tirata Tiratata" with its stop-start movements and splendid drum work will lift your spirits.  "Free" builds off the thoughtful and melodic solo bass opening into a fast-paced romp hat goes on for several minutes until the pianist slows it down then lets its build up again during her solo.  Schneider takes more of a martial approach on his solo spot before letting loose.  Wang's second solo is oh-so-slow leading to an introspective piano section which returns to the romp before the stop-on-a-dime finish.

"Heal And..." closes the album. It's the longest track (11:33) building to a delightful three-way conversation from the lovely melody at the start of the track. Ms. Fort's fine piano work goes in several directions, from short phrases to long flowing lines, from melodic flourishes to percussive fills.  Wang and Schneider encourage her, both supporting and pushing her phrases forward Time slips away as the rhythms ebb and flow – it's such a pleasant aural adventure to be on, ending the program on a powerful interaction.

"Colour" is a one-day snapshot of the Anat Fort Trio that was developed over two decades. The comfort that the ensemble feels with each other is evident throughout. The music is never balky or static: instead, the music breathes naturally from the opening moments.  It must be great fun to see and hear this band in concert.  In the meantime, this recording is quite fine!

For more information, go to anatfort.com.

Here's a surrealistic video of "The Limp":

Drummer, composer, and educator Matt Slocum hails from Wisconsin where he first discovered his love for jazz and for jazz drummers such as Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones.  He attended the University of Southern California and was a student of Peter Erskine. There he met pianist Gerald Clayton and began a musical relationship that continues to this day. Clayton has appeared on three of the drummer's four releases and is back on the bench for his new effort "Sanctuary", Slocum's debut on the Sunnyside Records label.  For this album, the bass chair is occupied by Larry Grenadier who most jazz fans know has a long and musically rewarding career as part of pianist Brad Mehldaus Trio.  The bassist is also married to singer-songwriter Rebecca Martin.

Unlike an ensemble that has spent much of the year touring or has been a working unit for a long time, the trio of Slocum, Clayton, and Grenadier recorded after one rehearsal.  Slocum gave them the material beforehand. Yet, the results are impressive.  One of the drummer's strengths is that he composes excellent melodies.  He also knows that his two compatriots also have strong melodic tendencies.  That said, the album opener "Romulus" comes from the pen of Sufjan Stevens (the song appears on his 2003 "Greetings from Michigan" album). Grenadier makes his presence felt from the get-go playing a unaccompanied to start the song.  He moves into the melody which opens the door for the piano and drums to enter.  The trio captures the haunting images of the song, making it feel comfortable and original at the same time.

The seven other tracks that make up the program are Slocum originals.  There's a playful feel to "Consolation Prize", especially in the frisky drumming and Clayton's dancing piano lines. Grenadier not only joins the drummer in setting the pace but take a fine (and dancing) solo of his own. "Star Prairie" has a sweet melody – propelled by Slocum's delightful brush work, the song gently dances forward.  A stillness is evident on "A Dissolving Alliance", the ethereal ballad on which the trio has the most freedom. It's impressive how they support each other even as they carve out a space in the song for themselves.

The title song and an up-tempo adventure titled"Anselmo" bring the program to its close.  "Sanctuary" is a handsome, medium paced, song, its memorable melody opening up to a lyrical solo from Clayton.  Slocum, thanks to Grenadier's delightful bass work, has the freedom to dance around his cymbals.  The final cut has a rhythm not unlike Ahmad Jamal's "Poinciana", only faster, which gives way to a more nuanced percussive attack that gives on each chorus to tom-tom beats.  The bassist holds the bottom while Slocum takes a thumping solo. Grenadier truly stands out, his supportive phrases have a heft that gives the pieces such depth yet he remains delightfully melodic.

Matt Slocum makes music his own way. The drummer knows what he wants to "say" and is not a slave to fashionable beats, to packing the sound spectrum with extraneous clutter – in fact, "Sanctuary" stands out for its airiness, for the listener's ability to hear each instrument clearly.  Kudos to his musical partners Gerald Clayton and Larry Grenadier for their excellent contributions.  You may need a few listens before beginning to get a fuller picture of what Slocum is doing and that's okay. There's much to chew on here, in its own subtle ways.

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

Enjoy "Consolation Prize":

2017 - What a Year, Especially for Music! (Part 1 - Voices)

Most years are a blend of happy and sad, chaos and peace, health and illness, loss and gain. 2017 certainly was that way for me. Reading the news from home, from Washington, throughout the country and the world, one is not surprised that our capability for shock is tested every minute our eyes and ears are open.  Music reflects all that and more; often music deflects all that and more.  We have as much a need to be entertained as we do to hear our favorite artists try to speak or sing "truth to power."  No surprise that Kendrick Lamar's recent CD is titled "DAMN" and in all caps.   The lists of favorite television show are peppered with programs ("Handmaid's Tale", "Dark", "Stranger Things") that warn us of dictatorships, of totalitarian governments of the near-future, of women continuing to struggle to be equal.  Are we surprised by the almost daily "sexual harassment" charges levied at movie and television personalities, at producers and directors, at trusted newsmen.  And at government officials.

Music reminds many of us of what can be good, that the creative process brings people and audiences together, if not to change the world than just a small part of it and, maybe, just for two to four hours.

Listed below, and in subsequent posts, are the albums that brought me joy and hope through this year,  created by artists who made me question my beliefs or soothe my spirits.  Step Tempest was quieter than normal this Fall, actually since the end of July.  Not that I wasn't listening to music but, perhaps, I needed it step back to see a bigger picture. True, I was committed to other projects that took more of my time that I expected but, in the past, I found the time to write because the artists who send me their music, the publicists who are kind to hang with me, the people I interact with when I are writing and doing radio interviews appreciate the work I do. No excuses, no apologies. Just thought you should know.

Part one is but 10 of the, possibly, 36 recordings I think deserve recognition.  This list contains albums with voices, many with poetry, some I never had the opportunity to write about.

If you held me down and ordered me to tell which album was my true #1 choice, I would admit to "Matt Wilson's Honey And Salt Music Inspired by the Poetry of Carl Sandburg" (Palmetto).  It's not just because I saw the band live at The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, CT, and was invited on stage to read with the band ("We Must Be Polite" with the delightful Bo Diddley-beat and more)...well, that was great (I mean, Ron Miles, Jeff Lederer, Dawn Thomson, Martin Wind, and the irrepressible Mr. Wilson....did I mention Ron Miles?) but the album has so much going for it, so much diverse music, pithy poetry, and at the center of its big heart, the need to connect in dark times.  Might not be your cup of joe (or Matt for that fact) but every time I listen to the album or relive the live gig, it brings a smile to my face.

Been a good couple of years for poet Emily Dickinson what with, at least three CDs of her works set to music plus the brilliant 2016 movie "A Quiet Passion."  Jane Ira Bloom connected with Ms. Dickinson when she discovered that poet was a pianist and that her poetry has a sense of improvisation about it.  Ms. Bloom and her brilliant ensemble (bassist Mark Helias, drummer Bobby Previte, and pianist Dawn Clement) created the 2-CD "Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickinson" (OTL Records); CD One features 14 originals plus the Rodgers-Hart classic "It's Easy to Remember" while the second disk has the same songs plus the voice of actress Deborah Rush reading snippets of the poetry that inspired the songs (save for "It's Easy....")  Ms. Bloom takes a different approach than Matt Wilson, the music is not inspired by Americana but is certainly American music, with swing, with flowing melodic passages, splendid interplay, and soaring improvisations.  What a tribute, what a treat!

"Freedom Highway" is the latest album from Rhiannon Giddens and it posits the racial insecurities rife in the United States in the heart of the music.  For all those people who woke up the morning after the 2016 and saw that our country truly was not united (not that it wasn't obvious during the previous administration and the highly flammable voices raised during the endless election cycle), for those people whose voices were just beginning to be heard in this country, this music hears your concerns and gives you hope.  Perhaps the best way to move forward after being knocked to the ground is to keep telling your stories of hope, of reconciliation, of recognition, of dancing until your body expels the evil spirits, of remembering that battles are rarely won without sacrifice and pain. Yes, there are moments of pure joy, moments of anger, pride, lust, love, of hope.

Trombonist-composer Ryan Keberle & Catharsis looked for hope on "Find The Common, Shine a Light" (Greenleaf Music). Original songs mixed with intelligent covers ("The Times They Are A'Changing", "Fool on The Hill", "Al Otro Lado del Rio") played by a band that enjoys working together including trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer Eric Doob plus the voice and guitar of Camila Meza.  Also a response to the 2016 election, the music reached out to divergent audiences across this country, reminding people that creative musicians see what's going on in the world they travel through, that they react by playing music to exemplify community, togetherness, showing how men and women from different backgrounds can share a common  vision.

Ms. Meza is also part of pianist-composer Fabian Almazan's album-length suite "Alcanza" (translate to "reach") - the music, released on the pianist's Biophilia Records, speaks to the need of conservation of natural resources, to education, to the proliferation of wars and homelessness and more.  The rhythm section of Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Henry Cole (drums) know when to stoke the fire (and when to hold back) while Almazan's string arrangement are sophisticated and essential.  Note how melodic the solos are, how those arrangements frame and interact with the voice and soloists, and just how powerful the music is.  A shout-out to the string section of violinists Tomoko Omura and Megan Gould, violist Karen Waltuch and cellist Noah Hoffield for their stellar work.  All in all, a splendid recording.

Trumpeter, vocalist, saunter player, composer and arranger Amir elSaffar expands upon his studies of Iraqi maqams with his 2-CD masterwork "Not Two" (New Amsterdam Records). Written for his 17-piece Rivers of Sound Orchestra, the songs flow with grace and elegance, moves on the power of the brilliant rhythm section (drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Carlos de Rosa), and draws on many traditions to create an aural sound painting  that shifts gears all the time. Keeps you on your toes does this music without condescending to popular tastes or being strictly traditional - the more creative composers do that and Amir elSaffar is deserving of all the accolades he has received for his brilliant contributions to music and to educating his listeners to the width and breadth of Arabic culture.

Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, and Melissa Stylianou - collectively known as Duchess - added much-needed brightness to a cold and dark winter (heck, the whole darn year) with "Laughing at Life" (Anzic Records). The group's music, a potent and pleasurable mix of standards from the "Great American Songbook" and beyond.   Each with solo careers and two with young families, they come together to invite listeners out of the ordinary and the humdrum into a world where harmonies, melodies, smart and sassy arrangements (from the fertile mind of Oded Lev-Ari) and sometimes saucy and often sweet lyrics tell delightful stories.  Special guests Wycliffe Gordon (trombone, scat vocal) and Anat Cohen (clarinet) augment the musical trio of Michael Cabe (piano), Matt Aranoff (bass), and Jared Schonig (drums) - guitarist Jesse Lewis and tenor saxophonist Jeff Lederer also add their unique voices to several tunes.  The music can certainly stand on its own but does the sun shine brighter when these three voices step out in front. Whew! What joy!

Ms. Gardner joins forces with pianist Ehud Asherie for "The Late Set" (Anzic Records), an aural evocation of smoky nightclubs, out of the glare of the lights of Broadway, perhaps down a set of stairs, with glasses clinking while the audience sits quietly listening.  Mostly composed of ballads, the performers do not rush through these performances (mostly from well-known composers of the 1920s-1950s. Asherie is the perfect accompanist, framing Ms. Gardner's supple voice with lovely reactions,interactions, and harmonies.  O, and that voice....plenty of emotion, a dash of playfulness, every lyric can be understood, even felt. "The Late Set" is more than the midnight hour at the cabaret - listen to the songs and you'll hear the fine line between blues, joy, and sadness.

I'm still processing the amazing 2-CD "Dreams and Daggers", the latest album from Cécile McLorin Salvant. Mostly recorded live at The Village Vanguard with her Trio of Aaron Diehl (piano), Paul Sikivie (bass), and Laurence Leathers (drums), this music often shimmies, shakes, struts, slithers, slides, and sashays out of the speakers. Plus don't miss the songs that whisper, sigh, shudder, and sit in wonder. There are also several shorter tracks recorded in the studio where Ms. Salvant's voice is accompanied only by the strings of the Catalyst Quartet and piano - those tracks, arranged by bassist Sikivie, add a classy touch but your brain will be forever rearranged by the torch songs, by the intelligent choice of material from the Great American Songbook and the early blues of Bessie Smith (pianist Sullivan Fortner accompanies the vocalist on "You've Got To Give Some") and Ida Cox.  The multi-sectioned "Somehow I Never Could Believe", composed by Langston Hughes and Kurt Weill for their "American" opera "Street Scenes" (1947), is a certifiable masterpiece as performed by Ms. Savant and the Trio.  So much to behold here.

Vocalist Lizz Wright strikes pay dirt on "Grace", her second album for the Concord Music Group. Produced by Joe Henry, who surrounds this lovely alto voice with the twin guitars of Chris Bruce and Marvin Sewell, the acoustic bass of David Piltch (one great underrated bass player), drummer Jay Bellerose, and the keyboards of Kenny Banks and Patrick Warren plus an occasional choir.  Compare her version of "Stars Fell On Alabama" (first recorded by the Guy Lombardo Orchestra in 1934) to the one on the Duchess CD - two great interpretations with Ms. Wright's dreamy reading displaying her Southern roots (born in Georgia and now living in North Carolina) while Henry's arrangement gives the song a glow of late evening.  Ms. Wright covers tunes from Birds of Chicago, Bob Dylan, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, k.d. lang, Ray Charles, and others, making each song her own without losing the beauty, joy, anger, and soul within.

Each one of these albums buoyed my spirit - the next list will feature albums from younger musicians, from veterans, from masters, and several delightful reissues.