Pay Attention

 It's back in the writer's chair for me again.  The fracture in my left arm is healing and it does not hurt to type. So much music has collected on my desk and desktop since the beginning of April, and much of this music is stellar!  

When flutist, composer, and arranger Jamie Baum assembles her Septet+, she always has an important story to tell. The group's fifth album (including the first album, 2003's "Moving Forward, Standing Still" released on OmniTone Records which is credited only to the Septet)  and fourth for Sunnyside Records, "What Times Are These", is most definitely a Pandemic-inspired recording. Ms. Baum came off the road in March of 2020 and, like her contemporaries, her performance slate was wiped clean. As the early weeks of the shutdown wore on, she found that Bill Moyers has created a site ––  billmoyers.com/spotlight/poetry-for-the-pandemic-2/   –– where the composer found a treasure chest of poems that spoke to the conditions of the day.  She collected a group of poems and began composing melodies and arranging the pieces for her larger ensemble.  The results, a 10-piece program, are impressive for its wide focus, the excellent music, and the various voices (Ms. Baum, Mr. Finlayson, Aubrey Johnson, KOKAYI, Sara Serpa, and Theo Bleckmann) who bring the words (and sounds) to life. 

Photo: Lisa Hagen Glynn

There's so much to digest here. Start with the music. The album opens "In The Light of Day", Luis Perdomo's insistent one-note surrounded by percussion until the French horn of Chris Komer plays a melody before leading Jeff Hirschfield and the rest of the ensemble in.  Ms. Baum takes the first solo followed by the crisply-executed notes of the trumpet. Then, the next cut, "To Be of Use", introduces the poetry of Marge Piercey (born 1936) –– the leader reads the text while Sam Sadigursky's clarinet and Perdomo's piano dance beneath her.  After the poem, the music slowly tiptoes in before a change in tempo introduces a melody that leads to a powerful guitar solo from Brad Shepik.  Listen below and pay attention to the excellent electric bass work of Ricky Rodriguez as well as the overall arrangement. 

Perhaps the most surprising track is "Sorrow Song" that blends a poem by Lucille Clifton (1936-2010) with the Hip Hop-influenced rhythms and words of KOKAYI.  While the original poem is from 1988, the words are sadly relevant today with the thousands of children dying In Israel and Gaza. While the rhythms and powerful voice pull you in, there are also strong solos from Ms. Baum, guitarist Shepik, and drummer Hirschfield, the last solo framed by the singer and the wordless vocal of Aubrey Johnson. I would be remiss not to mention the excellent vocal work of Sara Serpa and Theo Bleckmann, both in helping the listener understand the intention of the poetry and in the sensitivity of their vocal work.

All seven poems are by women (besides two from Ms. Piercey and one from Ms. Clifton, there are two pieces from Adrienne Rich plus one each from Tracey K. Smith and Naomi Shihab Nye) –– the Moyers' website offered Ms. Baum multiple choices but the ones on the album are the ones that fit her music the best.  What fascinating music and intelligent arrangements! Take your time with this 75-minute program, savor the performances, find your experiences or those of your loved ones or even a reason to change how you live your life in the words, and imagine a better world built upon this music.

For more information, go to https://jamiebaum.com/projects/septet-plus/. To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://jamiebaum.bandcamp.com/album/what-times-are-these.  

Here's a piece based on a poem by Marge Piercey:

Personnel:

Jamie Baum - flutes, spoken word
Jonathan Finlayson - trumpet, spoken word
Sam Sadigursky - alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Chris Komer - French horn
Brad Shepik - guitar, singing bowls
Luis Perdomo - piano, Fender Rhodes
Ricky Rodriguez - bass, electric bass guitar
Jeff Hirshfield - drums
Theo Bleckmann, KOKAYI, Sara Serpa, Aubrey Johnson - vocals
Keita Ogawa - percussion

Slowly but steadily, pianist and composer Marta Sanchez is making her music heard. The native of Madrid, Spain. Ms. Sanchez began her career in her native country leading a trio and quartet plus working as a sideperson in various projects.  A Fulbright Scholarship brought her to New York City in 2011 to study at NYU. Soon, she organized her own Quintet, recording three albums for Fresh Sound New Talent and 2022's brilliant "SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum)" for Whirlwind Recordings.  Her latest recording, and first for Intakt Records, is "Perpetual Void" –– the 11-song program, all composed by the pianist, feature her interactions with the rhythm section of bassist Chris Tordini (Steve Lehman, Tyshawn Sorey) and drummer Savannah Harris (Aaron Parks, Joel Ross). I saw the Trio perform in late March of this year at Firehouse 12 in New Haven, CT (see picture below) and can tell you that they are a dynamic ensemble in person.

Photo: The Author

Judging by the song titles ("Prelude to a Heartbreak", "The Absence of People You Long For", and "Prelude to Grief"), one might think the music is dark and foreboding or a set of mournful ballads. But, in an interview with Ms. Sanchez, she denied that she was writing from a "dark place" or that the music was a form of catharsis.  What much of it is is powerful, rhythmic, and demanding of your attention. "3:30 AM" does refer to a bout of insomnia the composer had been dealing with yet the music flies with a joy and power that belies any harsh feelings.  Because the music has several hairpin changes, the Trio has to really be paying close attention to each other and it shows here. Mr. Tordini and Ms. Harris are locked in from the beginning of the song and have a dynamic interaction before the piece returns to is opening theme. Listen below to "The Absence of People You Long For", pay attention to each instrument and their relationship to the melody and rhythm. No matter where you drop the needle on the album, the Trio is engaged and the music is open for the listener to engage with the musicians.

"Perpetual Void" does throw a new spotlight on the music and musicianship of Marta Sanchez as it's her first international release in a trio setting. Technically, she's an excellent pianist yet her melodies often "sing" while her solos show power and delicacy when called for. Her work on this album with Chris Tordini and Savannah Harris stands out and one hopes they continue to move in new directions.

For more information, go to https://www.martasanchezmusic.com/.  To hear more and to purchase the album, https://intaktrec.bandcamp.com/album/perpetual-void. 

Listen to "The Absence of People You Long For":

Saxophonist and composer David Murray (born in 1955) seemingly burst on to the Black Music Scene in the mid-1970s and has been a major voice ever since. From his work with the World Saxophone Quartet to his Octet to bands led by James "Blood" Ulmer, Jack DeJohnette and others, his fiery and bluesy playing never fails to excite audiences around the world.  Over the past several years, he's been working with a quartet that features pianist Marta Sanchez, bassist Luke Stewart, and drummer Russell Carter.  After a late Fall 2023 European tour,  the Quartet finally got the opportunity to go into Hardstudios in Winterthur, Switzerland, in November –– the results can be heard on "Francesca" (Intakt Records).  If you're a David Murray fan, rest assured. This is an impressive collection of tunes, all but one of the eight tracks a Murray original.

The title track opens the program. Dedicated to Murray's wife, Dr. Francesca Cinelli Murray, the music is a fast waltz with the warmth of the saxophonist's emotions heard in the opening melody and wide-ranging solo that follows. Ms. Sanchez colors the background as the rhythm section push the music forward.  Listen below to "Ninno", play it loud and feel how the music dances atop Carter's drums and Stewart's bouncing bass lines.  Feel the swing elements, listen to how the pianist supports and responds to the saxophone's melodies, then sit back for Murray's powerful tenor solo. Ms. Sanchez does not try to match the leader's intensity but she really dsigs into her solo blending melody and rhythms with her partners. One imagines this is the kind of music that brings an audience to its feet when played in concert.  

Photo: Martine Barrat

Murray's bass clarinet playing is featured on two tracks. "Shenzen", named for a Chinese city north of Hong Kong, has a quiet opening and a handsome melody. The mellow bass clarinet sound is supported by drummer Carter's mallet-driven drum work, a dancing bass line, and Ms. Sanchez's impressionistic piano chords and counter-melodies.  The piano solo contains tinges of McCoy Tyner in the glistening high notes runs.  Later in the program, the leader pays tribute to A.A.C.M. founder and collaborator Muhal Richard Abrams with his interpretation of pianist Don Pullen's "For Richard".  The waltz-line rhythms leave room for fine solos by Murray, Ms. Sanchez, and Stewart , all with smart interactions from Carter.

The album closes with two more powerful examples of this fine ensemble's ability to blend melody, rhythms, and dynamic variations to create an inviting and exciting sound.  "Free Mingus" has yet another fine melody line but be sure to pay attention to how the bass and drums push the song forward. Stewart's lines push and pull at the frames of the song but never lose their way while Carter's drums suggest funk, swing, and more.  Ms. Sanchez's solo is quite impressive and the bass spot shows just how melodic and expressive Stewart is.  The final track, "Cycles and Seasons", is, at times, bouncy and bright as well as powerful and cyclonic. Murray's tenor displays his trademark swagger and power as well as how he locks in with the rhythm section.

Over the course of five decades of transcending genres and creating powerful Black Music, David Murray remains at the pinnacle of Creative Music. He's been mentoring young musicians for many years but this quartet, comprised of young veterans, is, arguably, his best working group in many years.  Play this album often and marvel at how tight yet "loose" this music can be, then hope he brings this Quartet to a venue near you so that you can "feel" these sounds moving through your body and mind!

For more information, go to https://davidmurray.xyz/.  To listen to and purchase the album, go to  https://intaktrec.bandcamp.com/album/francesca.

Take a look and give a listen to "Ninno":

What I'm Listening To (1)

Pianist and composer David Virelles, born and raised in Cuba, moved to Canada in the early 2000s at the behest of musician. Jane Bunnett. While attending college, he recorded with the flutist and came into contact with saxophonist Steve Coleman. On the strength of a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. Virelles moved to New York City to study with Henry Threadgill, going on to record with the saxophonist/ composer as well as artists such as Mr. Coleman, Chris Potter, Paul Motian, Wadada Leo Smith, Mark Turner, and many others. As a leader, he's recorded for both ECM and Pi Recordings.

It's on the latter label where you'll find "Nuna", a 16-track, mostly solo (percussionist Julio Barretto appears on three of the tracks), extravaganza. Unlike his previous Pi recording (the digital-only "Transformación del Arcoiris"), Virelles plays acoustic piano throughout save for the opening "Spacetime" on which he adds the percussion instrument marimbula.  The music ranges from Cuban folk melodies to melodic excursions to rhythmic fantasies to free-form improvisations to trance-like journeys. Composed and recorded during the pandemic, the music flows like a giant stream from start to finish. And that's the best way to listen––start with "Spacetime" and don't stop until the ringing chords of "Casa" fade away.  It's quite a musical adventure, one that never overstays its welcome and is so rewarding. 

"Nuna", like all of the music David Virelles has created as a solo artist, is fascinating.  His formal training as well as his study of Black Music from playing with so many fine creators, has expanded his vision so that the pianist cannot be pigeon-holed into one genre. Nor should he be. Open your ears and mind, dear listener, and you will be rewarded.

To find out more about the pianist, go to www.davidvirelles.com.

To hear more and to purchase "Nuna", go to https://davidvirelles.bandcamp.com/album/nuna.  There's even a 4-song bonus EP available on the pianist's Bandcamp page (https://davidvirelles.bandcamp.com/album/nuna-bonus-tracks). 

Hear "Ghost Town": 

Photo: Frank Schemann

Born in Oakland, CA, in February 1955, tenor saxophonist and bass clarinetist David Murray seemed to come fully formed on the Black Music scene in the mid-1970s.  Before moving to New York City, he had played with pianist Horace Tapscott. Before being one of the four co-founders of the World Saxophone Quartet in 1977, he released three Lps in 1976 including the brilliant "Flowers for Albert" (India Navigation Records) and the equally powerful Trio recording "Low Class Conspiracy" (Adelphi Records).  He was prolific through the 1980s and 90s with a series of splendid Octet recordings on Black Saint and quartet dates on DIW plus his work with the WSQ. Murray was never tied to one genre––he could play "free", "in the pocket", in intimate duo sessions, with a big band, in different Caribbean "modes", rearranging the Grateful Dead music for big band and more.

In 2020, the saxophonist created his BRAVE NEW WORLD TRIO (pictured above) with bassist Brad Jones and drummer Hamid Drake. The results of their collaboration can now be heard on "Seriana Promethea" (Intakt Records).  The title track opens the eight-song program on a surprisingly and delightfully funky note with Jones' powerful bass lines and Drake's dancing drums underneath the happy-go-lucky bass clarinet lines. The next track, "Necktar", ups the ante with hard-edged rhythms,  swinging and solid bass lines while the leader romps on tenor sax.  "Metouka Sheli (Ballad for Adrienne)" is a soulful ballad that brings to mind the trio Air (with Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall) especially in Murray's fluttering tone and how the rhythm section moves through the piece.  The album's sole cover tune is "If You Want Me to Stay", a 1973 hot for Sly & The Family Stone––the trio pushes the rhythm forward harder than the original but dig how Jones captures the insistent feel of the bass lines.  Drake kicks with abandon while the tenor saxophone shouts and "testifies".  

The album closes "Am Gone Get Some", a rollicking jaunt pushed by the drums underneath the far-ranging "walking" bass and the leader's scampering tenor solo.  The liner notes reported that the trio recorded in Zurich, Switzerland, after a series of European gigs and it really shows in the group's tightness, support, and desire to push each other further.  No cliches here, no "comping" to fill out the songs, just three musicians at their height of their powers having a great time making music.  I look forward to more experiences from David Murray and his BRAVE NEW WORLD TRIO––in the meantime, "Seriana Promethea" is a true delight!

For more information and to purchase the album, go to https://intaktrec.bandcamp.com/album/seriana-promethea-2. 

Here's the title track:

Catching Up In December (Pt 1)

The Fall semester gets away from me and I miss new releases that deserve to be reviewed. Through the Holidays, that oversight shall be partially remedied (writers have to sleep, too!)

Photo: Jimmy Katz

Several days before I was aware of the existence of this album, I wondered what had become of Don Byron. His recordings of the 1990s and 2000s had been full of amazing sonic adventures, from klezmer to blues to gospel to r'n'b and elsewhere.  While his recording output has slowed down, Mr. Byron has been appearing in concert halls, in workshops on college campuses, and elsewhere in the US and Europe.  Pianist Aruán Ortiz reached out and the duo began a collaboration that has resulted in their first album together, "Random Dances and (A)Tonalities" (Intakt Records). The program is a collection of originals, several classical pieces, and one composition each from Duke Ellington and Geri Allen.

Notice in the picture above that Mr. Byron is holding a tenor saxophone.  He employs the instrument on three tracks; his delightful exploratory "Joe Btfspik", Ortiz's wide-ranging and classically inspired "Numbers", plus the playful take of the Ellington/ Bubber Miley classic "Black and Tan Fantasy".  That last piece, from 1927, has long been a staple of the jazz canon and the duo is faithful to the melody and the rhythm but certainly stretch out in the solo sections.  The humor is subtle but the swing is powerful, especially in Ortiz's left hand.  The clarity of the mix allows for both instruments to stand out without either musician dominating the piece.

Photo: Guenther Groeger

There is a smashing version of Ms. Allen's "Dolphy's Dance". Both musical lock in on the themes and then take a wild ride during the solo section that has each person's lines swirl around the other, occasionally coming together then veering away.  Mr. Byron's solo reading of J.S. Bach's "Violin Partita No, 1 in B-Minor, BWV1002, II. Double" is stunning, the melody unfolding graciously but not as fast as several of the violin versions I referenced. Yet, the clarinet tone gives the music fascinating and different shades. The piece segues quickly into Mr. Byron's "Delphian Nuptials" - the original melody seems like a variation of Bach's melody but moves quite differently especially when Ortiz's melodic and flowing piano lines enter.  The album closes with an improvisation titled "Impressions on a Golden Theme" - the wide-open sound allows the music to develop slowly while the musicians move around through mutually created melody.

"Random Dances and (A)tonalities" grabs your attention from the opening lilt of "Tete's Blues" to the quiet fade of "Impressions..."  This is music that Aruán Ortiz and Don Byron developed slowly before committing to the recording. It never feels pedantic or "safe" - these are two musicians who can and will play anything not to show off but to get inside the music and find the humanity within. Splendid!

Here's the Ellington/Miley piece:

Just the name of this band - Myra Melford's Snowy Egret - is evocative of a particular sound. The quintet's second album - "The Other Side of Air" (Firehouse 12 Records) - also alerts the listener that the music will go in unexpected directions. Over her career that now spans nearly three full decades, the pianist and composer has created ensembles of musicians who help her shape the music. Snowy Egret consists of Ron Miles (cornet), Liberty Ellman (guitars), Stomu Takeishi (acoustic bass guitar), and Tyshawn Sorey (drums), each person a master of his instrument and sound.  Ms. Melford, with her multi-faceted compositions, gives material that explores all the different music she has studied performed, and inhabited.

Photo: ABC/Australia

If you are a long-time listener to Ms. Melford's music, I need not tell you what to expect. What amazes this listener is her ability to continually mature, to making music that sounds like on one else's yet is part of the creative music continuum.  As a player, her piano swings, whispers, thunders, caresses, pounds, and dances.  Her music is often episodic, starting with melodic or rhythmic idea, moving on to others, rarely turning back. There is the serene beauty of "Chorale" alongside the herky-jerky dance of "Motion Stop Frame" (a piece that goes from quiet to powerfully loud within seconds).  There's the "free" explorations of "Living Music" (listen to how the drums and the piano interact coming out of Ron Miles' solo!) to the emotional melody and performances of "Turn and Coda", the piece that closes the album.

Myra Melford creates music that makes one think deeply As you surrender to the myriad sounds created on any of her albums, you often enter into a universe that is welcoming yet challenging. With Snowy Egret, she works alongside musicians of equal musical status, interpreters and creators of the highest order.  Recorded in the Firehouse 12 studios in New Haven CT by Nick Lloyd (who also mixed and mastered the album), "The Other Side of Air" crackles and sparkles while opening new pathways for us to follow.

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

Here's the fascinating opening track:

If you go to firehouse12records.com/album/12-from-25, you'll also find "12 From 25", a recording that compiles performances from Ms. Melford's week of residency at The Stone in March of 2015.  Snowy Egret is there as well as her duos with Marty Ehrlich, Ben Goldberg, and Allison Miller, her original trio with bassist Lindsay Horner and drummer Reggie Nicholson plus several more. Clocking in at over 90 minutes, this is a fascinating overview of her career. It's well worth your attention.

While Holiday albums (for me) usually go in one ear and out the other, when  Duchess - Amy Cervini, Melissa Stylianou, and Hilary Gardner - sings, I always pay attention.  The trio's latest recorded effort, "Harmony for the Holidays" (Anzic Records), is the three ladies addition to a crowded field.  Their trademark harmonies are in place, Oded Lev-Ari's are, as usual, intelligent, and the six songs (it's an EP and only available digitally) steer away from religious themes and towards creating a warm glow and making one smile (as well as sing along).   The ladies are accompanied by their cracker-jack band - pianist Michael Cabe, guitarist Jesse Lewis, bassist Matt Aronoff, and drummer Charles Ruggero - and the results are fun all the way through.

Opening with "Christmas Island", a Lyle Moraine song made famous by the Andrew Sisters in 1946, the ladies move on to "Santa Baby" (ah yes, the tune made famous by Eartha Kitt) and then to "Silver Bells" (first recorded in 1950 by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards).  It's a real treat to hear the trio share the lead vocals and when they harmonize, especially on "....Bells", one feels calm. The mist contemporary song of the program, "A Christmas Compromise", was first recorded in 2011 by co-writer Inara George and is the story of the tug-of-war celebrating Christmas creates in a mixed marriage.  Back to the tried-and-true for Frank Loesser's bluesy "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" and the sweet blend of voices.  The "horn" section of Anat Cohen (clarinet), Nadje Noordhuis (trumpet), and Nick Finzer (trombone) join the band for the closing "Mele Kalikimaka", a delightful eggnog of Hawaiin and New Orleans influences first made famous by Bing Crosby and those Andrew Sisters in 1950.

This is an album to keep playing on repeat throughout the Holidays. Even grumpy old writers take heart from hearing Duchess blend its voices to bring good joy for all (and nary a hint of snark).

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

Here's one of the gems: