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":

Creative Explorations by Groups of Equals

Rudy Royston is one those drummers who makes an impact on the musicians he works with from the first note of a song. He plays with such fire, often pushing his fellow musicians to greater heights and, to my mind, more powerful solos.  Royston, a Texas native who came of age in Denver, CO, studied music in college but really learned about his craft (not just playing but composing, arranging, and listening) while working with trumpeter Ron Miles.  He's gone on to play with a great number of musicians including Bill Frisell, Dave Douglas. J.D. Allen, Ravi Coltrane, and Rudresh Mahanthappa.  In person, he's a joy to watch, mostly because he always looks like he's having the time of his life.

"Flatbed Buggy" is Rudy Royston's third album as a leader as well as the third to released by Greenleaf Music.  For this effort, which reaches back to the drummer and composer's childhood memories, he's gathered a topnotch group of collaborators including Gary Versace (accordion), John Ellis (bass clarinet, saxophones), Hank Roberts (cello), and Joe Martin (bass).  Those of you expecting a collection of hard-blowing "jams" will be pleasantly surprised by the delicate nature of much of this material and how melodic the material.  That does not mean it's "wimpy" or "smooth jazz" - tracks such as "Hourglass", "the opening "Soul Train" (sorry, no Don Cornelius), and the effervescent "Bobblehead" dance out of the speakers.  Yet, it's the blend of accordion and cello, the way Ellis weaves his bass clarinet in and out the music or adds his soprano to the exciting performance of "Bobblehead" that stand out.  Yes, this music has power and it comes from the interactions, from the irrepressible rhythms, the solid foundation that Martin's excellent bass work provides.  On occasion, you may hear the influence of Mr. Frisell's "Americana" music or the way the late Jimmy Giuffre weave folk melodies into his music but this is Rudy Royston telling his own tales.

Each song has a storyline.  "boy...MAN" opens with a lovely cello melody and then wraps that around there accordion and cello.  Here, Royston guides the ensemble forward, opening the piece up to a strong bass solo that builds intensity to a powerful close.  Later on in the program, "girl...Woman" starts as a lovely ballad again with Roberts in the lead and Versace playing counterpoint and in unison.  The track includes a stunning accordion solo, introspective and gentle, ref;active of a day spent in the country.  Ellis, Versace, and Martin weave their individual sounds each other over the quiet colors of cello and the leader's cymbals.  But, even with all these quiet interactions, the quintet drops into a lively, "pop music" groove to take the piece out.

"Flatbed Buggy" is one of those albums to listen to all the way through.  There's so much to "hear", so many stories and histories embedded in this music that it's impossible to appreciate what Rudy Royston has so majestically created on one pass through.  At times stunning, at others times, joyful yet always melodic and rhythmically rich, this album deserves your full attention!

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

Put on your dancing shoes and listen to this:

Trumpeter and composer Jonathan Finlayson, long-time collaborator of saxophonist Steve Coleman, continues to spread his creative wings on "3 Times Around" his third album for Pi Recordings.  The new album features pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist John Hébert, and drummer Craig Weinrib, all of whom appeared on Finlayson's 2017 Pi release, "Moving Still", and replaces guitarist Miles Okazaki with tenor saxophonist/flutist Brian Settles and alto saxophonist Steve Lehman.  While the influence of Mr. Coleman is evident on the opening two tracks and the impressive 14-minute opus "The Moon Is New", this music is no cookie-cutter impression of Finlayson's mentor's music.

"Feints" and "Grass" open the program, their exciting rhythms and percussive melodies (and counterpoint) making for intense listening. The first extended solo one hears on cut one is by Mitchell - he does not disappoint as his solo hurtles ahead as he interacts with with Weinrib's powerful drumming spurring him on.  Then, the interplay of Settles, Lehman, and Finlayson soars atop the dynamic rhythm section.

The pace changes when you enter the rubato world of "A Stone, A Pond, A Thought" - here, the trumpet leads the saxes in atop rumbling piano, thrumming bass, and various "colors" from the drummer.  Hébert's impressive bow-work is featured in the middle of the nine-minute "sound sculpture" before the sextet returns to push the intensity higher but never falling into a rhythm.  That intensity carries over to the episodic "The Moon Is New" - after the powerful opening, the piece moves in several directions and puts the spotlight squarely on The leader, Lehman, Settles, and Mitchell, all the while the rhythm section scurrying around under those soloists.  The shorter yet no-less-powerful "Refined Strut" follows and the music is as advertised.  Concentrate on how the rhythm section creates the irresistible "strut" and the on how the reeds and trumpet decorate the melody.

Photo: Paul de Lucena

"3 Times Round" is dedicated to the late Muhal Richard Abrams (1930-2017) and the conceptualist/composer's sense of adventure is a large influence on how Jonathan Finlayson approaches his original music.  The sound of this ensemble is so full yet never cluttered nor cliched.  The sextet is emotionally and musically attached to this project all the way through - I really enjoy listening to and am deeply impressed by the playfulness of Craig Weinrib as he dances along with the ensemble.

For more information, go to jonathanfinlayson.com.

Here's the album's opening track:

Although you do not see it anywhere on the album cover, this is the second album from the quartet known as Dirigo Rataplan. The ensemble, organized by drummer and composer Devin Gray, features trumpeter David Ballou, tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, and bassist Michael Formanek.  In 2004, Gray assemble a trio owht the trumpeter and bassist, adding the tenor sax to the mix after moving to New York City several years later.  Their 2012 debut album, originally released on SKIRL Records, sets the soundstage for the quartet's new release.  Gray's music takes its influences from myriad sources, from folk melodies, funk rhythms, and blues changes, from "free" explorations and the classic interactions of Ornette Coleman's Quartet from the Atlantic Records years (1959-61) to create its contemporary sounds.

Chamber Music America

It's a real joy to hear how these musicians play together, how they explore the various routes that Gray's compositions offer them. When you have four such individual voices, the music can either be an exercise in technical virtuosity or a four-way street with everyone listening to each other, conversing as equals, giving the music their full attention.  That's what you get with "Dirigo Rataplan II". One supposes you could listen just for Eskelin's melodic saxophone or Ballou's articulated melodies and exploratory solos or Formanek's fascinating bass work (who has a more melodic approach to the bass than him?) or how Gray leads the band without commanding the spotlight.

DowntownMusic.net

Listen to "Quantum Cryptology" to hear how the band navigates the melody line and how each gets a solo while the rhythm section creates a different yet interactive foundation/counterpoint.  Note how "Trends of Trending" opens in the pocket then moves inward, the trumpet and saxophone conversing across the bass and drums. Hear how Formanek's bass lines up high on the neck of his instrument dances over the scuttling drums on "What We Learn from Cities." The softness of the opening of "Intrepid Travelers" hints at blues for the first half then moves subtly away.

Dirigo Rataplan II" contains music that asks you to listen, does not beseech the listener, but seduces with its melodies and interplay/interactions as well as the intelligence of the music.  Is this strictly intellectual music? A kind of "highbrow jazz"?  What Devin Gray has created with Ellery Eskelin, David Ballou, and Michael Formanek is a delight from start to finish.

For more information, go to devingraymusic.com.  The quartet appears tomorrow in CT at Firehouse 12 - go to firehouse12.org for more information. They'll travel down to Baltimore, MD, on the next day and back to Philadelphia, PA, to close their short tour.  For more information, go to devingraymusic.com.

Here's the opening track: