Good Friends, Great Music

Photo: Laura Desberg

Vocalist and composer Gretchen Parlato first met guitarist and composer Lionel Loueke in 2001 while both were studying at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles, CA (renamed for Herbie Hancock in 2019). Both moved to New York City several years later, both were signed to ObliqSounds Records with Loueke playing on Ms. Parlato's first two albums––she returned the favor by singing on his 2006 "Virgin Forest" recording (his debut, "In a Trance", was self-released in 2005).  She also sings on Loueke's 2012 Blue Note album "Heritage".  When the COVID pandemic reared its ugly heads, the two artists began trading ideas, song fragments, and more from their home studios (Ms. Parlato lives in Los Angeles with her husband, drummer Mark Guiliana, and their son Marley while Loueke and his family live in Luxembourg.). They convened in LA in March of 2022 and, over three days, produced their first full album as a duo.

The results can be heard on "Lean In" (Edition Records), an intimate yet rhythmic journey that captures both the fears of the shutdown and the liberating power of music.  From the opening seconds of Loueke's "Akwê" (first recorded by the guitarist in 2005 with the cooperative trio Gilfema), it's a bouncy piece with rapid-fire vocal breaks, the guitarist's crisp acoustic guitar work and mouth clicks, and a distinct connection to the music of West Africa. That's followed by Ms. Parlato's lovely rearrangement of "I Miss You", a Top 10 tune by Klymaxx from 1984. Later in the program, Ms. Parlato returns to one of the first Brazilian songs she ever learned, "Astronauta"––composed by Carlos Pingarilho and Marcos Vasconcellos, the gentle samba was first recorded by Os Cariocas in 1966. The duo give the piece a lovely, Joāo Gilberto feel with just voice, acoustic guitar, and overdubbed electric guitar.  

Photo: Lauren Desberg

"Nonvignon", a Loueke original that both artists recorded for their 2005 debuts, is reprised here.  The title translates to "good brother" and the duo have so much with the rhythm of the piece which can here in both vocals, the handclaps, and the sweet sounds of the guitars.  The music reminds this listener of Paul Simon's "Spirit Voices" from his 1990 album "The Rhythm of the Saints".  That's Mr. Simon's "Brazilian" album and one can hear the influence of the Black slaves who were transported to South America, who brought their customs, foods, music, and more.  Listen below!

There are three short pieces included in the 12-song program. "Okagbé", the first one, features voices, guitar, balafon, and kalimba while "Mi Wa Se" features Marley Guiliana on vocals plus his dad on percussion, bassist Burniss Travis, and the guitarist who adds a quick vocal in the final 10 seconds of the piece that only lasts 58 seconds.  The final piece, "Dow Wé Interlude", has both vocalists repeating a short phrase while Loueke jams with Travis and Guiliana on drums this time.  That short tune leads into the album's final track, "Walking After You".  Composed by Dave Grohl for Foo Fighters' "The Colour and The Shape" (issued in 1997), the piece is a lovely ballad.  Ms. Parlato and Loueke speed up the song a bit yet the intimacy of the lyrics are not compromised. With several layers of guitars, hand-held percussion (Mark Guiliana's drums enter close to the fade), and gentle background vocals (including Marley also joining in the last minute), the song is a reminder of our need for community as well as music in dark times.  

"Lean In" is a gem of an album, music to listen as you walk on the beach or through the woods, when you are sitting on your porch or lying in bed at night with windows open. Besides the excellent musicianship on and the superb sounds of this recording, I am impressed how Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke combine their voices when they sing in unison and when they weave counterpoint beneath the lead. They'll be touring the US and Canada this Summer and have already scheduled a tour for the Fall.  Go see and hear them! Buy this record!

For more information about the artists, go to https://gretchenparlato.com/ and www.lionellouekemusic.com/.  To listen to more and to purchase "Lean In", go to 

https://gretchenparlato.bandcamp.com/album/lean-in?label=1589780338&tab=music. 

Listen to "Nonvignon": 

Trios Magic

Three different trios, three varied approaches, and all three fascinating to explore! 

It's been over six years since Nicole Mitchell (flutes, electronics), Tomeka Reid (cello), and Mike Reed (drums, percussion) recorded "Artifacts" for 482 Music. The album was a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the AACM, the Chicago, IL-based organization that all three are members of. The delightful album featured compositions by original members of the organization plus one by later member, guitarist Jeff Parker.  Ms. Mitchell, Ms. Reid, and Mr. Reed have all been very busy in the intervening years with the ladies joining the expanded Art Ensemble of Chicago while the drummer recorded AEC's Roscoe Mitchell.  They have also continued to play in their own various ensembles.

The trio has taken the name "Artifacts". Their new album, "...and then there's this" (Astral Spirits) features seven works by the band members plus one each by Muhal Richard Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell.  The music is, by turns, funky, earthy, improvisational, quiet, devotional, and emotionally rich.  Drummer Reed's "Pleasure Palace" opens the program on a dancing beat and raucous cello before Ms. Mitchell's tears her way through the melody.  "A. F. (dedicated to Alvin Fielder)" is a group piece built off the distorted flute sounds, the rhythm from the cowbell, and the hard-edge cello lines. The track and several others should remind the listener of the 1970s ensemble Air (Henry Threadgill, bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer Steve McCall).  Ms. Reid shines on Ms. Mitchell's "Blessed", showing the influence of Abdul Wadud on her bluesy pizzicato lines.  

There's a large amount of aural variety on these tracks.  The cellist's "In Response To" swings with abandon featuring hearty solos from the trio while her "Song For Helena" is a stunning ballad, the rich tone of the flute meshing with the full-toned arco cello before the drummer sets a gentle pace with his brushes for Ms. Mitchell's graceful solo.  Muhal's "Soprano Song" jumps out over the solid rhythm section, the flute leaping atop the propulsive rhythms.

The program closes with the "get down funky" rhythms of Roscoe Mitchell's "No Side Effects"  – while Mr. Reed keeps the song the grooving, Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Reid dance around each other. Te music gets pretty "sweaty" in just 2:27.  "...and then there's this" is a delight from start to finish.  In just 39 minutes, Artifacts trio will make smile many times, maybe even get up and dance as well. Kudos to Nicole Mitchell, Tomeka Reid, and Mike Reed for creating one of the finest albums of the past several years!

To hear more and purchase the album, go to https://astralartifacts.bandcamp.com/album/and-then-theres-this.

Here's the opening track:

Here's a link to a live date from earlier in 2021: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnbuGVMuFM.

Guitarist Lionel Loueke hails from Benin in West Africa and first came to the United States in the mid-1990s. Since completing his studies at the Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) and the Thelonious Monk Institute (Los Angeles, CA), he has been one of the busiest musicians on the planet. Not only did he co-found the trio Gilfema but also worked and recorded with Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, Terence Blanchard, Esperanza Spalding, Dave Holland, and Gretchen Parlato (and many others) plus he's recorded nine albums under his own name.

In 2017, Loueke went into the studio under the auspices of Newville Records to record an album of standards with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland. Released in 2018 as vinyl-only, the recording (with three extra tracks) has now been issued on CD and as a download by Sounderscore.  The label, owned by bassist (and Gilfema member) Massimo Biolcati, hired David Darlington to do the mixing and mastering; the sound quality is suberb! The 11-song program features two tunes each by John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk as well as pieces by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Henry Mancini, Hoagy Carmichael, Richard Rodgers, Bernice Peterke ("Close Your Eyes"), and Johnny Green ("Body and Soul"). At times, the music sounds like a tribute to Jim Hall but the unpredictability of many of the arrangements plus the freewheeling rhythm section puts the album in a class by itself.   

Check out the Caribbean-inspired "Skylark", the percussive guitar playing the melody over bass counterpoint and playful percussion; the long fade reminiscent of Charles Lloyd's "Forest Flower".  There's an atmospheric take of "Moon River" with minimal drum backing as well as a lovely reading of "Body and Soul" –– Rogers's resonating bass accompaniment and Harland's hand drumming serve to set off the lyrical guitar playing.  The trio swing the daylights out of the album opener, "Footprints" followed several tracks later with a delightful romp through "Blue Monk". 

Come to "Close Your Eyes" for the strong guitar work of Lionel Loueke but chances are very good you'll really get into the inventive and fun playing of Reuben Rogers and Eric Harland.  O, what sounds await the eager listener –– dig in, dive in, and enjoy!

For more information, go to www.lionelloueke.com.  To purchase the album, go to https://lionelloueke.bandcamp.com/album/close-your-eyes. 

Go ahead, dig you some T. Monk:

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Photo: Matt Marantz

Alto saxophonist and composer Aakash Mittal, born in Texas to a New Delhi native father and Nebraska-born mother, is a busy writer, educator, traveler, and musician.  His journeys has taken him throughout the United States, India, Mexico, and elsewhere. Mittal has won many commissions as well as fellowships, recorded with Amir elSaffar, Dennis Gonzalez, and Ravish Momin plus he has self-released four recordings as a leader.  He leads various groups including a Quartet and now the Awaz Trio. The latter ensemble includes Miles Okazaki (guitars) and Rajna Swaminathan (mrudangam and kinjara).

That trio has just issued its debut album. "Nocturne" (self-released); the program includes the five-part title track, a three-part "Street Music", and an "Opening".  The 82-second "Opening" starts with a lecturer speaking about oral tradition then Ms. Swaminathan enters;  the warbling alto sax line and expressive guitar play a short melody that leads directly into "Nocturne  I" –– the music for the album is based on Mittal's journey to Kolkata, India, to study Hindustani evening and night ragas. One can hear the influence of raga music in Mittal's linear phrasing while both guitar and murdangam (often spelled "mridangam") add the rhythmic base.  After that short piece fades (2:34), a field recording begins with hand-held percussion dancing through the speakers; the musicians do a short interpretation before the street musicians reenter.

As the album sweeps along, one can hear how the sounds of the Indian city influences the music.  While the title suite is more lyrical, it's not a typical Western classical nocturne but certainly a fine illustration of a warm evening in Kolkata or Mumbai.  "Nocturne IV" is a quiet three-way conversation, like three friends walking at 3 a.m. through the city streets.  There are moments of dissonance but, mostly, the piece draws the listener in and leads through unfamiliar yet friendly territory. Okazaki's solo shines while the often-quiet percussion follows the path of the melody. The last section of the suite ("V") jumps from the very start, featuring great accompaniment, powerful interactions, and a rippling saxophone solo that bounces atop the guitar's lower notes and the rapid-fire drumming.  Mittal's playing is alive, swift melodic phrases blended with short fragments.  

The album closes with the high-powered "Street Music III" with just the trio playing the music of the parade band moving through the streets. Mittal's melody is locked in with the percussion and the guitar chords, moving decisively and powerfully to the close.  When you listen to "Nocturne", you need to stow away your "Western Music" ears and surrender to a music that ties with serious roots in an ancient culture and the lively madness of contemporary life. Aakash Mittal has composed a number of pieces about Indian street life for previous albums; yet, these acoustic pieces illustrate how he has grown as composer, interpreter, musician, and human being.  

For more information and to check out his previous work (an earlier version of Awaz Trio featured Rez Abbasi on electric guitar), go to www.aakashmittal.com.  To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://aakashmittal.bandcamp.com/.  

Here's "Nocturne I":

Music for When One Needs Healing

At a time when the entire world is on tenterhooks, tragedy strikes quickly and sharply. My sister died in the hospital on Wednesday the 8th, not from the virus scrubbing away at our communities but from complications with her heart. The worst part was not being able to visit her in her final hours as the facility was, and remains, on lockdown.

Mildred Rae (Mickey) Kamins, born January 28, 1943 – died April 8, 2020.

In the past, when a family member or close friend died, it's been the solo piano music of Keith Jarrett, the compositions of Erik Satie, or the "Cello Suites" of J.S. Bach (Yo-Yo Ma or Pablo Casals plus Johnny Gandelsman's brilliant adaptation of the pieces for violin) that I would turn to.  Last week, it was the new album from the trio Gilfema, an album I was preparing to review, that helped me get through.

Photo: Seiichi Niitsuma

The trio – Lionel Gilles Loueke (guitar, vocals), Ferenc Nemeth (drums, vocals) and Massimo Biolcati (acoustic and electric basses) – first met at The Berklee College of Music two decades ago. Several years later, all three went on to the (then) Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles, CA.  Returning East to New York City, the trio wrote and performed music, signed to ObliqSound Records, releasing their eponymously-titled debut album in 2005.  "+ 2" followed in 2008 but when Loueke signed with Blue Note, the trio took his name, recording a series of albums while the guitarist toured with Herbie Hancock plus appeared on albums by Jack DeJohnette, Terence Blanchard, Esperanza Spalding, and many others.

"Three" (Sounderscore Records) is the trio's first "official group" album in 12 years and the musicians seemed as locked in and "free" as ever. The 13-song program builds off their ability to all be rhythm player as well as melodicists.  Check out the open track "Têkê", how the melody builds off the dancing high-hat and the burbling bass, the West African melody plucked out by the guitar, and then, the music takes off on the strength of the multi-tracked guitar.  Yes, it's Loueke's song, he's got the lead role, but this music needs the rhythm section to make it whole.  Hear what the trio does to Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" (see and hear below) –– the melody is first played by Biolcati (acoustic) before Loueke takes over. Yet, the guitarist is quite active in the opening minute.  The splendid percussion, the fundamental bass lines, all combine to keep one alert to how the trio makes this song its own.

Photo: Seiichi Niitsuma

Try sitting still during Nemeth's driving "Happiness" and while the drummer leads in "Algorythm and Blues" (co-written by Loueke and Biolcati).  The latter track's groove evokes The Meters and The Neville Brothers Band, so much so you expect to hear snatches of New Orleans patois sung in the background.  The guitarist and bassist also collaborated on the eminently danceable "Brio", the joyous West African groove sparked by Loueke's rippling guitar, Biolcati's bouncing bass lines, and the Caribbean-drum approach of Nemeth.

Photo: Seiichi Niitsuma

Loueke's "Dear J.L." is a spare ballad, with a long, flowing melody section, quiet percussion, and melodic bass accompaniment.  The guitar solo builds smartly off the melody and the electronic effects plus Loueke's soft vocal paint a gentle portrait. The album closes with Biolcati's "Until", his overdubbed bowed bass chordal drone under Loueke's processed guitar melody creating a impressionistic setting. The bassist solos first (over his bass choir) before he and the guitarist play counterpart over the drone and soft hand-held percussion.

Why is "Three" so therapeutic for this writer in his time of mourning and remembrance?  Maybe because my favorite music comes from the idea of dance, rhythms, pushing you, dragging you out of yourself –– Maybe it's the fact that Gilfema is a group made up of friends, musicians who have stayed in touch with each other, played regularly, and enjoy pushing their own boundaries. The joy I feel with Bach's "Cello Suites", the searching that created John Coltrane's " A Love Supreme", the gentle moments of Maria Schneider's "Sky Blue", all elements that also appear on "Three".  The right music at the right time and, if you are already in a good mood, this music will heighten that mood as well. Just sit and listen.

For more information plus to purchase, go to https://gilfema.bandcamp.com.

Here's the trio's lovely the on the Jimi Hendrix ballad:

Super(b) Groups Live & On Record

The Firehouse 12 Fall 2016 Concert Series rolls along in fine fashion; this week (10/20), the big wooden door opens to welcome the Claudia Quintet. The Quintet, now in its 20th year, has been the main vehicle for the music of drummer John Hollenbeck. The lineup - Chris Speed (reeds), Drew Gress (bass), and Matt Moran (vibraphone) - has had only one change in its existence and that's when Red Wierenga replaced accordionist Ted Reichman six years ago. Chris Tordini has subbed for Gress on several tours and also appeared on four of the 10 tracks on 2013's "September" CD.

The music CQ creates has so much to offer the listener, whether one like melodies or percussion driven music, minimalism or incredible interactions.  All that and more will on display in the Elm City  performance venue. The group is touring in support of its latest Cuneiform CD, "Super Petite", a collection of shorter tunes (only one of the eight tracks is over six minutes.

Claudia Quintet plays two sets - 8:30 and 10 p.m. (separate admission charges) - for more information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.

Here's the band with a tune from the new recording:


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Here's a "super" group if ever there one existed.  Bassist Dave Holland, drummer Eric Harland, guitarist and vocalist Lionel Loueke plus saxophonist (tenor and soprano) Chris Potter first got together in the summer of 2015 and had so much fun on tour that the bassist brought the quartet into Sear Sound in September of that year.  The results of the two-day session can be heard on "Aziza" now released on Holland's Dare2 Records.

During that tour, everyone contributed songs to the playlist and the CD presents eight of them, two by each musician. The program opens with Loueke's "Aziza Dance" (from whence the group got its name - read how here), a funky ditty introduced by the guitarist's percussive riffs, Holland's deep bass notes, and Harland's nasty 4/4 drums (the music hearkens to back to Herbie Hancock's Headhunters "Chameleon.")  The drummer pushes the piece right along, allowing his rhythm section to keep the time while he fits about under the soloists.  Potter's piece "Summer 15" rolls lightly above the "St. Thomas"-like rhythms created by his three partners. His soprano sax phrases dance delightfully over the Island sounds. After Loueke's lilting spot, Potter moves over to tenor and does another type of dance, still swaying but with a bit more muscle.

Aziza balances its more powerful tendencies with a softer side that is equally attractive.  "Walkin' The Walk" feels more like a stroll in the late afternoon sunlight and the bassist, who also composed the piece, takes the opening solo before Potter gives the piece a bit more punch as does Harland on his powerful solo.  His piece "Aquila" opens as a ballad yet picks up speed and intensity as its rolls along.

Potter's other contribution, "Blue Sufi", is the longest work of the 74+ minute program, clocking in at 13:40.  After a wondrous tenor sax "call to prayer" introduction, the rest of the group enters and the piece evolves into an uptempo adventure with melodic and rhythmic links to South Indian music.  Again, it's Holland's powerful foundation that opens up Harland's robust drumming. There are moments in Loueke's chord-laden solo that may remind some of the work of Sandy Bull (1941-2001) and, all of a sudden, the solo (the guitarist employs an organ-like tone throughout the song.  You'll love the interaction of Potter and Harland during the tenor solo as well how Holland's bass spotlight builds off the saxophone melody and the powerful underlying rhythm.

This splendid album closes with Loueke's rip-roaring "Sleepless Night"; from the opening guitar and drum interaction that leads to the guitarist's overdubbed vocal rendition of the melody to his squalling call-and-response with Potter, the song careers forward but never loses its focus.  Harland's rabble-rousing drums take the album out on a raucous yet satisfying series of high notes.

Aziza will be touring through the United States and Europe from mid-October through mid-November in support of the its debut album.  Go to daveholland.com/events to find out more.  If you can't get to any of the dates, get the album, turn it up loud and bask in its musical glory.  This recording is a delightful panacea to the venomous election cycle in the United States and the horrific news from elsewhere.  Great sounds from four players who give their all, having fun while exploding genres.

Here's the opening track:

CDs with Lionel Loueke (as a guest)

German-born pianist/composer Florian Weber is a busy musician.  Splitting his time between his native country and New York City, he won a scholarship to study at Berklee School of Music in Boston but first concentrated on math and science.  When he finally put his mind to music, Weber studied and worked with numerous musicians including Lee Konitz, Richie Bierach, Joanne Brackeen and Eddie Henderson.

"Biosphere" (ENJA Records) is both the name of his new CD and his quartet, a unit that features Lionel Loueke (guitar), Thomas Morgan (acoustic bass) and Dan Weiss (drums, tabla). The CD is a fascinating mix of Weber originals, a piece co-authored with Mr. Konitz, one Loueke composition, an arrangement of "Clocks" from Coldplay, Jamiroquai's "Cosmic", and a touching solo piano arrangement of Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven." Loueke's "Mivakpola" is a guitar-piano duo that reflects the influence of Ralph Towner while Weber's "Piecemeal" is an exciting slab of funk driven by Morgan and Weiss with catchy interplay between Loueke's acoustic guitar and the leader's Fender Rhodes.  The bass solo on "Clocks" reveals Morgan's intelligent melodic side - when he and Weiss lock in, the music takes off. The title track opens on the active rhythms as the guitar and acoustic piano revolve around them.  A quick break, then into a rubato piano and tabla dialogue that Morgan joins after a minute. In the background, one can hear Loueke clicking out a counter-rhythm and, after a while, the quartet moves into a section that sounds influenced by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays.

Throughout the program, the musicians engage in a variety of rhythmic and melodic dialogues, creating classic tension-and-release as well as solos that keep one's interest.  This is a band that deserves to be heard live. For more information, go to www.florianweber.net.

Ferenc (pronounced "Frank") Nemeth, a native of Hungary, is best known for his work with guitarist-vocalist Lionel Loueke, a releationship that started when the 2 were studying at Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mass.  Along with fellow student Massimo Biolcati (bass), the 3 formed GilFeMa in 2003 and subsequently recorded 2 fine CDs for ObliqSound (Nemeth and Biolcati have recorded with Loueke on 3 of his solo CDs.)

"Triumph" (Dreamers Collective Records) is the percussionist second release under his own name (for his own label); he's created a suite that goes through various emotions, feelings, experiences and aspirations, ranging from "Purpose", "Joy ", "Longing", "Hope", "Sorrow and Wishful Thinking" to the title track. The main ensemble is a quartet composed of Nemeth, Loueke (guitar, voice), Joshua Redman (tenor and soprano saxophones) and Kenny Werner (piano, Fender Rhodes).  Each of them has his own "Interlude" (numbered "I - IV"; Redman's tenor shares his with the drummer) while a majority of the "experiential" pieces have 5-person reed section (conducted and arranged by bandleader/composer Nicolas Sorin.)  While there is no bass player, the bottom is covered by Werner, Loueke and Nemeth's drums.  As for the music, listeners will smile at the rhythmic interplay, the strong yet wonderfully relaxed presence of Redman, Werner's dancing piano phrases, Loueke's joyous blend of percussive picking and melodic invention and the leader's propulsive, mischievous, drumming.  "Longing" is a lovely ballad built off a deliberate piano theme supported by Nemeth's cymbals; Redman enters with the reed section for a secondary theme before a lengthy piano solo leading into Redman's rich tenor exploration. Loueke's acoustic guitar replaces the piano as the foundation before the reed section reenters to usher in the final section.  My words do not do justice to the maturity of Nemeth's composition.

The appropriately-named "Joy" explodes out of the speakers thanks to the drums before moving into a rollicking groove.  Listen to the acoustic guitar lines (and Loueke's spontaneous, wordless, vocal) rippling out over the funky percussion and Werner's active piano. The first "Hope" has an irresistible rhythmic drive, a splendid arrangement for the reeds, and the finely-enunciated left hand of Werner.  "Hope II" shows up 3 tracks later, this time a bit quieter but no less funky, with a horn arrangement one might hear on recording by The Crusaders.

Playful, joyful, exuberant, touching and life-affirming, the music created by Ferenc Nemeth and his friends is a pleasure to get lost in.  Yes, "Triumph" is an appropriate name for this program, one that will reverberate in your soul if and when you allow it in.  For more information, go to www.ferencnemeth.com.

Here's a taste of this fine CD, courtesy of Dreamers Collective Records and IODA Promonet:
Joy (feat. Lionel Loueke, Joshua Redman, Kenny Werner) (mp3)

Saxophonist-composer Jeff Coffin is an in-demand player whose credits include Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, the Dave Matthews Band and, since the late 1990s, Jeff Coffin & The Mu'Tet.  That ensemble has just issued its 5th recording, "Into The Air" (Earup Records), a very tasty confection of funk, electric jazz and several excursions into Weather Report-type material.  Coffin's well-oiled band includes his long-time musical ally Jeff Sipe (drums, percussion), Kofi Burbridge (piano, keys, flute), Bill Fanning (trumpet, "space" trumpet) and Felix Pastorius (electric bass)....yes, he's the son of the late Jaco Pastorius who also works with drummer Cindy Blackman and is subbing for Jimmy Haslip in Yellowjackets.  The CD opens with the slinky, New Orleans funkified "A Half Sleep", with plenty of melodic bass and soulful horns.  The fatback funk continues on "U Don't Say" with both the leader and Fanning using a slew of effects over the rumbling rhythm section. Lionel Loueke (electric guitar, vocalizations) joins the Mu'tet for 2 tracks, the 70's-style boogaloo - his chunky rhythm guitar has a touch of Nile Rodgers beneath Coffin's hearty tenor solo while Loueke's rippling solo comes over the bridge.  One can hear the influence of Zawinul/Shorter on the Coffin/Pastorius original dedicated to and named for the guitarist.  "Loueke" has a melody out of "Mysterious Traveler"; the honoree riffs vocally and on guitar over the hypnotic trumpet and sax lines but the finest touch is Burbridge's lovely flute solo.  "Low Spark", a track credited to the Mu'tet, also has a slinky Middle-Eastern feel in the melody, with a driving rhythm and more fine flute work.  The program closes with the lovely ballad "Beautiful Flower", a rubato piece for quartet (Fanning sits this track out) that has a dramatic piano part and expressive soprano saxophone - it has the feel of an Alice Coltrane composition, with piano glissandos and rattling percussion.

"Into The Air" is a multi-faceted recording, one that blends electronic wizardy with some serious funk.  Not all the songs move this listener but there are pieces (such as the last 3 in the paragraph above) that are excellent.  For more information, go to www.jeffcoffin.com/mutet/.