A Sonic Taste of "Thisness" + Classic "Thatness"

 

In 2015, guitarist, composer, and conceptualist Miles Okazaki built a new ensemble which, ultimately, took its name Trickster from its 2017 eponymous debut Pi Recordings. Utilizing the brilliant rhythm section, bassist Anthony Tidd and drummer Sean Rickman, from Steve Coleman's Five Elements plus pianist Craig Taborn (replaced in 2018 by Matt Mitchell).  The music couldn't help but be affected by the guitarist's many appearances with Coleman's group. But, the music has matured.

Okazaki's latest album with the quartet, "Thisness" (Pi Recordings), has a different feel from its three predecessors. Besides piano, Mitchell plays Fender Rhodes and Prophet–6 synthesizer and the four original pieces are the longest (all between 9:27 and 10:04). The song titles were adapted from the Sun Ra poem "The Far Off Place"; the music does have an exploratory feel throughout. Also, to get the full effect of the music, listen through headphones or in a room with really sensitive speakers. There is a lot going on over the course of these songs, overdubs of several guitars and keyboards that one will want to hear to get the full sonic picture.  The mix of the thick bass tones, the powerful percussion, the strong piano chords, and Okazaki's fascinating acoustic and electric guitar work keeps one's interest throughout.  The music feels "in the moment", spontaneous each time you listen.

"In Some Far Off Place" opens the album in subdued fashion. This listener is reminded of several ballads of Jimi Hendrix (as well as John Lennon's "Julia" later on) in the early moments as the leader's overdubbed guitars move gracefully through the aural landscape. Listen closely, there are wordless vocals that show up now and then.  Halfway through, the music changes direction, becoming more rhythmical (noticeable in the guitar solo and work of the rhythm section. Synth washes can be heard and then the tempo picks up with much more urgency. It's never overwhelming even as the guitars move around in the mix. The various trails of the music intersect as the band moves forward––kick back, enjoy the journey.

Musical magic can be heard on each track. The rock-solid rhythms beneath the guitar and rippling piano phrases on "Years in Space", the song powered by Tidd's hard-hitting bass lines clearing the path for the soloists while Rickman hits the snare, it pops! "I'll Build a World" literally jumps off the starting line but pay attention to the calming Fender Rhodes underneath the rapid-fire melody lines.  As the piece develops, the pace slows for a moment for a piano solo while Rickman (listed as co-writer) dances beneath.  Halfway through, the drummer instigates a musical call-and-response with the guitar and piano––such an invigorating interaction.

"And wait for you" truly kicks in on the strength of the funkified drums and pumping bass lines. The electric guitar and Fender Rhodes dance atop Tidd's solo phrases until Okazaki plays a rhythm figure that could easily have been created by Nile Rodgers (Chic) or Leo Nocentelli (The Meters).  The guitar solo moves back and forth into the groove until music changes directions for an acoustic piano solo that turns into an interaction between guitar phrases from several overdubbed guitars. 

"Thisness" is an album to play on repeat. Not only does the music sound alive but also, on subsequent listens, one begins to understand the pathways in these compositions. This music is never static; like a river, its current can be swift but the eddies are enthralling. Miles Okazaki continues to mature as a composer and musician while the Trickster ensemble is a wonderful vehicle for both his playing and conceptual adventures.

For more information, go to www.milesokazaki.com.  To hear more and purchase "Thisness" and other albums with this ensemble, go to https://milesokazaki.bandcamp.com/album/thisness. 

Hear Miles Okazaki & Trickster perform "I'll Build a World":

1970 was quite the year for Soft Machine. The trio of Mike Ratledge (Hohner pianet, Lowrey Holiday Deluxe organ), Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), and Hugh Hopper (electric bass) continued its move towards electric jazz-fusion by adding Elton Dean (alto saxophone, saxello) and Lynn Dobson (soprano and tenor saxophones, flute, harmonica, vocals) as well as, for a very short time in late 1969, trombonist Marc Charig (as far as I know, there are no live recordings with him).  The new quintet's music sounded influenced as much by Miles Davis's move towards fusion on "In A Silent Way" as by American composer Terry Riley's mixture of electric instruments and improvisation on "A Rainbow in Curved Air". 

There are a slew of bootleg "live" albums of the band in 1970 but now Cuneiform Records has officially released "Facelift France and Holland". Both sets, the first recorded on January 17, 1970 at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, the second on March 2, 1970, at the Théâtre de la Musique in Paris, feature the Quintet in full flower. Both the CD and vinyl versions have the full video of the later show. The 2-CD + DVD and the 2-Lp + DVD (this package won't be available until 12/31/2022) as well as the digital version are programmed with the March concert first.  The later show is longer (71:15) than the earlier one (44:36) but fans won't mind.  The sound quality on the January concert recording is fairly impressive (editing at the end of the first track is sloppy though) while the March show sounds a bit more distant at times (CD buyers get a third disc with a previously unreleased soundboard recording of the March program.

As for the music, four of the songs played in these concerts would appear on the Soft Machine's Columbia Records June 1970 debut "Third".  Those tracks include "Facelift", "Slightly All The Time", "Moon In June", and "Out-Bloody-Rageous".  The older album's "Facelift" does feature the Quintet as it was recorded on January 4, 1970, two weeks before the Paris concert version.  It's fun to hear the bigger group. Both Dobson and Dean play with abandon as does Wyatt. While his playful vocals would soon disappear from the band's repertoire as would he the following year. He was the right drummer for this music bringing the zany yet rhythmically strong performances this music called for.  The sounds that Ratledge gets out of the organ are often other-worldly, blending well with the soprano sax and the saxello (a Bb soprano sax). Hopper's electric bass lines help the music from flying totally out of control while his "fuzz" bass really thickens the sounds,.

Pieces such as "Mousetrap" and "Eammon Andrews" blend jazz and rock while the afore-mentioned "Facelift" and "Slightly All the Time" are prime examples of "electric jazz".  If you are curious about this most fertile time of jazz-fusion, "Facelift France and Holland" gives a particular English take. The Soft Machine would go on to influence distinctively British bands like Hatfield & The North, National Health, and Gilgamesh. Wyatt started Matching Mole after his departure continuing to mine his unique vocal style to adventurous music.  Ratledge, Hopper, and Dean would add drummer John Marshall, guitarist Allan Holdsworth, and reeds/keyboard player Karl Jenkins who would take over the group in 1976.   Still, this fascinating release illustrates just how impressive an ensemble the group was in 1970. 

The group still exists with Marshall on the drums, Holdsworth's replacement John Etheridge, young reeds player Theo Travis, and the newest member bassist Fred Thelonious Baker who joined in January 202 (replacing Roy Babbington who had replaced Hopper in the mid-1970s).  To find out more and get a history of the band, go to www.softmachine.org. 

For more information and to purchase "Facelift France and Holland", go to  https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/facelift-france-and-holland-3.

Here's a taste of "Moon in June" recorded 01/17/70 in The Netherlands:

Historical Recordings That Bring Joy & Generate Excitement

Photo: Mark Sheldon

Trumpeter Roy Hargrove (1969-2018) and pianist Mulgrew Miller (1955-2013) are both Southern musicians who died far too young.  Hargrove, a native of Waco, TX, who came of musical age in Dallas, and Miller, a native of Greenwood, MI, who moved to Memphis, TN, to attend college, were both considered masters of their respective instruments. The trumpeter was still a teenager when he came to the attention of Wynton Marsalis who had him come onstage at a concert. He attended Berklee College of Music then transferred to the New School in New York City.  He was soon signed to a recording contract with his debut album released on Novus in 1990. Like many creative jazz musicians, Hargrove's musical world spanned numerous genres including jazz, Latin jazz, r'n'b, Hip Hop, and more – he played on genre-bending albums by Common and D'Angelo plus led and recorded with the Rh Factor, whose funk albums were great for dancing.

Photo: Jean-Francois Laberine

Early in his career, Miller played in bands led by Mercer Ellington, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey, Tony Williams, and Betty Carter – talk about learning the history of Black Music from the inside and the innovators.  He went to lead several different sized ensembles, from his Trio to Wingspan, a quintet that released several albums of original material, to his great duos with fellow pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen.  Miller was also Director of Jazz Studies and Performance at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, a position he led up until his passing on May 29, 2013.  

Now, the world is blessed with the arrival "Roy Hargrove Mulgrew Miller - In Harmony" (Resonance Records), a two-Lp, Two-CD, set that features selections from two duo concerts: the first, recorded in New York City on January 25, 2006, and the second at Lafayette College in Easton, PA in November 9, 2007.   All but one of the 13 tracks are "standards" from composers and performers such as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Benny Golson, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Blue Mitchell, plus five more that come from movies and Broadway. Both sets on the album were unrehearsed, the New York City show due to a blizzard that only left time for the musicians to reach the venue before stepping on stage. But, the duo's professionalism and love for playing stands out, making the set a true joy. 

This music should be savored. Yes, I understand that many of these songs have been recorded hundreds, perhaps thousands, of time, yet Miller and Hargrove make them shiny and new. CD One opens with Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love" – taken at a brisk tempo, the duo brings the song onto the dance floor (go ahead, listen to the pianist's left hand and try to sit still).  Same for Bronislaw Kaper's "Invitation"; there are so many versions of this song yet notice how the two musicians bring it to life with the dazzling rhythm work of Miller and Hargrove's far-ranging solo. Miller's Memphis roots show up best in his left hand.  "Monk's Dream" opens in a "straight-ahead" vein but during the trumpet solo, the pianist momentarily moves into a stride mode which shows up again during the duo's give-and-take in the last two minutes.  

The ballads really stand out.  The Mack Gordon/Harry Warren-penned "This Is Always" finds Hargrove on flugelhorn. He absolutely caresses the melody and at the end, produces a show-stopping coda (how he utilizes silence to make the listener hang on every note is so impressive). He takes a similar approach on "I Remember Clifford" with a coda that's lovely not sappy, and just the right length. 

The final two tracks, "Blues for Mr. Hill" (composed by Hargrove) and Dizzy Gillespie's "Ow!" close the program in a splendid fashion.  On the former, the trumpeter gets "down" and raises back up again while the pianist's accompaniment is solid "Gospel". When Miller steps out on his own, one can hear traces of Otis Spann, Memphis Slim, and Phineas Newborn, Jr.  Not surprisingly, the final track is a playful "bopper". Miller's piano beneath the trumpet solo (which is playful as can be) is a Jazz "history" lesson. And his solo – you will say "Ow!" as the pianist dances up and down the keys.

Resonance Records does its usual great job on the notes with a history of the two musicians written by Ted Panken plus appreciations from Sonny Rollins, Christian McBride, Common, Jon Batiste, Karriem

Riggins, Ambrose Akinmusire, Keyon Harrold, Chris Botti, Eddie Henderson, Robert Glasper, Victor Lewis, Sean Jones, Kenny Barron, and George Cables.  Pull over a chair, dim the lights, turn up the volume (but don't blast it), and let this music transport you.  "Roy Hargrove Mulgrew Miller - In Harmony" is a gem that shines with creativity and the sheer joy of playing music! 

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/roy-hargrove-and-mulgrew-miller-in-harmony/. 

Listen and enjoy "Blues For Mr. Hill":

:

Photo: Francis Woolf/Blue Note

Drummer, composer, and conceptualist Roy Brooks (1938-2005) hailed from Detroit, MI, a city that produced numerous jazz greats. He had an career which, in his early days, found him on the bandstand with Yusef Lateef and Horace Silver. The drummer moved to New York City in his Silver days and once he left that group, freelanced with numerous artists such as Charles McPherson, Dexter Gordon, and Charles Mingus (among others). In the late 1960s, Brooks led several groups and recorded several albums; a few years later, he joined Max Roach's drum ensemble M'Boom, remaining a member until 1986.  Due to erratic behavior caused by bi-polar disorder, Brook's career came to a standstill as he was arrested on several occasions, spending time in prison.  Yet, at the height of his creative life, his music and vision pushed the envelope of creative music.

Reel-to-Real Recordings has just issued "Understanding", a two-CD recorded live at The Famous Ballroom in Baltimore, MD, on November 1, 1970.  Besides the leader (drums, percussion, saw), the Quintet included Carlos Garnett (tenor saxophone), Harold Mabern (piano), Cecil McBee (bass), and the fiery trumpet of Woody Shaw. The two+ hours program includes two originals by Brooks plus one each by Shaw, Garnett, Miles Davis, and "Billie's Bounce" from Charlie Parker. The first things you'll notice while listening to "Prelude to Understanding" which is the second track on CD one (the first is a short "Introduction"), is Brook's percussive "toys" and Shaw's blistering trumpet. Shaw, seven weeks shy of his 26th birthday, is on fire throughout the program; the first time you hear his "sound", he's tearing the speakers apart. Brooks is spurred by Shaw's approach so, during the lengthy solo, he's keeping right up with the trumpeter.  McBee holds down the fort while Mabern "comps" a la McCoy Tyner.  Shaw's solo lasts over 11 minutes, has several climaxes, and is a stunning show of his creativity.  Mabern follows with a delightful romp, very much influenced by the afore-mentioned Tyner with a few blues-influenced phrases that display his Memphis, TN, upbringing.  Garnett sits this one out but both McBee and the leader solo, the latter beginning playing a bowed saw!

Photo: Tom Copi

After "Prelude..." comes Brooks's "Understanding", a tune whose rhythm and melody is comparable to that of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage".  The first solo goes to Shaw (pictured left) and he starts as if he's aiming to blow the roof of the Ballroom off. He does take it down a notch or two for the majority of his spot. Garnett is next and one can't help but hear his sonic resemblance to John Coltrane (in the latter saxophonist's Impulse! days).  The Panamanian-born saxophonist moves easily from flowing melodic lines to raucous roars.  The band then tears into a fast-paced rendition of the Parker tune.  Garnett's gets the first solo, proceeding like a getaway car as the drummer chases him around the bandstand.  Shaw follows flying high over the crashing cymbals (Brooks keeps the time perfectly throughout on his ride cymbal). After Mabern's rollicking solo, the trumpet and sax "trade 4s" then "2s" with the leader for several minutes before everyone steps back and gives the drummer spotlight until the fiery close to the first set and disc.  

Photo: H Nolan

CD 2 contains three tracks: the 23-minute Shaw composition "Zoltan", the 32:26 Garnett song "Taurus Woman", and Miles Davis "The Theme", the shortest song in the program at 4:32. The energy does not flag on these tracks and the music continues to jump out of the speakers.  For those of you who love high-energy live music, "Understanding" will make you smile.  You can hear the influence of Max Roach and Elvin Jones in leader Roy Brooks's thunderous performance.  Kudos to co-producers Cory Weeds (Cellar Live Records) and Zev Feldman (Resonance Records) plus a standing ovation to Chris Gestrin for the sound restoration.  You'll learn a lot from the 36-page booklet which features an overview of Roy Brooks story by the great Detroit journalist Mark Stryker plus interviews with Carlos Garnett, Cecil McBee, Reggie Workman, and Louis Hayes as well as remembrances written by Jahra Michelle McKinley, Executive Director of the Detroit Sound Conservancy and journalist Herb Boyd, a lifetime friend of Roy Brooks. All proceeds from the sale of the albums will go to the Sound Conservancy in honor of the drummer.  

For more information, go to https://cellarlive.com/products/roy-brooks-understanding-cd-preorder.  To buy the album, go to https://roybrooksband.bandcamp.com/. 

Hear "Prelude to Understanding":  

2019: Rough & Tough But Musically Blessed

Okay, no political screes or rants against the Government in this column. Plain and simple, what follows is the list of my favorite recordings from the past 12 months.  The first 10 are the ones I chose for the NPR Jazz Critics Poll, the next 30 are albums that could have gone into the poll, and the last five are the Reissues or Historical Documents with the last one listed, the Kenny Barron & Mulgrew Miller Sunnyside masterpiece that actually could have been in the New Releases (the third concert of the three on the recording comes from 2011). Twelve of the New Releases are large ensembles (that's 30%) and any one of those choices could have led off the list. You'll notice Jonathan Blake - "Trion" at the top of the list – there was a month after I was released from my January hospital visit that that album and Jason Palmer - "Rhyme & Reason" were among the only albums I listened to. Both albums come from the debut of Deena & Jimmy Katz's Giant Step Arts label and both are infused with the interplay and excitement that makes contemporary music so enjoyable.

First, the list:

Jonathan Blake - "Trion" (Giant Step Arts)

Brian Lynch Big Band - "The Omni-Americans Book Club: My JourneyThrough Literature in Music" (Holistic MusicWorks)

Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows - Self-Titled (SoundSpore Records)

The Art Ensemble of Chicago - "We Are On The Edge" (Pi Recordings)

Alex LoRe & Weirdear - "Karol" (Challenge Records)

Fabian Almazan Trio - "The Land Abounds With Life" (Biophilia Records)

Wadada Leo Smith - "Rosa Parks: Pure Love" (TUM Records)

Camila Meza & The Nectar Orchestra -"Ámbar" (Sony Masterworks)

Zach Brock/Matt Ulery/Jon Deitmeyer - "Wonderment" (Woolgathering Records)

Nature Work - Self-Titled (Sunnyside Records)

Mike Holober & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra – Hiding Out (ZOHO Records

Los Guachos – Cristal (Sunnyside Records)

Swiss Jazz Orchestra & Guillermo Klein (Sunnyside Records)

Miho Hazama m_unit – Dancer in Nowhere (Sunnyside Records)

Sara Gazarek – Thirsty Ghost (self-released)

Miguel Zenón – Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera (Miel Music)

Jason Palmer – Rhyme and Reason (Giant Step Arts)

Greg Ward Presents Rogue Parade – Stompin’ Off From Greenwood (Greenleaf Music)

Lucas Gillan’s Many Blessings – Chit-Chatting With Herbie (JeruJazz Records)

Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble – Forward (self-released)

Samuel Torres – Alegria (Blue Conga)

Blood Drum Spirit – Time Changes (self-released)

Branford Marsalis Quartet – The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul (OKEH Records)

Linda May Han Oh – Aventurine (Biophilia Records)

Tomeka Reid Quartet – Old New (Cuneiform Records)

Melissa Aldana – Visions (Motéma Music)

Remy Le Boeuf - Light as a Word (Outside In Music)

Fred Hersch & the WDR Big Band – Begin Again (Palmetto Records)

Denny Zeitlin – Remembering Miles (Sunnyside Records)

Ben Kono Group – Don’t Blink (self-released)

Garzone, Erskine, Oles, & Pasqua – Three Nights in LA (Fuzzy Music) 

Steve Lehman Trio + Craig Taborn – The People I Love (Pi Recordings)

Jason Yeager – New Songs of Resistance (Outside In Music)

Yes! Trio – Groove du Jour (Jazz and People)

Florian Hoefner Trio – First Spring (ALMA Records)

Brenda Earle Stokes – Solo Sessions Vol.1 (AllSheNeeds Music)

Ashley Daneman – People Are Fragile (self-released)

Dave Douglas – Engage (Greenleaf Music)

Marta Sánchez Quintet – El Rayo de Luz (Fresh Sound New Talent)

Ola Onabule – Point Less (Rugged Ram Records)

Ralph Peterson & The Messenger Legacy Band – Legacy Live Volume 6, Live at The Side Door (Onyx Productions)

HISTORICAL or REISSUES

Jeanne Lee and Ran Blake - "The Newest Sound You Never Heard (1966-67 European Recordings)" (A-Side Records)

Bill Evans - "Evans In England" (Resonance Records)

Nat "King" Cole - "Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)" (Resonance Records)

Johnny Griffin & Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis – Ow! Live at The Penthouse (Reel to Real)

Kenny Barron & Mulgrew Miller ­– The Art of the Piano Duo: Live (Sunnyside Records)

********************************************************

I have been lax in reporting the October 31st passing of Gerry Teekens from CrissCross Records. The Netherlands-based 83 year-old was one of the more fascinating "hands-off" producers and rarely, if ever, produced a dull album. Musicians and listeners around the world mourn his passing.

Speaking of labels, kudos go to Sunnyside Records: they always issue great albums but seemed to outdo themselves the year!  ECM and Blue Note often win the Critics and Readers Polls (deservedly so) but Sunnyside deserves more attention!

Let's not forget the slew of fine releases from Pi Recordings and Whirlwind Recordings as well as Biophilia Records.

I have to say it's a pleasure to see my long-distance writing buddy Ralph Miriello back writing again after a long hiatus.  Check him out at notesonjazz.blogspot.com. 

Another long-distance friend, Jason Crane, continues to do great work with his interview show "The Jazz Session" – Just posted episode #501 and you can help him keep going by clicking on www.patreon.com/thejazzsession.

Don't forget the great podcast of Dave Douglas "A Noise From the Deep" – always informative.

I always enjoy who Leo Sidran chats with on "The Third Story" podcast – you just might as well. I recommend a subscription also through Patreon. 

In the next few weeks, I'll try and catch up on my backlog of reviews – in the meantime, have a Great Holiday (whichever one you celebrate), a very Happy New Year, and on to 2020! Thanks for reading!

Richard