Saxophone Sounds for the New Year!

 

Over the course of 24 albums, tenor saxophonist and composer Rich Halley has created music that takes from various streams within the Jazz tradition and makes it his own.  Just listen to the first minute of "Corroboration", the opening track of his new album, "Boomslang" (Pine Eagle Records) –– the saxophonist engages in a conversation, sans rhythm section, of short phrases with the bright, tart, sounds of Los Angeles, CA-based cornetist Dan Clucas. One expects the music to go in a "free" direction but when bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Carson Halley enter, the music drops into a jaunty uptempo joyride. Given that it's one of the five pieces (out of nine in the program) that is a group improvisation, the piece is episodic and changes directions several times in the six-minute performance.

The album takes its name from a snake from mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The snake only bites when backed into a corner and its fangs contain a deadly poison. There's nothing poisonous about Halley's music. "Northern Plains" opens with the younger Halley (Rich's son) playing Native American rhythms on his drum kit that leads to a melody that blends traditional elements of Native American melody with blues.  After a powerful tenor solo over the thunderous drums, the band drops into a rhythm with its roots in the hard bop of Art Blakey.  

Right in the middle of the program is the 12-minute group improvisation "Dispholidus" (also named for a sub-Saharan snake).  The front line really stretches out pushed forward by the urgent rhythms. Bassist Reed takes his own powerful solo, a true solo as he is all alone; when the sax and trumpet step in, he steps out so Halley and Clucas can wrap their phrases around each other.  The rhythm section returns, Halley steps out for another compelling solo which Clucas follows with his own exciting spotlight.

Rich Halley has always been one to create his own trail through the vast landscape of creative music. One should not be surprised by the funky beat throughout the raucous "The Lean" and the fiery tempos pushing "The Converse" into the audio stratosphere.  The energetic music and exciting solos that fill the tracks on "Boomslang" make you sit up and take notice! Kudos to all involved.

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

Here's the opening track:

Braithwaite & Katz · Corroboration - Rich Halley

Saxophonist (tenor and alto) Nick Hempton, originally from Sydney, Australia, has been in the United States, New York City to be exact, since 2004.  His early albums (he now has issued seven) show a player who loves melody, loves to improvise, and has a round sound one associates with jazzmen from the 1950s and 60s playing in late-night venues. After issuing albums on Posi-Tone Records and SmallsLIVE, Hempton issued "Night Owl" in 2019 on his own label – that album featured Peter Bernstein (guitar), Kyle Koehler (organ) and Fukushi Tainaka (drums) with music that hearkened back to classic Blue Note Records sessions that paired Jimmy Smith with the likes of Lou Donaldson and Stanley Turrentine.

Nearly three years later, Hempton takes the same ensemble into GB's Juke Joint, a recording studio in Long Island City, NYC, and lets them loose on a delightful 10-song program. "Slick" (which may be the saxophonist's nickname) slides down into the nightclub right from the opening notes of the opening track "The Runaround".  Nobody is in a hurry; instead, they all jump on Tainaka's solid shuffle-swing digging into the groove creating solos to point to all participants having a great time.  Six of the tracks are originals with four "standards" sprinkled into the program. The first of those tracks is Mel Torme & Robert Wells "Born To Be Blue" featuring splendid, emotionally rich solos, from the guitarist and saxophonist plus empathetic support from Koehler as well as sweet brush work from Tainaka.  Another standard and ballad, "The Gypsy" (composed by Billy Reid in 1945) is oh-so-sweet with Hempton's tenor showing the influence of Coleman Hawkins throughout his solo and on the coda.  

Photo: Caroline Conejero

Still, this band is built to swing. Pieces such as "Frying With Fergus", "Liars Dice", and "Upstairs Eddie" gives everyone the chance to "blow" supported by the infectious swing of the drums and the organists's excellent bass pedal dancing. Then there's "Short Shrift" with leaps out of the speakers sounding liek the musical equivalent of the band running to catch the last train back to the city.  The performance just might take your breath away yet it is joyous and lots of fun.

"Slick" ends on a sweet note with an uptempo but not fast performance of Allie Wrubel & Herb Magidson's "The Masquerade is Over".  Hempton's alto solo has a bluesy, playful, feel while Bernstein takes off from the melody without ever losing sight of it.  Koehler digs right in cruising atop the easy swing of the drums.  It's the perfect close to a pleasing set of music.  Nick Hempton creates music whose goal is to make you happy, entertain you, and take your mind off of the world outside your door. Nothing wrong with that at all!

For more information, go to https://nickhemptonband.com/. 

Here's the album opener:

Three Exploratory Quartets

This review introduces you to three albums featuring quartets, two with tenor saxophone, piano, bass, and drums plus one with tenor and alto saxophones, bass, and drums. The share the language of of modern Black American Music but come at their music from different directions.

Saxophonist Rich Halley has been making music on the West Coast for over five decades working with small groups that often included trombonist Michael Vlatkovich and Halley's son, drummer Carson. In August of 2018, he flew east to Brooklyn, NY where he recorded "Terra Incognita" with the Matthew Shipp Trio (the pianist, bassist Michael Bisio, and drummer Newman Taylor Baker). Halley's "live wire"compositions and fiery playing fit right in with the experimental bent of the Trio anf their first album together was a smash. 

He returned to Brooklyn one year later and, on August 16, went back into the studio with the Trio; the result, "The Shape of Things" (Pine Eagle Music), moves as passionately as the first album. And, just the like the previous release, the four musicians improvised the entire program.  Halley may be the leader but everyone stands out. Whether it's Newman Taylor Baker's powerful drums goosing the saxophonist to powerful shouts on the opening "Tetrahedon" or Shipp's lyrical piano opening to "Spaces Between" or Bisio's rapid-fire bass lines on "Oblique Lines" (note the way Halley dances out of his solo while Shipp dances in), this music does not sit still or make compromises.  Halley and Baker have another one-on-one conversation to open "Lower Strata"––it starts fairly quietly, does not boil over.  In fact, it is Shipp's majestic cascading chords and Bisio's rumbling bass work that raise the intensity. There's even more energy on "The Curved Horizon", the albums longest track at 13:35, especially as Halley and Shipp continually collide in the opening two minutes.  Baker and Bisio stoke their fire until the saxophone drops out and Shipp dances forward. After the Trio tamps down the fire but not the intensity, Halley returns and the music explodes

"The Shape of Things" (not to be confused with The Yardbirds' 1966 hit of the same name) is excellent, reminding one of how great improvised music can be a transcending experience. Rich Halley does not compromise, has no need to, his interactions with the Matthew Shipp Trio shows us music still has the power to makes us sit up and take notice!

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

Here's the opening track: https://soundcloud.com/bk-music-pr/tetrahedron-rich-halley

For his sixth release on Whirlwind Recordings, drummer and composer Jeff Williams has issued his second "live" album and third fronting a quartet. Since moving to England over a decade ago (he splits his time between NYC and UK) and signing with Michael Janisch's label, he has produced music that displays power, wit, musicality, and great "swing".  He writes to the strength of his band and they make sure the music sounds vital.  

"Road Tales: Live at London Jazz Festival", recorded in November 2018 at London's famed Pizza Express, features the drummer in the company of long-time associate John O'Gallagher (alto saxophone) and two young members of the British Jazz scene Josh Arcoleo (tenor saxophone) and Sam Lasserson (acoustic bass), both members of Williams group since 2015. Sit down, put the music on the stereo, and enjoy the 63-minute, nine song, program of the drummer's original pieces. A mix of old and new compositions, the quartet dances, swings, sways, roars, and makes you listen.  Whether it's the bluesy dance of "New and Old", the chatty and boisterous "Borderline" or the quiet ruminations of "Under the Radar" (which features a splendid Arcoleo solo), this music is always moving.  "Scrunge" is a funky, hard-hitting, dance tune that nods towards Ornette Coleman and the bluesier side of Julius Hemphill.  Williams playful "She Can't Be a Spy" stretches out so both saxophonists can dance atop the drummer's powerful beat.  The album closes with "Double Life"––the leader opens the piece by scurrying around his drum set before Lasserson enters to set the pace. The saxophonists introduce the lengthy and twisting melody then both (Arcoleo first) deliver delightful solos egged on by the conversational. drums and powerful bass lines.

"Road Tales" is a delight from start to finish. Take your time to listen to all four musicians but especially the rhythm section and how they interact with each other and how they do not just play "support" beneath the saxophonists. Jeff Williams musically came of age working with Stan Getz and Dave Liebman, at a time when creative music was still absorbing the lessons of Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, John Coltrane, and innovators of the 1950s and 60s.  Jeff Williams and company not only honor the tradition but also push it forward. Enjoy!

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

Follow the link to hear a track:  https://jeff-williams.bandcamp.com/track/the-interloper-3. 

Over the past decade, Jim (drums) and Chet (tenor saxophone), the Doxas Brothers, have been very busy musicians in their native Canada. Jim has been the drummer in pianist Oliver Jones Trio while Chet has worked with Maria Schneider, Rufus Wainwright, and the late John Abercrombie plus is part of the Brooklyn, NY-based quartet LandLine and has recorded with electronics artist/ sound designer Micah Frank.  Together, with Dave Douglas and bassist Steve Swallow, they have released two albums as Riverside for the trumpeter's Greenleaf Music. 

Now, the duo has issued its first album, "The Circle", on Justin Time Records. Joining them are bassist Adrien Vedady and pianist Marc Copland both of whom have been playing with Jim for the past several years in a trio setting. When you first listen through the program, you'll hear finely-constructed compositions, excellent musicianship, smart interplay, and a love for both swing and melody. What you will realize second and third time through is the "flow" in each piece. At times, it's the rhythm section (as they do on tunes such as the album opener "Una a la Vez" and several tracks later on "Old Sport".  When Copland locks in Vedady and Jim Doxas, they create a foundation that Chet's tenor can move through with ease.  Dig the bluesy "A Word From the Wise" where the impressionistic piano support dances around the Coleman Hawkins-inspired tenor sax. 

A poetic unaccompanied piano opens "Objets Nécessaires" leading into a melody that sounds like an interpolation of the spiritual "Go Down Moses."  Copland's crystalline lines build the piece up to the entrance of the tenor saxophone; the piece seems to explode with the power coming from the two brothers with both the piano and bassist roiling below them. The wistful tenor saxophone melody of the next track, "Joan's Song", also has a folkish feel (and a touch of Sonny Rollins) yet listen to how the pianist colors the piece with his fascinating chordal choices.

The album closes with the blues-soaked Gordon Jenkins composition "Goodbye"––originally composed in 1935 for the Benny Goodman Orchestra, this version features splendid brushes work, breathy tenor sax, fine counterpoint from Vedady, and a fascinating exploration from the pianist.  Like the eight tracks before it, "Goodbye" is exemplary of just how deeply these four musicians care about the music, the material, and each other. 

"The Circle" is delightful music, played with passion, intelligence, and the desire to connect on a human level.  The Doxas Brothers, along with Adrien Vedady and Marc Copland, create a listening experience that combines the "tradition" with creative thinking (and playing)––so sit and listen, waiting for the day when this band can make their magic in a club or small convert venue.   

For more information, go to www.doxasbrothers.com.  To hear samples and to purchase the album, go to https://doxasbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/the-circle. 

Watch and listen below to the opening track:

Adventures in Playing (Music)!

The quartet of Peter Erskine (drums), George Garzone (tenor saxophone), Alan Pasqua (piano), and Derek Oles (bass) set up shop at Sam First, a new Jazz club near LAX in Los Angeles, CA, for a three-night gig (January 17-19, 2019).  They played two sets each night, performing material ranging from originals to standards, repeating some of the pieces from set to set (but never repeating themselves), and generally thrilling an audience with high-powered and melodic straight-ahead jazz.  Since all four musicians are veterans of the music scene as well as friends, the resulting music is fresh and fun.

"3 Nights In L.A." (Fuzzy Music) is a document of the quartet's musical adventures.  The album comes in a three-disc set or as one big download. At nearly three-and-a-half hours, the best way to enjoy the music is one set at a time.  Garzone, who first came to critical notice as a member of The Fringe, the Boston, MA-based trio, that was adventurous in its approach to improvised music. He's also teaches at Berklee College and has been on the faculty of the New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, and NYU (among others). It's quite a treat to hear him stretch out on these songs.  Bassist Oles, who was born in Poland and had a busy career from his teenage years on, moved to Los Angeles in 1988 to study with Charles Haden and, over the years, has not only become first call musician but a faculty member at the University of California/Irvine.  Pasqua is also a very busy musician with a list of credits that boggles the mind. For good reason – he can play in may different styles and "sound" like himself.  As for Erskine, he's been playing, teaching, and recording since joining the Stand Kenton Orchestra in 1972. By the end of that decade, he was in the drum chair of Weather Report. Erskine has appeared on over 700 albums and, like Pasqua, is on the faculty of the Thornton School of Music at USC.

About the album, the best review is that you hear four master musicians having fun.  They swing, rock, squall (at times), dance, know how to caress a melody (Garzone's "To My Papa" is a splendid example as is Pasqua's "Agridolce"), and absolutely settle for the cliche.  Dig their version of John Coltrane's "Equinox"; the harp-like showers of notes from the piano, the bluesy beat of Oles and Erskine, and Garzone's powerful solo, all add up to an impressive piece of music.

"3 Nights In L.A." is an album to savor.  The lovely sound, the intelligent chair of material, and the fine musicianship, not at all surprising when you think of George Garzone, Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, & Derek Oles and their impressive body fo work.  Dig into this sumptuous recording – you'll enjoy the many directions the band takes and where the music ultimately goes.

For more information and to hear the opening track of Disk #1, go to petererskine.com/featured-album/3-nights-in-la/.

The recording's US release date is August 16 but the digital album was issued in mid-July.

Photo: Rob Blackham

Late last year (11/18), tenor saxophonist and composer Josephine Davies released her third album as a leader.  "In the Corners of Clouds" (Whirlwind Recordings) is the second recording of her trio, a group that features her regular bassist Dave Whitford and newest addition, drummer James Maddren.  Ms. Davies, a native of the Shetland Islands and now a resident of London, England, is a busy musician, working in several large ensemble and leading two other projects besides the Trio, now known as Satori after the group's 2017 Whirlwind album.

Ms. Davies has created a sound that shows off both her melodies as well as her penchant for getting everyone involved.  There are moments when the sound of this trio reminds me of alto saxophonist Bernie McGann's 2000 "Bundeena" – a touch of blues, of folk music, music that is a conversation between the participants and not just soloing over the rhythm section. There's also a touch of the classic John Coltrane Quartet, especially the less frenetic work that that group did in the studio up to "A Love Supreme."  "The Space Between Thoughts" is a soulful ballad with sparse bass work and whisper-soft brush work plus a melody "sung" by the saxophone.  Ms. Davies takes her time moving through the melody, with an easy transition into her solo. Whitford's fine bass solo is short and melodically rich.  The track is one of the two tracks under five minutes on the album but feels complete in its brevity.  The other "shorter" piece is the album closer "Scattered", notable for the saxophone-bass dialogue in the solo section.

The dancing twists-and-turns of "Wabi-Sabi", with its Arabic-sounding curlicues and powerful percussion, opens the album (hear below) and one is immediately caught up in the works this trio creates.  The title track has a tinge of Sonny Rollins's "Way Out West" in the percussion but it's Ms. Davies' melody that stands out.  Her subtle solo blends soft and harder tones, pushed forward by the active rhythm section.  She overdubs a second tenor saxophone to create harmony and counterpoint on "Lazy", a song that lopes along on the dancing bass lines and the "click-clack" of the drumsticks.

This review of "In the Corners of Clouds" may have been percolating in my consciousness for the past nine months mostly because the music does not shout (most of the time) or make bold statements.  Instead, the listener is seduced by the melodies, by the rich solos, by the saxophone tone that can be soft yet hard-edged when the music calls for it, and, finally, for the excellence of the rhythm section.  Josephine Davies – in her guise as the leader of Satori – makes music for the soul, illustrating the many directions the creative mind can go.

I look forward to hearing more music from Ms. Davies, including from her Big Band.  For more information, go to www.josephinedavies.co.uk.

Here's the opening track:

Tenor saxophonist Rich Halley, born, raised, and still living in Portland, Oregon, is in the midst of a long and exciting career.  He attended the University of Chicago in the mid-1960s, coming in contact with various blues artists as well as the AACM.  He moved back home in 1968 and has played many types of music even as he he worked on his Masters Degree in Biology from the University of New Mexico.  Musically, he has played and/or recorded  with multi-reed player Vinny Golia, trumpeter Bobby Bradford, trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, trumpeter Rob Blakeslee, and bassist Michael Bisio (among others).  Over the past decade, he has led and continues to lead bands that feature his son Carson Halley on drums and bassist Clyde Reed (who has worked with the saxophonist since early in the new century). Since 2001, Halley has released his music on his own Pine Eagle Records label.

In August of 2018, the saxophonist was in the New York City area and recorded "Terra Incognita" (Pine Eagle) in Brooklyn with pianist Matthew Shipp, drummer Newman Taylor Baker, and the afore-mentioned Michael Bisio (a long-time friend).  While the quartet has never recorded together before or even had a rehearsal before entering the studio, Halley had performed with the bassist when Bisio lived in Seattle and also played in a trio with him and drummer Baker.  The album is quite apropos in the light of the information above because this music was an "unexplored territory" for the participants.  Yet, their fearless approach to the session results in a delight-filled recording.

Photo: Rob Pyle

Readers of this and many other blogs or magazines know how creative the trio of Shipp, Bisio, and Baker are in the studio and in person.  The drummer, in particular, has added quite a fascinating voice to that Trio and he is in fine "voice" on these six pieces.  Baker adds such fascinating colors and rhythmic patterns to this music – o, he can burn with passion, as he does on "Centripetal" but make sure to listen to his sparse cymbal work on "The Elms."  That track is a handsome ballad with lyrical piano and a falling melody line from the tenor.  "The Opening" (yes, the first track) hits on all cylinders from the get-go with its rumbling, skittish, bass lines, rampaging drums, two-handed piano counterpoint (every once in a while, Shipp resembles McCoy Tyner from the 1970s), and Halley's powerful, impassioned, solo (he rarely records with a pianist these days).  The playful "Forager" illustrates how these musicians listen and respond to each other.  Baker locks in with Halley on his solo, responding to his power and the long melody lines.  The splendid sound quality of the album (kudos to engineer Jim Clouse) makes all the instruments stand out (note the clarity on the bass solo). The final track, "The Journey", is the longest track (17:02) and it's quite a ride – be sure to catch Halley's great, blues-drenched, solo near the close.

"Terra Incognita", with all its twists, turns, and interactions, is worth exploring.  This quartet certainly plays with great fire yet the fire does not always present itself as "noise" or "free" blowing.  Rich Halley, Matthew Shipp, Michael Bisio, and Newman Taylor Baker are on a musical adventure – it's a joy to be part of their collaboration as well as their sonic explorations!  Rich Halley should come East more often!

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

Here's the "Opening" track:

The Power of Memory, of Collaboration, & Ideas

Pianist and composer Art Hirahara is a very busy musician. He's played with dozens of creative musicians over the past two decades, from the late baritone saxophonist Fred Ho to drummer royal hartigan to Dave Douglas to drummer Akira Tana and many more.  With the release of "Sunward Bound", he's now has four albums since 2010 on Posi-Tone Records: each one displays his splendid playing, arranging skills, and ability to choose like-minded companions on the journey. This is the third CD to feature bassist Linda May Han Oh and the second that has been graced by the  splendid drumming of Rudy Royston.  Special guest on four of the 11 cuts, for the second album in a row, is tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin.

Photo: Sara Pettinella

Because of the obvious chemistry among the musicians, the music never sounds forced or trite.  From the opening track, the Thelonious Monk-inspired "Ruse for Blue Shoes", this program dances, soars, flows, caresses, and often has an irresistible forward motion.  The trio tracks, such as the one above, illustrates how the musicians listen, push, and follow each other through the songs.  Even on the more challenging pieces, such as "Beyond Right and Wrong" with its tumultuous rubato, shaken percussion, and tinkling piano, the music has a positivity that gives the listener pleasure. Check the smashing cover of "Ringo Oiwake, a  piece by Japanese composer Masao Yoneyama first recorded in 1952 by Hibari Misora.  This arrangement sounds influenced by mid-1970s McCoy Tyner.

Photo: Sara Pettinella

The high energy level gets kicked up even higher when McCaslin enters the music.  The sweet melody and performances on "Brooklyn Express" bring to mind Dexter Gordon while the title track has the feel of John Coltrane's "Central Park West." "Unbound" truly lives up to its name - when the saxophonist take off on his solo, listen to what everyone else is doing and you'll understand the power of creative music! His final appearance comes on "Points of View", in which his higher notes have the feel of a soprano sax. Again, pay attention to the work of the bass and drums as well as the leader's delightful countermelodies and support.

Photo: Sara Pettinella

I have listened to "Sunward Bound" numerous timea snd always find something I haven't heard before.  If you allow this music to soak in, you can not help but be pleased. Really good modern music and contemporary musicians always keep its mind on the past and its ears in the present.  Art Hirahira can and does play all kinds of music - his art keeps growing and maturing.  Enjoy!

For more information, go to arthirahara.com.

Here's a quartet track:

Over the past three decades or so, I have come to appreciate the work, the work ethic, and approach of saxophonist/composer Rich Halley. Based in Oregon, Halley has created his own music on small labels as well as his own (for the last eight years), and rarely tours beyond the West Coast.  Still, his recordings are filled with life, with powerful meditations on the creative process, and impressive musicianship.

"The Literature" (Pine Eagle Records), credited to the Rich Halley 3, is the first time the saxophonist has recorded an album of non-originals. This is not just any random group of pieces but, as you should be able to tell from the title, Halley is exploring "classics": not literature but music from artists such as Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, Miles Davis, and the Carter Family.  Eclectic to be sure Halley was exposed to all of this different music in his formative years.

Joined here by bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Carson Halley (his son), the 3 take this pastiche of music and make it their own.  With the thick bass lines and robust (sometimes gentle) drumming, the music often dances.  Listen to the opening "Little Willie Leaps" (M. Davis) - the trio jumps right, Halley leading the way with a tone that suggests Sonny Rollins yet an approach all his own.  Because these 3 have worked together for a number of years, each musician can chart his own course. Reed's counterpoint bass and young Halley's splendid drum work, the music swirls and whirls but never loses its way. Monk's "Misterioso" follows and, again, note how the rhythm section does not confirm to the original rhythm section approach.  Here, they sound like trio Air (Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall, and Fred Hopkins), respectful of the composition but definitely making the piece their own. "Mood Indigo" has a smilier feel, with a bluesy Coleman Hawkins-like tenor sax sound on the melody line. Note how Halley and Reed work in and around each other during the solo section.

Photos: Daniel Sheehan 

Pieces such as Jimmie Rodgers' "High Powered Mama" and Hank Willams's "Someday You'll Call My Name" (composed by Jean Branch and Eddie Hill) hit a fine balance between country music and the blues.  Halley does get a frisky during his solo on the latter track: still, the melodies of both come shining through.  Dig the funky opening of Monk's "Brilliant Corners" and then see how the trio explodes outwards for a delightful three-way conversation.  The transformation of Mongo Santamaria's "Chano Pozo" is an excellent spotlight for the drummer. His thunderous beat supports the dancing bass lines and the saxophonist's sympathetic reading of the melody line as well as his reflective solo.

"The Literature" is no dusty collection of old tracks but a living, breathing, reminder that creative music has a great tradition continually worth exploring. The Rich Halley 3 does that and more.  This is an hour well-spent!

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

Here's the opening track:

"Science Fair" (Sunnyside Records) brings together drummer Allison Miller and pianist Carmen Staff for an enjoyable adventure in modern music.  With bassist Matt Penman making sure throughout that the foundation is sturdy, the co-leaders both supplied the material (Ms. Miller five, Ms. Staaf four).  The "science" involved in this project includes chemistry, certainly mathematics and physics, but also a bit of magic.  With two well-placed guests (tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens on four tracks and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire on two), the music goes in various directions and never gets lost.

The program opens with a whoosh of sounds. All five of the musicians push their way into "What?!" until Ms. Miller puts down the most delicious of beats, Ms. Staaf colors the foreground with lovely piano figures, all leading up to Stephens and Akinmusire introducing the melody.  The mood shifts for the powerful  trumpet and drum conversation which leads to a tenor sax solo that starts off in a meditative manner before the drummer pushes Stephens a bit harder.  Go back and pay attention at the piano often in the background. The lush figures and occasional rhythmic pulses stand out.

The piano is front-and-center on the next track, "Symmetry."  After a soft introduction highlighted by Stephen's breathy reading of the melody, Ms. Staaf moves into the spotlight and her far-ranging solo is a highlight of the melody. Listen to Ms. Miller responds - this is chemistry of the highest order. The sax and trumpet return for Ms. Miller's "Weightless", the longest track (10:08), the episodic performance giving everyone her and his moment in the solo spotlight (save for the drummer who is the motor through most of it). Best of all, because of the crystal-clear recording, the mix by bassist Todd Sickafoose, and Dave Darlington's excellent mastering, you can hear everyone quite well. Make sure to hang around for the last few minutes and hear the emotional trumpet-piano duo.

Photo: Shervin Lainez

The trio tracks stand out as well.  From Ms. Miller's folky ballad "Ready Steady" (that opens with an enjoyable bass solo) to the lovely two-part ballad "Skyway" (also composed by Ms. Miller), the three musicians hold your attention. The latter track closes the album: infused with a gospel feel, it's a feature for Penman's fine solo at the beginning and also in the middle.  Ms. Staaf's bouncy "MLW" rides in on Ms. Miller's exotic hand drumming. The pianist also dances here, the rhythmic pulse from her left hand providing the bottom (Penman sits this one out) while her right goes on a jaunty melodic adventure.  "West of the Moon" (also from the pen of the pianist) takes its name from the standard "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon") and one can hear similarities in the chords and fragments of the melody.  It's a tour-de-force for the trio.

"Science Fair" is very good music and great fun. If you're a big fan of Allison Miller, her playing here is superb. Carmen Staaf is music director for Dee Dee Bridgewater aa well as an excellent music educator.  She's also a member of Ms. Miller's Boom Tic Boom and has worked with young vocalist Allegra Levy. Together, the two make impressive that goes beyond the mundane and take into accounts the myriad influences on the leaders and their collaborators.  Give it a close listen.

For more information, go to allisonmiller.com and/or www.carmenstaaf.com.  

The album will be released on September 18, 2018.

Here's that jaunty "MLW":