Twenty Recordings for 2020 (Part 1)

 At the beginning of this year, many of us knew that we would have to suffer through the Presidential Election cycle, that the amount of money spent on Federal and State elections would reach epic heights, and the possibility of lies and half-truths flying through the air might rent this country asunder.  We did, it did, but hardly anyone predicted that a deadly virus would kill so many people, close up so many businesses, turn cities into deserts, and touch so many families around the country and the world.  

Here at the cusp of 2021, there are now vaccines to fight the virus beginning to be distributed around the world, there will be a new administration in Washington, D.C., and we will soon be able to venture outdoors to begin the process of healing our communities. On a personal note, my older sister passed in April and my wife's brother in September; like many older people, our family is spread around the country and we only see them on FaceTime or via ZOOM. Our friends suffer in the hospital and we cannot visit to help buoy their spirits. Even worse, unless we can go outside, there's no breaking of bread, no sharing of wine and desserts, no going to plays or concerts or galleries.  

Yet, music remains a constant and 2020 was a sparkling time for Black American Music. Whereas many of the albums that topped the "Critics List" were recorded in 2019 or before, by the end of the year we were hearing music produced in the pandemic months. The spirit of creativity has not suffered even as so many musicians, who depend on live performances to pay the rent and feed their families, often have to apply for grants and gifts to stay afloat. As a reviewer, I am blessed with plenty of promotional CDs and audio files; artists appreciate reviews but the only money they will see form that are the royalties when the album is sold.  Many of them have turned to Bandcamp, perhaps the fairest of all the music sellers in the world (the website's "First Fridays", a day when over 90% of the money paid for a music file or album goes directly to the artist)––you'll see links to the artist's Bandcamp page at the bottom of nearly all the albums in Step Tempest.  Listen when you can, purchase what you can.  Music brings hope, solace, awakens our senses and emotions, and makes our blood flow.  

Below are albums that I reviewed this year and that stand out from the rest.

Chad Taylor Trio - The Daily Biological (Cuneiform Records) –  This album arrived several weeks after my sister's passing. The energy and beauty in the music reminded me that music has the power to cut through grief, to amplify emotions, and to soothe us in times of loss. Listening to the music created by drummer and composer Chad Taylor, tenor saxophonist Brian Settles, and pianist Neil Podgurski wafting through our house as the Spring breezes danced through now-open windows shook me from my lethargy and mourning to confront and savor how these three musicians tackled diversity, melody, and rhythm over the course of nine songs in 61 minutes. Sounds fresh each time I listen and it remains a "go-to" recording.  To listen and purchase, go to https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-daily-biological. 

(Honorable mention: "Live in Willisau" – James Brandon Lewis and Chad Taylor - (Intakt Records)

https://jamesbrandonlewis.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-willisau).

Eric Revis - "Slipknots Through a Looking Glass" - (Pyroclastic Records) -  Bassist and composer Revis, a mainstay of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, releases the most interesting albums as a leader and this one is no exception.  With a band that includes Chad Taylor (drums, mbira), label head Kris Davis (piano, prepared piano), Darius Jones (alto saxophone), Bill McHenry (tenor saxophone), and Justin Faulkner (drums on two tracks), this music is experimental, funky, fiery, loud, and soothing, an album that makes you sit up and dig in.  Taylor and Revis together could light up the night sky; mix in the piano and reeds and the music takes off in so many fascinating directions.  To listen and purchase, go to https://ericrevispyroclastic.bandcamp.com/album/slipknots-through-a-looking-glass.  

Aubrey Johnson - "Unraveled" - (Outside In Music) - It took three years for this album to reach the public but Ms. Johnson's performance, her song choices, and the delightfully simpatico quintet of musicians was well worth. Her voice is supple, emotionally full, and she sounds so invested in the material that you believe ebery word she sings.  Her ability to take a piece like Jimmy Rowles oft-recorded "The Peacocks" and make it her own (kudos to the bass clarinet of Michael Sachs for her fine counterpoint) or the opening "No More I Love Yous" (made a hit by Annie Lennox) which brings the lyrics into focus is a listener's delight.  The pandemic cut off the "Album Release Tour"––let's hope she gets to bring this impressive group and music to the public soon.  To listen to more and purchase the album, go to. https://aubreyjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/unraveled. 

Doxas Brothers - "The Circle" - (Justin Time Records) - This recording snuck up on me, quietly but stealthily invading my brain and my heart. Brothers Chet (tenor saxophone) and Jim (drums), along with Adrian Vedady (drums) and the magnificent Marc Copland (piano) present a nine-song program (eight originals, one standard––Gordon Jenkin's "Goodbye") that is rich in melody, inventiveness, and, when called for, great fire.  Copland's solos and support are fascinating to listen to throughout, eschewing cliches for thoughtful interaction and melody.  The Brothers, who play with Dave Douglas and Steve Swallow in Riverside, are mighty impressive players who do not overplay.  For more information and to purchase the recording, go to  https://doxasbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/the-circle.

Matthew Shipp Trio – "The Unidentifiable" - (ESP-Disk) – Pianist and composer Shipp turned 60 a few weeks ago (December 7) but shows no signs of slowing down.  He's on a slew of albums again that were releases in 2020 including this delightful Trio recording on ESP.  With his tremendous rhythm section of Michael Bisio (bass) and Newman Taylor Baker (drums), the pianist pounds, darts, dashes, swings, and sings a splendid 11-song program.  Over the last few Trio recordings, Shipp has embraced melody in a way that is adventurous and not cloying, thoughtful without technical histrionics. He can still wail on piano but his music is concerned with texture, interplay, and finding the links between darkness and light.  To listen and to purchase, go to https://matthewshipp.bandcamp.com/album/the-unidentifiable. 

(Honorable mention goes to "The Piano Equation", Shipp's solo piano recording for drummer Whit Dickey's TaoForms label––check it out at https://taoforms.bandcamp.com/album/the-piano-equation. 

Max Bessesen - "Trouble" - (Ropeadope Records) – There were a number of debut albums this year (Aubrey Johnson, for instance) but none that captured my imagination more than young Mr. Bessesen's recording. The Denver, CO, native began playing alto saxophone as a teenager and mentored by great cornettist Ron Miles. He attended Oberlin Conservatory and, after traveling the world through a Fellowship, he settled in Chicago and started his own band. The death of one of the band members––guitarist Zac Nunnery––spurred the saxophonist to bring the his (now) quartet into the studio. The resulting album is quite exciting, musical, and well worth exploring.  An added bonus is the presence of Mr. Miles on six of the 10 tracks!

To listen to and purchase the album, go to https://max-bessesen.bandcamp.com/album/trouble. 

(Honorable mention––Ron Miles 2020 Blue Note release "Rainbow Sign". For more information, go to www.bluenote.com/artist/ron-miles/. 

The first half of this list of 20 also includes four of the Large Ensemble albums I posted about the other day. They include Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble "The New Immigrant Experience: Music Inspired by Conversations with Dreamers", Maria Schneider Orchestra "Data Lords", Gregg August "Dialogues on Race, Vol. I", and Arturo O'Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra "The Four Questions". 

Second half will be posted next week!

Music With Many Roots

Drummer Adam Nussbaum has had quite the career. Long associations with guitarists John Abercrombie, saxophonist Stan Getz, bassist Steve Swallow, the Brecker Brothers, Dave Liebman, and many others have proven to fans and listeners his worth in the rhythm section. He's co-led and co-leads a number of ensembles but until Sunnyside Records issued "The Lead Belly Project" in February 2018, the affable musician had never released an album as a leader.

After that album was issued, Nussbaum led his cohort––alto saxophonist Ohad Talmor, guitarists Steve Cardenas and Nate Radley––on several tours and they gelled as a working ensemble.  The quartet's second release, "Lead Belly Reimagined" (Sunnyside), includes eight more songs from the songbook of Huddie Ledbetter (1888-1949), with each member of the group contributing ideas and arrangements.  If you liked the initial disc, you'll love this.  "Princess Elizabeth", a tune written in honor of the wedding of Elizabeth to the future Prince Philip, is a lovely, lilting tune in which the guitarists play the simple but enchanting melody in unison with the alto saxophone.  "Laura" keeps the playful edge and the sprit of the original (on which the composer played button accordion and hopped and hollered)––dig how the leader even plays the melody on occasion plus the delightful, dancing, sax solo.

Photo: Neil Swanson

One of the many highlights is the evocative "Rock Island Line". Nussbaum is the train in the station warming up while one of the guitarists calls "all aboard".  Talmor plays the melody through once and the train takes off.  Pretty soon, the song is up to speed with everybody trying to keep up with the beat until we hear the melody shared by the guitar and sax and the songs comes to its conclusion. Chances are you'll also love the spunky "Shorty George"; with its bouncy New Orleans-inspired beat, Talmor and the guitarists head off in quite a playful manner.  Listen closely to "If It Wasn't For Dicky"––the tune, inspired by an Irish folk song "Drimmin' Down", became the inspiration for "Kisses Sweet Than Wine" adapted by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays of The Weavers. That last tune was a big hit for pop singer Jimmie Rogers in 1957, even winning the GRAMMY Award for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocal" that year.  Here, the quartet caress the original melody treating it care and love.

Photo: YouTube

"Lead Belly Reimagined" closes with "Governor Pat Neff", who, legend has it, was so impressed by the songs of the prisoner Ledbetter (convicted of murder twice) that he released him before his term had expired––not so, in truth but Neff's song is a playful ditty with rollicking drums. You can hear Adam Nussbaum and the band laughing heartily after the final thump. Can't blame them as they must had such a great time on that July day in 2019 when they created this delightful album.  A playful collection of Americana, blues, "roots-jazz", and chutzpah, "Lead Belly Reimagined" will help placate your Pandemic blues!

For more information about Lead Belly, go to www.leadbelly.org.  Check out Adam Nussbaum's site at www.adamnussbaum.net. You can purchase the album by going to https://adamnussbaum.bandcamp.com/album/lead-belly-reimagined.

Here's the opening tune:

Photo: Isabel Firpo

Alto saxophonist and composer Max Bessesen grew up in Denver, CO, where he first discovered Ron Miles (cornet, trumpet)––in fact, among his first professional gigs were appearances with the brass master.  He studied at Oberlin Conservatory when he came into contact with master musicians/ educators Gary Bartz, Billy Hart, and Dr. Eddie Henderson. In 2016 he received a grant to study music that took him to India, Ghana, and Cuba.Upon his return, the saxophonist moved to Chicago where he became involved in the exciting music scene playing with bassist Matt Ulery, fellow saxophonist Greg Ward, trumpeter Emily Kuhn, and is part of the quartet Echoes. Bessesen's initial recording experience was Echoes 2018 debut EP "Square Two" followed up by the group's 2019 full album "Loading Screen."

The saxophonist also started his own group upon his return to the US, a quintet that featured Eric Krouse (piano, keys), Ethan Philion (bass), Nathan Friedman (drums), and guitarist Zac Nunnery. Sadly, the guitarist died unexpectedly in December of 2018 and the ensemble continued on as a quartet.  Bessesen's debut as a leader, "Trouble" (Ropeadope Records), is dedicated to "...Nunnery and anyone in Trouble".  Mentor Miles joins the quartet for six of the ten tracks but one can hear from the maturity of Bessesen's writing that this is a group of equals.  The program opens with "Whirling"; the leader plays a circular melody while Miles adds noises in the background, the piano chimes in, the drummer dances on his kit––the piece serves as an introduction to "Blue Glass Halo", a richly melodic piece in which the cornet and alto sax share the melody. Listen below; there's a Kenny Wheeler influence to the music yet the rhythm section seems to want to be more active, especially Friedman's powerful work

Friedman is front and center on the 52-second "Nungam" which leads into the quartet playing "Bakkam".  The titles inform the listener that the music is inspired by Bessesen's studies in India. The melody line of the latter track has that inspiration as do the dancing rhythms.  Krouse's powerful piano solo roils atop the bass and drums setting the stage for the leader's exciting interaction with the band.  One can hear the influence of Rudresh Mahanthappa in the rapid-fire lines––Bessesen's tone is "sweeter" than the sometime tart timbre of his fellow alto saxophonist.

Photo: Elliot Ross

Pieces such as "Mayhem" and the title track also gives Ron Miles (photo left) and the musicians room to be inventive.  The former track has a simple yet "mysterious" melody as well as a relentless rhythm. As the music opens, Krouse adds his Wurlitzer electric piano to the mix.  The cornet solo slowly builds from the melody line out. Note the softer yet still strong accompaniment beneath him, Bessesen enters and the rhythm becomes funkier allowing the saxophonist to dance atop the beat. "Trouble" is, not surprisingly, a more sober work. With a long alto sax intro that sounds what a flower unfolding in the morning might sound like, the song moves forward with a muted cornet. After Miles' long solo, Krouse steps out inn front with a long, flowing, solo that builds in intensity pulling the drums and bass along. For the most part, Bessesen stays in the background until close to the end of the piece when he and Miles state the full theme.

There's a lot of music, a plentitude of inspired moments, excellent musicianship and interactions throughout "Trouble".  Max Bessesen was certainly prepared for his debut yet this music does not sound overwrought or feel overwritten.  The leader contributed eight of the songs, pianist Krouse added one, and there's a lovely reading of Sammy Cahn's "Be My Love" that closes the album.  The alto saxophonist reminds this listener of another young alto player, Alex LoRe, especially in their "handsome" tone and willingness to move beyond conventional song forms while never ignoring the many musicians and sounds that preceded them.  When you add James Brandon Lewis, Logan Richardson, and several other to the list of artists who will move Black American and creative Contemporary Music forward through the next decades of the 21st Century, the music is in good minds and hands.

For more information, go to www.maxbessesen.com.  To hear more of and to purchase "Trouble", go to https://max-bessesen.bandcamp.com.

Give a listen:

The Hard Blues and Heroes

I don't exactly remember the first time heard I heard "The Hard Blues", a gutbucket tune informed by the Texas blues saxophonist and composer Julius Hemphill grew up with, the gigs he played as a young man, and the "free" music he discovered in St. Louis, MO as a founder and member of the Black Artists Group, a short-lived collective similar to the AACM of Chicago. But, the song, recorded in 1972 and not released until 1975 on the Lp "Coon Bidness" (later reissued on Arista/ Freedom as "Reflections"), enters your brain and takes you away into a world that sounds familiar and strange at the same time.  Cellist Abdul Wadud plucking away while drummer Philip Wilson keeps a steady beat create a steady bottom as the alto saxophonist s well as the trumpeter Baikida Carroll read the rollicking theme.  The piece, as you will hear below, opens up and breaks down to long, urgent, solos but rarely loses that hard-edged bottom.

If you do not know anything about the music and life of Julius Hemphill (1938-1995), click here!

Listen here:

No piece of music gave me shivers the way that piece did and, truly,  still does.  On May 1, Bandcamp donated all their profits from sales to the artists whose albums they sell and I discovered Heroes Are Gang Leaders, a music and poetry collective that first came to life in 2014 when poet Thomas Sayers Ellis and tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis created a group to celebrate the life and writings of Amiri Baraka.  The ensemble, which ranges from 10 - 15 members (depending on the whims of the leaders and the particular music, have recorded five albums since the ensemble debuted including an albums that featured Lydia Lunch, poet Anne Waldman, and guitarist Thurston Moore.  The ensemble's latest "Artificial Happiness Button", was released in March of this year on Ropeadope Records (the group's debut on that label).

The second track on the album, "Mista Sippy", is the closest piece of music I found that rocks me the way that "The Hard Blues" does .  There's a lot going on between the blues "licks" the musicians lay down and the various poems, spoken word, and song on top of the beat.  The lyrics deal with lynching, drinking, the addictions of drug and drink plus how they're affected by poverty, racial disparities in the South and around the United States, and much more.  The piece runs over 13 minutes and the sounds grab you by the throat without letting go. The music below the panoply of voices pushes, prods, swells and ebbs.  Just listen –– the lyrics are quite raw at times –– but do listen.



Personnel on this track:

James Brandon Lewis, Tenor Sax 
Luke Stewart, Bass 
Janice Lowe, Keyboards 
Melanie Dyer, Viola 
Brandon Moses, Guitar 
Heru Shabaka-ra, Trumpet 
Warren “Trae” Crudup, Drums 
Devin Brahja Waldman, Alto Sax 
Janice Lowe, Lead Vocals 
Nettie Chickering, Vocals 
Poem by Thomas Sayers Ellis 
Poem Support by Crystal Good, Randall Horton, Bonita Penn and Christian Black 
No Land, Voice 
Matthew Alexander, George Wallace Reenactment (Song Intro) 
Anonymous woman talking about lynching recorded by Thomas Sayers Ellis at Amtrak Station, Tampa, Florida, September 22, 2016 
Background Vocals 
Janice Lowe 
James Brandon Lewis 
Crystal Good 

To find out more this fascinating artists collective, go to https://heroesaregangleaders.com.  To buy their music, go to https://heroesaregangleaders.bandcamp.com.

Attention to Details!

The dynamic young alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin is steadily maturing into one of the more exciting musicians on the contemporary scene.  Ms. Benjamin, born in New York City, attended the Fiorello LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and went on to the New School. She has performed with Clark Terry and Reggie Workman, appeared onstage with Stevie Wonder and The Roots, toured with Macy Gray, Alicia Keys, and Gregory Porter, and released her debut album on Motema Music in 2012.  That recording and her 2018 "Retox" (Ropeadope Records) showed the saxophonist in modern r'n'b, funk, and dance modes with a touch of jazz yet one could hear Ms. Benjamin's biting tone, sassy attack, and the influence of players such as David Sanborn ad Greg Osby.

For her third album and second for Ropeadope), Ms. Benjamin enlisted the aid of bassist Workman––they set about to create "Pursuance: The Coltranes", a tribute to the legendary saxophonist and his second wife Alice. Over the course of 13 songs and 70 minutes, right from the opening track, "Liberia" which pairs her with alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, to the blazing finale, "Affinity" (with its front line of alto saxophonists Greg Osby and Bruce Williams) this music explores just how powerful the music the couple created in their lifetime. Whether she's playing the themes or digging into her solo, Ms. Benjamin's vision is laser-focused and her sound is often keening, always moving forward.

There are highlights galore.  The saxophonist teams with pianist Bertha Hope on "Alabama" (the saxophonist's musical eulogy to the four young victims of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL); supported by the basses of Mr. Workman and Lonnie Plaxico plus the muscular drumming of Darrell Green, the music sears the soul as it did when John Coltrane first recorded the piece in 1963. That segues right into "Acknowlegement" (from "A Love Supreme") with a spoken word intro from Abiodun Oyewole (founder of The Last Poets) and a splendid call-and-response featuring Ms. Benjamin and vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater.  That jumps directly into "Pursuance" (also from "A Love Supreme"), a high-energy romp with Green and bassist Jonathan Michel pushing the saxophonist and pianist Marc Cary forward.

Six of the 13 pieces in the program were penned by Alice Coltrane including the sweet "Prema" (from her 1978 "Transfiguration" Lp) that features a five-person string section plus the harp of Brandee Younger. The ensemble, powered by Green, Plaxico, and pianist Surya Botofasina (who, as a child, studied at the ashram Ms. Coltrane founded in Los Angeles, CA), keeps the music roiling throughout. Georgia Ann Mudrow speaks the words of "Om Shanti" while Ms. Benjamin's alto wheels around the sound system and bassist/ vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello joins the leader singing the  Buddhist mantra. Botofasina returns for "Turiya and Ramakrishna", a medium tempo ballad that the alto saxophonist creates a prayer-like reading of the theme.  The piano solo starts with rippling, harp-like, figures before moving into a gospel-fueled statement that rises in intensity leading to Ms. Benjamin's sweet, blues-soaked, solo.

The afore-mention "Affinity" (also found on "Transfiguration") is a fiery close to the program with great solos from the three alto saxophonists plus excellent rhythm section fire provided by Green, Radway, and Reggie Workman (who played on the original album). "Pursuance: The Coltranes" is not for the faint-of-heart but for hearts (and minds) that need spiritual and physical cleansing, that need to understand the power of the music that both John and Alice Coltrane created, music that stands the test of time.  Lakecia Benjamin pulls no punches, cuts no corners, and plays with great emotion and dedication.  The album is a giant step forward in her maturation, music that will serve as a blueprint to continued growth as an artist.

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

Here's the powerful opening track:

Vocalist, composer, educator, and producer Thana Alexa may be best known for her work with groups led by guitarist/ composer Gene Ess and her husband Antonio Sanchez & Migration.  Born in New York City to Croatian parents who moved back home when Ms. Alexa when a young teenager.  While living in Zagreb, she attend the Rock Academy of Music where she switched her attention from violin to voice.  She started college at Northeastern University before transferring to the New School in New York City where Ms. Alexa double-majored in jazz vocal performance and psychology!  She released her debut album "Ode to Heroes" (Harmonia Mundi) in 2015 – what stands out most in her music is the way she combines myriad musical genres to create emotionally rich stories.

"ONA" (self-released) is an often stunning step forward.  The theme of the album is right there in the title (the word translates to "she" from Croatian) – Ms. Alexa is interested in education the listener about the "feminine spirit", about the mysteries, joys, and more that being a 21st Century woman deals with. Along with her husband on drums, percussion, and keyboards, the instrumentalists include Carmen Staaf (piano, Fender Rhodes, keys), Jordan Peters (guitars), and Matt Brewer (acoustic and electric bass). On the title track which opens the album, Ms. Alexa utilizes 10 additional voices including the Rosa Vocal Group plus Nicole Zuraitis, Sofia Rei, Claudia Acuna, and Sarah Elizabeth Charles––the lyrics celebrates the determination of women in times of strife especially in a male-dominated world.

Poet, activist, and spoken work artist Staceyann Chin is featured on "The Resistance", another shout for freedom of spirit.  Before Ms. Chin appears to read an excerpt from her poem "Raise The Roof", the band builds a thumping beat that, at times, resembles the music from "Hamilton".  Ms. Chin's fiery words are framed by equally fiery music that, like her words, rises to a raging finish.  Violinist Regina Carter joins the ensemble for "Pachamama", and her overdubbed violin parts create a powerful counterpoint to the words.  "Set Free" is the first real ballad on the 10-song program: Ms. Staaf's introspective piano intro leads the song in and she is the only accompaniment for Ms. Alexa's fine vocal. The next piece, "You Taught Me", is introduced by Peters's acoustic guitar and he alone frames the vocal for the first verse. The sound and song opens up when the drums and bass come in but hushed quality of the opening never really disappears.  Becca Stevens shows up on "He Said She Said" to share the lead vocal plus add ukulele and 10-stringed charango.  It's a lovely story about love bringing people together from different countries and the sacrifices they make for love.

There are two cover tracks on the album.  "Teardrop", originally written and performed by Massive Attack, opens quietly with Ms Alexa's wordless vocal. As she sings the opening verse, her only accompaniment is her overdubbed voice. The band comes in and the piece picks in intensity until a roaring guitar solo; then it's back to quieter sounds.  The album closes with "Everybody Wants to Rule The World", the Tears for Fears hit from 1985 that has been showing on other jazz albums in the past year.  Here, Ms. Alexa and the band kick the tune quite hard with numerous tempo changes, tremendous drumming, power piano chords, and voices rising out of the mix, and a hard-edged guitar solo that carries the song and the album to its conclusion.

"ONA" is an ode to the power, to the creativity, to the necessity of speaking out, that Thana Alexa wants everyone to understand that this is also important for all women around the world. Originally recorded in early 2017, right after President Trump was elected and sworn-in, the music serves as a reminder of his administration's (and others around the world) desire to push back against the rights women, immigrants, and people of color have striven for through the 20th and early 21st Centuries.  Ms. Alexa points no fingers at any elected officials but her message is clear and her music reflects her passion.  Highly recommended!

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

Listen closely to "The Resistance":

Photo: Kyra Kverno

Duchess––Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, and Melissa Stylianou–– are girls, okay, ladies, who just want their audiences to have fun when they perform.  They first organized in 2014, recording their self-titled debut that featured their case harmonies, soaring voices, and sparkling arrangements by Oded Lev-Ari.  With The Boswell Sisters as their inspiration, Duchess will lift your spirits and brighten your day.  Plus, they have a cracker-jack band backing them up––Michael Cabe (piano), Jesse Lewis (guitar), Matt Aronoff (bass), and Jared Schonig (drums)––who also join in on the fun

As much fun as their albums can be, it's in-person where Duchess shines.  So, after two studio efforts for Anzic Records, the ladies and their band spent two nights in The Jazz Standard in New York City. Now, with "Live at Jazz Standard", you'll hear what you've been missing. Yes, the songs are great, the harmonies splendid, and the band tight but it's the stage "patter"thats a treat – the "Band Introduction" is flat-out hilarious. That leads into Cy Coben's "It's a Man" (composed for Betty Hutton) which is delightfully (modern) politically incorrect.  The sound of the recording is crisp and clear as you can easily hear all the voices (oh, those sweet harmonies), the snap of the snare drums, the delightful piano interjections, the solid bass lines, and crackling guitar solos.

Photo: Kyra Kverno

The material comes from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s with standards such as "On The Sunny Side of the Street" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" rubbing shoulders (elbows, these days) with specialities such as "Heebie Jeebies" (recorded in the 1920s by both Louis Armstrong and Ethel Waters) and "Three Little Sisters" (composed in 1944 and recorded by The Andrews Sisters) – the last tune listed also features the group's horn section (the vocalists on kazoos). There's a lovely take on Duke Ellington's "Creole Love Call" (the arrangement comes from Wycliffe Gordon) plus a deeply swinging take on "Chatanooga Choo Choo."

No politics, just fun, when Duchess takes the stage and, if you don't join in on the applause at the end or get off the couch with a smile or even forget for a moment about the social distancing, you're not relaxing enough.  "Live at The Jazz Standard" is wonderfully alive, funny, swinging, and a delight  from start to finish.  Go ahead, indulge!

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

Here's the gang with a delightful Peggy Lee song: