Children, Bedtime, Poetry, & Music

Musical inspiration can come from so many different places. For saxophonist, flutist, and composer Patrick Cornelius, the music on his 5th album as a leader, ""While We're Still Young" (Whirlwind Recordings) had as its "seeds" the poems of A.A. Milne that the Cornelius read to his young children before they went to sleep.

Before you start to think this is "kids" music, note the ensemble arranged for this production. Besides Cornelius (alto and soprano saxes, flute), there is John Ellis (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Jason Palmer (trumpet), Nick Vayenas (trombone), Miles Okazaki (guitars), Gerald Clayton (piano), Peter Slavov (bass), and Kendrick Scott (drums).   As I have written in reviews of earlier Cornelius CDs, he concentrates on melody and, like composers for larger ensembles such as Bob Brookmeyer, Gil Evans, and Maria Schneider, the solos grow naturally from the melodic material.  With the extra colors available in this album's musical palette, this material has more depth.

The program is divided into 6 "Movements", each taking its title from a Milne poem . The album starts with "Sand Between The Toes"; the opening section is a lovely prologue featuring the brass, alto sax and bass clarinet. Scott's propulsive leads the band in, pushing the handsome melody, played initially by alto and guitar, forward.  The different voices work around the theme until all drop out for a piano melody rises up and over the rhythm section (nice counterpoint from Slavov as Scott pushes forward.) That's followed by solos from Cornelius, Vayenas, and Okazaki before a return to the opening melody.

Milne and Christopher Robin

One of the more intriguing aspects of this music is that this is truly ensemble music. Yes, each track has solos; still each instrument has its voice in the story.  Okazaki, Palmer and Cornelius (soprano) each get to tell the story on "Water Lilies" (nice bow to Erik Satie right before the piano returns the song to the guitarist to conclude). "Jonathan Jo" jumps atop a modern start-and-stop "swing" beat before Ellis (on tenor) has a playful solo that leads into a snappy  and funky interchange for the ensemble before Clayton and Vayenas dig into their solos.

Vincent Soyez 

Lots to love on this album, from the Thad Jones' inspired "Lines and Squares" to the sweet sway of "The Invaders" (great section work) to the evening prayers that inspired the final track, "Vespers". If you really sit and listen, you can hear just how well these voices fit together.  There are many moments when it seems like more than 8 people are playing yet I do not detect obvious overdubbing.

"While We're Still Young" is a joy from beginning to end.  Patrick Cornelius, whose recorded music had always seemed mature, takes a giant step forward with this project.  Find the AA Milne poems, find the wonder and the exhilaration within, and then do the same with this music.  Those elements are there and so much more.

To find out more about this project and its participants, go to www.whilewerestillyoung.net.

Photo by J M Arthur

The producer, along with Patrick Cornelius, of this album is composer, arranger, and educator Kyle Saulnier.  He teaches, as I do, at Quinnipiac University. I asked him about his role on this project.
He responded "I met Patrick in graduate school at the Manhattan School of Music, where we were classmates and we've been friends since. I got involved pretty early on as a sounding board for some of Patrick's compositions for the record, I think he was looking for some general feedback from a composer (though he's a spectacular writer, he hardly needed my input). He asked me to co-produce the recording since I was already familiar with the project and the charts themselves, and he was looking for some directorial assistance in the studio since he was also playing, which can limit one's objectivity in the studio." 

Patrick chimed in with "Kyle is selling himself way short here. Not only did he give me actual arranging lessons (to help me remember many principles that I had forgotten lo these many years since I last wrote for a medium-sized ensemble), but he also GREATLY assisted me in the sibelius copy work when my scores were completely lost a month before the premiere due to an unfortunate accident involving my laptop and a full mug of coffee. He also helped me rehearse the ensemble so that I could concentrate on being a "sideman" and provided invaluable feedback and coaching during the record date. I basically gave him carte blanche to make decisions regarding takes, punches, do-overs, etc on the day of the recording for this same reason."

Here's "Sand Between The Toes" performed live at Berklee, courtesy of "The Checkout" and WBGO-FM:

Late Notice About Live Music

The Uncertainty Music Series continues thisWednesday evening (3/28) at 9 p.m. at the Elm Bar, 372 Elm Street in New Haven. Scheduled to perform are Keith Restaurant (electronics), Brian Parks (pictured left, performing on the virginal, a keyboard related to the harpsichord) and the duo known as Meat Foam (guitarist Chris Cretella and drummer Brian Parmalee). Each person or duo will perform separately.  For more information and directions, go to uncertaintymusic.com - while perusing the site, check out the April Music Festival that Carl Testa has organized.   

Also on Wednesday evening, bassist-composer Alexis Cuadrado, whose 2011 CD "Noneto Iberico" (BJU Records) remains one of my favorite recordings of the past 16 months, performs his latest work "A Lorca Landscape" as part of the "The Checkout: Live From the 92Y Tribeca."  Joining him will be a stellar group of musicians including Dan Tepfer (piano), Miguel Zenon (alto saxophone), Mark Ferber (drums) and vocalist Claudia Acuña.  Thanks to a commission from Chamber Music America, Cuadrado created musical settings for poems written by Federico García Lorca. The great Spanish poet/playwright (1898-1936) spent several months living in New York City and the poetic result, "Poeta en Nueva York", looks at the socio-political climate of the city at the beginning of the Great Depression.  


Also part of the concert, which takes place at 8 p.m. in the performance space of the 92nd Street YMCa in New York City, also features Cuban-born pianist/composer Manuel Valera and his Sextet.  Valera is a fine pianist and his band - Eric Doob (drums), Yosvanny Terry (saxophones), John Benitez (bass), Tom Guarna (guitar) and Mauricio Herrera (percussion) - is very impressive.  To find out more about the show, go to www.92y.org/Tribeca/Event/The-Checkout--Alexis-Cuadrado.aspx.


Alexis Cuadrado brought the band to WNYC-FM studios and John Schaeffer's "Soundcheck".  Click on the link below and you'll learn about the poet, the music and the origins of the project. Thanks to WNYC-FM for sharing the link.

Ms. Jazz Master, Sam He Is, BG Speaks + Hello Bill Lowe

 Whenever I listen to Sheila Jordan, her voice mesmerizes me.  It's easy to enter her musical world, easy to sit and listen as she tells her stories through song.   Just last month, the National Endowment for the Arts honored her life's work by naming her one of the 2012 Jazz Masters.  Honestly, what took so long?    

Her latest CD, "Yesterdays" (HighNote), features Ms. Jordan alongside bassist Harvie S.  Recorded live in concert circa 1990, the tapes turned up one day and we are so lucky they did.  The duo recorded 3 Lps/CDs in their decade+ association but none with the warmth, the experimentation and the musicality that this program.  All of their recordings are worth hearing but this one is a necessity.  Bassist S manages to be an "orchestra" behind the voice, his thick tones and fleet lines serving as both support and equal partner. They "rock" out on "It Don't Mean A Thing"  then make "Mood Indigo" a very deep hue of the blues. Their playful take of "The Very Thought Of You" moves beyond the lyrics into a personal story of the singer being told by critic Leonard Feather taking her task for not singing the melody.

There is so much to like here, from the title track that opens the CD as a longing paean to "olden days, golden days" (Harvie S's bass chords are wonderful) to the "Fred Astaire Medley" that closes the program.  The duo blaze through "Let's Face The Music and Dance" before their playful take of "Cheek to Cheek" ending with an absolutely jovial (and operatic!) version of "I Could Have Danced All Night";  Ms. Jordan collapses in laughter at the end, a splendid exclamation point to an excellent set.  

If you don't own a Sheila Jordan recording and claim to be a fan of jazz vocalists, you should be ashamed.  "Yesterdays" is one of her best and a good place to start. To find out more, go to www.sheilajordanjazz.com.

 "From Sun to Sun" (Origin Records) is the second CD pianist/organist Sam Yahel has recorded with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Jochen Rueckert - PosiTone Records released the first, "Hometown", in 2009.  Yahel, who many listeners first encountered as an organist on numerous CDs, has worked with Joshua Redman, Norah Jones, Bill Frisell and Peter Bernstein (among others), surprised many people with the excellence of his piano playing on the previous CD and this new one (recorded in May of 2010) is equally as pleasing.  The 3 musicians are quite comfortable with each other and don't play it safe.  Their work on "A Beautiful Friendship" sounds effortless yet is filled with emotional and melodic richness.  The shifting tempos of "2 Pilgrims" allows for shimmering cymbal sounds, pleasing counterpoint from the bass and piano figures that move from swinging jazz to mellifluous classical phrases (check out Yahel's left hand..very nice.) 

One hears traces of Americana in the melody of the title track (Rueckert's drumming is pleasingly interactive) while the trio's version of Cole Porter's "So In Love" is a musical celebration of a fiery romance.  Here, Penman's bass pushes the piece forward, spurring the pianist on to one of his more "high-energy" solos.  There is plenty of playfulness in this music, whether it's the bluesy, Ornette Coleman-like, melody of "By Hook or By Crook" to the funky sprint through "Git It" (again, Rueckert's drumming is quite a joy to listen to.)

The sounds emanating from the minds, hands and feet of Sam Yahel, Matt Penman and Jochen Rueckert is a true pleasure.  "From Sun to Sun" is bright and joyous music, well worth exploring.  To find out more, go to www.origin-records.com.  FYI, Sam Yahel sits with Josh Jackson on the 1/31 edition of "The Checkout" and plays the "iPod Shuffle" - check it out at by clicking here. 

The same show features a long, very enjoyable, conversation with saxophonist/composer Benny Golson. Golson, composer of "Whisper Not" and "Killer Joe" (and lots more), turned 83 on January 25 and continues to compose, perform and record.  A 1996 NEA Jazz Master, the stories he tells to host Jackson are filled with humor, wisdom and joy.  There are moments when Golson drops into a whisper, effectively drawing the listener into his world.  Check it out at www.wbgo.org/thecheckout/benny-golson-creativity-never-retires/.

Bass trombonist and tuba player Bill Lowe has performed with a slew of fine musicians over his 4+ decades as a musician.  He's also spent many years as an educator at Wesleyan University, Northeastern, Columbia and, most recently, at Brown University. Professor Lowe has recorded and toured with Henry Threadgill, Bill Dixon, James "Jabbo" Ware's Me, We & Them Orchestra, and currently is a member of Taylor Ho Bynum's Sextet.  Along the way, he's worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Eartha Kitt, Mercer Ellington and Bill Barron (that's only 4 out of many.) He's composed work for small ensembles, orchestras and for theater productions. 

Bynum, his former student and long-time friend, has assembled recordings and radio broadcasts for the fine music blog, "Destination Out."  Part 1 is up now - it's a well-deserved (and long overdue) look at the man, his music and fascinating journey.  Give a look and listen at destination-out.com.

Give a Listen

I've mentioned "The Checkout", Josh Jackson's weekly 60 minutes of jazz performances, interviews and more, on numerous occasions.  Invariably, Jackson's chats with musicians are so interesting, really getting into the mind of the creators and helping listeners get a handle on the creative process.

This week's show (listen at www.wbgo.org/thecheckout/) features a fine interview and studio session with pianist Bruce Barth and saxophonist Steve Wilson as well as an interview with percussionist/composer Dan Weiss and an excerpt of a live recording from keyboard artist Craig Taborn (listen to his Quintet's entire set from NPR's "A Blog Supreme" by clicking here.)  The Barth/Wilson duo is truly a joy to listen to; their interaction, built from over 20 years of friendship and playing together, sparkles with creativity. Delightful!

Jazz fans in the Connecticut area have had the privilege of hearing and seeing guitarist Michael Musillami for the better part of the past 30 years. he's worked and recorded with bassist Mario Pavone, saxophonist Thomas Chapin and others as well as leading his own groups.  His Trio, with bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller, has been together for 10 years and keeps growing.  Musillami's record label, Playscape, has issued a plethora of fine CDs by artists such as Pavone, pianists Peter Madsen and Ted Rosenthal, multi-reed player Tom Christensen and others.

Hear Michael Musillami in conversation with Jason Crane on "The Jazz Session" podcast or streaming on the website (link below) - for the guitarist/composer, 2009 was a sorrowful year with the death of his son Evan.  Musillami discusses that tragic event and how the creation of his new CD, "Old Tea", was cathartic and necessary. Crane, as usual, asks excellent questions and the interview is more of a chat than an inquisition. You can hear the show and support Jason Crane by going to http://thejazzsession.com/2010/07/01/the-jazz-session-181-michael-musillami/.

Listening Pleasures

I have often praised WBGO-FM's "The Checkout", a show heard every Tuesday evening and which I download from iTunes.  Last week, they began a 2-part show honoring the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters. The show featured interviews with vocalist Annie Ross, producer George Avakian, and pianist/composers Muhal Richard Abrams (pictured) and Cedar Walton.  Each person is fascinating in her or his own right and worth your attention (click on the show name above to find out more.) This week, the spotlight turns on pianist Kenny Barron, composer/arranger Bill Holman, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, and reed master/educator Yusef Lateef. If you listen "live", you can hear the NEA Induction Ceremony following "The Checkout."

Hearing the interview led me to Cedar Walton's latest CD, "Voices Deep Within", issued late last year on the HighNote Records label.  It's a sweet set, featuring the splendid, buttery-toned bass of Buster Williams, the high-energy drum work of Willie Jones III, and, on 4 tracks, tenor saxophonist Vincent Herring.  This is mainstream jazz at its best with fine playing and creative interplay, smart compositions, and an overall aura of fun. Walton, who turns 77 this coming Sunday (1/17), sounds as if he is having the greatest time, dropping song "quotes" into his solos and playing with glee.  Even the slower tunes, such as "Dear Ruth" (which the pianist wrote for his mother) and John Coltrane's "Naima", are light-hearted yet heartfelt.  Herring, who is better known as an alto saxophonist, plays well on his appearances and shows great spunk on Sonny Rollins' "No Moe" (he follows the leader's sprightly solo with a muscular tour-de-force.)

When you gets the tag "jazz master" applied to his or her name, one might expect that the artist's better days are in the past.  Listening to the interviews on "The Checkout" and to Cedar Walton's latest recording, you know that's pretty much a crock (gosh, Avakian, who turns 91 in March, is still producing recordings and is excited about new musicians.) 

Perhaps, the best "new music" label in the few years has been Clean Feed. The label, based in Portugal, has released a high number of quality in the past half-decade and starts 2010 off with a bang with the release of "Voladores", music by Tony Malaby's Apparitions. The tenor saxophonist surrounds himself with class musicians including bassist Drew Gress, drummer Tom Rainey and percussionist John Hollenbeck (all great players.) If you want to get a taste of this fine music, go to www.emusic.com and search for the CD (you can also click here.) I'll post my review in a few weeks but, from initial listening, this music is fiery and involving, hard-edged jazz that keeps one guessing.