Hear What I've Been Listening To (7/25/22)

String quartets are usually not the bailiwick of this blog but there have been a slew of new (and, to be fair) older recordings that have caught my fancy in recent months.  In June, it was the massive seven-CD box set of the collected string quartets of Wadada Leo Smith (still working my way through that) as well as the brilliant three-CD solo violin set from Johnny Gandelsman's "This is America" which led me back to listen to his work with the Brooklyn Rider string quartet.    

Around the same time, I became aware of PUBLIQuartet, a string ensemble founded in 2010 and based in New York City.  Composed of Curtis Stewart (violin), son of tuba master Bob Stewart, Jannina Norpoth (violin), daughter of Detroit-based music master A. Spencer Barefield, Nick Revel (viola), and Hamilton Berry (cello), the string quartet pushes at the boundaries and prejudices about 21st-Century classical music inspired by the work of Kronos Quartet, Roscoe Mitchell, Caroline Shaw, and many others.  Among their projects is "Mind| The| Gap|" which brings diverse musical material from folk, blues, pop, and elsewhere and presents them in a new musical light.  

"What Is American" (Bright Shiny Things) is the PUBLIQ's third album and follows in the structure of 2019's "Freedom & Faith" in there are suites, adaptations, new music, and improvisations.  Among the 20 tracks are four short pieces, all sharing the main title "Fifth Verse", that connect the words poet Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote in 1861 that added a verse to "The Star Spangled Banner" to support the Union Cause in the Civil War.  The ensemble opens the program with their take on Antonin Dvořák's "String Quartet No. 12, Op. 96 "American", one of the pieces the Czech composer wrote while in the United States (1892-1895) as the head of the National Conservatory of Music in NewYork City. One can easily hear the influence of Negro Spirituals on the composer while the PUBLIQs use of percussion and voice throughout the four movements underscore that influence.

It's a fascinating program.  The quartet play the four-movement "Dig The Say", a piece pianist Vijay Iyer composed for Brooklyn Rider based on the music of the "Godfather of Soul" James Brown. Part of the fun of the piece is just how funky it is but also the introspection built into the second movement. Instrument are used for percussion, there are quick stops, foot stomping, pizzicato, and an overall sense of joy.  There are pieces by Rhiannon Giddens (the powerful blues "At The Purchaser's Option"), Roscoe Mitchell (the enigmatic "CARDS 11.11.20"), and improvisations on works by Fats Waller ("Honeysuckle Rose"), Ornette Coleman ("Law Years" and "Street Woman"), plus the four improvisations that close the album under the title "Wild Women"––they include hand-clapping funk of "Black Coffee" by Tina Turner, the high-powered in-your-face soul of "They Say I'm Different" by the late Betty Davis, Alice Coltrane's ecstatic "Er Ra", and closing with Ida Cox's feisty anthem "Wild Women Don't Get The Blues".  

Some might say that "What Is American" is way too ambitious a project––of course it is. It has to be. For as much as the media makes the US look as if it is either right wing or left wing, overall it is way too complex to neatly drop into two sides.  By taking their influences from a plethora of genres, by adding improvisation, voices, and more, this program shows just how diverse this country is. And that's good. That is something we need to remember!  PUBLIQuartet has much on its mind but foremost, they want to use music to educate, entertain, and energize a pandemic-numbed world.  

For more information, go to www.publiquartet.com.  To hear more and purchase, go to https://publiquartet.bandcamp.com/album/what-is-american.

Here's Vijay Iyer's "Dig The Say - 1: Carry the Ball": 

The Majesty of Chicago and An Exemplary Trio

Photo: Dominick Huber

TUM Records continues its recorded celebration of Wadada Leo Smith in his 80th year on this plane of existence with two new albums.  Earlier this year, the Finnish label issued the solo three-disk set "Trumpet" plus a duo-trio three disk set "Sacred Ceremonies" that featured the trumpeter in musical conversations with maser percussionist Milford Graves and bassist Bill Laswell. Both albums are filled with captivating performances, sonic poems, a multiplicity of ideas, and a musical language that leads to new possibilities in an ever-changing world.

One can say the same about the two recordings TUM is releasing a month before Wadada's birthday (which is December 18). The first, "The Chicago Symphonies", consists of four separate works, "Gold - No. 1", "Diamond – No. 2", "Pearl - No. 3", and "Sapphire - No. 4: The Presidents and Their Visions for America" performed by the Great Lakes Quartet.  "Nos. 1 -3" features Wadada with Jack DeJohnette (drums), Henry Threadgill (alto saxophone, flute), and John Lindberg (bass) while "No. 4" has Jonathon Haffner (alto and soprano saxophones) instead of Mr. Threadgill.  The first three symphonies are dedicated to particular musicians that the composer met when he moved to Chicago in 1967 after five years in the Army.  Wadada joined the AACM where he met Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton,  Amina Claudine Meyers, Leroy Jenkins, Joseph Jarman, and Mr. Threadgill plus many others –– all these were expanding the possibilities of Black Music; many of them still do. 

Photo: Dominick Huber

Of all the myriad albums Wadada has issued in the past decade+, "Chicago Symphonies" bears witness to the influence of the people he came in contact with.  It's nearly impossible to hit the highlights as every track stands out but know this –– these are master musicians at play.  Mr. Threadgill's tart alto saxophone or the rounds tones of his flutes stand out while Mr. DeJohnette deftly drops into musical conversations with his three compatriots, playing with a freedom that not only displays his creativity but how intelligently he shapes each piece.  Mr. Lindberg's thick, often cello-like, bass tones and creative lines not only offer a sense of structure but he also shows he can step forward with his sparkling arco (bowed) bass work.  Wadada's trumpet pierces through the pieces while his muted work bears witness to the influences of Lester Bowie and Miles Davis. 

Photo: Dominick Huber

"Symphony No. 4: The Presidents..." is dedicated to Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama.  The text from "The Gettysburg Address" and President Obama's "Speech at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches" are included with the physical albums and can also be found on the TUM website (address below). The six-part piece was recorded in 2018, over three years after the other Symphonies. As with the works dedicated to the many Chicago musicians, there are moments of urgency, joy, darkness, and unity that touch the mind and soul of the listener.  The emotion that one feels just reading the texts and the titles of the movements help to prepare the listener for the depth and breadth and, yes, the emotional strength of these musical performances. 

The music and stories of "Chicago Symphonies" will keep you captivated throughout the four albums and all 165 minutes of music. Wadada Leo Smith's Great Lakes Quartet is in splendid form with the "Fourth Symphony" serving as this listener's introduction to saxophonist Jonathon Haffner (hope to hear much more) whose first gig with the GLQ was in 2017.  Listen closely!

To find out more, go to https://tumrecords.com/box-004-chicago-symphonies.  

Here's the opening movement of the "Golden Symphony" dedicated to Amina Claudine Myers:

 

Braithwaite & Katz · Gold Symphony No. 1, Movement 1 - Wadada Leo Smith

Photo: R.I Sutherland-Cohen

Album # two, "A Love Sonnet for Billie Holiday", has Wadada in a trio setting with Mr. DeJohnette and Vijay Iyer (piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3, electronics).  Mr. Iyer first played with the trumpeter over 20 years ago; the pianist understands how Wadada's music moves, his role in shaping the pieces, and how to "converse" in the composer's unique musical language.  An interesting aspect to this program is that all three of the participants contributed compositions: there is even one totally improvised piece.  The music is lively, dramatic, at times stunning, and always on the move.

The title track opens the album (do listen below): it's a fascinating journey, from the four minute drum solo that develops over the first four minutes to the rousing three-way conversation in the middle of the nearly 12-minute piece to the emotional "blues" of the final 90 seconds.  An atmospheric Rhodes piano is heard at the onset of Mr. Iyer's "Deep Time No. 1".  If you listen closely, the voice of Malcolm X's speech "By All Means Necessary" can be heard (at times, electronically altered) while the trio moves around led by Wadada's muted trumpet, the soft piano chords and Mr. DeJohnette's rapid-fire trips around his cymbals. There are moments when the track suggests the influence of Miles Davis circa "Filles de Kilimanjaro" and "In a Silent Way".

Photo: Maurice Robertson

The other three tracks include "The A.D. Opera: A Long Vision with Imagination, Creativity, and Fire, a Dance Opera" (dedicated to pianist, composer, and Wadada collaborator Anthony Davis), Mr. DeJohnette's affecting "Song for World Forgiveness" (wonderful musical interaction), and the trio improvisation "Rocket" that closes the album.  That final cut hearkens back to "Yo Miles!", Wadada's electric project with guitarist Henry Kaiser. Here's the Hammond organ leading the raucous trumpet and the frisky beat of the drums.  It's quite a finish to quite an album.

The cooperative trio of Wadada Leo Smith, Jack DeJohnette, and Vijay Iyer recorded "A Love Sonnet for Billie Holiday" on November 22, 2016 just three days short of its release date of 11/19/21.  Yet, the music sounds contemporary, fresh, and brimming with intelligence, wit, and an animated sense of adventure.  One could not ask for more (other than a second recording and a tour from this trio)!

For more information, go to https://tumrecords.com/060-a-love-sonnet-for-billie-holiday.  

Dig into the title track:

Braithwaite & Katz · Billie Holiday: A Love Sonnet - Wadada Leo Smith

Friends Conversing in Sound!

The current edition of the Branford Marsalis Quartet has been together for 20 years with the exception of the drummer Jason Faulkner who joined in 2009.  Marsalis (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone), Joey Calderazzo (piano), and Eric Revis (bass) have built up quite a rapport and Faulkner (who is just 27 years old) stepped right into his predecessor's Jeff "Tain" Watts's role with nary a dropped beat.

The BMQ's new album, "The Secret Between The Shadow and The Soul" (Okeh Records), is the first quartet disk in seven years.  Five of the seven tunes are originals (two each by Calderazzo and Revis, one by Marsalis) with inspired readings of Andrew Hill's "Snake Hip Waltz" and Keith Jarrett's "The Windup". "....Waltz" (a piece Hill recorded twice in 1975, one with a quartet, the other as a piano solo) is a jaunty piece with playful yet powerful solos from the leader and the pianist plus splendid support from the rhythm section. Faulkner, in particular, sounds as if he is having such a fun time.  Revis, who is such a melodic player, joins in on the fun especially on his solo.  The Jarrett piece closes the program - if you remember the original with the pianist's "European Quartet" of Jan Garbarek (alto and soprano saxes), Palle Danielsson (bass), and Jon Christensen (drums), this version, once the band moves out of the theme, swings like mad. Calderazzo's solo is inspired from the get-go.  Marsalis, on tenor, digs right into his solo, pushed hard by the rhythm section and he rides their powerful waves.

Of the original material, the program opens with Revis's "Dance of the Evil Toys" which scoots along on Faulkner's martial drumming and the composer's rapid-fire circular bass line.  The piece changes pace several times, even going "out" for a quick moment, and features strong solos from tenor sax and piano. Revis also contributed "Nilaste", an intimate ballad that pulses with intense work from soprano saxophone and the interactions of the rhythm section. Calderazzo's ballad, "Conversation Among The Ruins" has a lovely full melody for the soprano sax plus strong solos from the composer and excellent brushwork from Faulkner. The pianist's "Cianna" also is a ballad, more uptempo but never rushed.  "Life Filtering From the Water Flowers" has a mysterious opening for tenor saxophone before entering into the body of the song. One hears a classical influence in this piece, composed by the leader, especially in Calderazzo's lovely piano unaccompanied piano interlude.  When the rhythm section (listen closely how they advance the music) enters, the music takes flight. Marsalis, on tenor sax here, creates a solo with rolling phrases, flowing lines, and powerful emotion.

"The Secret Between The Shadow and The Soul" is a delightful album.  Lively, collaborative, at times powerful, other times sensual, the Branford Marsalis Quartet is at the top of its form. Recorded in Australia during a break of the group's 2018 world tour, the music shines and sings, dances and swings.

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

Here's the Andrew Hill tune:

Pianists and composers Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn, born a year apart (1971 and 1970 respectively), first recorded together in saxophonist - conceptualist Roscoe Mitchell's Note Factory in 2001. Later that decade, they started working as a duo. Both bring a wealth of experiences and musical knowledge as well as a sense of adventure.  They have worked in both acoustic and electric groups but stick to the acoustic piano for their concerts and now for their debut album.

"The Transitory Poems" (ECM Records) was recorded in March of 2018 in the concert hall of the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary.  All eight of the pieces on the album are credited to the duo (except for a section of the final track) and four are dedicated to three pianists (Cecil Taylor, Muhal Richard Abrams, and Ms. Geri Allen) plus artist Jack Whitten.  All but Taylor had died before the recording was made (he passed in early April of 2018) but the tribute makes sense as he was an influence on both pianists.
Instead of trying to pull the album apart and guessing who played which solo, I would recommend digging in to each piece and listen for melody, harmony, the flow, the rhythms, how ideas are transmitted from one player to the other, and how you will hear more with each listen.

Photo: Monica Jane Frisell

The program opens and closes with the two longest performances.   "Life Line (Seven Tensions)" (13:02), while not dedicated to Muhal Abrams, feels like one of his exploratory pieces.  Changing tempos, moving from quick, skittering, phrases to rich chords and impressionistic movements, the music holds your attention by moving in unexpected directions, almost at the whim of the performers.  The final track, "Meshwork/Libation/When Kabuya Dances" (12:49), is dedicated to Ms. Allen, with an exciting forward motion in the pianist's left hands as the phrases go from longer lines to pounding chords. There's no delineation between the three parts but one can hear subtle changes in the mood as the music shifts into a different modality.  If you listen to Ms. Allen's song (played solo), from her 1984 trio Lp "The Printmakers", you can hear how her music informs this medley from the very beginning.

"Clear Monolith" is dedicated to Mr. Abrams - it is fascinating to hear the duo build the piece from its quiet beginning to the blues-soaked middle to the quiet, trance-like, section that follows, ending with an intense dialogue.  Mr. Taylor is celebrated on "Luminous Brew."  Opening with an ominous rumbling, a quiet melody emerges. Slowly, the intensity begins to pick up while the melody opens wider.  A bass line emerges from one piano yet, before too long, both players are expanding the palette. The rolling piano lines come together before the pianists start to trade lines. Suddenly, the music explodes for a moment before coming down for a soft ending.

"The Transitory Poems" is a riveting program from start to finish. Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn marry their individual styles and create music that is powerful, exploratory, challenging, and beyond category.  Find the album and enjoy the journey these two fine pianists create.

For more information, go to  vijay-iyer.com and/or www.ecmrecords.com/artists/1435046836/craig-taborn.

When ECM puts the album officially on its website, one should be ablate listen to sound clips.  In the meantime, there are a number of videos of the duo with fair-to-middling loud quality.

Catching Up January 18 (Pt. 1)

Over the past several decades, guitarist and composer Rez Abbasi has been "fusing" sounds from India and his native Pakistan with the varied influences of Western Music, specifically jazz and blues. His 12th album as a leader, "Unfiltered Universe" (Whirlwind Recordings), features his long-time companions Vijay Iyer (piano), Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone), Johannes Weidenmueller (bass), and Dan Weiss (drums) and adds the cello of Elizabeth Mikael.  Iyer, Weiss, Mahanthappa, and Weidenmueller appeared on 2011's "Suno Suno" and 2009's "Things to Come" and the leader sees this record as a third in a trilogy of recording that use South Asian music as touchstone for his compositions and the improvisations.  The blend of alto sax, acoustic piano, and guitar with this highly active rhythm section makes for a winning combination.

John Rogers photo

"Propensity" opens the program and, right from the start, the listener should pay attention to the different components. The extended melody, the powerful combination of bass and drums, the vocal characteristic of Mahanthappa's alto sax, the way the arrangement includes the cello as counterpoint. and the excellent solos.  The title track follows.  This melody, played by the alto and guitar, has a lovely almost melancholy flavor especially when the cello enters shadowing the lines played by the piano.  Notice the "freedom" yet structure in the rhythm section during the solos as well as Iyer's heavy chordal work.  The rhythms slow down at the onset of the piano solo and one can really hear the articulated notes and how, slowly, surely, Iyer works in tandem with Weidenmueller and Weiss.

With exception of "Thoughts", a short (1:41) but rambunctious guitar solo, the songs stretch out but no piece is overdone.  It's fun to hear how the tempos change within songs, how the different voices interact, how the power of the alto sax is matched by the guitar and piano but is not a "war" of virtuosi.  The leader plays with great fire throughout yet there are moments of simple beauty as well.  The longest track (11:54), "Turn of Events", take its time to get going but once the song hits a rhythmic stride, the musicians still don't hurry.  The mysterious melody finally arrives, played by the guitar, sax, and cello and it's as if everything as fallen into the right places. Soon, Mahanthappa and Abbasi are soloing together as the pianist pulls the rhythm section forward.  But, they drop for a piano solo framed by only the bass and drums yet you can hear how Iyer builds his powerful spot from the main melody and rhythm of the composition. Ms. Mikael steps out for a quick solo with Weidenmueller's bass as a counterpoint before the bass is by himself.  Guitar and piano create a percussive dialogue before the sextet returns for the reprise of the opening theme.

"Unfiltered Universe" is structured yet has such a "free" feel at times it seems as if the musicians are spinning a magic story.  While Rez Abbasi talks about the importance of carnatic music to this album, all the influences seems to have merged into an original sound.  Give a listen and then another - this music all seduce you.

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

Here's the title track:

It was Peter Margasak in the Chicago Reader who hipped his readers to the "Flow", the new Delmark album from the Paul Gialorrenzo Trio.  I went out and purchased the album on the power of his suggestion.  Yes, it's a piano trio album, released at a time when one get lost easily in the plethora of piano trio recordings. But, I understand his enthusiasm.  Pianist and composer Gialorrenzo, a native of Long Island, NY who now resides and works in Chicago, has crafted an album that may remind some of work of Herbie Nichols or Bud Powell or Thelonious Monk. He's not afraid of changing tempos in mid-phrase and is blessed to have the rhythm section of Joshua Abrams (bass) and Mikel Patrick Avery (drums) who not only follow his creative paths he creates but push, poke, prod, and "swing like mad" along the way.

Listen to how "Rolling" does just that, how it rolls along on the walking bass lines and ride cymbal and how the melody and solo dances atop it.  Throughout the nine-song program, the emphasis is on melody, interplay, and  the narrative Giallorenzo weaves into every track.  Feet have to tap on "Flipd Scrip" and heads will lean in on the opening melody of "Interstice": with the entrance of bassist Abrams on the latter track, the piece moves in a "freer" direction but never goes all the way out. In fact, there's a section that is "deep" blues.

The two pieces that bookend the album, "A-Frolicking" and "A Way We Go", point to the playfulness of this music, the type of repertoire that make audiences sit up and smile.  The Paul Giallorenzo Trio swings with glee, the music never feels forced, and you can see the musicians are paying close attention to each other.  "Flow" is a delight from start to finish.

For more information about this fascinating musician, go to paulgiallorenzo.com.

Saxophonist Nick Hempton (alto and tenor) has issued four fine albums on Posi-Tone Records, mostly with his fine Quartet.  With the release of "Trio Stonk: Live at Smalls" (SmallsLIVE), the Australian native has downsized but not to the detriment of his music. With his rhythm section - George DeLancey (bass) and long-time associate Dan Aran (drums) - Hempton moves his way through seven pieces, five of which are originals.  Not hard to compare some of the pieces to the 1950s Trio work of Sonny Rollins - listen to the opening of "Dropping A Franklin" or the playful take of "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" and you can hear it in the way Hempton phrases and the gentle swing of the rhythm section.  There are even a few Rollins quotes on the opening of "Not That Sort of Jazz That Stewart Likes", a delightful romp that has an easy groove.

The lovely take of the standard "Poor Butterfly" is a highlight, the alto sax dancing around the structural work of the bass and drums. The singing tone of the sax, the gentle brush work, and intelligent counterpoint from the bass, all combine for a sweet ballad.  "A Whistling Blues" opens with just sax and bass playing a "down home" tune with the feel of David "Fathead" Newman supporting Ray Charles.  The blues gets deeper when the drums enters to slowly push the tune forward.

Trio Stonk plays with verve, a sweet sense of humor, and the desire to entertain people who like jazz. Neither confrontational nor challenging, Nick Hempton and company make music that's filled with joy, soaked in the blues, not afraid to swing, and possessing a sense of humor.  Relax and dig into these tasty sounds.

For more information, go to nickhemptonband.com.

Give a listen: