Ms.Oh and the Future

 

Photo: Shervin Lainez

Before the pandemic, bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh was a very busy person, not just working on her own projects but also performing and/or recording with Pat Metheny, drummer Johnathan Blake, Vijay Iyer as well as with her husband, pianist Fabian Almazan (plus a number of other recording sessions).  Then, the world closed down in March of 2020 and the gigging stopped.  Ms. Oh and Mr. Almazan moved to Perth, Australia, (where the bassist was raised and retains citizenship) to have their first child. The time spent with their baby gave Ms. Oh the time to think her role as a musician in a splintered world, what was important to her, and how could her music has a positive effect on the dialogue swirling around divisive issues such as health-care, climate change, war, and other issues. The music can also be heard as a meditation on time, how we use ours and how time is ever-moving as it moves us.

Upon their return to the United States, put together a quintet that features her husband, drummer Obed Calvaire, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, and vocalist Sara Serpa.  They entered Brooklyn Recording on June 13 2022 with 10 new original works.  "The Glass Hours" is powered by the powerful melodies, exciting rhythms, and the spirited interactions of the quintet.  Opening with "Circles", the theme is addressed by the wordless vocal, tenor sax, and the potent bass while the pianist and drummer push the music forward. Pay close attention to the rhythm section––Calvaire plays with great presence throughout but especially under the soloists. The handsome bass solo that opens "Chimera" gives way to a thunderous piano solo supported by the drums and bass––that falls into a sense of stasis as the voice, sax, bass, and piano play circular figures while Calvaire dances through his solo.

Photo: Shervin Lainez

"Jus Ad Bellum" is a rubato ballad that addresses man's need to go to war. Ms. Serpa's passionate vocal is underpinned by the war-like drums and scurrying piano lines. The tenor sticks close to the vocal until the forceful bass solo.  The layered voices (including Ms. Oh's) during the drum spot remind this listener of the work of Steve Reich. Watch the video below of "The Imperative", see how the band listen and respond to each other, and note the fluidity in Ms. Oh's bass lines––she is so melodic as well as percussive.  Everyone contributes, each with their own cogent statement as well as their work in the ensemble. 

This material can be thorny, the sound thick at times but the music never falls apart. Notice how the excellent mix (Dave Darlington) ensures that the listener is in the midst of the band, that no one instrument is lost in the crisp sound, Not only is Ms. Oh the foundation of the music but she's the main driver (that frees up Calvaire to respond to the soloists and be part of the melody).  Mr. Almazan benefits from this as well with how he plays underneath the ensemble and how he approaches his own solos (he's certainly one of the most fluid of musicians).  And Ms. Serpa? Because the majority of the time she's singing, there are no words, just syllables. On a piece such as "Phosphorus", she teams with Turner to not only present the melody but also weave their lines in and around each other.  On this track, Ms. Oh's switches to electric bass, dancing along with her husband on the energetic piano solo. 

"The Glass Hours" closes with "Hatchling" (which one imagines is dedicated to her son)––Ms. Oh is on electric bass again so it's the sax, voice, and piano that present the melody then break it into melodic fragments.  The piece moves into a long rubato section before the piano and voice build off the bounce of the bass and drums to playfully strut and dance to the close!  

Linda May Han Oh has become one of the most sought-after bassists in the world. With good reason; how she articulates her notes and her melodic development within a song can be dizzying at times, yet she never overplays or, better, never "showboats".  This album, her sixth, is worth diving into deeply1

For more information, go to https://lindamayhanoh.com/.  To hear more and purchase the album, go to  https://lindamayhanoh.bandcamp.com/album/the-glass-hours. 

Here's the opening track, "Circles":

Watch the group in the studio perform "The Imperative":

Moving Forward (Three Quintets)

Photo: Dave Stapleton

Saxophonist and composer Tineke Postma (alto and soprano saxes) has returned to recording after a six year sabbatical. Not that she wasn't active: Ms. Postma became a mother while continuing to play and write, emerging in late 2018 to perform at The Kennedy Center Honors during its tribute to Wayne Shorter. In December of that year, she gathered the musicians she had been rehearsing with –– Dan Weiss (drums), Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Kris Davis (piano), and Matt Brewer (acoustic and electric bass) –– and recorded "Freya", her debut album for Edition Records.

In Frisian and Norse mythology, Freya is the goddess of creation, love, and fertility.  The title track has a lively melody pushed forward by the lively work of Weiss and Brewer (electric bass). One fo the hallmarks of the entire program is how "open" the rhythms are; the drummer is free to move around while the bassist often the foundation. Yet there are times, especially on "Aspasia and Pericles", the two respond to the soloists and the music floats. Aspasia was Pericles's partner in all things but marriage as she was not born in Athens. Listen to the interactions on this piece as all five musicians are having a conversation through the second half of the song.  "Geri's Print" is dedicated to the late pianist Geri Allen whom Ms. Postma and recorded and performed with. Again the interactions of soprano sax and trumpet are exhilarating while Ms. Davis's piano displays her originality, in fact her biggest tribute to Ms. Allen is just being herself as the late pianist was throughout her career.

Photo: Dave Stapleton

"Juno Lucina" celebrates a Roman Goddess of Childbirth who was also a ruler of the heavens. After a bit of stop and start from the bass and drums, the alto sax and trumpet read the tricky theme.  Ms. Davis comes in at the opening of the trumpet solo (Alessi plays splendidly throughout) with angular chords pushing against the rhythm section while responding to the soloists.  There's a sense of urgency throughout, none more so than during the powerful piano solo.

"Freya" also includes two short "Interludes", a pair of gives-and-takes of trumpet and soprano saxes.The first is comprised of short phrases that lead to longer tones by the end of its 84-second run. "#2" is 10 seconds shorter, a bit more introspective but still a conversation. The piece closes there album on an up note leaving the listener expecting and wanting more.

Tineke Postma makes us pay attention, makes us hear those mysterious spaces where composition and improvisation are blurred as well as what occurs when musicians are allowed to interact freely and respectfully. "Freya" is an album one can listen to two, three, four, times back-to-back and discover something new with each listen.

For more information, go to www.tinekepostma.com.  To listen and purchase the album, go to https://tinekepostma.bandcamp.com/album/freya.

Listen to the musical story of "Aspasia and Pericles":

Bassist, composer, and arranger Anne Mette Iversen, now a resident of Berlin, Germany, first organized her "American" Quartet in 2002 when she was a resident of Brooklyn, NY.  Tee original members –– John Ellis (tenor and soprano saxophone), Danny Grissett (piano), and Otis Brown III (drums and cymbals) –– are still there. The "+1" that now is appended to the group's monicker is Swedish trombonist Peter Dahlgren who first recorded with the bassist on her 2014 "So Many Roads", an album that featured the Quartet +1 plus a string quartet.

"Racing The Butterfly" (BJU Records) is the ensemble's first album in three years. The album takes its name from an encounter Ms. Iversen had with a curious butterfly as she was running through a field of lavender on a dirt road in the French region of Provence. The butterfly flew alongside for a while then dipped and swirled around her head, racing forward, dropping back.  As the composer describes the experience "It was the fun, the enjoyment, the playfulness and lightness that was so beautiful and which nature displayed so naturally, that made me feel that I really ought to celebrate those sides of life more than I have previously done in my music." And, you can hear the effects of her experience throughout the 49-minute program.  Listen to the title track below to hear her playful musical take on that run through the fields. As an added experience, Ms. Iversen later discovered a poem from Günter Grass from his 1967 collection "Augesfraght" (Questioned Out) titled "Tour de France" that reads: "When the leading bunch/ were overtaken/ by a brimstone butterfly/ many cyclists gave up the race." 

Among the many highlights is the two-part "Parallel Flying" that runs over 11 minutes altogether. "Part 1" is a lovely, introspective, ballad rumination while "Part 2" hits the ground running after the melodic piano opening. Brown III and Ms. Iversen lock into the high-flying groove giving the front line a strong foundation to create three dancing solos.  Later in the program is the short (69 seconds) "Butterfly Interlude" that displays the drummer's delightful cymbal and snare work and leads in to the delightful "Dancing Butterflies" – Ellis's soprano sax dips and swirls around the piano lines as the drums acts as the breeze pushing him forward.  Grissett's solo is also quite joyous, floating along, flirting with the rhythm section, having the time of his life.  The bluesy, hard-driving, "Cluster", kicks hard featuring strong solos from Ellis (tenor sax), Dahlgren, and muscular romp from Brown III.

Photo: Dieter Duvelmeyer

"Racing a Butterfly" closes with another fine ballad. this one titled "Butterflies Too."  The blend of the handsome melody, the tenor sax with Dahlgren's smooth trombone sound, Grissett's intelligent piano work, and the supportive background, all come together for a splendid close to a fine, creative, program.  Since her first albums in the first decade of the new millennium, Anne Mette Iversen has continually shown herself to be a creative composer and arranger.  Her Quartet +1 makes this music come alive; their long-time association as a band makes this new album of Ms. Iversen her most passionate and delightful small group recording.

Fir more information, go to www.annemetteiversen.com.  To listen and purchase the album, go to https://annemetteiversen.bandcamp.com/album/racing-a-butterfly.

Listen to the title track:

There is not a lot of biographical information available about pianist and composer Hayoung Lyou, a native of Seoul, Korea,  but her musical pedigree is impressive. She attended Berklee College of Music and graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music. Ms. Lyou, who now lives in New York City, has studied with Ran Blake, Hal Crook, Helen Sung, Joanne Brackeen, Jason Moran, and Ethan Iverson.   For her debut album, she organized a quintet featuring her piano, bassist Simón Willson, drummer Dayeon Seok, and two reed players, Jasper Dutz (alto saxophone, clarinets) and Jacob Shulman (tenor saxophone). Her original music is not only influenced by the artists she has studied with but also the writing of Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), whose 1919 book "Demian" is extremely popular in her native land, and psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961), especially hs theory of "animus" (the personification of male tendencies in a woman).

All that and more serves as the foundation of "Metamorphosis" (Endectomorph Music), Ms. Lyou's debut album.  The program consists of 11 original pieces by the pianist including four pairs of songs, the first three of which are followed by short works all titled "Animus".  These pieces, numbered "I", "II", and "III", do have a harder edge and, in the instance of the longest one,  "II", which clocks in at 1:30, and is a roiling alto sax solo over the churning rhythm section. The title track opens with dark and sparse piano chords (reminiscent of Ran Blake) but the alto and tenor saxophones bring a different light to the ballad. Seok's drums are quite dramatic in the opening two minutes before he moves in to keeping the rhythm flowing.  The unaccompanied piano solo also is quite dramatic as it rolls forward

"Night Person" opens up with a quick allusion to "Giant Steps" before dropping into a groove that may remind some of Wayne Shorter. There's an airiness in the saxophones' interaction that soon gives way to an intensity as the rhythm section pushes them forward.  The majestic piano chords and powerful drumming of "Busan" pay tribute to the arrival of 14,000 North Korean children in South Korea's second-largest city in the midst of the Korean and how they use their wits to survive. The singing quality of the saxophones imbues the music with youthful voices.  The song inspired by Hesse's book "Demian" has a gentle melody played by the tenor sax and clarinet over a rhythm that sounds influenced by the music of Burt Bacharach.  The piano solo near the close of the piece, featuring fine bass counterpart from Willson, is quite melodic and impressionistic.

The two closing tracks include the lovely and classically inspired solo piano work "Solitude" plus the lilting, joyous, "A Sunny Day at Yankee Stadium". The latter piece, played sans reeds, is a delightful jaunt through the ballpark, the dancing piano phrases interspersed with full chords while the bass and drums keep the music light and delightful.  "Metamorphosis" introduces most of the listening world to the music of Hayoung Lyou. Her playing is impressive, the band serves her intentions well, and compositions are filled with delightful turns of phrases and changes in direction.  A formidable debut for an artist who looks to have a great future.

For more information, go to www.endectomorph.com/metamorphosis.html. To hear more and/or purchase the album, go to https://hayounglyou.bandcamp.com/releases.

Here's the title track:

Getting Together & Letting Grow

Composer, arranger, and reed player Mike McGinnis has built quite a fascinating career. With gigs alongside Anthony Braxton, Yo La Tengo, Alice Coltrane and son Ravi plus playing in the pit band of the Broadway musical "Fela!" (among others), he's shown his versatility.  As a leader or co-leader, he's recorded with The Four Bags, OK|OK, in a trio setting with pianist Art Lande and bassist Steve Swallow for two albums on Sunnyside Records, with an octet playing original music influenced by Filipino-American painter MuKha, and led a dectet playing the music of Bill Smith.

His latest musical adventure, "Time Is Thicker", is the debut album on McGinnis's new label Open Stream Music. It's a delightful program composed of five in-studio jams, three standards, and  "Abnegation" by the late bassist Bob Bowen (1965-2010). McGinnis, who plays clarinet throughout (elsewhere he plays bass clarinet, soprano and baritone saxophones), organized the group with fellow Brooklyn-ites drummer Vinnie Sperrazza and bassist Elias Bailey, both of whom get equal billing on the cover. The drummer has worked with the leader before (as well as with trumpeter John McNeil, Stew & The Negro Problem, cellist Hank Roberts, and in the groups Landline plus Curtis/ Garebedian/ Sperrezza.   The bassist is best known for his work with vocalists Freddy Cole and Rene Marie –– he first "hit the road" at the age 19 with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under the direction of Buddy Morrow.

The music runs the gamut from exciting trio collaborations such as the opening "Get In The Car" which runs right out the gate on the power of Bailey's galloping bass lines to a swinging take of the Lerner/ Lane classic "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever."  There are several impressionistic pieces; "Low Bow Prelude" is bowed bass and clarinet that leans towards 20th Century classical minimalism whereas as "Bow Legged Releve" is a livelier interaction with the three voices gleefully weaving in and around each other. Bowen's ballad "Abnegation" is a lovely stroll with Sperrazza's brushes quietly in the background, Bailey's bass serving as counterpoint, and McGinnis's clarinet singing the handsome melody –– one can hear a hint of Jimmy Giuffre's music in this and other interactions on the album.  Listen to below to the delightful take on "Tin Tin Deo"; the piece dances out for over eight minutes but never loses its lively character.  McGinnis creates a splendid long solo as the rhythm section moves from its relentless pace into shorter shuffle paces.

"Time Is Thicker" closes as it opened, with a romp. This time, it's Cole Porter's "Just One Of Those Things" that the trio kick into high gear.  Sperrazza gets to play with the rhythm while Bailey's walking...running...bass lines keeps the piece from spinning off its axis.  There is a brief moment in the clarinet solo when McGinnis conjures up the spirits of Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman.  Pull a chair and get acquainted with the sounds of Mike McGinnis, Elias Bailey, and Vinnie Sperrazza – your head will be in a better place when you do.

For more information, go to www.mikemcginnis.com. To purchase the album, go to https://openstreammusic.bandcamp.com/album/time-is-thicker.

Here's the Chano Pozo/ Gil Fuller classic:

Photo: Jimmy Katz

Alto saxophonist and composer Michael Thomas has been a busy musician since moving to New York City in 201l. His debut album was issued later that year. He's performed with drummer Dafnis Prieto, fellow saxophonist Miguel Zenón, and trumpeters Nicolas Payton and Etienne Charles.  Since 2015, he and bassist/ composer Edward Perez have led the Terraza Big Band – the ensemble's 2019 delightful debut album "One Day Wonder" was issued on Outside In Music.  In 2018, Thomas joined the faculty of the Jackie McLean Jazz Institute at the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music.  He currently leads a quartet featuring bassist Hans Glawischnig, trumpeter Jason Palmer, and drummer Johnathan Blake. That ensemble recorded its debut album at The Jazz Gallery in New York City on August 14 and 15, 2019.  Recorded by Jimmy Katz, the two-record set, "Event Horizon", has just been issued on Katz's Giant Step Arts, the label he co-owns with his wife Dena.

The recording, released as a two-disk set, features nine pieces composed by Thomas plus a "Bass Intro" and a "Drum Intro" – there's also a "Sax Intro" that leads off Disk two (since it's Thomas playing, he gets the credit for the "composition").  The fullness group pieces are all over 8:40 seconds with two above 13:50.  What stands out on initial listenings is the stamina of the rhythm section. Glawischnig is a melodic bassist so his lines are often moving while Blake is quite an active drummer.  After a few more "deep listens", one begins to hear the different pieces and how the solos grow naturally from melodies.  There are moments when the more energetic tracks bring to mind the music of the classic John Coltrane Quartet, especially the long saxophone solos that continue to explore the many variations in the structure of the original composition. Palmer is one of the premiere contemporary trumpeters; while he can play "fiery", his solos are witty, even danceable (listen to "Dr. Teeth" to see what I mean), and he engages fully with the rhythm section each he picks up his horn.

You can hear the influence of Coltrane (as well as Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell) on the unaccompanied "Sax Intro" –– the circular lines resemble allegro lines from a classical composition. Those phrases Thomas plays show up again during his muscular solo on the song that follows. "Chant" is one of the more powerful pieces on a program of powerful songs. Again, the trumpet solo tamps down the volume but not the interactions. Both Blake and Glawischnig stand out for their creative support of the soloists.  The closing two minutes of the 14-minute track is a drum solo over cascading lines by the saxophone, trumpet, and bass. One can imagine the audience jumping out of their seats last the amazing climax.

"Event Horizon" is an album that will grow the more you listen.  While there are plenty of long solos from Thomas and Jason Palmer, make sure to pay attention to the songs. There are no quick hooks the leap into the solos. Instead, pieces like "Underground", "Drift", "Framework", and the title track take their time to their time to develop and each member of the quartet is integral to  making sure the listener understands the structure, melody, and harmony the composer puts into each composition. In these pandemic days, I found listening to this album by Michael Thomas while taking a long walk made me appreciate this substantive music even more. Take a deep breath and dive in!

For more information, go to www.michaelthomasjazz.com.  You can listen to and purchase the album at https://michaelthomasjazz.bandcamp.com/album/event-horizon.

Here's the quartet in action:

Photo: Roberto Cifarelli

Bassist and composer Omer Avital came to the United States from his native Israel in 1992 and immediately started working with artists such as Roy Haynes, Kenny Garrett, and Jimmy Cobb (plus many more).  He became part of the scene at Smalls Jazz Club, recorded a series of albums for the Fresh Sound New Talent, toured the globe with Third World Love, a quartet that also featured trumpeter Avishai Cohen (that group recorded four albums), and so much more.  He moved back to Israel in 2002 for three years to study, returning to Brooklyn in 2005.  Since then, he has recorded and toured with numerous artists from classical, world music, and jazz.  He's a powerful bassist, with a great ear for melody as well as percussion.

In 2016, the bassist formed Qantar with four young Israeli ex-patriates who had emigrated to the United States to expand their musical knowledge and opportunities to play. With Avital as the leader and main composer, the musicians –– Asaf Yuria (tenor and soprano saxophones), Alexander Levin (tenor saxophone), Eden Ladin (piano), and Ofri Nehemya (drums) –– have begun to record on their own and perform in numerous groups around the NYC area.  As Omer Avital Qantar, they have just issued their second album, "New York Paradox", on the bassist's Zamzama Records.  The quintet's self-titled 2018 debut album displayed a band with its roots in both Middle-Eastern rhythms and the hard-bop of people such as Art Blakey and John Coltrane.

The new album is all that and more. The blend of the two saxophones, Ladin's exploratory piano, Nehemya's powerful and exciting drummer, and Avital's splendid musicianship and compositions, makes for a program that one would love to hear in a club setting.  Actually, that's not a surprising reaction as the quintet recorded in Avital's Brooklyn recording & performance space Wilson Live.  The opening track, "Shabazi", blows out of the speakers at a pace that will take your breath.  There's a hint of McCoy Tyner in the powerful piano lines while the intertwined tenors pour out the riffs.  Avital and Nehemya set an incredible pace and there are delightful solos from Yuria and Levin plus a driving drum explosion over the repetitive piano and bass figures.

The soulful "Zohar Smiles", a ballad that highlights the sparkling soprano sax of Yuria as well as a strong, soulful, turn by Levin plus powerful chords from the piano.  "Just Like The River Flows" blends a Middle-Eastern flavored melody line with Nehemya's dancing drums.  The whirling dervish soprano sax solo over powerful drums and the driving tenor solo near the end makes the track stand out.  "Today's Blues" is a flat-out swinger that has a bit of that Blakey/ Jazz Messenger feel.  "C'est Clair" has that feel as well but is "cooler" and has more of a blues feel that the previous track.

"Bushwick After Dark" closes the album with even more of that blues feel of "...Clair."  But there's also a raucous quality to the tenor solos. The seductive sound of the bass and drums underneath allows the soloists to let their imaginations roam.  Avital steps out as well – his melodic and playful solo is the perfect embodiment of the entire band's attitude.  Serious fun indeed

"New York Paradox" is the sound of a "working" band having a terrific time playing.  Once these crazy days pass, you are well-advised to check out Omer Avital Qantar at a performance space near you.  Until then, the band's exciting, inviting, new album will more than whet your appetite.

For more information, go to www.omeravital.com. To purchase the album, go to https://omeravital.bandcamp.com/album/quantar-new-york-paradox.