Playing Catch Up June '18

When one comes across a title such as "You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl", you either expect a comedy album or one by blues belter. You also expect there is a story behind it.  There is and it's one of "right place, right time" incidents. Leslie Pintchik overheard someone say those very words as the pianist and composer was walking through Soho in New York City.

For this, her sixth album as a leader (all but two on her Pintch Hard label) brings back the "core" band of her previous releases and that would be  bassist and guitarist Scott Hardy, drummer Michael Sarin, and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi.  Also returning on two tracks are Steve Wilson (alto saxophone) and Ron Horton (trumpet, flugelhorn) and, on two different tracks, Shoko Nagai (accordion).

If you have never heard Ms. Pintchik's music, you might be surprised that she actually studied 17th Century English Literature (all the while playing piano).  She found playing piano more rewarding and has kept up a busy schedule over the past decade + (currently, she has a regular trio gig with Hardy and Sarin every other Saturday night at Alvin & Friends in New Rochelle.  Still, her songs have a story quality; that gives them more depth than songs written to "blow on."  Certainly there are solos here but never at the loss of a good melody line.

The qualities I have admired in her previous - intelligent melodies, smart interplay with the band, and solos that unwind in the most fascinating ways - all that and more is evident on the new recording.  The title track bounces with a delightful funky feel, the horns alternating between quick jabs and flowing melodic phrases. Ms. Pintchik solos almost from the get-go riding gleefully along the percussion pop of Sarin and Takeishi.  Hardy overdubs a rippling solo: one hears a touch of later Steely Dan in the blend of rhythms and the guitar work.  Wilson steps out as well, her sweet alto sound dancing right along with the band.

Besides six originals, there are two standards.  A soft Caribbean feel inhabits the rhythms of "I'm Glad There Is You", a tune composed in the early 1940s by Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira.  The piece has been covered by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, and Beyonce! You can hear that Ms. Pintchik knows the lyrics and enjoys the melody - her solo has an airy, gentle, feel and, if you pay close attention, it also swings.  "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" follows, Takeishi's "popping" percussion leading the rhythm section into a samba.  Hardy overdubs acoustic guitar but pay attention to his fine bass work; not just his solo but how he lets the drummers create the rhythm while he plays counterpoint.

Ms. Nagai's two tracks include "Hopperesque", a ballad with samba rhythms though the accordion suggests a tango feel, and the joyful "Happy Dog." Sarin sits out but Takeishi pits, patters, shakes, and rattles on cajón and hand percussion.  The blend of the clean piano sound and the reedy accordion with the acoustic bass and percussion seems enchanting and enchanted.

One would love to see the bright and breezy "Your Call Will Be Answered By Our Next Available Representative, In The Order In Which It Was Received. Please Stay On The Line; Your Call Is Important To Us" be nominated for a GRAMMY just to hear the presenters say the title on the air (as if the networks would air the Jazz category).  I suppose it's possible Ms. Pintchik wrote the snappy melody while she was on hold but the song is too upbeat to be angry.

To call an album with the title of "You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl" a serious effort is not being sarcastic. Yes, the music is playful at times and it's obvious these musicians are having fun in the studio. You can play this album in the background while doing other things; music fits most moods.  But, if you pay attention to how the musicians frame the songs, how they interact, how they "listen and respond", there's more to it than meets the inattentive ear.  Leslie Pintchik can always fall back on her Master's Degree but her music is mature, modern, and worth your attention.

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

Bassist and composer Rosa Brunello is a new name to me but has been involved in the Italian and European jazz scenes for nearly two decades.  "Volverse" is the her second release for CAM Jazz and the second to feature her group Los Fermentos.  For this album, she has pared down to the personnel to a quartet that features Filippo Vignato (trombone, electronics), Alessandro Presti (trumpet, electronics), and Luca Colussi (drums). The album was recorded live in Trieste in February 2017 and gives the listener a good look into how an improvisational unit works, especially one without a chordal instrument. Several of the pieces are built upon "the groove"; the opening "Stand Up" rides in atop a slinky bass line and 4/4 drums to introduce a melody played (initially) by Presti's muted trumpet (which gives the piece a feel of late 1960s Miles Davis). The groove changes slightly for "California Dream" while the thematic material has a funky feel of its own.

It should come as no surprise that "Pina Bausch" has a dance feel as the song is named for a choreographer, performer, and teacher (1940-2009). Colussi creates a handsome swirl of percussion, especially active on his cymbals while Ms. Brunello plays excellent counterpoint for the soloists (note how she supports Vignato's solo and makes delightful statements alongside Presti). "30 Nighthawks Indeed" has a hint of Dave Holland's groups that featured Robin Eubanks, Kenny Wheeler, and/or Julian Priester. You hear it in how two brass lines wind around each other, hear it in how the opening lines are melodic, playful, meandering, and clear-toned. When the rhythm section enters, the musicians create a ruckus with the interactive percussion and Ms. Brunello's powerful counterpoint. And the electronics, in the form of loops, swirl around the bottom of the sound spectrum.

The program closes with the title track.  Like the "...Nighthawks...", the action takes place ever 13+ minutes. plenty of time for the quartet to state the long melody line and to stretch out.  There's no wasted space (even at nearly 14 minutes), even time for a short bass solo, a bass-trumpet duo,and, then, Colussi joins the action followed by Vignato. The band falls in to a repetition of the opening theme and the piece ends on a gentle note.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Rosa Brunello Y Los Fermentos is a quartet that takes its cues from groups such as Ornette Coleman's quartet with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell and Max Roach's piano-less quartets as well as bassist-led groups such as the afore-mentioned Dave Holland and Stephan Crump.  The blend of rhythms and melody is enjoyable as is the interplay.  Good music crosses borders, tears down walls, and invites you in for nourishment of the soul.  That's what is happening here.

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

Here is a live version of the title track:





Drummer and composer Andrew Bain, a native of Edenburgh, Scotland, began studying drums and percussion in his youth (both classical and jazz).  He's been active on the English and European scenes since the late 1990s and now splits his time between London and New York City.  Bain released a pair of albums around the turn of the Millennium and has gone to be a first-call musician for London stage shows and classical orchestras.  Currently, he leads a quintet, Player Piano, that is composed of guitarist Mike Walker, pianist Gwilym Simcock, saxophonist Iain Dixon, and bassist Steve Watts; Bain is also the music director of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland.


His newest venture is a quartet, one that features saxophonist Jon Irabagon, pianist George Colligan, and bassist Michael Janisch.  Bain wrote a program of music, took the ensemble "on the road" in Great Britain in early November of 2016.  Right near the end of the two-week tour, he took them into the studio where they recorded "Embodied Hope" (Whirlwind Recordings).  The band truly gelled and the results are exciting, enjoyable, and challenging.  The project reminds this listener of the new Irabagon CD, "Dr. Quixotic's Traveling Exotics" - both recordings feature a group in the midst of a tour. at the height of its interactions, a time when they totally trust and support each, music which rises far above the mundane.  There is not a weak or dull moment in the hour-long program.

The album opens with "Accompaniment", a rubato work that will surely bring the John Coltrane Quartet to mind. Wave upon wave wash over the listener; there's no harshness as the work sounds like a prayer, a call for the Spirit to inhabit the body of the band members and give the the power to play.  "Hope" follows (see the video below). What stands out is the handsome melody, the powerful piano work of Colligan, the driving force of Janisch and Bain, plus the muscular and rich sounds of Irabagon's tenor.  It's the longest work on the album (12:12) yet has such a compelling flow. Colligan channels his inner McCoy Tyner, his right hand dancing across the keys in abandon but never does he get lost.  Pay attention to Bain and how he both directs and drives the band.

BBC.UK

There's so much to like here. The deep funk opening of "Responsibility" (a big dollop of New Orleans in that piano), leads to a rollicking tune on which the rhythm section gets to solo and strut their own stuff.  "Listening" opens in a lighter, airy, manner before the band kicks and the piece takes off in high gear.  Irabagon's solo rises above the frenetic rhythm section before Colligan steps out on his own. Play attention to how both the bassist and drummer connect with each other and the soloist, feeding off the energy the pianist supplies. I'm not sure they could play the main theme any faster and still be so melodic.

The album goes out with "Hope (Reprise)" picking up from where the earlier version faded out. Note the gospel figure in the piano, Irabagon's "testifying" saxophone, and the delightful finish.  "Embodied Hope" is a recording for listeners who wish to be transported out of the everyday.  Like the Jon Irabagon album mentioned above, the power of the music may overwhelm some but , stay with it, the ride is quite a treat.

For more information, go to www.andrewbain.org.

Tal Stories Two

One of the joys of reviewing is when a CD (or digital download) arrives in the mail and you are immediately bowled over by a musician unknown to you .  The day "Gentle Giants" (self-released) showed up, so did the album below with vocalist Danielle Wertz. Both feature pianist and composer Tal Cohen, a young Israeli-born musician who finished school in Perth, Australia, before attending graduate school at the University of Florida in Miami.  He's won numerous awards for his musicianship, has performed with Joe Lovano and George Garzone plus drummer Ari Hoenig and Australian saxophonist Jamie Oehlers, and is now living in the United States.

Listening to "Gentle Giant", I am reminded of my initial reaction to Wynton Marsalis's 1986 album, "Black Codes From the Underground."  There is an audacious quality to the music, making one sit up and pay attention to what each musician is playing and how the ensemble interacts.  We could argue all day long whether the music is "new" or not but that's not the point here. Cohen and company - Robert Hurst (bass), Nate Winn (drums), Greg Osby (alto and soprano saxophone on four tracks), and the afore-mentioned Jamie Oehlers (tenor saxophone on six tracks) - make this music breathe, alive with possibility, and going in unexpected directions.  Case in point - the album opens with "Nardis", arguably the most famous Miles Davis composition that the trumpeter never recorded to his satisfaction but was pleased by pianist Bill Evans's many recordings of the tune.  The music grows outward from the rhythm section, the slinky bass line that opens the piece and the atmospheric introduction.  Oehlers (a mentor to the pianist in his school years in Australia and beyond) plays the melody while the piano, bass, and drums give the rhythms a Middle-Eastern feel.  Listen to how Cohen builds his solo, the intensity he discovers, the interactions with Hurst and Winn. There is delight in this performance, power as well but a great feeling of playfulness.

The album is filled with fine melodies (all but the opening track are Cohen originals), many with the combination of Israeli folk songs blended with the influence of Chopin and Scriabin.  "Lo Haya" is a two-part piece, the first a lovely duet with Oehlers, the second a lullaby built from a phrase from the original melody.  "Part 2" opens with a lovely introspective piano solo then adds the rhythm section building to a powerful interchange between the two saxophonists as the intensity builds and builds.  The saxophonists also combine on the delightful "Great PK (for Shuli)" which swings powerfully right from the get-go with strong solos all around.  Osby gets the spotlight on "Gavetsch"; he follows a particularly high-spirited piano playing with pieces of the melody, interacting with the rhythm section, spurring both Hurst and Winn to respond - in an odd choice, the tune's reprise "Hazil Magil" is programmed three tracks previous and is a different take of the piano solo only.  The album closes with "Chopin Meets Abach".  Paraphrasing Cohen's notes, it's music that contrasts the peace the composer gets from classical music (Chopin) and the Israeli citizens need for a protective mask (Abach is the name of the mask's manufacturer) during the Gulf War.  With eh rhythm section creating a powerful racket, Osby's soprano saxophone phrases rise like a flock of birds.

"Gentle Giants" is an excellent introduction to Tal Cohen, his music and his vision. This is music that is easy to get lost in, to let the sounds flow in and out of you. While, at times, the music sounds so spontaneous, one can hear that the music spent time living with the pieces, playing them and finding so much depth.  This album is actually Cohen's second as a leader - his debut "Yellow Sticker" (also featuring Jamie Oehlers) was released in 2011 - and is a delight from start to finish.

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

"Intertwined" (self-released) features the combined talents of Tal Cohen and vocalist Danielle Wertz. Ms. Wertz, a native of Virginia, met the pianist when both were studying at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Her voice will remind some of Kate McGarry, Gretchen Parlato, Sara Gazarek, and Sheila Jordan. There's a quality of lightness that shines through whether she is romping through the melody, as she does on the title track or wrapped in the gentle melody of "Autumn Leaves." On the latter track, Jamie Oehlers adds his breathy tenor saxophone, responding to the vocalist as well as creating a memorable solo. Listen to how Cohen weaves his lines throughout the piece, not only building the foundation but also responding to the emotion of his companions. The sparsity of the accompaniment allows Ms. Wertz to explore the words, their meanings, their relationship to the melody and the improvisations.

Actually, the first sounds one hears on the opening track is Oehlers's hypnotic melodic fragment leading in "Beautiful Love", a song first made famous in 1931 by the Wayne King Orchestra. The gentle vocal and the articulate piano work join the saxophone as the trio open the piece, each one listening to the other and responding.  Cohen's "Chopin Meets Abach" blends wordless vocals with a rolling piano line, the power of the music coming from his the voice builds along with the piano, not always in contrast but in union with the message of the composition.

The story the duo tells on "Manhattan In the Rain" (composed by Duncan Lamont) is powerful description of chance encounter that goes from good to sad. It is performed without sentimentality or treacle but with honesty and beauty (the rainstorm conjured up by Cohen's piano is magical).  Throughout the program, one can hear how time the musicians spent exploring the songs, moving away from cliched performances into interpretations that are more personal.  That's what audiences usually want. If artists are going
perform standards, make the pieces sound brand-new.  If the emotions are honest, the music has power.

"Intertwined" is powerful. Danielle Wertz and Tal Cohen have created an album that transports the listener beyond the ordinary. Be open and the music will seem like an adventure, a good and satisfying experience.

For more information, go to www.daniellewertz.com or to www.talcohenmusic.com.

Here's a video that tells the story behind the recording:

Truly Musical

On April 1, BJU Records releases "Musica Para Un Dragon Dormida", pianist/composer Emilio Teubal's 3rd recording as a leader.  With a sextet featuring percussionists John Hadfield and Satoshi Takeishi, cellist Erik Friedlander, electric bassist Moto Fukushima and the superb reed work of Sam Sadigursky, the pianist has created a stunning musical landscape that covers much ground, especially rhythmic and emotional territories.

Born in Madrid, Spain, to Argentinean parents in exile, Teubal has also covered much territory in his life.  His family returned to their native land when he was 8 years and, one year later, he started studying and playing piano.  He moved to New York City in 1999 to continue his studies and begin his professional career, one that has seen him perform with John Benitez and the Marta Gomez Group, among others.

All of which leads us to his new CD.  The influence of his Argentinean roots is evident throughout but not overwhelming.  Much of this music is carried by the tremendous rhythmical playing of the pianist, the percussionists and Fukushima thick-toned electric bass.  On top of that are the often captivating melodies, many of which feature Sadigurksy on clarinet.  The program opens with "Un Simple Objeto" with its perky melody played over chords that would not be out of place in Vince Guaraldi's music for "Charlie Brown." While the clarinetist and cellist share the melody line, the music percolates forward.  Hadfield (hand drums) and Takeishi (cajon and hand percussion) strut back and forth while the bass and piano support them. The impressionistic solo piano opening of "The Constant Reinventor" has the sound of a work by Ralph Towner, even more so when the clarinet enters to share the main theme.  The arrangement adds the other players as it moves forward with the cello having its part in the melodic development and the bass serving as counterpoint.  All of sudden, the tempo shifts into a tango yet the melody continues to be shared by the 3 musical voices.   Teubal's solo is a series of cascading notes and rhythmic patterns over the percolating rhythms.Near the close of the song, he adds a short section with a rapidly descending line for the piano, clarinet and cello that is so thrilling (especially as Friedlander goes in the opposite direction of the piano and clarinet.

This recording is filled with breath-taking moments.  Sadigursky gets to play most of his reeds on "La Perla", overdubbing clarinet, bass clarinet and flute even soloing on all 3 as the piece moves forward. Then, close to the end, there's a section that features 2 clarinets, bass clarinet and flute pushing the melody and rhythm forward.  In an email exchange with the reed player, he wrote "Emilio plays with such a great time feel and percussiveness, and really writes for the entire piano.  He has a vision, but also trusts the players around him to make decisions and push things in different directions." 


"Musica Para Un Dragon Dormido" is quite an impressive achievement. Like a great movie director, Emilio Teubal went into the studio having an overall blueprint for this music and, once he put it in the hands and minds of this fine ensemble, the project took flight.  Like fellow Argentinean Guillermo Klein accomplishes in his original music, Teubal has woven threads of numerous musical styles into his compositions without losing touch with his "roots." This CD creates such an amazing sonic world, one does not want the music to end.  Brilliant and accessible, highly rhythmic and strongly melodic, one will find much to enjoy in Emilio Teubal's new recording.  For more information, go to www.emilioteubal.com.

Trumpeter/composer Matt Holman has a list of credits the length of one's arm, ranging from his regular gigs with Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, John Hollenbeck's Large Ensemble and Asuka Kakitani's Big Band to appearances with Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry. He's won a slew of awards, grants and commissions and is currently of the New York Symphony Jazz Band, a 17-piece ensemble dedicated to not only preserving the Big Band tradition but also support young composers.

For his debut CD as a leader, Holman has convened a quintet featuring Mike McGinnis (clarinet, bass clarinet), Christopher Hoffman (cello), Nate Radley (electric guitar) and Ziv Ravitz (drums, percussion) and supplied them with a program that challenges their skills as creators.  Hoffman, who has worked and recorded with Henry Threadgill, is called on to be both a soloist and to play the bass lines; he does so with poise and style.  Ravitz, born in Israel and now in the United States for over a decade, displays great sensitivity and drive.  His wonderful martial drumming on the title track really pushes the band but never overwhelms them.  Guitarist Radley, who is a member of Loren Stillman's Bad Touch and has worked with a score of New York-based musicians, is a fine rhythm guitarist.  His rippling lines, funky rhythm lines and smart counterpoint on "Chain Of Command" captures one's attention.  McGinnis, a member of the four bags and co-founder of OK|OK, is a wonderful foil on the front line, his warm tones working nicely with and alongside the clear, crisp, tones of the leader's trumpet.

There is a modern classical feel to the opening strains of "Kindred Spirits" with the theme carried the clarinet.Once the rhythm section settles into the beat, Holman's trumpet enters, playing the second theme.  When he and McGinnis play in unison, the music soars.  And, listen to how the cello and drums negotiate the rhythms.  The clarinet once again leads the way on the subsequent track, the handsome ballad title "Tutti." When Holman starts, the piece begins to swell and recede, like waves lapping on a dock.  The stately feel of the previous can be felt in the early moments of the title track, with the trumpet leading the way and the clarinet lines moving in and around.  Then, the piece picks up for a while before dropping back to a quiet groove for Radley's halting solo (he seems to be just behind the beat at the beginning before riding the groove.)  The guitar solo builds in intensity as the front line plays flowing lines behind him.

Ravitz's Middle-Eastern rhythms open "Where the Tracks End", a piece with a melancholy melody. McGinnis's bass clarinet melds with the trumpet at times then splits away moving back in.  After Hoffman's short, blues-influenced solo (over the percussion and Radley's gentle backing phrases, the guitarist takes off on his own.

One hears the influence of Dave Douglas (especially the Tiny Bell Trio), at times, in the melody lines and rhythms.  Yet, Holman is also very interested in group dynamics and how each musician contributes to the overall sound. So, in the rocking mid-section of "Chain of Command", there is equality in the hard-edged guitar lines, the rollicking clarinet, the keening cello, the clarion call of the trumpet and, all the while, Ravitz is bashing away with glee, not out of control but with purpose.

"When Flooded" continues the flood of impressive new recordings for 2013. These are Matt Holman's compositions and his vision but the music is an entire group effort. The sound quality is excellent, there is very little clutter (the clarity of the cymbals and cello is super) and, most certainly, no ego-trips.  This CD, like the Emilio Teubal reviewed above, deserves your attention.  For more information, go to mattholman.com.