Michael Dease, trombonist, composer, arranger, educator, and a native of Georgia, has had quite the busy life since being accepted into the first class of jazz students at The Juilliard School in New York City. He has toured, performed or recorded with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Renee Rosnes, The Heath Brothers, and so many others.
In the past nine months, he's released two new recordings for Posi-Tone Records, his second and third for the Los Angeles based label (his first was the delightful big band date titled "Relentless.") "Decisions" is a quintet date featuring the talents of Tim Green (alto saxophone on five tracks), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Rodney Whitaker (bass) and Ulysses Owens (drums), all leaders in their own right. The program is a delightful mix of seven originals and three "standards." Several of the pieces have political overtones in their titles including the handsome ballads "Trayvon" and Bernard Ighner's "Everything Must Change." The majority of the album swings with glee, from the shuffling opener "Grove's Grooves" to the funky "Jason's Gonna Get Ya" to the bluesy "Gorgeous Gwen" ( the blend of trombone and sax on the melody has a tinge of The Jazz Crusaders). Throughout, Owens and Whitaker keep the front line on there toes without forcing the issues while Zaleski impresses with both his support and his excellent solos. Dease has a such a attractive tone, even buttery at times, and his solos are so smart. He navigates through the rhythm section such lyrical composure on the Harry Warren/Joe Young classic "You're My Everything" and dances with delight through "The Big D." Green adds much on his appearances, the highlights being the expansive solo on "Right Place Wrong Time" and his high-flying turn through "Grove's Grooves."
"Decisions" is music that asks questions while reminding listeners of the joys of coming together for creative endeavors. Give the album several listens and the music will insinuate itself in your mind and soul - can't ask for more than that.
The brand new Dease disk, "Father Figure", not only casts the trombonist in the role of leader but also mentor. He, Glenn Zaleski (a young pro) and Behn Gillece (vibraphone) are the veterans in an ensemble that also features bassist Endea Owens, drummer Luther Allison plus alto saxophonists Markus Howell and Immanuel Wilkins. Ms. Owens and Mr. Allison make for an impressive rhythm section throughout, her active lines not just supporting but also offering counterpoint while his cymbal work is exemplary as are his choices of when to "push." Howell appears on 6 of the 11 tracks; he has a bright sound and many of his phrases joyfully dance above the rhythm section. Wilkins, still in his teens, seems to have a more supportive role on his 4 appearances but does get off a raucous solo on the opener "Church of the Good Hustler." Mr. Gillece appears on most of the tracks and his vibes sound mesh nicely with the different lineups on the disk. His rippling sound is a highlight on Dease's "Brooklyn", named for both the borough in which his family lives and also for his baby daughter.
There are numerous highlights throughout, among them the playful "Marian The Librarian" (from Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man"). Dease and Zaleski caress the melody as the rhythm section dances delightfully in support. That quartet return to the Broadway and Hollywood hit for a sweet turn through "Till There Was You", the melody lovingly played on trombone and followed by a jaunty solo. Michael Howell's "The Pursuit for Inspiration" is a medium-tempo ballad with Dease and Howell playing the melody - the young alto saxophonist plays a fine, assured, solo while Ms. Owens' counterpoint stands out. "Annette's For Sure", from the pen of trumpeter Claudio Roditi, is a sweet romp with strong solos from the leader, Zaleski, and Howell. The quintet (with Gillece and Howell but minus Zaleski) visit the blues on "Riff Raff", a sweetly-played tune from trombonist Grachan Moncur III with excellent solos all around. Gillece takes his over the rhythm section only and it really shines. The title track closes the album on a bop-ish note with the leader creating a snappy melody and a sparkling solo (including a sneaky quote from "Parisian Thoroughfare" at the onset.) Ms. Owens take a short but excellent break before Zaleski shows off his Bud Powell-like chops.
With "Father Figure", Michael Dease shines the spotlight on a fine group of musicians, several of whom he has worked with during his tenure on the faculty of Michigan State University. He's generous with solo time for the members of the ensemble but don't lose of the sight of the fact that he himself is a fine soloist, often with a most handsome tone. This music is a delightful way to spend the day.
Here's a video introduction to the CD and to Michael Dease as a musician and human being:
Pianist and composer Spike Wilner, a native of Manhattan, may be best known for his "night job", manager of both Smalls Jazz Club and its next-door neighbor, Mezzrow. He's also quite an accomplished pianist and band leader; "Koan" is his 10th album as a leader and 3rd for the Posi-Tone label. The CD, like his previous release, "La Tendresse", is a trio date, this time with Tyler Mitchell (bass) and Anthony Pinciotti (drums). The 12-song program features excellent originals, jazz classics (including two compositions by Duke Ellington) and a pair of standards.
One can hear from the get-go that this is an ensemble who have spent a good deal of time working together and listening to each other. When they "swing", as they do with a vengeance on Tadd Dameron's "Hot House" or gently on Wilner's "Iceberg Slim", the three musicians do so in service of the melody and with the joy of improvisation. The Ellington works, 1940's "Warm Valley" (revived on Duke's trio date with Max Roach and Charles Mingus) and 1938's "Gypsy Without a Song", have such expansive melodies, the former with its gentle melody that stretches over several verses and the latter with a Latin tinge and gentle swing. One of the more experimental works is the leader's "Monkey Mind", which starts gently but Wilner begins adding sheets of notes over chattering percussion and intermittent bass lines.
The final three tracks bring the session to a close on quite a high note. "Young at Heart" (the melody composed by Johnny Richards) opens quietly with Wilner playing the melody slowly (his left hand sounds, early on, like Vince Guaraldi's left hand "Cast Your Fate to the Wind"). After the rhythm section enters, the energy slowly picks up but the pianist's solo is a series of variations on that melody. Next is the trio's impressive exploration of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" (certainly the late saxophonist and composer's most oft-recorded work.) Wilner's left hand, along with Mitchell's bass lines, not only really swing but there are moments, especially after the bass solo, when the music has a folk music feel. The inventive nature of the trio's interactions push the piece forward right up to the drum solo and, after that, it's back to the theme. The album closes with "Blues For the Common Man", a Wilner original that takes its theme from Aaron Copeland's famous "Fanfare...." After a formal opening with Copeland's melody, the piece drops into a slow blues a la Percy Mayfield. The pace picks up several notches during the piano solo that juxtaposes familiar phrases with long, flowing, single-note runs. Right before the close, the trio slows down, Wilner takes more of a gospel tack (big, bold, chords) and the music and come to a satisfying close.
"Koan", as a musical meditation, works well in the early morning and late at night, windows open, the sounds of the outside either waking up and quietly disappearing. Spike Wilner has such a creative mind, teasing idea out if songs one might think have been wrung dry over the years. This is a great program to enjoy from start-to-finish and I heartily recommend that you do.
This Thursday (1/14), the Russell Library, 123 Broad Street in Middletown welcomes the fine vocalist Indra Rios-Moore and her band for a 7 p.m. concert in the Hubbard Room. Indra, a long-time friend of Middletown resident Rani Arbo, issued her 3rd CD in 2015, the lovely "Homeland" - produced by Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell), the CD came out in August and is filled with fascinating tunes, including 2 by Doc Watson as well as great covers of songs by David Ruffin ("What Becomes of the Broken-hearted"), Pink
Floyd ("Money") and David Bowie ("Heroes"). The album includes stunning versions of Duke Ellington's "Azure" (lyrics by Irving Mills and "Solitude" (the words were composed by Eddie De Lange).
The concert will feature her "working band" (all of whom appear on the CD) - they include Benjamin Traerup (saxophones), Uffe Steen (guitars) and Indra's husbandThomas Sejthen (bass). Anyone who attended her previous shows know just how powerful a singer/interpreter Indra is and how well the band's sounds complements her vocals. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information about the concert, call 860-347-2528. To learn more about the singer, go to www.indrariosmoore.com.
Here's a cut to whet your appetite:
Bassist-composer Ben Williams has been one of the busiest musicians of the last 6 years, working with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and as a member of guitarist Pat Metheny's Unity Band. He's also had a busy solo career leading his band known as Sound Effect. He's playing this Friday night (1/15) at 8:30 p.m. in the comfortable environs of The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme. The club is listing the group as the Ben Williams Quartet and not including who's in the group. No matter who Williams plays with, the music and musicians will shine on the fine original compositions and smart covers.
Call 860-434-0886 for more information. To learn more about the bassist, go to benwilliamsmusic.net.
Here's a 2011 NPR "Tiny Desk Concert" that offers a lively short set of music:
On Saturday night, Ken & Jan welcome trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator Nick Finzer to their venue in Old Lyme. The Rochester, NY, native studied at the Eastman School and did his graduate work at the Juilliard School in New York City. He has studied with 2 of the finest trombonists on the past 40 years, Wycliffe Gordon and Steve Turre. School was a great experience but Finzer has also gotten invaluable on the bandstand, working with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, tuba master Bob Stewart's Double Quartet, and saxophonist Lucas Pino's No Net Nonet. In 2013, the trombonist self-released his debut CD, "Exposition", which featured, among others, Pino, bassist Dave Baron, and Hartford-area native & drummer Jimmy Macbride.
Pino and Baron will be the bandstand Saturday night along with pianist Glenn Zaleski, guitarist Andrew Renfroe and drummer Allan Medford. The bulk of the material this band, known as the Hear and Now Sextet, will come from Finzer's delightful new recording, "The Chase" (Origin Records). That CD, issued in July of 2015, features Pino, Baron, Macbride, Zaleski, and guitarist Alex Wintz. What stands out after a couple of close listens is how melodic this music is, the intelligence of the arrangements, and what a dynamic rhythm section the leader has in Macbride and Baron. The title track is just that, a red-hot chase through the hard-bop streets. One can hear the blues a la Art Blakey on "All Hype" and the more New Orleans style blues ballad on "While You're Gone" - that latter track is features Finzer on muted 'bone with the rhythm section. His vocal-like lines shine as does the fine accompaniment of Zaleski. Elsewhere, the music shows the influence of Wayne Shorter on the airy, medium tempo, grooves of "Why Aren't You Excited" (fine tenor solo from Pino who is also a member of pianist/composer Jeremy Siskind's Housewarming trio). That "open" feel permeates the high-energy "Spheres of Influence" with Macbride really propelling the music forward and the soloists responding in kind.
Nick Finzer's music is so attractive because, while it does not "scream" into your ears, it insinuates itself into your mind with its melodic content and fine grooves. Plus, the leader is a fine soloist, his fluid lines rising effortlessly over the rhythm section. In person, this music should be even better as the Sextet knows each other well and have played this music a lot. For more information about the Saturday night gig, go to thesidedoorjazz.com. To learn more about Mr. Finzer, go to www.nickfinzermusic.com.
Here's Hear and Now Sextet in the studio:
Israeli-born composer and pianist Alon Nechushtan comes to the Hartford Public Library this Sunday (1/17) to play in the Baby Grand Jazz series. Nechushtan, whose interests are as varied as can be in this day and age, will be playing alongside bassist Lars Ekman and the splendid drummer Colin Stranahan. The pianist has worked alongside saxophonist Donny McCaslin, drummer Bob Moses, Klezmer clarinetist Andy Statman, and bassist Ben Allison (among others) and has not only composed and performed jazz pieces but also works for larger ensembles and electronic music.
The concert, free and open to the public, takes place at 3 p.m. in the Atrium of the Library, located at 500 Main Street in the Capital City. For more information, go to www.hplct.org/classes-seminars-exhibits/baby-grand-jazz. To learn more about Mr. Nechushtan, go to musicalon.com.
Here's one of his Trio tracks from 2011:
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Pianist Jon Davis has a new CD. Titled "Changes Over Time", it's his 3rd for PosiTone and 7th overall as a leader. The program follows the pattern on his 2015 release "Moving Right Along" (my review here) with its combination of originals and smartly chosen "covers", a 12-song program that ranges from "pop" standards such as "My Cherie Amour" and "Yesterday"(the only solo performance on the disk) to jazz standards such as Mal Waldron's ever-so-funky "Soul Eyes" and Jimmy Rowles's "The Peacocks." Davis also dips into his good friend and former employer Jaco Pastorius's repertoire with a handsome reading of "Las Olas" which the late bass player composed for his Big Band as well as performed with Flora Purim and Herbie Hancock.
Joining Davis is bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Jochen Rueckert, both musicians with such a subtle sense of touch and really big ears. They can deliver the funk as they do on the title track (1 of 7 composed by the pianist), negotiate hair-pin changes with aplomb (as they exhibit on the splendid "It's For Free") and play quietly but with strong musicality (shown to best example on the Rowles' piece.) The musicians play with grace and ease throughout the program; nothing feels forced or over-baked. When you have such strong "chops", it's not unheard of to just show off one's technique. But Davis and company sound like they are having a great time with this music, having fun, which translates to the joy of the listening experience.
"Changes Over Time" (which will be released on 1/29/16) is a delightful hour of music that one can sit down and fall right into from the opening note to the closing seconds of "Waltz For U." Close your eyes and you might feels as if you're in a lovely salon or intimate concert hall and Jon Davis is playing right in front of you. This CD is yet another example of how the Piano Trio category is far from played out!
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