Sounds in Our Head

Photo: Dave Stapleton

The duo of Sachal Vasandani (voice) and Romain Collin (piano) issued their first album "Midnight Shelter" (Edition Records) in Spring 2021––it seemed the perfect escape during pandemic times. Not because it was "escapist entertainment" but because of how made the listeners feel the various emotions one has in contemplation. Perhaps it was Vasandani's unadorned vocals or Collin's clear, clean, accompaniment, maybe because the duo took music from folk, rock, and elsewhere, unifying them in sound and delivery so the listener could hear and feel the words.  There was no improvisation, no feats of vocal techniques, just pure, clean, song. When you think about it, that's a gift but also a return to balladry.  Not sure I was ready for the intimacy of the first album; at the time, the world was sick from worry about COVID-19, scared of the variants, and tired of being cooped up, I just wanted to sit with my friends, see my family, go to a concert and not watch it on a computer screen or television in 2-D but feel music coursing through my body and others, a communal experience.
 

Just over a year later comes "Still Life", the duo's second adventure for Edition.  It would be easy to write that this is more of the same but only on the surface. There is still the excellent choice of material; the smashing choices of Elizabeth Cotton's "Freight Train", the timeless Paul Simon's musical warning "The Sound of Silence", and Ray Reid's "I Can't Make You Love You" (arguably the best song ever composed by a ex-football player––former Cincinnati Bengal Reid with Allen Shamblin) are among the immediate standouts. There are three original songs worth your attention. The album opens with Vasandani's "No More Tears" which at the onset has the urgency of a Robert Johnson blues tune and then turns into a subtly powerful jazz tune.  "Someone Somewhere" comes from a collaboration between the vocalist and drummer Nate Smith, a down-tempo ballad where the piano chords seem to float below and around the words.  "How Could We Be" is a lament composed by Collin; while there is an urgency in the piano chords, the vocal is gentle, soft, pleading without begging.  

Photo: Dave Stapleton

The duo do a smashing rearrangement of "Latch", a 2012 song by the British electronica duo Disclosure that featured Sam Smith.  The spare piano work captures the gentle funkiness of the track but it's Vasandani's impressive falsetto that stands out.  James Bay 2014 "Let It Go" is a heartfelt ballad; Vasandani's sweet vocal approach brings out the heartbreak in the lyrics. 

The album closes with Peter Gabriel's "Washing of the Water" from 1992's "Us"––this duo version captures the gospel/soul feel of the original as well as the despair the singer has of the breakup the song describes.  A brilliant close to a splendid program.  "Still Life", the title, can be understood in different ways such as to describe an image in a painting or photograph, it can describe a person going through each the motions each day, and, to me, it's a response to after all the bad and good that befall us, our families, friends, the world, life goes on. Sachal Vasandani and Romain Collin have created an album that takes in the despair created by the pandemic and soothes our fevered brows with their gentle musical balm.  

For more information, go to www.sachalvasandani.com.  To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://sachalvasandani.bandcamp.com/.

Hear the Billie Eilish/Finnish tune "I Love You":

Two Duos & One Quartet

For more than five decades, vocalist Norma Winstone, born in London, England, has been creating music in settings that range from big band to quintets to trios to duos. She may be best known for her association with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and pianist John Taylor (the trio recorded for ECM Records as Azimuth) plus her duo work with her former husband Taylor as well as with Fred Hersch.

While her marriage to Taylor did not last, their musical partnership was particularly active in the 1980s and 90s.  "In Concert" (Sunnyside Records) is a reissue of a August 1988 concert Ms. Winstone and Taylor made at the end of a summer teaching job in London. Originally released in 1999 on Britain's Enodoc Records, it's a splendid collection of songs the duo put together on the fly.  The program features songs by Leonard Bernstein, Steve Swallow, Egbeeto Gismonti, Ralph Towner, Thelonious Monk, Lionel Hampton, and one smashing piece  – "Coffee Time" –  with improvised vocals, hand percussion (Taylor on the piano), and audience hand clapping.  Half the songs have lyrics by Ms. Winstone such as Swallow's "Ladies in Mercedes" and a pair by Towner ("The Glide" and "Celeste").

Two of the many pleasures of the recording is just how articulate the vocals are and how excellent the piano accompaniment is.  "The Glide" (first recorded in 1984 by Oregon) is a playful conversation with Ms. Winstone rising to the top of her range and Taylor dancing beneath.  The medley of "Round Midnight" (with lyrics by Bernie Hanighen) and "Midnight Sun" (music by Lionel Hampton, lyrics by Johnny Mercer) is bluesy, playful (especially the pianist's musical reactions to the lyrics), and includes a powerful piano solo in the second half.

Other highlights include the lovely take on Gismonti's "Cafe" (first recorded in 1974 with Portuguese lyrics by the composer) – in the early moments of the track, you can hear intimations of Brazilian rhythms that break out later in the piece (after Taylor's wide-ranging solo).  The different tempos, the longing in the voice, the dancing piano, all mesh to make the performance a show-stopper.

The program concludes with Towner's "Celeste" (first recorded by the composer with Kenny Wheeler, pictured above with Ms. Winstone and Mr. Taylor). It's another ballad with an emotionally rich vocal; the way Ms. Winstone gives each word its own weight and importance is stunning, especially near the close of the song when the duo raises the intensity only to bring the piece to a close with a gentle line "....it's so good to be home."  And, you believe it.

Despite the fact that "In Concert" was recorded in 1988, this music and the performance is timeless. Norma Winstone (MBE) & John Taylor make these songs come alive, each piece a world unto itself yet part of the whole.  Take your time to savor this experience – it is well worth your time!

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

Here's the opening track (music by Maestro Bernstein with lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green, from "On The Town"):

Vocalist Jay Clayton and percussionist Jerry Granelli first met in 1979 and began a musical relationship that has lasted ever since.  The drummer convinced her to move to Seattle, WA in 1982 to teach at Cornish College where the vocalist taught for two decades. They first recorded together in 1994 in a quartet setting with trombonist Julian Priester and bassist Gary Peacock followed in 2001 by two albums: one a quintet date for Sunnyside with saxophonist Gary Bartz, pianist George Cables, and bassist Anthony Cox and the other a duo date for Winter & Winter.

In 2014, Ms. Clayton ventured up to Halifax, Nova Scotia (where Mr. Granelli has lived since the early 1990s) – the duo entered Sonic Temple Studio and the results of their sonic adventures can be heard on "Alone Together" (Sunnyside Records).  The eight-song program ranges from dazzling improvised pieces like "Swing Thing" – that piece opens with the multi-layered voice pushing out a wordless vocal before the drummer steps in for his own solo statement – to a stunning take of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" (lyrics by Margo Guryan) to the opening and closing pieces set to poems by e.e. cummings.  Those two tracks, "Because It's Spring" and "Bells Too" (the words are the first four lines from "You shall above all things be glad..."

Each track has moments of magic. One hears two master musicians in conversation, enjoying each other's company, and exploring material that is is familiar or made up on-the-spot.  "Wild is The Wind" is a composition from Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington from the movie of the same name and originally recorded for the soundtrack by Johnny Mathis.  Nina Simone also had a popular version of the song. Yet, the duo here do their own thing; Ms. Clayton embraces the melody while Mr. Granelli dances quietly beneath her voice.  And, it's lovely.  "New Morning Blues", composed by Ms. Clayton, dances forward on the strength of her layered vocals and the drummer's splendid brush work.  When the sticks take the place of the brushes, the piece takes on a serious groove.

"Alone Together" may not be very long – barely 39 minutes – but there's so much to absorb that you'll return time and again.  The program serves as a reminder of just how creative both Jay Clayton and Jerry Granelli can be.  It would be quite a treat to see and hear them in person inhabiting an intimate stage as their music caresses and plays with one's soul.

For more information, go to jayclayton.com (a site in need of updating) and to www.jerrygranelli.com.

Here's the opening track - the album will be released on 1/31/2020:

Composer, vocalist, and pianist Lauren Lee, who hails from the St. Louis, MO-area, issued an album in October of 2019.  "Windowsill" (eyes&ears Records).  She has been playing with her Space Jazz Trio in venues around New York City since the early 2010s as well with The Velocity Duo – you can find recordings by both ensembles on Bandcamp.  "Windowsill" features her in a quartet setting with Brad Mulholland (alto saxophone, flute, clarinet), Andy O'Neill (drums), and Marcos Varela (acoustic bass).  All the pieces are composed and arranged by Ms. Lee; one hears a "working" band who really listen to each other and help the leader interpret the music in an organic fashion. Intelligent overdubbing adds voices and extra reeds yet this music does not sound over-produced. Make sure to pay attention to the lyrics. Ms. Lee is a "truth teller" and not a person who appreciates b.s. from anyone.

A piece such as "Get Off Me" blends a handsome melody with words that tell a person to go away and stop making the narrator feeling shame instead of love or contentment.  "So Long" is a love song, a celebration of finding a person who is open, sharing, one who listens, who allows the narrator to take her time and explore new and surprising feelings.  The music is buoyant, including a wonderful "scat" solo as well as melodic bass solo plus a fine alto spot.   Ms. Lee moves to Fender Rhodes for "Peaks and Valleys" (and Mulholland to flute) for a celebration of the light from the sun. The piece is a gentle waltz that moves easily atop the melodic bass and dancing brush work.  Nobody rushes through the music and the piece unwinds naturally.

There is an experimental quality to the opening of "She Who Journeys" replete with wordless vocals and a reed section of overdubbed clarinets and flutes that leads to an alto sax solo.  Ms. Lee's voice returns and she scats along with her piano solo as the rhythm section pushes her forward.  The leader is generous with giving the musicians the opportunity to solo; they reward her trust by giving their all each time they step out.  The rubato opening of "Tomorrow is Coming" features wordless vocals, flute phrases that sometimes sound like birds bobbing and weaving in the sky while the rhythm section rumbles and keens underneath. Those several minutes of musical wandering underscores the message that Ms. Lee delivers over a slow ballad – she tells the listener that no matter how bad your life is today, "time will take your worries away."  The song describes a situation that all of us go through many times in our life, doing so gently and without lecturing.

"Windowsill" is a fascinating journey, adult music that makes one sit up and listen.  As much as one would love it, we all have troubles and desires – Lauren Lee approaches life as the opportunity to learn every day, creating music that stands out for its honesty and sonic clarity.  Do check it out!

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

Here's the afore-mentioned "Get Off Me":

Best of 2016 Rolls On (3)

This "Best of" process usually takes four posts to finish; I like to think that's because my tastes are so eclectic. It's true that I like and listen to a lot of different music plus each album reviewed has pieces or themes that really speak to me.  Again, this list is in no particular order but notice the number of releases from Sunnyside Records - I'm surprised that François Zalacain does not get more recognition.

Ryan Keberle & Catharsis - Azul Infinito (Greenleaf Music) - Talk about a band that gets better with age and work, trombonist's Keberle's Quintet - Camila Meza (voice), Michael Rodriguez (trumpet, pandeiro), Jorge Roeder (bass), and Michael Doob (drums) - grows stronger and smarter with every release.  This album pays tribute to the various groups the composer played with when he first moved to New York City, many of which played South American music. The presence of Ms. Meza (her second recording with the group) adds an extra voice and this music soars.  The interaction of the brass throughout the songs is delightful while the rhythm section makes this music soar and sway.

For more information, go to ryankeberle.com.

Enjoy this fine ballad:

 Jeff Lederer - Brooklyn Blowhards (little (i) music) - Albert Ayler and sea shanteys, a name and a style of music you may have never thought would go together in your lifetime but saxophonist Jeff Lederer, a champion of Ayler's music, is fearless, adventurous, and has a great sense of humor.  The Blowhards -  Petr Cancura (tenor saxophone), Kirk Knuffke (cornet, slide trumpet), Brian Drye (trombone), Art Bailey (accordion) and the percussion trio of Allison Miller, Stephen LaRosa, and Matt Wilson (trap drums, ship's bell, chum bucket, chain) plus guitarist Gary Lucas (three tracks) and vocalist Mary LaRose (5 tracks) - make this mashup work.  Noisy and great fun, play it loud! For more information, go to www.littleimusic.com. 

Here's the band in action:

Alan Ferber Nonet - Roots and Transitions (Sunnyside Records) - Trombonist, composer, and arranger Ferber leads this smallish "big band" through series of composition inspired by the birth of his first child.  The Nonet has been together for five albums (several with expanded personnel) and here includes his twin brother Mark (drums), Matt Clohesy (bass), Bryn Roberts (piano), Nate Radley (guitar), Charles Pillow (bass clarinet), John Ellis (tenor saxophone), Jon Gordon (alto saxophone) and either Scott Wendholt (6 tracks) or Shane Endsley (2 tracks) on trumpet). The music often crackles with excitement but there are track with a quieter, contemplative edge. No matter the type of song, this is an excellent recording.  

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

Enjoy this taste:

Adam O'Farrill - Stranger Days (Sunnyside Records) - Trumpeter and composer O'Farrill, son of composer, arranger, and pianist Arturo O'Farrill, released his debut (as a leader) with his brother Zach (on drums, with whom he has released two albums as co-leaders), saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and bassist Walter Stinson. Loaded with smart melodies and excellent musicianship, this recording illustrates the trumpeter's commitment to making personal and accessible as well as adventurous music.  The interactions between the four young musicians set off sparks throughout the program.  For more information, go to www.adam-ofarrill.com.  

Here's the opening track:

Noah Preminger - Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground (self-released) - Over the past several years, saxophonist Preminger has gotten deeply into the blues, Delta Blues in particular.  This group - Preminger plus Jason Palmer (trumpet), Kim Cass (bass), and Ian Froman (drums) - made its debut with 2 long improvisations but this nine-song program shows a band getting comfortable with each other so they can explore this material in melodic and adventurous ways.  The interaction of the trumpet and tenor sax sparkles throughout while the rhythm section creates a variety of moods.

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

Sara Gazarek and Josh Nelson - Dream in the Blue (Steel Bird Music) - I wrote the following paragraph about this wonderful album: "Dream in the Blue" invites the listener in, makes him comfortable, makes him cry and smile and tap his feet and think about how the interactions of two talented people can open up so many possibilities. The lilt in and lift of the voice, the idea that a piano can be an orchestra or a solitary sound in a crowded lifetime, the lyrics that stir the heart, all that and more make this recording by Sara Gazarek and Josh Nelson so special." It's such a delightful program of standards and contemporary songs. Plenty of heart, lovely vocals, and intelligent piano, what a treat!

For more information, go to saragazarek.com/duo/. 

Here's a swinging track:

Peter Eldridge - Disappearing Day (Sunnyside Records) - One of more expressive vocalists, a strong composer, solid pianist, and excellent educator, Peter Eldridge makes music for adults.  This recording, his fifth as a solo artist, was built from his long-standing duo with bassist Matt Aranoff; the material features standards, pop songs (the version of Paul McCartney's "Jennie Wren" is a stand-out), and originals.  Also impressive is his use of backing vocalists (people such as Jo Lawry, Laila Baili, Lauren Kinhan, Janis Siegel, and Alan Hampton all pitch at various times). Great music for early morning, late in the day, or any time you need a boost!

For more information, go to petereldridge.com. 

Here's a poem by Robert Bly set to music by Mr. Eldridge:

Sara Serpa and André Matos - All The Dreams (Sunnyside Records) - Vocalist Serpa and guitarist husband Matos set poems to music, write original material for wordless vocals and guitars, drawing the listener to this world of quiet songs, stories, and intimate interactions. The only other voices on the CD are the synthesizers of Pete Rende and soft percussion of Billy Mintz yet there is no filler or extraneous sounds - everything one hears is in the service of the song.  The gentle quality of the music and the performances often give the program a feel of folk music but there are myriad influences.  

For more information, go to serpamatos.com. 

Here's a lovely track set to the words of poet Fernando Pessoa:

Bryan Nichols - Looking North (Shifting Paradigm Records) - Back in July I write the following words about this album: "Looking North" is music that allows the listener to relax, to listen, to create images, to enter a musical world where melody is much more important than technical prowess.  This is not music for the car but can be played when the sun shines through the window in the morning or as the moon rises in the late winter afternoon. or after the children go to sleep.  If you like solo piano music that forgoes "standards" but has its foundation in folk song, blues, and contemporary music, yet sounds quite original, it's all here in the music of Bryan Nichols."  Returning to the program after several months, the music still sounds rich, heartfelt, and so alive.

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

Here's a lovely ballad from the program, one that sounds influenced by Erik Satie:

Denny Zeitlin - Early Wayne: Explorations of Classic Wayne Shorter Compositions (Sunnyside Records) - Most of the songs on this delightful solo piano journey hearken from Wayne Shorter's tenure with Miles Davis and solo recordings on Blue Note.  Dr. Zeitlin explores this music with his usual curious nature, playing with rhythms and moods but with great respect for the melodies.  The ballads are emotionally strong, the faster pieces have strong foundations, and the solos within the songs glisten with creativity.  Recorded in front of a live audience, this album is a joyous tribute to a man, his music, and his vision as well as a reminder how one can be with respectful and creative.  

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

Here's a classic Miles Davis Quintet work that is such an aural delight:

The Intimacy of Two

Listening to the various interactions of vocalist Sara Gazarek and pianist Josh Nelson on "Dream in the Blue" (Steel Bird Music) is akin to spending an evening with your best friends. Time goes by and you don't feel that happen because you're taking about all sort of "stuff"; whether it's love or the silly things that happen or the sadness when your heart is broken or the realization that, even though today you might be suffering, the sun will rise the next morning.

Thanks to legendary sound engineer Al Schmitt, every second of each song is clear.  One can revel in the fun of "Sunny Side of the Street" when both the vocalist and pianist break into a unison/duo solo. There's joy and playful interactions in the dancing reading of João Gilberto's "O Pato"  The tango tempo take on "Mood Indigo", one that moves from a sprightly rhythmic approach to a series of classical asides. Notice how the pianist's left hand sets the pace and the right interacts with the lyrics.  Their gentle rendition of Laura Mvula's "Father, Father" has echoes of a Randy Newman ballad, spare yet melodic accompaniment and a prayer-like melody.  It's such an emotional piece and both Ms. Gazarek and Mr. Nelson allow the song to breathe yet do not ignore the powerful message of estrangement that is an integral part of the lyrics . The duo give a similar treatment to "I Can't Make You Love Me", truly of one the saddest contemporary love songs.  There are numerous versions of this song, few more powerful than the original 1991 recording by songwriter Mike Reid and Bonnie Raitt's stunning reading from the same year.  It's an easy song to "overdo", to want to overseeing, to stretch out the words in a faux-gospel/blues interpretation. Not here. The emotion sounds real as does the heartbreak, not only in the voice but in the wonderful and gentle piano accompaniment.

The album opens and closes with 2-song medleys (although the digital version has one extra track).  The pairing of Paul McCartney's "Blackbird" with the oft-recorded "Bye Bye Blackbird" (from 1926) makes great senses both songs deal with freedom. The intimate reading of the latter allows the former to take wing. The duo combine Nick Drake's "Cello Song" with the standard "Without a Song" (from 1929) and the introspection of the former blends well with the joy of having a song in your mind and heart throughout one's day (and, for that fact, life).  Nelson's piano solo paints the portrait of that joy.

In the midst of the standards and popular songs are four originals. They fit seamlessly into the program, especially the delightful blues "Petit Papillon" and the introspective "Behind Me."There's a folky lilt to "All Again", a piece that flows easily from Nelson's splendid piano melody. "I Don't Love You Anymore" is a variation on the Mike Reid song, more of a survivor's song than a lament though one can help but hear the heartbreak.  Ms. Gazarek's vocal is stunning, emotionally riveting, with the piano serving as support and a musical representation of moving forward in the face of pain.

"Dream in the Blue" invites the listener in, makes him comfortable, makes him cry and smile and tap his feet and think about how the interactions of two talented people can open up so many possibilities. The lilt in and lift of the voice, the idea that a piano can be an orchestra or a solitary sound in a crowded lifetime, the lyrics that stir the heart, all that and more make this recording by Sara Gazarek and Josh Nelson so special.

For more information, go to saragazarek.com/duo/.

Here's the opening track: