More of Dears, I Surrender

Yes, another female vocalist and another recommended release.  Sara Leib has not issued a CD in 8 years but, judging by "Secret Love" (OA2 Records), she has not been wasting her time. Looking at the list of tunes and seeing that 8 of the 12 tracks are recognizable "standards", you might be inclined to pass on this music.  Don't make that mistake.  With the exception of one song, Ms. Leib created these arrangements and producer Matt Pierson (Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Kirk Whalum, Becca Stevens) has surrounded her with a responsive band.  Start with the excellent rhythm section of bassist Harish Raghavan (Taylor Eigsti, Kurt Elling), drummer Eric Harland (Charles Lloyd, SF Jazz Collective)  and percussionist Richie Barshay (The Klezmatics, Herbie Hancock) who create fascinating textures beneath Ms. Leib supple voice and then add either Taylor Eigsti or Aaron Parks (piano, electric keyboards - 6 cuts each) both of whom add colors and frame the voice very well. Dayna Stephens bring his expressive tenor saxophone to several tracks including the ever-so-funky "With My Own Two Hands" (Ben Harper). On that tune, Harland turns up the percussive fire and Ms. Leib delivers a super vocal, displaying her ability to scat and melismatic turn of phrase.  The world she creates for Cole Porter's "Night and Day" is mysterious and fiery, Eigsti's piano providing a chordal cushion for the voice (but also check out his rhythmical left hand) and delivering a solo that rises atop Harland's taut drums.

Ms. Leib's arrangements might offend purists but truly breathes new life into "chestnuts" like "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Aaron Parks shines on his forceful solo while Stephens lets loose in his short spotlight) and "Willow Weep For Me" (the blend of Harland's drums and Barshay's percussion below Eigsti's Fender Rhodes is made for the dance floor).  Ms Leib dips, swoons and soars through the fine re-imagining of "The Thrill Is Gone" (a  smart blend of Los Angeles "cool" and Philly Soul.)  "All I Have to Do is Dream" closes the program with a funky dance groove wrapped around Boudeleaux Bryant's plaintive melody and lyrics - it shouldn't really work but does so in a delightful manner.

One hears the influence of Tierney Sutton and Kate McGarry in the textures and rhythms of Sara Leib's music and arrangements. That's fine - they are her contemporaries.  For every person who thinks they know "Night and Day" or ""It Might as Well Be Spring" inside and out, Ms. Leib recasts them in new threads yet never loses the intent of the originals. "Secret Love" may not melt your heart but this music will certainly make you smile and maybe even want to take a spin around the dance floor. For more information, go to www.saraleib.com. 

Pianist-composer Sunna Gunnlaugs writes music that plays to her strengths and those of her fellow musicians.   First of all, she thinks melody; few songs are mere riffs with extended "blowing" sections.  Second, bassist Þorgrímur Jónsson is her "cushion", freeing her left hand to color the melodic phrases she plays. Third, drummer Scott McLemore (her husband) shows wonderful sensitivity throughout the repertoire, never overreaching or dropping into beats just for the sake of "groove." Listen to "Thema", the second track on "Long Pair Bond", the trio's new self-released and self-financed recording.
You'll hear the drums "frame" the piece and how the Erik Satie-like melody moves through both the bass and piano.  Blues chords mix with minimalistic splashes, creating a hypnotic slow groove that moves like ripples across a pond.  And, this is a band that can "groove" - there's a bouncy beat to "Crab Canon", the kind that insinuates itself into your feet even as Ms. Gunnlaugs creates an impressionistic musical painting atop the throbbing bass.  The sensuous bass line wrapping around the soft percussion on "Safe From the World" frees the pianist move the melody lines in subtle ways;  these pieces have a "poetic" feel in that one can imagine that story behind them.  A soulful aura pervades "Diamonds on the Inside", a piece from Ben Harper that shows the influence of Bob Dylan and The Band.  The piano rides atop the melodic/propulsive bass line while the drums create an easy rhythm.  The interplay of Ms. Gunnlaugs' gentle melodic phrases with the melodic counterpoint of  Jónsson's full-toned bass on the opening minute of "Vicious World", the final track, is a gracious and enchanting dance.

Listen to "Long Pair Bond" under headphones at least once to really hear how wonderfully these 3 musicians navigate the music. Scott McLemore often plays so quietly you might think he's absent but listen; his supportive and color-filled percussion is quite fine.  Þorgrímur Jónsson's fulsome bass work works well with the Ms. Gunnlaugs' lyrical piano lines. The beauty of this music rings true throughout the program, allowing the listener to relax and enjoy the flow.  To find out more, go to www.sunnagunnlaugs.com.    

Here's the Ben Harper tune, courtesy of Sunna Gunnlaugs and Bandcamp.

It's easy to classify this new recording from bassist/composer Anne Mette Iversen as "Chamber Jazz" but the 2-CD "Poetry of Earth" (BJU Records) is really a splendid amalgam of "art" song, well-developed melodic and harmonic ideas, glorious musicianship and poems (in both English and Danish) that speak to the human condition through observations on nature. The magic of this program is the work of her cohorts including Dan Tepfer (piano), John Ellis (tenor saxophone, flute, bass clarinet, clarinet) as well as the 2 vocalists Maria Neckham (English lyrics) and Christine Skou (Danish lyrics). With texts by A.E. Housman, Thomas Hardy, John Keats, Lene Poulsen, Henrik Ibsen and 8 by contemporary Danish poet Svende Grøn (whose nature poems were the catalyst for the program, the music is, by turns, quiet, contemplative, experimental, rhythmical, forceful and shimmering.  When you first sit to listen, don't spend a lot of time with the words (there is a lyric sheet with translations); pay attention to how the vocalists move in and around the instrumentalists (and vice versa).  Listen to the full bass tones, the lyrical and articulated piano work of Tepfer and the excellent work of Ellis (on all his reeds.) Ms. Iversen has tailored these pieces to leave room for improvisation, also allowing the vocalists and musicians to improvise transitions between selected pieces.  While Ms. Neckhan and Ms. Skou split the lead vocals (depending on the language of the song), they do sing together (wordlessly) on the rollicking "Music" on Keats' "On the Grasshopper and the Cricket" (the only tracks on which Ms. Skou sings English.)

One can hears traces of Kurt Weill, Danish folk melodies, jazz, show tunes, contemporary classical music and so much more.  Yet, don't waste time looking for antecedents in the melodies or improvisations. Just listen - music as pure as this needs your attention because of its subtle shifts and turns, the way Ellis's reeds move through the songs, either shadow the voice, doubling the piano or bass lines or any one of impressive solos (smart use of overdubbing on several pieces.)  Dan Tepfer continues to impress with his finely etched solos, strong left hand work and ability to be percussive and melodic, often within the same phrase.  Anne Mette Iversen is the sculptress of this creation, not only pushing the rhythm forward but also as a melodic force. "Poetry of Earth" is compelling modern music; don't expect to be "blown away" but to be seduced.  For more information, go to annemetteiversen.com. 

Here's a track from "Poetry..." courtesy of BJU Records and IODA Promonet:

When I Was One-and Twenty (mp3)

Myra, Mark & Matt Make Music (Live and on CD) + CD Pick

Friday, April 6, 2012 - "Why is this night different from all other nights?" In households around the world, families seated at the dinner table ask this (and other questions) on the first night of Passover.

For creative music aficionados in the New Haven, CT, area, the answer is quite exciting - on this night, Trio M comes to perform 2 sets, 8:30 and 10 p.m., in the sonically sweet confines of Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street. 

Formed in 2006 by pianist Myra Melford, bassist Mark Dresser and drummer/percussionist Matt Wilson, the musicians toss the "traditional" concept of a piano trio out the door and play it by ear (rather big "ears" at that.)  They are touring in support of their 2nd CD, "The Guest House" (Yellow Bird/ENJA), recorded and mixed at the Firehouse in June 2011.   All 3 contribute pieces to the repertoire, ranging from Ms. Melford's playful title track (which has echoes of her first Trio recordings as well as the Tizol/Ellington classic "Caravan") to Wilson's dedication to Albert Ayler ("Al") to Dresser's 2-part "Tele Mojo", a track that opens and closes quietly while going through a series of fascinating changes in-between. 

Other highlights include Wilson's "Hope (for the Cause)", a tender ballad composed for Cancer's Society "Relay for Life" (Wilson's wife was diagnosed with leukemia several years and in, thankfully, in remission), features lovely arco bass work and spare piano lines.  Another soft piece is Ms. Melford's "Even Birds Have Homes (to return to)", inspired by the late Iraqi poet Muhammad Mahdi Al-Jawahiri (1899 - 1997) features Satie-like piano lines, more fine arco bass and quiet yet effective percussion.  "Don Knotts" is a Wilson piece with a circular melody, joyous "parade"-style drumming, and a muscular bass line.  The interaction of the 3 is playful, conversational, and ever-so-musical.  Listen to how Wilson underscores both the bass and piano solos while never losing his propulsion.  


In a year filled (so far) with splendid piano trio CDs (Vijay Iyer, Ahmad Jamal, Corea/Gomez/Motian, Masabumi Kikuchi), add "The Guest House" to your list of must-haves.  For more information, go to myramarkmatt.tumblr.com to learn more and get a taste of Trio M's tasty aural treats.  If you are close to the Elm City on Friday (and/or finish your seder early enough), go see and hear them play live - Trio M is creativity personified.  For ticket information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.  

"Meridies", the new release on Origin Records by Illinois-born pianist/composer Dan Cray, opens with an up-tempo reading of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile." With the snappy percussion of Mark Ferber and melodic bass work of Clark Sommers, the song has a verve and bounce that gives the normally-melancholy piece a hopeful feel.  It's his first CD for Origin and also his first since moving to Brooklyn, New York, in 2009.  As one moves through this program, which also features tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger on most tracks, you hear an intense pianist, comfortable in his skin and his abilities, not afraid to swing and accentuate his left hand work.  His interplay with Ferber and Sommers (who's played with him for over a decade) shines on every track; the "freedom" he gives them raises not only the intensity but also the quality.  The multi-sectioned "Winter Rose (1728)" has the feel of a short story, with a calm opening but soon the intensity rises through the piano solo as does the interplay of the bass and drums - Preminger's solo takes the piece on a slightly-different path, his swirling lines of cascading notes over the dancing drums leading back to the leader's impressionistic closing lines.  


The slow blues of "Amor Fati", with Preminger's breathy tenor sax and Cray's lyrical piano lines sans rhythm section, is gentle and quite melodic.  Notice Cray's sweet solo and how Preminger insinuates the melody back into the song; it displays the maturity of both the performers and the composition.  The quartet hits hard on Joe Henderson's "Serenity" with a touch of Bud Powell in the piano solo and Ferber's crisp drumming. Sommer's martial drumming leads in "March of the Archetypes" and one might expect from his attack a hard-edged piece but the song moves in on a brisk but not powerful melodic line. As the soloists hit their stride, the intensity picks up.  The interaction of tenor sax and piano during Preminger's solo is impressive.  "East 69" opens with a lovely melodic discourse from Cray (he really articulates each note); the rhythm section seems to enter on tip-toes right up through the bass solo but the energy picks up during the piano solo (the music does not get "wild" - it's the reaction of the piano to Ferber's more energetic approach.)

"Meredies" is a delight, a program to sit with and soak in the rich melodies and fine interactions of all involved.  Do let it soak as you may not hear all the nuances first or second time through.  The original piece (6 of the 8 tracks are Dan Cray compositions) are impressive, well-constructed and not over-thought.  One can really appreciate the excellent rhythm section while Noah Preminger continues to impress as a melodic yet adventurous player.  If you've not heard any of Dan Cray's previous 4 CDs (like me), "Merdies" is a great way to get introduced to his music.  For more information, go to www.dancray.com or originarts.com. 

Noah B Solo at The Library + CD Pick (Looking at Toots T.)

Sunday is a busy day in Hartford for jazz fans (actually, it's a pretty busy weekend.)  From 12noon - 4 p.m., trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis brings his Quintet (including Hartford native Dezron Douglas on bass) to town for the "Jazz Brunch at the Hartford Club", an event whose profits support the Gifts of Music program and other local charities. For ticket information, call Hap Leabman at 860-409-6883.

That evening, drummer/percussionist/former West Hartford resident Richie Barshay (Herbie Hancock, The Klezmatics) brings a group to the Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive in West Hartford.  Barshay will present an evening of "Brazilian Bluegrass" (sounds very interesting) with Clay Ross (guitar, vocals) and Rob Curto (accordion).  For more information, go to emanuelsynagogue.org/announcements/richie-barshay-and-rb3/ or call 860-236-1275.

 Sunday afternoon, pianist Noah Baerman (a Middletown resident) performs a "Solo Concert" at 3 p.m. as part of the Hartford Public Library's very successful "Baby Grand" series.  The Library, located at 500 Main Street in the Capitol City, presents these weekly concerts in the winter and spring in its lovely atrium;  the concerts are free and open to the public.

As for Mr. B, the concert can be viewed as a "CD Release" event for his latest recording, "Turtle Steps" (Lemel Productions).  It's a fine and varied program of solo works, ranging from originals to gospel pieces to standards to an elongated version of Chopin's "Minute Waltz."  Recorded in the studios of the Hartt School of Music in June of 2011, the music is joyous, playful, inventive and...well, jazzy.  Baerman, as a student at Rutger's University, studied with pianists Kenny Barron and JoAnne Brackeen (both of whom have tunes on the CD dedicated to them) and one can hear their influence in his writing and the manner in which he solos.  Yet, Baerman is much more his own person than a parrot of his mentors.  To find out more about Noah, go to www.noahjazz.com - to get directions to the Hartford Public Library, call 860-695-6293.  

Chances are good, if you are under 50 and a music fan, you've been touched by the music of Jean-Baptiste "Toots" Thielemans at some time in your listening life.  That's him at the beginning of "Sesame Street", playing solos on Lps by Billy Joel and Paul Simon, and jazz with Quincy Jones and Jaco Pastorious.  Nowadays, he confines his playing to the chromatic harmonica but, in his prime, his guitar playing and whistling was pretty impressive.  


"Yesterday & Today" (T2 - Out of the Blue) is a fascinating 2-CD compilation of tracks ranging from 1946 - 2001.  Thielemans, who turns 90 (!) on April 29 of this year, shows his versatility on a amazing range of styles.  The early tracks (on guitar) illustrate a player who's absorbed the playing of both Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and you can hear the inimitable harmonica sound as far back as 1950's "Nalen Boogie", recorded in Stockholm, Sweden. On one of his first trips to the US (1952), he recorded with organist Dick Hyman and banjo player Harry Reser on an original track called "Dynamite." There are pair of tracks from his collaboration with the George Shearing Quintet, including a sultry "Caravan" featuring Toots on harmonica and Candido on bongos.  12 years later (1965), he showed more Latin chops on "Soul Bird (Tin Tin Deo)", arranged by Gary McFarland and featuring the likes of Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer, Grady Tate and Mel Lewis (on percussion).  The previous year, Thielemans recorded "Lullaby of Jazzland" with a group that featured J.J. Johnson (trombone) and the rhythm section of McCoy Tyner (piano), Richard Davis (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums).  2 tracks from 1968, "O Susannah" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love", feature guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Ron Carter and pianist Herbie Hancock with Toots on guitar.


CD 2 opens with 2 tracks from a 1973 Quincy Jones production including the ultra-funky "Chump Change", composed by Jones and Bill Cosby, with Toots whistling the theme and improvisation as well as some "moaning" harmonica. There are a pair of fine solo tracks, Ellington's "Black Beauty" and an original "The Slickest Man In Town" (a touch of Robert Johnson can be heard in both the vocal and guitar work on the latter.) There are 3 duo tracks, a bluesy "Bye Bye Blackbird" (with pianist Louis van Dijk), the ruminative "Spartacus - Love Theme" (with bassist Marc Johnson) and the lovely "What a Wonderful World" (with Kenny Werner on piano and synthesizer).  The most beguiling track is his collaboration with the Shirley Horn Trio on "Someone to Watch Over Me."  The way he intertwines his chromatic harmonica with Ms. Horn's breathy vocal is magical.  


There's many more highlights on this program, compiled by friend and producer Cees Schrama. His wonderful harmonica work, sprightly guitar, fancy whistling, and intuitive work as both soloist and accompanist make this a fine overview of a musician who continues to please audiences around the world - he's celebrating his 90th birthday with a 8-city concert tour of Belgium in late April and early May.  For more information about the CD, go to www.t2entertainment.nl - to learn more about this fine person, go to www.tootsthielemans.com.

Now For Something Completely Different...No, Really

When I am not listening to music for fun or review purposes (it's usually fun), there is usually a book or 2 by my bedside.  Walking through our local public library the other week, I came across "Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis."  Published in September of 2011 by Beacon Press, it's the culmination of several years of study, many thousands of miles of travel and immeasurable hours of rumination on water usage, the wasting of this precious resource and what communities and countries are doing to make sure  that we and future generations will be have enough water to live.

Not surprisingly, the author Cynthia Barnett is a veteran journalist and historian (with a specialization in environmental history.)  A resident of Florida, her previous book, 2007's "Mirage", used the ongoing water issues in that state as a springboard to discuss developers, city planners and others moved communities away from water (damming rivers, cutting off access to rivers and lakes, siphoning water from rivers and watersheds to supply new communities).  The new book goes even farther (for instance, Australia and Singapore) and finds that, though problems are many, solutions are in place and in development.

Ms. Barnett writes well, passionately (without bitter polemics) and does not take political sides.  She realizes, as do many people around the world, we are all in this together and must work together to right the decades of wrongs.  And, she's optimistic that people will make sacrifices for the general good.

I had the opportunity to interview Cynthia Barnett as a segment of Suzanne Thompson's "CT Outdoors", heard weekly from 12:30 - 1 p.m. on WLIS-AM and WMRD-AM (in Old Saybrook and Middletown, CT).  You can listen to the 2-part interview by clicking on the links below.  To find out more about Ms. Barnett and her books, go to www.cynthiabarnett.net/.


archive.org/details/CynthiaBarnett-CtOutdoorspart1
archive.org/details/CynthiaBarnett-CtOutdoorspart2

Late Notice About Live Music

The Uncertainty Music Series continues thisWednesday evening (3/28) at 9 p.m. at the Elm Bar, 372 Elm Street in New Haven. Scheduled to perform are Keith Restaurant (electronics), Brian Parks (pictured left, performing on the virginal, a keyboard related to the harpsichord) and the duo known as Meat Foam (guitarist Chris Cretella and drummer Brian Parmalee). Each person or duo will perform separately.  For more information and directions, go to uncertaintymusic.com - while perusing the site, check out the April Music Festival that Carl Testa has organized.   

Also on Wednesday evening, bassist-composer Alexis Cuadrado, whose 2011 CD "Noneto Iberico" (BJU Records) remains one of my favorite recordings of the past 16 months, performs his latest work "A Lorca Landscape" as part of the "The Checkout: Live From the 92Y Tribeca."  Joining him will be a stellar group of musicians including Dan Tepfer (piano), Miguel Zenon (alto saxophone), Mark Ferber (drums) and vocalist Claudia Acuña.  Thanks to a commission from Chamber Music America, Cuadrado created musical settings for poems written by Federico García Lorca. The great Spanish poet/playwright (1898-1936) spent several months living in New York City and the poetic result, "Poeta en Nueva York", looks at the socio-political climate of the city at the beginning of the Great Depression.  


Also part of the concert, which takes place at 8 p.m. in the performance space of the 92nd Street YMCa in New York City, also features Cuban-born pianist/composer Manuel Valera and his Sextet.  Valera is a fine pianist and his band - Eric Doob (drums), Yosvanny Terry (saxophones), John Benitez (bass), Tom Guarna (guitar) and Mauricio Herrera (percussion) - is very impressive.  To find out more about the show, go to www.92y.org/Tribeca/Event/The-Checkout--Alexis-Cuadrado.aspx.


Alexis Cuadrado brought the band to WNYC-FM studios and John Schaeffer's "Soundcheck".  Click on the link below and you'll learn about the poet, the music and the origins of the project. Thanks to WNYC-FM for sharing the link.

Playing For a Cause + Clark Terry Benefit

One supposes a name like Rick Drumm is a "stage name";  after all, he is a musician who plays the drums.  Mr. Drumm's day job is President of D'Addario & Company, manufacturer of D’Addario guitar, bass and violin strings, Evans Drumheads, Pro-Mark Drumsticks, Rico Reeds, Puresound percussion products and Planet Waves accessories.  He had been a member of a fusion band in the mid-70s (along with guitarist Fred Hamilton and trombonist Mike Brumbaugh - more on them later) and continued to play, even as he worked.  In 2009, Drumm was diagnosed with cancer and, thankfully, after undergoing chemotherapy, the disease is in remission.  In August of 2010, Drumm went into the studio and the results can be heard on "Rick Drumm and Fatty Necrosis: Return from the Unknown" (self-released.)  Besides Hamilton and Brumbaugh, the ensemble features Corey Christianson (electric guitar), John Benitez (electric bass), Axel Tosca Laugart (keyboards), Frank Catalano (tenor saxophone) and Pete Grimaldi (trumpet). Right from the opening notes of "Fatty Necrosis Sings the Blues" (great title, although the term "fatty necrosis" refers to dead tissue left behind in the body after cancer treatment), one can hear that the ensemble is still playing "fusion", but there is as music jazz as funk;  the music as sections that really swing and others that burn.  Drumm's kit is "up in the mix" but he's a sensitive player, not heavy on the bass drum.  Benitez's bass is the real bottom in this music with his rumbling, full-toned, notes supporting the ensemble.  The program moves easily from the impressionistic, softer, tones of "Gentle Spirit" (fine trombone from Brumbaugh) to the rollicking attack of "Indi Funk" (love the way the group spreads the solo interjections around.) The interplay of the guitar and keys on the opening of "Just A Drop" is a sly lead-in to a hard-edged tune that features a sparkling acoustic piano and an impressive, melodic, turn from Benitez.  "Detours" is the longest track (10:09), a rambling ride that opens slowly but soon drops into a rhythmic pace not unlike the early Allman Brothers Band.  Everyone but Grimaldi, Benitez and Drumm gets to solo as the piece rumbles with the guitarists really wailing. The CD closes on "Return", a ballad that opens quietly with guitar and saxophone sharing the melodic work; soon, the intensity builds up in the percussion while Catalano responds with an emotional solo.  The piece "returns" to its more serene beginnings to fade out.

With the release of "Detours", Rick Drumm celebrates creativity, music and life.  25% of all the proceeds from the sale of this CD goes to Strike A Chord, "a registered charity in Australia and the USA that supports seriously ill and disadvantaged children who need inspiration and a distraction from their illness."  To find out more, go to www.strikeachordforchildren.org.  To find out more about how to purchase this CD, go to rickdrumm.com. 

As many of know, the great trumpeter and educator Clark Terry has had several surgeries to deal with complications from diabetes, the latest the amputation of his left leg on February 23 of this year.  His wife Gwen has kept the Clark in touch with the world via her blog on clarkterry.com and it's good to read he is home and in good spirits.


On April 23, there will be a "Fundraising Concert for Clark Terry" at 7 p.m. in Saint Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Avenue in New York City. Suggested donation is $25 at the door or, if you cannot be there, you can send a donation. Checks should be written to Jazz Foundation of America with “Clark Terry account” in the memo line and mailed to the JFA at 322 W. 48th Street, New York, NY.  Mr. Terry, who turned 91 in December, has been a great ambassador for the music, appeared on over 900 Lps or CDs, and mentored numerous young musicians.  Let's do something for this great human being who has given so many music lovers so much good music to enjoy.  

Mighty Musillami Music + Joel Harrison's New Music

That's guitarist Michael Musillami and bassist Joe Fonda on the left in concert at The Hotchkiss School earlier this year.  The guitarist-composer teaches there and chose the school's auditorium to debut "Mettle" (Playscape Recordings), his new collaboration with the Michael Musillami Trio + 4. 

The Trio - guitar, bass and drummer George Schuller - and the + 4 - Matt Moran (vibraphone), Russ Johnson (trumpet), Ned Rothenberg (alto sax, clarinet) and the irrepressible Jeff Lederer (tenor sax, clarinet) - perform Friday March 30 in the performance space of Firehouse 12, 45 Crown Street, in New Haven.  The new CD, arguably Musillami's finest, features the 8-part "Summer Suite" is extremely personal (each piece or section of a composition has a story connected.  The arrangements are tailor-made for these musicians, the interplay and communication is quite evident even on a studio date, and the vast majority have good melodies, harmonies and room for improvisation. Messrs. Musillami, Fonda and Schuller have played as a unit for over a decade and their "sonic identity" has grown nicely since their early days.  And the 4 additions really fill out the sound as well as bring their own strong identities to the music - honestly, this music should soar even higher in person. 

They'll play 2 sets, 8:30 and 10 p.m.  For ticket information, go to firehouse12.com or call 203-785-0468.

The music on guitarist/composer Joel Harrison's new CD, "Joel Harrison 7: Search" (Sunnyside) was road-tested at Firehouse 12 in December of 2010.  The band (same as on the live gig) is magnificent and includes Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone), Gary Versace (piano, Hammond B-3), Christian Howes (violin), Dana Leong (cello), Stephan Crump (acoustic bass) and Clarence Penn (drums). Harrison does a fine job of creating a program, especially the original material, that plays to the strengths of the ensemble. Kudos to the rhythm section who maneuver their way through these challenging arrangements. Crump, who is the anchor in the Vijay Iyer Trio, really allows Penn to punctuate the melody lines and solos with his exciting, poly-rhythmic, approach.  The blend of the strings, guitar and McCaslin's active tenor saxophone on the 2 long pieces that open the program will capture your imagination.  "Grass Valley and Beyond" sounds like a combination of Aaron Copland and Bruce Springsteen in the wide-open chords and Versace's piano lines.  His long solo goes through a number of twists-and-turns before McCaslin takes the spotlight.  His solo is fiery, brusque, playful and soulful, with Penn leading the charge below.  The longest track, the 15-minute "A Magnificent Death", opens with dazzling string work from Leong (with accents added by Howes); the melody enters next from the guitar and tenor sax, with a catchy latin-esque at the end of the verse that helps to raise the intensity level for McCaslin's dazzling solo.  He enjoys the interaction with Penn (you will, as well) and, at the climax, the piece suddenly takes a turn towards a dirge with a barely audible poem making the music all the more mysterious.  Versace's piano solo, sans accompaniment, moves through the keyboard's upper registers before the band returns.  Harrison and Howes play the melody while the band pushes the intensity, which hardly lets up until the close of the tune. 

There are 2 cover pieces, "Whipping Post" (yes, the Allman Brothers classic) and Olivier Messiaen's "O Sacrum Convivium." In person, the former rattled the speakers in the room with Leong's incendiary cello solo and the leader's wailing guitar,  Here, you have to turn up the volume a bit to get a similar feel but the music really soars, especially after the drum solo.  As for the Messiaen work, Harrison's arrangement transforms the French composer's religious motet into a work with expressive guitar and tenor saxophone solos (also listen for the good work of Versace and Howes.) The title track closes the CD - it's a 2+ minute tour-de-force for Versace on acoustic piano with a melody line at the end that sounds like a variation of "Whipping Post."

"Search" is an excellent title for this program. Over his career, Joel Harrison has created music that bends boundaries (2003's "Free Country", "Harrison on Harrison", the music of the late Beatle, and string quartet + guitars arrangements of the music of  Paul Motian) - this new CD continues his explorations and experimentation with fusing diverse forms of music.  Give it a good listen, then try to find the Septet playing live. For more information, go to www.joelharrison.com.