Category: Reviews

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Lucid Culture reviews Ralph Bowen “Total Eclipse”…

lucidculture.wordpress.com

Ralph Bowen Flips the Script

If you were looking for a sequel to saxophonist Ralph Bowen’s 2011 release, Power Play, you won’t get it, at least not this time around. This blog called that one “hard-hitting, purposeful and tuneful beyond belief” and ranked it as one of last year’s five best jazz albums. Bowen’s new album Total Eclipse is quite a change. Although Jared Gold’s B3 anchors the tunes here, it’s hardly your typical organ-and-sax record. It’s as if Bowen decided to totally flip the script and do pensive and opaque instead of rigorously melodic. This one’s also a lot more rhythmically complex, but if you hang with it, it grows on you, with thoughtful and impactful playing from the rest of the band as well, Mike Moreno on guitar and the nonpareil Rudy Royston (of JD Allen’s trio) on drums. Bowen is playing a pair of cd release shows at Smalls this weekend, June 8 and 9 at 10 PM with a slightly different lineup, Gold on organ plus Freddie Bryant on guitar and Donald Edwards behind the kit.

All this is not to say that there isn’t memorable tunesmithing here. The closing cut, a soul ballad titled In My Dreams, begins with a nebulous, suspenseful sway and then artfully juxtaposes mysterioso ambience with Bowen’s warm, bucolic lead lines. A lickety-split showcase for Royston’s precise machine-gun attack, the funky Hip Check works clever rhythmic permutations on staggered sax clusters. Continuing in reverse order, the ten-minute epic Exosphere is the most ambitious and memorable track here. Beginning as a somewhat altered, anthemic soul tune held down by a signature Royston rumble, they go into tiptoe swing for a bit, Bowen adding some unexpectedly tasty microtones and chromatics, then bring it down ominous and suspenseful for a long, chordally-charged organ solo that Royston eventually can’t resist bringing out of the murk.

Arrows of Light alternates tricky funk with purposeful swing, Bowen setting an apprehensive tone early on that Moreno and Gold bring even higher in turn with a chromatic intensity. On Green (as in “go on green”), which precedes it, works a casual-versus-tense dichotomy, a pervasive sense of the unexpected finally resolving into a sense of triumph on the wings of Gold’s insistent, unpredictably stabbing chords. They set that one up with The Dowsing Rod, a similar tension (Bowen calm and bucolic, Gold on edge) resolving picturesquely when they suddenly hit the water table. There’s also the swaying, offbeat Into the City, sort of a polyrhythmic take on a go-go theme with some smartly intricate beatwise interplay between Bowen and Gold; Behind the Curtain, with pensive syncopation, Gold artfully shadowing a casually piercing Moreno solo (his fat, slightly reverb-tinged tone here always raises the intensity factor); and the opening, title track, brightly swinging but avoiding any type of resolution. Why explain these tracks in reverse? Because the album makes more sense that way: start with the catchy stuff and work your way back to the more abstruse numbers and everything makes more sense. It’s out now on Posi-Tone.

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JazzWrap writes up Tom Tallitsch “Heads or Tales”…

www.jazzwrap.blogspot.com

You know those albums that you fall in love with immediately after about two songs in–well this one of those albums. Tom Tallitsch delivers a killer does on hard bop that is fueled by both some heavy chops as well as crisp songwriting. His fourth album (first for Posi-Tone), Heads Or Tales is simply an awesome display of muscle and dynamics.
Like a late night jam session, Heads Or Tales kicks off in fine form with “Coming Around,” a real barn-burner. Tallitsch rips through a number of chords and his newly assembled quartet adds fuel to the fire with Allen and Gold sparking hot exchanges that match the saxophonist’s muscle.

The luscious ballad, “Perry’s Place,” is absorbing. Tallitsch gives a deep soulful performance that instantly grabs you. Gold’s organ stays close with a rhythm providing strong effect. Feber’s drums are tempered here but still add soft touches just under the melody.

“Travel Companion” is a well paced midtempo piece in which Tallitsch allows Gold and Allen to show-off some solid individuality. Tallitsch comes back in to bring the band home with some warm tones as closing notes.

“Dunes” moves along swiftly and sweetly. Ferber conjures up some nice patterns that rise and fall alongside Tallitsch rhythms. Allen lays down some chords that felt almost early George Benson-esque. For some reason I kept gravitating back to this track. There’s something quietly entrancing and beautiful about the harmonies that you might find as well.

Closing out on Neil Young’s “Don’t Let Bring You Down” is pretty brave. And you almost don’t recognize it until you get to the chorus. This introspective ballad gets a heavy treatment that ends up being more surprising than you would originally imagine. It’s treated with care but still creating its own identity.
Heads Or Tales is more than just another solid session for Tom Tallitsch. It’s a document that really should awaken the eyes and ears of many would need to know his name and his skill as a composer and musician.
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theJazzWord on Spike Wilner “La Tendresse”…

thejazzword.blogspot.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 201

Spike Wilner – La Tendresse

2012 Posi-Tone

The opening title track of pianist Spike Wilner’s La Tendressesuggests only hints of affection before the straight-eighth pulse intensifies into a McCoy Tyner-inspired demonstration of intensity, buoyed by drummer Joey Saylor and bassist Dezron Douglas. A schooled musician, comfortable in an expanse of jazz piano styles, Wilner delivers a more lighthearted approach on solo renditions of “If I Only Had a Brain” and “Lullaby of the Leaves.”
As an interpreter, Wilner is respectful and clever. His trio arrangement of Scott Joplin’s “Solace” maintains the ragtime integrity of the piece without getting bogged down in nostalgia. A similar relationship between originality and tribute is evident on Monk’s “Crepuscule with Nellie.” The fiery rhythm changes closer, “Happy Ending,” showcases Douglas’ muscular walking prowess, Saylor’s crisp command of the groove and Wilner’s unyielding drive.
A swinging, memorable affair.

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Lucid Culture reviews Tom Tallitsch “Heads or Tales”…

lucidculture.wordpress.com

Vivid, Catchy, Intense Compositions from Tom Tallitsch

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch has a strong, diverse and thoroughly enjoyable album, Heads or Tales, out recently with Jared Gold on organ,Dave Allen on guitar and the semi-ubiquitous Mark Ferber on drums. Tallitsch plays with a slightly smoky tone and a light touch, heavy on the nuance which makes him sneaky fast – when he has to drive home a particular phrase, it doesn’t take a lot of effort. The result is impeccable taste: the melodies get plenty of time to breathe here. There are no stampedes to the finish line, but there’s a terrific amount of sympatico playing and strong compositions. Don’t file this one away in the postbop ghetto.

Maybe this is par for course from a guy who can be very allusive, but the album starts off on a bit of a wishy-washy if well-played note with the rhythmically tricky Coming Around, a sort of warmup with lots of steady minor blues scales from Tallitsch and Allen. Then they give you the gem, Tenderfoot, which sounds like a Marc Ribot noir classic, but done as straight-up jazz rather than dramatic, cinematic main title theme. Beginning as a staggered bolero, morphing into a slinky organ boogie lit up by suspenseful staircases by Tallitsch, they swing it through a series of Middle Eastern-tinged riffs and then out with graceful filigrees from Allen. It’s one of the most evocative jazz songs you’ll hear this year.

They follow that up with the briskly walking Double Shot, which is essentially a souped-up blues with Gold at the absolute top of his game as trickster, setting up a satisfying series of alley-oops from Allen early on, harmonizing with Tallitsch and then casually making his way through a cruelly tricky series of right-vs-left rhythms when it’s time for a solo. By contrast, Perry’s Place could be a lakehouse theme – it seems to be the kind of joint where you can start the day at noon with a hot dog and a couple of bloody marys. Contentment and good companionship shine through Allen’s slow, richly judicious solo, Gold’s sunny midsummer chords and then Tallitsch’s methodical arc to a crescendo. Gold goes back to ham it up again in the funk-infused Flat Stanley; later on, The Lummox is Tallitsch’s moment to draw a caricature – in this case, of somebody who’s basically a hopeless doofus even if they have a serious side.

There are three more tunes here. Travel Companion swings with a carefree but purposeful vibe, Tallitsch reaching for the lows on tenor, Gold switching up his pedal rhythm artfully. Dunes vividly depicts a rolling, crepuscular tableau, a suspenseful series of shifts between sax and organ that Allen eventually gets to spice up with additional bounce. The album winds up with Neil Young’s Don’t Let It Bring You Down, done as you would pretty much expect, understatedly and tastefully, after hearing everything that came before. You could call this a good driving record, and it is, but the thought and creativity that went into it obviously transcends that label: the more you hear it, the better it gets. Another winner from Posi-Tone.

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Dan Bilawsky reviews Spike Wilner “La Tendresse”…

www.allaboutjazz.com

There are few greater champions of the old and new in jazz than pianist/club owner/musical antiquarian Spike Wilner. His role in resuscitating and running one of the most important night spots for jazz in New York—Smalls Jazz Club—has made him a hero to those who frequent that bastion of musical integrity, but he’s also revered as an ivory tickling keeper-of-the-flame for musical styles of yesteryear. Stride piano and ragtime are at the root of his playing, but he also mixes modern sensibilities into his work, demonstrating a one-foot-in-the-past and one-foot-in-the-present musical philosophy.

 

Wilner’s work blankets the entire history of jazz piano, as he moves from parlor playing and rent party romping to supper club elegance to modern manifestations with ease, but he still sounds best when working through old gems and giving nods to piano giants of the past. “If I Only Had A Brain” has a dainty design at first, but eventually bears the mark of Wilner’s hero—the cigar-smoking, derby-wearing Willie “The Lion” Smith.

Moving in a different direction, “Solace” struts along with New Orleans swagger, fusing Scott Joplin-esque tendencies with Jelly Roll Morton moves. Wilner goes on to channel Duke Ellingtonon the great man’s “Le Sucrier Velours,” but he’s his own man when he tackles Thelonious Monk. He tips his hat to the High Priest of Bop on “Crepuscule With Nellie,” but never resorts to flat-out imitation.

The title track gives Wilner a chance to move forward a few decades. Donning a modernist’s attire, he makes some Herbie Hancock-meets-McCoy Tyner allusions, and works through a cyclonic section of music, but the majority of the program isn’t as bold.

 

While this is a piano showcase from start to finish, Wilner’s trio mates make their mark along the way. Bassist Dezron Douglas’ woody tones give the music depth and direction, while drummer Joey Saylor finds the right tack to take with every tune. Wilner could carry the whole program on his own, but the rhythm section adds volumes to the music.

 

Wilner and pianist/label mate Ehud Asherie—who can also frequently be found performing at Smalls—have proven that “old” and “outmoded” are two very different things. Both men have made their mark by putting their chops and knowledge of early twentieth century piano stylings to good use on their respective dates for Posi-Tone. Now, it’s high time for them to get together for a two-piano date, whether cutting contest or collaborative affair. Wouldn’t that be something!?!

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Brent Black takes on Ralph Bowen “Total Eclipse”…

www.criticaljazz.com

Swing is rhythmic feel or groove created by the musical interaction or chemistry between the performers. Swing or this “groove” manifests itself in a visceral response essentially music your feel with your hips and feel with your feet.
With a total solar eclipse the Sun’s corona can be seen shining in all directions around the moon. This glimpse of the corona is breathtaking as this is the only time the corona can be seen.
While this somewhat academic explanation may seem odd as applied to Ralph Bowen’sTotal Eclipse allow the idea of Bowen as the celestial body and his first call trio that passes through this release as the breathtaking corona that highlights the intense swing of Ralph Bowen.

There are a million tenor players in the naked city with many having the ability to play the notes but not make the music. Bowen is a master technician who blows with the precision of a surgeon while drawing an intense lyrical swing from a visceral place most players can play thirty years and still not find. Shying away from the word “sidemen” we have Jared Gold on organ who is the perfect musical visionary for his role on this or virtually any other recording I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Mike Moreno adds texture and swagger to an ensemble that are far more than just a handful of some of the better “sidemen” you can find. Moreno may well be the equivalent of sonic glue in bringing the rhythm section together. Rudy Royston is perhaps one of the most underrated drummers working the scene today. If Royston is on a release the rhythm section will be tight and the pocket will be held firmly in hand by Royston.

Opening with the title track “Total Eclipse” the straight ahead power of Bowen will hit you right between the eyes. A hard edged lyrical sense of purpose as the groove laid down by the ensemble and especially the first rate solo turned in by Gold is a thing of beauty. Seemingly working without a harmonic net this 4tet goes for it and takes no prisoners. A release of all originals can be somewhat of a musical roll of the dice but not for Bowen whose tunes can take one make to the days of Blue Note and Impulse which was when real swing was king. Posi-Tone can lay claim to a huge chunk of that crown now. The somewhat soulful ballad oriented “The Dowsing Rod” differs totally in style. While the lyrical drive is never absent the intensity is transferred nicely to a tune that showcases Bowen’s versatility not only in compositions that can go slightly more post bop influenced but in his mastery of improvisational consistency that is seldom heard. Moreno clean single note runs move deftly in and out of a tune that develops its own organic pulse and finds a musical happy place between post bop and modern jazz. “Hip Check” has Royston checking in with an opening solo that is more of an instructional guide or masterclass for those with drumming aspirations. Bowen is on fire with an improvisational firepower most tenor players struggle to pull off with this kind of intensity and direction.

While there is no doubt Ralph Bowen can swing like a beast perhaps the most captivating aspect of Total Eclipse is the variety and texture. Taking a sonic page from the ECM playbook there is an ebb and flow that allows this release to give up a little something new with each subsequent spin of disc. This is not a release for the jazz faint of heart. This is meat and potatoes swing that you can sink your teeth into. At times Total Eclipse is the perfect example of controlled sonic fury. My sincere hope this is not the last we have heard from this particular 4tet. A swing that is hard, honest and with a strong sense of lyrical direction this my friends is what swing is all about!

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Glenn Astarita reviews a track from Brandon Wright “Journeyman”…

www.allaboutjazz.com

Posi-Tone Records is known for showcasing nascent talent, often aligned with proven jazz warriors. With his sophomore release for the label, young tenor saxophonist Brandon Wright garners sympathetic and dynamic support from his ensemble, comprising time-honored vets, such as pianist David Kikoski and bassist Boris Kozlov. DrummerDonald Edwards transmits a holistic rhythmic stance with his acute penchant for toggling between soft and accenting accompaniment or when kicking matters into tenth gear. Possessing a big, blustery sound, Wright executes a manifold rendition of pop-rock vocalist Eddie Vedder’s (Pearl Jam) “Better Man.”

Wright exceeds any expectations of providing a literal jazz cover of a pop tune. Most important is that he transcends the norm via a hybrid, Latin, jazz waltz and swing composite, and works the piece through various ebbs and flows. Hs spirited attack suggests a deeply personal interpretation, touched with edgy overtones.

Wright’s commanding musical presence boasts a sound that is seemingly cloaked in iron, yet tempers the proceedings with soft tonalities atop Kikoski’s deft comping and lyrically resplendent solo during the bridge. At times, the saxophonist skirts the outside schema and soars with feverish aplomb towards the finale amid the pianist’s lush phrasings. Wright indubitably circumvents the norm on this curiously interesting and refreshing perspective on a vestige of pop culture.

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Another review for Jared Gold “Golden Child”…

www.jazzhistoryonline.com

Jared Gold credits Larry Young, Don Patterson, and Jack McDuff as influences. His multifaceted style landed him gigs with John Abercrombie, Adam Nussbaum, and Don Braden. His adventurous original compositions and fresh takes on standards have distinguished him among his contemporaries. Gold’s latest “Golden Child” (Positone) is feel good music! Guitarist Ed Cherry and drummer Quincy Davis lay down the rhythmic base, and it’s difficult not to tap your foot or move with the music. Gold’s originals such as “A Change is Gonna Come,” “Hold That Thought,” and “14 Carat Gold” all have soulful melodies and funky grooves. Gold’s treatment of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” is very lyrical. “I Wanna Walk” is a medium swinger that grooves hard and provides an excellent change of pace. It features an understated solo by Cherry that serves as a springboard for one of Gold’s most dynamic solos on the record. Duke Ellington’s classic ballad “In a Sentimental Mood” is played at a medium tempo with a few subtle re-harmonizations in the head.  “Times Up” is a modern up-tempo swing tune that is highlighted by an explosive drum solo by Davis. The march-like “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” concludes the record and is another example of how well this groups swings.

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Big words for Brandon Wright “Boiling Point”…

www.criticaljazz.com

There are more tenor players then one can count that are as technically proficient as they come but the end result is more often then not an artistic flat line. Brandon Wright is that unique mix of a throwback player that can create his own contemporary voice and is part of a very exciting future for straight ahead jazz. For those unfamiliar with Wright’s work consider him that musical happy place between Mark Turner and Eric Alexander.
What makes Boiling Point work so well is that the release lives up to the name on virtually every possible level. An intense and hard charging straight ahead gem with an incredible ebb and flow of well placed original works and standards reinvented with Wright’s own unique lyrical voice. As expected there are some covers on this release but these are far more than a quick riff on some standards in an attempt to score an easy pay day. “Here’s That Rainy Day” is an absolutely stunning duet between Wright and pianist David Kikoski. Tenor saxophone/piano duets (good ones) are somewhat rare and this particular tune embodies all the old school warmth and charm far exceeding what might be expected of this 27 year old phenom. One of the most engaging aspect to Boiling Point is that Wright can effortlessly shift harmonic gears on the fly moving to “Interstate Love Song” from Stone Temple Pilots may sound like a musical hodgepodge and would be in the hands of a lesser talent. The title track “Boiling Point” showcases Wright at his very best. “Boiling Point” is a tasty smoker built around stop time, swing and Latin grooves and the improvisation built around the melody is spot on. Pure flavor. “Freeman” is an up tempo blues with a hint of a Michael Brecker influence but done Wright’s way. Kikoski moves harmonically in a McCoy Tyner like fashion while the legendary and at time eclectic drummer Matt Wilson owns the pocket.
Brandon Wright is an emerging talent, a star in the making. There are hundreds of tenor players trying to find their own sound by doing a riff on someone else. Wright is a searching artist. Brandon Wright is a name to remember and after listening to Boiling Point, a name you will not soon forget.
A stellar recording from one of the brightest young tenor players of our time!
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Another positive review for Jared Gold “Out of Line”…

www.criticaljazz.com

With the musical irony for this tenor player being nothing hits my musical sweet spot harder than a B3, Jared Gold is the epitome of the groove, swing and spontaneity that is a top flight organ ensemble while developing his own style. Gold is a B3 visionary with one foot in tradition and the other foot pushing the groove as far and as tight as possible while never tripping that self indulgent landmine lesser talents so frequently find. Out Of Line is the epitome of everything good that is the B3 sound. Raw yet with a lyrical sense of purpose and direction this foot to the floor release does not just push the envelope of harmonic exploration of the B3 – the envelope is sent certified mail!
A somewhat eclectic mix is right in Gold’s wheelhouse. The 1967 tune from Hank Mobley “An Aperitif” kicks things off with Gold and saxophonist Chris Cheek playing as one. This musical cohesion and chemistry continues throughout this stellar release and is somewhat reminiscent of the old Blue Note sound from which the Mobley tune originated. The Gold original “Preachin'” is a groove you can use. Making old school new cool is not easy unless you happen to be Jared Gold. Covering Stevie Wonder is a musical roll of the dice for any artist but Gold digs deep and opens up with a more soulful spin that is as inventive as it is engaging. Having reviewed more lame vocal disasters on the classic “Skylark” (there are no vocals on this release), Gold does an odd metered arrangement showing his keen sense of melody and the ability to work without a harmonic net. “Skylark” is the prime example of why I referred to Gold as a visionary on his most recent release for Posi-Tone.
Jared Gold does not seem to be on a mission to make a living doing Jimmy Smith or Charles Earland covers. Gold is doing a riff on himself while clearly establishing his voice on the B3 as original, innovative and at times adventurous. Out Of Line is on point every step of the way and highly recommended for the organ enthusiast!