Category: Reviews

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Peter Hum on Dave Juarez “Round Red Light”…

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The Barcelona-raised guitarist Dave Juarez — just 23 — bursts onto the jazz scene with Round Red Light, released on a significant boutique label and featuring heavyweights tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake and pianist John Escreet as well as the guitarist’s youthful peers bassist Lauren Falls and drummer Bastian Weinhold.

His disc features nine originaI tunes that generally have a nice, natural lyricism to them — they sound less like school assignments and competition winners and more like something that Juarez sang and then wrote down.

The title track is slow and lovely as it once again shows off Blake’s greatness as a ballad interpreter. Three tunes — The Echo Of Your Smile, La Noche Oscura Del Alma and Luna de Barcelona — are slow, haunting, Latin-tinged tunes. Belleza Anonima is pretty, poppy and songful, but capable of framing direct, admirable solos from Blake and Juarez.

Among the more rambunctious tunes are the opener Montpellier View and the closer RNP, both brisk 3/4 tunes. Serotonina is the disc’s fast swinger, more in keeping with the kind of music that Posi-Tone’s best known for. Lonely Brooklyn is a 7/4 excursion, with an Escreet solo that becomes typically spiky and jagged.

The only criticism I’ll make is that Juarez is not as strong a soloist as Blake or Escreet, who really provides the disc’s finest moments. Granted, that’s a bit like saying that the guitarist is not world-class. Seriously, some of Juarez’s solos on the slower tunes are just fine, but I find on other tunes he can sound too haphazard.

Of course, at 23, Juarez has plenty of time to boost that aspect of his music.

 

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AAJ’s Glenn Astarita on Travis Sullivan “New Directions”…

www.allaboutjazz.com

New Directions could signify a paradigm shift for alto saxophonist Travis Sullivan’s eighteen-piece Björkestra, a unit dedicated to performing arrangements of Icelandic pop vocalist Björk. Sullivan goes back to his fundamental mainstream jazz roots on the lyrically rich New Directions, assembled with memorable comps and sterling interplay from his quartet. Sullivan’s vocal-like tonalities and muscular alto work casts an acoustic game plan that often yields electrifying results.

Sullivan generates memorable compositions while injecting a spirited aura into the program, making “Tuneology” serve as a fitting analogy for his sensitized approach via a brisk, tight-knit bop groove, interspersed with drummer Brian Fishler’s snappy Latin beats. Sullivan’s fluent phraseology is wrapped into a full-bodied sound amid his cunning improvisational segments while the rhythm section sizzles, complemented by pianist Mike Eckroth, who dances around the primary theme.

The quartet reaches for the stars on “Tuneology.” With memorable licks and gravitating performances, the music attains a higher level of interest, countering the influx of post-bop modernism that sometimes moves forward without much traction or significance. Sullivan abides by a qualitative musical ethic on New Directions.

 

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Another review for Jared Gold “All Wrapped Up”…

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New York based Jared Gold brings us a classic set on his forth Posi-Tone release. Ranging from straight forward hammond B-3 fair to more daring arrangements and feel, showing us just what he is capable of with the support of acclaimed Ralph Bowen on tenor saxophone, Jim Rotondi on trumpet and Quincy Davis on drums.

All Wrapped Up as a whole draws from different corners of organ lead jazz and the punchyMy Sentiments Exactly opens the progressive set with gusto. The interaction between the band comes out flying through this ever twisting and turning bebop style piece. Get Out Of My Sandbox steps up with a super cool swing and biting keys from Gold gives the track a lingering edge.

Slowing the pace with Piece Of Me, an intoxicating combo of Sax and Trumpet interplay create a lilting harmonic that draws the listener in to a dreamy sounds-cape underpinned by snappy B3 organ, stitched together by the technically easy feel that Davis brings on drums. Dark Blue follows on as a mid paced ballad. A late night dreamy vibe brought to life by Rotondi’s timing and perfect phrasing.

Mama Said is classic, funky and fun. A foot-tapping groover guaranteed to bring a smile before Saudades goes introspective and wistful, showcasing a well thought out arrangement and bringing a moment for Davis to show off his percussive flair. Just A Suggestion wraps up the set in style with Bowen letting go of the reins and Gold’s slinky playing acting as the perfect foundation.

The band really comes together here and the whole album exudes class from ever pour. A great set mixing classic combo arrangements with one foot in the future. A really sweet summer record.

 

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Ted Panken on Orrin Evans “Freedom”…

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Over the past few weeks, via Facebook, I’ve been communicating with a cohort of people, all but a few of whom are complete strangers, who share with me the singular experience of spending our childhoods and teen years  in Greenwich Village during the 1950s and (in my case) the 1960s.  Several of them are musicians, and a few among that subset, I discovered from a thread this morning,  studied with Barry Harris at various points along their timeline.

This  led me to look at a profile I wrote about the maestro in 2000 forDownBeat, which concluded with these reflections: “The more you find out about music, the more you believe in God.  This isn’t haphazardly put together.  This stuff is exact.  It’s a science, and part of the music is science.  But we think there’s something above the science part; there’s something above the logic.  There’s a freedom at both ends of the barrel, man.  There’s a freedom in anarchy, but there’s another freedom that comes from knowledge, then another freedom comes that really is the freedom we seek.  That’s what all of us want, is this freedom.”

Something like this notion is what I think the Philadelphia-based pianist Orrin Evans had in mind when he decided to give the title Freedom to his excellent new release on PosiTone. Recorded a year ago, and dedicated to Philly jazz  icons Trudy Pitts, Charles Fambrough, and Sid Simmons, each of whom had recently passed away, it’s an incisive, 9-piece recital (7 trios with Dwayne Burno on bass and either Byron Landham or Anwar Marshall on drums, 2 quartets with Larry McKenna on tenor saxophone), animated by dictates of groove and harmonic logic, which become ever more open as the proceedings unfold.  Often predisposed on prior recordings to navigate the high-wire in satisfying ways,  Evans here plays throughout with old soul concision and deep focus worthy of his dedicatees.

 

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SomethingElse! reviews Orrin Evans “Freedom”…

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You might say that top-notch jazz pianist Orrin Evans has become a fixture here at SER. It all got started four years ago when we noted his participation in Robin Eubanks’ EB3 unit that made the phenomenal double-CD Live, Vol. 1 of 2007. Early last year we salivated over Evans’ Bobby Watson tribute Faith In Action, a Best of 2010 selection, and again later in same the year as part of the cooperative trio Tarbaby for the widely acclaimed The End of Fear. Nick took over the reins of praising Evans for a spell, as he found treasure in Evans’ big band project Captain Black Big Band, followed up by a SER Sitdown with the man himself.

The productive streak for Evans’ continues with next week’s issue of Freedom, a return back to the small combo format. With Dwayne Burno on bass and either Byron Landham or Anwar Marshall on drums, Evans plows through a program of nine tracks that’s mostly covers and mostly trio format with his usual tasteful, tradition-minded style. This time he’s not paying tribute to the songs of a particular mentor but he does dedicate the album to the forebears Charles Fambrough, Trudy Pitts and Sid Simmons, all fellow Philly jazz greats, all who have passed away just months after Evans recorded this album. While they were still alive when these tracks were being laid down, it’s clear that Evans was already reflecting back, as Freedom pulls together many older tunes, not necessarily widely covered, but reflecting Orrin’s personal favorites.

It might be a little ironic that Fambrough’s “One For Honor” is on here, since Evans didn’t know the composer he so admired would be deceased before this record sees the light of day, but no sense of irony is needed to appreciate his discerning, controlled interpretation of the song. I also particularly like “Shades of Green,” “Oasis” and Herbie Hancock’s “Just Enough” for similar reasons: Evans picked out some well conceived melodies, found the harmonic opportunities and exploited them in an efficient manner by modulating his tempo to fit the song. “Dita” is the lone Evans original, a ruminative piece that unfolds slowly, spare but impressionistic in the way Bill Evans could do so well. Burno’s mournful bass solo adds gracefully to the somber mood.

The inclusion of Philadelphia legend Larry McKenna is a real treat. His Dexter Gordon articulations is the sensitive, smooth old school style you rarely hear from the younger generations, but the fellow Philly homeboy Evans knows what McKenna can bring to a session. McKenna supplies vintage warmth and swing to the numbers “Gray’s Ferry” and “Time After Time” (the Sammy Cahn/Jule Styne tune, folks, not the Cyndi Lauper one).

As arguably one of the crown jewels of Posi-Tone Record’s deep roster of jazz aces who makes nothing less than solid recordings, it looks like we’re no where near done talking about Orrin Evans. Look for Freedom to go on sale June 21.

 

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The Jazz Word on David Gibson “End of the Tunnel”….

thejazzword.blogspot.com

New York-based trombonist David Gibson digs deep into the soulful side of 1960s-era jazz with End of the Tunnel his second recording for Posi-Tone Records. With the aid of organist and label mate Jared Gold, Gibson delivers an enticing quartet set of funk grooves and driving swing.

Gibson seems to thrive on patience, shaping his solos with sparse ornamentation, waiting for the opportune moment to fill space with a meaningful barrage. This take-your-time approach works exceptionally well on the dirty funk of Herbie Hancock’s “Blind Man, Blind Man” and Gibson’s own gospel-like composition “Sunday Morning.” Refreshingly unafraid to swing hard, in the style of an elder statesmen like Slide Hampton, Gibson shines on Gold’s medium toe-tapper “Splat.”

The Oklahoma native contributes a handful of his own tunes, from the down-home funk of “Wasabi,” to the unrelenting dirge of “A Place of Our Own,” to the hypnotic intensity of “The In-Whim,” featuring drummer Quincy Davis’ keen awareness.

The front-line sound of trombone and alto saxophone, handled by the fiery Julius Tolentino, is a somewhat uncommon combination creating thick, dark textures. Combined with the organ, this brings unmistakable warmth to the proceedings, giving attention to the strength of the ensemble over any one individual. There is, however, no shortage of exceptional blowing throughout.

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Lucid Culture reviews David Gibson “End of the Tunnel”…

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Soulful Late-Night Grooves from David Gibson

Out in the country, trombonist David Gibson’s new cd End of the Tunnel would be a late-night back porch album. Here in New York, it’s more of a fire-escape record, a gorgeously catchy mix of oldschool Memphis organ grooves along with some more straight-up jazz tracks which are just as tuneful if somewhat more tricky rhythmically. It’s party music, some of it with a slinky wee-hours feel, the rest somewhat more boisterous and adventurous. Along with Gibson, the band here is Julius Tolentino on alto sax, Jared Gold on organ and Quincy Davis on drums.

The opening track, Herbie Hancock’s Blind Man, Blind Man sets the stage with a sultry southern soul feel, Gibson playing it low and sweet, the organ stepping hard on the end of his solo to drive it home. Considerably harder-hitting, the aptly titled Wasabi is a classic Booker T. Jones style groove that makes a launching pad for three different personalities: sax soaring overhead, trombone down and dirty and the organ lighting it up at the end with some blissfully atmospheric layers. The monster hit here is Sunday Morning, a brilliantly simple ensemble piece – it’s the great lost theme to the Hairspray movie. The title track is the first of the jazz numbers, absolutely hypnotic with shapeshifting overlays of sax, organ and trombone, Gold moving methodically through an endless procession of chord changes, Gibson bringing it out of the maze and back to earth. Pensive and unresolved beneath its warmhearted hooks, A Place of Our Own never really finds itself because the drums keep it from setting down roots. Splat, by Gold, works a cool Memphis theme more expansively than any of the classic 60s soul bands did; by contrast, The In-Whim moves toward psychedelia, riding a series of rises and falls over a deceptively simple tune.

They go back to the soul music with Preachin’, Gibson slyly refusing to cede ground to anyone else until he’s almost invisible, Gold taking it up robust and warmly optimistic. The closing cut is Jackie McLean’s Blue Rondo, a good fit with its blend of jazz and soul, bustling sax and drum breaks. It’s one of the great party albums (or post-party albums) of the summer of 2011, out now on Posi-Tone.

 

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JazzTimes review for Jared Gold “All Wrapped Up”…

jazztimes.com

Hammond B3 organ master Jared Gold wastes no time building a head of steam, launching All Wrapped Up with “My Sentiments Exactly,” one of the more driving tracks on his latest CD. Like the other tunes on this entertaining disc, it gives each player plenty of blowing room. It’s a robust reminder of a time when jazz was sociable, and Gold’s light touch makes it cohere.

Listening to All Wrapped Up will awaken memories of walking into a neighborhood bar and coming across a cooking band: In this case, Gold plus tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen, trumpeter/flugelhornist Jim Rotondi and drummer Quincy Davis. This is comfortable music no matter how fierce the improvisation or how passionate the playing. Check out how Gold sneaks around Rotondi’s solo in Davis’ “Piece of Mine,” how he gooses the jaunty “Just a Suggestion” to set up Bowen’s burly, jagged solo. The band is precise but loose playing this riff- and groove-heavy jazz.

Some titles pack double-entendres, hinting at Gold’s sensibility. The tracks segue easily, encompassing the sultry “Saudades,” the perky “Suggestion,” Rotondi’s slinky “Dark Blue” and “Get Out of My Sandbox,” a bop strut featuring Bowen and Rotondi at their joint best.

Carlo Wolff/JazzTimes

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Lucid Culture reviews Travis Sullivan “New Directions”…

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Travis Sullivan’s New Directions Kicks off the Summer Properly

The trouble with a lot of jazz albums is that a lot of bands can’t translate their interplay from the stage or even the rehearsal room to the studio. As a result, they sound stiff – or as if everybody was just trying to lay down their parts and get the hell out. Alto saxophonist and Bjorkestra bandleader Travis Sullivan’s New Directions, on the other hand, sounds like a live show, except with studio-quality acoustics. It’s a great summertime album, brightly tuneful, full of good spirits and inspired playing from pianist Mike Eckroth, bassist Marco Panascia and drummer Brian Fishler (AKA Frank Feta of Richard Cheese’s band). Sullivan favors a clear, uncluttered tone and strongly melodic extrapolations rather than any crazed, heavy breathing. But as attractive as the melodies are, this isn’t lightweight by a long shot. Intense? Not particularly. Subtle and fun? You bet.

The opening track, Jamia’s Dance works vividly expansive Sullivan explorations of an absurdly catchy central hook. Autumn in NH is not a drinking song as you might expect (New Hampshire tops all states but Wyoming in per-capita alcohol consumption) but rather a morosely lyrical mood piece that stretches the band as far out into free territory as they go here. A hard-charging, samba-tinged number, Tuneology picks up the pace and sets the stage for Hidden Agenda, which begins as a funky mid 70s style crime movie tune with echoes of Bernard Herrmann’s Taxi Driver theme – the hidden agenda here seems to be a big, long crescendo that involves everybody in turn, with a funny Coltrane quote, a bass solo that nimbly and energetically works a piano line and a spiraling Sullivan salvo out. They cover Rodgers and Hart’s Spring Is Here slowly and make it much more wintry that you would expect; the catchy, sprightly Georgie contrasts an understated dark soul piano pulse with Sullivan spinning around brightly overhead. Their cover of Tears for Fears’ odious 80s schlockfest Everybody Wants to Rule the World is a real shocker – it’s unrecognizable until they hit the hook, almost, Sullivan defiantly evading its cloying quality and then immediately messing up the tempo, taking it out on a limb and handing it over to Eckroth. Third time around, Panascia’s panacea is to make it funky.

A jazz waltz, Leap of Faith is another track with a pensive undercurrent beneath Sullivan’s stunningly effortless, good-natured glissandos, Eckroth adding a wee hours wink, Sullivan making an abrupt shift in a much more straight-ahead direction afterward, setting the stage for a deliciously swirling crescendo. It’s the kind of moment you see in concert a lot, which doesn’t make it onto studio albums as much as it should. An enigmatically bustling song without words, Magic Monday has Sullivan and Eckroth trading busily opaque solos over Panascia’s muscular pulse. The album winds up with the title track, an aggressive, terse, catchy straight-up strut that wouldn’t be out of place in the JD Allen catalog, Panascia leaping to a sprint and then back again, Fishler finally getting a chance to cut loose and hit hard and makes the absolute most of it. File this under melodic jazz, yet another triumph for the Posi-Tone label, who in this decade are making a mark much in the same way that Impulse did in the 60s. Sullivan’s next gig is with Bjorkestra on June 14 at 9 at Highline Ballroom.

 

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Bruce Lindsay reviews Travis Sullivan “New Directions”….

www.allaboutjazz.com

Travis Sullivan’s New Directions, his Posi-Tone debut, is a rewarding trip through a mix of strong, self-penned, tunes and an unusual combination of covers. The saxophonist leads his quartet with style, emphasizing musicality and emotional engagement over displays of technique, and creating a sparkly collection that emphatically establishes his talents as a composer as well as a saxophonist.

The altoist’s compositions are firmly within the modern jazz tradition, but there’s a variety in pace, rhythm and mood that keeps things interesting. The hard-bop “Tuneology” and silky-smooth “Georgie” are immediately engaging, with sprightly and positive melodies that enable all four musicians to shine. “Jamia’s Dance” and “Autumn in NH” represent Sullivan’s more reflective side, with some beautifully flowing lines from Sullivan and pianist Mike Eckroth. “New Directions” is an upbeat “bop-meets-funk” swinger that benefits greatly from Brian Fishler’s bouncy, skipping, drums and a strong and slinky beat from Eckroth and bassist Marco Panascia.

Two classic tunes adorn New Directions. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s standard, “Spring Is Here,” is lovely, with Sullivan firmly accenting its mournfully lush melody. Tears For Fears’ 1980s pop hit, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” gives Sullivan much less to work with, as it has none of Rodgers and Hart’s timeless beauty—though, to their credit, Sullivan and Eckroth both carve bright and swinging solos out of the melody.

New Directions is Sullivan’s first small band album since 1999’s As We Speak (Self Produced), which featured guitarist Rez Abbasi. Sullivan’s main ensemble in the intervening decade—the long-established, 18-piece Björkestra project, devoted to the Icelandic vocalist’s compositions—might suggest a more eccentric approach than that demonstrated on New Directions. Unconstrained by the structure of Björk’s songs, however, Sullivan takes a more straight-ahead approach to this quartet project. The result may well be a more accurate reflection of Sullivan’s musical philosophy, and certainly makes clear that he’s a player and composer to keep an eye on.

Track Listing: Jamia’s Dance; Autumn in NH; Tuneology; Hidden Agenda; Spring is Here; Georgie; Everybody Wants To Rule The World; Leap Of Faith; Magic Monday; New Directions.

Personnel: Travis Sullivan: alto saxophone; Mike Eckroth: piano; Marco Panascia: bass; Brian Fishler: drums.