Category: Reviews
Bruce Lindsay’s AAJ review for Noah Haidu “Slipstream”…
Slipstream is the debut from New York-based pianist/writer Noah Haidu. Featuring an exceptionally talented quintet of musicians, it’s a striking first album, full of superb, straight-ahead jazz.
Haidu’s compositions—he wrote all but one of the tunes—are strong on melody and characterized by a gentle and soulful swing. As a pianist, Haidu sounds equally comfortable as a lead musician or as part of the rhythm section. Of course, his fellow musicians are high quality players themselves, and are key to the album’s success.
The frontline features alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. Irabagon is capable of some wild and wacky musical flights, as his work with Mostly Other People Do The Killing and his own Foxy (Hot Cup, 2010) attest. But he’s also a class act on more mainstream tunes. Pelt has a luxurious tone on trumpet, and is never less than tasteful in his playing. The two players are inspired choices for Haidu’s music, working beautifully together and delivering engaging solos.
“Soulstep” has a warmly familiar style to its melody and arrangement, like a Mike Post TV theme. It’s full of movement and pace, with drummer Willie Jones III to the fore and Haidu’s deftly positioned chords adding just the right accents. “Where We Are Right Now” features more of Haidu’s rhythm work, while Pelt and Irabagon fatten up the sound with some tight unison playing. “Float” does just that, thanks to John Davis’ relaxed brush work, while “Break Tune” has a more modern sound, its fractured melody and funky rhythm giving it a harder edge than the other tunes.
Haidu opens the one non-original, Cole Porter’s “Just One Of Those Things,” in confident style, with some chunky flourishes, before hitting the melody with a real swing. Davis and bassist Chris Haney give the tune an irresistible drive, and Haidu’s solo positively rocks.
Slipstream is another fine addition to the Posi-Tone catalog, from a lyrical player with an intriguing line in compositions who’s extremely well-served by the rest of the band. Slipstream is mainstream with a flourish.
Jazzreview.com talks about Noah Haidu “Slipstream”…
Musicians: Noah Haidu (piano), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto saxophone), Chris Haney (bass), John Davis (drums 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Willie Jones III (drums 1, 3, 6)
Review: Pianist Noah Haidu composes and plays with a genuine approach to blending the sounds of hard-bop, soul and Latin-tinged jazz. Slipstream, his debut release for Posi-Tone records, effortlessly melds varying styles into an accessible mix of sleek melodic themes and contagious rhythms. Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon make up the front-line of the quintet, capturing seven of Haidu’s original pieces and a swinging piano trio version of Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things.”Haidu demonstrates an abundance of chops, at times harkening the fluidity of Chick Corea and the rhythmic incessancy of Horace Silver. His solo lines on the simmering title track and the buoyant waltz of “Floating” are indicators of a pianist with a firm grasp of the instrument’s history, especially that of the last half of the 20th century. A light touch, full of intensity, can be felt on the mellow, R & B-flavored “Take Your Time.”
The wild ride of “Break Tune,” traversing the landscape of funk and free-jazz, features inspired blowing from Pelt and Irabagon, who trade back forth with heightened awareness. Other disc highlights include the radio friendly groove and catchy melody of “Soulstep” and the closing “The Trouble Makers,” featuring the hard driving swinging pulse of drummer John Davis and bassist Chris Haney.
Slipstream is a welcome addition to the Posi-Tone catalogue. With the right combination of first-rate players and above-average material, Haidu has the potential for widespread appeal.
The Urban Flux reviews Noah Haidu “Slipstream”….
Based in New York, pianist-composer Noah Haidu originally from Charlottesville, VA debuts with his engaging bop induced yet lyrically intense album titled “SLIPSTREAM” on Posi-Tone Records. All compositions on this recording were written by Haidu with the exception of “Just One of Those Things” composed by Cole Porter.
Out of the box “SLIPSTREAM,” sonically encompasses the familiar tonality and melodic attributes the masters in jazz has recorded for years. Is Noah Haidu doing anything audibly different or thought-provoking? Many view his sound as cutting edge, his music is rhythmically tight and harmonically on point. As I listen, his voice ascends while evenly balance in the language of jazz to provide potent melodies with substance which should generate lots of conversation about what this remarkable young musician has to offer anyone who is willing to listen.
Without notice the opening track “SOULSTEP” jump starts the session. It bounces and sways with attitude, precision, maturity and enthusiasm. To make these compositions gel, Haidu is accompanied by A-list players including trumpeter-Jeremy Pelt, alto-saxophonist -Jon Irabagon, drummer -Willie Jones III (trks-1/3/6), Chris Haney plays the bass and John Davis plays the remaining songs on drums.
“WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW,” at the second spot compliments the opening piece in tempo, structure and style. The elastic arrangement of this jewel attaches itself to the upward and mobile groove of “SLIPSTREAM.” The interplay on both pieces immediately draws your attention to the way Haidu utilizes this talented bunch as you would hope to hear manifest on any recording.
At the first glance, the seriously funky “BREAK TUNE” caught me off guard. The syncopated horn combo of Pelt & Irabagon burns with accuracy and fiery swag anchored to the persistent delivery of the rhythm section makes this gem distinctly potent and exceptionally tight.
The next piece “FLOAT,” is one of my favorites on the project slows the pace in an eloquent way examines the intricate patterns of the song which unavoidably showcases this gifted ensembles impulsive chemistry and flexible interplay once again.
Maybe it’s just me, but slowing the tempo and lower volume causes me to listen with intend. For example, on “TAKE YOUR TIME” Haidu reveals the intimate side of his composing and arranging voice without being locked into a backdrop but he is able to entice you into this spacious, inviting and stellar arrangement.
The last two selections, Cole Porter’s “JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS” swings with authority and absolute divine purpose. Pelt and Irabagon take the lead on “THE TROUBLE MAKERS” to close out this phenomenal set. Of course, they leave plenty of room for pianist Noah Haidu to state this case as lead soloist to show why he is without a doubt the real deal. –Rob Young | Review
Track listing:
1. Soulstep
2. Where We Are Right Now
3. Slipstream
4. Break Tune
5. Float
6. Take Your Time
7. Just One of Those Things
8. The Trouble Makers
Musicians:
Noah Haidu – piano
Jeremy Pelt – trumpet
Jon Irabagon – alto sax
Chris Haney – bass
John Davis – drums
Willie Jones III – drums (trks. 1, 3, & 6)
Producer, Marc Free
Audiophile Audition Review for Jared Gold “All Wrapped Up”…
Jared Gold – All Wrapped Up – Posi-Tone
Some golden moments….
Published on April 10, 2011
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Jared Gold – All Wrapped Up – Posi-Tone PR 8080, 50:03 ****½:
(Jared Gold, organ; Ralph Bowen, tenor sax; Jim Rotondi, trumpet and flugelhorn; Quincy Davis, drums)
Jared Gold covers all the bases on his latest Posi-Tone release,All Wrapped Up. From what could be called standard Hammond B-3 fare of a Jack McDuff, to more adventurous edgy voyages that Larry Young brought that inspired more free blowing by horn sidemen, Jared is a Hammond man of all seasons and genres.
Using front line giants Jim Rotondi and Ralph Bowen allows Gold to branch off in any direction. Rotondi has the power to blow off the doors and yet can melt your heart on a ballad. Bowen is much the same with a winning combination of free blowing matched by in the pocket groove making that sets up Gold to go either direction.
Jared wrote five of the eight tracks while Rotondi, Bowen, and Davis each contributing a composition. “Get Out of My Sandbox” gives Rotondi free rein to up the ante after the members open with a foot-tappin’ riff. Ralph and Jim can blend like frothy milk on a latte. Jared throws in organ lines to back the horns. “Piece of Mine” is a classic organ/ horn stone groove. I never tire of Rotondi’s mix of brass with sass.
Bowen’s “Midnight Snack” packs a wallop and would keep you up well past the witching hour, while “Dark Blue” might be more appropriate late night listening. I dug Gold’s spot perfect organ lines here which make you pay attention as he shows he belongs with the top young organists leading the return to the source movement. Those of us that can’t get enough Hammond grease with our aural meals are in good hands with these new keepers of the flame. “Mama Said” is a perfect example of honoring the past with an eye toward the future. I’d put this track on any inner city restaurant jukebox to accompany some serious rib action.
“Saudades” adds a little edgy introspection to the mix, less a toe-tapper than a serious listening experience. “Just a Suggestion” gives Quincy Davis a chance to shine while Bowen opens up. You can unwrap this CD in a few weeks, just in time for some serious Spring partying. Kudos again to producer Marc Free and engineer, Nick O’Toole, for their usual top rate Posi-Tone pristine sound mix that we’ve come to expect. They never disappoint…
TrackList: My Sentiments Exactly, Get Out of My Sandbox, Piece of Mine, Midnight Snack, Dark Blue, Mama Said, Saudades, Just a Suggestion
– Jeff Krow
SaxShed review for Jared Gold “All Wrapped Up”….
| Jared Gold – All Wrapped Up |  |
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 Jazz organist Jared Gold is soon to release his cd All Wrapped Up on April 12, 2011. The energetic quartet features Gold on organ, tenor saxophonist extraordinaire Ralph Bowen, trumpeter Jim Rotondi and Quincy Davis on drums.From the opening bars of the hard swinging, up-tempo My Sentiments Exactly to the final funky Just a Suggestion, this group nails it – plain and simple.
Bowen on sax and Rotondi on trumpet compliment one another whether in unison or harmony as evidenced on Get Out of My Sandbox. The opening melodic statement is followed by a blisteringly swinging solo by Bowen. Rotondi solos second after Bowen, which is often an unenviable task. Not to be outdone, the gifted trumpeter lays down an equally brilliant solo of his own. Jared Gold solos last with Quincy Davis punctuating behind the drums. Piece of Mine, written by Quincy Davis, begins in laid back fashion by comparison to the first two cuts. Bowen’s glistening tenor sound begins the head with Rotondi’s trumpet taking a secondary roll until embarking on the first solo. His playing here is clever, driving and a pure pleasure to listen. Davis and Gold lay a thick bed for both Rotondi and Bowen to solo over. The ensemble has a huge sound for only four musicians. Things thin out a bit for Gold’s organ solo and again Davis pushes and pokes behind each soloist. The final statement of the head reveals a tasteful duel between trumpet and tenor. Perky and playful is Midnight Snack this time written by Ralph Bowen. Bowen solos first, weaving a stream of eighth notes and then blossoming into more adventurous ground where he explores the altissimo register and some great rhythmic interplay with the rhythm section. Davis and Gold beautifully alternate between Latin and swing behind Rotondi’s solo. The rhythmic sensitivity of the entire group is particularly evident between Davis and Gold during his organ solo. Davis also has an opportunity to stretch a bit at the end. Although this is clearly a great feature for Jared Gold on organ, he does a very nice job of showcasing the talents of the entire ensemble. Although Gold has penned 5 of the 8 cuts, each member of the group has contributed an original composition to the recording. Dark Blue is the bittersweet, slow and swinging composition by trumpeter Jim Rotondi. It may not be the most exciting tune recorded on All Wrapped Up however the group executed it with the same fire and passion as the more lively cuts. One highlight onDark Blue comes when Gold literally “pulls out all the stops” just before Rotondi’s likeable trumpet solo. Bowen solos last before the last head, once again demonstrating he has great chops. The soulful Mama Said ought to make anyone within earshot want to get up and move. Something about this tune harkens back to the great sound of the Jazz Crusaders. It’s difficult to decide whether I am more attracted to Ralph Bowen’s sound, his feel or his impeccable technique. All three shine so very brightly on Mama Said. The penultimate track is the brooding Saudades written by Jared Gold. Rotondi takes the melody on trumpet. His sound is fat and round – almost like a flugelhorn. Bowen joins him briefly on the harmonized melody before Gold takes the first solo. Bowen also solos before the trumpet and tenor play the melody one last time. The uplifting Just a Suggestion leaves this recording on a high note. Just as on Mama Said, I found myself bouncing in my chair while listening to this song. If the groove were not enough, Ralph Bowen plays a wonderful solo where he solidifies that he is one of the premier living tenor saxophonists on this planet. At the risk of sounding overly flattering toward this group, I cannot contain my admiration for Ralph Bowen’s abilities as a saxophonist and more importantly – musician. He continually surrounds himself with the best musicians of our time and Jared Gold’s All Wrapped Up is no exception. Quincy Davis, Jim Rotondi, Ralph Bowen and Jared Gold work seamlessly together to produce a recording that will take a prominent place in my cd changer and on my iPod. Run; do not walk to buy this cd on April 19, 2011. |
Ken Blanchard reviews the Captain Black Big Band CD….
Captain Black Big Band
I am just beginning to listen to the Posi-Tone recordings that the label was kind enough to send me. As I type I have ‘Here’s the Captain’ playin’ and man oh man am I ever groovin to it. It’s the second cut from Captain Black Big Band. The band is directed by pianist Orrin Evans. Evans solos, as does Victor North on sax. The recording was made at the Jazz Gallery, NYC, about a year ago.
I don’t listen to a lot of big band jazz, having an incurable fondness for the small combo. This is the kind of album that makes me think I am really missing out. The kind of big band that I do like has the virtues of a classical concerto, or baseball for that matter: one virtuoso stands on home plate and faces the opposing team. You get the best of individual action and team play at the same time.
Captain Black has everything in the playbook. The band is superbly tight, vibrant, and confident. I especially like the way that the compositions are laid out and succinctly stated. One moment the whole band is producing a torrent of gorgeous sound and then the band lays down a bit, with a single, bold notes marking the way. For the solos, little combos form and break up behind a slithering bass clarinet (Todd Marcus) or a trumpet (Walter White).
This is a very fine recording. It will have you dancing in the kitchen, if you can listen to in the kitchen. Pony up for Captain Black Big Band. Tell ’em I sent ya.
Here’s the first review for Jared Gold “All Wrapped Up”….
As I type this review, I’m listening to not necessarily All Wrapped Up, the new record by organist Jared Gold, but also Unity by Larry Young. I know, it doesn’t make sense, since it’s Gold’s record being reviewed here, not Young’s. But something struck me about All Wrapped Up when I listened to it the last time: Gold’s artistic development is going along the same track as Young’s did. Whereas Young started out as a Jimmy Smith wannabe and blossomed into the Coltrane of the B-3 by the time of Unity, Gold is in a similar fashion moving from the Jack McDuff strains from his time in Dave Stryker’s group and into the denser but more fascinating world of modal jazz.
When we last left Gold, which, heck, was only last September, he had just put out his third record Out Of Line, a solid date that included his old boss Stryker. This time, though, Gold plays with the same setup Young did forUnity: a trumpet/sax front line alongside his organ andQuincy Davis’ drums (Benny Green, Tom Harrell, Cyrus Chestnut, Regina Carter). And though it isn’t Joe Henderson and Woody Shaw doing the blowing, Ralph Bowen and Jim Rotondi are plenty good enough, thank you very much. Like their counterparts from the 60s, Bowen and Rotondi are seasoned vets who’ve long ago established their own voice and are comfortable in even the most challenging settings. Which is what we now know about Mr. Gold with the introduction of album #4, All Wrapped Up.
I kept going going through each track wondering when I was going to come across a song that was composed “straight,” like a 12 bar blues or something, but Gold wasn’t content to fall back on simple changes and make this a hot blowing session, even though he could have easily done so with the talent at his disposal. That in itself demonstrates a great deal of maturity for this younger player, but through eight originals—six of which are Gold’s—he goes a step further and makes this a more fascinating set, too.
“My Sentiments Exactly” kicks off the proceedings and on the surface it might appear that I’ve got it all backwards, with some red hot solos by Gold, Bowen and Rotondi. But listen closely to the elusive melody underneath and Gold picking his spots carefully in note placement when he’s comping. That’s no greasy soul-jazz, there. Through different tempos and harmonic approaches, the story is pretty much the same for most of the remaining tracks, too, including Davis’ own pearl, the strutting “Piece of Mine.” Davis’ samba stylings rule over “Midnight Snack,” even when he’s not soloing.
After that cut, the formula changes just a smidge. Rotondi’s “Dark Blue” is a slow, nocturnal slow sizzler, and with the lax pace and the wide open spaces, the players are resorting even more to sophisticated colorings and graceful maneuvers; Gold’s masterly mood modulations of his organ here is eminent. “Mama Said” is really an RnB tune and the closest thing to a conventional melody on the record; Gold’s organ’s got a church-minded swagger to it. Rotondi, playing at a high level everywhere, puts in his best solo on this track. Bowen, who also has played flawlessly and free of clichés, leaves behind a glowing trail of soulful notes on his solo in the esoteric ballad “Saudades.”
There are plenty of really good groove organ jazz records being made with regularity. It’s much more difficult to make a really good organ jazz record that’s centered on intelligent interplay, complex compositions and nuanced improvisation. Taking the road less travelled, Jared Gold succeeded in making that kind of record. Consequently, it’s a more satisfying listen in the longer run. When sizing up his last album, I opined that “Out Of Line is a progression from the mighty fine Supersonic; not a huge leap, but a steady expansion of his craft.” This time, Gold took that big leap.
Scheduled for release April 19 by Posi-Tone Records, All Wrapped Up is all that it’s cracked up to be, and then some.
The Revivalist reviews the Captain Black Big Band CD….
(Posi-Tone Records)
March 29, 2011
8.5
Pianist Orrin Evans is doing something special in the Philadelphia area with the release of Captain Black’s Big Band, a 7-track release from an eighteen-member group of the same name. Led by Evans, the album is a humble suggestion that a once forceful sound reclaim its rightful place on the world stage, respectful of all traditions; those that created it and those that came from it. The Captain Black Big Band is an exercise in how to combat the idea that music needs to be saved. That musical tradition needs to be preserved and taught to younger generations is undoubtedly true. Music produced by passionate musicians, however, will always come out swinging hard enough to save itself. Such is the case with this project.
Opening with what sounds like a phrase from Michael Jackson’s timeless dance classic and the inspiration for recent dance flash mobs, “Thriller,” The Captain Black Big Band wastes no time in the kitchen. They are cooking immediately as “The Art of War” takes stage first. Over 30-deep, the band’s personnel reads like a who’s who of working musicians, and sounds equally as impressive across the space of their self-titled debut release. This is a big band arguably full of bandleaders in their own right, which makes the title of “Here’s The Captain” even more fitting for Evans’ second track. The band plays with the admirable sort of cool born of machismo and the lilting bop left in the strolls of aged soul brothers. This is a song for avenues, corners, and car rides in long Cadillacs; a noise as smooth as it is joyful.
What you are witnessing with The Captain Black Big Band is a group of musicians emulsifying a range of skill, experience, and sound to create what is one of the most progressive sounds of late; progressive not because of a particular moment of conspicuous ingenuity or some easily discernible avant-garde approach, unless you consider the audacity to embrace big band music at this point novel enough to come off as exactly that. The Captain Black Big Band succeeds at pushing the limitations of the very distinct tradition of sound from which it is born, because it preserves the elements of classic big band music in a brand new way. Instead of shunning everything except the mold, Evans opts to break it and meld that nostalgia laden style of playing with the sensibilities of Big Band era rebels who usually struck out at tender ages to form the more memorable trios, quartets, and other small experimental groups.
These musicians grew to be the same people responsible for the kind of jazz that aging Big Band and Dixie Land veterans found time to publicly disdain on occasion. They were the change makers of their time and this is the extension of that tradition in real time. This manifestation of the classic jazz ensemble combines players spanning several eras into the rising class of the present-day, fostering an artistic environment where mentoring is as possible as outright innovation at nothing more than the behest of musical exchange. Even better, this is Big Band for all of the people who have ever said they hated it. Orrin Evans and his fellow band mates must smile incessantly at the crowds they are able to command, pleasing listeners in search of that classic Big Band sound as easily as they are able to impress lovers of more experimental sound and harder hitting rhythmic sensibilities.
“Inheritance” continues with an awesome display of percussion imbued by a massive horn section. The poignancy of the track is as evident in the phrasing of the iconic Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s “Messiah” as it is when the horns withdraw to allow piano, drum, and bass to showcase a robust gyrating skeletal rhythm. “Captain Black” is a lesson in proper Big Band Swing. It is a composition Duke Ellington and Count Basie would be proud of as much as it is a piece student ensembles will be clamoring to learn if they are truly interested in Big Band arrangements suited to the amalgam of ideas and sounds informing today’s emerging jazz artists and popular compositions.
“Easy Now” begins more ominous than saccharine, but melts into a tempo that sounds like something very close to what Texas’ Chopped and Screwed music would sound like performed live. A slow drag and a funeral dirge fell in love and this is what they made. The solo trumpet’s phrasing of the velvet draped classic, “When I Fall In Love,” is what places the entire song into a hammock, swaddled in the repetitious comfort of a righteously dense bass line, and rocks the groove to its core. If Big Band never had a chance to show a little leg during it’s heyday, this has changed all of that. Ending with “Jena 6,” Evans performs a splintered solo for the first several bars before a collection of movements, frenetic and as emotionally vulnerable as Evans’ solo, begin. Fraught with the pain and struggle likely experienced by the real life Jena 6, the saxophone solo ending the piece claws its way out of the bell with reckless abandon; what one might imagine the sound of hope in the midst of hopelessness to be. Like the closing track, The Captain Black Big Band is a beacon of possibility and ambassador of collective artistry in a musical climate begging for just that.
Words by Karas Lamb
Mark F. Turner reviews Orrin Evans “Captain Black Big Band”…
Pianist Orrin Evans has been on a roll, with the release of a couple of diamond Posi-Tone releases in 2010: Faith in Action — dedicated to friend and mentor, saxophonist Bobby Watson—and the old school yet highly progressive thinking of The End of Fear , with Tarbaby trio-mates, drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Eric Revis. But the truth of the matter is that Evans has been an active participant in the game for awhile, with numerous roles (leader, educator, and label owner), and a discography that includes a string of recordings in the ’90s on the Dutch Criss Cross label.
The debut of Captain Black Big Band (a nickname of Evans’ father, who smoked Captain Black tobacco) is another insight into Evans’ repertoire—the aperture of his skills focused even wider, as he leads an humongous ensemble which includes newer flames such saxophonist Tia Fuller and time-weathered veterans like Frank Lacy. Recorded live at the New York’s Jazz Gallery, the nearly forty-member band delivers music infused with Evan’s contagious melodicism that is colored with the avant-garde, funky blues, and undeniable swing. Doused with Evans’ street cred musicality from his stomping grounds in Trenton New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, the band’s sound is imbued with passion and adventurism.
After the announcer’s introduction, the band jets off with “Art Of War”—tornadic horns, interlaced arrangements, and shimmering individual spots encouraged by the audience’s cat calls and raucous fervor. A big band with attitude, the charts (a mixture of Evans’ and other composers) are meaty and spicy, due in part to band’s ongoing tenure at the Gallery. From clarinetist Todd Marcus’ gospel-tinged “Inheritance,” where Walter White’s trumpet shouts “hallelujah” in his fine solo, to the lazy groove of Evans’ “Easy Now,” or the tumultuous “Jena 6,” with saxophonist Jaleel Shaw delivering one of the most soulful and searing solos heard in recent memory, Captain Black Big Band is a welcome and surprising debut from the ever-expanding mind of Orrin Evans.