Walt Weiskopf wrote the book on jazz harmonics and improvisation…actually about ten of so books on those topics. But the best demonstration of his firm grasp on the building blocks for good jazz rests in his records, and his fifteenth one, The Way You Say It (April 8, 2016, Posi-Tone Records), is the latest chapter of his recorded book of work.
No matter how much Walt Weiskopf mixes things up for The Way You Say It, the craftsmanship shines through.
S. Victor Aaron – Something Else Reviews
Saxophonist and composer Walt Weiskopf has been a major contributor in the New York (which is to say, world-wide) jazz scene since the early 1980s. After completing studies at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, Weiskopf joined the Buddy Rich Big Band followed by a fourteen-year tenure with the Toshiko Akiyoshi big band. During his time with Akiyoshi and beyond, Weiskopf began recording his own albums playing almost exclusively original music with a variety of groups. Weiskkopf also began his long-running and current association with Steely Dan.
In addition, Weiskopf has become one of the most respected authors in jazz pedagogy starting with his first two books, Coltrane: A Players Guide to His Harmony and The Augmented Scale in Jazz (both co-authored with Ramon Ricker). Other books that followed include Intervalic Improvisation (1994), Around the Horn (2001), Beyond the Horn (co-authored with Ed Rosenberg)(2010) and Understanding the Diminished Scale (2012). Weiskopf has been on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music, Temple University and is currently Coordinator of Jazz Studies at New Jersey City University.
The Way marks Weiskopfs third CD as leader for Posi¬tone, besides at least another dozen for other labels, and represents a change in format, in that Weiskopf uses a modified organ trio as his vehicle of choice. The music, as is his custom, is almost all original, with the exception of three tunes.
To say that Weiskpopf is a master saxophonist is to overstate the obvious. Weiskopf has a clear, clean, centered sound, lickitey-split technique and personality to spare. That covers the “How To Play” side. On the “What to play” side, Weiskopfs melodic, harmonic and rhythmic acumen are massive. All of these attributes are eminently clear in the opening track, a medium-up-tempo blues, Coffee and Scones.
The quirky melody is played by unison tenor and vibes with Weiskopf taking the first solo. As mentioned before, Weiskopf has lots of personality in his playing, beginning with the fact that he plays with no vibrato at all and ends long pitches by just stopping the air, no taper at all. Both of these conditions contribute to his unique voice, but there’s more. Yet another factor are the notes and harmonies that Weiskopf uses. Each chorus that he plays finds him going down a different harmonic path, allowing him to keep the listener interested and on the edge of their seat all at once. Good solos by Gillece and Charette as well.
Inntoene, a barnburner taken at warp speed, is an example of good straight-a-head blowing. Tenor and vibes play the intricate melody once again, with Weiskopf taking the first solo, barreling down the highway, dropping one cleanly executed line after another like some many bombs over his shoulder.
The first of the tunes not written by Weiskopf is the now obscure Candy, by Alex Kramer (lyrics by Mack David & Joan Whitney). Performed as a ballad, for me, this is the money tune of the recording. Weiskopf plays the melody and goes right into his solo chorus paying homage to John Coltrane, with a touch of Jerry Bergonzi. His reading of the melody is just beautiful, and his solo is a study in “this is what a jazz player should be able to do with a tune,” playing it from every angle while still keeping all the music intact.
Segment, by Charlie Parker is another up-tempo gem, with Weiskopf and company just gliding through the changes and the changes of key with ease. Again, Weiskopf displays a complete understanding of harmony and the post-bebop language.Never at a loss for an idea, his lines just flow from one to the other. After a brief two-chorus romp from Weiskopf, Gillece plays his own well executed solo. Tenor and vibes trade eights, then fours for a chorus each before a shout chorus and the final reading of the melody.
The title tune, a prety ballad by the leader closes the CD. The melody is shared by tenor and vibes followed by short solos by Charette and Weiskopf. The mellow feel of the tune lets you down easy after the action packed recording.
Walt Weiskopf is a power with which to be reckoned; if you are not familiar with his playing, this recording is a great place to start to get to know him.
Billy Kerr – Saxophone Today
Michael Dease is an inventive trombonist with an athletically tuneful sound and a predilection for bringing his instrument’s voice to the fore. Having built the foundation of his career as a section player in bands led by Christian McBride and Roy Hargrove, he has now become a preeminent leader in his own right. Within his preferred artistic setting—the bop-oriented small group—he has recorded a number of fine recordings for Posi-Tone. Father Figure, his latest for the label, is as poignant a statement as he’s ever made. The album places Dease in the dignified role of jazz elder amid a crew of young and hungry jazz musicians: saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Markus Howell (who split lead duties on alternating tracks), drummer Luther Allison, bassist Endea Owens, vibraphonist Behn Gillece and pianist Glenn Zaleski, who appeared on Dease’s previous album, Decisions, and who exudes an almost telepathic bond with the trombonist. The two share the spotlight on an exceptionally swinging version of “Marian The Librarian,” and create swaths of dreamy magic on “Brooklyn.” And while Dease’s limber, flickering bop lines are an undeniable attraction (check the machine-gun tonguing on “Riff Raff”), it’s his ability to shape a group dynamic that really makes an impression. On group jams like “Church Of The Good Hustle” and Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation,” he blazes a trail that his young acolytes seem all too happy to follow.
BRIAN ZIMMERMAN Downbeat site review
With over three-and-a-half decades in the New York jazz scene, beginning with Buddy Rich and Toshiko Akiyoshi, Walt Weiskopf is long established as a hard-blowing tenor saxophonist and creative composer. Accompanied by Charette, up-and-coming vibraphonist Behn Gillece and Steve Fidyk, most of The Way You Say It focuses on Weiskopf’s potent originals, starting with the percolating blues “Coffee and Scones”. The catchy unison theme of “Blues Combination” is negotiated with the confidence of a working band, Fidyk providing a strong undercurrent. Alex Kramer-Joan Whitney-Mack David’s “Candy” was long favored by soul jazz saxophonists and this understated interpretation pays homage to past greats, with sublime organ and soft brushwork supplying the perfect backdrop. There’s a change in direction with the dramatic setting of Weather Report’s “Scarlet Woman”, then an effortless galloping through Charlie Parker’s bop gem “Segment” before cooling off the listener with the lush title ballad.
New York City Jazz Record
The brand new Dease disk, “Father Figure“, not only casts the trombonist in the role of leader but also mentor. He, Glenn Zaleski (a young pro) and Behn Gillece (vibraphone) are the veterans in an ensemble that also features bassist Endea Owens, drummer Luther Allison plus alto saxophonists Markus Howell and Immanuel Wilkins. Ms. Owens and Mr. Allison make for an impressive rhythm section throughout, her active lines not just supporting but also offering counterpoint while his cymbal work is exemplary as are his choices of when to “push.” Howell appears on 6 of the 11 tracks; he has a bright sound and many of his phrases joyfully dance above the rhythm section. Wilkins, still in his teens, seems to have a more supportive role on his 4 appearances but does get off a raucous solo on the opener “Church of the Good Hustler.” Mr. Gillece appears on most of the tracks and his vibes sound mesh nicely with the different lineups on the disk. His rippling sound is a highlight on Dease’s “Brooklyn“, named for both the borough in which his family lives and also for his baby daughter.
There are numerous highlights throughout, among them the playful “Marian The Librarian” (from Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man”). Dease and Zaleski caress the melody as the rhythm section dances delightfully in support. That quartet return to the Broadway and Hollywood hit for a sweet turn through “Till There Was You”, the melody lovingly played on trombone and followed by a jaunty solo. Michael Howell’s “The Pursuit for Inspiration” is a medium-tempo ballad with Dease and Howell playing the melody – the young alto saxophonist plays a fine, assured, solo while Ms. Owens’ counterpoint stands out. “Annette’s For Sure“, from the pen of trumpeter Claudio Roditi, is a sweet romp with strong solos from the leader, Zaleski, and Howell. The quintet (with Gillece and Howell but minus Zaleski) visit the blues on “Riff Raff“, a sweetly-played tune from trombonist Grachan Moncur III with excellent solos all around. Gillece takes his over the rhythm section only and it really shines. The title track closes the album on a bop-ish note with the leader creating a snappy melody and a sparkling solo (including a sneaky quote from “Parisian Thoroughfare” at the onset.) Ms. Owens take a short but excellent break before Zaleski shows off his Bud Powell-like chops.
With “Father Figure”, Michael Dease shines the spotlight on a fine group of musicians, several of whom he has worked with during his tenure on the faculty of Michigan State University. He’s generous with solo time for the members of the ensemble but don’t lose of the sight of the fact that he himself is a fine soloist, often with a most handsome tone. This music is a delightful way to spend the day.
Step Tempest – Richard Kamins http://steptempest.blogspot.com
On his ninth CD (third for Posi-Tone), Michael Dease cuts loose with a wildly swingin’ post-boppin’ assemblage of talent on vibraphone, piano, bass, drums and two alto saxophones wherein the trombone man serves as Father Figure to some crazily talented youngsters and veterans alike (pianist Glenn Zaleski and vibraphonist Behn Gillece shine throughout) on originals and well-picked covers, or, as we like to say in the music-listenin’ business: discreeto pickos.
Leading off with a tune Dease wrote specifically with a scene from Robert Rossen’s 1961 film The Hustler in mind, wherein Fast Eddie Felsen walks into the home pool hall of Minnesota Fats, calling it the “Church of the Good Hustler,” he follows it up with “Brooklyn” (for his daughter, not the city) and “Cry of the Wolf” (they say the howl of the arctic wolf can be heard for 10 miles across the tundra. It’s a tortured, anguished sound.) Having two altos in your jazz band means you must cover Jackie McLean. Here, Grachan Moncur III’s “Riff Raff” is an exquisite recreation of a blues off McLean’s 1964 Destination Out album.
Having played in the band of Brazilian trumpeter Claudio Roditi (as well as in the bands of Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, The Heath Brothers and Rufus Reid), Dease covers Roditi’s “Anette’s For Sure” before tackling Mulgrew Miller’s “Wingspan” and even “Marian the Librarian” and “‘Til There Was You” from Meredith Wilson’s 1957 Broadway musical, “The Music Man.” He closes with the title track, written for his bassist Endrea Owens, who was his student at Michigan State University. It sounds eerily similar to “All God’s Children Got Rhythm,” the jazz standard which came from the 1937 Marx Brothers movie A Day at the Races.
Dease received his Masters from Julliard to quickly become an in-demand session cat on CDs by Alicia Keys, Paul Simon, Elton John and Neil Diamond. He’s now well on his way to becoming one of the most respected new ‘bone men in the business.
Classicalite.com – Mike Greenblatt
Paying it forward is simply a given in jazz. Long before the music was welcomed in ivory tower institutions and codified for classroom consumption at all levels, seasoned musicians were sharing their hard-earned knowledge with aspiring youngsters on bandstands and in basements, serving as guides, exemplars, nurturers, and teachers all at once. Those experienced players were musical father figures, helping the next generation(s) along on their quest to join them, and that’s a role that trombonist Michael Dease aspires to on this, his third date for Posi-Tone and his seventh release in total.
Dease’s paternal instincts have, no doubt, grown by leaps and bounds since he took on a larger role in jazz education at Michigan State University and became a father himself. Both experiences feed into Dease’s need to do his part to bridge the gap between generations and bolster the ranks of those on the rise. Or at least that’s what this album seems to say. Rather than build a band solely around known quantities for this date, Dease decided to tap into the youthful stream of musicians out there who are ready and eager to make their move. All of his choices in that department prove wise. Bassist Endea Owens is the biggest revelation here, possessing a wonderfully wide beat, an incredibly fine-tuned internal compass, pitch-perfect intonation, and solid technique. Then there’s drummer Luther Allison, a player fully capable of working well in mellow and molten environments, and alto saxophonists Markus Howell and Immanuel Wilkins, strong-minded horn men who work well together and apart. Add to that list two established musicians—vibraphonist and label mate Behn Gillece and pianist Glenn Zaleski—and you have a solid band ready for action.
The eleven tracks presented by that band touch on the old and new. There are originals, songs from The Music Man, winners from the likes of trumpeter Claudio Roditi and the late pianist-educator Mulgrew Miller, and classics from the respective books of saxophonist Charlie Parker and trombonist Grachan Moncur III. This crew proves adept at handling all of it. They mine bluesy veins (“Church Of The Good Hustler,” Moncur’s “Riff Raff”), bop along with the best of them (Parker’s “Confirmation”), swim in strong Brazilian currents (Roditi’s “Annette’s For Sure”), and capture the pure beauty embedded in the music (“Till There Was You”). Everybody gets a chance to shine, but it’s Dease who shines brightest. His buttery tone, monster chops, and impeccable sense of musicality lead the way. He sets the bar high here, as any father figure would, and his bandmates rise to the challenge.
Dan Bilawsky – All About Jazz
Calling Coltrane an influence is an exercise in stating the obvious for most saxophonists under the age of sixty. The undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the horn still exerts a seismic impact so vast as to be nearly indelible. Tenorist Walt Weiskopf is one of the multitude who came under the Coltrane thrall early in his artistic inquiry, but like the best of that number he’s been able to wrestle inspiration into submission in the service of a sound he can accurately call his own. The Way You Say It registers as his sixteenth effort as a leader and it’s the first to feature him with the singular instrumentation of organ, vibraphone and drums.
Nine out of the dozen tunes originate from Weiskopf’s imagination with three carefully chosen covers covering the diverse stylistic bases of Forties Pop (“Candy”), Bird (“Segment”) and Weather Report (“Scarlet Woman”). The originals are as eclectic as they are numerous, making the most of Weiskopf’s sideman choices particularly in the pick of organist Brian Charette who applies a modernist sensibility to the instrument right in line with past greats like John Patton and Larry Young. Vibraphonist Behn Gillece draws from a comparable lineage in echoing the advancements of Bobby Hutcherson and Khan Jamal. Drummer Steve Fidyk takes readily to the demands of sustaining a rhythmic fulcrum for Weiskopf’s shifting frameworks.
“Coffee and Scones” acts as fortifying opener for the foursome with first leader and then Gillece and Charette riffing on a bustling soul bop motif. The organist’s pedal bass line is especially effective in advancing a groove alongside Fidyk’s steady snare accents. “Separation” slows the action down to a smoldering ballad tempo with both organ and vibes opening up tonally in response as the leader raises sail on the theme and later turns in a flexing, propulsive solo for contrast. “Innotene” and “Blues Combustion” table contrast for straight up incandescence igniting on fleet tempi and tight, dime-turning contours. Weiskopf keeps all but one of the cuts in the under-five-minute range ensuring that none wear out welcome through overelaboration. Points earned for originality in both design and execution, Weiskopf and crew have come up with vibrant and viable alternative to the all-too-common organ combo longueurs.
Derek Taylor
Do jazz jukeboxes exist? I’m not referring to an online streaming service that tells you what to like. I’m talking about a mechanical box in a roadhouse you put money in, and everyone in the joint listens to your selections. If there are such establishments with said jukeboxes, I’m certain customers would select WW1, WW2, WW3, et cetera, for most of the tracks on Walt Weiskopf‘s The Way You Say It.
The saxophonist a veteran of the big bands of Buddy Rich and Toshiko Akiyoshi, plus a requested sideman with Steely Dan, has produced a dozen outings as a leader, first for Criss Cross, and three now for Positone Records. The latest follows Open Road (2015), a quartet and the sextet Overdrive (2014) both with pianist Peter Zak. With The Way You Say It, he swaps piano for the organ of Brian Charette, an instrument we haven’t heard with the saxophonist since A World Away (Criss Cross, 1995).
Charette, the de facto house organist for Positone, comports himself quite well here, supporting Weisskopf and vibraphonist Behn Gillece, who we heard on Overdrive. With drummer Steve Fidyk, the quartet can negotiate a speedy burner like “Inntoene” and “Blues Combination” with jaw-dropping ease. Weiskopf has all the tools, a broad and deep sound with a very well balanced attack. In other words, a beautiful tone. That richness is showcased on the flavor-rich ballad “Candy” and “Invisible Sun.” Weiskopf penned ten of the twelve pieces here. “Envisioned” allows for each musician to stretch out a bit as it burns with a hot blue flame.
The quartet picks through two contrasting covers, Charlie Parker‘s “Segment” and the Weather Report classic “Scarlet Woman.” The quartet turns Joe Zawinul‘s fusion into a stormy blues romp with Bird’s music sailing with a nonchalance befitting such a sprezzatura artist as Weiskopf.
All About Jazz – Marc Corrotto
by Anthony Smith
I first heard vibraphonist Behn Gillece play when I discovered one of his collaborations with Ken Fowser, while perusing i-Tunes several years ago. Always on the lookout for an exciting new vibraphone discovery, I immediately bought that album, and proceeded to follow Behn’s career from then on. When I moved to New York in early 2014, I walked into Small’s in the Village, and quickly spotted a red-headed guy standing near the bar, dressed in black, hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. “Hey,” I said before thinking, “You’re Behn Gillece.” He looked at me, smiled and said “Yes, I am.” Thus began a friendship with one of New York City’s brightest young jazz musicians, as well as one of the finest vibraphonists of his generation.
Gillece’s latest release, Mindset, is yet another example of his musical gifts as both a first-rate soloist and also a composer of note. Firmly rooted in the rich tradition of post-bop, with an inviting mixture of hard-swinging and straight-eighth/Latin grooves, along with the tasty ballad here and there, Mindset announces Gillece’s arrival as an artist who has attained both maturity and a distinctive musical voice. Perhaps more so than any other vibraphonist, Gillece combines two very different schools of vibraphone playing: the virtuosic, chromatic approach of Bobby Hutcherson, and the no-vibrato, four-mallet chordal aesthetic of Gary Burton. Stylistically Gillece is more aligned with Hutcherson, favoring deftly executed single-note lines in his improvisations, but technically speaking, his impeccable execution, clear, dry tone, and balanced tone is more reminiscent of Burton and his disciples.
The album’s first track, The Great Quarterly, contains an angular melody reminiscent of hard post-boppers like Joe Henderson and Woody Shaw. Out of the gate, Gillece demonstrates his clean mastery of the vibes. His lines are rhythmically precise, his time is impeccable, and his melodic voice is fresh. The title track, Mindset, is a driving, straight-eighth groove, with some unexpected twists and turns. The strong melody is enhanced by Gillece’s signature pentatonic flourishes, followed by a well-crafted, dynamically varied vibes solo.
Gillece calls upon pianist Rick Germanson to provide solid accompaniment, along with understated, tasteful solos. The rhythm section of Paul Gill and Charles Ruggiero is so smooth, so supportive, that’s it’s at times possible to forget they’re even there. Saxophonist Ken Fower, Gillece’s longtime musical partner and label mate on Posi-Tone Records, sounds excellent as usual, delivering well-constructed improvisations with a straight, honest tone in the tradition of Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane.
The track Uma Para Agosto begins with a solo vibraphone intro, showcasing Gillece’s ability to play convincingly with four mallets. In addition to his work in the post-bop genre, Gillece has also worked extensively in Latin and Brazilian contexts, and this is made obvious by his smooth, melodic work here. Germanson switches to Fender Rhodes for a nice change of pace.
The session ends with Calm, Cool, and Collected, a bright, optimistic swinger with major chords and a straight-ahead groove, which is reminiscent of another recently recorded vibes track, Pharaoh Joy, from the Joe Locke/David Hazeltine album, Mutual Admiration Society 2. Behn Gillece’s new album demonstrates his abilities as a bandleader and composer, but in the end, what comes across the most is his complete command of jazz vibraphone, and an original voice on the instrument that is sure to continue developing in years to come.