Tag: Modern Life

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Time machine jazz (CD reviews)

By phum Mon, Jan 31 2011 COMMENTS(0) Jazzblog.ca

Filed under: Larry Goldings, CD reviews, Harry Allen, Ehud Asherie

Is tenor saxophonist Harry Allen the Dr. Who of jazz? You might think so, given the two recent CDs that feature the hornman, who turns 45 this year but revels in an esthetic and sound that was in full bloom decades before he was born. To read what the producers write, it’s as if the hornman is the very sound of nostalgia, transporting listeners to a more mellifluous, pre-bop time. But is that a good thing? Read on…

Modern Life (Posi-Tone)
Ehud Asherie (featuring Harry Allen)

The epigraph penned by Dick Whitman on the inner packaging of Modern Life reads:

It’s a time machine. It goes backwards, and forwards… it takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It’s not called the wheel, it’s called the carousel. It lets us travel the way a child travels — around and around, and back home again, to a place where we know we are loved.

The citation is artfully indirect, but I believe it means to give listeners an emotional crutch when it comes to appreciating the music from Ehud Asherie, a pianist in his early 1930s, his featured saxophonist Allen, bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs. Under Asherie’s leadership, the group plays music that is decidedly “old-fashioned.” My wife, it should be said, offered that adjective, along with a big smile, because she is simply a person with open ears rather than jazz critic of the give-me-innovation-or-give-me-death school.

While my wife could not be bothered to analyse the details, most she was taking into consideration aspects such as Allen’s diffuse, pre-Coltrane sounds on his horn, Asherie’s reverence to swing and bop language (down to the Tatumesque fills and use of diminished chords when a more “modern” pianist would add extra alterations) and the overall, happy, bouncy time feel of the group. Here’s a clip of Asherie and Allen playing I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket, which Irving Berlin wrote in the mid-1930s and Ella Fitzgerald recorded in the late 1950s:

A vigorous swing-style blowing session, Modern Life offers 10 tracks. They include faithful verse-and-all readings of George Gershwin’s He Loves and She Loves (a classy ballad) and Soon (a bright swinger), medium-tempo takes of I’ve Told Every Little Star and No Moon At All (two tunes with swing built in to them), a slow Calypso groove version of Tadd Dameron’s Casbah, and a closing duet on Billy Strayhorn’s A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing. Asherie’ss two originals — the riffy Blues For George and the bluesy tune One For V — fit right in with this focused program.

Throughout, Asherie plays with polish and class. However, it’s Allen, who has been plumbing this style for at least a dozen years more than the pianist, who expresses himself most strongly and personally, I find. His poise and invention on the very fast Trolley Song make his performance a true thing of beauty — old-fashioned or otherwise.

www.allaboutjazz.com

Modern Life
Ehud Asherie featuring Harry Allen | Posi-Tone Records (2010)

By Raul d’Gama Rose

It is rare indeed to discover a young pianist, so obviously neither a baby nor a Baby Boomer, who is steeped in the history and tradition of American music from the turn of the twentieth century onwards. To find he can write a mean blues is a wonder and more than a joy to hear. To then get him in the studio in the company of someone like tenor saxophonist Harry Allen must be any producer’s dream, but Marc Free made it happen. Ehud Asherie and Harry Allen are swinging madly on Modern Life. The two musicians seem soul brothers and though several years may separate them, they appear to be attuned to each other’s consciousness as if they were twins.

Asherie is a pianist who has obviously listened to Tommy Flanagan and perhaps even Jimmy Rowles. As a composer, Asherie is influenced by the compositional style and early music of Hank Jones. Asherie flavors the melodious twists and turns of the charts he writes, but he’s his own man as a soloist, with a right hand that rolls delightfully over the black and white. His expression is genteel, and his dynamic is so tuned to the rhythm of what he is playing, he would be wonderful to dance to. His pianistic vocabulary when he solos is sophisticated. He tantalizes with darting phrases and lines that suddenly stop, then fly off again. And when the line returns it is often inside out, a steady flow of surprises unfolding in its wake. To that extent, both his blues are wonderfully crafted with uncommon erudition. The two blues—”Blues for George” and “One for V”—feature some exemplary writing. The elemental sadness of the melody hangs as the chart is paced just about half a beat slower, enough for a noisier tug at the strings of the heart.

The rest of the fare seems to have fallen into the musicians’ studio full of stardust. It might have been calculated to provide a feature for Harry Allen. And this tenor saxophonist steps way up to the spotlight to play his part. His tone is low and majestic, sliding with almost divine glissandos from line to line. His broad sliding lines curve through the air and embellish every melody he plays, especially on “I’ve Told Every Star,” crafted by Jerome Kern. “No Moon at All,” the David Mann/Redd Evans classic, penned in 1917, which says much about how far the musicians were prepared to go to preserve the emotion of the set is also wonderfully rendered recalling—almost—the fey character of Julie London’s 1927 classic performance. On Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing,” Allen and Asherie virtually caress the melody in a spectacular, sensuous manner that keeps the air charged with emotion.

It would be sheer fallacy not to also acknowledge bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs, who have a symbiotic feel for the program. It is hard to imagine a better rhythm section that plays with such sensitivity for the material, or for the album’s stars to shine ever brightly.

Track listing: I’ve Told Every Little Star; Blues for George; The Trolley Song; He Loves And She Loves; Vignette; One for V; No Moon At All; Casbah; Soon; A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing.

Personnel: Ehud Asherie: piano; Harry Allen: tenor saxophone; Joel Forbes: bass; Chuck Riggs: drums.

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Modern Life – Ehud Asherie, featuring Harry Allen

(Posi-Tone Records)

Young Israeli-born pianist Asherie, who’s worked with saxophonists Grant Stewart and his guest here Harry Allen issues his 3rd CD for Posi-Tone and he continues to show why he’s such a fine player. He thinks “melody first” when choosing material, likes to swing, and his solos are usually smartly constructed. Most of the tunes are standards (even fellow pianist Hank Jones’ “Vignette” has been around since 1980) and the 2 originals show a “bop” pedigree.

The rhythm section of bassist Joel Forbes (a New Haven, CT native) and drummer Chuck Riggs give great support (and well-recorded) – listen to their relaxed swing on the pianist’s “One for V” and how they supply the “motor” that drives “The Trolley Song.” They remain calm and quiet underneath the “lead” voices on the Gershwin Brothers’ “He Loves and She Loves” (from “Funny Face”).

Allen continues to mine the styles of Ben Webster, Lester Young and Coelman Hawkins to great effect. He never forces the musical “issue”, playing with a relaxed sense of swing (so playful on “No Moon at All” yet deeply bluesy on Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing”) and, like the pianist, always “on” the melody.

Ehud Asherie is an impressive pianist, not because he plays “tons of notes” – no, there’s an ease, a grace, a melodic presence that informs his playing. “Modern Life” is a gentle, genial, and pleasing program that will have listeners coming back time and again for its fine music. For more information, go to www.posi-tone.com.

Ehud Asherie, Modern Life (Posi-Tone)
New York-based pianist Ehud Asherie has a sprightly, dancing style on the keyboard at times that is reminiscent at times of a longtime favorite swing practitioner, John Bunch. Asherie is in great company on this mainstream swing project, which features tenor saxophonist Harry Allen. Bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs, two of Allen’s frequent collaborators, complete the rhythm section. Everything here is well done as they mine Swing Street, Blues Alley and a few chapters from The Great American Songbook. My favorites: Asherie’s originals “Blues for George” and “One for V,” as well as their takes on the Hank Jones tune “Vignette” and Tadd Dameron’s “Casbah.” While Allen is at his high-energy best on the blues piece and George Gershwin’s “Soon,” his exquisite way with a ballad is also a delight on Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing.” Asherie and Allen work well together – with empathy, high spirits and the sheer will to swing.

allaboutjazz.com

New York-based pianist Ehud Asherie swings hard on Modern Life, his third release for Posi-Tone Records. With the help of tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs, the Israeli-born Asherie demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the piano jazz tradition.

Throughout this set of standards and riff-based Asherie originals, it doesn’t take long to realize the sincerity in the pianists approach to uncompromising swing. In every aspect of his playing—voicing, phrasing, finesse—Asherie convincingly harkens back to an era of stylists such asGeorge Shearing and Oscar Peterson who could straddle the fence between swing and bebop. Perhaps most intriguing is the way Asherie handles a ballad like George Gershwin‘s “He Loves and She Loves” and Billy Strayhorn‘s “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing.” Along with lush, lyrical solo lines, Asherie confidently fills up space with witty, at times sardonic, comping behind Allen’s breathy tenor.

Allen, who has recorded in abundance as a leader, fits snuggly into Asherie’s retrospective aesthetic. With buoyant phrasing, Allen delivers a never-ending weave of inspired, feel-good ideas. The saxophonist digs in extra hard on the disc’s up-tempo selections, specifically Hank Jones‘ “Vignette” and Gershwin’s “Soon.”

With rock-solid walking lines and crisp cymbal work, Forbes and Riggs keep things cooking at a fervent simmer. The two effortlessly keep pace with Asherie and Allen to create a toe-tapping listening experience from beginning to end.

somethingelsereviews.com

Ehud Asherie (featuring Harry Allen) Modern Life

As a piano player who is very respectful of tradition, Ehud Asherie is often of the Harry Allen state of mind. This past Tuesday came forth Modern Life, Aherie’s third as a sole leader, all of which have come from from Posi-Tone Records. The young Israeli-born pianist, whose style recalls Erroll Garner, is a master of styles ranging from stride piano to soul-jazz. For the quartet-powered Modern Life, brings Allen on board to fill the sax role. As Asherie often for the Harry Allen Quartet, the pairing is a natural in more ways than one..

www.allaboutjazz.com

Modern life, if this fine recording from Israeli-born, New York-based pianist Ehud Asherie is anything to go by, happened sometime between the late-1940s and the late-’50s. From the beautifully-designed packaging—with the greens and golds of the graphics matched by those of Asherie’s suit, shirt and tie—to the exquisite renditions of classic tunes and a couple of Asherie originals, Modern Life is an album that oozes nostalgia and a love for a style of jazz that remains fresh and engaging today.

Asherie’s piano style reflects the inspiration of players such as Errol Garner. Light and lyrical, it’s an approach that creates delightful solos onJerome Kern‘s “I’ve Told Every Little Star” and Asherie’s own “Blues for George,” as well as understated and note-perfect accompaniments throughout. Both talents are shown to great effect on George Gershwin‘s “He Loves and She Loves,” with Asherie’s feather-light accompaniment toHarry Allen‘s saxophone moving effortlessly into his own sparkling solo. This tune also highlights the rhythm section of bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs, with both players showing a deft economy that ensures an ideal foundation for the lead instruments.

The sound of Allen’s tenor sax goes straight back to Ben Webster via Zoot Sims, making this recording very special indeed. His tone is warm and rich, whatever the tempo. On Hank Jones‘ “Vignette” Allen’s tenor positively skips across the melody, while on Tadd Dameron‘s “Casbah” he’s altogether more sultry and seductive, as he evokes a late night atmosphere of mystery and romance.

Asherie and Allen close out the album with a duet version of Billy Strayhorn‘s “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing.” They respond to the absence of Riggs and Forbes—not by attempting to fill in the spaces but by leaving them be. The result is a languid and relaxed performance of great beauty. Indeed, great beauty is a characteristic to be found throughout Modern Life.

www.allaboutjazz.com

A dichotomy exists within the musical mind of pianist Ehud Asherie. The youthful pianist is clearly an old soul in many ways. His choice of material—including tunes from George Gershwin, Billy Strayhorn and Jerome Kern—combined with his knowledge of stride piano and fondness for the jazz masters of the early twentieth century are a throwback. However, Asherie also shows a thoroughly modern concept with some of his choices and stylistic preferences. These two sides converge on Modern Life. While he went with a quintet on Lockout (Posi-Tone, 2007) and Swing Set (Posi-Tone, 2008) featured a trio, he split the difference for Modern Life and goes with a quartet.

This foursome, featuring saxophonist Harry Allen, travels through a pair of Asherie originals and a variety of material from yesteryear. Asherie’s clean lines and two-handed independence help to create compelling and exciting moments throughout the album. While Allen often arrives with a clean and alluring sound, he ramps up the energy as the song develops and often puts more grit into the mixture, giving off a bit more edge as the music unfolds. While this pattern remains consistent across the majority of the album, the biggest exception is “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing.” Allen creates a noir-ish scene, using breathy vibrato with a slight Ben Webster-influence, during this performance. Every note that Asherie plays here comes out as a crystalline musical jewel, helping to heighten the emotional impact.

While Asherie and Allen work well together without any help, drummerChuck Riggs and bassist Joel Forbes prove to be the rhythmic engine that powers the group. Whether providing a jaunty feel on Asherie’s “One For V,” driving the up-tempo performances like “The Trolley Song” or simply showing that less is more on “He Loves And She Loves,” they always provide what is right in the moment.

Allen and Asherie take the bulk of the soloing on the record, whether wailing through a chorus or two or trading eight bars back and forth. Riggs gets in on the trading action every once in a while and Forbes steals the show with his solo on the aforementioned “One For V,” but the focus remains largely on piano and saxophone. Asherie’s performances on this album showcase his sophisticated sense of swing, strong musical instincts and a connection with Harry Allen that warrants more recorded music from this pairing.