Tag: Organic

www.criticaljazz.com

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Ehud Asherie is an interesting guy, a longtime star of the New York jazz underground with a unique and soulful voice on the organ. A lot of jazz players go straight for the funky grooves pioneered by Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff and there’s definitely that feel here but there’s also a welcome fearlessness of the kind of power a B3 organ can deliver. Which is especially interesting since Asherie’s previous albums highlight his feel for samba jazz, a style which is completely the opposite. The group on this latest cd, Organic, has the ubiquitous Peter Bernstein, characteristically terse and incisive on guitar, along with Dmitry Baevsky providing color on alto sax and drummer Phil Stewart having a great time switching between shuffles, undulating Brazilian beats and some playful funk.

They reinvent Tonight, from West Side Story, as a shuffle, Asherie locking into a darkly chordal approach as he will frequently throughout this album; Bernstein’s expansive, exploratory solo and Baevsky’s balmy contributions contrast considerably. They play up the beat on Sonny Rollins’ The Stopper almost to the point where it’s Keystone Kops, choppy terrain for Asherie to sail through with some tricky yet perfectly balanced arpeggios. And a waltz finally, cleverly emerges out of a thicket of syncopation on Asherie’s Walse Pra Jelena, the organ adding an unexpectedly distant carnivalesque tinge echoed in Bernstein’s considerably more anxious second solo.

The most trad early 60s number here is the swinging, midtempo Apostrophe, closer to Made Men than Mad Men with its biting organ solo. Likewise, Jobim’s Favela is punchy, edgy and frankly a lot more interesting than the original, more of a straight-up shuffle. Bernstein grabs the melody and sinks his teeth into it, and Stewart takes it all the way to the depths of Africa with a boomy Yoruban-tinged solo. The rest of the album includes It’s Possible, a warmly lyrical, sneakily brisk original; a slightly smoky, stately and surprisingly intense version of Guy Lombardo’s Coquette; and a swirling, bluesily inspired Fats Waller tribute. A welcome change from a lot of the retro B3 albums coming out lately – and no pesticides either. It’s out now on Posi-Tone.

www.allaboutjazz.com

Track Listing: Tonight; Valse Pra Jelena; The Stopper; Coquette; It’s Possible; Favela; Apostrophe; Blues For Fats.

Personnel: Ehud Asherie: organ; Peter Bernstein: guitar; Dmitry Baevsky: tenor saxophone; Phil Stewart: drums.

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Organic
Organic is Israeli-born Ehud Asherie’s fourth album as leader on the Posi- Tone label. It’s also his second release of 2010, following the excellent Modern Life, although it was actually recorded two years before that album, back in 2007. It’s another quartet recording of predominantly straight-ahead jazz and shows, once again, the young musician’s affinity with and talent for this musical genre.

As with Modern Life, this album is a pleasing combination of Asherie’s original tunes and classics from writers such as Sonny Rollins and Leonard Bernstein. In contrast to the earlier album, Organic showcases Asherie’s talents on the Hammond B-3 organ rather than the piano and, perhaps because of this change in instrument, Asherie has put together a more consistently upbeat set of tunes. The result is a positive, optimistic recording that really swings.

Asherie’s approach to Bernstein’s “Tonight” is decidedly high-energy—this is the sound of a bunch of guys getting ready for a night on the town, not a lonely and lovelorn New Yorker. The tune gives all the members of the quartet the chance to open up with Asherie, guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky and drummer Phil Stewart all delivering short but effective solos. The band also produces a punchy version of Rollins’ “The Stopper,” with Baevsky’s saxophone playing taking a central role and Stewart adding an inventive drum solo, and a gently grooving take on Johnny Green and Gus Kahn’s “Coquette,” on which Asherie adds a smoothly-played organ solo.

Asherie’s own compositions include “Valse Pra Jelena,” probably the album’s loveliest tune thanks, in particular, to Bernstein’s rich single-note playing; the slinky hard bop of “Apostrophe”; and the funky, insistent organ/guitar/drums outing, “It’s Possible.” Asherie’s compositions have a nostalgic quality to them, in keeping with his obvious love for some of the classic styles of jazz, which gives them an appealing familiarity.

Organic may not have the emotional range or dynamics of Modern Life but its positive and upbeat take on the music is accessible and immediate— this is an easy album to enjoy, played by a likable and talented quartet.

audaud.com

Ehud Asherie – Organic – Posi-Tone Records PR 8071, 43:11 ***½:

(Ehud Asherie, Hammond B-3 organ; Peter Bernstein, guitar; Dmitry Baevsky, alto sax; Phil Stewart, drums)

There has been a pleasant trend for lovers of the Hammond B-3 organ. It is the resurgence in the popularity of this groove machine. Pianists are turning to the Hammond B-3 to open up their repertoire to explore the funky side of town. The trend seemed to start at around the time that Mike LeDonne began his weekly sessions at New York City clubs, primarily Smoke.

For Israeli pianist Ehud Asherie, who records for Posi-Tone, he chose his fourth recording for the label to make a Hammond B-3 session. Who better than Peter Bernstein (in my opinion the first choice for guitar on a Hammond date) to add to the mix to set yourself in the right direction. Also adding an alto sax to the quartet is a smart move as the sax broadens the spice quotient and the young Russian saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky, who has recorded for Sharp 9, is an up and comer, who plays well beyond his years.

Ehud has chosen of mix of standards by Leonard Bernstein, Sonny Rollins, and Jobim, as well as four originals to explore. “Tonight”, among the most recognizable Bernstein compositions gets the Hammond treatment and Ehud has a light touch here unlike you’ll find with a more percussive reading of a Dr. Lonnie Smith. Bernstein’s guitar lines are as classy, concise, and swinging as ever. Peter brings his “A” game always. Dmitry swings easily fitting in with Ehud and Peter.

“Valse Pra Jelena” features Peter Bernstein in a lead role and as usual his clean lines are exemplary. “The Stopper” from Sonny Rollins shows Dmitry’s bop chops and Ehud ups the tempo with some lightning fast runs to keep pace. Stewart has a featured solo where he uses his entire drum kit, with the cymbals highlighted. Gus Kahn and Johnny Green’s “Coquette” has a long history going back to the 1940s and has been covered by artists ranging from Django to Armstrong and Bix, and Ehud and company give it a sweet reading relatively straight ahead so its melody is completely recognizable. It’s quite lovely.

Ehud’s “It’s Possible” shows he knows the Hammond’s strengths in setting a funky vibe for the guitar and drums to embellish. Jobim’s “Favela” will get your head into a nod while your toes dance. “Apostrophe” provides an opportunity for Baevsky and Asherie to play off each other like you’ll find in the best sax/ Hammond moments. “Blues for Fats” closes out Organic and I’m betting it’s written to honor Fats Waller as the Hammond’s tone changes to a 30s to 40s organ without the vibrato of the 50s thru 70s for which this groove machine is better known.

Add Ehud Asherie to the list of Hammond B-3 players that B-3 aficionados can trust to keep faith with prior Hammond legends. You will not be disappointed.

TrackList: Tonight, Valse Pra Jelena, The Stopper, Coquette, It’s Possible, Favela, Apostrophe, Blues for Fats

allaboutjazz.com

Contrary to what some might believe, the designation of a musician as an organist or pianist does not have to be mutually exclusive. While some players choose to focus all of their time and energy on one of these instruments, many others prefer to branch out and try their hand at both. Fats Waller wasn’t afraid to work in both worlds, and a whole list of modern-day players, including Gary Versace, Larry Goldings and Sam Yahel, are adept on both instruments.

Ehud Asherie can now be added to that list. His string of piano-led discs on the Posi-Tone Records label have already positioned him as a rising jazz star on that instrument, but Organic is all about the organ, and he pushes the piano aside for this one.

The program is evenly split between Asherie originals and covers, ranging from Leonard Bernstein’s “Tonight” to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s lesser-known “Favela,” and guitarist Peter Bernstein is superb across the entire album. His clean-toned, single note lines are always a treat and his soloing on the charming ballad “Coquette” is an album highlight.

Asherie’s organ playing is unpretentious and pleasing, never running into modern-day abstractions or resorting to clichés. The momentary stops on the second syllable of “Tonight” add a hint of mischief to an otherwise fairly straightforward performance, and the aforementioned “Coquette” adds a touch of grace to the album. “The Stopper”—a sorely neglected Sonny Rollins tune—features lots of stop-time punctuations and unison hits beneath Dmitry Baevsky’s alto saxophone proclamations. Baevsky’s searing solo work energizes the rest of the band and drummer Phil Stewart delivers an explosive solo. Jobim’s “Favela” is taken a bit faster than usual, with a samba-like groove on the bottom, and Asherie kicks things off with a Morse code-like lick. Stewart’s solo, with some festive tom-dominated playing over his steady samba footwork, is the highlight here.

Asherie’s originals include a mellow jazz waltz (“Valse Pra Jelena”) with Bernstein showing some Grant Green-like tendencies delivered in a more modern fashion and a tribute to Fats Waller (“Blues for Fats”) that clearly owes a debt to the man himself. Asherie isn’t likely to give up the piano on a permanent basis, but the aptly titled Organic’s presents an alternate view of the keyboardist’s work, and is a welcome addition to his already impressive catalog.