RECORD REVIEWS tAzz &:9

SHE & HIM FRESH CUT ORCHESTRA RED GARTAND TRIO C/assics From the Vine Swingin' on the Korner: Live ot Keystone Korner Columbia 88875 01599 2 (CD).2014. M. Ward, Mike Cemprola, altoltenor saxophones, bass prod.; Pierre clarinet, f lute; Mark Allen, baritone/soprano de Reeder, Tom Schick, engs. AAD.? Red Garland, piano; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; saxophones, bass clarinet, flute; Josh Lawrence, TT:39t3 Philly Joe Jones, drums trumpet; Brent White, trombone; Davis, PENFORMANCE ***** Matt Elemental 5990426 (2 CDs).2014. Todd Barkan, guitar; Tim Conley, laptop, guitar; Brian Marsella, Zev Feldman, prods.; unidentified eng. ADD? TT: soNtcs ***** piano, Rhodes, keyboards; Jason Fraticelli, double 2:09:30 bass; Anwar Marshall, drums; Frangois Zayas, PERFORMANCE bongos, percussion ***** In their other lives, Zooey Descha- Ropeadope RAD-265 (CD). 2014. Jason Fraticelli, soNtcs *** * * nel and M.'Ward are, respectively, a Josh Lawrence, Anwar Marshall, prods.; Glenn Barratt, eng. DDD. TT:46:05 renowned TV and film actress, and a Red Garland died in 1984. Inevitably, PERFoRMANcE ***** postmodern singer-songwriter- guitarist awareness of his greatness is fading into sorrcs ****i whose solo albums and side proJect the shadows of history. But we Garland Monsters of Folk have won him plenty Three distinct compositional voices fans who remain are hard-core.'We ofpopular and critical accolades. To- emerge on From the Vine, a stunning can't get enough of him. Guess how gether the two sound charming, almost debut by the 1O-piece Fresh Cut we feel about suddenly acquiring two like vintage Linda Ronstadt and Tom Orchestra, out of Philadelphia. Bass- hours of previously unknown Garland. Waits at their most unassuming. istJason Fraticelli leads offwith his The recordings comes from a week- Following three albums of mostly six-movement "The Mothers' Suite," long engagement at Keystone Korne! original Deschanel material arrd a2077 a groove-heavy electro-acoustic work in San Francisco, in l977,It was the Christmas album, She & Him take a full of harmonic depth, sonic sulprise, first and last time that Garland, Leroy nostalgic nrrn and do the en vogue and melodic power, thanks to the Vinnegar, and PhillyJoe Jones played turning-back-the-musical-clock thing. band's four beautifully voiced horns. together. It's all here: Garland s deep On Classics, they tackle a baker's dozen TrumpeterJosh Lawrence weighs in blues feeling; his bulletproof swing; songs ftom yesteryea! by writers rang- with "Uptown Romance," a ballad his suave, almost casual sense of sryle. ing from Charles Aznavour and Burt with hints ofEllington and Mingus Unmistakable, rich block chords (in- Bacharach to Carole King. that shows the group's bona-fide cluding beautiful wrong notes) become Beginning with the oft-recorded, acoustic chops. Drummer Anwar tinkly, silvery single-note melodies. mid-1930sjazz nugget "stars Fell Marshall offers the closing "sanguine," With effortless, life-affirming sprightli- on Alabama," an understated rever- alive with jinery electronic percussion, ness, Garland rides the groove. ence blankets Clwsics, there's nothing paired bass clarinets, and gorgeously There are headlong swingers like kitschy here. Deschanel, who thank- layered Rhodes and guitar textures 'tsilly Boy" (hardea looser, and longer fully doesn't resort to vibrato to sound courtesy Brian Marsella and Matt than AhmadJamal's famous version) authentic, sounds absolutely gorgeous Davis, respectively. and a killer "Love for Sale." There are in the 1964 R&B smash "Oh No, Not Along with their virtuosiry and tender, elegant ballads like "It's Impos- My Baby," which features sparkling adventurous ears, Fresh Cut's three sible" and "Never Let Me Go." Some accompaniment by drummerJim co-leaders-Fraticelli, Lawrence, tunes are burners andballtds,like "On Keltner, who's all over this album. and Marshall-approach sound in a a Clear Day." Trombone Shorry appears on sev- refreshing way. Marsella's piano, Tim The recording comes from cassette eral rracks, adding his signature sultry Conley's armospheric laptop and shred board tapes. The sound is flat and air- elegance tothe 7957 pop chestnut "Ids guitar paired with Davis's cleaner less and leaves out Keystone Korner. Not for Me to Say." singing tone, FranEois Zayas's alert The booklet is brilliant, with newly Only "Unchained Melody," featur- bongos cutting through the mix at the unearthed gig photos and 40 pages of ing the Chapin Sisters, bogs down, right moments: all the elements are in heartGlt remembrances from Garland straying into dirgeJand. But through- balance. authorities: Nat Hentofi Ira Gitler, etc. out, as in Deschanel's fresh update of Fraticelli's bass tone is round and fat, Perhaps Red Garland's enduring Dusty Springfield's "Stay Awhile," and more saturated than is rypical in today's appeal is that he was the last major jazz in the duo's seductive vocal intelplay jazz. His solo interlude, "Elegy for a pianist of the pre-modern era, after on the Sammy Cahn-Jule Styne classic Mom," leads into the almost Nyro- which the world became relativist and "Time After Time," the mood is inti- esque balladry of "The Funeral," with permanendy off-center. His music is mate, inviting, and sonically soothing. subtle electronic pulses, plaintive guitar confident in a way that is no longer -DrvidSokol lines, and delicate flutes.-o-idR edo possible.-rtom conmd stereophile.com . April 2015