WELTLINGER Creating Great Music; He Kenny Washington
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TOM HARRELL First Impressions HighNote ......................Dec. First Impressions is replete with the kind of detailed and challenging ensemble writing that one usually associates with Third Stream. But trumpeter Tom Harrell has a jazzman’s understanding of grooves, and his handling of texture and structure is a balm throughout this program, which reimagines TAL NATIONAL themes by Debussy and Ravel. Zoy Zoy Fat Cat ......................... June Niger’s Tal National is an Afrobeat institution in its homeland. +++++ Zoy Zoy, the band’s second international release, is brilliant in its rhythmic complexity. The way this band locks together is uncommon anywhere. It takes a tremendous amount of practice DYLAN HOWE and discipline for musicians to Subterranean hear each other like this. Motorik .........................April KENDRICK LAMAR Dylan Howe’s Subterranean embraces sizzling electronics To Pimp A Butterfly and moody, time-chopping Top Dawg ......................July drums. The beautiful, shape- A political commentary on shifting album is colorful racism and capitalism in and consistently surprising, America filtered through 21st- leading listeners on a journey century black countercultural where the destination is no music, To Pimp A Butterfly is TONY BENNETT more important than the ride more prescient and ambitious & BILL CHARLAP itself. Stunning, essential. than almost anything else out The Silver Lining: The there. The album’s massive Songs Of Jerome Kern length complements the JOSÉ JAMES RPM/Columbia weight of its achievement. Yesterday I Had The Records.........................Dec. Blues: The Music Of Pianist Bill Charlap and vocal Billie Holiday legend Tony Bennett unite Blue Note ...................... May for a moving tribute to an Marking the centennial of Billie icon of the Great American Holiday’s birth, Yesterday I Had Songbook. Charlap’s fabulous The Blues finds José James playing and Bennett’s profound embodying the range of human voice are supported by three emotions related to love, loss exceptional musicians: pianist and desire. The smooth-toned Renee Rosnes, bassist Peter vocalist succeeds beyond Washington and drummer DANIEL WELTLINGER creating great music; he Kenny Washington. The Koblenz MIT WIND ENSEMBLE & MIT FESTIVAL JAZZ truly captures the essence of resulting album is sublime. Toca ..............................Aug. Holiday’s spirit. ENSEMBLE CURREN$Y Koblenz makes the case that Ininite Winds Django Reinhardt’s gypsy Pilot Talk III Sunnyside .................... June VIJAY IYER TRIO jazz is a close relative to Break Stuff Jet Life ...........................July klezmer. The songs on this Two MIT ensembles perform This album is the third and album are an irresistible with poise and conviction ECM ..........................March perhaps best installment of grouping of Sinti and Roma on demanding suites by Critical to the success of this an ongoing series of colorful melodies, flamenco rhythms, Guillermo Klein, Chick Corea album is the fact that the and charmingly funky albums New Orleans grooves and and Don Byron. The entire Vijay Iyer Trio is, at its core, that feature instrumentals Eastern European flourishes. celebratory undertaking— a working band. Positioning, from producer Ski Beatz. Violinist Daniel Weltlinger is a world premieres, MIT’s debut flow, calibration, order—each Curren$y is the main draw, classically trained musician, commercial jazz venture, is keenly considered here, a playful rapper who is hip- but this music transcends exemplary playing—merits making Break Stuff the trio’s hop’s Thelonious Monk. boundaries. serious recognition. most compelling date so far. JANUARY 2016 DOWNBEAT 41.