Downbeat October 2017

Historical / BY KURT GOTTSCHALK NILSEDSTRÖMAUFGEHELLT Dick Hyman Solo At The Sacramento Sunny Murray (left), Gary Peacock, Albert Ayler and Don Cherry at the Golden Circle, Stockholm, 1964 Jazz Festivals ARBORS JAZZ 19451 Signs of Changing Times HHHHH It’s fascinating how the tools we use can date Mouzon reissue and has also dusted off A major jazz pianist since the early 1950s, the us. New effects or implements that seem pos- a title from its own vaults for CD release. very versatile Dick Hyman has the rare abil- itively futuristic can grow yellow with age or Trumpeter Don Ellis’ big band outing ity to closely emulate nearly every significant become so commonplace as to go unnoticed. Soaring (MPS; 42:48 HHH½) comes jazz keyboardist from a variety of styles. The Around the time Jimi Hendrix was dis- perhaps a bit late in the wake of the movie emphasis is on stride piano and swing on this covering and crafting the possibilities of Whiplash, which took its name and built its CD, which consists of previously unreleased extreme volume, feedback and the electric story around the first track on the 1973 al- solo performances from the 1983, 1986, 1987 guitar, the British innovators Derek Bailey, bum. Like the Mouzon disc, it’s a product of and 1988 Sacramento Jazz Festivals. Hyman Fred Frith and Keith Rowe were conducting its time, with keyboards and electric strings similar research on a much smaller scale. pumping up the dozen horns. performed regularly at Sacramento’s all-star Rather than unleashing the instrument, Ordering info: mps-music.com piano concerts, which were originally run by they reigned it in. In their stead came the A good way to sidestep the risk of tech- the late Johnny Guarnieri. After Guarnieri German Hans Reichel, who brought a re- no-dating is to go it acoustic. Two recent passed away in 1985, Hyman became the direc- markable sense of real-time composition hatOLOGY reissues show the timelessness tor of the festival’s Pianorama event. The 16 to this new, amplified minutiae. His solo of smart use of classic lineups. numbers on this set were originally captured albums, Wichlinghauser Blues (Corbett Myra Melford’s early music achieved on a Sony Walkman by Siegfried H. Mohr and vs Dempsey; 40:23 HHHH) and Bonobo a sort of timelessness by being at once the quality is excellent, both musically and HHHH (Corbett vs Dempsey; 37:01 ) (is- steeped in tradition and keenly for- technically. sued by FMP in 1973 and 1975) display tech- ward-looking. Her first three outings were The biggest influences and inspirations niques that have become de rigueur among muscular piano trios, her own playing call- experimental guitarists today. Reichel rolls ing back to the history of jazz piano and heard during this very enjoyable program objects over the strings, hammers them making something singular out of it. The are Art Tatum and James P. Johnson, with without letting them ring and otherwise lyrical playing of bassist Lindsey Horner al- Hyman performing three of the latter’s clas- undermines the instrument’s natural ten- lowed Melford to spend time in percussive sic piano works. The album starts with a ver- dencies. The difference between these and exchanges with drummer Reggie Nichol- sion of “S’Wonderful” that is filled with relaxed 5,000 homemade CD-Rs that came out 20 son. Alive In The House Of Saints (ha- virtuosity. Hyman follows with a rendition of and more years later is that Reichel has an tOLOGY; 52:50 HHHH½), recorded live Johnson’s “Jingles” that is taken even faster than innate sense for structure. The noises are in Germany in 1983, is the last recording by the composer’s recording. He really rips into weird, but the constructions are solid. the trio and it catches them at their best. the piece while displaying perfect articulation. Ordering info: corbettvsdempsey.com The 2001 reissue upped it to a double CD. “Sophisticated Lady,” “Jitterbug Waltz” and Less well-preserved is Alphonse Mou- The new release is the original track list zon’s energetic In Search Of A Dream with a telling “Part 1” on the back cover. “All The Things You Are” may have been per- (MPS; 40:32 HHH). The drummer, who Albert Ayler’s quartet with cornet- formed countless times by countless artists, came up in Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House ist Don Cherry, bassist Gary Peacock and but these versions sound fresh and lively. Also and passed away last year, put out a string drummer Sunny Murray may well have included are Jelly Roll Morton’s uptempo “Pep” of albums on his own Tenacious Records been his strongest band. This six songs and a Tatum-esque exploration of “How High after a handful of Blue Note releases in the on Copenhagen Live 1964 (hatOLOGY; The Moon.” This consistently exciting program early ’70s. In Search Of A Dream, from 1978, 43:40 HHHH) have seen other releases is a joy from start to finish, featuring Hyman at finds him unabashedly mixing his fusion and the recording quality isn’t as clean as his very best. —Scott Yanow and r&b inclinations with guitarist Philip the European radio broadcasts. But it took Catherine, saxophonist Bob Malik, bassist a band of this caliber to really hear Ayler’s Solo At The Sacramento Jazz Festivals: S’Wonderful; Jingles; Stella By Starlight; Jazz Me Blues; Pilgrim’s Chorus; Virtuoso Rag; Miroslav Vitous and keyboardists Joachim music, to respect his sing-song anthems Eccentricity; Carolina Balmoral; Sophisticated Lady; Pep; Jitterbug Kühn and Stu Goldberg. Much of the album without stomping on them. It’s an essential Waltz; How High The Moon; Gulf Coat Blues; Ain’t Misbehavin’; Let Every Day Be Sweetheart’s Day; All The Things You Are. (70:45) DB is dated by its electronics. part of any Ayler collection. Personnel: Dick Hyman, piano. The German label MPS is behind the Ordering info: hathut.com Ordering info: arborsrecords.com 72 DOWNBEAT OCTOBER 2017.

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