Jazz / BY ALLEN MORRISON The Genre is Boundless These four projects —a trombonist’s hard- bop excursion, a veteran pianist/composer’s chamber jazz, the latest works from a Euro-

pean vintage swing quartet and a comput- SKYESCHMID er-aided avant-garde pioneer—are wildly dissimilar. If nothing else, it’s a testament to jazz’s wide tent in the 21st century. Michael Dease: Reaching Out (Posi- Tone 8177; 55:00 +++½) On his 11th al- bum, Dease, one of the most gifted trom- bonists in jazz, shows he is also a facile com- Jarrett/Peacock/ poser. His four originals are among the high DeJohnette points of this bracing, straightahead set. Afer Te Fall In his notes, Dease expresses the hope ECM 2590/91 that fans “will dig in to under-explored ++++½ composers of different generations, rather than continuing to exhaust the repertoire When Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack Michael Dessen of the four to five most recorded jazz mu- DeJohnette began investigating standards as a sicians.” To this end, he includes a mix of unit in 1983, it wasn’t about working up clev- ative and cinematic, so it’s no coincidence jazz and pop covers. The problem, to be er arrangements or casting tunes in a nostal- concise, is that the pop songs aren’t so hot. that Pasqua also works as a composer for gic sheen, a practice Jarrett fnds appalling. Paul McCartney’s “Live And Let Die” is an Hollywood films. interesting choice; but even Dease’s fine Ordering info: alanpasqua.com Te idea was to approach each composition in arrangements of the other two, Extreme’s Echoes Of Swing: Travelin’ (ACT the moment, just as the pianist approaches the “More Than Words” and Boyz II Men’s “Wa- 9104; 55:30 +++½) There are no lack blank canvas of silence in solo recitals. ter Runs Dry,” can’t overcome their essen- of bands that play vintage jazz of the At this stage of their collaboration, any new tial mawkishness. 1920s–’50s well. But this German-Brit- release by the trio will stir a sense of having Far more nuanced are Cedar Walton’s ish quartet brings a couple of things to been here before. Familiar details assert them- bouncy “Something In Common,” trombon- the party that are unique: a spare lineup selves throughout Afer Te Fall—Jarrett’s ist Conrad Herwig’s sophisticated “Morning of alto saxophone, trumpet, piano and love for long, adventurous harmonic territo- drums that leans heavily on the left hand Shade” and an exquisite rendering of Ken- ry enabling him to swoop and soar before end- ny Drew’s melancholy “Ballade.” Regarding of phenomenal stride pianist Bernd Lhotz- ing on a gospel lick or a few beats of breath. At “Blackfoot,” a high-speed “Cherokee” con- ky, as he covers for the absence of a bass trafact written by Dease’s former teacher, player; and their enthusiasm for not just times, even this trio falls back a bit on formula. Steve Turre, the bandleader notes, “I like to recreating vintage sounds but using them “Bouncin’ With Bud,” for example, sticks close play fast, I do it well, and this is a fast tune, as raw materials for ambitiously modern to what passes for performance practice: theme, so we took it nearly at max tempo.” It ain’t arrangements, played immaculately. Their everyone plays the hook on the bridge, Peacock bragging, if you can do it, as Dizzy Dean re- latest album contains striking originals, sur- lays down a walking pattern, reprise, end. portedly said—and, boy, can he ever. prising re-imaginings of “Where Or When” We know they can conjure magic, too, and Ordering info: posi-tone.com and “Volare,” and deep cuts from Duke El- they do near the top of “Old Folks.” Jarrett Alan Pasqua: Northern Lights (Self lington, Coleman Hawkins and even Franz comes up with a four-note motif that he weaves ++++ Schubert. How can you not love a group Release; 53:29 ) Last year, when into the theme with a kind of efortless rever- pianist Pasqua got the unexpected assign- that invents a contrafact to a classic Frank ence, honoring the composition while shining ment of composing music to accompany Loesser tune, renaming it “On A Slow Goat Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize lecture, he was To China”? light into its neglected corners. asked to make it interesting, but not too in- Ordering info: actmusic.com On a larger scale, “Autumn Leaves” kicks teresting—“not really melodic, not cocktail, Michael Dessen Trio: Somewhere of with the last eight bars of the tune as a piano not super jazzy, but sort of background-y In The Upstream (Clean Feed 461; intro. And during the following 13 minutes, piano music,” as he told The New York 50:04 ++++) Three master improvis- it’s turned into a fantasia of similar motivic Times. By contrast, the highly melodic mu- ers—Dessen on trombone and computer, development, ferocious drum rhythms steam- sic on Pasqua’s new trio album, alternately bassist Christopher Tordini and drummer ing just below the surface, a reconfguration thoughtful and swinging, is more atten- Dan Weiss—collaborate with help from a and reprise, then a sublime diminuendo and computer that acts both as an electronic tion-getting and deserving. After spending fnish. Tis is real, in-the-moment playing. It a little time with Pasqua, it’s hard to get roadmap and a fourth improvising group deserves—and will reward—serious listening. his melodies out of your mind. A veteran member. Dessen uses a “scorestream” of both the jazz and pop worlds who has that displays on-screen notations that —Bob Doerschuk vary unpredictably each time the piece is played with Tony Williams, Dave Holland, After The Fall: The Masquerade Is Over; Scrapple From The Ray Charles and Dylan, Pasqua creates performed. The results are startling, from Apple; Old Folks; Autumn Leaves; Bouncin’ With Bud; Doxy; I’ll See You Again; Late Lament; One For Majid; Santa Claus Is Coming To chamber jazz from Americana, pop and pensive to aggressive, punctuated by mo- Town; Moment’s Notice; When I Fall In Love. (47:15/58:30) classical. “The Turnaround” is clever and ments of cosmic electronica. DBPersonnel: Keith Jarrett, piano; Gary Peacock, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums. full of turnarounds. The title track is evoc- Ordering info: cleanfeed-records.com Ordering info: ecmrecords.com

54 DOWNBEAT MAY 2018