AUGUST 2018 VOLUME 85 / NUMBER 8

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Jack Maher, President 1970-2003 John Maher, President 1950-1969

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AUGUST 2018

ON THE COVER 24 Vijay Iyer Jazz Artist, Jazz Group BY JON GARELICK Iyer, one of the top pianists of his generation, won two categories in this year’s Critics ©JIM MARSHALL PHOTOGRAPHY LLC Poll. DownBeat’s Jazz Artist of the Year discusses his artistic vision, his approach to improvisation and his role as an educator at Harvard University.

FEATURES 16 30 Top Jazz Albums The album Both Directions At Once contains previously unreleased studio 32 Benny Golson recordings by John Coltrane (left), Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison and McCoy Tyner. Hall of Fame Cover photo of Vijay Iyer shot by Jimmy & Dena Katz in Brooklyn on May 5. BY TED PANKEN 36 Marian McPartland Hall of Fame BY PAUL DE BARROS 38 Top Historical Albums 40 Cécile McLorin Salvant Jazz Album, Female Vocalist BY DAN OUELLETTE

42 Nicole Mitchell 68 JD Allen 71 Dayramir Gonzalez 75 Dave Holland 77 Kait Dunton Flute, Rising Star–Jazz Group BY J.D. CONSIDINE 44 Julian Lage Rising Star–Jazz Artist 49 Ingrid Laubrock DEPARTMENTS BY DAN OUELLETTE Rising Star–Tenor Saxophone 45 Kris Davis BY BILL MILKOWSKI 8 First Take 84 Pro Session By Sandy Cressman Rising Star–Jazz Artist 50 Geri Allen BY PHILLIP LUTZ Piano 10 Chords & Discords 88 Transcription BY JAMES HALE Rudresh Mahanthappa 46 Amir ElSaffar Alto Saxophone Solo Rising Star–Trumpet, 13 The Beat 51 Muhal Richard Abrams Rising Star–Arranger 90 Toolshed Composer BY HOWARD MANDEL 65 Reviews BY TED PANKEN 94 Jazz On Campus 48 Jakob Bro 52 Complete Critics 82 Master Class 98 Blindfold Test Rising Star–Guitar By Mark Wade Marcus Printup BY JOSEF WOODARD Poll Results

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First Take BY ED ENRIGHT DOWNBEAT ARCHIVES

DownBeat Hall of Famer Paul Motian has inspired musicians like guitarist Jakob Bro to push boundaries. Jazz’s Ripple Effect EVERY MUSICIAN NAMED IN THIS YEAR’S of Paul Motian—assembled by his archivist and DownBeat Critics Poll—the winners, the Rising niece, Cynthia McGuirl. The second volume, Stars and hundreds of runners-up—was influ- which contains all of Motian’s written works enced by the work of his or her predecessors. from the years 1990–2011, is highlighted in this Sometimes, these musicians are inspired by month’s Gear Box column (see page 92). entire movements within the jazz genre. Other Presented in Motian’s own script, the collec- times, it comes down to a particular individual tion is a work of art unto itself. McGuirl, a visual or mentor. artist, notes in her introduction to Volume 2 that In the case of Jakob Bro, the Danish guitarist she was struck by the beauty of her uncle’s hand- who won the Rising Star–Guitar category of writing. “He conveyed a lot with his writing style this year’s poll, that influential individual is the and notations that would be lost with a mecha- drummer/composer/bandleader Paul Motian nized rendering,” she wrote. “The connection (1931–2011), who was posthumously induct- that will be made between listening to the record- ed into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 2012. In ings and seeing the written music is an education his interview with Josef Woodard on page 48 that I think is worthwhile. Because Paul’s music of this issue, Bro discusses how, as a member of can be interpreted in an infinite number of indi- Motian’s Electric Bebop Band in the early ’00s, vidualized ways, I believe this music can help his experience playing the leader’s original tunes musicians to push their own boundaries.” helped set him on the path to his own person- This year’s Critics Poll winners include al development as an improviser and composer. numerous boundary-pushers—Jazz Artist of Motian—who established himself on the the Year Vijay Iyer and Jazz Album of the Year New York scene playing with the likes of Bill winner (and Female Jazz Vocalist winner) Cécile Evans, Charles Lloyd, Lee Konitz and Keith McLorin Salvant among them. Jarrett during the 1950s and ’60s—didn’t start Entering the DownBeat Hall of Fame this composing in earnest until he was in his 40s and year are jazz legends Benny Golson and Marian leading his own groups. Starting in 1973 with McPartland (1918–2013). And Muhal Richard Conception Vessel, his debut album as a leader, Abrams (1930–2017), one of jazz’s groundbreak- Motian gradually built a body of highly original ing improvisers, is honored as Composer of work that is well-suited to improvisation. the Year for the brilliant oeuvre he left behind. Motian was known to share his compositions Like Motian, each of them has produced ripple freely with his fellow musicians. Now, his com- effects, destined to touch future generations of plete collection of copyrighted songs is official- jazz musicians and guarantee the perpetuation, ly available in two volumes—The Compositions and continued evolution, of the art form. DB

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Chords Discords GULNARA KHAMATOVA

Monika Herzig (left), Jamie Baum, Reut Regev, Amanda Ruzza, Ingrid Jensen, Karina Coli and Leni Stern perform at The New School in New York on April 4.

Applauding Herzig (most of whom are female) in a clinic with the I was very happy to see the review of Mon- SHEROES band before opening for them at a ika Herzig’s album SHEROES in the July issue. gig in Clarksburg, West Virginia. I found Mon- I have been a fan of Monika’s work since her ika and the band members to be incredibly days with BeebleBrox and I’m glad this album gracious educators and mentors, as well as was on DownBeat’s radar. unbelievable live performers. I’ve had the good fortune of working with JASON P. BARR, M.M. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MUSIC Dr. Herzig and her band a few times in the past DIRECTOR OF JAZZ AND COMMERCIAL MUSIC GLENVILLE STATE COLLEGE and was thrilled to include my jazz students GLENVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA

Females First Minds Were Blown In your June issue, I was disappointed with Stunning! In the Chords & Discords section the placement of the review of Roxy Coss’ of the July issue, Mr. Iriana’s letter (“Treatment album The Future Is Female. As we all know, for TDS”) really blew my mind. During all the this is a pivotal time for gender equality. For years that I have been listening to jazz, not this album to not be in The Hot Box (or at least many things were as clear to my poor mind as the first review after The Hot Box) just doesn’t the notion that right-wing politics and “our” seem right. music ARE mutually exclusive. I’m afraid my This is an excellent album, and I definite- view of life is crumbling. ly agree with critic Michael J. West’s 4½-star REINHARD SOMMER rating. GRAZ, AUSTRIA

KEVIN MCINTOSH STERLING HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN “Thermo” Difficulty In the Blindfold Test of your January issue, Who’s Insufferable? Sean Jones made some interesting comments In response to John Lieberman’s letter (“A about the difficulty of playing Freddie Hub- Touch of Malaise”) in the Chords & Discords bard’s “Thermo.” He said he didn’t think any section of the July issue: Writing an angry let- trumpeter besides Hubbard had ever record- ter because someone has offended you with ed it. But trumpeters Tim Hagans and Marcus opposing views is a virtual dictionary defini- Printup were up for the challenge: They inter- tion of “insufferable political whining” and preted it on their 1998 Blue Note album, Hub “petulant rhetoric.” Songs: The Music Of Freddie Hubbard. In journalist Allen Morrison’s article in the A. M. GOLDBERG June issue (“Apprehend the Greatest Ideas”), LONDON, ENGLAND he merely interviewed Kurt Elling about the subject of his latest album. Can’t you stand to hear even the slightest Correction criticism of our racist, fraudulent, Russian-in- In the July issue, the European Scene col- stalled Emperor? Maybe Fox News or Alex umn contained a misspelling of the name Jones will start a jazz publication, and you’ll Piotr Wylezoł. never have to hear anything you disagree DOWNBEAT REGRETS THE ERROR. with again.

TONY ALEXANDER Have a Chord or Discord? Email us at [email protected] MIAMI or find us on Facebook & Twitter.

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News Views From Around The Music World The Inside

14 / FIMAV 16 / John Coltrane 18 / Newvelle Records 20 / Justin Brown 21 / Christian Sands 22 / Ry Cooder

ly disparate topics in a conversation that con- nected music with its wider social role, includ- ing discussion of pianist/singer Blossom Dearie (1924–2009), comedian Dick Gregory (1932–

©MARK SHELDON 2017), contemporary totalitarianism and film noir. (The album titleSister Orchid was inspired by the 1940 gangster movie Brother Orchid.) With the new recording, McKay focuses on classic jazz repertoire—a passion she’s held since childhood. A few jazz legends lived near her teen- age home in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Saxophonist Phil Woods offered a couple les- sons. And she formed a lasting partnership with another neighbor, the late pianist and vocalist Bob Dorough (1923–2018). “Bob was a ball of sunshine,” said McKay, who sings Dorough’s “Small Day Tomorrow” on the new album. “I talked to him just before he went. He always had energy—I always felt feeble next to Bob.” Also as a teen, McKay worked in New York’s downtown cabarets and piano bars. She said that the training provided a better education than high school or her semester at the Manhattan School of Music. McKay used these experienc- Nellie McKay plays several instruments on her new album, including piano, ukulele, harmonica and cello. es as melodic cues for the satires that shaped her 2004 debut, Get Away From Me (Columbia). Its success led to myriad opportunities, including film roles and staging tributes to such diverse McKay Pursues Delight personalities as comedian Joan Rivers and envi- uring Nellie McKay’s recent perfor- snugly into her singular perspective. ronmentalist Rachel Carson. Her version of mance at the venue SPACE in Evanston, McKay’s new album, Sister Orchid “Willow Weep For Me,” on Sister Orchid, first DIllinois, her affability was refracted by a (Palmetto), focuses on those standards. But her appeared in her homage to transgender pianist harsh, yet humorous, worldview. Accompanying outwardly warm renditions of songs like “My Billy Tipton. herself on ukulele and piano—with solos that Romance” contain haunting undercurrents. McKay plays an array of stringed instru- referenced stride and bebop—she cheerfully “Jazz used to be underground, and it’s ments on the new album, but a sparse piano sang sardonic couplets, such as, “Yeah, I’ll have become family friendly,” McKay said with an arrangement highlights her succinct phrasing my coffee black/Hey look, we’re still in Iraq” (a affectionate laugh. “To me, it’s the devil’s music, on “The Nearness Of You.” variation on the lyrics to her recorded version of and that’s why it appeals. Who wants to be a role “I always want to put more on, but Robin was “Toto Dies”). McKay’s sunny tone also updated model?” encouraging me to do less, and it became very the caustic 1960s declarations of Frank Zappa McKay spoke backstage at SPACE, where her simple,” McKay explained. “But too much is and Gene McDaniels. Earnest interpretations mother, Robin Pappas, sat in on the chat. Just as never enough. There are so many delights to try, of Great American Songbook standards also fit in the performance, McKay blended seeming- why would you ever get full?” —Aaron Cohen

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 13 Riffs Avant-Garde Flame Kept Alive at FIMAV THERE IS A COMFORTING AMBIENCE AND routine awaiting the rush of visitors to Victoriaville, Quebec, for Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville each May. For an extended weekend, the small city some- what removed from urban concerns trans- ©JACK VARTOOGIAN/FRONTROWPHOTOS

forms into a haven for freely improvised, exper- MARTIN MORISSETTE/FIMAV imental and boundary-bounding sounds. But Lorraine Gordon (1922–2018) the music heard around town is anything but routine. In Memoriam: Village Vanguard owner Lorraine Gordon died June 9 in Man- Earlier FIMAV editions have revolved hattan. She was 95. Gordon took over the around bigger-name artists, regulars like John club in 1989, more than six decades after Zorn and Anthony Braxton, whose striking its founding in 1935, and was named a solo concert last year was recorded for the fes- 2013 NEA Jazz Master for her role as a jazz tival’s Victo label. But for this year’s model, advocate. The venue was founded and which ran May 17–20, Michel Levasseur, who’s previously run by her second husband, helmed the festival for 34 years, showcased Max Gordon. ... Blues vocalist and guitarist important but not necessarily marquee-power- Eddy Clearwater died on June 1 in Skokie, ing artists. Illinois. The cause was heart failure. He The list of 2018 highlights included the was 83. ... New York-bred pianist Gildo Rova Saxophone Quartet; Swedish baritone Mahones, who released the 1963 album Mette Rasmussen at Festival I’m Shooting High (Prestige) and performed sax/electronics blitzer Mats Gustafsson; pia- International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville with jazz luminaries such as Lester Young, nist Dave Burrell, who performed in William Art Blakey and Sonny Stitt, died April 27. Parker’s group; Japanese artists Phew, Saicobab Christophe d’Arthabaska, an ornate 19th-cen- He was 88. ... Vocalist Clarence Fountain, and Afrirampo; fiery Danish free alto saxo- tury church. The San Francisco-based troupe a founding member of the Blind Boys of phonist Mette Rasmussen; and Charlotte Hug. (Larry Ochs, Steve Adams, Jon Raskin and Alabama who alongside his bandmates That latter Swiss performer deftly combined Bruce Ackley) is capable of wild, volcanic artic- garnered five Grammys, died June 3 in Ba- work as a vocalist and violist, while consis- ulations, but it opted to play to the room here, ton Rouge, Louisiana. He was 88. ... Revered tently reinventing instrumental and expressive favoring more delicate interplay. guitarist Philip Tabane, who helped found possibilities. Later in the festival, music more tied to tra- the South African ensemble Malombo during the 1970s, died May 18 in Pretoria. The festival began in a Quebecois way, with ditional strains of the jazz genre cropped up Officials in the South African Parliament the rock-flavored improv blast of David and the with a visit from another FIMAV regular, the expressed their condolences to the family. Mountain Ensemble, a cross-cultural tapestry thunderous and free-minded bassist Parker. from Vancouver-based erhu player Lan Tung His band—which included saxophonist Rob In New York: Helmed by pianist and and a fascinating opening set by veteran com- Brown and drummer Hamid Drake—reserved artistic director Bill Charlap, the 92Y Jazz in poser/bandleader Walter Boudreau. Following the strongest spotlight for seasoned pianist July series is one of New York’s longest-run- a nostalgic prog opening, Boudreau turned Dave Burrell, whose muscular, minimal key- ning jazz festivals. Between July 17 and 26, to “Solaris (Incantations VIII-IXh),” a rivet- board approach commanded attention. events are scheduled that will explore the ing chamber work with the crack Société de The festival concluded—climactically and music of the Prohibition era as well as the work of Hank Jones, Richard Rodgers, Leon- Musique Contemporaine du Quebec. cathartically—with a bracing wall of sound, ard Bernstein and Dizzy Gillespie, among Gustafsson would appear in the festival noise and fury from the trio of Gustafsson, others. More info: 92y.org/jazzinjuly finale, but also with his trio Fire!, along- mystical Japanese noise master Merzbow and side the rock-inclined rhythm section of young Hungarian drummer Balázs Pándi. Second Act: Alice Coltrane’s 1972 album drummer Andreas Werlin and bassist Johan In between, the festival’s dense and varied Lord Of Lords sits at the crossroads of her Berthling (with one riff per song). In addition program included the reworked Moravian career. Work with her ensembles that to Gustafsson’s theatrics, saxophonists-on-fire folk project Dálava (with captivating vocal- included Pharoah Sanders was in the past, were well represented at FIMAV. The com- ist Ulehla); gripping minimalist/math rock and the pianist/harpist had yet to begin re- pelling young alto player Rasmussen blend- equations from Schnellertollermeier; and cording music at her ashram. But the sense of devotion that drove last year’s World ed free-blowing wallop with a beguiling sense three early-afternoon improvised sets in the Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of of melodic form in a trio with rangy tuba play- 19th-century church by Hug, Breton Erwan Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (Luaka er Martin Text and “mixing board” player Keravec on bagpipes and Canadian reedist Bop) is present on the Superior Viaduct Toshimaru Nakamura. Lori Freedman, here working and reworking reissue of Lord. Here, she collaborates with The festival’s centerpiece came from repeat various clarinets. bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Ben Riley visitor Rova, celebrating its milestone 40th Considering the breadth of what FIMAV and a 25-piece orchestra. The vinyl reissue is year. Part of the concert’s charm was situation- offered, the 34th installment of the festival due out July 6. More info: superiorviaduct.com al, taking place amid the resonant ambience brimmed with the inspiring bounty of this of an inviting new festival venue, Église Saint- enlightened Quebecois town. —Josef Woodard

14 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 ©DENNIS CONNORS PHOTOGRAPHY

Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra Reeves’ Big-Band Balance IT WASN’T UNTIL TROMBONIST/ALTO across the different horn sections—by utilizing flugelhornist Scott Reeves moved to New York the full scope of his playing experience. If he City in 1999 that he began to compose and can’t play it, he doesn’t write it. arrange at the level he’d always envisioned. His new album—a more eclectic mix of “I’m either a late bloomer or a slow learn- tunes than 2016’s all-original Portraits And er,” he joked after the May 12 release concert Places (Origin)—illustrates the success of this for Without A Trace (Origin), his second big approach. On the opening track, the Kurt band album, at Smalls. Or maybe he’s the best Weill standard “Speak Low,” Reeves gives a kind of bandleader—one who’s learned how to harmonic nod to Bill Evans and his fleet swing do it all. version of the tune, even as the Afro-Cuban To be sure, the qualities that make one a feel commands the listener’s focus. Similarly, great player often are at odds with those of an on “JuJu,” Reeves references two distinct ver- exceptional arranger or composer. Soaring in sions of Wayne Shorter’s iconic tune, one from concert often requires a willingness to aban- the 1964 original and another from Shorter’s don organized thought and to respond in the recent lead sheets; by placing the melody in moment; conversely, arranging and compos- the trombone line, rather than the saxophone ing require analysis and introspection. line, Reeves reveals deep, unfamiliar colors in “Sometimes I almost have to tell my ana- the famous composition. With a lesser arrang- lytical brain to shut up and let me play,” Reeves er, or a lesser band, such departures might not said. “But as a composer, [the analytical brain] have produced the clean, crisp sound for which is a very useful tool.” Reeves is known. In Reeves’ case, each of his skills informs The title track, “Without A Trace,” features the others. The decades he spent playing and vocals, another departure for Reeves as a com- arranging for big bands under the direction of poser. The song, a mélange of film-noir mood- Dave Liebman and Bill Mobley taught Reeves iness and tricky intervals, shows off not only how to work within that classic big band sound. Reeves’ way with a sung melody but his mas- But for his own group, the 17-piece Scott Reeves tery of the lyricist’s pen. On the album, jazz Jazz Orchestra, he wanted to explore the disso- singer Carolyn Leonhart interprets the tune nances and unexpected forms of contempo- with impressive precision. No less impres- rary jazz, emulating large ensembles like those sive was the performance of Brazilian vocal- of pianists Jim McNeely and Gil Evans, and fel- ist Jamile Staevie at the Smalls gig. Staevie, low trombonist Bob Brookmeyer. The chal- who recently studied with Reeves at The City lenge was to find the right balance between tra- College of New York, sang with confidence and dition and experimentation. sensitivity, sacrificing none of the musical acu- “To take this instrumentation and find men Reeves’ charts demand. something different to do with it—it’s a daunt- This fall Reeves will enter semi-retirement ing task,” said Steve Wilson, the orchestra’s fea- after almost 40 years of university teaching. He tured saxophonist and Reeves’ associate for plans to use his extra time to practice, rebuild more than three decades. But it’s a task that his energy and write new music. How does he Reeves achieves handily, Wilson added. Reeves view his skills as a composer nowadays? “I’m arrives at his sound—modern metric ideas, still working at it,” he said, speculating that his sweetly stacked harmonies that move in sur- best years might yet lie ahead. prising directions, atypical musical alliances —Suzanne Lorge

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 15 New Jersey, studio, with the classic lineup of Coltrane on tenor and soprano, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. Even better, the song selection offers fresh insight into the way that quartet developed and grew. For instance, there’s an early, pia- no-less take on “Nature Boy” that’s quite differ- ent in character and approach than the version, recorded almost two years later, that would end up on The John Coltrane Quartet Plays. There are four takes of “Impressions,” each of which is strikingly unique in terms of tempo and approach, with Tyner sitting out on the last JOE ALPER, COURTESY OF ALPER PHOTO COLLECTION LLC two. There are three untitled originals, and not only does the set offer “One Up One Down” as a studio recording, it gives us two takes of it. Basically, this is a Coltrane fan’s fantasy come true. Both Directions At Once will be released in two versions. One will be a seven-track single disc, with one take each of the tunes Coltrane and company cut that day. (Ravi Coltrane and Universal Music’s Ken Druker chose the takes and set the order.) There will also be a deluxe edition with a second disc that includes seven alternate takes. Of course, given how deeply the body of Coltrane recordings has been mined over the last five or six decades, it’s worth wondering how an entire album’s worth got made and then somehow lost. The recording session has been noted in several discographies (although incomplete- ly). One of the 14 tracks—a lithe, swinging soprano saxophone rendition of a tune from Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow—turned up as “Vilia” on the 1965 Impulse! anthology The Definitive Jazz Scene, Vol. .3 Judging from the liner notes (by Ravi Coltrane and Impulse! Records scholar Ashley Khan), these recordings fell between the cracks for three reasons. First, Coltrane and company were back at Van Gelder’s studio the very next day to record what would become the classic album with singer Johnny Hartman. This was a much more mainstream project and would likely have been seen by the label as a better way to broad- en Coltrane’s appeal than releasing another McCoy Tyner (left) in the studio with John Coltrane instrumental quartet album. Second, Coltrane’s producer at Impulse!, Bob Thiele (1922–’96), was in the habit of Coltrane’s ‘Lost’ recording the saxophonist far more frequently than his label bosses would have liked. “I was always over budget with Coltrane,” Thiele said Studio Album Found in a 1995 interview quoted in the liner notes. “FINDING UNRELEASED JOHN COLTRANE? This isn’t an air-check, concert perfor- “I was finally told, ‘You can’t just keep record- It’s like discovering buried treasure.” mance or collection of outtakes from exist- ing this guy. We’ll never get these albums out.’ That’s how Ravi Coltrane, the late jazz ing albums. What we have here are 14 studio Thank God, I did it.” icon’s saxophone-playing son, feels about the performances, all recorded on the same day— Indeed, if Thiele hadn’t followed his release of Both Directions At Once: The Lost March 6, 1963—by famed recording engi- instincts, many of the great Coltrane albums Album (Impulse!). neer Rudy Van Gelder at his Englewood Cliffs, that were released after the saxophonist’s

16 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 death in 1967—for instance, Sun Ship, First the rhythm section to stretch out or show off. “There are elements of the performance Meditations (For Quartet) and Interstellar “On those record dates, the arrangements that do hark back to John Coltrane’s early days Space—would never have existed. were very, very tight, and if there were any solos as a blues player and a bebop player,” Ravi said, But the third reason the tracks on Both at all, it was going to be a saxophone solo and a pointing to “Vilia” and the 11-minute “Slow Directions At Once almost disappeared was piano solo,” he added. “But on this record, you Blues.” But there is also material like “One Up corporate stinginess and shortsightedness. get a chance to hear the rhythm section really, One Down,” which, he says, “is leaning toward After Impulse! moved its operations to the really interact. Lots of great moments between the music that John and the quartet eventual- West Coast in 1967, the label’s collection of Elvin and Jimmy Garrison, for sure.” ly get to, in 1964 and ’65, playing more of these master recordings was put into storage. By the Above all, Both Directions At Once provides open structures. So it’s kind of a rare glimpse, to early ’70s, ABC’s fortunes began to wane, and a snapshot of a great band on the cusp of see John with one foot in the past, and one foot label executives began to institute cost-cut- revolution. in the future.” —J.D. Considine ting “efficiencies,” which included disposing of any stored master tapes for recordings that had never been issued. So the masters from these sessions probably were dumped in the garbage. Luckily, Van Gelder also made session tapes—7-inch mono reels recorded simulta- neously with the master tapes—which he gave to the artists. Ravi, whose mother was Alice Coltrane, explained that the source for Both Directions was a tape that had been held by the relatives of Juanita Naima Coltrane (John’s first wife). “You’d finish a record date at Rudy Van Gelder’s, and he would hand you reel-to-reel tapes for you to review,” Ravi said. “The tapes were in the possession of my father’s first wife’s family. We have many session reels ourselves that made it to John and Alice’s home when they got together. But this is a recording from ’63, so my father was still with Naima at the time, and her family held on to several of these tapes.” As to why the album wasn’t released before his father’s death, Ravi said that the session may have been intentionally exploratory. “The session was recorded the very same week as the Johnny Hartman session, and the band [was about to conclude] a two-week run at Birdland. For me it did feel like, ‘OK, well, we’re doing a few sessions this week. One of them will maybe get the band warmed up, so why don’t we lay down some of the things we have been performing at Birdland all week?’ It does feel very much like a live set record- ed in a studio.” Part of that may be the amount of space these tracks give Garrison and Jones. For instance, the album-opening “Untitled Original 11383–Take 1” features a rare, driv- ing arco solo by Garrison, while “Nature Boy” relies heavily on the way Jones’ shuffling poly- rhythms contrast against Garrison’s repeated use of a syncopated anchor based on two dotted quarter notes followed by a quarter note. The two takes of “One Up One Down” both notably feature a shout chorus with Jones. “You do get to hear the role of the rhythm section a little bit differently,” Ravi said. “There’s lots of drum solos. There’s lots of bass solos. Again, it does take on the character of a live performance.” On a more conventional session, such as the one with Hartman, there would be less space for

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 17 VINYL / BY JAMES HALE The Art of LPs As collectible, multimedia art objects, few affordable things surpass the long-playing album. And few labels surpass Newvelle ANNA YATSKEVICH Records in carrying out a vision of how to record and package small-group jazz as complete works of art. From the commissioned recording ses- sions, engineered by Marc Urselli at New York’s East Side Sound, to the distinctive cover art, poetic liner notes and bespoke, heavyweight slipcovers, Newvelle delivers on its promise of quality to subscribers. Each “season” of releases consists of six al- bums, mailed at two-month intervals. In an era of streaming music that is, at best, ephemeral, Newvelle—operated by pianist Elan Mehler and Jean-Christophe Fransisco Mela Morisseau—is bucking the norm and de- livering gorgeous collectors’ items to vinyl yond the expected and reveals new sonic fanciers. At an annual subscription fee of colors and textures. Longtime rhythm-sec- $400 (plus shipping), the Newvelle sets tion partners Reuben Rogers and Eric Har- are not inexpensive, but there’s no ques- land provide equally creative shadings and tion that the value is high. And for its third powerful propulsion on “Blue Monk.” season, Newvelle uses photography by Icelandic bassist Skúli Sverrisson and the noted Polish artist Maciej Markowicz, guitarist Bill Frisell sound like they were known for his distinctive utilization of large, made to play together, combining excep- mobile camera obscuras, and prose by tional harmonic depth and simpatico coun- French author Ingrid Astier. terpoint on Strata. The bassist composed a Guitarist Steve Cardenas leads off sea- number of the pieces with Frisell in mind, son three with Charlie & Paul, an LP of com- and they bring out the guitarist’s most cre- positions by two of his former employers: ative aspects. Frisell has focused so much Charlie Haden and Paul Motian. Drummer on Americana lately that it’s refreshing to Matt Wilson, saxophonist Loren Stillman hear him delve into expressively phrased and bassist Thomas Morgan also have close music that does not come along with roots ties to Haden and Motian, and the quartet in blues or country. warmly embraces the music. Stillman, who Cuban drummer Francisco Mela was a member of both Haden’s Liberation brought his working band—pianist Kris Music Orchestra and Motian’s On Broadway Davis, bassist Gerald Cannon and saxo- project, is especially moving. phonist Hery Paz—to the studio for Ances- Chicago saxophonist Andy Zimmerman tros, an album of free-leaning originals. A follows with a drummerless quartet that thorny player with an especially rich tone includes trumpeter Dave Douglas, pianist on bass clarinet, Paz has the ability to take Kevin Hays and bassist Matt Penman. Half his solos to unexpected places, which Light includes a strikingly interesting set of makes him an ideal partner for Davis’ un- 11 compositions, featuring Duke Ellington’s bridled imagination. seldom-played “Sunset And The Mocking- In December, Newvelle will wrap up bird” (from The Queen’s Suite), Hermeto the year with Fair Weather by Boston trum- Pascoal’s “Montreux” and a song written peter Jason Palmer, with pianist Leo Geno- by label head Mehler. Heavily weighted to- vese, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Ken- ward ballads, it offers a relatively rare op- drick Scott. The least adventurous of the portunity to hear Douglas play with breathy six albums, Fair Weather also seems a bit tenderness. under-rehearsed, with Genovese seeming For his Newvelle debut, Close Your Eyes, like the odd man out in an otherwise-co- guitarist Lionel Loueke brings lithe chops hesive unit. and a musical sensibility tied to his child- Newvelle’s business model means that hood in Benin to a set of jazz standards some of the music it releases might one like Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” and John day be available on non-vinyl media when Coltrane’s “Naima.” On other artist’s record- rights revert to the artists, but the atten- ings, Loueke often reverts to or is requested tion to fine detail in this set makes it worth- to play in his signature style. But exploring while for more than the music. DB the nuances of familiar songs, he moves be- Ordering info: newvelle-records.com

18 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Vision Fest Offers Bracing Sounds “THE BAD GUYS, THE EXPLETIVE, BLAN- Monday closed out Vision Festival 2018 ket-y blanks—those guys are busy mess- with performances by Jamie Branch’s Fly or ing up our lives,” Vision Festival found- Die, pianist Cooper-Moore, poet and visual EVA KAPANADAZE er Patricia Nicholson Parker said from the artist Julie Ezelle Patton, saxophonist Jemeel stage of Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn Moondoc’s New World Pygmies and the late in May. “We have to create spaces in our Oliver Lake Big Band. lives for sanity, and places where we encour- But the weeklong series clearly was age each other to stand up and not take the underpinned by Nicholson Parker’s energy bullshit.” and heroic intent at every turn. Ambrose Akinmusire and Kris Davis Since 1996, Parker and Arts for Art has —Ken Micallef perform in New York at the Vision Festival. produced the Vision Festival, which this year ran May 23–28, as an annual avant-garde event. Its goal, according to the organization: “The promotion and advancement of free- jazz, [which] embodies music, dance, poetry and visual arts.” This year, the six-day Vision lineup included Archie Shepp, Dave Burrell, Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl, Nasheet Waits Equality, Oliver Lake Big Band and Arts for Art’s Visionary Youth Orchestra!, directed by Jeff Lederer and Jessica Jones. The festival’s Saturday lineup included Afro Algonquin 2018 featuring Mixashawn Rozie on saxophones, Rick Rozie on bass and Royal Hartigan on drums. Whether intoning Native-American chants, raucously swinging, playing electric mandolin or riff- ing on classic rock, Rozie was an unstoppa- ble force leading an equally vivacious trio in Roulette’s memorial hall. After a bracing set by poet Patricia Spears Jones and inventive violinist Jason Kao Hwang, the trio of trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, pianist Kris Davis and drum- mer Tyshawn Sorey offered up a crash course in dynamics, tone and texture. Wearing what looked like French military fatigues circa 1914, Akinmusire led the trio in sim- ple sounds that swelled into thunder clouds of heated interplay. As Sorey rolled on his toms, extracting unusual groans and sighs, Akinmusire created trumpet squalls against Davis’ lush piano palette. As if composing an instant film soundtrack, the trio produced peals of careening unison notes, crescen- dos of discordant melody and jagged assaults with infrequent gentle passages that rounded the barbed edges. Drummer Francisco Mora Catlett’s com- bustible AfroHorn Fellow closed the eve- ning, Afro-Cuban sizzle meeting balmy group improvisation. Sunday began with a panel discussion, “The Ongoing Struggle for Cultural Equity in NYC Music Communities,” followed by the exultant Frode Gjerstad Trio, accompanied by trombonist Steve Swell. Gerald Cleaver’s quartet took the stage next, brainstorming a swirling brew and reveling in the chaos of the drummer’s emergent groove-grid.

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 19 Mwandishi, and in 1975, he released his first album as a leader, Pinnacle. At 76, Williams might no longer be roiling JIMMY KATZ the musical landscape in quite the same way. But his writing has, if anything, grown more per- sonal. His sound—brilliantly clear, resonant and vibrant—is as inimitable as ever on Williams’ new quartet album, Audacity (Smoke Sessions). Williams’ originals reflect a spirit nurtured by decades of Buddhist chanting. “Ariana Anai” and “Briana,” each written for a granddaugh- ter, glow with familial love, and the episodic “Triumph” burns with an inner intensity. “It’s got an effect on me when I play it and think about its origins,” he said about “Triumph.” “I don’t know where it came from, Buster Williams’ new album is titled Audacity. but it’s expressing something that lives inside of me that exists in hope.” Driven by that sense of hope, Audacity is the latest stop on a journey in which the next stop Still on the Upswing always is unclear. The only certainty, Williams ON HIATUS FROM HIS LONG-RUNNING GIG But when the trumpeter asked him to stay declared, is that “the next one will be better.” with singer Nancy Wilson, bassist Buster with the quintet after Williams’ five-week hiatus The endless refining of Williams’ art was a Williams, then 25, suddenly got an offer to tour had ended, he declined. The decision, based on major takeaway for filmmaker Adam Kahan, the Northwest with Miles Davis. He took the job, the comparative rates of pay, is one that the bass- who has been working on Bass To Infinity, a doc- of course, and soon found himself swept up in ist thinks about to this day. umentary about the bassist, for about two years. the whirlwind of invention that Davis, Wayne “If I have any regrets, that might be the only “There’s no question he’ll do that till he dies,” Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams one—that I didn’t actually stay with Miles,” he Kahan said. “There’s no other option.” were creating onstage in 1967. said. “But I don’t have a real regret about that, Williams, while complimenting Kahan’s “These guys had already created a direction either. It’s on my résumé, and I learned a lot from work, put it another way: “I don’t want to finish of their own,” Williams recently said at the Miles when I was with him.” this life after necessarily completing my mission Manhattan club Smoke. “I had to step into that Two years after the Davis tour, Williams without having started something new. I’d like and grasp it very quickly.” joined Hancock’s groundbreaking group to be on the upswing.” —Phillip Lutz

HADAS Brown Commits to the Craft THE ELECTRO-FUNK FUSION ALBUM ing by phone from the Bay Area. “I was writing Nyeusi (Biophilia) marks drummer Justin songs here and there, and taking the opportuni- Brown’s debut as a bandleader, but he’s no new- ty to perform as a bandleader in places like [New comer. The 34-year-old has spent about two York’s] Jazz Gallery. But it was something I didn’t decades cultivating his reputation as a first-class want to rush, because I’m still learning through- jazz musician. out the process.” By the time he graduated from high school, Nyeusi (Swahili for “black”) includes 11 orig- Brown was a veteran of both the Grammy Band inal compositions written during the past 10 and the Brubeck Institute. He forsook a free ride years. Much of the album—featuring Jason to The Juilliard School to tour with saxophonist Lindner and Fabian Almazan (both on key- Kenny Garrett and trombonist Josh Roseman. boards), Mark Shim (electronic wind control- A few years later, he began working regularly in ler) and Burniss Earl Travis (bass)—was record- bands led by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire ed in 2015. One of the album’s two non-original and pianist Gerald Clayton, both childhood tracks is a version of Tony Williams’ 1971 tune friends. He was runner-up in the 2012 Thelonious “Circa 45,” while the influence of hip-hop is obvi- Monk International Drums Competition, ous on tunes like “Replenish” and “FYFO,” and and since 2014 he has been the drummer for interludes “Waiting (DUSK)” and “At Peace genre-busting bassist/vocalist Thundercat. (DAWN)” skirt the avant-garde. “It’s his curiosity and his commitment to the Just as he exercised patience in completing craft,” said Akinmusire, explaining why he’s Nyeusi, Brown is in no particular hurry to fol- worked with Brown for so long. “Every time we low it up. Instead, he said, his next step will be play together, he brings something new.” “becoming a better human. I want to help us What, then, took so long to record the debut? come together and help one another, you know? Drummer Justin Brown’s leader “I guess my frame of thinking with anything A better human and a better musician: I’m just album features two keyboardists. is just patience,” said the bicoastal Brown, speak- trying to do my part.” —Michael J. West

20 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Erroll Garner performs with his trio in Amsterdam in 1964. NICO VAN DER STAM

Erroll Garner Project Resonates with Sands THE CAREER OF PIANIST CHRISTIAN as Dave Brubeck, Dr. Billy Taylor and Dick Sands, 29, has shifted into high gear since the Hyman to understand the different stylings he release of his Mack Avenue Records debut, Reach, used. But Sands didn’t fully grasp the depth of last year. In May, the label issued his five-song EP, Garner’s playing until Geri Allen (1957–2017) Reach Further, featuring three new songs record- asked him to be a part of her 60th anniversary ed live at L.A. jazz club Blue Whale, along with presentation of The Complete Concert By The Sea two unreleased tracks from the Reach sessions. at the 2015 Monterey Jazz Festival. The new recording advances his mission of giv- “Geri was our North Star for what we’re ing “a fresh look at the entire language of jazz.” doing to build the Garner legacy,” said Peter In September, Sands will be the musical Lockhart, one of the co-producers on the trilogy director of the 2018 Monterey Jazz Festival On of new releases. “At the University of Pittsburgh. Tour group, consisting of singer Cécile McLorin where she was teaching, Geri ushered in all the Salvant, vocalist/trumpeter Bria Skonberg, Erroll archives, including 7,000 reels of tape that saxophonist Melissa Aldana, bassist Yasushi we’ve digitized and more than a million docu- Nakamura and vocalist/drummer Jamison Ross. ments. Nightconcert is dedicated to her.” Sands also is set to launch a new album this fall. Sands said the process of working on Additionally, the pianist recently became the Nightconcert led to numerous surprises. He was creative ambassador of the Erroll Garner Jazz impressed by the interplay of Garner and his long- Project, which is releasing its third in a series of time trio of bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer archival recordings on Octave Music in part- Kelly Martin. “They moved so seamlessly,” Sands nership with Mack Avenue. Sands served as said. “Wherever Erroll’s mind wanted to go, his a co-producer of Erroll Garner: Nightconcert, bandmates moved right alongside him, as if they a live November 1964 recording captured at all were sharing the same mind.” Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw. It features Nightconcert features Garner’s idiosyncratic 16 tracks, eight of which are previously unheard takes on a number of standards, including a ver- interpretations and a newly discovered original, sion of “My Funny Valentine” that Lockhart said “That Amsterdam Swing.” is the best he’s ever heard. “Being creative ambassador is a big honor,” Sands has formed the band High Wire Trio Sands said. “It’s given me a different hat to wear. with bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Ulysses Aside from being a performer, now I have taken Owens Jr. to celebrate the recording, reflecting on the role to help shape and execute someone’s just how deeply Garner’s music resonates with creative vision who isn’t here and combine it the bandleader. “He was so spontaneous, but with my own, all the while staying true to what also fearless,” Sands said. “Being involved in the the artist intended.” project allows me to explore different ways to Sands grew up listening to some of Garner’s express myself and strive for that fearlessness music and gleaned wisdom from such jazz elders Erroll possessed.” —Dan Ouellette

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 21 JOACHIM COODER

Ry Cooder will be on tour this summer promoting his new album, The Prodigal Son. Cooder ‘Spellbound’ by Gospel Music AS A FOLLOW-UP TO 2012’S ELECTION sic “Harbor Of Love.” he recalled. “I wanted to hear more of it, under- Special (Nonesuch)—a biting protest album “I’ve been doing this kind of work for a long stand it a little bit more.” that critiqued right-wing politics—guitar ace time—taking older songs and adapting them in Around the time of his gospel epiphany, the Ry Cooder and his drummer-producer son, some way—but I couldn’t have made this partic- Ash Grove in Los Angeles began booking groups Joachim, decided to take a different approach ular record back then,” said Cooder, who sings like the Staples Singers and the Chambers with their new recording, The Prodigal Son and plays slide guitar, resonator and mando- Brothers (before they went psychedelic). “It was (Fantasy). lin with rare expressive powers throughout the amazing to hear them singing just eight feet “Joachim warned me: ‘Don’t get too album. “We didn’t have all this gas in the tank away onstage,” Cooder recalled. “When you heavy-handed now. Nobody wants to hear about back then. We’re working with technology that hear that live for the first time in your life, it’s an politics anymore. Let ’em rest a little,’” Cooder didn’t exist in the ’70s.” unbelievable impact. I was just spellbound. It’s said. “So, I thought I’d take that advice seriously.” Joachim constructed backing tracks on something that you walk away from going, ‘I feel With its prevalence of gospel tunes by the some tunes by sampling and looping fragments like I’m a different person having heard this.’” likes of Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Roosevelt of his father’s playing, creating a tonal center Cooder—who would eventually play the Graves, Alfred Reed and William L. Dawson, for Cooder to sing and play over. “When I hear Ash Grove himself in 1963, backing singer Jackie along with three potent Cooder originals, The these things in the headphones, I get ideas,” DeShannon as a 16-year-old fingerpicking wun- Prodigal Son has a more hopeful mood and, in Cooder said. “I don’t have to worry about it as derkind—now credits records for putting him some ways, is a throwback to Cooder classics an arrangement—it just comes to me. So, I have on his current path: “If it hadn’t been for record like 1974’s Paradise And Lunch, which included a freer time doing it this way.” people like Ralph Peer, the Chess brothers and a rendition of “Jesus On The Mainline,” or his Cooder’s infatuation with gospel music and Alan Lomax, then life would’ve been unbeliev- eponymous 1970 debut as a leader, which had spirituals goes back to his teenage years. “In the ably dull, and I would’ve been sacking groceries the 24-year-old delivering faithful renditions early ’60s, stuff became available on records that somewhere, and probably at this point running of Reed’s “How Can A Poor Man Stand Such had not been available before,” he said. “Santa a little 7-Eleven down by the airport.” Times And Live?” and Johnson’s “Dark Was The Monica, where I have always lived, is not a town By perpetuating classic roots music, The Night, Cold Was The Ground.” where you will find storefront Church of God Prodigal Son might grab some young fan the The difference with The Prodigal Son is that in Christ churches. So, the whole idea of gospel way Get On Board grabbed Cooder back in the Cooder, 71, has developed a grittier vocal style quartet singing is something I never knew exist- day. that puts him squarely in the Howlin’ Wolf zone, ed, until I began to hear it on record. I liked it Cooder’s 24-city tour of the States this sum- while Joachim has concocted some dreamy then, and it’s still my favorite kind of music.” mer will be followed by a European tour in the backgrounds for his father to sing on, including A turning point for the budding record col- fall. Joachim will open each show with his a trance-like version of the Pilgrim Travelers’ lector was hearing a 1952 Folkways LP by Sonny renegade trio, performing tunes from his EP, 1955 tune “Straight Street,” a take on “Nobody’s Terry, Brownie McGhee and Coyal McMahan Fuchsia Machu Picchu—which features contri- Fault But Mine” that Cooder described as “Blind titled Get On Board: Negro Folksongs By The butions from his father and a cameo by Vieux Willie Johnson on Mars,” and a shimmering Folkmasters. “They do ‘In His Care’ and ‘I Shall Farka Touré, who plays guitar on one track. reimagining of the Stanley Brothers’ gospel clas- Not Be Moved’ on there, and it just grabbed me,” —Bill Milkowski

22 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Chicago Blues Fest Honors Delmark Label JIMMY JOHNSON DOESN’T REVEAL HIS choice, and certainly more fitting than the have been more commercially successful [than age, as he made abundantly clear June 8 countless versions of “Sweet Home Chicago” jazz] for the label, which surprised the hell out during his afternoon duo set at the 35th annu- that customarily draw the curtain on such of me.” Hoodoo Man Blues, along with Magic al Chicago Blues Festival. So, let’s just say that ensemble programs. Sam’s 1967 LP West Side Soul, remain two of Johnson is an outstanding singer-guitarist who Bob Koester, who founded the label as Delmark’s enduring treasures. happens to be 89. He proved that several hours “Delmar,” named for a boulevard in St. Louis The evening program expanded on a theme later at Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion before moving to Chicago and adding the introduced by a recent Delmark’s tribute album with a fiery rendition of Magic Sam’s “I’ve Been “k” for his last name, appeared at a morn- that honors many of the label’s blues stalwarts Down So Long” during a salute to the 65th ing panel discussion. “It started as a hobby for of the 1960s and ’70s. It was released in con- anniversary of Chicago’s Delmark Records. me,” the 85-year-old Koester said. “The blues junction with the anniversary and the com- Introduced by emcee Dick Shurman as “the pany’s sale in April to a pair of Chicago musi- last man standing” among a generation of post- cian/educators. New owners Julia A. Miller and war Southern bluesmen who called Chicago’s Elbio Barilari proclaimed their commitment West Side home, Johnson stood out during the to releasing new music in addition to servicing

set among 18 artists who have plied their trade ©MARK SHELDON Delmark’s back catalog. at the venerable Chicago blues and jazz label. After three days of dicey weather, a thick Accompanied by the solid, jazz-influenced gui- fog shrouded the downtown skyline, adding tar licks of Dave Specter, who led the backing to the drama of the June 10 headlining perfor- band with a steady hand, Johnson displayed mance by soul-gospel great and civil rights pio- amazing instrumental dexterity and an emo- neer Mavis Staples, 78. Staples sprinkled favor- tion-drenched tenor on the Magic Sam number. ites from her beloved family band, such as Johnson’s star turn led directly into “Respect Yourself,” “Freedom Highway” and “Hoodoo Man Blues,” a finale that made good the closer, “I’ll Take You There,” with numbers use of most of the musicians who appeared from her latest album, If All I Was Was Black, during the program, particularly harmonica including the defiant “Who Told You That” and player and vocalist Omar Coleman. The icon- the healing “Build A Bridge.” She was in partic-

ic song from the 1965 Junior Wells album that Jimmy Johnson performs ularly fine form for her Chicago homecoming put Delmark on the blues map was a welcome at the Chicago Blues Festival on June 8. show. —Jeff Johnson

Playboy Fest Spotlights

New Talent, Genre Titans MATTHEW IMAGING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 40-YEAR HISTO- over her trio’s rhumbas and cha-cha-chas, and ry, the Playboy Jazz Festival returned to the radiating charisma as she exhorted the audience Hollywood Bowl without its founder, Hugh to sing along to her “Don’t Unplug My Body.” Hefner, who passed away in September at the age After an occasionally rambling, but often fas- of 91. Apart from a brief tribute delivered by his cinating, set by tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd son, Cooper, it was business as usual for the ven- and the Marvels, with Lucinda Williams provid- erable two-day event at the Hollywood Bowl in ing an earthy presence on vocals, Ramsey Lewis Los Angeles. took the stage with his quintet. Lewis, who’s set The festival sometimes can feel like it’s jazz in to retire at the end of 2018, remains a polarizing name only; this year, soul singer Anthony figure, viewed by some as a soul-jazz pioneer and Daymé Arocena performs June 9 during the Playboy Hamilton and venerable funk group Tower of others as a pop lightweight. But on Sunday night, Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Power closed out Saturday and Sunday, respec- none of that mattered, as he delivered a rollicking, tively. But before they brought their more main- age-defying set. Wonder’s “Living For The City.” From there, stream sounds to the stage, Playboy Jazz served Lewis, 83, seemed uninterested in revisiting Lewis had the audience in the palm of his hand, up an admirably eclectic lineup, highlight- his most famous, mid-’60s period, instead focus- leading his excellent band through a variety of ed by forward-thinking young jazz ensem- ing on work from the ’70s. After opening with styles, from blues to rhumba to boogie-woogie. bles (Kneebody, Snarky Puppy), living legends “Tequila Mockingbird,” the breezy title track Lewis’ set demonstrated, in convincing fash- (Charles Lloyd, Lee Ritenour) and crowd-pleas- from his 1977 album, the pianist teasingly told ion, why he’s outlasted his critics—an observa- ing newcomers (pianist Matthew Whitaker). the audience, “I don’t know if you’re all ready tion that also could be made of the Playboy Jazz The lineup was especially strong on rising for this.” He then launched into a medley of cov- Festival itself, which remains a smartly pro- stars from Latin America and included 26-year- ers that were his set’s highlights: a version of The grammed showcase for its titular genre, despite old Havana singer Daymé Arocena, who came Stylistics’ Philly soul ballad “Betcha By Golly, its more pop-minded headliners. across as an Afro-Cuban Ella Fitzgerald, scatting Wow” and a confidently funky take on Stevie —Andy Hermann

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 23 66 ANNUAL CRITICS POLL JAZZ ARTIST JAZZ GROUP

THERE’S SOMETHING PARTICULARLY APT ABOUT VIJAY IYER’S ACADEMIC TITLES AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE’S BEEN TEACHING SINCE 2014: Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts and Graduate Advisor in Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry. Yes, the endowed chair is nice, but “professor of the arts” and “advisor in creative practice” seem to sum up the man. It’s fitting that the terminology here is not “jazz studies” or “theory and practice,” but rather, “the arts” and “critical inquiry.” For Iyer—winner of the 2018 DownBeat Critics Poll categories Jazz Artist of the Year and Jazz Group (for his namesake sextet)—jazz doesn’t exist in isolation. Which is another reason why the appointment at Harvard, with its core liberal arts program, suits the 46-year-old pianist’s particular take on jazz, on music, on the arts and on the world. A child of immigrants, and the winner of multiple accolades—including a handful of previous DownBeat Critics Poll wins with his longstanding trio (with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore) and a 2013 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship— Iyer began his academic career as a scientist. He was a physics and math major as an undergraduate at Yale, and his Ph.D. thesis at the University of California, Berkeley, was titled, “Microstructures of Feel, Macrostructures of Sound: Embodied Cognition in West African and African-American Musics.” So his pedagogical inclination is toward diversity, and his expansive attitude toward jazz is second nature.

24 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 25 Jimmy & Dena Katz

“This isn’t a school of music,” Iyer says, sitting read a black author or maybe they’ve never had learn how to hear in different ways and learn in his basement office in the Harvard Music a black teacher.” On the other hand, “I also have how to accommodate other perspectives. To Building. “There’s no performance program. a lot of students of color in my classes, mostly me, that’s the real tradition … people kind of There are courses that involve performance. children of immigrants, including children of coming together from different corners and But I guess it has more in common with how I African immigrants. So, they may self-identify building something that didn’t exist yet. That’s learned, which was kind of in dialogue with the as black, but do not have a lot of contact with how I see the birth of what’s called bebop. That’s larger world. … I don’t want to say that noth- older African-American culture. So, it’s sort of how I see the Harlem Renaissance. That’s how ing good happens in conservatories, but it’s a new for a lot of them.” I see the creative music movement of the ’60s bit removed from the context in which music That diversity of backgrounds also shapes and ’70s.” exists. Music doesn’t exist for the conservato- the music-making itself. Looking back at his It’s not as though all of Iyer’s methods ry. It exists for people. And so, if you don’t have ensemble workshop students of the previous would be out of place in a conservatory. “There’s contact with the larger world, then you lose semester, Iyer says, “Some of them were sing- lot of rigor involved,” he says, “and rigorous track of what you’re doing.” er-songwriters. Some of them were beat-mak- training. There’s a lot of rigor involved in just In his courses, Iyer assigns a broad range of ers. Some of them situate themselves as jazz the doing of the music—like, how do you listen reading and writing—“everything from Robin musicians. Some of them had classical training. to each other? How do you synchronize? We Kelley’s biography of [Thelonious] Monk to The main thing was that they were all serious talk about form. We talk about orchestration George Lewis’ book about the AACM, to and they all had potential collaborative abili- and texture and kind of give a bit more detail Benjamin Looker’s book on the Black Artists’ ties. So, just to get them intensely making work and nuance to what they’re doing; so it’s not Group, Horace Tapscott’s autobiography, and together—and we didn’t have to call it anything just a beat, even when some of them are mak- Angela Davis’ book on blues women and black until it happened, and then we could listen to it ing beats on their laptop.” feminism.” And, depending on where the stu- and figure out what it was. These students are There’s also jazz history, though not neces- dents’ projects take them, Iyer might assign up for a challenge like that, of building some- sarily a typical historical survey. “Everything I pieces by French post-structural theorists or thing that has no real precedent. It was really know, and all my wisdom as an artist, comes selections from black studies scholarship. exciting to hear what they came up with.” from being in that world and that space and Students have to audition for Iyer’s ensem- Along the way, Iyer says, “I often had to dis- from all those artists, from Duke Ellington and ble workshops, so there is a basic skill level that’s abuse them of a lot of things, a lot of assump- Thelonious Monk, Cecil Taylor, John Coltrane, required. But, he says, “It’s a mixed bag.” A good tions about what jazz is, and whether it is what Miles Davis, Muhal Richard Abrams, Alice proportion “are young white kids from afflu- they think it is.” Coltrane, Geri Allen, to name just a handful,” ent backgrounds who maybe had a good high And that, according to Iyer, is how real jazz Iyer says. But the musical examples might also school jazz ensemble, but maybe they’ve never gets made. His students, he explains, “have to extend from the jazz canon to Bach and Berg,

26 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 or maybe some of the hip-hop and techno art- to move with it, and then it’s just about creat- session, another Iyer regular, Tyshawn Sorey, ists who have inspired Iyer, like Detroit produc- ing together with that as a sort of framework.” came in on drums. (Iyer has maintained long er and DJ Robert Hood, the inspiration for the The genesis of the sextet dates back to 2011, relationships with both Sorey and Gilmore, song “Hood,” from the 2015 Iyer trio disc, Break when Iyer was invited to New York’s River to having collaborated with the former for 18 Stuff (ECM). River Festival and was encouraged to broad- years and the latter for 16 years.) “Basically,” Iyer says, “this is not a ‘great en his palette beyond the trio. For that first Though the sextet is by necessity more man’ theory of jazz. It’s more of a series of com- gig, Rudresh Mahanthappa, from Iyer’s quar- tightly arranged than the trio, Iyer says it munities, of collective histories. It’s histories of tet, was on alto, with Graham Haynes on cor- offered yet another chance for him to work with collective action. And it’s also not about styles. net and flugelhorn and Mark Shim on tenor musicians “who could bring a creative sensitiv- It’s about people, which is an important distinc- saxophone, as well as Crump and Gilmore. ity to the music and could deal with intricate tion to me.” Eventually, Mahanthappa was overtaken with forms and kind of push beyond them.” The idea of jazz being fostered by diverse commitments to his own projects, so Iyer And, of course, it was—unlike some of his communities is central to how Iyer understands turned to longtime collaborator Steve Lehman more unclassifiable ensemble arrangements for the musician’s place in the world. for the alto chair. For the April 2017 recording the string quartet-centered Mutations (ECM), “What’s been great is that these young art- ists have been able to remain grounded in a world of ideas and in contact with a commu- nity that isn’t just made of other musicians, so then they can actually respond to what’s hap- pening in the world, and they can make the work a pointed response.” Those responses have been varied. “Last fall, my students put on a concert that was a benefit for Puerto Rico, and they put on another benefit concert for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. That was just partly because that was what was in the air at that time, and obvious- ly still is. That kind of work has a very clear con- text in the campus community or in the city. So, they’re learning how to be artists in the world.” Iyer’s own direct responses have included his 2013 collaboration with poet and DJ/produc- er Mike Ladd, Holding It Down: The Veterans’ Dreams Project (Pi Recordings), part of a trilogy addressing the post-9/11 context of American life. That aesthetic also applies to the award-winning sextet’s 2017 release Far From Over (ECM), whose title refers to the nev- er-ending struggle for justice and equal rights. Iyer has described “a resistance in this music, an insistence on dignity and compassion, a refusal to be silenced.” Far From Over, Iyer’s third release for ECM, is stunning not just for the individual virtuosity of the players, but for its formal daring—which is, in its way, a metaphorical embodiment of the collective vulnerability that Iyer refers to when talking about the music. That’s true for the elec- tric funk grooves of tunes like “Nope” and “End Of The Tunnel,” as well as the expanding form of album closer “Threnody” or the brooding ballad “For Amiri Baraka,” for the late poet. Though the shifting form of a piece like “Threnody” is enthralling, Iyer downplays its complexity. “The forms aren’t that hard, actu- ally, in the long run,” he says. “I have these forms that are four bars long, but those four bars might be stacked with information. There might be layers of rhythms that it would take you a few days to learn, even if it’s four mea- sures long. So, it’s not necessarily something you can read down, either. But then you kind of get it in your body and then figure out how

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 27 like 10 beats or something. We don’t know what they’re changing to. We just know that that’s when they change, so then a form emerges through that process of changing on time.

STEVEN SUSSMAN “The other thing is that it has a target, which is that eventually we’re going to arrive at A flat, and then we’re going to move between A flat and F, just sort of alternate between those two. When we get there, that’s when the saxophone comes in, and we keep building from there. “So, we have what’s sculpted as this trajec- tory. We don’t know the details of how it’s going to happen, but somehow we’re going to get from almost nothing being specified to this very identifiable sequence in the music. It has a certain kick to it, rhythmically. It has iden- tifiable harmony. So it’s sort of like we move from something more ambiguous to some- thing that’s quite resolved. It unfolds as this 8- or 10-minute piece of music, and all of it is very Iyer (left) sees the sextet format as “iconic” within the jazz genre. specific and careful, but it’s not written down.” Iyer’s peripatetic life as a jazz musician and his work with Ladd, or even his otherworld- how the center of what each of us does,” says Iyer, teacher makes for long days. For the Harvard ly duo collaborations with trumpeter Wadada “including Graham—of course, being the son job, he commutes from Harlem, where he lives Leo Smith—a classic jazz format. of Roy. But he’s also someone who’s traversed with his wife, Christina Leslie, a research sci- “If you think about the history of that for- these different musical histories. He’s dealt with entist, and their daughter. By 10:30 a.m. on the mat—Kind Of Blue, Andrew Hill’s Point Of Gnawa musicians, musicians from Mali and day of our interview, he already has met with Departure [1964], or even Herbie Hancock’s Cameroon, and he did a lot with Indian musi- a pair of students. He and his trio will be play- Sextant [1973]—there’s no shortage of sextet cians. So, he’s got this openness, temporally, in ing that night and the following night, two sets records. It’s kind of an iconic form.” the sense that he will really take a long view on each, at Harvard Square’s Regattabar. For his own sextet, Iyer says, “It’s a matter of things. There’s something incredibly unhurried True to the form of Iyer’s ever-expanding basically having these three pretty disparate about his playing, but he can also rip it when he circle of regulars, the set introduces yet another identities as a front line. They converge on these wants to, and his time is super strong.” new player: bassist Nick Dunston, filling in for arranged sequences, but each of them can also By the time the sextet convened for the Far Crump, who is on tour with his band Rhombal. spin the music in a different direction and each From Over recording sessions, Iyer’s challeng- Iyer introduces this as Dunston’s very first gig of them has a very strong relationship to the ing compositions had been road-tested at gigs. with the band, but says he’s ready “to navigate rhythm section.” In the studio, he added a few refinements, like through this music”—adding, “He learned it Crump and Sorey describe the larger band the soli section for the horns on the outro to the from my records.” as requiring more focused roles for each of album’s opener, the slow-boil anthem “Poles.” The trio begins at a ballad tempo, with softly them than the trio—a responsibility to support But he was also careful not to over-arrange. sustained chords and Sorey’s precise swirl and the soloists. But still, says Crump, one of the “I wanted there to be space for the music splash of brushes before a heftier groove emerg- constants in Iyer’s bands is “trying to find ways to move, and points of reference. Point Of es with an abstracted take on Thelonious Monk’s to crack it open, even in that larger ensemble.” Departure is a great example, where, yeah, there “Work.” The music expands and contracts, For his part, Sorey says that the social con- are these kinds of signature moments where the Sorey—a wizard of layered rhythms and tim- sciousness that’s a natural part of the music is arrangement matters. But then there are also bres—in constant dialogue with Iyer’s move- compounded in the sextet. “Any time I create these long stretches where you feel like any- ment from repetitive rhythmic figures to rhap- music, I’m dealing with the time period we’re thing could happen.” sodic outpouring, and a soft, mournful chord living in, politically,” he says. With the sextet, Iyer rejects the easy dichotomy between that introduces “For Amiri Baraka.” Dunston, though, “The statement of what we’re dealing “composition” and “improvisation.” meanwhile, holds the core of the beat with inven- with politically carries out more because of how “I think the sort of dichotomy that we sub- tive patterns and adept shifts to arco work. relentlessly charged it is.” scribe to is a little false, between what’s written Iyer has said that he met Dunston—as well The convergence of disparate identities also down and what’s spontaneous, because, actual- as another new face in the Iyer universe, Jeremy reflects those classic sextets—think of Miles, ly, there could be something that’s not written Dutton, a drummer from Houston who will be Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane on down that’s still very specific, and that’s worked playing with the trio at the Village Vanguard Kind Of Blue, or Kenny Dorham, Eric Dolphy on. And there also can be things that emerge the following week—through Iyer’s work as and Joe Henderson on Point Of Departure. in the moment that can be quite intricate and director of the Banff International Workshop Lehman and Shim are “the mercurial have a lot of formal detail in them. A form can in Jazz and Creative Music. note-slingers,” says Iyer. “They’re very differ- emerge. It’s not just preordained.” “Every now and then, I have to tap one of ent from one another, of course, but they have He gives as an example “Threnody,” a rich, these guys from there to fill in, and it’s been a longtime rapport through Steve’s octet, too.” mood-shifting track onFar From Over. great, actually, getting to keep tabs on the com- And then there’s Haynes as the Miles/ “It has, I guess, what I would call a harmon- munity through that, and hear what’s coming, Dorham axis of brass lyricism, with a touch of ic rhythm, which is to say that, ‘OK, the chords hear what’s next, and be part of that, be able to Miles-like electronic effects. “Rhythm is some- change every this many beats.’ It’s something nurture it.” DB

28 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 29 1. CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT Dreams And Daggers (MACK AVENUE) 62 Encompassing an impressive 23 tracks divided between standards and origi- JAZZ ALBUM nals, Dreams And Daggers represents a new level of ambition for vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant. With the juxtaposition of strings captured during studio re- cordings and the grittier ambiance of a OF THE YEAR live club setting, the album mirrors the complexity of human emotion in all its dimensions.

2. ANAT COHEN TENTET 3. CHARLES LLOYD NEW 4. DEJOHNETTE/GRENADIER/ 5. AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE 6. MATT WILSON Happy Song QUARTET MEDESKI/SCOFIELD A Rift In Decorum: Live At Honey And Salt (ANZIC) 61 Passin’ Thru Hudson The Village Vanguard (PALMETTO) 44 (BLUE NOTE) (MOTÉMA) (BLUE NOTE) Anat Cohen’s Happy Song is the 59 56 46 6SRNHQZRUGDQGVRQJKDYHŶHFNHG result of a diverse, remarkably tal- With Passin’ Thru—recorded live at It would be easy to dismiss this Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire Matt Wilson’s work in the past, and ented cast of players, composers the Montreux Jazz Festival and at supergroup as mere boomer nos- was once a wunderkind who won with this album, he’s actively harked and arrangers. Cohen wrote or co- a theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico— talgia, but that would overlook the 2007 Thelonious Monk Interna- back to his Midwestern roots with a wrote three of the tracks here, and Charles Lloyd celebrates 10 years just how vigorous and downright tional Trumpet Competition. Now, collection of music inspired by Carl the musical director for the project with his illustrious New Quartet, pleasurable its debut sounds. Us- he’s cementing his position as an Sandburg’s poetry. This album not was Oded Lev-Ari. Cohen’s clarinet which features pianist Jason Moran, ing its common experience in New essential bandleader of his genera- only reminds listeners how whim- work is consistently compelling bassist Reuben Rogers and drum- York’s Hudson Valley as a backbone, tion. For those still not familiar with sical a poet the master truly was, throughout, whether she’s explor- mer Eric Harland. Since 2007, this the quartet explores tunes by Bob his brand of small-group interac- but also how gifted a drummer and ing fusion on Lev-Ari’s “Trills And band has reanimated the approach Dylan, The Band and Joni Mitchell, tion, Rift is a reassuring document arranger Wilson is. The combination Thrills” or unleashing the toe-tap- /OR\GŵUVWGHYHORSHGZLWKKLVRULJL- as well as original compositions by RI D \RXQJ EDQGOHDGHU IXOŵOOLQJ D of singing and recitation makes for per “Oh Baby.” nal troupe during the ’60s. 'H-RKQHWWHDQG6FRŵHOG rite of passage. an engaging program.

11. RON MILES I Am A Man (ENJA/YELLOWBIRD) ...... 35 12. STEVE COLEMAN’S NATAL ECLIPSE Morphogenesis (PI) ...... 34 13. JOHN BEASLEY MONK’estra, Vol. 2 (MACK AVENUE) ...... 33 7. JAIMIE BRANCH 8. FRED HERSCH 9. BILL CHARLAP TRIO 10. CHICK COREA 14. RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA’S INDO-PAK COALITION Fly Or Die Open Book Uptown, Downtown The Musician Agrima (INTERNATIONAL ANTHEM) 42 (PALMETTO) 37 (IMPULSE!) 36 (CONCORD) 35 (SELF RELEASE) ...... 33 Listening to “Leaves Of Glass,” a track Pianist Fred Hersch long has been Making old stuff sound new, under- Chick Corea is a pianist without peer. 15. TYSHAWN SOREY on Jaimie Branch’s leader debut, recognized as an extraordinary in- scoring stylistic eloquence and lift- From all evidence on The Musician, Verisimilitude is a truly haunting experience. Her terpreter of the Thelonious Monk ing the hood on tradition have been his 2011 monthlong stand at New (PI) ...... 33 WUXPSHWŶRDWVIURPIRUORUQPHORGLF VRQJERRN$QGWKHVWULGHLQŶHFWHG at the center of the Bill Charlap Trio York’s Blue Note Jazz Club for his 16. JULIAN LAGE meditations to ambient, spectral lines of Monk’s “Eronel” are relat- for two decades. Uptown, Downtown 70th birthday featured creative Modern Lore background noise in the space of ed in a dizzying array of variations makes it seem as if the group gets revelry every night. This deluxe (MACK AVENUE) ...... 31 about three minutes. Supported on Hersch’s 11th solo album. Fea- more articulate on each new record- documentation of Corea’s historic 17. ROSCOE MITCHELL by a coterie of Chicago-related per- turing a spate of other interpreta- ing. With bassist Peter Washington engagement—three albums and Bells For The South Side formers, Fly Or Die glides through tions and Hersch’s own opus, the and drummer Kenny Washington at a 96-minute documentary—is par- (ECM) ...... 29 the avant-garde, references bebop’s 19-minute “Through The Forest,” his side, the pianist and bandleader adoxically a substantive feast that heyday and contemplates life’s Open Book splays open the com- SXWVDQRULJLQDOŵQJHUSULQWRQRWK- might leave listeners wishing it were 18. MARY HALVORSON rough patches. poser’s lavishly evocative practice. ers’ sage formulations. just a little less, but still craving more. Code Girl (FIREHOUSE 12) ...... 28 19. VIJAY IYER SEXTET Far From Over (ECM) ...... 28 For more of the year’s top jazz albums, see page 52.

30 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 31 HALL OF FAME BENNY By Ted Panken GOLSON Photo By Bill Douthart ‘ART IS A LIFETIME COMMITMENT’

AS A RECIPIENT OF COUNTLESS ACCOLADES DURING HIS 70 YEARS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS, BENNY GOLSON MIGHT WELL BE BLASÉ ABOUT HIS ELECTION TO THE DOWNBEAT HALL OF FAME. BUT THE 89-YEAR-OLD TENOR SAXOPHONIST AND COMPOSER CONSIDERS THIS LATEST HONORIFIC A CONSEQUENTIAL MILESTONE.

n the beginning, I was much in tune New York Scene, from 1957. That date featured with wanting to be a poll-winner,” a nonet version of “Whisper Not,” which “IGolson said over the phone from Golson also recorded that year with Dizzy his Upper West Side Manhattan apartment. Gillespie’s big band. It’s the most enduring “Then I stopped thinking about it, because I staple of an oeuvre that includes such jazz lin- had other goals; what I was actually doing and gua franca works as “I Remember Clifford,” creating was important. But now I’m over- “Along Came Betty,” “Stablemates,” “Blues whelmed. I’m glad it happened before I die. March,” “Sad To Say” and “Are You Real?” For all these years, DownBeat has been the Horizon Ahead includes three recent bible of what jazz is all about, and I’m hon- Golson songs and one less-traveled gem titled ored. I’m happy. It makes me feel validated.” “Domingo,” from a 1957 Blue Note date led The Hall of Fame designation makes com- by trumpeter Lee Morgan, then Golson’s plete sense to Quincy Jones, Golson’s good 19-year-old bandmate with Gillespie and, friend since 1953 and, later in the ’50s, his a year later, his front-line partner with Art neighbor in a West 92nd Street apartment Blakey’s Jazz Messengers on the iconic album building populated by a cohort of night peo- Moanin’, for which Golson served as music ple who inspired Golson’s famous tune “Killer director. “It’s one of those tunes that never Joe.” “As a composer and a player, Benny is made it like ‘Whisper Not’ did,” Golson said. one of the absolute backbones of jazz,” Jones “I wrote ‘Whisper Not’ in 20 minutes. I was said via email. “He is almost 90, and that cat so plethoric with ideas, I could hardly write it is still playing! Benny is a mad monster of a down. Dizzy liked it and recorded it, and now musician, and he always has been.” it’s a standard in the jazz repertoire.” At the time of our interview in late April, “When you play ‘Whisper Not’ for 20 Golson was focusing on a forthcoming 10-day years, you’ve really got to dig deep to find tour of Japan with pianist Mike LeDonne new things—and we do,” said LeDonne, ref- and drummer Carl Allen, two-thirds of his erencing Golson’s determination to avoid working quartet since the late 1990s along a by-the-numbers attitude to interpreting with bassist Buster Williams, for whom good-old-good-ones in live performance. Luke Sellick would sub on this occasion. The “His tunes are all very soulful, with beautiful LeDonne-Williams-Allen trio joins Golson melodies over highly sophisticated harmonic on the aptly titled Horizon Ahead (HighNote), movement. He’s written so many unbelievably a 2016 release that is the most recent of his beautiful ballads that people need to investi- 40 or so leader albums since Benny Golson’s gate, and those ballads are mostly in minor

32 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 33 keys, with a dark, romantic sound. And he’s in cian: Imagination. Extrapolations. New ways to New York; and how it felt to be recognized by enthusiastic support of what you’re doing all do the old things. That’s what we do. If there’s Duke Ellington, who asked if he wouldn’t con- the time. He takes off all the limits. He wants no imagination to create things that have no sider contributing something to the orchestra. you to go as far as you can with whatever it is prior existence—and that’s what improvising In the book’s introduction, Golson com- you’re doing. He is an adventurer, and he loves is—then you may as well get a job as a park- pares his journey to that of the hero in Homer’s an adventurous imagination.” ing attendant or a cook. When we go to sleep at The Odyssey, which itself represents a collective “Imagination” is a word that cropped up night and wake up the next morning, what do consensus of orally related tales. “I’m sure the when Golson uncorked an eloquent declama- we intuitively say to ourselves? ‘What can I do warrior who invented the Trojan horse … was tion on the title of Horizon Ahead, which he better today than I did yesterday?’ Age doesn’t too restless to keep his head on the pillow when traced to conversations with two fellow jazz usually interfere with that, as opposed to an he got back to Ithaca,” Golson writes. “I’ll bet immortals: tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins athlete. I tell my audiences: ‘Can you imagine that Odysseus—who tricked the Cyclops, faked and pianist Hank Jones (1918–2010). an 89-year-old quarterback?’ I’m being ridicu- out Circe, avoided the Sirens, and rafted the “Sonny basically said, ‘There’s no end to lous when I say it, of course.” hellish seas between Scylla and Charybdis— this music we play.’ He’s right. We musicians “I like to talk,” Golson said, and his oracu- had one more adventure in him. No truly cre- don’t say, ‘I know everything there is to know; lar soliloquies—delivered with an orotund ative person ever arrives home without imme- there’s nothing else to discover.’ We know it’s baritone voice in complete sentences and para- diately beginning to long for the next gig. Art is just the opposite. graphs, even chapters, using vocabulary bed- a lifetime commitment.” “Hank Jones put it another way. He said, rocked in King’s English—are a beloved staple Golson’s odyssey began in Philadelphia, ‘The horizon is ahead.’ I didn’t know what he of Golson’s performances. where he was born in 1929. There he remained meant at first. But we’re never satisfied. To Many of those stories appear in Golson’s until he matriculated at Howard University in be satisfied is a caveat that we have to avoid, 2016 memoir, Whisper Not: The Autobiography 1947. Raised by a single mother, he took classi- because then you slow down. You stop stretch- Of Benny Golson (Temple University Press), cal piano lessons from an early age, barely toler- ing out. You stop reaching. It’s like falling over- which features a lovingly rendered portrait of ating his mother’s affection for “the low-down board of a ship. The ship sails over the horizon the young John Coltrane, his close friend. The dirty blues.” His views would evolve. Now, without you, and you tread water, and you’re book also documents various encounters with Golson writes, “I hug the blues to my chest the existing for as long as you can, and then it’s Thelonious Monk; eyewitness accounts of way Whitman hugged the seashore.” over. No, we have to stay on the ship. There’s trumpet battles between Clifford Brown and “I had the classical thing in my mind, and always something to learn, so we’ve always got Fats Navarro and between Brown and Louis she’s playing Bill Broonzy and Lil Green,” something to aim for, to hope for. But of course, Armstrong; what it was like to play the debut Golson reminisced. “When I talked to Sonny, we need the talent. We need the one thing engagement of the Jazztet at the Five Spot oppo- he brought up ‘Romance In The Dark.’ I said, that’s always axiomatic with the jazz musi- site Ornette Coleman, when Coleman first hit ‘You remember that?’ Boy, my mother used to play that thing. And another tune, ‘If you feel my legs, you want to feel my thighs, and if you feel my thighs you want to go up high.’ I said, ‘That’s terrible music!’ But she was also playing Billie Holiday—‘Mean To Me’ and ‘I’ll Get By’ and things like that.” Another connection to jazz, well-depicted in the memoir, was Golson’s Uncle Ralph, a bartender at Minton’s Playhouse who allowed his nephew to be a fly on the wall there on periodic visits to Harlem. Golson’s mother bought him a saxophone after he heard Arnett Cobb play “Flying Home” with Lionel Hampton at Philly’s Earle Theater in 1943. Two years later, Golson joined his teenage friends Coltrane and Ray Bryant at the Academy of Music to hear a sextet featur- ing Gillespie, Charlie Parker, saxophonist Don Byas, pianist Al Haig, bassist Slam Stewart and drummer “Big Sid” Catlett. “I started trying to play bebop for all I was worth,” Golson recalled. “I drove my neighbors crazy, because I got my saxophone during the summer, and the windows were open. When John Coltrane joined me, they wanted to kill two people. We were rank amateurs.” Golson credited a course at Howard, “Vocabulary Building,” as the starting point of his enviable linguistic skills. “The professor, Mr. Carroll, told the corniest jokes that he thought were just hilarious—but he knew so much about the English language,” he said. “The next semester, I was the only one who took him. I

34 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 learned so much about the English language from that guy, and I started to read.” The mandatory orthodoxies imposed by Howard’s music department circa 1949 were less appealing. Golson left abruptly, launch- ing the apprentice stages of his career, which DOWNBEAT ARCHIVES included stints playing fourth tenor with Jimmy Heath’s excellent Philly-based big band, and subsequent r&b sojourns with sing- er Bull Moose Jackson and alto saxophone titan Earl Bostic. He acknowledges that his pianistic skills and knowledge of theory gave him a head start, even before he fully under- stood how to apply his knowledge to the sax- ophone, to which he initially sought to apply the tonal values exemplified by Byas, Lucky Benny Golson (left) with Thompson and Coleman Hawkins. Art Farmer and Curtis Fuller circa 1960 “Benny could read the music and he had a good sound,” Heath, 91, said. “He was ready ments. What does the hi-hat mean? What does allels between the process of making music to enter the world with what he did, with a lot the ride cymbal mean? … What does it mean and the act of composing. “Anybody can write of determination—and his development was when you’re playing in the middle of the piano? a tune that reaches the ear,” he began. “But you obvious. He’s a very lyrical tenor player who What about the glassy sound in the upper part want to go past the ear and touch the heart— found his voice and established a style.” of the piano? The mutes. Louis Armstrong though the head is involved, too. When I Proximity to bebop poet Tadd Dameron never played any mute but the straight mute. write, I go full-throttle, whatever I feel, and during their mutual tenure with Jackson facili- Dizzy Gillespie used a cup mute. Miles Davis hope people understand what I’m saying.” tated Golson’s musical vocabulary building. “It used a Harmon mute. In the Jazztet, sometimes Inevitably, they do. amazed me what Tadd could do with a paucity I’d tell [trumpeter] Art Farmer to use a little “Benny wanted to be a composer, he want- of musicians,” Golson said. “I made it a point to hat, which looked like a derby, which changes ed to be an arranger, he wanted to be a soloist, [learn] everything that each instrument is capa- the sound. These things make a difference, and he wanted to write for symphonic orchestras ble of, and the sound you get when you blend you learn to use them and combine them.” and big band—and he did,” Heath reflected. them in combination with the other instru- Golson was asked to comment on the par- “I’m very proud to be his lifelong friend.” DB

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 35 VETERANS COMMITTEE HALL OF FAME MARIAN McPARTLAND INVITATION TO LISTEN AT THE END OF FRANK D. GILROY’S POIGNANT 1985 JAZZ FILM, THE GIG, A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL BASS PLAYER BIDS FAREWELL TO A BAND OF WEEKEND WARRIORS HE’S MADE PEACE WITH ON A JOB IN THE CATSKILLS, NOTING AS HE DEPARTS THAT ONE OF HIS NEXT ENGAGEMENTS IS WITH MARIAN MCPARTLAND.

t’s a plausible moment. McPartland, one and 40 CDs of Piano Jazz sessions on the Jazz In the 1960s and ’70s, McPartland of this year’s DownBeat Hall of Fame Alliance label. Particularly on ballads, her reviewed records for DownBeat, started her Iinductees, was that rare phenomenon: command of complex harmony—inspired own label, Halcyon, and became committed an A-list jazz musician who hired great play- in part by the English composer Delius and to jazz education, headlining the first con- ers, such as bassist Eddie Gomez, but was often compared to Bill Evans—was legendary. vention of the National Association of Jazz also enough of a household name in non-jazz “When we played with her on her 85th Educators in 1973. On the recommenda- households that viewers would get the ref- birthday, we had a little party for her,” tion of her longtime friend, composer Alec erence. The reason, of course, was Marian recalled George Wein, founder and producer Wilder, she was invited by South Carolina McPartland’s Piano Jazz, her informative of the Newport Jazz Festival and a respectable Public Radio to do Piano Jazz. McPartland and approachable National Public Radio pro- pianist himself. “The musicians backstage interviewed and played duets on the show gram, which she hosted from 1979 to 2010. At said she is more advanced in her harmonic with everyone from Eubie Blake to Cecil its peak, her show had 800,000 listeners and structure than all the other piano players put Taylor. Bootleg cassettes of her in-depth was broadcast on more than 250 radio sta- together.” interview with Evans circulated for years tions. (Re-runs still air on 107 outlets.) McPartland also possessed a notoriously among pianists. Whether onstage or on the airwaves, salty wit. On a tour of the Bill Clinton White McPartland was an ardent champion of McPartland, who would have turned 100 this House, publicist Helene Greece reported female musicians, whom she regularly fea- year (she died in 2013), had a gift for mak- that as they passed the Oval Office, Marian tured on her show, encouraging every- ing audiences feel like they had been offered said, “I wonder if that’s where she washed one from Joanne Brackeen and Diana Krall a personal invitation to listen, whether they out the dress.” to Norah Jones and Grace Kelly. She also knew anything about jazz or not. Born Margaret Marian Turner on March left a legacy of excellent songs, including “The show’s appeal often has been 20, 1918, in Slough, Berkshire, McPartland “Ambiance,” recorded by the Vanguard Jazz described by people as being like they was raised near London, where she studied Orchestra, and the lovely ballad “Twilight were eavesdropping on a conversation at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama World,” rendered beautifully on Marian held by two friends,” explained Shari (1935–’38). After several years working in McPartland & Friends: 85 Candles–Live Hutchinson, McPartland’s longtime produc- English music halls, she went to Europe In New York by another Piano Jazz guest, er at Columbia, South Carolina, radio station with a USO troupe in 1944, where she met Karrin Allyson. SCETV, where the show originated. and married Chicago jazz cornetist Jimmy “Marian was a wonderful combination of Her achievements did not go unrecog- McPartland. being utterly fearless and very open,” Allyson nized. In 1983, her show earned a Peabody After four years in Chicago, working said. “She was a pioneer not only for women award (the highest honor in radio); in 2000, under the stage name Marian Page, [jazz] pianists but for all jazz pianists, wheth- she was named a National Endowment for McPartland relocated to New York, where er they realize it or not.” the Arts Jazz Master; in 2004 she received she formed a piano trio, eventually landing McPartland’s music lives on. Some of her a Grammy Trustees Award for Lifetime a career-making gig at the Hickory House, best albums—Ambiance, Live At The Maybeck Achievement, and in 2010 she became an the last of the 52nd Street clubs. During the Recital Hall and Silent Pool—remain in print, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the next decade, she worked in a trio with bass- and there are episodes of Piano Jazz archived British Empire. McPartland performed for ist Bill Crow and future Dave Brubeck drum- at npr.org. —Paul de Barros two U.S. presidents at the White House and, mer Joe Morello, and recorded for Savoy and in 1997, for the Supreme Court. Capitol. In 1958, she was one of three women She also left behind a considerable legacy pictured in the famous photograph A Great Paul de Barros is the author of Shall We Play That One Together?: The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian as a player, including 25 albums for Concord Day in Harlem. McPartland (St. Martin’s Press, 2012).

36 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 COURTESY OF MARIAN MCPARTLAND

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 37 Marian McPartland, circa 1964 1. MILES DAVIS & JOHN COLTRANE HISTORICAL The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (COLUMBIA/LEGACY) 195 Recorded during Davis’ 1960 spring tour of Europe, this collection showcases Col- ALBUM WUDQHōVƓQDOSHUIRUPDQFHVZLWKDEDQGLQ which he had been an integral member. Coltrane plays hard, twisting melodic concepts and exploring harmonic combi- OF THE YEAR nations that would form the foundation of his next phase of musical development.

2. THELONIOUS MONK 3. BILL EVANS 4. ALICE COLTRANE 5. SONNY ROLLINS 6. ORNETTE COLEMAN Les Liaisons Dangereuses Another Time: World Spirituality Classics 1: Way Out West–Deluxe Edition Ornette At 12/Crisis 1960 The Hilversum Concert The Ecstatic Music of Alice (CRAFT) 75 (IMPULSE/REAL GONE/UMG) 69 (SAM) 117 (RESONANCE) 106 Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (LUAKA BOP) This Rollins classic, recorded with Two long-out-of-print live albums Recorded at Nola Penthouse Studios This recording of Evans with bassist 102 bassist Ray Brown and drummer from 1968–’69 are combined on in New York on July 27, 1959, the al- Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack These historic recordings present Shelly Manne for the Contempo- this single-CD reissue. Ornette At bum contains all the Monk music uti- DeJohnette was captured live at the the piano-, organ- and harp-play- rary label in 1957, presents the 12 ŵQGV&ROHPDQLQDTXDUWHWZLWK lized in Les Liaisons Dangereuses (a Netherlands Radio Union Studios ing Alice Coltrane as an innovative tenor saxophonist in top form, at his young son Denardo, Dewey )UHQFKŵOPE\5RJHU9DGLP DVZHOO in Hilversum on June 22, 1968. It’s artist and thinker who continued to the peak of vitality and creativity. Redman and Charlie Haden per- as some tracks not heard on screen. only the third known recording of challenge herself after retiring from The reissued vinyl edition sup- forming in Berkeley, California. For the recording, Monk leads tenor this particular trio, which performed public performance to focus on spir- plements the landmark album Crisis, recorded at New York Uni- saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist together for a six-month period. The itual practice. The 10 tracks that con- with a second LP of previously versity during an era of riots, assas- Sam Jones and drummer Art Taylor, music was originally broadcast on stitute this collection are assured unreleased bonus material, deluxe sinations and war, adds frequent with French tenor saxophonist Bar- the radio program Jazz in Actie by and communal, forward-thinking packaging and rare photos by Wil- Coleman collaborator Don Cherry ney Wilen joining on three tunes. Dutch producer Joop de Roo. and resolute. liam Claxton. to the lineup.

11. WES MONTGOMERY In Paris (RESONANCE) ...... 46 12. ALBERT AYLER Copenhagen Live 1964 (HATOLOGY) ...... 44 13. ANTHONY BRAXTON Sextet (PARKER) 1993 (FIREHOUSE 12) ...... 37 14. ART PEPPER, West Coast Sessions, Vol. 6: Shelly Manne (OMNIVORE) ...... 36 7. JACO PASTORIUS 8. SONNY CLARK TRIO 9. KEITH JARRETT/GARY 10. THELONIOUS MONK PEACOCK/JACK DEJOHNETTE WITH JOHN COLTRANE 15. SUN RA Truth, Liberty & Soul The 1960 Time Sessions Of Abstract Dreams (RESONANCE) 64 (TOMPKINS SQUARE) 53 After The Fall The Complete 1957 (STRUT) ...... 31 (ECM) 51 Riverside Recordings This two-CD set captures the bass This double-LP vinyl set (and digi- (CRAFT) 16. BOB DYLAN, Trouble No innovator leading a 22-piece big tal download) includes eight orig- This two-disc live album by Jarrett’s 51 More: The Bootleg Series band on June 27, 1982, at Avery inal album tracks and six alternate Standards Trio—recorded on Nov. This three-LP vinyl set celebrates the Vol. 13, 1979–1981 Fisher Hall in New York as part of takes from a session the pianist 14, 1998, at the New Jersey Per- only recordings of Monk and Col- (COLUMBIA/LEGACY) ...... 30 George Wein’s Kool Jazz Festival. recorded three years before his forming Arts Center—marks the pia- trane collaborating in the studio. The 17. OSCAR PETTIFORD The program, culled from the orig- demise at age 31. Remastering QLVWőVŵUVWSXEOLFSHUIRUPDQFHDIWHU musicians performed together regu- New York City 1955–1958 inal 24-track tape reels and present- has given the sound an intimate recovering from a bout of chronic larly at New York’s Five Spot Cafe in (UPTOWN) ...... 29 ed in its entirety, showcases Pasto- new presence, and the music spar- fatigue syndrome that befell him 1957, and their easy rapport reveals 18. EDDIE DANIELS & ROGER rius’ brilliant compositions for large kles with lyrical joie de vivre and in 1996. The trio conjures magic in itself here on Monk repertoire like KELLAWAY, Just Friends ensemble. A portion of this historic rhythmic subtlety. Clark is joined the moment as they honor familiar “Ruby, My Dear,” “Monk’s Mood,” (RESONANCE) ...... 27 concert previously was broadcast on by bassist George Duvivier and jazz repertoire, shining light into “Crepuscule With Nellie” and “Nut- the NPR program Jazz Alive! drummer Max Roach. neglected corners. ty,” complete with alternate takes. 19. LESTER BOWIE Numbers 1 & 2 (NESSA) ...... 25 20. MYRA MELFORD Alive In The House Of Saints For more of the year’s top historical albums, see page 52. (HATOLOGY) ...... 25

38 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 39 JAZZ ALBUM FEMALE VOCALIST

40 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Jimmy & Dena Katz SALVANT

WHEN TOLD THAT SHE ONCE AGAIN WAS VOTED THE TOP FEMALE VOCALIST IN THE CRITICS POLL, HARLEM-BASED CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT SAID, “I’M GRATEFUL AND SHOCKED. BUT NOW, WHEN I’M TOURING, I’M SEEING PEOPLE WHO COME TO EIGHT OR 10 OF MY SHOWS. I NEVER THOUGHT THESE LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE AUDIENCE WOULD HAPPEN.” he 28-year-old artist also topped the poll’s Jazz Album cat- her choices,” Sikivie said in a separate phone egory for her double album, Dreams And Daggers (Mack interview. “Another of her strengths is great Avenue). The ambitious, high-art program includes stan- variety and control of timbre, so I wanted to Tdards performed live at the Village Vanguard, as well as origi- hear her voice against as many different tex- nal musical commentary on them, as recorded in the studio tures as possible.” with a string quartet in support. Salvant has been labeled as one of the In a phone conversation from her hotel in Milan, Italy, young performers who is ushering in the where she was amid a European tour, the singer was exu- future of jazz. “That’s a high honor, but I berant when discussing the success of Dreams And don’t really see myself in that role,” she said. Daggers—which she didn’t initially envision as a two- “My music is modern, it’s traditional, and it disc package. “I didn’t know that’s the way it was may stretch into the future. I like to explore going to happen,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking CDs, and I like to play with music in different but how all these 21 songs would play out—with ways to see how it evolves, how it transforms folding in the live music and the studio, and tell- over time. It’s a challenge to take some of ing all the stories with different perspectives.” those ideas in the old songs and put them in As for the strings in the studio, Salvant front of the present day.” had done some performances with string Salvant’s music traverses a range of sen- quartets, and she loved her bassist Paul timent, from rapturous to spunky. But an Sikivie’s arrangements. “I wanted to often-overlooked element is a pulsing vein of showcase the strings, rather than wait humor, often revealed onstage. for another album to include them Her upcoming high-profile gigs include two years later,” she said. “I’m not the Newport Jazz Festival on Aug. 5 and the obsessed with the homogeneous. Monterey Jazz Festival on Sept. 22. I like the eclectic. It pushes the Additionally, she is collaborating with musicians and the listeners to find big band leader Darcy James Argue on an and create new links. It’s about ambitious song cycle, Ogress, which will be creating new stories.” premiered at the Metropolitan Museum of Writing and arranging the Art in New York on Sept. 28. “I’m writing pieces was an outgrowth of the music and lyrics and then sending them Sikivie’s rapport with her, to Darcy,” she explained. “The storyline has cultivated since 2012. different characters that I’ll sing. I’m fasci- “One of Cécile’s many nated with French baroque cantatas, where strengths is a drive to one singer is the narrator and then does all explore different pos- the characters.” sibilities in phrasing, so Could this be Salvant’s next album? I tried not to box her in “We’ll have to see,” she replied. “If it’s not a rhythmically, not to force fiasco, we will record it.” —Dan Ouellette

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 41 FLUTE RISING STAR JAZZ GROUP NICOLE MITCHELL COMMUNITY LEADER ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING THINGS ABOUT NICOLE MITCHELL’S TONE IS THE SIZE OF HER SOUND. OTHER FLUTISTS SOMETIMES STRUGGLE TO MAKE THE INSTRUMENT’S LOWER RANGE CUT THROUGH THE WAY THE UPPER REGISTER DOES, BUT MITCHELL EASILY HOLDS HER OWN IN THE FIRST OCTAVE AGAINST TRUMPETS AND SAXOPHONES. ASK HER HOW SHE GETS SUCH A BIG SOUND, AND SHE JUST LAUGHS.

rom years and years of playing with than a concept, one that uses a revolving cast don’t go around writing a drum chart for taiko,” drummers and having no mic,” she of players to realize the variety of Mitchell’s she said—but it really adds to the ensemble’s said. “All those years you toil away, compositions. palette. “Fplaying clubs and the microphone doesn’t “The way I designed it, the instrumentation “Nicole doesn’t make it like there’s some work and there’s like 50 people on the stage. You and the personnel would change according to special delineation about [the taiko], either,” learn how to project by necessity.” the project,” she said. “Even in the very begin- Reid said. “It’s just another color or voice added Mitchell is more interested in making music ning, when we were just playing at the Velvet to the ensemble.” than fussing with technique. “Playing the flute, Lounge [in Chicago], every time we played it Mitchell also is fond of integrating vocals I always wanted just to put it together and play was with a different configuration. Of course, into her work. On Mandorla Awakening II, sing- it,” she said by phone from her office at the we had members who have been involved with a er Avery R. Young takes a traditional, if often University of California, Irvine. “Not go through lot of projects and have even been on a majority admonitory, role advancing the work’s lyrical a bunch of exercises and warm-ups, go through of the recordings. But then, we also have musi- themes, while on the upcoming Maroon Cloud, my scales and this and that. This is probably dif- cians who might be invited into a new project, Fay Victor’s singing often is wordless, making ferent from what other people might say about because of what they bring, and then start doing her a melodic equal to Mitchell, Reid and pia- playing their instrument, but I really try to train other things with the group after that.” nist Aruán Ortiz. myself to just pick it up and play it, and work the “Nicole always tries to foster a community “I have singers because I’m a closet singer,” kinks out in the meantime, if I have to. Or keep vibe in whatever project she’s doing,” said cel- Mitchell said. “I don’t really feel comfortable ’em in.” She chuckled. “Kinks are good.” list Tomeka Reid, a BEE regular since 2000. singing things myself, but I’m always writing That attitude might not endear her to flute “I’ve always loved the moments of silence we all lyrics. teachers, but the results she gets have consistent- share before going onstage, standing in a circle, “And I definitely feel a connection between ly made her a critical favorite. “There are a lot of with our eyes closed, holding hands. Sometimes my voice and the flute,” she continued. “My amazing flute players out there,” she said, mod- someone would say a few words, like a prayer voice is actually really close in range to the flute, estly. “It’s a blessing to be put in that category before a meal. It was always very centering, a which is unlike a lot of the other flute players again, and I was really excited about [the Critics feeling of we’re all in this together.” who’ve come before me, because they’ve been Poll win for] my Black Earth Ensemble.” For the Black Earth Ensemble’s 2017 album, men for the most part and they have low voices. Topping the category Rising Star–Jazz Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds Also, I don’t have a lot of overtones in my voice, Group makes a nice anniversary present for the (FPE), Mitchell brought in Kojiro Umezaki on so it’s very close to a sine wave, which makes it ensemble, which is celebrating 20 years of play- shakuhachi (Japanese flute) and Tatsu Aoki on even closer to the texture of the flute sound. ing and recording this year. But it also under- shamisen and taiko (Japanese lute and drum, “There’s still a lot to discover,” she added. scores Mitchell’s gifts as a composer and band- respectively). Writing for non-Western instru- “There’s definitely a lot more to figure out.” leader. The Black Earth Ensemble is less a band ments is a challenge, Mitchell admitted—“You —J.D. Considine

42 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 KRISTI SUTTON ELIAS

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 43 Nicole Mitchell leads the Black Earth Ensemble, winner of the category Rising Star–Jazz Group. RISING STAR JAZZ ARTISTS JULIAN LAGE FOCUSED ON THE SONGS

RECENTLY, JULIAN LAGE FINISHED UP A STINT IN NELS CLINE’S EXCITING QUARTET SUPPORTING (BLUE NOTE) AT LE POISSON ROUGE IN NEW YORK BEFORE HEADING TO EUROPE FOR A TOUR. CLINE’S LEADER PROJECT FEATURES THE TWO VIRTUOSO GUITARISTS SHARING THE RAW-ENERGY SPOTLIGHT.

es, it was the brawl,” this year’s Rising Star–Jazz Artist co-winner said with a laugh on the phone while on his way to Burlington, Vermont, to perform at the club Higher Ground with his romantic partner, singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy. “Y“Nels is a pillar of improvised music. He’s one of my dearest friends and collaborators.” In a sweeping switch from the tumult of Cline’s band, the 30-year-old Lage now is revved up to tour behind his trio album, Modern Lore (Mack Avenue), featuring bassist Scott Colley and drummer (and vibraphonist) Kenny Wollesen. The disc offers toe-tapping, playful grooves in infectious songs that are more akin to Americana simplicity than to a full-fledged, jagged, look-at-me jazz blast. And that’s exactly what makes Modern Lore such a treat. Most of the 11 tracks clock in at the three- to four-minute range, there are no extended solos, and the program moves from the quiet and pastoral to the tangled and high-flying with impeccable ease. “This is a song-based record,” Lage said. “The songs are telling a story, and my hope is that listeners experience that. That’s why I wanted Jesse Harris to produce. We go back a little way, and he really loves songs. He’s built a beautiful life in that world of song, and he’s not spe- cifically in that jazz-world exploration. He helped to keep me focusing on the songs.” Lage often listens to other artists’ music during a type of research and development phase before going into the studio. In the case of Modern Lore, he drenched himself in tunes from decades ago: Bo Diddley, Little Richard and early Jeff Beck. But he also listens to a fair amount of classical and orchestral music, as well as the work of some of his colleagues, including drummer Tom Rainey and pianist Kris Davis, the co-winner of the Rising Star–Jazz Artist category (see page 45). “I see Kris a lot,” Lage said. “I’m grateful to be tied with her for this award, but she gets the win, in my opinion.” The bassist in Lage’s touring trio, Jorge Roeder, has played regularly with him for 10 years. He has watched the guitarist evolve from a guy playing blues on a Stratocaster to a fully developed, amped-up guitarist on a Nachocaster, built by luthier Nacho Baños, who specializes in vintage Telecaster-style instruments. “Julian had been looking to find a sound that most represents him,” Roeder said. “He found his voice with the Nachocaster. He’s the consummate improviser, but jazz is only one of his many hats. He also embraces the blues and all kinds of American music.” Cline is another one of Lage’s biggest fans. “The musical relationship that has sprung up between Julian and me has been truly profound,” he said. “Julian was who I needed to be playing with as a sensitive collaborator, on both a chromatic and modern level. We started touring as a duo and magic would happen every night.” The guitarists released an acclaimed duo album, Room (Mack Avenue), in 2014. Lage is planning a solo electric guitar album (he recorded the solo acoustic guitar CD World’s Fair in 2015), as well as a duo project with bassist Steve Swallow, partially influenced by Dixieland music. He’s also excited about the Tzadik album Insurrection, recorded with bassist Trevor Dunn (of Mr. Bungle) and guitarist Matt Hollenberg and drum- mer Kenny Grohowski (both of whom are in Simulacrum). “It’s a smok- ing album,” Lage said. “It’s my heavy metal project.” —Dan Ouellette

44 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Pianist Kris Davis runs the independent to find my voice, how do I go about that?” label Pyroclastic Records. The answer, she said, was to move toward “a more linear approach and not so much one in which the harmony structures how the melo- dies and the improvising would come out.” She began working away from the piano, writing out lines over modes and then shap- ing the raw material into etudes at the instru- ment. Gradually, she moved back to a more bal- anced approach that synthesizes the horizontal and the vertical. The fruits of that approach have become evident. On Duopoly, for example, she facilitates col- loquies with musicians who, though like-mind- ed, might not always share with her all the particulars of a language: pianists Angelica Sanchez and Craig Taborn (her sole collabo- rator on Octopus); guitarists Frisell and Julian Lage; woodwind players Tim Berne and Don Byron; drummers Billy Drummond and Marcus Gilmore. “There’s something nice about making music with someone with whom you share an aesthetic,” she said. “But there’s also something

PETER GANNUSHKIN nice about playing with someone from a dif- ferent world, where you have to find a middle ground.” Increasingly, Davis has found common ground in the community at John Zorn’s venue The Stone, where she was in residence for a week last year. On Aug. 1, she will perform Zorn’s bagatelles in Lisbon with guitarist Mary KRIS DAVIS Halvorson, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Kenny Wollesen. On Aug. 18, she will be back at INNOVATIVE VOICE the Stone, joining Lage for his week there. (Lage, incidentally, is the other co-winner of the Rising AFTER ANSWERING AN INTERVIEWER’S QUESTIONS FOR AN HOUR IN AN EMPTY Star–Jazz Artist category in this year’s Critics REHEARSAL ROOM AT THE NEW SCHOOL, KRIS DAVIS WAS ASKED TO PLAY A FEW BARS Poll; see page 44.) ON A PIANO THAT SAT IN THE CORNER. THE REQUEST, COMING AS A CLUTCH OF ANXIOUS From late August through late September, she will play a spate of festivals—in Detroit STUDENTS WAITED OUTSIDE THE DOOR, MIGHT HAVE SEEMED A BIT PRESUMPTUOUS. (with Terri Lyne Carrington and Esperanza Spalding), Chicago (with Eric Revis, Ken ut Davis was game. Without hesitation, albums, Duopoly (2016) and Octopus (2018), Vandermark and Chad Taylor) and Monterey she strode to the instrument and dove both released on her Pyroclastic Records label. (with Ingrid Jensen and Tia Fuller) before cir- into an abbreviated version of a newly “When I hear her, I don’t know what’s writ- cling back to Chicago for a solo performance in Bwritten tribute to Cecil Taylor. What emerged ten and what’s being created in the moment,” Hyde Park. was a highly evocative turn that alternately said an admiring Bill Frisell, with whom she laid As the year winds down, Davis will be found her negotiating a maze of tricky inter- down two haunting tracks on Duopoly, “Prairie expanding her Pyroclastic label, which, two vals, dissecting a series of gnarly clusters and Eyes” and a free improvisation. Recalling the years after its creation, is seeking nonprofit sta- scampering cat-like across the keys. studio session, the guitarist added, “My mem- tus, as it takes on its first outside artist, pianist The piece, commissioned by The Jazz ory is that we were not to differentiate between Cory Smythe. She will also be involved in a new Gallery, was finely wrought. At the same time, the two pieces. It felt like it was the same monthly collaboration between The Jazz Gallery its cell-like structure readily allowed for extem- atmosphere.” and the School for Improvised Music, where she poraneous expansion. The result was a work Blurring the line between the notated and has been teaching for more than six years. that seemed at once fixed and fluid, occupy- the improvised has not always been foremost Meanwhile, Davis will be entering her sec- ing a nether zone between the calculated and in Davis’ mind. From her early days in Canada ond year of teaching at both The New School the spontaneous. It is a zone that Davis, 38, has through her debut album—Lifespan (2004), a and Princeton University. Glancing at the stu- made her own. sextet effort—she embraced the dual impera- dents waiting outside the door of the New The strategy has helped win her accolades, tives of comping and blowing. School rehearsal room, she reflected on their like her co-victory as Rising Star–Jazz Artist “I had to go through that phase of learning journey. in this year’s Critics Poll. And it has proved the language to discover how it was done in the “It’s [very] intense for the students,” she adaptable to a variety of formats, not least the past,” she said. “Then I had to figure out: If I said. “There’s a lot of pressure to get it together duo—her setting of choice for her most recent want to be an innovator in this music, if I want to have a life in music.” —Phillip Lutz

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 45 RISING STAR TRUMPET, ARRANGER MICHAEL CROMMETT

AMIR By Howard Mandel ELSAFFAR DEEPER INTO EXPRESSION THE DOWNBEAT CRITICS POLL’S RECOGNITION OF TRUMPETER, COMPOSER, SANTUR PLAYER AND MAQAM SINGER AMIR ELSAFFAR AS A RISING STAR–TRUMPET AND RISING STAR–ARRANGER IS TIMELY—AND WELL DESERVED.

ot Two (New Amsterdam), his widely though, ElSaffar strikes an aesthetic one. His hailed 2017 release—recorded in ana- music demonstrates the fluidity and applica- log, released in multiple formats but bility of his insight, employing written and/ Nintended as two LPs—is his most ambitious or improvised material that absorbs, yet tran- work yet, a suite for the 17-piece Rivers of scends, classical and pop music conventions. Sound ensemble, building on his Two Rivers Jazz and Arab maqam have guided him to septet. ElSaffar is thriving as a teacher-in-res- embrace and master a more continuous flow of idence at France’s Royaumont Foundation, pitch than 12 tones to an octave, with intrigu- writing and premiering chamber works ing harmonic implications he eagerly explores. throughout Europe, but also gigging from ElSaffar’s innovations don’t dominate his Katowice, Poland (duos with saxophonist music, but flow through it. Hafez Modirzadeh), to New York City (with Caught by phone during a rare week off, he flutist Jamie Baum’s septet during Winter enthused about his new projects and focus on Jazzfest), and fronting Rivers of Sound in cit- honing compositional chops. He was appre- ies across the United States. ciative, of course, about his DownBeat wins, ElSaffar continues to advance his overar- but questioned one distinction. ching idea: that Middle Eastern music—spe- “I’m happy to receive recognition as a cifically the Iraqi maqam vocal tradition— Rising Star–Arranger, of course,” he said, “but opens vistas for jazz improvisers and indeed because I’m not arranging standards—the typ- music-makers of all ilk within a sphere of ical work of an arranger, with pre-composed sound that denies division. Highly structured material—I assume votes for me in that cate- maqam assumes a more complexly refined gory were on the basis of my ability to orga- continuum of tonality than does Western tra- nize music for ensembles of mixed instrumen- dition. Microtonality, modality, decorative tation, like Rivers of Sound and Two Rivers. gestures and free rhythmic practice across cul- I think of ‘arranging’ in that sense more as tures worldwide had led ElSaffar to hear all orchestrating. The term ‘arranger’ carries a lot as one. It’s worth noting that he’s politically of implications that don’t necessarily apply to aware (album titles like Crisis reflect this) and what I do.” trying to supplant tribalism with universal- Critics can be forgiven for difficulty differ- ism, while divisive forces roil the world, par- entiating between composing, arranging and ticularly the Middle East region, with which orchestrating in ElSaffar’s work. His themes he’s deeply connected. and counter-themes often seemlike ancient Rather than taking political stances, airs vividly voiced—on Not Two weaving

46 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 together his trumpet, voice and/or santur tinued. “The first time I heard him sing, I knew he belonged to, or recording under conduc- (hammered dulcimer), ouds, oboe, English I wanted him for ‘Song Without Words,’ which tor Daniel Barenboim with members of the horn, saxophones, strings (his sister Dena I wrote for my father after he passed away, Chicago Symphony Orchestra— but like jazz ElSaffar plays violin), piano, vibes, electric gui- based on ‘Kol Nidre,’ the Jewish prayer for our and maquam, they’re irrefutably part of him. tar, upright bass, trap drums and various forms Day of Atonement. Whenever I listen to Amir “There are so many different gradations, so of percussion. sing that, he brings me to tears.” many different ways you can play a sound that Microtonality, modality and decorative ElSaffar was surprised when asked if he gets at the emotions,” he said. “Ultimately, devices give his compositions surface sin- explicitly draws on his youthful musical expe- that’s what I’m after: how to get deeper into gularity, but ElSaffar sets up or scores elab- riences—late-’60s rock, his father’s inter- expression.” orate polyphony for individualistic partici- est in jazz and blues, his mother’s Bach and Playing trumpet, composing, leading pants, such as Jason Adasiewicz, Craig Taborn, Haydn albums, the wedding and corpo- ensembles, working with others, Amir ElSaffar Miles Okazaki, Ole Mathisen, J.D. Parran and rate dates he played in college, the r&b band is a rising star and already a brilliant one. DB Nasheet Waits in a manner uncommon, if not unknown in traditional Arab music. Moreover, Not Two is impossible to catego- rize. It flashes momentary references to spec- tral composition (“Iftitah”), minimalism (“Penny Explosion”), prepared piano (“Jourjina Over Three”), samba rhythms (“Hijaz 21/8”) and baroque brass (the 16-minute “Shards Of Memory/B Half Flat Fantasy”). Close listening reveals ElSaffar’s broad range, and perhaps the truth of his insight that all music is one. He recently has expanded on that realiza- tion with French-Lebanese rapper Marc Nammour (“It’s the first time I ever worked on a hip-hop project”) and electronics composer Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch (“He creates his own software and does live processing; it’s an inter- esting direction, inspiring new ideas”). ElSaffar also has written, performed and plans to record Interstices, an hour-plus piece for the Belgian contemporary music octet Ictus: “I’ve used the same musical materials I’ve been developing over the years, but no improvisation per se.” At the urging of Royaumont’s director, he’s composing a flamenco piece for an ensemble with a vocalist (“Flamenco singing is close to maqam in terms of intonation, and there’s the historical tie through the Moors”) but no gui- tar (“since the piece goes beyond equal temper- ament”). And he’s been caught up in writing for combined forces of Rivers of Sound and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, 27 musicians in all, commissioned by the Yale University and supported by the 2018 International Festival of Arts and Ideas. ElSaffar credits pianist Cecil Taylor, whose large ensemble he played with in the early 2000s, as his “strongest influence,” acknowl- edging that “what I write might not immediate- ly strike someone that way.” Jamie Baum, who consulted with the trum- peter when composing her cross-cultural works on Bridges, said, “Amir has certainly come out of jazz, but not jazz only. After he played with me on In This Life, which was inspired by South Asian music, while I was writing Bridges I con- ferred with him about the confluences of that and maqam and Jewish music, about how there are common scales and ways to develop pieces from those scales. He knows a lot. “And Amir’s such a soulful guy,” she con-

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 47 RISING STAR GUITAR © RYO MITAMURA / ECM RECORDS JAKOB BRO UNDERSTATED

The time Jakob Bro spent performing with NUANCE Paul Motian has been integral to his development.

A KEY MOMENT OF THE 2016 COPENHAGEN JAZZ FESTIVAL ARRIVED IN QUIET, BOLD AND Playing in Motian’s Electric Bebop Band in DEEP STROKES WHEN GUITARIST JAKOB BRO MET VETERAN DANISH TRUMPETER PALLE the early ’00s was a major catalyst in Bro’s musi- cal evolution. “Playing his songs and him say- MIKKELBORG AND NORWEGIAN DRUMMER JON CHRISTENSEN, ALONGSIDE BRO’S ing that he liked my writing really set me on KINDRED SPIRIT BASSIST-ALLY, THOMAS MORGAN. some sort of path,” Bro explained. “For a while, I thought the ideas in my writing were obvious- he setting: the ancient Kastelskirken that DownBeat is even noticing is nice for me ly coming out of Paul’s things, but slowly, that church in the 17th century Kastellet for- to see.” developed into something else.” tress, an enchanting site for a group Bro is something of a reluctant guitar hero. Bro also was profoundly touched by the leg- soundT at once musing, exploratory and rev- He started on trumpet and eased into the gui- endary elasticity of Motian’s time feel, a loose, erent. The next day, the quartet took its col- tar, inspired by Jimi Hendrix, studying formally rubato relationship that has carried over to laborative songbook into the storied Rainbow at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen Bro’s trios, both with Christensen and Baron. Studio in Oslo, Norway, and the result is Bro’s and Berklee College of Music in Boston. He In that mode, he said, “You don’t have to dictate acclaimed ECM album, Returnings. counts among his influences and heroes a vari- the melodies. They can make their own life. For Bro, winner of the category Rising Star– ety of jazz instrumentalists—Louis Armstrong, me, that was a revelation. I never thought about Guitar, has been winning fans around the Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Thelonious the fact that time is loose, because when playing world, thanks to his subtle and often dark- Monk—as well as guitar icons Pat Metheny, with Paul, it felt so natural.” ly lyrical musical voice. Guitarists can be loud, John Scofield, Jim Hall and John Abercrombie. That central link to Motian is something he fast and brash, but players such as Bro and Bill The transition from releasing his music shares with Morgan, who also played in Frisell (with whom Bro has worked and shared independently to working with ECM was a big Motian’s band and first worked with Bro in an important mentor—the late, great drum- step, he admitted: “I never listen to myself and 2009. Morgan offered that “Jakob is distin- mer Paul Motian) have waged a veritable revo- say, ‘How did I sound? Was that a good gui- guished by his sense of melody—the kind that lution of understatement and nuance. At times, tar solo?’ … Entering with ECM and Manfred transcends genre—and blend, and his way of Bro can be a minimalist master, but he’s also a wanting me to do a guitar trio, I was thinking, setting up situations to unfold beautifully and well-rounded, uncommonly sensitive compos- ‘Can I figure out what I want to do with this?’ naturally.” er and bandleader. But I really learned a lot from that. I’m happy Bro currently is composing a choir project, At 40, Bro is no longer a newcomer, boast- that I waited so long to take that step. I felt also including Christensen, in addition to ing 14 albums—mostly on his own Loveland proud of [Gefion] as a whole, and I also thought, steady work with his trio, noting, “It took label, including Balladeering (featuring Lee ‘Wow, I didn’t even know I could play these awhile for me to find a group that I could tour Konitz, Frisell and Motian). A much higher things.’ I had always been writing sketches for and record with. Joey and Thomas helped me a public profile has resulted from his signing with Lee Konitz, who would interpret them. All of a lot in that sense, because it’s a band I enjoy, both ECM. The label previously released his album sudden, I had to interpret myself.” socially and musically.” Gefion in 2015, followed by 2016’s Streams Bro’s relatively late emergence as a leader In terms of basking in a sense of having (featuring his ongoing trio with Morgan and occurred after close, inspirational contact with “arrived,” though, the still-rising Bro abides by drummer Joey Baron). A new live trio album veterans. His ECM debut came as a sideman the creative creed of remaining open to explor- and U.S. tour are scheduled for later this year. with Motian on 2005’s Garden Of Eden, lead- ing and evolving. “I’m still working,” he insist- The soft-spoken Dane humbly said, “I’m ing to a gig with Polish trumpet legend Tomasz ed. “I’m still thinking about what I want to do.” still far away from the U.S., somehow. The fact Stanko, appearing on 2009’s Dark Eyes (ECM). —Josef Woodard

48 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 RISING STAR House (Davis, guitarist Mary Halvorson, bass-

TENOR ©CAROLINE MARDOK ist John Hébert, drummer Tom Rainey) and the SAXOPHONE Ingrid Laubrock Octet (Halvorson, Rainey, pia- nist Liam Noble, bassist Drew Gress, cellist Ben Davis, accordionist Ted Reichman, trumpeter Tom Arthurs). “As I was new in New York and it takes time to become part of a scene, I suddenly had more time than I ever had before as an adult,” she recalled of her early years in the Big Apple. “That gave me headspace to think about what I did and what I did not want to do. Composing filled those periods.” In addition to Davis, cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, bassist Stephan Crump (who appears with her and pianist Cory Smythe on the 2017 Intakt release Planktonic Finales) and her hus- band, Rainey (whom she married in 2010), the saxophonist considers Halvorson to be an essen- tial musical ally. “Mary is one of the first musicians I played with in New York, and I am very grateful for that connection, not only as a musician but also Ingrid Laubrock, who was born in Germany, now is based in Brooklyn. as my friend,” Laubrock said. “I had heard of her when living in London, but first listened to her play live with [drummer] Tomas Fujiwara’s The Hook Up at Barbès in Brooklyn. I was imme- diately impressed by her unique way of playing. Her compositions are just as true, personal and creative as her playing. Also, Mary introduced me to Anthony Braxton, who has been the most INGRID life-changing musician I have met. So, I owe her big-time for that.” [Laubrock was part of Braxton’s Diamond Curtain Wall ensemble and his Falling River Music Quartet.] Rainey and Laubrock—who met in the U.K. at the 2004 Cheltenham Jazz Festival—have an LAUBROCK ongoing duo that highlights their conversation- al exchanges in a purely improvised setting. Their TRUE IMPROVISER, third duet recording, Buoyancy, was released in 2016 on the Relative Pitch label. “Ingrid is rare in the sense that she is a true SERIOUS COMPOSER improviser, as well as a serious composer,” Rainey said, “meaning she doesn’t just write music that AFTER 20 YEARS ON THE LONDON SCENE, WHERE SHE COLLABORATED WITH is a vehicle for her to solo over. For Anti-House, she brings a unique compositional perspective, as BRAZILIAN SINGER MÔNICA VASCONCELOS AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE F-IRE well as her prowess as an improviser. And for my COLLECTIVE, SAXOPHONIST INGRID LAUBROCK MOVED TO NEW YORK IN 2009. trio and Sleepthief [their trio with pianist Noble], she brings a personal sound and spontaneity that ince settling into the Columbia Heights Laubrock, who studied in London in 1992 is completely her own. Our duo is where we can section of Brooklyn, Laubrock has been with ex-Jazz Messenger Jean Toussaint and in meet and distill everything else we’re involved in making an impact on the scene centered the States during the summer of 1998 with Dave musically to a very direct improvisational place.” aroundS cutting-edge Brooklyn venues like The Liebman, described herself as a reluctant com- Next up for Laubrock is Pieces For Orchestra Owl Music Parlor, LunÀtico and Roulette, as well poser. “I didn’t start until I was 27 or 28 years old,” With Soloists, an Intakt album slated for release as John Zorn’s Manhattan performance space, explained the native of Stadtlohn, Germany. “In in November. Pieces includes two commissioned The Stone. retrospect, I think that I was nervous about the works: Vogelfrei, which was premiered in 2014 “Moving to New York was an important finality of putting something down on paper and at Roulette by Braxton’s Tri-Centric Orchestra, step,” said Laubrock, who topped the catego- saying, ‘This is me.’ Then the bug bit and I real- and Contemporary Chaos Practices, which was ry Rising Star–Tenor Saxophone in this year’s ized that, like with everything else, you only get premiered at the 2017 Moers Festival by the Critics Poll. “There are so many amazing musi- better by doing it.” Cologne-based EOS Chamber Orchestra. cians here, and especially as a composer, I feel I Her composing skills blossomed in New “[Because] the project involves 47 musicians, can pretty much write anything and find open- York through her groups Paradoxical Trio (pia- I count myself lucky to have been able to docu- minded and great musicians to realize it.” nist Kris Davis, drummer Tyshawn Sorey), Anti- ment both works,” she said. —Bill Milkowski

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 49 PIANO ©PAUL NATKIN/PHOTO RESERVE, INC

Geri Allen (1957–2017) topped the Piano category in the Critics Poll. GERI ALLEN COURAGEOUS EXPLORER PIANIST GERI ALLEN’S DEATH—FROM CANCER COMPLICATIONS AT AGE 60 ON JUNE 27, 2017—ELICITED AN OUTPOURING OF TRIBUTES, FROM JAZZ ELDERS, HER PEERS AND YOUNGER MUSICIANS SHE TOUCHED. VOTERS IN THIS YEAR’S CRITICS POLL CHOSE TO SHOW THEIR APPRECIATION AS WELL.

Michigan native who became one of the keyboard and brought a purity of intent, the first to graduate from Howard focus and fierce determination to the music University with a bachelor of arts she played.” degreeA in jazz studies, Allen turned heads Lloyd was one of many established players immediately when she moved to New York who recruited Allen to contribute to their City in 1982. recordings and live performances. With one “She was the one who pulled together all of these elders, Ornette Coleman, Allen made of the histories, from Mary Lou Williams and history, becoming the first keyboardist to work Erroll Garner to Cecil Taylor and M-Base,” with the iconoclastic altoist in the 48 years pianist Jason Moran wrote in a tribute to her. since he had formed his first quartet in 1958. “She made the newest language on the piano.” Recordings like the two volumes of Sound It was as a member of The M-Base Museum she made with Coleman in 1996 Collective—the loose assemblage that cemented her reputation as a fierce improviser includes saxophonist Steve Coleman—that who never settled for predictability. Allen first gained prominence with her lan- Allen began to build an academic career in guage, drawing comparisons to Williams for her forties, serving on the faculty of Howard her stylistic breadth. University, New England Conservatory and Speaking to pianist and jazz journalist Bill University of Michigan, where she taught King in 1995, Allen said: “[Williams] said for 10 years. In 2013, she became director she was playing bebop when Charlie Parker of the jazz studies program at University of was still in short pants. She lived through Pittsburgh, a position she held until her death. the ‘Fatha’ Hines years and the transition of Summarizing Allen’s contributions, the Harlem piano players from [Art] Tatum to Bud veteran author, educator and social rights [Powell]. … In her day, everybody wanted to leader Angela Davis wrote: “[Her] music will talk to her; she had all the answers.” always remind us that we do not have to relin- “Geri Allen was all music,” saxophonist quish our cultural anchors in order to engage Charles Lloyd wrote in tribute. “She tran- in courageous explorations. Her brilliance will scended labels and gender. She was a poet on inspire generations to come.” —James Hale

50 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 COMPOSER MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS ©PAUL NATKIN/PHOTO PURSUING EVERY DIRECTION PIANIST MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS—WHO DIED OCT. 29 AT AGE 87—NEITHER RELEASED NOR RECORDED AN ALBUM DURING THE FINAL YEAR OF HIS LIFE. Muhal Richard Abrams (1930–2017) sound-painted with a capacious palette.

ut the impact of Abrams’ genre-transcending music, documented on System of Musical Composition. “Schillinger analyzed music as raw mate- more than 30 albums, is remarkably widespread, as implied by his rial, and learning the possibilities gave you an analytical basis to create any- posthumous win in the DownBeat Critics Poll Composer category. thing you want,” Abrams said in 2010, upon his induction in the DownBeat BMarty Ehrlich, who played woodwinds on four Abrams albums and Hall of Fame. “But I am the sum product of studying many things.” recruited the pianist to participate on two of his own projects, elaborated In 1961, Abrams established a workshop ensemble, the Experimental on the composer: “Muhal wrote really challenging music, and you came to Band, into which he recruited local aspirants like Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph it with a lot of hats. You’d be playing some structurally unique chromatic Jarman, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Jack DeJohnette and Malachi world you’d never quite heard before, followed by a slow Chicago blues, fol- Favors. In 1965, he co-founded the Association for the Advancement of lowed by an uptempo, open, bebop-oriented thing … .” Creative Musicians, in which members could operate within a collabora- Indeed, Abrams sound-painted with a capacious palette. His pianistic tive infrastructure while developing ideas. Next-generation avatars Steve voice referenced ragtime, stride and Serialism. His legacy includes works Coleman and Greg Osby drew deeply from Abrams’ well of knowledge. for piano solos and duos, small combos, string quartets, saxophone quar- They connected him to eminent Millennials and post-Boomers like Jason tets, big bands and symphonic orchestras, as well as computer music. Moran, Vijay Iyer, Craig Taborn, Tyshawn Sorey and David Virelles. Born and raised in Chicago, Abrams deserved, as Ehrlich put it, “the In a 2009 interview, Abrams said, “I helped inspire other people Nobel Prize for DIY.” Self-taught on his instrument, he studied scores, prac- to be themselves from my example: ‘I am going to be myself; you have ticed classical piano pieces and assimilated Joseph Schillinger’s massive the opportunity to be yourself.’” —Ted Panken

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 51 We are proud to present the results of COMPLETE the 66th Annual DownBeat International Critics Poll, which includes Jazz Album of the Year (page 30) and Historical RESULTS Album of the Year (page 38).

Benny Golson ...... 91 Jack DeJohnette ...... 84

Anthony Braxton ...... 71 ANNA WEBBER John McLaughlin ...... 63 Jon Hendricks ...... 60 Pharoah Sanders ...... 60 George Benson ...... 59 Marian McPartland...... 55 Charles Lloyd ...... 54 Bob Brookmeyer ...... 52 Shirley Horn ...... 52 Kenny Barron ...... 46 Dave Holland ...... 42 Oliver Nelson ...... 41 Sam Rivers ...... 41 Kenny Burrell ...... 40 George Russell ...... 40 Jaki Byard ...... 39 Mel Tormé ...... 36

Kurt Elling, winner of the Male Vocalist category

Marian McPartland ...... 70% Tyshawn Sorey, Verisimilitude Kamasi Washington, Harmony Of Note: Artists must receive at least (Pi) ...... 33 +PɈLYLUJL (Young Turks) ...... 25 66% of the Veterans Committee Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dreams Julian Lage, Modern Lore Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan, votes to gain entry. Other artists And Daggers (Mack Avenue) . 62 (Mack Avenue) ...... 31 Small Town (ECM) ...... 24 receiving more than 50% of the Anat Cohen Tentet, Happy Song Roscoe Mitchell, Bells For The Linda May Han Oh, Walk Against votes: (Anzic) ...... 61 South Side (ECM) ...... 29 Wind (Biophilia) ...... 23 Scott LaFaro...... 58% Charles Lloyd New Quartet, Mary Halvorson, Code Girl Louis Hayes, Serenade For Les Paul...... 55% Passin’ Thru (Blue Note)...... 59 (Firehouse 12) ...... 28 (Blue Note) ...... 22 DeJohnette/Grenadier/Medeski/ Horace Vijay Iyer Sextet, Far From Over Jamie Saft, Solo A Genova Scofield, Hudson (Motéma) ..... 56 (ECM) ...... 28 Ambrose Akinmusire, A Rift In (RareNoise) ...... 21 Vijay Iyer ...... 80 Amir ElSaffar/Rivers Of Sound, Decorum (Blue Note) ...... 46 Wadada Leo Smith, Najwa Not Two (New Amsterdam) ...... 27 Anat Cohen ...... 68 Matt Wilson, Honey And Salt (Tum) ...... 21 Jazzmeia Horn, A Social Call Ambrose Akinmusire ...... 65 (Palmetto) ...... 44 Joshua Abrams, Simultonality (Prestige) ...... 27 Charles Lloyd ...... 61 Jaimie Branch, Fly Or Die (Eremite) ...... 20 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Mary Halvorson ...... 59 (International Anthem) ...... 42 Fabian Almazan & Rhizome, Diaspora (Ropeadope/Stretch) 27 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah 59 Fred Hersch, Open Book Alcanza (Biophilia) ...... 20 Wadada Leo Smith ...... 59 (Palmetto) ...... 37 Esperanza Spalding, Exposure Chris Potter, The Dreamer Is The Fred Hersch...... 56 Bill Charlap Trio, Uptown, (Concord)...... 27 Dream (ECM) ...... 20 Esperanza Spalding ...... 53 Downtown (Impulse!) ...... 36 Nicole Mitchell, Mandorla Regina Carter, Ella: Accentuate Awakening II: Emerging Worlds Terri Lyne Carrington ...... 51 Chick Corea, The Musician The Positive (OKeh) ...... 19 Chick Corea ...... 49 (Concord)...... 35 (FPE) ...... 26 Kurt Elling, The Questions Cécile McLorin Salvant ...... 49 Ron Miles, I Am A Man Lizz Wright, Grace (Concord) ...26 (OKeh) ...... 18 John McLaughlin ...... 48 (Enja/Yellowbird) ...... 35 The Bad Plus, Never Stop II Eddie Palmieri, Sabiduria (Legbreaker) ...... 25 Kamasi Washington ...... 48 Steve Coleman’s Natal Eclipse, (Ropeadope)...... 18 Christian McBride ...... 47 Morphogenesis (Pi) ...... 34 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Jason Moran ...... 43 John Beasley, MONK’estra, Vol. 2 The Emancipation Procrastination Roscoe Mitchell ...... 42 (Mack Avenue) ...... 33 (Ropeadope/Stretch) ...... 25 Bill Frisell ...... 41 Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Wadada Leo Smith, Solo: Miles Davis & John Coltrane, The Robert Glasper ...... 40 Coalition, Agrima 9LÅLJ[PVUZ(UK4LKP[H[PVUZ6U Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Henry Threadgill ...... 39 (Self Release) ...... 33 Monk (Tum) ...... 25 Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy) ...... 195

52 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Thelonious Monk, Les Liaisons Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet ... 46 Maria Schneider won the Arranger category, Dangereuses 1960 (SAM) ...... 117 Steve Coleman & and the Maria Schneider Orchestra won the Big Band category. Bill Evans, Another Time: Five Elements ...... 45 The Hilversum Concert Snarky Puppy ...... 43 WHIT LANE (Resonance) ...... 106 The Cookers ...... 40 Alice Coltrane, World Spirituality Keith Jarrett Standards Trio ..... 40 Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas’ Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda Sound Prints Quintet...... 40 (Luaka Bop) ...... 102 Brian Blade & The Fellowship Sonny Rollins, Way Out Band ...... 39 West–Deluxe Edition (Craft) ..... 75 Miguel Zenón Quartet ...... 37 Ornette Coleman, Ornette At Dave Holland Quintet ...... 36 12/Crisis Wadada Leo Smith (Impulse/Real Gone/UMG) ...... 69 Golden Quintet ...... 33 Jaco Pastorius, Truth, Liberty & Wayne Shorter Quartet ...... 32 Soul (Resonance) ...... 64 Sonny Clark Trio, The 1960 Time Sessions Maria Schneider Orchestra... 149 (Tompkins Square) ...... 53 Darcy James Argue’s Secret Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack Society ...... 108 DeJohnette, After The Fall Jazz at Lincoln Center (ECM) ...... 51 Orchestra...... 102 Thelonious Monk with John Christian McBride Big Band .... 91 Coltrane, The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings (Craft) .... 51 Carla Bley with Charlie Haden’s Wes Montgomery, In Paris Liberation Music Orchestra ..... 80 (Resonance) ...... 46 Sun Ra Arkestra ...... 76 Albert Ayler, Copenhagen Live John Hollenbeck Large 1964 (hatOLOGY) ...... 44 Ensemble ...... 69 Anthony Braxton, Sextet (Parker) Michael Formanek 1993 (Firehouse 12) ...... 37 Ensemble Kolossus ...... 51 Art Pepper, West Coast Sessions, Satoko Fujii Orchestra ...... 47 Vol. 6: Shelly Manne Steven Bernstein Millennial (Omnivore) ...... 36 Territory Orchestra ...... 42 Sun Ra, Of Abstract Dreams Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro-Latin Tony Malaby ...... 30 (Strut) ...... 31 Jazz Orchestra ...... 41 Donny McCaslin ...... 30 Bob Dylan, Trouble No More: The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra ...... 41 Wycliffe Gordon ...... 111 John Butcher ...... 26 Bootleg Series Vol. 13, 1979–1981 Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Roswell Rudd ...... 107 Joshua Redman ...... 26 (Columbia/Legacy) ...... 30 Big Band ...... 39 Steve Turre ...... 102 Kenny Garrett ...... 24 Oscar Pettiford, New York City Mingus Big Band ...... 39 Ryan Keberle ...... 86 Christine Jensen ...... 24 1955–1958 (Uptown) ...... 29 Clayton–Hamilton Jazz Robin Eubanks ...... 76 Eddie Daniels & Roger Kellaway, Orchestra...... 37 Michael Dease ...... 70 Just Friends (Resonance) ...... 27 Ryan Truesdell Gil Evans Conrad Herwig ...... 61 Lester Bowie, Numbers 1 & 2 Project ...... 29 Trombone Shorty ...... 59 Rudresh Mahanthappa ...... 171 (Nessa) ...... 25 Rob Mazurek Exploding Ray Anderson ...... 53 Miguel Zenón ...... 109 Myra Melford, Alive In The House Star Orchestra ...... 27 Ku-umba Frank Lacy ...... 47 Kenny Garrett ...... 88 Of Saints (hatOLOGY) ...... 25 NDR Big Band ...... 27 George Lewis ...... 44 Jon Irabagon ...... 85 Jimi Hendrix, Both Sides Of DIVA Jazz Orchestra ...... 26 Steve Davis ...... 43 Steve Coleman ...... 80 The Sky (Legacy) ...... 19 Christine Jensen Jazz Marshall Gilkes ...... 42 Steve Lehman ...... 66 Isaac Hayes, The Spirit Of Orchestra...... 26 Curtis Fowlkes ...... 39 Tia Fuller ...... 61 Memphis 1962–1976 Delfeayo Marsalis ...... 34 Lee Konitz ...... 56 (Craft Recordings) ...... 18 Steve Swell...... 32 Donald Harrison ...... 48 Jay Clayton and Fred Hersch, Ambrose Akinmusire ...... 147 Jeb Bishop ...... 29 Henry Threadgill ...... 47 Beautiful Love (Sunnyside) ...... 17 Ingrid Jensen ...... 109 Curtis Fuller ...... 29 Anthony Braxton ...... 45 Dave Liebman/Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas ...... 94 Vincent Gardner ...... 29 Bobby Watson ...... 45 Compassion: The Music Of Wadada Leo Smith ...... 87 Joe Fiedler ...... 28 Sherman Irby ...... 39 John Coltrane (Resonance) ..... 17 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah .. 85 John Zorn ...... 38 Pharoah Sanders, Deaf Dumb Ron Miles ...... 66 Tim Berne ...... 36 Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun) David Binney ...... 35 Tom Harrell ...... 62 Jane Ira Bloom ...... 238 (Anthology/Verve Records) ...... 17 Paquito D’Rivera ...... 35 Wynton Marsalis ...... 57 Wayne Shorter ...... 120 Steve Wilson ...... 33 Kirk Knuffke ...... 56 Dave Liebman ...... 114 Darius Jones ...... 32 Terence Blanchard ...... 53 Jane Bunnett ...... 108 Jaleel Shaw ...... 31 Vijay Iyer Sextet ...... 69 Avishai Cohen ...... 49 Anat Cohen ...... 91 Fred Hersch Trio ...... 67 Marquis Hill ...... 46 Sam Newsome ...... 89 Charles Lloyd & The Marvels ... 66 Nicholas Payton ...... 46 Branford Marsalis ...... 84 Matt Wilson’s Honey and Salt.. 51 Steven Bernstein ...... 45 Steve Wilson ...... 72 Charles Lloyd ...... 146 The Bad Plus ...... 50 Sean Jones ...... 39 Ravi Coltrane ...... 65 Joe Lovano ...... 134 Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Brian Lynch ...... 36 Evan Parker ...... 56 Chris Potter ...... 100 Indo-Pak Coalition ...... 50 Roy Hargrove ...... 34 Chris Potter ...... 45 Kamasi Washington ...... 66 Jane Bunnett & Maqueque ...... 47 Wallace Roney ...... 33 Tia Fuller ...... 44 Noah Preminger ...... 63 Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom .47 Jeremy Pelt ...... 31 Ingrid Laubrock ...... 44 JD Allen ...... 60 Henry Threadgill Zooid ...... 47 Ralph Alessi ...... 29 Roscoe Mitchell ...... 44 Donny McCaslin ...... 60

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 53 MATHIEU BITTON STEVEN SUSSMAN

Robert Glasper, winner of the Keyboard category Rudresh Mahanthappa, winner of the Alto Saxophone category

Joshua Redman ...... 59 Eddie Daniels ...... 76 Steve Wilson ...... 23 Matthew Shipp ...... 31 Branford Marsalis ...... 54 Don Byron ...... 73 Kali. Z. Fasteau ...... 20 Kris Bowers ...... 30 Wayne Shorter ...... 51 Ben Goldberg ...... 73 Henry Butler ...... 30 Melissa Aldana ...... 49 Paquito D’Rivera ...... 72 Jim Baker ...... 29 David Murray ...... 43 Marty Ehrlich ...... 71 Django Bates...... 27 Geri Allen...... 128 James Carter ...... 42 Evan Christopher ...... 68 Wayne Horvitz ...... 27 Kenny Barron ...... 116 Jimmy Heath ...... 42 Victor Goines ...... 35 Geoffrey Keezer ...... 25 Fred Hersch...... 108 Houston Person ...... 39 David Krakauer ...... 31 Kris Davis ...... 90 Mark Turner ...... 39 Jeff Lederer ...... 31 Vijay Iyer ...... 82 Eric Alexander ...... 37 Jason Stein ...... 30 Craig Taborn ...... 70 Dr. Lonnie Smith ...... 229 Walter Smith III ...... 30 Ab Baars...... 29 Jason Moran ...... 65 Joey DeFrancesco ...... 226 Evan Parker ...... 29 Michael Moore ...... 28 Brad Mehldau ...... 62 Larry Goldings ...... 102 Pharoah Sanders ...... 27 Ken Vandermark ...... 26 Chick Corea ...... 53 John Medeski ...... 100 Oscar Noriega ...... 23 Herbie Hancock ...... 47 Brian Charette ...... 66 Ned Rothenberg ...... 22 Bill Charlap ...... 44 Mike LeDonne ...... 59 Gary Smulyan ...... 179 Louis Sclavis ...... 22 Satoko Fujii ...... 42 Carla Bley ...... 54 James Carter ...... 170 Chris Speed ...... 19 Keith Jarrett ...... 42 Amina Claudine Myers ...... 52 Claire Daly ...... 115 Oran Etkin ...... 18 Matthew Shipp ...... 38 Booker T. Jones ...... 50 Mats Gustafsson ...... 99 Myra Melford ...... 37 Barbara Dennerlein ...... 44 Scott Robinson ...... 94 George Cables ...... 34 Jamie Saft ...... 42 Brian Landrus ...... 89 Nicole Mitchell ...... 281 Cecil Taylor ...... 34 Craig Taborn ...... 42 Ronnie Cuber ...... 83 Jamie Baum ...... 119 Ahmad Jamal ...... 30 Jared Gold...... 39 Colin Stetson ...... 60 Jane Bunnett ...... 109 Henry Butler ...... 29 Gary Versace ...... 37 John Surman ...... 56 Charles Lloyd ...... 109 Dick Hyman ...... 28 Wil Blades ...... 33 Tim Berne ...... 53 Henry Threadgill ...... 81 Greg Lewis ...... 33 Hamiet Bluiett...... 53 Hubert Laws ...... 67 Rhoda Scott ...... 31 Ken Vandermark ...... 48 Pat Bianchi ...... 29 Elena Pinderhughes ...... 63 Robert Glasper ...... 137 Dave Rempis ...... 41 Matthew Shipp ...... 27 Holly Hofmann ...... 55 Craig Taborn ...... 132 Patience Higgins ...... 32 Wayne Horvitz ...... 21 Roscoe Mitchell ...... 51 Herbie Hancock ...... 125 Vinny Golia ...... 26 Sam Yahel ...... 21 Lew Tabackin ...... 48 Chick Corea ...... 123 Roger Lewis ...... 25 Dave Liebman ...... 43 Marc Cary ...... 80 Howard Johnson ...... 22 Tia Fuller ...... 32 Jamie Saft ...... 80 Lisa Parrott ...... 17 Anne Drummond ...... 31 John Medeski ...... 74 Mary Halvorson ...... 190 Charles Evans ...... 16 Ali Ryerson ...... 31 Larry Goldings ...... 69 Bill Frisell ...... 168 Chris Cheek...... 14 Robert Dick ...... 30 Uri Caine ...... 68 Julian Lage ...... 126 James Newton ...... 29 Nik Bärtsch...... 54 Nels Cline ...... 112 T.K. Blue ...... 28 Jason Lindner ...... 54 John Abercrombie...... 72 Anat Cohen ...... 363 Marty Ehrlich ...... 26 Gary Versace ...... 45 John McLaughlin ...... 71 Ken Peplowski ...... 92 Ted Nash ...... 26 George Colligan ...... 40 John Scofield ...... 71

54 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Peter Bernstein ...... 53 John Patitucci ...... 30 Didier Lockwood ...... 43 Russell Malone ...... 50 Mark Dresser ...... 29 Charles Burnham ...... 36 Rez Abbasi ...... 48 Christian Howes ...... 36 Hamid Drake ...... 98 Lionel Loueke ...... 45 Carla Kihlstedt ...... 35 Zakir Hussain ...... 97 Dave Stryker ...... 45 Mat Maneri ...... 34 Pedrito Martinez ...... 94 Steve Swallow ...... 126 Pat Metheny ...... 44 Mark O’Connor ...... 30 Cyro Baptista ...... 89 Esperanza Spalding ...... 100 Kahil El’Zabar ...... 88 Howard Alden ...... 42 Miri Ben-Ari ...... 25 Stanley Clarke ...... 97 Dan Weiss ...... 72 Gilad Hekselman ...... 31 John Blake ...... 24 Thundercat ...... 93 Sheila E ...... 64 Marc Ribot...... 31 Carlos Zingaro ...... 19 Marcus Miller ...... 79 Poncho Sanchez ...... 58 Kurt Rosenwinkel ...... 28 Andy Stein ...... 17 Matthew Garrison ...... 76 Bobby Sanabria ...... 56 Charlie Hunter ...... 23 Mads Tolling ...... 17 Christian McBride ...... 69 Susie Ibarra ...... 55 Pat Martino ...... 23 Naoko Terai ...... 15 Linda May Han Oh ...... 66 Adam Rudolph ...... 40 Kevin Eubanks ...... 22 Derrick Hodge ...... 63 Giovanni Hidalgo ...... 39 Mike Stern ...... 21 Meshell Ndegeocello ...... 60 Han Bennink ...... 37 Richard Bona ...... 58 Jack DeJohnette ...... 154 Mino Cinelu ...... 36 John Patitucci ...... 55 Brian Blade ...... 115 Jerry Gonzalez ...... 36 Christian McBride ...... 186 Jamaaladeen Tacuma ...... 55 Matt Wilson ...... 98 Sameer Gupta ...... 36 Dave Holland ...... 128 Ingebrigt Håker Flaten ...... 49 Tyshawn Sorey ...... 87 Trilok Gurtu ...... 34 Linda May Han Oh ...... 128 Victor Wooten ...... 45 Terri Lyne Carrington ...... 72 Airto Moreira...... 33 Ron Carter ...... 109 James Genus ...... 41 Roy Haynes ...... 62 Ches Smith ...... 31 Stephan Crump ...... 70 Tim Lefebvre ...... 39 Billy Hart ...... 60 Alex Cline ...... 28 Esperanza Spalding ...... 69 Tony Levin ...... 36 Gerald Cleaver ...... 55 Michael Formanek ...... 45 Tarus Mateen...... 36 Jeff “Tain” Watts ...... 48 Charnett Moffett ...... 32 Eric Revis ...... 45 Andrew Cyrille ...... 47 Stefon Harris ...... 208 Drew Gress...... 44 Hamid Drake ...... 46 Warren Wolf ...... 170 Stanley Clarke ...... 42 Joey Baron ...... 45 Joe Locke ...... 124 Scott Colley ...... 42 Regina Carter ...... 297 Herlin Riley ...... 45 Steve Nelson ...... 124 William Parker ...... 40 Jenny Scheinman ...... 191 Mark Guiliana ...... 44 Jason Adasiewicz ...... 116 Ben Williams...... 40 Mark Feldman ...... 111 Eric Harland...... 44 Gary Burton ...... 106 Avishai Cohen ...... 37 Jason Kao Hwang ...... 64 Willie Jones III ...... 44 Chris Dingman ...... 61 Victor Wooten ...... 37 Zach Brock ...... 60 Marcus Gilmore ...... 43 Mulatu Astatke ...... 57 Ben Allison ...... 34 Sara Caswell ...... 60 Nasheet Waits ...... 40 Kenny Wollesen...... 47 Gary Peacock...... 33 Eyvind Kang ...... 60 Cindy Blackman Santana ...... 33 Karl Berger ...... 45 Reggie Workman...... 33 Jean-Luc Ponty ...... 56 Lewis Nash ...... 32 Jason Marsalis ...... 43

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 55 JAY BLAKESBERG ELIZABETH LEITZELL

Stefon Harris, winner of the Vibraphone category Taj Mahal (left) and Keb’ Mo’ won the Blues Album category.

Terry Gibbs ...... 41 Kate McGarry ...... 55 Wadada Leo Smith ...... 64 Matt Moran ...... 29 Catherine Russell ...... 55 Vijay Iyer ...... 62 Steve Hobbs ...... 24 Cassandra Wilson ...... 54 Mary Halvorson ...... 60 ECM ...... 197 Mike Mainieri ...... 22 Cyrille Aimée ...... 44 Christian Scott Pi Recordings ...... 115 Blue Note ...... 102 Joe Dyson ...... 19 Fay Victor ...... 44 aTunde Adjuah ...... 52 Motéma ...... 89 Warren Smith ...... 19 Jen Shyu ...... 40 Henry Threadgill ...... 51 Mack Avenue ...... 85 Hendrik Meurkens ...... 18 Becca Stevens ...... 40 Steve Coleman ...... 49 Clean Feed ...... 71 Orphy Robinson ...... 17 René Marie ...... 39 Chick Corea ...... 48 Resonance ...... 60 Joe Chambers ...... 15 Luciana Souza...... 35 Terence Blanchard ...... 47 John Herndon ...... 15 Diana Krall ...... 34 Sunnyside ...... 55 Tom Harrell ...... 46 Mosaic ...... 46 Diamanda Galas ...... 32 John Zorn ...... 45 Carmen Lundy ...... 32 Concord ...... 44 John Hollenbeck ...... 44 HighNote ...... 40 Tierney Sutton ...... 32 Akua Dixon (cello) ...... 86 Satoko Fujii ...... 40 Impulse! ...... 36 Roberta Gambarini ...... 31 Béla Fleck (banjo) ...... 83 Wynton Marsalis ...... 40 ACT ...... 35 Stacey Kent ...... 28 Anouar Brahem (oud) ...... 77 Wayne Shorter ...... 38 Intakt ...... 34 Edmar Castaneda Rudresh Mahanthappa ...... 37 Ropeadope ...... 34 (Colombian harp)...... 71 Bill Frisell ...... 33 RareNoise ...... 32 Scott Robinson Kurt Elling ...... 258 Cuneiform...... 30 (bass saxophone) ...... 67 Gregory Porter ...... 201 Greenleaf Music ...... 30 Gary Versace (accordion) ...... 64 Theo Bleckmann ...... 129 International Anthem...... 30 Maria Schneider ...... 128 Chris Potter (bass clarinet) ...... 63 Giacomo Gates ...... 77 Smoke Sessions Records ...... 29 Carla Bley ...... 90 Erik Friedlander (cello)...... 58 Tony Bennett ...... 65 Criss Cross Jazz ...... 28 Grégoire Maret (harmonica) ..... 54 Jon Hendricks ...... 65 Darcy James Argue ...... 87 Nonesuch ...... 28 Ikue Mori (laptop) ...... 52 José James ...... 64 Steven Bernstein ...... 80 Columbia Legacy ...... 26 Toumani Diabaté (kora) ...... 43 Bobby McFerrin ...... 46 John Hollenbeck ...... 69 ArtistShare ...... 25 Chris Thile (mandolin) ...... 43 Andy Bey ...... 45 Billy Childs...... 68 OKeh ...... 25 Jon Batiste (melodica/ Kevin Mahogany ...... 45 Terri Lyne Carrington ...... 65 Posi-Tone ...... 20 harmonaboard) ...... 42 Freddy Cole ...... 41 Muhal Richard Abrams ...... 54 David Murray (bass clarinet) .... 42 John Pizzarelli ...... 34 Jim McNeely ...... 46 John Beasley ...... 45 Hendrik Meurkens (harmonica) 41 Bob Dorough ...... 33 Manfred Eicher ...... 188 Pat Metheny (orchestrion) ...... 38 Kenny Washington ...... 33 John Clayton ...... 41 Michael Cuscuna ...... 95 Steve Turre (shells) ...... 37 Allan Harris ...... 32 Robert Glasper ...... 41 Terri Lyne Carrington ...... 93 James Carter (bass saxophone) 36 Jamie Cullum ...... 29 Vince Mendoza ...... 40 Zev Feldman ...... 91 Richard Galliano (accordion) .... 34 Ed Reed...... 27 Wynton Marsalis ...... 39 Don Was ...... 74 Wycliffe Gordon (tuba) ...... 34 Jaap Blonk ...... 25 Christian McBride ...... 37 Dave Douglas ...... 70 John Boutté ...... 23 Arturo O’Farrill ...... 36 John Zorn ...... 68 Johnny O’Neal ...... 23 Ryan Truesdell ...... 32 Todd Barkan ...... 50 Cécile McLorin Salvant ...... 282 Satoko Fujii ...... 30 Brian Bacchus ...... 45 Lizz Wright ...... 79 Bill Holman ...... 24 Christian McBride ...... 45 Sheila Jordan ...... 69 Muhal Richard Abrams ...... 111 Gil Goldstein...... 23 Larry Klein ...... 44 Esperanza Spalding ...... 62 Maria Schneider ...... 107 Christine Jensen ...... 22 Bill Laswell ...... 41 Dee Dee Bridgewater ...... 57 Carla Bley ...... 85 Evan Parker ...... 22 Marc Free ...... 39 Dianne Reeves ...... 57 Darcy James Argue ...... 74 Esperanza Spalding ...... 20 Robert Glasper ...... 34

56 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Joe Fields ...... 32 North Mississippi Allstars, Mighty Joe Young, Live From Mavis Staples, If All I Was Was Al Pryor ...... 30 Prayer For Peace (Legacy) ...... 59 The North Side Of Chicago Black (Anti-) ...... 85 Branford Marsalis ...... 24 Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, (Rock Beat) ...... 11 Bettye LaVette, Things Have François Zalacain ...... 22 The Luckiest Man (Stony Plain) .. 55 Changed (Verve) ...... 75 Steve Wagner ...... 20 Sonny Landreth, Recorded Live David Byrne, American Utopia In Lafayette (Provogue) ...... 50 (Todomundo/Nonesuch) ...... 65 Kendrick Lamar ...... 86 Walter Trout, We’re All In This Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Tedeschi Trucks Band ...... 55 Together (Provogue) ...... 26 Nashville Sound (Southeastern) ...40 Bettye LaVette ...... 90 Rhiannon Giddens ...... 46 Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Chuck Berry, Chuck (Dualtone) ..38 Gary Clark Jr...... 89 Robert Glasper Experiment ..... 45 Paule Soul Orchestra, Romero Lubambo, Sampa Buddy Guy ...... 81 Jason Isbell ...... 40 After A While (Blue Dot) ...... 26 (Sunnyside) ...... 36 Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ ...... 61 Dr. John ...... 37 Sherman Holmes Project, Van Morrison, Roll With The Taj Mahal ...... 46 Mavis Staples ...... 35 Richmond Sessions Punches (Exile) ...... 36 Shemekia Copeland...... 43 A Tribe Called Quest ...... 33 (M.C. Records) ...... 22 Ranky Tanky, Ranky Tanky Eric Clapton ...... 38 Laurie Anderson ...... 33 Mud Morganfield, They Call Me (Resilience Music Alliance)...... 35 Marcia Ball ...... 34 Lizz Wright ...... 33 Mud (Severn) ...... 22 Jay Z, 4:44 (Universal/ Robert Cray ...... 34 Richard Thompson ...... 32 Kim Wilson, Blues And Boogie, Roc Nation) ...... 31 Robben Ford ...... 33 David Byrne ...... 31 Vol. 1 (Severn) ...... 22 Ryuichi Sakamoto, Async Otis Taylor ...... 33 Flying Lotus ...... 30 Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, (Milan) ...... 31 James Blood Ulmer ...... 31 Thundercat ...... 30 Lay It On Down (Concord) ...... 21 August Greene, August Greene Corey Harris ...... 27 Anderson .Paak ...... 27 Amy Black, Memphis (Reuben) .. 19 (Austin Greene) ...... 28 Eric Bibb ...... 24 D’Angelo ...... 27 Johnny Rawls, Waiting For The Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Charlie Musselwhite ...... 23 Yo La Tango ...... 27 Train (Catfood) ...... 17 Rangers, The Long-Awaited Album Danielle Nicole ...... 22 Meshell Ndegeocello ...... 26 Melvin Sparks, Live At Nectar’s (Rounder) ...... 25 Steve Cropper ...... 18 Björk ...... 25 (One Note) ...... 17 Chris Stapleton, From a Room: Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials ... 18 Childish Gambino ...... 25 Danielle Nicole, Cry No More Volume 1 (Mercury Nashville) ... 24 Duke Robillard ...... 18 Bob Dylan...... 25 (Concord)...... 15 Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Brian Eno ...... 25 Selwyn Birchwood, Pick Your The Laughing Apple Van Morrison ...... 25 Poison (Alligator) ...... 12 (Decca/Cat-O-Log) ...... 24 Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’, TajMo Chris Cain, Chris Cain St. Vincent, Masseduction (Concord) ...... 140 (Little Village) ...... 11 (Loma Vista)...... 24 Gregg Allman, Southern Blood Corey Dennison Band, Kendrick Lamar, Damn. Various Artists, Black Panther (Rounder) ...... 84 Night After Night (Delmark) ...... 11 (Interscope/TDE) ...... 131 Soundtrack (Interscope) ...... 24 Robert Cray, Robert Cray & Hi Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Vince Staples, Big Fish Theory Rhythm (Jay-Vee) ...... 67 Groovin’ In Greaseland (Alligator) ...11 Soul Of A Woman (Daptone) .....90 (Def Jam) ...... 21

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 57 FRANCK BOHBOT ELTON ANDERSON COURTESY OF ARTIST

Rhonda Larson, winner of the Jamison Ross, winner of the Rising Rising Star–Flute category Star–Male Vocalist category Scott Tixier, winner of the Rising Star–Violin category

Antonio Sanchez & Migration .. 30 Nate Wooley ...... 72 Yuval Cohen ...... 114 The Thing ...... 30 Keyon Harrold ...... 71 Michael Blake ...... 99 Willie Jones III Sextet ...... 29 Mathias Eick ...... 64 Hailey Niswanger ...... 72 Kneebody ...... 27 Freddie Hendrix...... 59 Russ Nolan ...... 46 Kris Davis ...... 87 (TIE) Thumbscrew ...... 27 Corey Wilkes ...... 48 Aurora Nealand ...... 34 Julian Lage ...... 87 (TIE) The Curtis Brothers ...... 24 John Raymond ...... 41 Jasmine Lovell-Smith ...... 32 Shabaka Hutchings ...... 78 Duchess ...... 24 Duane Eubanks ...... 35 Jason Robinson ...... 32 Orrin Evans ...... 68 Tierney Sutton Band ...... 24 Takuya Kuroda ...... 30 Steven Lugerner ...... 30 Sullivan Fortner ...... 68 Michael Rodriguez ...... 30 Ryan Whitehead ...... 23 Craig Taborn ...... 65 Josh Berman ...... 26 Audrey Welber ...... 21 Maurice Brown ...... 26 Julio Botti ...... 19 JD Allen ...... 56 John Beasley’s MONK’estra 197 Scott Wendholt ...... 26 John Wojciechowski ...... 19 Joey Alexander ...... 50 Ghost Train Orchestra ...... 71 Ian Carey ...... 25 Jürg Wickihalder ...... 18 Nicole Mitchell ...... 50 Vince Giordano’s Josh Evans ...... 25 David Bindman...... 14 Tia Fuller ...... 48 Nighthawks ...... 62 Russ Johnson ...... 23 Nathaniel Facey ...... 14 Rez Abbasi ...... 45 Ed Palermo Big Band ...... 55 Nadje Noordhuis ...... 22 Mihály Borbély ...... 13 Darcy James Argue ...... 43 Nicholas Payton The Black Gerald Clayton ...... 40 American Symphony ...... 52 Eric Harland...... 31 Joel Harrison Large Ensemble .43 David Virelles ...... 30 Karl Berger Creative Music Jacob Garchik ...... 130 Caroline Davis ...... 104 Amir ElSaffar ...... 28 Workshop Orchestra ...... 42 Samuel Blaser ...... 93 Darius Jones ...... 102 Jamison Ross ...... 27 Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra 35 Alan Ferber ...... 78 Greg Abate ...... 84 Melody Gardot ...... 25 Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra .. 33 Nick Finzer ...... 76 Greg Ward ...... 72 Gilad Hekselman ...... 25 Cecilia Coleman Big Band ...... 31 Natalie Cressman ...... 68 Sharel Cassity ...... 58 Jon Irabagon ...... 24 Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Joe Fiedler ...... 68 Logan Richardson ...... 56 Grace Kelly ...... 24 Ensemble ...... 30 Sarah Morrow ...... 58 Tineke Postma ...... 49 Scott Robinson ...... 24 Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Chris Crenshaw ...... 50 Hailey Niswanger ...... 47 Orchestra...... 30 Jason Jackson ...... 37 Godwin Louis ...... 42 Nicholas Payton The Television Michael Dessen ...... 30 Nick Mazzarella ...... 41 Studio Orchestra ...... 29 Corey King ...... 29 Braxton Cook ...... 38 Nicole Mitchell’s Black Tommy Igoe’s Birdland Big Band ..27 Scott Whitfield ...... 28 Dave Rempis ...... 38 Earth Ensemble ...... 90 Pedro Giraudo Orchestra ...... 25 Jeff Cressman ...... 27 Jessica Lurie ...... 36 Julian Lage Group ...... 76 The Dorf ...... 22 JC Sanford ...... 27 Casey Benjamin ...... 35 Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah David Berger Jazz Orchestra ... 21 Jeff Albert ...... 26 Francesco Cafiso ...... 33 Quintet ...... 73 Diane Moser’s Composers William Carn ...... 24 Mike DiRubbo ...... 33 Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret .... 63 Big Band ...... 21 Tom Garling ...... 24 Will Vinson ...... 33 Ryan Keberle’s Catharsis ...... 62 New Standard Jazz Orchestra .18 Charlie Halloran ...... 24 Silke Eberhard ...... 31 Gerald Clayton Trio ...... 52 Beats & Pieces Big Band ...... 17 Corey Peyton ...... 23 Tim Green ...... 30 Miguel Zenón Quartet ...... 51 Maraca & His Latin Jazz All Stars ..17 Ed Partyka ...... 22 Danny Janklow ...... 29 Shabaka & The Ancestors ...... 48 Ron Westray ...... 22 Orrin Evans Trio ...... 46 Tia Fuller Quartet...... 45 Mostly Other People Amir ElSaffar ...... 133 Ingrid Laubrock ...... 135 Do the Killing ...... 43 Bria Skonberg ...... 104 Jimmy Greene ...... 156 Dayna Stephens ...... 100 Sons of Kemet ...... 37 Etienne Charles ...... 93 Roxy Coss ...... 127 Walter Smith III ...... 78 Aaron Diehl Trio ...... 36 Peter Evans ...... 92 Tineke Postma ...... 115 Marcus Strickland ...... 75

58 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 BILLY MINTZ ANNA YATSKEVICH

Behn Gillece, winner of the Rising Star–Vibraphone category Roberta Piket, winner of the Rising Star–Organ category

Ellery Eskelin ...... 71 Todd Marcus ...... 62 Taylor Eigsti ...... 50 Alexander Hawkins ...... 41 James Brandon Lewis ...... 62 Chris Byars ...... 58 Ehud Asherie ...... 47 Atsuko Hashimoto ...... 37 Mats Gustafsson ...... 60 Aurora Nealand ...... 53 George Colligan ...... 46 Kyle Koehler ...... 36 David Sánchez ...... 56 François Houle ...... 51 John Escreet ...... 41 Joe Bagg ...... 33 Ben Wendel ...... 49 Mike McGinnis ...... 48 Christian Sands ...... 41 Ben Patterson ...... 31 Bill McHenry ...... 42 James Falzone ...... 42 Alfredo Rodriguez ...... 41 Wayne Peet ...... 31 Ralph Moore...... 41 Mort Weiss ...... 42 Benoit Delbecq ...... 39 Brian Coogan ...... 27 Rahsaan Barber ...... 33 Matt Bauder ...... 41 Helen Sung ...... 38 Charlie Wood...... 27 Abraham Burton ...... 31 Gabriele Mirabassi ...... 39 Roberta Piket ...... 35 Raphael Wressnig ...... 27 Jeff Coffin ...... 28 Avram Fefer ...... 36 Dan Tepfer ...... 32 Radam Schwartz...... 26 Andrew Rathbun ...... 25 Gebhard Ullmann ...... 36 Jon Cowherd ...... 29 Pete Benson ...... 23 Grant Stewart ...... 25 Harvey Wainapel ...... 36 Tigran Hamasyan ...... 29 Marius Neset ...... 22 Jeremiah Cymerman ...... 35 Stefano Bollani ...... 28 Tivon Pennicott ...... 22 Darryl Harper ...... 35 Aaron Parks ...... 28 Jakob Bro ...... 91 Jerome Sabbagh...... 22 Ted Hogarth...... 34 Jeff Parker ...... 81 Skerik ...... 22 Sam Sadigursky ...... 29 David Gilmore ...... 60 John Ellis ...... 21 Rudi Mahall ...... 25 Elio Villafranca ...... 94 Brandon Seabrook ...... 56 Marco Benevento ...... 88 Lage Lund ...... 55 Zaccai Curtis ...... 83 Matthew Stevens ...... 55 Alex Harding ...... 88 Rhonda Larson ...... 84 Kit Downes ...... 77 Camila Meza ...... 54 Gebhard Ullmann ...... 66 Orlando “Maraca” Valle...... 81 Rob Mazurek ...... 70 Miles Okazaki ...... 54 Josh Sinton ...... 64 Sylvain Leroux ...... 76 Jim Beard ...... 62 Paul Bollenback ...... 49 Roger Rosenberg ...... 63 Jorge Pardo ...... 70 Lawrence Fields ...... 61 Jonathan Kreisberg ...... 46 Frank Basile ...... 55 Magic Malik ...... 59 Bugge Wesseltoft ...... 45 Adam Rogers ...... 44 Charles Evans ...... 54 Itai Kriss ...... 50 Russ Lossing ...... 43 Sheryl Bailey ...... 42 Michaël Attias ...... 53 Steve Adams ...... 42 Henry Hey ...... 39 Joel Harrison ...... 42 Jon Raskin ...... 51 Ben Kono ...... 36 Oscar Perez ...... 26 Ava Mendoza ...... 42 Lauren Sevian ...... 44 Jean Derome ...... 31 Mamiko Watanabe ...... 26 Yotam Silberstein ...... 37 Karen Sharp ...... 43 Evan Francis ...... 29 Scott Kinsey ...... 25 Mike Moreno ...... 36 Jonah Parzen-Johnson ...... 42 Bart Platteau ...... 29 Matthew Bourne ...... 24 Fareed Haque ...... 34 Adam Schroeder ...... 38 Tom Reese ...... 28 Thomas Lehn ...... 22 Nguyên Lê ...... 30 Herwig Gradischnig ...... 35 Geni Skendo ...... 28 Adam Benjamin ...... 20 Graham Dechter ...... 27 Mikko Innanen ...... 31 Finn Peters ...... 25 Rod Williams ...... 20 Andy Brown...... 25 Linda Fredriksson ...... 29 Michel Gentile ...... 21 Sean Wayland ...... 18 Fredrik Ljungkvist ...... 28 Gareth Lockrane ...... 18 Jacob Anderskov ...... 17 Glenn Wilson ...... 28 Thomas Morgan ...... 83 Céline Bonacina ...... 27 Ben Street ...... 64 Ted Hogarth...... 25 Orrin Evans ...... 85 Roberta Piket...... 119 Dezron Douglas...... 59 Tony Lustig ...... 23 Aaron Diehl ...... 79 Greg Lewis ...... 118 Moppa Elliott ...... 59 Sullivan Fortner ...... 74 Kit Downes ...... 110 Hans Glawischnig ...... 59 Emmet Cohen ...... 67 Akiko Tsuruga ...... 91 Mimi Jones ...... 55 Matana Roberts ...... 96 Matt Mitchell ...... 57 Gerald Gibbs ...... 60 Ingebrigt Håker Flaten ...... 53 Shabaka Hutchings ...... 84 Arúan Ortiz ...... 54 Erik Deutsch ...... 57 Lisa Mezzacappa ...... 53 Dan Block ...... 64 Nik Bärtsch...... 50 Bobby Sparks ...... 42 Reuben Rogers ...... 50

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 59 LAUREN DEUTSCH JACOB BLICKENSTAFF

Jazzmeia Horn, winner of the Rising Star–Female Vocalist category Tomeka Reid, winner of the Rising Star–Miscellaneous Instrument category

Katie Thiroux ...... 48 Karen Briggs ...... 42 Lukas Ligeti ...... 38 Cynthia Sayer (banjo) ...... 28 Martin Wind ...... 48 Nils Økland ...... 40 Tupac Mantilla ...... 33 Vincent Peirani (accordion) ...... 26 François Moutin ...... 46 Ben Powell ...... 38 Eli Fountain...... 31 Scott Robinson (theremin) ...... 26 Joshua Abrams ...... 41 Diane Monroe ...... 35 Arto Tunçboyaciyan ...... 29 Min Xiao-Fen (pipa) ...... 26 Rodney Whitaker ...... 41 Rob Thomas ...... 27 Kevin Diehl ...... 28 Joachim Badenhorst David Wong ...... 40 Ola Kvernberg ...... 26 Mingo Lewis ...... 28 (bass clarinet) ...... 25 Kyle Eastwood ...... 39 Majid Khaliq ...... 21 Brian Andres...... 26 Andrea Parkins (accordion) ...... 24 Joëlle Léandre ...... 33 Szilárd Mezei ...... 19 Nitin Mitta ...... 22 Victor Provost (steel pans) ...... 23 Matt Ulery ...... 31 Nora Germain ...... 15 Michele Rabbia ...... 20 Greg Cohen ...... 30 Matt Rhody ...... 15 Kris Funn ...... 29 Jazzmeia Horn ...... 131 Behn Gillece ...... 91 Dominique Eade ...... 78 Johnathan Blake ...... 108 Mike Dillon ...... 84 Sara Serpa ...... 67 Mimi Jones ...... 121 Obed Calvaire ...... 88 Kevin Norton ...... 68 Sara Gazarek...... 55 Stomu Takeishi ...... 117 Allison Miller ...... 75 Jim Hart ...... 63 Daymé Arocena ...... 45 Melvin Gibbs ...... 96 Willie Jones III ...... 65 Tyler Blanton ...... 49 Charenée Wade ...... 43 Felix Pastorius ...... 84 Tomas Fujiwara ...... 63 Rolando Morales-Matos ...... 44 Hilary Gardner ...... 40 Tal Wilkenfeld ...... 59 Dan Weiss ...... 54 Corey Mwamba ...... 41 Camille Bertault ...... 37 Lisa Dowling ...... 42 Justin Brown ...... 52 Kjell Nordeson ...... 40 Alicia Hall Moran ...... 36 Nate McBride ...... 38 Scott Amendola ...... 51 Christian Tamburr ...... 36 Fay Victor ...... 36 Kai Eckhardt ...... 36 Otis Brown III ...... 41 John Cocuzzi ...... 35 Kat Edmonson ...... 35 Matt Perrine...... 36 Ulysses Owens Jr...... 41 Lewis Wright...... 31 Lorraine Feather ...... 30 John Lee ...... 35 Kate Gentile...... 40 Jon Metzger ...... 27 Thana Alexa ...... 29 Chris Morrissey ...... 34 Ari Hoenig...... 38 Tom Beckham ...... 24 Buika ...... 29 James Cammack ...... 30 Dafnis Prieto ...... 36 Smith Dobson ...... 22 Sarah Elizabeth Charles ...... 29 Jeff Denson ...... 28 E.J. Strickland ...... 36 Yuhan Su ...... 22 Camila Meza ...... 29 Al McDowell ...... 26 Paal Nilsson-Love ...... 33 Christopher Dell ...... 21 Dena DeRose ...... 24 Tom Kennedy ...... 25 Jaimeo Brown ...... 32 Mike Pinto ...... 19 Reed Mathis ...... 23 Ches Smith ...... 32 Alfredo Naranjo ...... 16 Mike Pope ...... 22 Justin Faulkner ...... 31 Jamison Ross ...... 127 Chris Tarry ...... 17 Joe Farnsworth ...... 30 Leslie Odom Jr...... 100 Dominique Di Piazza ...... 16 Mike Reed ...... 30 Tomeka Reid (cello) ...... 119 Ian Shaw ...... 76 Steinar Raknes ...... 15 Brian Landrus (bass clarinet) ... 73 Jacob Collier ...... 69 Ben Goldberg (contra alto Dwight Trible ...... 60 Satoshi Takeishi ...... 77 clarinet) ...... 67 Mark Winkler ...... 49 Scott Tixier ...... 79 Harris Eisenstadt ...... 72 Peggy Lee (cello) ...... 67 Pete McGuinness ...... 44 Mary Oliver ...... 78 Manolo Badrena ...... 66 Todd Marcus (bass clarinet) .....64 João Bosco ...... 42 Tomoko Omura ...... 66 Daniel Sadownick ...... 65 Brandee Younger (harp) ...... 60 Vincent Gardner ...... 36 Aaron Weinstein ...... 61 Steve Kroon ...... 63 Casey Benjamin (vocoder) ...... 59 Milton Suggs ...... 31 Jason Anick ...... 57 Warren Smith ...... 58 Okkyung Lee (cello) ...... 55 Jeff Denson ...... 28 Sarah Bernstein ...... 48 Richie Flores...... 52 Vincent Chancey (French horn) . 48 John Proulx ...... 28 Marcus Moore ...... 48 Peter Apfelbaum ...... 50 Brandon Seabrook (banjo) ...... 42 Peter Cincotti ...... 24 Jesse Zubot ...... 46 Jon Wikan ...... 46 Helen Gillet (cello) ...... 35 Casey Abrams ...... 21 Elektra Kurtis ...... 44 Rogério Boccato ...... 45 Matt Perrine (sousaphone) ...... 29 Saalik Ahmad Ziyad ...... 20 Susie Hansen ...... 43 Guilherme Franco ...... 43 Marcus Rojas (tuba) ...... 29 Wade Schuman ...... 18

60 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Jeremy Davenport ...... 17 Alan Hampton ...... 17 Frank Senior ...... 17 Grzegorz Karnas ...... 15

Tyshawn Sorey ...... 120 Nels Cline ...... 76 Christine Jensen ...... 62 JD Allen ...... 57 Nik Bärtsch ...... 54 Satoko Fujii ...... 53 Steve Lehman ...... 52 Mike Reed ...... 49 Frank Kimbrough ...... 44 Jaimeo Brown ...... 38 Claire Daly ...... 34 Miho Hazama ...... 34 Jenny Scheinman ...... 34 Yosvany Terry ...... 34 Jacob Garchik ...... 32 Amina Figarova ...... 30 Ben Goldberg ...... 28 Moppa Elliott ...... 26 Marcus Shelby ...... 24 Samuel Blaser ...... 22

Amir ElSaffar ...... 101 Nels Cline ...... 96 Miguel Zenón ...... 79 Uri Caine ...... 74 Guillermo Klein ...... 58 Dafnis Prieto ...... 56 David Weiss ...... 52 Moppa Elliott ...... 47 Peter Apfelbaum ...... 45 Leslie Pintchik ...... 39 Jacob Collier ...... 35 Ben Allison ...... 34 Miho Hazama ...... 31 Edward Simon ...... 31 Harris Eisenstadt ...... 26 Warren Wolf ...... 26 Brian Carpenter ...... 24 Mark Masters ...... 22 Anthony Wilson ...... 22 JC Sanford ...... 21

Flying Lotus ...... 76 John Hollenbeck ...... 73 Ambrose Akinmusire ...... 66 Willie Jones III ...... 59 Delfeayo Marsalis ...... 57 Taylor Ho Bynum ...... 56 Kris Davis ...... 56 Oded Lev-Ari ...... 54 Seth Rosner & Yulun Wang ...... 49 Allison Miller ...... 42 Kenny Garrett & Donald Brown...... 39 Ben Allison ...... 38 Spike Wilner & Ben Rubin ...... 37 John Corbett ...... 36 JD Allen ...... 35 Terrace Martin ...... 35 Danilo Pérez ...... 32 Lenny White ...... 26 Eric Alexander ...... 25 Pedro Costa ...... 25 Ryan Truesdell ...... 25

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 61 Below are the 142 critics who voted in DownBeat’s 66th Annual International Critics Poll and some of the publications to which they have contributed. In the poll, critics distributed up to 10 points among up to three choices (but no more than 5 points per choice) in each of two groups of categories: Established THE CRITICS Talent and Rising Stars. (Note: The asterisk [*] denotes a Veterans Committee voter.)

David R. Adler: New York New York City Jazz Record Washington Post, JazzTimes * Jim Macnie: DB Chicago Tribune City Jazz Record, JazzTimes Alain Drouot: DB Rob Hoff: WQLN-FM, JazzErie * Howard Mandel: DB, The Tom Reney: New England * Don Albert: DB Ken Dryden: New York City Eugene Holley Jr.: DB, Hot New York Times, artsjournal. Public Radio * Frank Alkyer: DB Jazz Record, Hot House, All House, Publishers Weekly, New com/jazzbeyondjazz Simon Rentner: WBGO-FM’s Larry Appelbaum: JazzTimes, About Jazz Music Box, Chamber Music * John McDonough: DB The Checkout, NPR WPFW-FM José Duarte: DB, Radio & TV C. Andrew Hovan: DB, Kerilie McDowall: DB, Guy Reynard: Freelance Glenn Astarita: All About Jazz (Portugal) All About Jazz Bethlehem Centre, Friends of Derk Richardson: The Abso- Nanaimo Jazz Society Mark R. Bacon: Main Event Shannon J. Effinger: DB, Tom Hull: tomhull.com lute Sound, KPFA-FM, Peghead DC, Insider Louisville Pitchfork Tom Ineck: NET Radio, Peter McElhinney: Nation, Acoustic Guitar, AFAR Style Weekly Chris J. Bahnsen: DB Jordannah Elizabeth: DB, LA Lincoln Journal Star Media Weekly, New York Amsterdam * Michelle Mercer: DB, NPR Bradley Bambarger: Michael Jackson: DB, Alex Rodriguez: News, Chicago Reader Music, NPR’s All Things Consid- DB, Listen Jazzwise Ethnomusicology Review * Ed Enright: DB ered, Chamber Music America Michael Barris: DB Willard Jenkins: DB, The * Gene Santoro: DB Bill Meyer: DB, The Wire, Chi- * John Ephland: DB, All About Independent Ear, JazzTimes Phil Schaap: DB, WKCR-FM, Peter Bastian: Jazzthetik cago Reader, Dusted, Magnet Jazz Jeff Johnson: DB, Chicago Jazz at Lincoln Center Eric Berger: DB, St. Louis * Ken Micallef: DB, Bass Steve Feeney: artsfuse.org, Sun-Times, Chicago Blues * Thomas Staudter: DB, Magazine, Riverfront Times Player, Stereophile, Modern broadwayworld.com, Portland Guide Croton Gazette Bill Beuttler: DB, JazzTimes, Drummer, MIX Press Herald/Maine Sunday Martin Johnson: The Wall The Boston Globe W. Royal Stokes: JJA News, Telegram Street Journal Virgil Mihaiu: DB, Steaua/ wroyalstokes.com Edward Blanco: All About David Franklin: Cadence, * Ashley Kahn: NPR, Mojo, Jazz Context, JAM (Jazz Mon- Jazz, WDNA-FM Laurence Svirchev: JazzTimes, Jazz Forum, jazz. The New York Times tenegro) misterioso.org Ross Boissoneau: Progres- com * Bill Milkowski: Richard Kamins: DB, The sion, Local Spins, mynorth.com Otakar Svoboda: Philip Freeman: DB, The Wire, steptempest.blogspot.com Absolute Sound Fred Bouchard: DB, The Czech Radio Stereogum George Kanzler: Hot House, Ralph A. Miriello: Huffington Boston Musical Intelligencer * Jean Szlamowicz: DB, Jon Garelick: DB, The Boston New York City Jazz Record Post, Notes on Jazz blog * Michael Bourne: Spirit of Jazz DB, Globe, Jazziz, artsfuse.org Fred Kaplan: Stereophile, * Dan Morgenstern: Jersey Chris Tart: DB, dubera.com WBGO-FM Dustin Garlitz: jazztalent.com Slate Jazz, Journal of Jazz Studies * Herb Boyd: Larry Reni Thomas: DB, Cineaste, Richard Gehr: Rolling Stone, Matthew Kassel: DB, The Allen Morrison: DB, Jazz- ejazznews.com, jazzcorner.com New York Amsterdam News, Relix New York Times, The Wall Times The Network Journal Andrew Gilbert: San Francis- Street Journal, JazzTimes, * John Murph: DB, NPR Mark F. Turner: Nelson Brill: DB, co Chronicle, Bay Area News Cosmopolitan, Village Voice Music, JazzTimes, Jazzwise All About Jazz bostonconcertreviews.com Group, berkeleyside.com Yoshi Kato: DB, San Francisco Russ Musto: DB, New York Chris Walker: DB, LA Jazz Stuart Broomer: New York * Ted Gioia: The History of Jazz Chronicle, The Christian Science City Jazz Record Scene, California Tour & Travel, City Jazz Record, Point of JazzTimes Kurt Gottschalk: DB, The Monitor Michael G. Nastos: Departure, Musicworks Wire, New York City Jazz Larry Kelp: KPFA-FM, kpfa.org Hot House, WCBN-FM, G1NBC/ Emma Warren: DB Hilary Brown: DB, Reverb Record, WFHU-FM Elzy Kolb: Hot House Dixon Media Group Natalie Weiner: JazzTimes, Andrea Canter: Steve Greenlee: JazzTimes Jason Koransky: DB Ron Netsky: City Newspaper Billboard jazzpolice.com (Rochester, New York) George Grella: DB, The Wire, * Kiyoshi Koyama: NHK-FM’s Ken Weiss: Jazz Inside, * Dave Cantor: DB New York City Jazz Record, The Japan Tonight, Jazz Japan Sean J. O’Connell: DB, Cadence Los Angeles Times, Playboy, Henry Carrigan: DB, Living Brooklyn Rail Jeff Krow: Audiophile Michael J. West: DB, Jazz- KPCC-FM Blues, No Depression * Frank-John Hadley: DB, X5 Audition Times, The Washington Post, * Jennifer Odell: DB, Offbeat, * Aaron Cohen: DB Music Group David Kunian: DB, Offbeat, Washington City Paper Gambit Thomas Conrad: Stereophile, Carl L. Hager: jazzjazzersjazz Louisiana Cultural Vistas * Kevin Whitehead: NPR’s * Dan Ouellette: DB, Bill- New York City Jazz Record, ing.blogspot.com Will Layman: popmatters. Fresh Air board, zealnyc.com JazzTimes, All About Jazz * James Hale: DB, sound com, Spectrum Culture Carlo Wolff: DB, CAN Journal, * Ted Panken: DB J.D. Considine: DB stagexperience.com Angelo Leonardi: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Cleve- Anthony Dean-Harris: DB, Robert Ham: DB, Billboard, All About Jazz Italy Thierry Peremarti: land Jewish News M&C (le Son Du Monde) nextbop.com, KRTU-FM Portland Mercury Bruce Lindsay: All About Jazz, * Josef Woodard: DB, Los * Paul de Barros: DB, The George W. Harris: Jazz Weekly Jazz Journal Terry Perkins: DB Angeles Times, Jazziz, Jazz Hot Seattle Times Ron Hart: DB, Billboard, John Litweiler: Point of j. poet: DB, Magnet, Relix, New * Scott Yanow: DB, New York Coen de Jonge: JazzBulletin Village Voice Departure, WHKP-FM Noise, Oakland Magazine City Jazz Record, Jazziz, LA Jazz NJA, Jazzism Andrey Henkin: New York Martin Longley: DB, Jazzwise, Jeff Potter: DB, Modern Scene, Syncopated Times R.J. DeLuke: All About Jazz, City Jazz Record The Wire, The Brooklyn Rail, All Drummer, TDF Stages Izzy Yellen: DB, Albany Times Union Andy Hermann: DB, NPR About Jazz, Songlines Norman Provizer: DB, KUVO/ The Lawrentian Bob Doerschuk: DB, Drum!, Music, Billboard, Los Angeles Christopher Loudon: KVJZ Eli Zeger: VAN Magazine, Acoustic Guitar, USA Today Magazine JazzTimes * Bobby Reed: DB RBMA Daily, Vinyl Me, Please Laurence Donohue-Greene: Geoffrey Himes: DB, The Phillip Lutz: DB * Howard Reich: Brian Zimmerman: DB, Jazziz

62 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 63

Masterpiece +++++ Excellent ++++ Good +++ Fair ++ Poor + Inside

70 / Jazz 72 / Blues 76 / Beyond 78 / Historical 80 / Books

expressed through lush orchestration and a malleable mix of styles, ranging from futuristic

DURIMEL post-bop to fusion and folk. There are moments of freneticism and repetition that drag beyond what a piece can sustain, but they’re generally in service of the album’s greater purpose, which, taken as a whole, traces a personal evolution that speaks to larger issues around justice, unity and love. The opener, an interpretation of Joseph Koo’s “Fists Of Fury” theme to the Bruce Lee film of the same name, sees Washington dismantle the original intro’s nervous energy, nixing the skit- tering strings in favor of a slower refrain that unites the instruments involved. Later, a stun- ning Cameron Graves piano solo comes with comping so symbiotic it almost changes the sound of his keys. And when vocalist Dwight Trible echoes Patrice Quinn as she sings, “Our time as victims is over/We will no longer ask for justice/Instead we will take our retribution,” it’s another vote for the power of unity. The balance suggested by the album’s title plays out in the music, too. Extended moments of lyricism give way to warp-speed climax- es that resolve in waves of fuzzed-out sound to mollify Washington’s fiery, free solos. By the time the Thundercat-driven “Invincible Youth” signals a shift away from the feistier first half of Disc 1, Earth, a cinematic move- ment has emerged. (A film project connected to the album is said to be forthcoming; visuals also accompanied Washington’s 2017 counter- point-as-social-commentary EP, Harmony Of Difference.) Heaven And Earth ends by coming full cir- cle with “Will You Sing,” whose choir-sung Saxophonist Kamasi Washington follows up The Epic, his 2015 release, with a double-disc set. refrain implores, “If our song will change the world … will you sing?” It’s a strong flip side to en Heaven And Earth. Though it was record- Kamasi Washington the opener “Fists Of Fury”—and a strong vote ed in just two weeks with his Next Step band, for music as a path to peace. —Jennifer Odell Heaven And Earth some of the material here has been in the works YOUNG TURKS 176DA for years, which might explain the depth to Heaven And Earth: Disc 1 (Earth): Fists Of Fury; Can You Hear ½ Him; Hubtones; Connections; Tiffakonkae; The Invincible Youth; ++++ which he’s able to plumb the album’s duality. Testify; One Of One. (71:10) Disc 2 (Heaven): The Space Travelers Lullaby; Vi Lua Vi Sol; Street Fighter Mas; Song For The Fallen; Jour- Not only has Kamasi Washington gracefully According to Washington, the two-part ney; The Psalmist; Show Us The Way; Will You Sing. (73:37) Personnel: Kamasi Washington, tenor saxophone; Cameron navigated the pressures of all those “savior recording represents “the world as I see it out- Graves, piano; Brandon Coleman, keyboards, organ; Miles Mosley, wardly, the world that I am a part of” and “the Carlitos Del Puerto, bass; Tony Austin, Robert Miller, Jonathan Pin- of jazz” proclamations that have dogged him son, Robert “Sput” Searight, Ronald Bruner Jr., drums; Ryan Porter, since 2015’s The Epic (Brainfeeder), he’s done so world as I see it inwardly, the world that is a trombone; Patrice Quinn, Dwight Trible, vocals; Dontae Winslow, trumpet; Kahlil Cummings, Allakoi Peete, percussion; Gabe Noel, without sacrificing his sense of musical adven- part of me.” Both spheres feature musical rep- electric bass; 26-piece orchestra; 13-piece choir. ture, as evidenced by his new, dichotomy-lad- resentations of struggle, love and redemption, Ordering info: theyoungturks.co.uk

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 65 bling notes during his rapid-fire solo. It seems as if the resemblance is no coinci- dence, given that WCGD member Cameron Graves contributes synthesizer to Clarke’s new combo. With the age difference between the bassist and the rest of his core band, the ensemble here could have been billed as “(Grand) Children of Forever.” Although each member shares com- posing duties throughout The Message, it’s evi- dent that all the material pays homage to Clarke’s glorious past. The opening cut, “And Ya Know We’re Missing You,” Clarke’s duet with hip-hop veteran Doug E. Fresh, is a throwback to 1979’s “I Want To Play For You” and 1988’s “If This Bass Could Only Talk,” Clarke’s collaboration with tap dancer Gregory Hines. Stanley Clarke Band More quintessential than essential, The Antonio Sanchez The Message Message is a compelling survey of Clarke’s (featuring WDR MACK AVENUE 1116 expansive musicality as he refurbishes multiple Big Band) +++ touchstones. —John Murph Channels Of Energy With the recent prominence of artists from the CAM JAZZ 7922-5 The Message: And Ya Know We’re Missing You; After The Cosmic West Coast Get Down, it’s fascinating to hear Rain/Dance Of The Planetary Prince; The Rugged Truth; Combat ++++½ Continuum; The Message; Lost In A World; Alternative Facts; Bach bassist Stanley Clarke channel various facets of Cello Suite, No. 1 (Prelude); The Legend Of The Abbas And The Longtime Pat Metheny drummer Antonio his pioneering work in jazz-fusion from the past Sacred Tailsman; Enzo’s Theme; To Be Alive. (44:48) Personnel: Stanley Clarke, Alembic bass, talkbox, piccolo bass, Sanchez, who wrote the all-percussion four decades to create something remarkably bass; Mike Mitchell, drums; Beka Gochiashvili, piano, synthesizer; Cameron Graves, synthesizer; Salar Nader, tabla (2); Doug Webb, soundtrack for the 2014 filmBirdman , teams up contemporary on The Message. tenor saxophone, flute (2, 10, 11); Chuck Findley, trumpet, French with arranger and conductor Vince Mendoza for Add a few “meow meows” and some daffy horn (2); Michael Thompson, guitar (3, 6); Pat Leonard, synthesizer (5); Steve Blum (4), Skyeler Kole (6), Trevor Wesley (6), vocals; Sofia a dazzling outing alongside Germany’s crack- love lyrics on “The Rugged Truth,” and the song Sara Clarke, spoken word (6); Dominque Taplin, synthesizer (10); Mark Isham, trumpet (10); Doug E. Fresh, beatbox (1), vocals (11); erjack WDR Big Band. The tunes come from could pass as a new Thundercat tune, particular- Ron Stout, trumpet (10); Dwayne Benjamin, trombone (10). Sanchez’s previous albums New Life (2013), ly in how Clarke plucks out those patented tum- Ordering info: mackavenue.com Three Times Three (2015) and The Meridian Suite (2015), but Mendoza enlivens and colorizes them with masterful voicings, catchy counter-lines Shamie Royston and patient, emotional builds that occasion- Beautiful Liar ally recall Maria Schneider’s work. Playing his SUNNYSIDE 1510 kit like an orchestra and writing for the orches- +++½ tra like it was a giant drum kit, Sanchez devel- On the front cover of 2012’s Portraits, Shamie ops asymmetrical, percussive ideas with fluid Royston peers through a sheer curtain, as if intelligence, ranging through hypnotic repeti- watching an event from afar. Kinda makes tions, punchy swing, dreamy musings and even sense. The skilled pianist is recognized as an the free-jazz episode from Meridian’s “Magnetic educator as much as she is a bandleader. A Currents” (merged here with the title track). Colorado native who enjoyed regional acclaim Joyous details abound, including the on the Denver scene before moving East as her ear-tickling bass trombone/muted trumpet tim- opportunities broadened, her name recogni- bre on “Nooks And Crannies,” Paul Shigihara’s tion isn’t commensurate with her broad range poignantly countrified electric guitar on of skills. That might change. “Nighttime Story,” Paul Heller’s soulful tenor Beautiful Liar’s artwork finds her front and saxophone on “New Life” and Sanchez’s painter- ly drum solo on the final cut, which twists attrac- center, ready for her close-up, and the music convincingly as she throws punches. There’s tively into tough, dissonant bitonality. itself parallels that stance: mainstream post- a spirited calm to the design of “Precious On other albums, Sanchez’s jazz-rock feel bop with thoughtful interaction and a deep Lullaby (Outro)” and a pastoral vibe to the sometimes can edge toward tightness. Mendoza sense of poise. It swings hard and breathes easy. cascading horn lines of “Uplifted Heart.” and the WDR Big Band keep him loose and An indication of her quintet’s confidence There’s a bit of church in her soul stance as bring out a flood of emotion. —Paul de Barros marks the aptly titled “Push.” The rhythm sec- well, and those bluesy intimations, along tion ignites audacious solos from trumpet- with a dash of simmering fervor, boost her Channels Of Energy: Disc 1: Minotauro; Nooks And Crannies; er Josh Evans, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and ballad game. Nighttime Story; The Real McDaddy. (36:14) Disc 2: New Life; Grids the pianist herself. Like the best moments by —Jim Macnie And Patterns; Imaginary Lines; Channels Of Energy. (44:43) Personnel: Johan Hörlen, Karolina Strassmayer, Pascal Bartoszak, Wynton Marsalis’ early fivesome, it’s a parade alto saxophone; Olivier Peters, Paul Heller, tenor saxophone; Jens Neufang, baritone saxophone; Wim Both, Rob Bruynen, Andy of pithy broadcasts with a devotion to stan- Beautiful Liar: Sunday Nostalgia; Push; Beautiful Liar; Precious Haderer, Ruud Breuls, John Marshall, Tom Walsh, Rüdiger Baldauf, dard structural templates and consummate Lullaby; Dissimulate; Lovely Day; Circulo Vicioso; Uplifted Heart; A Lorenzo Ludemann, Martin Reuthner, Jan Schneider, trumpet; Tangled Web We Weave; Precious Lullaby (Outro). (52:21) Ludwig Nuss, Shannon Barnett, Andy Hunter, trombone; Mattis legibility—a fierce mix. Personnel: Shamie Royston, piano; Josh Evans, trumpet; Jaleel Cederberg, bass trombone; Omer Klein, piano; Paul Shigihara, gui- Shaw, alto, soprano saxophone; Yasushi Nakamura, bass; Rudy tar; John Goldsby, bass; Antonio Sanchez, drums; Vince Mendoza, A yin/yang POV boosts the program’s Royston, drums. arranger, conductor. breadth. Turns out Royston waxes soothing as Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com Ordering info: camjazz.com

66 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 The

Critics Paul de Barros Jim Macnie John Murph Jennifer Odell

Kamasi Washington ++ +++ +++ ++++½ Heaven And Earth

Stanley Clarke Band ++½ ++ +++ ++½ The Message

Shamie Royston +++½ +++½ +++½ +++ Beautiful Liar

Antonio Sanchez ++++½ +++½ +++ +++½ Channels Of Energy

Critics’ Comments

Kamasi Washington, Heaven And Earth

Washington is a wonderfully soulful tenor saxophonist in the ’70s jazz-fusion vein who’s worked with Kendrick Lamar. But this project feels over-inflated and far too grand. Lose the choir, reverb, rippling piano and swelling movie themes. Just jam with Thundercat. —Paul de Barros The bandleader’s sprawl of voices and ensemble milks exultation and expressionism, calm and fury. But predictably so. At its weak points it feels formulaic. —Jim Macnie The fiery tenor saxophonist goes big again with another sizeable offering of melancholic, post-apocalyptic spiritual jazz that can inspire you to grab a Bible—and a sword. —John Murph

Stanley Clarke Band, The Message

Funky nods to Prince, a snappy boogaloo with Doug E. Fresh and a keeper solo on the title track can’t rescue this grab bag of mixed messages, which features, among other baffling gambits, a theatrical voice-over and a reckless rush through Bach. —Paul de Barros I’m all for eclecticism, but play that game wrong and you end up with a hodgepodge. That’s what happens here; the whirl of stimuli—from beatbox to Bach—devalues the individual ele- ments and waters down the mix. —Jim Macnie Intricate rhythms, hard-hitting bass funk, inventive rhythm-section exchanges and dreamy at- mospheric interludes mostly make up for minor mishaps, like the somewhat dated synth swells that suit the music, if not my taste. —Jennifer Odell

Shamie Royston, Beautiful Liar

Royston’s latest work reveals a musician of lyrical warmth and technical facility equally at home with hard-bop, rhythmic asymmetry or lyrical romance. It doesn’t hurt that her terrific band includes, among others, her husband, drummer Rudy Royston. —Paul de Barros A solid effort with Royston displaying assuredness as a pianist, composer and bandleader through a set of gleaming 21st-century bop gems. —John Murph It’s the unexpected details of Royston’s choices that ultimately elevate this dynamic collection of original material: the understated left-hand rumble she works into the intro of “Sunday Nostalgia,” for example, or the way her writing coaxes a simmering groove out of a difficult time signature. —Jennifer Odell

Antonio Sanchez, Channels Of Energy

The program is rich with melody, textures and moods. The shifts provide the sense of surprise needed to attract thrill seekers, and the craft of the charts assures a deep legibility carries the day. —Jim Macnie The drummer joins forces with celebrated arranger Vince Mendoza and the WDR Big Band for a snazzy set of acoustic straightahead jazz with discreet fusion tendencies. —John Murph Sanchez’s compositions seem to buzz with as much kinetic energy as his drumming. Arranged for the unfailingly excellent WDR Big Band, this material becomes more lively, giving even the most restrained moments a fresh depth, vibrancy and flow. —Jennifer Odell

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 67 figures, setting up Stinson’s extended bass solo, Zack O’Farrill adds some understated snare work. “El Maquech” stays close to its folklor- ic origin: Zack O’Farrill and Stinson play a waltz-like cadence, while the bandleader and Lefkowitz-Brown swap short phrases, darting around the melody like hummingbirds sipping nectar from aromatic blossoms. “Get Thee Behind Me Satan,” a tune from 1958’s Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Songbook, features a solo performance from the bandleader, full of unresolved tension. His melodic statements mimic Fitzgerald’s phras- ing before brief, dissonant bursts jump into his high register, fading into whispered, sus- tained notes that convey the breathless struggle Adam O’Farrill’s of temptation. His solo on “Shall We? (If You JD Allen Stranger Days Really Must Insist)” is marked by truncated Love Stone El Maquech phrases that slide up to his high end, while Zack SAVANT 2169 BIOPHILIA 0011 O’Farrill supplies remarkable asides. His bass ++++½ ++++ drum is a calm heartbeat, while toms and snare skitter around in delirious rhythmic patterns. In the long-running debate over whether it’s Adam O’Farrill’s Stranger Days jump into the O’Farrell’s trumpet is impressive throughout. necessary for instrumentalists to know the fire on “Siiva Moiiva,” the opening track ofEl His restraint and inventive use of silence gives words to songs they play, tenorman JD Allen Maquech. After a fanfare from O’Farrill’s trum- his playing a subtlety that should keep listeners has thrown in with Lester Young. “A musician pet and Chad Lefkowitz-Brown’s tenor saxo- on the edge of their seats. —j. poet should know the lyrics of the songs he plays,” phone, Walter Stinson takes a free-form bass was Prez’s opinion, and in the liner notes to El Maquech: Siiva Moiiva; Verboten Chant; El Maquech; Errone- Love Stone, Allen agrees, if somewhat elliptical- solo, settling into a medium-tempo groove. ous Love; Shall We? (If You Really Must Insist); Get Thee Behind Me “Verboten Chant” is another deconstructed Satan; Henry Ford Hospital; Pour Maman. (44:27) ly: “True confession: playing the melody while Personnel: Adam O’Farrill, trumpet; Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, tenor melody, and as bass, trumpet and saxophone saxophone; Walter Stinson, bass; Zack O’Farrill: drums. knowing the lyrics is like drinking champagne open the arrangement with frisky harmonic Ordering info: biophiliarecords.com alone and laughing at yourself all night long.” There’s a lot of champagne being sipped here, as both Allen and guitarist Liberty Ellman Anteloper keep the melodic content at the heart of these Kudu performances. That’s not to say that improvisa- INTERNATIONAL ANTHEM 0018 tion gets short shrift—nobody’s going to mis- +++½ take this album for easy listening—only that its execution intrinsically is linked to the melodic Anteloper—a duo project of trumpeter Jaimie ideas of the song being performed. And it ought Branch and drummer Jason Nazary, both dou- to be noted that this is hardly the standard set of bling on synthesizers—explores gritty acous- Great American Songs, as Allen’s choices range tic-electronic soundscapes, with the urban from the well-worn to such relative oddities sonic edge complemented by plenty of melod- as the Appalachian ballad “Come All Ye Fair ic-textural hooks. This isn’t “jazz,” per se, And Tender Ladies” and the Borodin-derived though it is forward-minded instrumental “Stranger In Paradise.” music made by inventive, jazz-honed improvis- But the album’s deepest pleasures stem ers. Branch, boldly expressive on her horn, has from the luxuriant warmth of Allen’s horn, not ties to the Chicago and New York avant-jazz necessarily the songs selected for inclusion. It and indie-rock scenes, crossing from one to the isn’t just that his phrasing is beautifully articu- other as a free spirit; her creatively orchestrated pull of a good rock chorus, before Branch’s lated, ensuring that every pause, emphasis and debut album, Fly Or Die (Imagination Anthem), open horn plays on and around the tune, orna- subtle shading carries the weight of the words garnered substantial praise last year. Nazary, a menting it like a singer. The 15-minute swirl of he’s mentally intoning; his solos, too, take on a Brooklyn-based producer and instrumentalist, “Ohoneotree Suite” has a psychedelic Doppler sense of speech, as if they somehow were con- has a track record of melding the synthetic with effect, as if the listener were riding by a long row tinuing the lyricist’s train of thought. As such, the organic from free-jazz to art-rock. of open windows, with snatches of tunes and the mood of the album is utterly enveloping, The liner notes forKudu , by cornetist and rhythms bending the ear one after the other, as conjuring enough emotional intensity to leave fellow sonic adventurer Rob Mazurek, advise, they leap out and then fade into blurring, dizzy- the listener hanging on every note (or word). “Listen with eyes closed and don’t move.” The ing electro-acoustic texture. —J.D. Considine album is indeed an enveloping experience, one —Bradley Bambarger to be played from end to end for cumulative Love Stone: Stranger In Paradise; Until The Real Thing Comes Along; Why Was I Born; You’re My Thrill; Come All Ye Fair And Ten- impact. Yet, there are apt entry points. Opener Kudu: Oryx; Fossil Record; Lethal Curve; Ohoneotree Suite; der Ladies; Put On A Happy Face; Prisoner Of Love; Someday (You’ll “Oryx”—after the glitchy atmospherics of its Seclusion Self. (50:04) Want Me To Want You); Gone With The Wind. (44:49) Personnel: Jaimie Branch, trumpet, synthesizers; Jason Nazary, Personnel: JD Allen, tenor saxophone; Liberty Ellman, guitar; intro and a section with Don Cherry-like fan- drums, synthesizers. Gregg August, bass; Rudy Royston, drums. fares—boasts a back-half melody that has the Ordering info: intlanthem.com Ordering info: jazzdepot.com

68 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 tunes by Monk, Miles, Ellington and Harold Morricone’s spaghetti Western soundtracks. Arlen on 2002’s intimate duet project, Slow. And the punchy “1,500 Feet Above the He took a major leap forward as an arrang- Sahara (Day)” recalls some of Sam Spence’s er-conductor for Nels Cline’s 2016 Blue Note classic gridiron scores for NFL Films during debut, Lovers. Now, he delivers something the 1970s. even more ambitious with his own sprawling Three extra compositions—the march- Michael Leonhart Orchestra. like “In The Kingdom Of M.Q.” (featur- Inspired by the butterfly of the same ing another heroic McCaslin solo), “Music name and its intergenerational 9,000-mile Your Grandparents Would Like” (featuring a migration, The Painted Lady Suite comprises fuzz-laden guitar freak-out from Cline) and seven movements representing the changing the trance-like “The Girl From Udaipur”— climate and mood throughout the epic trip. fill out the conceptually rich, distinctive pro- The orchestra tracks the path of the butterfly gram. —Bill Milkowski from the evocative opener, “Transformation The Painted Lady Suite: Transformation In The Deserts Of In The Deserts of Mexico,” sparked by an Mexico; The Silent Swarm Over El Paso; The Experimental Forest, North Dakota; Countdown To Saskatchewan; The Arctic Circle; intense Donny McCaslin tenor solo, to the 1,500 Feet Above The Sahara (Night); 1,500 Feet Above The Sahara Michael Leonhart grandiose “The Silent Swarm Over El Paso,” (Day); In The Kingdom Of M.Q.; Music Your Grandparents Would Like; The Girl From Udaipur. (58:26) Orchestra underscored by driving percussion and col- Personnel: Michael Leonhart, trumpet, French horn, mellophoni- ored by vocal choir, strings, bass harmoni- um, bass trumpet, vocals, bass, organ, mellotron, accordion, bass The Painted Lady Suite harmonica, bass melodica, pump organ; Daniel Freedman, drums ca and Cline’s reverb-soaked surf guitar. (1, 8, 9,10); Nick Movshon, drums (2), electric bass (5, 7); Homer SUNNYSIDE 1519 Steinweiss, drums (5, 7); Jay Leonhart, bass (1, 8, 10); Joe Martin, ½ The fluttering, ambient sound clouds of “The bass (6, 9); Nels Cline, guitar; Dave Guy, Andy Bush, Carter Ya- ++++ sutake, Andy Gathercole, trumpet; Taylor Haskins, trumpet, valve Experimental Forest, North Dakota” further trombone; Ray Mason, Mark Patterson, trombone, bass trombone; Michael Leonhart made his auspicious debut illustrate the journey. John Altieri, tuba; Donny McCaslin, tenor saxophone; Sam Sadig- ursky, tenor saxophone, piccolo flute, flute, alto flute, bass clarinet; as a 21-year-old trumpeter and conceptualist The 12/8-fueled “Countdown ToMatt Bauder, alto, tenor saxophone; Jason Marshall, alto, baritone saxophone; Cochlea Gastelum, tenor, baritone saxophone; Charles who put a premium on space in his striking Saskatchewan” injects unconventional ele- Pillow, bass clarinet, alto flute; Ian Hendrickson-Smith, baritone compositions for 1995’s enigmatic Aardvark saxophone; Jon Natchez, clarinet; Aaron Heick, tenor saxophone, ments into Leonhart’s mellotron motif English horn, bass flute; Sara Schoenbeck, bassoon; Pauline Kim, Poses. He opened his multi-instrumental and his Jon Hassell-ish harmonizer-effect- violin, viola; Mauro Durante, violin; Erik Friedlander, cello; Carolyn Leonhart, Jamie Leonhart, Milo Leonhart, vocals; Mauro Refosco, toolbox on 1998’s cinematic-sounding Glub ed trumpet solo, while “The Arctic Circle” Leon Michels, Mauro Durante, percussion. Club, Vol. 11, then put his personal spin on melds Martin Denny’s exotica with Ennio Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com

Leni Stern Dave McMurray 3 Music Is Life LSR 6 BLUE NOTE 002824502 +++½ +++½ Guitarist Leni Stern’s album is called Versatile, veteran saxophonist Dave 3 for two reasons. One, it’s primar- McMurray’s opening, open-bored ily a trio disc, recorded with her gambit on Music Is Life, “Naked working band of bassist Mamadou Walk,” conjures Philadelphian Ba and percussionist/multi-instru- Odean Pope blowing over an Eddie mentalist Alioune Faye; and two, it’s Harris groove. her third album with them, follow- McMurray is a longtime associate ing 2013’s Jelell (LSR) and 2016’s Dakar Suite (LSR). Like those records, of Blue Note honcho Don Was, who said the bandleader “is never trying to this concise 33-minute album finds Stern exploring unique territory that impress people with all he knows about music or about his dexterity over the encompasses blues, jazz, Senegalese and Malian music, and even a lit- instrument. It’s all about honest expressions.” McMurray’s fruitful associa- tle bit of rock. tion with Was includes appearances on high-profile Was-produced releases, “Khavare,” the album opener, is a sparse instrumental that recalls including work by The B-52s, Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. Tinariwen’s desert blues, with Faye’s complex percussion underpinning McMurray revives his heart-wrench belter “Que Je T’Aime” with Stern’s biting guitar and Ba’s liquid bass weaving between the two. “Spell,” Ibrahim Jones’ bass taking the organ line from the original. More interest- which features Stern’s husband and fellow guitarist, Mike, combines voo- ing is “Freedom Ain’t Free,” which, with its multi-tracked Middle Eastern- doo rhythms with a loping, twanging melody that recalls the Mississippi sounding horns reflects the influence of the bandleader’s time with Algerian blues of the late Junior Kimbrough, filtered through Malian music. The Rai supremo Khaled. McMurray’s tenor is drill-like over the closing tracks album concludes with “Crocodile,” a gentle, lilting guitar-and-accordion that celebrate his Motor City heritage, and offer McMurray’s fearless spir- trek, bracketed by percussion and vocal chants. Stern’s own vocals, heard it and gritty virtuosity more than his homages to The White Stripes’ “Seven on several tracks and in multiple languages, are gentle, but with a reserved Nation Army” and P-Funk’s “Atomic Dog,” which lack rhythmic nuance, strength. She’s not a showboat; she never shreds, but the statements she despite their Detroit cred. —Michael Jackson makes have that much more impact for the restraint. —Philip Freeman Music Is Life: Naked Walk; Music Is Life (Live It); Seven Nation Army; After The Storm; Freedom Ain’t 3: Khavare; Barambai; Wakhma; Calabas; Spell; Colombiano; Assiko; Crocodile. (32:36) Free; Time #5; Atomic Dog; Paris Rain; Que Je T’aime; Bop City D; Turo’s Dream; Detroit Theme/Detroit Personnel: Leni Stern, electric guitar, n’goni, vocals; Mamadou Ba, bass; Alioune Faye, sabar, djembe, 3. (48:51) calabas, vocals; Mike Stern, electric guitar (4, 5); Leo Genovese, synthesizer (4, 6); Gil Goldstein, accordi- Personnel: Dave McMurray, tenor, soprano saxophone, keyboards; Ibrahim Jones, bass; Jeff Canady, on (2, 8); Muhammed and Princess Louise Faye, vocals (2, 8). Ron Otis (10), drums. Ordering info: lenistern.com Ordering info: bluenote.com

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 69 Jazz / BY BILL MEYER Second City Improvisation CENGIZ YAR Dave Rempis has been an instigating force in Chicago since 1998, when he joined the Vandermark 5. Apart his robust command of alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, he’s a bandleader, a record label proprietor and an inveterate organizer, who has been booking concert series for years. McClenty Hunter Jr. Last year, he undertook a lengthy solo The Groove Hunter tour during which he networked and collab- STRIKEZONE 8816 orated with organizers and musicians, re- ++++ spectively. So, he’s well acquainted with the inner workings of disparate scenes across One could take the title of drummer McClenty the States. What makes Chicago’s impro- Hunter Jr.’s debut album as a leader, The Groove vised music scene so remarkable, he said, “is Hunter, in two ways. Either Hunter is the one that people are generally working together chasing the groove to conquer and subdue it, or in a collaborative sense to further the music, Dave Rempis he himself is the groove. It’s a tough call to decide and not their own individual careers. That’s which interpretation is more apt. what really makes it stand out from other of ideas, which flows inexorably from free- First off, the Juilliard-trained Hunter is with- active ‘scenes’ that I’m aware of.” jazz wails to subdued, indigo musings. The out question a master of the pocket. On his ver- But that’s not to say that there aren’t second disc, which includes nine passages likeminded figures elsewhere. In March, from improvisations alongside six mostly sion of Wayne Shorter’s “The Big Push,” the Rempis invited six of them to play with a local musicians, offers further measure of bandleader rivets the pulse into the floor while cross-section of Chicagoans during a six- Daisy and Rempis’ flexibility. The segments his horn trio—Stacy Dillard on tenor saxophone, day sequence of concerts, dubbed the Ex- with vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz and Eddie Henderson on trumpet and Donald posure Series. And in his recent recordings, trombonist Steve Swell are by turns at- Harrison on alto saxophone—cycles through listeners can hear how Rempis’ energy and mospheric and forceful, but both exhibit the tune’s surprising harmonic tensions. Then, intellect animate music made in a variety of a chamber ensemble’s attention to detail. on “Sack Full Of Dreams,” Hunter’s nod to men- settings. And with electronicist Aaron Zarzutzki, key- tor Grady Tate (who popularized the song), he Spectral includes two fellow travelers boardist Jim Baker and bassoonist Katie lays back into a soul-inspired feel, leaving guitar- from the San Francisco Bay area, trumpet- Young, they map the connections between ist Dave Stryker free to explore the sweeter spots er Darren Johnston (Nice Guy Trio, Broken alien textural exploration and bold lyricism. of the melody. Shadows) and saxophonist Larry Ochs Ordering info: aerophonicrecords.com (Rova Saxophone Quartet). Empty Castles Rempis/Piet/Daisy’s Throw Toma- But on his four originals, Hunter reveals a (Aerophonic 016; 51:45 ++++), the trio’s toes (Astral Spirits 0260; 55:51 ++++) more vulnerable, personal musical self. On these third recording for Rempis’ label, exempli- affords the chance to hear the duo play two tracks, he favors intros with subdued percussive fies the discipline and empathy that are es- complete sets with a new guy in town. For- lines, a conversational tone among the players sential to successful free improvisation. The mer cruise-ship pianist Matt Piet moved to and swelling dynamics that explode in spirited album opens with assertive pops and frail Chicago in 2014 to reboot his creative life, celebration, before settling back into introspec- cries that illustrate the players’ command and if the album’s title implies apprehen- tion. Helping Hunter to establish this musical arc of extended techniques. Each utterance is sion about his reception, the music dispels are the fleet-fingered pianist Eric Reed and emo- magnified by the reverberant acoustics of any doubts. Piet is a persuasive free player tive bassist Corcoran Holt, who sink into intense the abandoned munitions bunk where the who is as comfortable unwinding linear de- session was recorded—a phenomenon the velopments in parallel with his partners as reveries when soloing—especially on the ardent musicians exploit to obtain a singular sense he is lodging small, provocative comments “My Love” and the mellifluent “Give Thanks,” of space. But every growling multiphonic, into their most elaborate statements. respectively. isolated note and circular breathing-fueled Ordering info: astralspirits.bandcamp.com In the category of above-and-beyond, line blends organically into an exquisitely Rummage Out (Clean Feed 465; Hunter brings together Stryker, keyboardist balanced piece of music so cohesive that it 37:41 ++++) by Matt Piet & His Disor- Christian Sands and bassist Eric Wheeler on a could be orchestrated. ganization pairs Piet and Daisy with the stoked version of Stevie Wonder’s “That Girl.” Dodecahedron, by the Rempis/Dai- slippery lyricism of cornetist Josh Berman While Hunter plays a shuffle behind them, these sy Duo (Aerophonic 017; 48:53/75:52 and fleet, muscular inventiveness of alto players race on, galvanized by the thrill of the ++++½), is a concert recording that reaf- saxophonist Nick Mazzarella. He walks like chase. —Suzanne Lorge firms the saxophonist’s enduring creative a bass player, comps like Alice Coltrane at relationship with drummer Tim Daisy, a her most bluesy, and uses tension-build- The Groove Hunter: Blue Chopsticks; The Big Push; Autumn; partner since the late 1990s. The pair has ing, repetitive figures that free Daisy to That Girl; My Love; Sack Full Of Dreams; I Remember When; Count- down; Give Thanks. (52:00) developed an awareness of each other’s indulge in vertiginous, decorative flights of Personnel: McClenty Hunter Jr., drums; Eddie Henderson, trum- styles that borders on instinctive, and the fancy. DB pet (2); Stacy Dillard, tenor, soprano saxophone; Eric Reed, piano; Corcoran Holt, bass; Donald Harrison, alto saxophone (2, 8); Davy first disc captures the duo’s easy exchange Ordering info: cleanfeed-records.com Stryker, guitar (4, 6); Eric Wheeler, bass (4, 6, 7); Christian Sands, piano, Fender Rhodes (4, 6, 7). Ordering info: facebook.com/strikezonejazz

70 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Some,” penned by vibraphonist Warren Wolf, or “Living The Questions,” a transcendent piece composed by tenor saxophonist David Sánchez. Disc two is devoted to Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and Stevie Wonder. Monk’s “Criss Cross” is a pianist’s showpiece, and yet, everyone keeps pace with the playful notes, from Matt Penman’s restrained bass to drummer Obed Calvaire’s locked rhythm. Coleman’s “Una Muy Bonita” doesn’t fail to please, its sweetness in all the right spots, while “When Will The Blues Leave” is a reminder of what the generous com- poser left behind. Wonder’s repertoire would be a jubilant finish to any show, though the rendi- tion of “Superstition” begins darker than its orig- inal intent. But by song’s end, it reaches ebullient SFJAZZ Collective heights. Dayramir Gonzalez Live: SFJAZZ Center 2017 Less tribute and more testament to the pli- The Grand Concourse SFJAZZ ability of Wonder, Coleman and Monk, this iter- MACHAT ++++ ation of the SFJAZZ Collective showcases an ++++½ ensemble that stretches from here to there and The Grand Course is a tour de force. As writer, Charged annually with new commissions and back again, without ever breaking a sweat. arranger, pianist, leader and guiding spirit of this reinterpretations of modern classics, this dou- —Denise Sullivan ble disc by SFJAZZ Collective leaves little doubt sensational project, Dayramir Gonzalez exhibits complete command. innovation and tradition simultaneously are Live: SFJAZZ Center 2017: Disc 1: Give The Drummer Some; Ven- alive and well on the West Coast. ezuela Unida; Tidal Flow; Tune For June; Off Kilter; Perseverance; Most of the uptempo tracks balance com- Soundless Odyssey; Living The Questions. (69:43) Disc 2: Bye-Ya; Alto saxophonist’s Miguel Zenón’s “Tidal Criss Cross; Reflections; Una Muy Bonita; School Work; When Will plexity and momentum, feeding, rather than Flow” ripples with horns and vibraphone in sync, The Blues Leave; Sir Duke, Creepin’; Superstition. (62:22) making things harder, for each other. It begins Personnel: Miguel Zenón, alto saxophone; David Sánchez, tenor then morphs into something more urgent. It’s saxophone; Sean Jones, trumpet; Robin Eubanks, trombone; with “Smiling,” the perfect opener. Gonzalez Warren Wolf, vibraphone, marimba; Edward Simon, piano; Matt an indicator of the assembled players’ breadth, Penman, bass; Obed Calvaire, drums. states the theme at the top, dancing nimbly whether on the soaring “Give The Drummer Ordering info: sfjazz.org through myriad meters. The horns punch key points in the rhythm, punctuated by brief solo drum moments. The writing and playing are Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin breathtaking. Three works stand out as homages Awase to love. Each begin with Gonzalez, playing with ECM 2603 a reflective blues touch in memory of his late ++++ brother Daymell on “Blood Brothers” and with nuance on “Lovely Time With My Dear.” String It’s been six years since the last release from sections join in on both; they complement his Nick Bärtsch’s Ronin, but Awase is a welcome concept, but leave the listener wishing the band- return to a familiar form. leader might perform alone—a wish that he ful- Ronin belongs to a subset of groove mer- fills on the lovely “Hand And Hand, You And I.” chants, like the Necks and Dawn of Midi, that Special mention must be made of the pho- move on instinct, rather than relying on riffs. tography and quotations accompanying each The operating procedure for all three is group song in the liner notes. These words come from augmentation, not solo and variation, precise- Gandhi, Lao Tzu, Brahms, Victor Hugo—a stel- ly repeating patterns over runs and flights of lar assembly, as are those few young jazz artists fancy. who might qualify as Gonzalez’s peers. Unlike the Necks, however, Ronin works —Bob Doerschuk from preconceived themes, and unlike both of Sha’s “A” falls about midpoint, fitting snugly those other bands, works with a leader. As such, among Bärtsch’s pieces and demonstrating the The Grand Concourse: Smiling; Moving Forward; Sencillez; the band has survived the loss of two mem- Iyesa Con Miel; Blood Brothers; Camello Tropical; Lovely Time With strength of their groupthink. The album opens My Dear; Linear Patterns In Havana; Two Makes The Difference; bers since its last release, Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin with the fleeting “Modul 60,” feeling like a pro- West Coast Exchange; Hand And Hand, You And I; Situaciones en 12/8. (71:53) Live (ECM). That album marked the transi- logue before the credits kick in. But once the Personnel: Dayramir Gonzalez, piano, Fender Rhodes, synthe- tion from bassist Björn Meyer to Thomy Jordi. sizer; Antoine Katz, Alberto Miranda, electric bass; Carlos Mena, story gets moving, it’s exhilarating. Zwelakhe-Duma Bell Le Pere, acoustic bass; Zack Mullings, Keisel The new disc also sees the departure of per- From start to finish, it’s a compelling Jimenez Leyva, Jay Sawer, Willy Rodriguez, Raul Pineda, David Rivera, drums; Paulo Stagnaro, congas, batá drums, surdo, cajon, cussionist Andi Pupato, leaving it a trim piano album, even if not something you’re likely to guiro, pandeiro; Mauricio Herrera, congas; Mauricio Herrera, quartet: subdued drums in the back; grounded batá drums; Yosvany Terri, surdo, cajon, guiro, pandeiro; Marcos find yourself whistling while walking down the Lopez, timbal, congas; Harvis Cuni, trumpet; Oriente Lopez, Kalani four-string electric bass replacing the melodic street. —Kurt Gottschalk Trinidad, flute; Yosvany Terri, alto saxophone, surdo, cajon, guiro, pandeiro; Rio Konishi, alto saxophone; Dean Tsur, alto, tenor six-string; and the leader commanding less of saxophone; Edmar Colon, tenor saxophone; Ameya Kalamdani, the spotlight than on past outings. guitars; Ilmar Lopez Gavilan, Audrey Defreytas Hayes, violin; Awase: Modul 60; Modul 58; A; Modul 36; Modul 34; Modul 59. Tatiana Ferrer, viola, vocals; Jennifer Vincent, cello; Caris Visentin The album also sees a composition by (65:30) Liebman, oboe; Amparo Edo Biol, French horn; Pedrito Martinez, Personnel: Nik Bärtsch, piano; Sha, bass clarinet, alto saxophone; vocals, batá drums; Gregorio Vento, surdo, cajon, guiro, pandeiro; someone other than Bärtsch for the first time Thomy Jordi, bass; Kaspar Rast, drums. Nadia Washington, Jaclyn Sanchez, vocals. on a Ronin record. The single-named reedist Ordering info: ecmrecords.com Ordering info: dayramirgonzalez.com

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 71 Blues / BY FRANK-JOHN HADLEY It Tears Them Up Philipp Fankhauser, I’ll Be Around (Sony Music/Funk House Blues 9211; 68:04 ++++) Recording his 15th album at Mis- CHRISTI WILLIAMS sissippi’s Malaco Records, Philip Fankhauser makes a deep impression on listeners with the nuanced rhythmic phrasing of his cara- mel-and-charcoal voice, and with single-note guitar lines in the spirit of Booker White. The Swiss musician engages a Southern soul-blues language that in feel and mood matches Grade “A” songs by Dennis Walker, Theo Hill Dan Penn, Johnny Copeland and George Interstellar Adventures Jackson. His own works—actually collabo- POSI-TONE 8183 rations with Walker—are equally tuneful. ½ Produced by Walker and Malaco co-found- ++++ er Wolf Stephenson, Fankhauser constantly Several critics have cited pianist Theo Hill as a draws creative nourishment from the contri- rising star, and in one way that’s apropos given butions of a choice mix of musicians. Interstellar Adventures being the title of his Ordering info: phillipfankhauser.com Joyann Parker James Harman, Fineprint (Elec- latest release, his second on the Posi-Tone tro-Fi 3454; 55:54 ++++) Veteran James ed romance. Among those helping King to label. But “rising” needs to be updated nowa- Harman’s stock-in-trade is pinning our ears sustain low and moderate heat on his sixth days, and even more so after this trio date with back with harmonica sounds of revelatory album is Italian guitarist Roberto Luti, once bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Rudy power. That’s evident with his latest offer- a street performer in New Orleans. Royston. ing of original songs taped during the past Ordering info: bloodshotrecords.com The songs on Interstellar Adventures, par- decade in studios or at concerts in his home Joyann Parker, Hard To Love (Hope- ticularly “Cyclic Episode” (a Sam Rivers ½ state, California. While his singing occasion- less Romantic 1001; 49:26 +++ ) Fol- tune off the 1965 album Fuchsia Swing Song) ally reveals accumulated wear-and-tear, lowing up her 2015 debut, On The Rocks and “Gyre,” fall comfortably between Hill’s Harman compensates with individuality (Self Release), Joyann Parker presents a impressionistic collages of sound, often deliv- and wry insight into what life has to offer. package of originals and serves notice that ered with a bell-like sonority, and the unre- Guitarist-producer Nathan James and other she’s a blues performer to the bone. Bravely pros stand him in good stead, mixing the risking emotional exposure, this Minneapo- lenting furious passages that can leave a lis- usual rhythms with others from Africa and lis-based singer and multi-instrumentalist tener breathless. On “The Comet,” Hill’s trio New Orleans. shows a penchant for depicting a unique reaches the launching pad and soars into space Ordering info: electrofi.com response to the ups and downs of life. The with Royston at the throttle. Dany Franchi, Problem Child (Sta- album sweeps through well-titled numbers The ensemble’s clearly in orbit on tion House 100; 49:54 +++½) Italy turns like “Envy,” “Evil Hearted” and “Take My “Retrograde,” and Carter’s bass has a puls- out good guitarists, and in the pack is Dany Heart And Run.” Parker and company work ing oscillation that surfaces again with good Franchi, who’s a couple years shy of 30 and styles ranging from Chuck Berry and bluesy notice on “For Those Who Do.” On these occa- sole proprietor of two earlier albums. This funk to French Quarter parades and Mem- sions, Hill is content to let his cohort apply the time supervised by estimable guitarist An- phis soul approximations. groove, while he teases out scintillating frag- ton Funderburgh in Austin, Texas, he makes Ordering info: joyannparker.com progress in developing a style of his own on Late Blossom Blues: The Journey Of ments, before presenting longer, more invig- Stratocaster. Slow-sizzler “Wanna Know” is Leo “Bud” Welch (City Hall 9018; 90:00 orating portraits from one end of the key- where he really hits the bottom side of the ++++) After decades of timber cutting and board to the other. There’s an inviting warmth blues, vaulting craftsmanship into a world anonymity in rural Mississippi, Bud Welch to his ballads, although the arrival of a steadi- of conviction. Franchi’s singing is a mix of (1932–2017) happily lived out his last years ly propulsive left-hand is more than welcome. black pepper and wood smoke, while his as a heralded blues singer and guitarist. On “Revelations” and “Enchanted Forest,” the writing is decent, even though lyrics on ro- Austrian documentarians Wolfgang Almer bandleader evokes a celeste tonality (or is that mance turn on commonplace details. and Stefan Wolner skillfully filmed his daily celestial), and it’s clear that the rising star has Ordering info: danyfranchi.com interactions (some testy) with novice, erst- fully ascended. Luke Winslow-King, Blue Mesa while manager Vencie Varnado, as well as There currently is much talk about (Bloodshot 262; 40:00 +++½) Luke his appearances at American and European Winslow-King, a 35-year-old who spent clubs and festivals. An engaging character Afrofuturism, mostly generated by the box quality years in New Orleans, has an ease- and able musician with a fatal fondness for office smash Black Panther, and Hill’s cosmic ful way with well-thought-out, appealing tobacco, Welch appears to impart his deep- flights might be the film’s musical counterpart. originals that mingle Robert Cray blues, est appreciation of life while testifying in a —Herb Boyd Memphis soul and rock. At a session in Ita- Baptist church and fronting a 1985 gospel Interstellar Adventures: Interstellar Adventures; Black Come- ly, his rather soft, lusterless voice explicates band amid footage that accompanies the dy; Retrograde; Cyclic Episode; The Comet; Gyre; Thorn Of A White friendship, the allure of personal indepen- documentary’s closing credits. DB Rose; Revelations; For Those Who Do; Enchanted Forest. (50:36) Personnel: Theo Hill, acoustic, electric piano; Rashaan Carter, dence and, inevitably, conflicted or content- Ordering info: lateblossomblues.com acoustic, electric bass; Rudy Royston, drums. Ordering info: posi-tone.com

72 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Thumbscrew’s latest albums—a conjoined pair three pieces—run an impressive gamut, from of releases, featuring one set of original material Formanek’s pitch-shifting, almost grunge-like and another of covers—she seems to be getting “Cruel Heartless Bastards” to Fujiwara’s more closer than ever to cracking the code. austere work that makes great use of silence and Halvorson performs her most impressive the shimmering resonance of his cymbals. calculations on Theirs, the collection that finds Halvorson’s pieces on Ours aim for a quiet the guitarist, drummer Tomas Fujiwara and complexity. “Thumbprint” is built up humbly bassist Michael Formanek interpreting the work with a sashaying rhythm and a catchy hook, both of Wayne Shorter, Stanley Cowell and Jacob Do of which slowly are exploded and rearranged. The Bandolim, among others. The trio sticks to the tempo kicks up and the three skitter around like melodic core of these often-unorthodox stan- frightened animals, looking to escape from a per- dards, but clearly delights in zooming in on ceived threat. “Smoketree” follows a similar for- what’s on the lead sheets, until it’s all been turned mula—just with a lot less manic energy. to fractals. As a conceptual pairing, it makes sense to The trio’s take on Brooks Bowman’s other- have these two recordings arrive in the world wise swaying ballad “East Of The Sun” is cha- together. More than that, Theirs and Ours per- Thumbscrew otic, with each player spilling out phrases and fectly encapsulate the rare chemistry that these Ours warped notes in crumbling heaps. A softly shuf- players have found together, and the musical CUNEIFORM RUNE 439 fling run through Evelyn Danzig’s 1949 “Scarlet conflagrations that can emerge when artists find +++½ Ribbons (For Her Hair)” becomes watery and likeminded souls with whom to collaborate. hallucinogenic through Halvorson’s judicious —Robert Ham Theirs use of effects and Fujiwara’s swimming brush- CUNEIFORM RUNE 441 work. Even more straightforward interpreta- Ours: Snarling Joys; Saturn Way; Cruel Heartless Bastards; tions, like their sparkling version of Bandolim’s Smoketree; Thumbprint; One Day; Rising Snow; Words That ++++ Rhyme With Spangle (Angle Bangle Dangle Jangle Mangel “Benzinho,” are spiked with little moments that Mangle Strangle Tangle Wangle wrangle); Unconditional. (55:54) Mary Halvorson’s approach to playing guitar fall out of focus or exploratory flare-ups that Theirs: Stablemates; Benzinho; House Party Starting; The Peacocks; East Of The Sun; Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair); long has felt like she was trying to untangle some bristle and surprise. Buen Amigo; Dance Cadaverous; Effi; Weer Is Een Dag Voorbij. great mystery, searching for the right combi- The companion album, Ours, finds the trio (45:57) Personnel: Mary Halvorson, guitar; Michael Formanek, bass; nation of notes and tones that might unlock a exploring even more varied territory. The nine Tomas Fujiwara, drums. secret chamber within her instrument. And on compositions—with each musician contributing Ordering info: cuneiformrecords.com

Scott Clark David Helbock’s ToNow Random Control CLEAN FEED 478 Tour D’Horizon ++++ ACT 9869 ½ In November 2016, police clad in riot +++ gear turned water cannons on activ- David Helbock’s 18 albums as a lead- ists assembled beneath a freezing er position the 34-year-old pianist as North Dakota night; grainy video cap- a creative thinker unafraid to put his tured the confrontation. That evening stamp on the works of jazz masters was just one of the conflicts around past, while furthering his own dis- the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline. tinctive catalog. The Austrian’s Tour On Scott Clark’s newest album, part of a planned suite that began with D’Horizon exemplifies his approach, a covers album wherein the pianist 2016’s Bury My Heart (Clean Feed), the Virginia drummer and compos- pays tribute to his influences. er wrestles with the legacy of that evening, as well as the ongoing struggle It might be easy to dismiss the album purely for its well-worn material: of native people in the United States. It’s a steep challenge, one that ToNow Joe Zawinul’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” Paul Desmond’s “Take Five,” Duke grapples with passionately. “Plains” opens with broiling drums and brassy Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood.” But the trio upends the “less is more” squalls, before settling into a brooding atmosphere. Bob Miller’s melod- attitude by cleverly rearranging each composition with a minimalist slant ic trumpet solo explores the quiet expanse, locating a fragile beauty before that plays to the group’s strengths. the composition assumes a more anxious disposition; a blanket of ambi- The music of Joaquin Rodrigo via Miles Davis appears in the trio’s ver- ent distortion yields a searing guitar solo by Alan Parker. When the group sion of “Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio),” given a lush, if Spartan, treat- coalesces behind it, into a single, thumping organism, ToNow hits a dis- ment of brushed harpsichord, plucked piano strings, low-note grum- tinctive stride. bles and raspy flute. But that only serves as introduction to Chick Corea’s Before recording the album, Clark sent photos and links detailing the “Spain,” its trademark melody performed by sympathetic piano and sopra- Standing Rock protest to his band. The group’s search to find ways of no saxophone, then upended with beatbox flute, Steve Reichian piano articulating its complicated emotional and political significance pro- rhythms and, of course, the carnival-like bridge. Tour D’Horizon surprises vides guidance, shepherding the communal playing back on track, even at every turn, a measured feast for the senses. —Ken Micallef when it wanders. —Andrew Jones Tour D’Horizon: African Marketplace; Seven Days Of Falling; Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio); Spain; In A Sentimental Mood; Mercy, Mercy, Mercy; Blue In Green; Watermelon Man; My Song; Utviklings- ToNow: Plains; Stand; Red, White, Yellow; Cantapeta Creek. (49:12) sang; Bolivia; Take Five. (50:08) Personnel: Scott Clark, drums; Cameron Ralston, bass; Jason Scott, saxophone; Bob Miller, trumpet; Personnel: David Helbock, piano, electronics, percussion; Andreas Broger, saxophones, clarinets, reed Alan Parker, guitar; Tobin Summerfield, guitar. instruments; Johannes Bär, tuba, trumpet, brass instruments. Ordering info: cleanfeed-records.com Ordering info: actmusic.com

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 73 Roni Ben-Hur/ Angelika Niescier Harvie S The Berlin Concert Introspection INTAKT 305 JAZZHEADS 1230 ++++ ++++ Saxophonist Angelika Niescier Guitarist Roni Ben-Hur is an estab- helms a trio bursting with possibili- lished jazz figurehead with a keen ties on The Berlin Concert, a record- sensitivity to his personnel and a ing that extends her artistic vision. limber, near-effortless fluidity. On This set from the 2017 Berlin Jazz Introspection—where he’s joined Festival features a pared-down by a savvy outfit comprising bass- version of the band featured on ist Harvie S and drummer Tim Horner—his trio revisits a batch of less- Niescier’s previous opus, 2016’s NYC Five (Intakt). Joining her here are er-known compositions, bringing mindfulness and nuance to the fore- bassist Christopher Tordini and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, two pillars of front on a set of 10 tunes. the New York scene. Much as the name suggests, Introspection offers an almost autobi- The four original compositions actually are simple melodic lines that ographical, inward look at Ben-Hur and Harvie S’ collective musical evo- serve as springboards for improvisation. The set here opens with “Kundry,” lution—lyrical and nuanced soloists, astute and mindful accompanists. a burner that shines a proper light on each of its protagonists. Niescier Add Horner’s timely diligence to the mix, and the album breathes some uses the full range of her instrument and gets quite passionate, almost organic vitality into almost-lost jazz works. But as Ben-Hur and Harvie reaching a breaking point on occasions. Instead of keeping time, Tordini S provide scintillating back-and-forth, minimalism is the ultimate form plays variations on the melody or just states it, while Sorey demonstrates of artistry here. Certainly, moments of near-perplexing virtuosity exist— once again why he is one of the genre’s most in-demand drummers. His Ben-Hur’s harmonic prowess on super-vibey, Brazilian-style B-sides and a mastery of dynamics does marvels, propelling Niescier forward, without tasty, throwback to his bebop upbringing. From Harvie S’ swinging solo drowning her out. The Berlin Concert closes with “The Surge,” inserting fanfare to Ben-Hur’s lightning-fast, touch-sensitive runs—under Horner’s a sense of urgency and taking the band into a free mode of performance. watchful, understated brushes—the chemistry found on the album is a Niescier lets loose, and Sorey is in an explosive mode. Miles away from his unique, uncompromising force to behold. —Hilary Brown solid conceptual and abstract work, it is a delight to hear him at his most visceral. —Alain Drouot Introspection: Prá Machucar Meu Coração; Serenity; Conception; Introspection; Dexia; Focus; Blood Count; Nobody Else But Me; Repetition; Asiatic Raes. (50:37) The Berlin Concert: Kundry; Like Sheep, Looking Up; 5.8; The Surge. (40:07) Personnel: Roni Ben-Hur, guitar; Harvie S, bass; Tim Horner, drums. Personnel: Angelika Niescier, alto saxophone; Christopher Tordini, bass; Tyshawn Sorey, drums. Ordering info: jazzheads.com Ordering info: intaktrec.ch

Andrea Brachfeld Marc Sinan/ If Not Now, When? Oguz Büyükberber JAZZHEADS 1229 White +++½ ECM 2558 ½ Andrea Brachfeld, a veteran jazz flut- ++++ ist with impeccable technique, Guitarist Marc Sinan, who in the past chooses a more fulfilling path than has combined German, Turkish and mere virtuosity on her new disc. If Armenian musics, has been col- Not Now, When? focuses just as much laborating with clarinetist Oguz on her generosity as a bandleader and Büyükberber for about a decade. The compositional skills. pair’s latest work together, White, is As Brachfeld mentions in the liner notes, she’s known pianist Bill split between its “Upon Nothingness” pieces, largely composed by Sinan, O’Connell since they began playing in New York during the 1970s. She’s and a “There” sequence, written by Büyükberber, each of these being inter- known the other musicians in this quartet for almost as long. That familial leaved to create an unfolding conversation. cohesion comes through in the aptly titled “Creating Space”: Bassist Harvie The crackle of vintage 1916 recordings infiltrates the “Upon S sets an ominously inviting tone, which drummer Jason Tiemann answers Nothingness” sections, a series of field recordings that document the folk through light cymbal hits. But the composition that yields the most sur- singing of Armenian prisoners of war. Sinan and Büyükberber engage in prising turns is the 10-minute “Deeply I Live.” This ballad is formed of dif- a sparse dialogue, the latter issuing some of his darkest, mournful phras- ferent interwoven parts with Harvie S and Tiemann’s solos building things es on bass clarinet. up and then dramatically turning everything around midway. Brachfeld The card pack is shuffled with “There I,” these earlier tracks being dexterously weaves through all of these changes while also tying the ini- somewhat brief. Later, they expand, and the “Upon Nothingness” pas- tially contrasting passages together. The group itself also foregrounds plen- sages seem to be truncated. A mirage of a guitar forest spreads to the ty of the bandleader’s other strengths, like when everyone pushes her into horizon on “Upon Nothingness, White,” imprinting a ghostly after-im- different intervals on the brisk “The Listening Song.” And since Brachfeld age. The pair’s highly expressive phrases diverge, but periodically arrive knows when to let a fine groove play itself out, she adds the right kind of at a striking juncture, either by chance or design, their every note and bluesy vibe to “Amazing Grace.” —Aaron Cohen gesture a sonic delicacy. —Martin Longley

If Not Now, When?: The Listening Song; Steppin’; Creating Space; The Silence; Anima Mea; Movers White: Upon Nothingness, Yellow; There I; Upon Nothingness, Blue; There II; Upon Nothingness, And Shakers; Deeply I Live; Moving Forward; The Opening; Amazing Grace. (65:45) Green; There III; There IV; There V; Upon Nothingness, White; Upon Nothingness, Red. (40:18) Personnel: Andrea Brachfeld, flutes; Bill O’Connell, piano; Harvie S, bass; Jason Tiemann, drums. Personnel: Marc Sinan, guitar, electronics; Oguz Büyükberber, clarinet, bass clarinet, electronics. Ordering info: jazzheads.com Ordering info: ecmrecords.com

74 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Shirley Crabbe Bridges MAISONG MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT 2018 +++ A record lined with jazz standards and sporting conventional instrumentation might lead to pre- sumptions of familiarity when contemplating Bridges. But Shirley Crabbe reminds lovers of the Great American Songbook that performance and emotive projection can imbue the most ubiquitous of jazz tunes with fresh excitement. Apart from being a strong vocalist, Crabbe takes the message of each work and retains the integral emotional direction, while dressing Dave Holland each in a mellifluous approach. Every cut’s instrumental interludes. —Kira Grunenberg bright, clean and expressive in style—quali- Bridges: Isn’t This A Lovely Day; Taking A Chance On Love; Uncharted Territories Bridges; The Bridge; I Didn’t Know What Time It Was; Promise Me; DARE 2 010 ties springing from Crabbe’s initial pursuit of The Windmills Of Your Mind; And So It Goes; Thief In The Night; opera. And though lyrical complexity comes Blessed Assurance. (48:54) ++++ Personnel: Shirley Crabbe, vocals; David Budway, piano (1, 8, 9); second to traditional songcraft, listeners can Donald Vega, piano; Clovis Nicolas, bass; Alvester Garnett, drums (2, On this triple-vinyl set (or two-CD alterna- 10); Ulysees Owens Jr., drums; Brandon Lee, trumpet; Chris Cardona, revel in the artistic intricacy of the seasoned violin; Sean Carney, violin; Todd Low, viola; Stephanie Cummins, cello. tive), bassist Dave Holland returns to the musicianship spotlighted during Bridges’ Ordering Info: shirleycrabbe.com improvising freedom of his early years, a period in the late 1960s and early ’70s, when he worked with Chick Corea’s Circle and the Spontaneous Music Ensemble. On Uncharted Territories, Holland rekindles that SME col- laboration with saxophonist Evan Parker, alongside a pair of younger Americans, key- boardist Craig Taborn and percussionist Ches Smith. The results linger between free improvisa- tion and what used to be more popularly termed “Third Stream.” Parker occasional- ly moves toward his trademark spiraling, but just as often paints a tonally rounded tenor picture, exploring lyrically rich routes. When Smith switches to hard kit-drumming, and Taborn sits out, the results can sound remark- ably close to Parker’s trio with Barry Guy and Paul Lytton. The joy of having 23 tracks is that just as many approaches are available, from soft, tentative transparency to agitated, emphatic spikiness. “QT12” offers a free-jazz scamper, all hands full-tilt, whereas “Organ-Vibes W1” involves a delicate gathering of tones, Taborn highlighting the percussiveness of his keys, Smith producing an eerie shimmer that would be at home on a soundtrack to one of Roger Corman’s old Edgar Allan Poe movies. During the course of these sessions, it’s exciting to hear Holland move back toward abstraction, but it’s equally desirable to find Parker in a jazzier setting. —Martin Longley

Uncharted Territories: Thought On Earth; Piano-Bass-Per- cussion T1; Q&A; Tenor-Bass W3; QT12; Duo Bass Tenor W3; QW2; Tenor-Piano-Bass T2; Organ-Vibes W1; Bass-Percussion; Tenor-Pia- no-Percussion T1; QT13; Tenor-Bass-Percussion T2; Piano-Percussion W3; QT5; Tenor-Bass W1; Piano-Bass-Percussion T2; Unsteady As She Goes; Bass-Percussion T1; QW5; Tenor-Bass-Percussion T1; Tenor-Bass W3; QW1. (65:19/65:49) Personnel: Dave Holland, bass; Evan Parker, tenor saxophone; Craig Taborn, keyboards, electronics; Ches Smith, drums, percus- sion, vibraphone. Ordering info: daveholland.com/dare2

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 75 Beyond / BY JESSE JARNOW JERRY MELROSE

Alexander von Schlippenbach Globe

Jerry Garcia (left) performs with future Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter during the fall of 1962. Unity Orchestra Globe Unity (50 Years) INTAKT 298 The Dead, Forged in Folk +++½ One of the most influential and versatile im- As the meticulous liner notes detail, provisers of the late 20th century, Grateful Garcia also was plugged into the emerg- Can you pay tribute to a 50-year-old innovation Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia filtered tradi- ing national social network of pickers from and still be innovative? That’s the question tional American music through a sensibility practically his first strum. No casual player, hanging over this anniversary performance by that could be as disciplined and studied as it the nearly four hours of music uncover a German pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach was open-eared and loose. musician filled with ambition and energy. and his free-jazz big band, the Globe Unity Spawning a virtual school of players, By a year after the earliest recording, Gar- Orchestra. When he debuted the project in 1966, the Dead’s approach itself has become a cia had turned to banjo. That, too, became its sheer size—13 players in all—made even recognizable mode of American music mak- a progression, from the ghostly frailings Ornette Coleman’s infamous double quartet ing, from the group’s songbook to Garcia’s of the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers, re- sound structured by comparison. preferred scales, from a vocabulary of jam corded in June 1962, to the shredding Bill Where the 1966 performance crackled with tricks, down to the conversational relation- Keith style he’d accentuated by the time ship between instruments. of the Black Mountain Boys in 1964. The a youthful sense of discovery, the pleasures in The illuminating Before The sequence would result in Garcia’s instantly hearing the orchestra work in 2016 lie mostly in Dead (Round Records JGFRR1016; recognizable electric guitar playing with picking out moments of individual virtuosity. 42:00/64:52/42:41/71:33 +++½) shines the Dead, each note articulated with a ban- And the Jazzfest Berlin audience saved its most light on Garcia’s earliest music—1961 to joist’s precision. rapturous applause for a rare moment of lone 1964—most often remembered as his Far more than the story of a banjo play- instrumentation, Evan Parker’s screeching sax- “bluegrass period” for his virtuosic banjo er, Before The Dead documents Garcia’s ophone, which flashes like a fish leaping out of playing. But the four-CD/five-LP collection quest to become a complete musician. He whitewater, then plunges back into chaos. reveals a far richer picture. Later in the de- fills numerous roles, playing mandolin with At times, when a quorum of players are test- cade, the Dead would veer from style to his wife, Sara, in 1963 and leading the band ing their lung capacity to its fullest, Globe Unity style, with Garcia as chief architect of their as a rhythm guitar player. sound, and Before The Dead spotlights an Garcia’s autodidactic scholarliness (50 Years) feels like that moment when you lose equally restless young player integrating even would send him on a cross-country your balance leaning back in a chair, then catch musical information at a breathtaking clip. tape-trading quest, leading him to the feet yourself. But many of the performance’s most While many of these recordings have of bluegrass king Bill Monroe. But, by the interesting moments happen in subtler ways: circulated among collectors in fuller form, next year, the rigor of bluegrass would be when the brass players use their valves to cre- Before The Dead is the first official release trumped by Garcia’s desire for more fun, ate textural elements, wheezing and sighing for nearly all of the music collected here. always his most specific desire and creative over von Schlippenbach’s blocky, atonal chords. More importantly, it provides a few crucial aspiration. Maybe free-jazz feels less revolutionary in 2018 missing pieces and a sequencing that clear- Months after the last recording on than it did in 1966, but there still are sonic possi- ly illustrates how an 18-year-old high school Before The Dead came the decidedly bilities in jazz’s traditional instruments yet to be dropout named Jerry Garcia came to pick up non-chops-oriented Mother McCree’s Jug an acoustic guitar and set himself in motion. Champions with Bob Weir and Ron “Pig- fully explored. —Andy Hermann Opening with a never-heard 1961 tape, pen” McKernan. Less than a year later, they recorded at a birthday party, Garcia plays in transformed into the Rolling Stones-loving Globe Unity (50 Years): Globe Unity Orchestra (50 Years). (44:03) a duo with future Dead lyricist Robert Hunt- Warlocks. And by the end of 1965, they Personnel: Alexander von Schlippenbach, piano; Henrik Wals- er on bass. Drawing from the Kingston Trio became The Grateful Dead. Garcia never dorff, alto saxophone; Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, alto saxophone, clarinet, flute; Daniele D’Agaro, tenor saxophone, clarinet; Gerd and Pete Seeger, the performance is filled again would play acoustic instruments with Dudek, soprano, tenor saxophones, clarinet, flute; Evan Parker, tenor saxophone; Rudi Mahall, bass clarinet; Axel Dörner, trumpet; with the pleasant good cheer of the Kings- such single-minded focus, but he would Manfred Schoof, trumpet, flugelhorn; Jean-Luc Cappozzo, trumpet; tons. Barely a month later, Garcia already continue to charge headlong into his next Tomasz Stanko, trumpet; Ryan Carniaux, trumpet; Christof Thewes, trombone; Wolter Wierbos, trombone; Gerhard Gschlössl, DB is digging into the more scholarly New Lost music. trombone; Carl Ludwig Hübsch, tuba; Paul Lovens, drums; Paul City Ramblers corner of the folk revival. Ordering info: jerrygarcia.com Lytton, drums. Ordering info: intaktrec.ch

76 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Frode Gjerstad Kait Dunton Trio + Steve Swell trioKAIT 2 Bop Stop REAL & IMAGINED 005 CLEAN FEED 470 ++++½ +++ Onetime Snarky Puppy pianist Kait The creative music scene in Norway Dunton revives her eponymous trio- deservedly is celebrated for its depth KAIT with electric bassist Cooper and transcendence of generic bound- Appelt and drummer Jake Reed for aries, with an ever-growing commu- an artfully rendered follow-up to nity of musicians who’ve developed 2015’s self-titled debut. in the country’s sophisticated music Where most recordings begin conservatories. But the music can err on the side of good taste, with ten- with takeoff, “Re-Entry” opens with the smoothest of landings. Such pia- der-footed musicians hesitant to get down in the trenches of white-knuck- no-centered tunes are the trio’s lifeblood, anchored by Dunton’s dynam- led improvisation. In that regard, alto saxophonist Frode Gjerstad is a par- ic rhythm section. Whether igniting her art through the filter of a wah- agon, a veteran free-jazz advocate and freewheeling blower who’s never wah-infused Rhodes on “OCD” or exploring the funkier side of her forsaken his post-bop routes. Wurlitzer on “J&J’s,” Dunton brings a Technicolor sensibility to every- For this live recording, his working trio is joined by garrulous New thing she touches. Though such tracks represent her first forays into York trombonist Steve Swell. On the title track, which erupts from a fren- synthesizer tessellations, her comfort level is such that it’d be difficult zy of notes strummed by bassist Jon Rune Strøm, the front line dances to figure her as an exclusively acoustic musician in the past. Despite a over the ferocious grooves. The musicians move in and out of the action at penchant for head-nodding arrangements, Dunton conveys the value of will, forging a protean attack, deeply agile and sleek. The pieces all contain self-reflection on tunes like “Pure Imagination” (originally a tune from moments of conversational repose and intense fury, and nothing indicates Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory), before sending listeners flying at how locked in the group is like “Post Stop,” where a galloping groove col- last in the whimsical “Thanks And Goodnight.” lapses in a hilarious rip-snort conclusion. Live recordings of free improvi- This is music devoid of pretension that, despite the album’s starry sation inevitably lack some of the heat produced in the moment, but Bop cover, is decidedly earthbound in its creature comforts. —Tyran Grillo Stop expresses that spark to great effect. —Peter Margasak trioKAIT 2: Re-Entry; OCD; Nude; The Hunch; Thematic; Title Track; J&J’s; Frontier; Pure Imagination; Bop Stop: Bop Stop; Stop Bop; Pop Bop; Post Stop. (52:23) Inner Space; Outlude; Alkibo; Thanks And Goodnight. (54:21) Personnel: Frode Gjerstad, alto saxophone; Steve Swell, trombone; Jon Rune Strøm, bass; Paal Personnel: Kait Dunton, piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer electric piano, OB-6 analog synthesizer; Nilssen-Love, drums, percussion. Cooper Appelt: electric bass; Jake Reed: drums. Ordering info: cleanfeed-records.com Ordering info: kaitdunton.com

Franco Ambrosetti Janning Trumann Cheers Be Here, Gone ENJA 9655 And Nowhere +++ TANGIBLE ½ Listening to Cheers, the latest album ++ from Swiss flugelhorn player Franco Young German trombonist Janning Ambrosetti, is a melancholic expe- Trumann is unquestionably the lead- rience. There’s no avoiding the fact er of this instrumental session. When that the 76-year-old artist has lost the support includes vibraphone, bass the punch and clarity of his playing and drums, it’s easy to rise above the as he’s slid into his autumn years. mellow hum of the rhythm section. Gone are the fluid runs and pointillist use of dissonance found on his ’80s The collection of instruments, though, makes for an uncommon sound masterpieces, replaced by smearing tones and an inescapable sharpness. that’s capable of great warmth. But without the occasional slap of auditory These are forgivable sins when taking into account his stature in the violence, Be Here, Gone And Nowhere can lull listeners into a haze. jazz world. When Ambrosetti is given spare accompaniment, as with The album presents a dreamy landscape stitched together by the closing rendition of “Body And Soul” that finds him joined by just Trumann’s long tones and Dierk Peters’ prodding vibraphone, an instru- bass and drums, his playing has the quaint charm of later Chet Baker mental landscape that’s sparse, but not without rewards. More often than recordings with sparks of his old self blazing out. It’s when he’s working not, Peters serves as a counterpoint to Trumann’s solos, eliciting pops in tandem with other horn players, like alto saxophonist Greg Osby, that and dissonance more akin to a horn section than chordal support. On there’s a clear struggle to keep up as they work through the main melody. “Dingman,” bassist Drew Gress exhibits a nimble and melodious voice, While the hitch in Ambrosetti’s step can’t be ignored, he still deserves and the band finds a groove three-quarters of the way through a tune that respect for his efforts to keep stoking the creative fires—and for offering flexes mightily, but briefly. Gress’ solo on “Feel” eases into a stately realm up some measure of hope for members of jazz’s old guard that they, too, that becomes more serene with each measure, pushed elegantly into a plac- still can thrive. —Robert Ham id bed of leaves by drummer Jochen Rueckert’s brushstrokes. —Sean J. O’Connell Cheers: Autumn Leaves; No Silia, No Party; I’m Glad There Is You; Bye Bye Blackbird; Drums Corrida; Someday My Prince Will Come; The Smart Went Crazy; Midnight Voyage; Body And Soul. (67:08) Personnel: Franco Ambrosetti, flugelhorn; Kenny Barron, piano; Buster Williams, bass; Jack De- Be Here, Gone And Nowhere: Permanent Proposal; Dingman; Rose; Clara; Trillmann; Siren; Feel; Johnette, drums; Greg Osby, alto saxophone; Randy Brecker, trumpet; Terri Lyne Carrington, drums; Where; Snow Patrol. (46:52) John Scofield, guitar; Antonio Faraò, piano; Dado Moroni, piano; Uri Caine, piano; Gianluca Ambrosetti, Personnel: Janning Trumann, trombone; Dierk Peters, vibraphone; Drew Gress, bass; Jochen soprano saxophone. Rueckert, drums. Ordering info: enjarecords.com Ordering info: janningtrumann.com

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 77 Historical / BY HOWARD MANDEL

Peterson Peerless at the Keyboard Besides being simply wonderful music im- bued with upbeat, enduring life, the five-disc set Oscar Peterson Plays (Verve 06007 5380361; 73:39/78:51/72:08/76:05/79:48 +++++) serves both as a primer and an PICTORIAL PRESS/CACHE AGENCY advanced class for anyone who touches a pi- ano, cares for swing and melody or is drawn to the canonical 20th-century American songbook. Its 113 tracks, almost all less than four Elio Villafranca minutes long, originally were issued in a se- Cinque ries of 10 10-inch albums, each devoted to ARTISTSHARE ASO161 the popular airs of great songwriters: Cole ++++½ Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Duke Oscar Peterson Ellington, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Pianist/composer Elio Villafranca is the latest in a decades-long line of Cuban musicians who Vincent Youmans, Harry Warren, Harold Ar- len material, is no slouch. len and Jimmy McHugh. Finally remastered, The sophistication of both repertoire has integrated African, European and Pan- they’re now available, two composers to a and performance is at a level seldom aspired American musical concepts. His two-disc set is disc, in a double-jewel box with succinct lin- to today. All these tunes were popular during a compelling and complex dedication to Cinque, er notes by Martin Chilton and the original the post-World War II era and accepted as the Sierra Leonean who led a bloody revolt covers—a David Stone Martin drawing given contemporary, though some (“Alexander’s aboard the Cuban-bound, slave ship Amistad in 10 different monochrome overlays. Ragtime Band”) dated from three decades 1839 and later was freed by John Quincy Adams. Hearing Peterson at this peak, from 1951 earlier. Listeners across generations were The ensemble here primarily consists of to ’54 when he wasn’t yet 30 years old, but familiar with the melodies; many arrangers Villafranca’s group, The Jass Syncopaters. With already a proven and prolific star due to his had tried to refresh them, so it was imper- a pianistic style that echoes Duke Ellington and remarkable talents and the career-advanc- ative Peterson and company do something McCoy Tyner, the bandleader narrates Cinque’s ing support of producer Norman Granz, is re- special. Classy, yet cheeky, intimacy was a velatory. The pianist’s virtuosity, delivered so smart sound to sell. story with references to the Haitian Revolution casually, is on full display—as is his remark- Highlights abound, and every listen- and the free Maroon colonies of runaway slaves. able speed and accuracy, implacable touch er will find their own. I’ll mention the ache And it’s all augmented by Villafranca’s field and seemingly effortless, immaculate rhyth- Peterson brings out of Porter’s “I’ve Got You recordings of Cuban/Congo-derived conga mic sense. But so are other qualities less as- Under My Skin,” sequenced before a racy and palo mayombe chants and rhythms, along sociated with his reputation. Even prior to “Love For Sale”; the bright “Blue Skies” and with other Afro-derived music from Haiti, his death at 82 in 2008, snarks carped about dreamy “Cheek To Cheek”; all of album two’s Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and New Peterson as an exemplary technician with Gershwin and Ellington numbers; Kern’s “A Orleans, melded with the jazz language. Special limited feeling. These recordings disprove Fine Romance,” redolent of Fred Astaire, and guest Wynton Marsalis’ Crescent City cries on that notion. Here, he is a delightful artist in the contrarily sprightly “Ol’ Man River”; and the processional pulsations of “La Burla De Los possession of seemingly limitless imagina- Rodgers’ “Johnny One Note” and “Lover,” tion, wit and spontaneous lyricism. He ab- in which each trio member takes a telling Congos (Part II),” Greg Tardy’s tenor madness jures formulas, excelling instead at stirring break. Peterson pirouettes through You- on “Madre Agua (Part III)” and Leyla McCalla’s single note runs, intervallic leaps, gorgeous- man’s warhorse “Tea For Two” and gets shy Vodou-vamped vocals on “Mèsy Bondye” are ly harmonized block chords, quiet flourishes, admitting “Sometimes I’m Happy.” “I’ve Got but a few examples of how Villafranca’s opus sweeps and a surprising narrative flow. A Right To Sing The Blues” bores him—one depicts the Dark Continent illuminating the Peterson likely is benefiting from the dud in 113 tracks—but he romps on “It’s Only Americas. —Eugene Holley Jr. close and creative relationships he struck up A Paper Moon.” with guitarists Barney Kessel and Herb El- Peterson infrequently is florid, on bal- Cinque: Disc 1: Mov. I: El Rey Del Congo “The King Of The Congo”; lis, and perfectly supple bassist Ray Brown. lads sometimes sentimental, but he undeni- Narration 1; Cinque + Narration 2 (Part I); The Capture (Part II); A drummer, Alvin Stoller, appears only Canto Gangá De Despedida; Narration 3; Trouble Waters (Part III); ably represents the apotheosis of a legacy Mov. II; Rezo Congo; Maluagda (Part I); La Burla De Los Congos once, using brushes on “Just One Of Those passed from Morton to Ellington to Hines (Part II); Tambor Yuka/Saludo Gangá; Madre Agua (Part III); Mov. III: Indigo + Narration 4 (Part I); New Sky (Part II); Narration 5; The First Things.” Stoller’s fine, but unnecessary; the to Wilson and Tatum and Nat “King” Cole. Colony (Part II); Kongo. (52:50) Disc 2: Mov. IV: The Night At Bwa trio’s self-sufficient. With such a pianist ascendant, others, such Kay Man (Part I); Palo Muerte–Llore; Kafou Ceremony; Narration 6; The Night Of Fire (Part II); Medley Of Congo Songs; Mèsy Bondye; Kessel appeals as the spicier guitarist, as Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor, had to Mov. V: Paseo (Part 1); Conga Y Comparsa (Part II); Live Congo; his syncopated comping and linear solos reconceive the instrument for their own pur- Canto Gangá a Yegbè De Despedida; Congo Story; Canto Congo A Capella–Maluagda; Palo De Muerto. (41:26) connecting Western Swing and Charlie poses. Yet, throughout Oscar Plays, estab- Personnel: Elio Villafranca, piano, percussion; Ricky Rodriguez, Christian-like figures to bebop, his ag- lished virtues prevail. Standards prove their acoustic bass; Lewis Nash, drums; Arturo Stabile, Miguel Valdes, Jonathan Troncoso, Nelson Mateo Gonzales; Freddie Hendrix, Wyn- gressive responses to Peterson’s calls mettle and Peterson shows—without show- ton Marsalis (Disc 1: 10; Disc 2: 1), trumpets; Steve Turre, trombone, (“Strike Up The Band”) egging the pianist ing off—that he was a jazz pianist second to bass trombone, conch shells; Vincent Herring, alto and soprano sax- ophone, flute; Greg Tardy, tenor saxophone, clarinet; Todd Marcus, on. But Ellis, who took over in late ’53 and none. DB bass clarinet; Leyla McCalla, vocals, (Disc 2: 7); Don Vappie, banjo, is heard on the Warren, McHugh and Ar- Ordering info: vervelabelgroup.com (Disc 2: 7); Alexander LaSalle, vocals, (Disc 1: 4, 8, 10); Alexander Waterman, cello (Disc 1: 2, 7, 9); Roberta Brenza, coros (Disc 2: 9). Ordering info: artistshare.com

78 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 being recorded in the Canal Street storefront and tension that makes Valley Of Search where multi-reedist Alan Braufman and pianist move—especially the work on Ashton and Gene Ashton (b.k.a. Cooper-Moore) lived. McBee’s end. Braufman’s pull-along of Lee and Valley Of Search is the only album made Williams becomes a recurring pattern, which under Braufman’s leadership, and ranks as led to the percussionists actively working Ashton’s first recording—nearly forgotten, but against the bass and piano’s pulses; they fight now ripe for rediscovery. back with relish. As Braufman yelps on “Love The modalism and spiritualism of the album Is For Real,” Ashton modifies, but doesn’t aban- are obvious from the instant the music begins. don, his riffs, even turning the transformed Ashton’s dulcimer establishes an unaccompa- version into a solo, when the saxophone dies nied ostinato drone on “Rainbow Warriors” and down. As for McBee, who gets his own bass quickly is joined by bassist Cecil McBee playing showpiece on “Miracles,” his lines don’t spon- arco figures drawn from the Indian violin tra- taneously change shape so much as they devel- dition, and solemn percussion from David Lee op motivically. The effect is nearly subliminal: and Ralph Williams. Their mesmerizing playing On “Little Nabil’s March,” his four-to-the-bar segues into “Chant,” on which Braufman joins reduces itself to a forebeat, then adds a synco- Alan Braufman them on flute and Ashton switches to piano, and pated accent and gradually returns to hitting Valley Of Search recites a Baha’i prayer. Although Ashton’s deliv- every bit, now with the syncopation in tow. VALLEY OF SEARCH 001 ery alternates between resembling a Zen koan Originally the second release on the India ++++½ and a gospel preacher, the feel is of a meditation. Navigation label, Valley Of Search was extraor- Throughout the album, Lee subtly is gaining dinary work, but too underground to get the Valley Of Search might have been the first and steam on the trap kit, while Williams’ percus- attention and ears it deserved. It’s not too late: last recording of its kind. The 1975 album was sive textures—rattles, bells—slowly gather into More than 40 years later, it’s still chance-taking, perhaps the final moment of reconciliation an avalanche. Just after the halfway point of the jaw-dropping music. —Michael J. West between the rapidly diverging sides of John eight-minute “Chant,” Braufman veers hard into Coltrane’s musical legacy—a unity of the modal, sheets-of-sound territory, emitting long shrieks Valley Of Search: Rainbow Warriors; Chant; Thankfulness; Love Is For Real; Forshadow; Miracle; Ark Of Salvation; Little Nabil’s Eastern-influenced spiritual jazz with the intense that Lee and Williams follow, while McBee and March; Destiny. (43:10) free-form—that never again would occupy the Ashton hang suspended between freedom and Personnel: Alan Braufman, alto saxophone, flute, pipe horn; Gene Ashton, piano, dulcimer; Cecil McBee, bass; David Lee, drums; same strain of music. But it also was among the their previously formulated structure. Ralph Williams, percussion. early signals of the nascent Manhattan loft scene, It’s that unique blend of metamorphosis Ordering info: valleyofsearch.com

Nick Finzer Amy Cervini No Arrival No One Ever Tells You POSI-TONE 8182 ANZIC 0062 ++++ ++++ Smooth compositional transitions Amy Cervini, a top-notch jazz singer and joyous swinging harmonies ema- who also is a member of vocal group nate from Nick Finzer’s No Arrival. Duchess, recently released No One The New York trombonist’s vibe is Ever Tells You, a follow-up to 2013’s upbeat and relaxed on five original Jazz Country (Anzic). She has an compositions set among some stan- appealing voice, displaying plenty of dard fare with a contemporary twist. versatility throughout her recordings The 30-year-old Finzer shapes melodies on the album in a polished, in both range and style. charismatic manner with arranging that summons intricate summits. This disc finds the singer joined by a colorful quartet that includes The introductory “Rinse And Repeat” dances sunbeam-like with happy- guitarist Jesse Lewis and pianist Michael Cabe, and organist Gary go-lucky Latin ambiance. After reedist Lucas Pino’s fiery feature, guitarist Versace guests on four selections. The first three numbers here—“I Don’t Alex Wintz nails his solo, leading back to swooping unison piano and gui- Know,” Lyle Lovett’s “God Will” and the title track—set the standard for tar, gliding in-between horns. “Tomorrow Next Year,” a burner for sizzling the project. Versace’s organ is quite effective on the former two num- solo trombone and starry soaring saxophone, shows off cooking uptempo bers, and Cervini is heard at her most expressive. She particularly digs melodic lines. Gershwin’s “Soon” waltz is gentle, with well-crafted devel- into “I Don’t Know,” which deals with a slow recovery from despair, and opment, featuring outstanding lyrical piano accompaniment from Victor “No One Ever Tells You,” which discusses not being properly prepared Gould. No Arrival’s finale, Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower Is A Lovesome for life. After a swinging version of the 1930s obscurity “Please Be Kind,” Thing,” is a modernized nod to the swing era. With restraint and respect Cervini takes listeners back to the 1920s for “A Good Man Is Hard To for the elegance of Strayhorn, Finzer chooses sensitivity and space over Find.” Lewis’ rockish guitar on that song is a bit jarring, but his playing flash, and brings melody forward, concluding with admiration for the tra- on “Bye-Bye Country Boy” works better, inspiring some particularly pas- dition, honoring the genre’s legacy. —Kerilie McDowall sionate singing. —Scott Yanow

No One Ever Tells You: I Don’t Know; God Will; No One Ever Tells You; The Surrey With The No Arrival: Rinse And Repeat; Never Enough; Maria; Tomorrow Next Year; Soon; No Arrival; Pyramid; Fringe On Top; Please Be Kind; A Good Man Is Hard To Find; You Know Who!; Bye-Bye Country Only This, Only Now; The Greatest Romance Ever Sold; A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing. (58:28) Boy; One For My Baby; Hit The Road Jack. (49:49) Personnel: Nick Finzer, trombone; Lucas Pino, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Victor Gould, piano; Personnel: Amy Cervini, vocals; Jesse Lewis, guitar; Michael Cabe, piano; Matt Aronoff, bass; Alex Wintz, guitar; Dave Baron, bass; Jimmy Macbride, drums. Jared Schonig, drums; Gary Versace, organ (1, 2, 8, 9). Ordering info: posi-tone.com Ordering info: anzicrecords.com

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 79 Books / BY CARLO WOLFF Further Development His open ear makes Nate Chinen’s Playing Changes: Jazz For The New Century (Pan- theon) exciting reading. While it primarily will appeal to the jazzerati, the book’s scope should delight musicians and readers of all kinds, steering them to nightclubs and record stores to engage with this increasingly poly- morphous form of music. The genre’s physicality comes through vividly in Chinen’s descriptions of musicians at work, like this glimpse of Jim Black, the Patrick Zimmerli Quartet drummer in trumpeter Dave Douglas’ Tiny Clockworks Bell Trio: “Black, who like [guitarist Brad] SONGLINES 1625 Shepik hailed from Seattle, was a sound and ++++ sight to behold: He piloted his drum kit like a sputtering jalopy, with a rack tom cranked “What percentage of the age of the universe is a taut as a timbale and a kick drum loosened so human lifespan?” asks saxophonist Patrick much that it produced a splat.” Zimmerli in the liner notes of his 13th leader Chinen’s formula is thematic chapters, album, Clockworks. laced with musicians in conversation, analyses It’s a deep question for a deep album. And of their recordings and a concluding discog- while its answer might be in the cosmos, the raphy. The author’s ear is open to scenes and players mostly from New York, Seattle, Los An- time Zimmerli, pianist Ethan Iverson and geles, London and Beijing. His book purpose- writing of his book—in a good way—when drummer John Hollenbeck have spent togeth- fully is a universal celebration of an “ongoing Los Angeles saxophonist Kamasi Washing- er offers insight into what drives the gears of story [that] might best be understood as a ton was embraced in popular culture. this remarkable studio recording. That bassist climate: volatile, variable, subject to unseen “When the mainstream press rallies Christopher Tordini—who doesn’t have that forces outside anyone’s direct control.” around someone like him, kind of a ‘savior sort of history with the other players here— According to Chinen, a long-time jazz crit- of jazz,’ I felt that deserved careful consid- falls so smoothly into the ensemble is a testa- ic who left the New York Times in 2017 and eration,” Chinen said. “It was a real sort of ment to the organic nature of this 11-song suite. now is director of editorial content at Newark, gift, because I was already wrestling with True to its title, Clockworks moves like a New Jersey, public radio station WGBO, Play- this idea of resurrection and how to tell that well-wound Rolex, an arc of improvised flour- ing Changes was four years in the making. story in a way that wasn’t a rehash; Wynton It includes interviews dating back about 20 [Marsalis] has been covered quite a bit, and ishes and written melodies that undulates years with influential figures like saxophonist I didn’t want to start my book with him.” between movements of linear, metric and Steve Coleman and pianist Jason Moran, as The book builds impressively, if not harmonic variations, and limber explorato- well as a tour of Beijing’s jazz scene, and com- altogether chronologically, tying togeth- ry themes like “Pendulum” and “Wind-Up.” mentary on the institutionalization of jazz in er Duke Ellington and Kendrick Lamar in a That latter track arguably is the quintessential academia and competitions. He also offers jazz-related continuum designed to famil- example of the suite’s chronology-minded con- insights into players and events spanning iarize the reader with music not yet part of cept, especially in the implementation of poly- the abstractions of guitarist Mary Halvorson the canon. rhythms that make it sound more like a dou- and the sweaty brilliance of the tour D’Ange- Chinen wanted his profiles to say some- ble-duo than a quartet. lo mounted behind his 2000 album, Voodoo. thing about the state of music, with each Having worked together for more than 25 Neither range nor appetite is an issue for one an effort “to get out from under the Chinen. weight of precedent. Look at all the connec- years, the harmony among Zimmerli, “How do you make this kind of narrative tions,” he said, citing “Changing Sames,” a Hollenbeck and Iverson is undeniable and experience bring to life certain characters chapter linking vocalist D’Angelo to trum- serves as the invincible engine driving the spir- and complex stories, not just tick off a bunch peter Roy Hargrove, pianist Bernard Wright it of these performances. In his note, Zimmerli of recordings?” Chinen recently said about a and fusion jammers Snarky Puppy. Robert explains that Clockworks is “an attempt to give critical question at the heart of his work on Glasper, the influential keyboardist whose time the kind of satisfying shape it so often the book. woozy Black Radio (Blue Note) created a lacks.” Since the 1990s, when he began to listen crossover stir six years ago, might have war- From the sound of this record, Dali himself to jazz seriously, the way music is produced ranted a chapter, but, Chenin said, “l liked couldn’t have painted a more appropriate por- and distributed has gone through major the idea about slotting him into this chap- trait. —Ron Hart changes, he said, obliquely referencing the ter, which is more about the idea of pulse.” title of his book, a pun on musicians working Consumer-friendly and intellectually through chord progressions. “You’re talking provocative, Playing Changes suggests Clockworks: A Scattering Of Stars (Distension Variation); Pen- dulum; Metric Variation; Waltz Of The Polyrhythmic Palindrome; about this period of incredible upheaval in jazz, with multiplicity at the heart of its con- Linear Variation; The Center Of The Clock; Entropic Variation; technology and culture ... a real push and tinually evolving aesthetic, has a future as Boogalooo Of The Polyrhythmic Palindrome; Harmonic Variation; Windup; A Scattering Of Stars (Theme). (53:52) pull when it comes to the definition of jazz,” bright as its past. DB Personnel: Patrick Zimmerli, tenor saxophone; Ethan Iverson, he said. That exciting turbulence affected the Ordering info: penguinrandomhouse.com piano; Christopher Tordini, bass; John Hollenbeck, drums. Ordering info: songlines.com

80 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Daniel Carter/ Francesco William Parker/ Chiapperini Matthew Shipp Extemporary Seraphic Light Vision Ensemble AUM FIDELITY 106 The Big Earth ++++ RUDI 1037 In varying combinations, Matthew ++++ Shipp, William Parker and Daniel Italian multi-instrumentalist Carter have been playing alongside Francesco Chiapperini takes a one another since the 1980s. And 12-piece version of his Extemporary their rapport imbues most records Vision Ensemble into the studio for where any two of them appear together with an intuitive cohesion that The Big Earth. And this time out, the album’s dedicated to a place and con- frees all involved to fearlessly improvise. Still, that doesn’t mean their aes- cept: Puglia (the heel of Italy’s boot) and the history of Southern Italian thetics are in complete alignment. Shipp and Parker’s team-ups tend to band music. There’s a lot of joy and a little mystery in the music here, bring- exude heaviness; Carter is all about the light. ing to mind outdoor carnivals and, occasionally, darker side streets. Although Carter’s a veteran of countless pass-the-hat free-jazz gigs, his Chiapperini absolutely soars on clarinet during the recurring “Gatti” own playing rarely is aggressive. His clarinet melodies on this 2017 live theme. He’s also a generous bandleader, and his ensemble gets plenty of recording glide over the slowly braiding lines of his partners near the end room to shine. Pianist Simone Quatrana is solid throughout, but especial- of “Seraphic Light, Part I,” and the brief alto saxophone phrases that launch ly on “La Merc D’Palm”; drummers Filippo Monico and Filippo Sala rare- “Part II” seem even more airborn. As often as not, Parker and Shipp play ly let the momentum flag, and are given their chance to shine on the third around, rather than with, Carter, as evidenced by a moment about 18 appearance of the “Gatti” theme. It’s an infectious and joyous 70 minutes minutes into the album’s first section. But this isn’t a problem; the musi- that even might prompt booking a journey to the boot-heel of Italy. cal affinity here is strong enough that they complement each other with- —Kurt Gottschalk out drawing attention to how the pieces hold together. The spaces between The Big Earth: Palmieri; La Merc D’Palm; Tramonto Tragico; Gatti; Palmieralzer; U Conzasiegge; La them are as significant as anything they actually play. —Bill Meyer Segg Aggstat; Gatti (Reprise); Canigattì; La Varc Du Pescator; Il Pescatore; Gatti (Reprise); Gattigulì; Fantozzi. (72:12) Personnel: Francesco Chiapperini, clarinet; Andrea “Jimmy” Catagnoli, alto saxophone; Gianluca Seraphic Light: Seraphic Light, Part I; Seraphic Light, Part II; Seraphic Light, Part III. (55:17) Elia, tenor saxophone; Eloisa Manera, violin; Vito Emanuele Galante, Marco Galetta, trumpet; Andrea Personnel: Daniel Carter, flute, trumpet, clarinet, tenor, alto and soprano saxophones; William Baroncheli, trombone, tuba; Simone Quatrana, piano; Luca Pissavini, cello; Andrea Grossi, bass; Filippo Parker, bass; Matthew Shipp, piano. Sala, drums; Filippo Monico, drums, percussion. Ordering info: aumfidelity.com Ordering info: rudirecords.com

Kristjan Randalu Absence ECM 2586 +++ Pianist Kristjan Randalu’s ECM debut slips seamlessly into the imprint’s MO. But some of the orig- inal compositions here spit more fire than one might expect from the tide-less mass of water printed on black-and-white album cover. The 40-year-old Estonian pianist is joined by American guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Markku Ounaskari, a Finn, for Absence. And a swell of ideas neatly are bundled up by the trio’s responsive timing. “Forecast” builds into a storm, but opens with nary a cloud in the sky. After a short introduction, Randalu ushers in the others with a bit of muscle. But there’s plenty of ethereal humming to be found here as well. Monder bends clouds on “Lumi II,” but by tune’s end, the band is in full frenetic-arpeggiation mode, with Randalu skittering nimbly across the keyboard. The bandleader is a pillar of stability. He clearly is capable of breath- taking displays of technique and showmanship, but employs challeng- ing runs with a noble conservatism, while Ounaskari rarely interrupts and always is right in step. By album’s end, the titular track drifts into that bleak black-and-white swell, absent the vivaciousness of the session’s start. —Sean J. O’Connell

Absence: Forecast; Lumi I; Sisu; Lumi II; Escapism; Adaption I; Adaption II; Partly Clouded; Absence. (48:11) Personnel: Kristjan Randalu, piano; Ben Monder, guitar; Markku Ounaskari, drums. Ordering info: ecmrecords.com

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 81 MASTER CLASS Woodshed BY MARK WADE DENNIS CONNORS

Mark Wade 4 Things They Don’t Tell You About Playing the Double Bass ongratulations—you’ve decided to play end of the sonic spectrum. The bass, especial- er you’re playing in a purely acoustic setting or the double bass. It’s a wonderful instru- ly when it’s plucked with the fingers as it usually is whether you’re playing with amplification. Cment that can bring you an incredi- in jazz, is one of the quietest instruments tradition- So, what’s to be done about this? The first ble level of fulfillment and enjoyment. There ally found in jazz—it lacks the power and volume thing is to understand that there will be times are, however, a couple of things you might want of an instrument like the saxophone or the drums. when your notes will not have all the clarity you to know about playing the bass that not every- Simply put, the louder an instrument is, the easier it normally would have, if you were playing by body talks about. Every instrument has its quirks is to hear it. Couple that with the fact that notes that yourself in the practice room. Most of the time, and pitfalls, and the double bass is no exception; are lower in frequency have a harder time separat- as bass players, we are in the role of accompa- identifying the issues endemic to the instrument ing themselves from the overall fabric of the music nist, and that means we are there to support and is the first step in managing and overcoming in many circumstances. not to stick out. In those moments when you feel them. I can think of four major challenges you Things get even more complicated when we you’re getting buried by the other instruments, will need to address in order to achieve success have to compete with instruments like the low- it’s important to remember not to panic. The on the double bass. er-pitched drums in the drum kit and the lower natural instinct is to start pulling harder on the part of the piano. Both instruments live in the strings and gripping the instrument more tight- You won’t hear all the notes you play. Come again? same sonic space and have the ability to over- ly. It’s best just to ride it out and stay relaxed and How can you expect to play music if you can’t hear power the bass in terms of volume and timbre. calm on the instrument. Pulling harder, squeez- all the notes you play? Welcome to life on the low This is a challenging thing to deal with wheth- ing harder and forcing the issue in general usu-

82 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 ally just leads to a loss of control and intonation. adapt to the sound of each individual room you bass players in the audience was Martin Wind, There are a few technical tricks you can use. play in. Other people prefer a simpler setup with a great player in his own right. Wind asked Picking closer to the tip of your fingers, rath- a pickup that works best for them along with Holland what his approach to standing with er than the side of the fingers, tends to create a an amp that is paired to match. Whatever your the instrument was. I remember hearing a few slightly thinner sound that can cut through the combination of gear, it’s always a good idea to try other people around us snickering at the ques- texture. Also, moving your hand a little closer to out a lot of different options to see what sounds tion, thinking that it was a trivial thing to ask the bridge will brighten and tighten the sound best on your individual bass and what responds someone like Dave Holland. Holland gave a for a little bit more clarity. Keep in mind that if the best to your style of play. very thoughtful and serious answer about his you are a player who likes to play with gut or syn- If you’re new to be playing through an amp, or different approaches to his weight distribution thetic gut-style strings, your sound is natural- if you have new gear to play with, it’s a good idea and posture as he held the instrument. That’s ly going to be a bit more diffuse, as opposed to to practice at home through your amplifier for because any serious player knows that just to playing with steel strings, which will have a bet- a period of time, so that you know how to best stand with the instrument with the minimal ter chance of cutting through. manage your sound on the gig. Remember that amount of tension in your body is something Some basses naturally have a very warm and volume doesn’t always equal clarity. Often the that takes years and years of constant practice round sound, while others can be a bit more best way to be heard on the gig is knowing which and attention. “punching” in quality. Knowing about your frequencies on the amp to either boost or cut. Learning to play the double bass is not about gear and your setup can help you put yourself in Sometimes, turning down the bass frequencies finding a comfortable position to play from and a position where you’re most comfortable deal- might add more clarity. Other times, it’s about being set for life. It is a constant journey of devel- ing with this issue. Sometimes, the notes we play raising the high-mid frequencies. The more you oping your body awareness, so that you can are “felt” more than they are heard. It’s just part know about how your amp works and responds, move freely anywhere on the instrument as the of the beauty of playing the double bass. It’s true the better you’ll be able to make those decisions on music calls for it. It’s about finding greater posi- that playing through an amplifier can help with the fly during a gig. tions of leverage on the instrument that allow this issue, but it also presents the bassist with a you to use less brute force and be more efficient whole new set of challenges. Getting to the gig is half the battle. The bass is in your movements. The more effort you spend a large instrument, and no matter how you trying to hold the instrument up and keep it sta- For an instrument that is acoustic, you’re choose to transport it, it’s always going to be dif- ble, the less time and effort you can spend actu- going to spend a lot of time dealing with elec- ficult. However, there are also a few less obvious ally playing music on it. Finding that position of tronics. Amplification and sound reinforce- issues to contend with. If you’re able to drive to leverage is about experimenting with how high ment are realities of modern music today. gigs, there’s still the issue of getting your bass or low you set your endpin along with an aware- Unless you’re playing the smallest and most and amp in and out of the club. Are there a lot ness of where you’re holding tension in your intimate of venues, chances are you’re going to of steps? Maybe buying that 40-pound ampli- body. Is your back tight because you are trying to need to play with some kind of amplification. fier that gives you an amazing sound suddenly counter the weight of the bass leaning into you? As acoustic bass players, we practice for hours doesn’t seem like such a good idea. Keep an eye Do you raise one shoulder more than another to and hours to develop our sound. It’s that beau- on weight and portability of the gear that you get your right or left hand in a more comfortable tiful, resonant sound of the instrument that buy. Maybe you live in the city and rely on pub- position? Could you achieve the same effect by caused most of us to fall in love with it in the lic transportation to get to your gig. Which bus relaxing a certain combination of muscles in one first place. The minute we plug our instrument lines can you fit on, and which ones don’t have or both arms? into an amplifier, however, the game changes. room? Which entrance to which subway can Your ability to play time, create a vibe and While playing though an amp can solve the you get your bass into, and which ones will it not interact creatively with the band all directly are problem of not having enough volume for your fit through? These are all questions you want to impacted by how relaxed and in control you are on bass, there has not yet been invented a system address before you find yourself coming home the instrument. The best players are always exper- that perfectly replicates the tone of an acous- from a gig at 1 a.m. imenting with how they address the double bass, tic bass through an amplifier. Because we spend Then there’s the question of playing out of with the goal of finding every possible advantage so much time performing through an ampli- town. If you have to fly to a gig, just how are you in translating the music from what they hear in fier, it is just as important to learn how to get a planning to get your bass there? Sure, there is the their head to what you hear them play. good sound through an amp as it is to get a good possibility of borrowing an instrument at your If all of the above seems like a lot to deal with, sound acoustically on your bass. After all, most destination, but there’s never any way to know don’t worry—you’re in good company. These are of the time, people are going to be hearing you what kind of instrument you’re going to get. all issues that every bass player has to reckon play while you’re performing at a concert and not There are a number of companies that make trav- with. It’s helpful to talk with other players about at home in your bedroom. The better your sound el-sized basses that are popular with a number of how they deal with these issues and share expe- is through an amp, the more likely people are players. Some have bodies that are cut down, so riences—you just might find someone who has to hire you, since they don’t want to listen to an that they fit in a case that’s a little bit larger than come up with a solution to a problem you’re hav- unattractive bass sound any more than you do. a cello. Others make a regular full-size bass with ing. Just remember that with effort and concen- The good news is that technology finally is a detachable neck that allows it to fold up into a tration, you can make plenty of amazing music catching up to the acoustic bass. It seems that smaller, more manageable size. Even with these on the double bass, in spite of the many challeng- every day there are new companies that are travel options, you have to think about just how es it presents. DB improving all of the different electronic gad- big of a suitcase you can drag around along with gets we use to help us get closer to a sound that what is still a rather cumbersome object. Mark Wade has been an active bassist on the New York scene for more than 20 years. He is also a jazz faculty member at truly represents the instrument. Some people Lehigh University. Wade was voted one of the top 10 bassists of prefer to use a combination of a pickup, micro- Learning to physically address the instru- 2016 in DownBeat’s 81st Annual Readers Poll. His new album, Moving Day, is available in Europe on Edition 46 Records and phone and preamp to give themselves the widest ment will take years. I remember attending a worldwide on his label Mark Wade Music. To find out more about Wade’s music and his upcoming performances, and range of possibilities for dialing in a good sound. college master class with the veteran jazz dou- to continue the conversation about the double bass, visit his The advantage of this is that you are better able to ble bassist Dave Holland. One of the other website: markwademusicny.com.

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 83 PRO SESSION Woodshed BY SANDY CRESSMAN

of tonal color and clarity varies, from the breathy tone of João Gilberto and the raspy sound of Leny Andrade to the pure clarity of Joyce Moreno or Gal Costa. Another important factor is the poetry of the lyrics, and how vocal phrasing becomes a vehicle to express their meaning and beauty. Contrast CALIXTO JÚNIOR FOTOGRAFÍA this with the jazz tradition of turning a stan- dard’s melody inside-out, stretching the bound- aries of phrasing and playing the melody against the rhythm in ways that sometimes disregard the meaning of the lyrics. In Brazilian music, there is a tradition of prioritizing the lyrics and the com- bination of melody and harmony that the com- poser created, leading to less ambitious improvi- sation/experimentation with the melody. Many jazz vocalists begin to explore Brazilian music by adding some bossa nova songs by the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim or Baden Powell to their repertoire. Beyond the common knowledge that these tunes are sung with straight eighth notes, as opposed to swing, in order to really understand, appreciate and interpret songs from the bossa nova era, we need to go one step back and explore samba. Samba has its rhythmic roots in the Afro- Brazilian batucadas (structured percussion jams) played by slaves and their descendants in an area of Rio de Janeiro called Praça Onze during the mid-to-late 1800s. In the early part of the 20th century, a group of musicians got togeth- Sandy Cressman er there to discuss music and write songs, fusing European melodic and harmonic content with African rhythms. Out of this came the samba as we know it today. Samba is played in large groups Vocal Phrasing called escolas de samba in Carnaval parades or in groups consisting of percussion, rhythm sec- tion and horns; and in smaller ensembles of gui- tar, cavaco (a small, four-string Brazilian guitar), in Brazilian Jazz percussion and vocals. s a North American-born musician to learn the subtleties of this compelling music. Samba is felt and written in 2/4, with the who found her voice in the music of But a lot of what I learned was from my vir- main pulse of one closed tone and one open tone ABrazil, I’ve been on a mission to learn tual teachers: the great singers whose record- played by the large surdo drums. Sixteenth notes the details of what makes the phrasing of this ings I studied. These include Elis Regina, Joyce are played by shakers (ganza), overlayed with music so beautiful and appealing. I have been Moreno, João Gilberto, Gilberto Gil and more. syncopated patterns played by the tamborim (a fortunate, living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I had to not only emulate these great vocal- small hand drum played with a stick), as well as to cross paths with and learn from musicians ists but also analyze what makes their phrasing by the pandeiro (which resembles a tambourine), like Marcos Silva, Jasnam Daya Singh (Weber so different, and so distinctive, from my initial the caixa (snare drum) and the cuica (which Iago), Jovino Santos Neto, Celso Alberti, Guinga, instincts of phrasing coming from a background makes a syncopated squeak). Small groups play- Spok (Inaldo Cavalcante de Albuquerque) and in American jazz. In this article, I will share a bit ing samba retained these rhythms, with the Hermeto Pascoal—all of whom either are based of what I have learned during 20 years of obses- surdo pulse played by a bass or by the bass notes here or teach at California Brazil Camp in near- sion with and devotion to the music of Brazil. of the guitar comping pattern; the guitar, cava- by Cazadero. Workshops with these musicians, First of all, it’s important to note a few things co or piano playing the tamborim rhythms; and trips to Brazil to hear great musicians in intimate about Brazilian vocal tone and treatment of mel- the drum kit playing a composite of the rhythms concert settings and the priceless experience of ody. In the genres of Brazilian music that have played in the batucada. For an authentic example performing several times in Recife’s Carnaval found their way into the realm of jazz, the use of the samba feel, check out Paulinho da Viola’s with the SpokFrevo Orquestra have rounded out of vibrato is minimal: straight tone, maybe with song “Foi Um Rio Que Passou Em Minha Vida.” my experience, and stoked my continuing desire a bit of vibrato at the end of a phrase. The range A few things are crucial to note when phrasing

84 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 a samba melody. Feel the 16th-note subdivisions Figure 1: Samba groove with “fork” syncopation Figure 2: Samba with tied-together “forks” (see Figure 1), and notice that most samba mel- odies employ a rhythmic figure consisting of a 16th note followed by an eighth note followed by another 16th note (sometimes called the “fork”). Often, you’ll find several forks tied together (see Figure 2), creating anticipations of the down- beats (eighth notes) by a 16th note. This often creates syncopation over the bar lines. Figure 3 shows a melody played on the eighth notes ver- sus the 16th-note anticipations (from “Como Eu Quero Cantar” by Sandy Cressman, Dani Gurgel and Debora Gurgel). These syncopations are not hit hard, but they definitely groove with the subdivisions underneath. Figure 3: Melody played on eighth notes versus 16th-note anticipations The fork rhythm is sung in a laid-back man- ner that sounds almost like eighth-note trip- lets. Some Brazilian lead sheets are written with some forks and some triplets, and samba sing- ers often mix the two. Singers often phrase with even more 16th-note anticipations than you will find in written music. The 16th-note subdivi- sions in samba have a pattern of accents that cre- ate a unique feel, and there is lightness of sing- ing syncopations over this groove, in contrast to the heavier articulation of Afro-Cuban/salsa melodies and horn sections. The classic samba songs have fairly diatonic melodies and simple chord progressions. In the genres música popu- lar brasileira (MPB) and samba jazz, the samba rhythms appear in compositions that have more complex chord progressions and melodies. To get an idea of classic samba phrasing, lis- ten to Ismael Silva or Beth Carvalho singing “Se Você Jurar.” Or, in a more MPB context, check out Elis Regina, Joyce Moreno, Djavan or Gilberto Gil. Notice how the 16th-note anticipa- tions of the singers often sync up with the comp- ing patterns of the guitar or piano. Figure 4: Baião melody example In the late 1950s, when a group of young musicians fused their knowledge of European classical music and American jazz with the rhythms of samba, the bossa nova was born. Bossa nova (which translates to “new way”) describes an era as much as a genre of music. Composers got together to share their new songs and create new ways of playing the “levada” (or groove) on the guitar—which was a reduction of the samba groove played at slower tempos. Bossa nova reflects the marriage of samba with the harmonic and melodic content of jazz. Bossa nova singers alternate between singing almost conversationally, interpreting beauti- ful poetry, seemingly floating over the groove and connecting every once in a while to the 16th-note subdivisions, especially on the last 16th note of beat 2. Listen to João Gilberto sing- ing “Insensatez”: He seems to float over the groove, and then connects with the last 16th of the bar on the final syllable of the lyrics “cuida- do,” “delicado” and “desalmado.” To sing a bossa nova with true Brazilian flavor, practice awareness of the 16th-note

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 85 subdivisions by counting “one-e-and-a, two-e- Portuguese with a native Brazilian or even with porate the baião groove from the sertão (the inte- and-a” along with a favorite recording, noticing an app like Duolingo. This will make your pro- rior of the northeast of Brazil), which has under- where the vocalist floats and where they connect nunciation, elision of syllables and conversation- lying rhythmic accents that differ from samba, with 16th-note syncopations. I recommend lis- al phrasing sound more authentic. bossa nova and choro. (Figure 4 on the previ- tening to a lot of recordings of the singers listed Beyond samba and bossa nova, several other ous page shows a baião melody example from at the end of this article, and also checking out genres of Brazilian music have found their way “Para Hermeto,” by Cressman and Jovino Santos Brazilian fake books (known as “songbooks”), into the Brazilian jazz repertoire. Neto.) Although the 16th-note subdivisions still such as those published by Almir Chediak. In choro, a small group style that originated are present (as played by the triangle), the phras- Compare the way the original melody is written in the late 1800s, you will find the “fork” rhythm ing of melodies over the baião groove doesn’t use with the way great singers phrase. It is important and eighth-note triplets, but most of the synco- as many “forks” and the syncopation is more on to note that the rhythms of Brazilian melodies pation happens within the quarter note, and not the eighth notes. were created for the rhythm of the Portuguese as often across beats and bar lines. Besides the baião, the northeastern rhythms language, so I recommend studying some Some MPB and Brazilian jazz tunes incor- of frevo and maracatu also have made their way into Brazilian jazz compositions and arrange- ments. These genres also have unique rhythmic accents, and the melodies and syncopations are more eighth-note-oriented. As vocalists explore singing in the various genres discussed above, they should take note of the underlying rhythms of each one and study the phrasing of vocalists in the reper- toire of each genre, noting the differences of syncopation and feel. I hope you will all check out the treasure trove of the vocal music of Brazil in all of its beauty. DB

San Francisco-based vocalist Sandy Cressman made a name for herself as a devotee of Brazil’s greatest contemporary composers, interpreting songs by such post-bossa masters as Milton Nascimento, Hermeto Pascoal, Gilberto Gil and Filó Machado on her first two albums (Homenagem Brasileira and Brasil-Sempre No Coração) and onstage in the United States, Europe and Brazil. In 2017, Cressman released Entre Amigos (Cressman Music), which features original songs created with some of the Brazilian musicians she has met during her musical travels, including the celebrated Frevo composer/bandleader Spok, guitarist Ian Faquini, pianist/composer Jovino Santos Neto and pianist Antonio Adolfo. Cressman is an adjunct professor at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley.

RECOMMENDED VOCAL RECORDINGS Samba: Beth Carvalho, “Se Você Jurar” from 40 Anos De Carreira; Paulinho da Viola, “Foi Um Rio Que Passou Em Minha Vida” from Identidade Samba in MPB: Elis Regina, “Amor Até o Fim” from Os Sonhos Mais Lindos Bossa nova: João Gilberto, “Insensatez” from The Legendary João Gilberto; Antonio Carlos Jobim and Elis Regina, Elis & Tom. Choro: Marisa Monte/Paulinho da Viola, “Carinhoso” from O Misterio Do Samba; Tatiana Parra/Andrés Beeuwsaert, “Carinhoso” from Aqui Baião: Luiz Gonzaga, “Que Nem Jiló “ from Despedida. Frevo in MPB context: Dori Caymmi, “Ninho De Vespa” from Brasilian Serenata Maracatu: Alceu Valença, “Maracatu” from Amigo Da Arte; Sandy Cressman/Dani Gurgel, introduction of “Como Eu Quero Cantar” from Entre Amigos Singing over various grooves: Elis Regina, Essa Mulher. Other singers to check out: Rosa Passos, Joyce Moreno, Mónica Salmaso, Luciana Souza, Gal Costa, Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, Djavan, Edu Lobo, Nana Caymmi, Leila Pinheiro, Emilio Santiago

OTHER RESOURCES

• The Brazilian Sound (Temple University Press), by Chris McGowan and Ricardo Pessanha. • Phrasing In Brazilian Music (Advance Music), by Antonio Adolfo. • Songbooks (Lumiar Editora) produced by Almir Chediak for various composers and genres. • California Brazil Camp: Aug. 19–25, Aug. 26–Sept. 1, 2018, in Cazadero, California (calbrazilcamp.com) • Cressman’s favorite CDs list: cressmanmusic.com/favoritedisks.cfm AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 87 SOLO Woodshed BY KIRBY DAVIS JIMMY KATZ

Rudresh Mahanthappa Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Alto Saxophone Solo on ‘Snap’ udresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak utilizes the clarity of the trio to add unique Most of “Snap” is played over a concert D Coalition has taken the concept of colors to the ensemble’s sound. pedal note, or B on the alto saxophone. Rthe saxophone trio in a new direc- “Snap,” the second track on the album, is The melody is based on the core raga that tion. Much like the saxophone trio formats an inventive display of the band’s enormous all South Indian ragas are based around. pioneered by Sonny Rollins, the Indo-Pak range of expression. Between the various sec- Mahanthappa describes it as the South Indian Coalition—which features Mahanthappa on tions of the melody, Mahanthappa improvis- equivalent of the Western major scale. In jazz alto saxophone, Rez Abbasi on electric gui- es with sparse, short phrases, and sometimes nomenclature, the raga could be described as tar and Dan Weiss on percussion—achieves utilizes electronic effects to create a free, a major scale with flatted second and flatted a great amount of melodic, harmonic, rhyth- ethereal sound. The open quality of the trio sixth scale degrees. However, Mahanthappa mic and timbral freedom. On the band’s allows Mahanthappa to explore new roles for emphasizes that ragas do not function in the newest album, Agrima, each instrumentalist the alto saxophone. same way scales function in Western music.

88 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 Each note of a raga is approached and embel- nique (indicated by “x” noteheads) where the and the second triplet group is an A minor lished in very specific ways. tongue touches the tip of the reed, but a muf- triad in first inversion. By the time he gets The first half of Mahanthappa’s solo is fled note still sounds. to the third triplet set at the beginning of strongly centered around the raga. His use In measures 38 and 39, Mahanthappa measure 44, Mahanthappa emphasizes the of rhythm, dynamics and articulation are uses the paradiddle drum rudiment as a note groupings through range. The first and fantastic examples of extracting many cre- melodic device in his playing, alternating third beats of the measure are in the mid- ative ideas out of a small amount of harmon- between middle B and low B in measure 38 dle range, and the second and fourth beats ic material. and low D# and middle B in measure 39. are in a lower range. Measures 45 and 46 The transcribed excerpt presented here In the final phrase of the excerpt, begin- use mostly linear motion, and Mahanthappa begins at 3:29, approximately halfway ning in measure 43, Mahanthappa plays a resolves the phrase using a chromatic enclo- through Mahanthappa’s solo. At this point, phrase entirely in triplets, which is quite sure of the B pedal note. DB he begins moving away from the raga more fast at the approximately 260bpm tempo. often. The first phrase sounds mostly free and The shape of the phrase emphasizes three- Kirby Davis is a saxophone performance major at the University of Kentucky. He studies with Miles Osland and recently was atonal, but he resolves back to the B at the end note groupings. The first triplet group is awarded second place in the North American Saxophone of the line. an E diminished triad in second inversion, Alliance (NASA) Collegiate Jazz Solo Competition. In measure 1, Mahanthappa plays a per- fect-fourth pattern that moves to an A major triad. By measure 2, he mostly plays notes from the from the raga. In measures 3–5, he is playing entirely within the A major penta- tonic scale, which shares three notes with the raga. In measure 6, he chromatically encloses the B pedal note with C and B, both of which are contained in the A major pentatonic scale and the raga. When he resolves back to B, he moves from B to B “quarter flat” to B natural. (Mahanthappa frequently uses quar- ter tones in his music.) This phrase seamless- ly weaves between atonality, the raga and A major pentatonic. This harmonic freedom is one of the most astounding characteristics of Mahanthappa’s improvisation. In measures 17–22, Mahanthappa plays an entire phrase using only the raga. The first half of the phrase features rhythmic intensity that drives toward a climactic resolution on the downbeat of measure 20. Mahanthappa resolves to B and plays one of the bass-line rhythms for two bars. The phrase ends on a held C, one half step above the B pedal. The unresolved dissonance contrasts the finali- ty of the previous resolution, as if to indicate that the solo is not over yet. The phrase in measures 23–29 begins with the raga. In measure 25, Mahanthappa outlines an F7 chord for two beats. In the third beat, the line begins to outline an A7 chord, and by measure 27, he plays A major pentatonic exclusively, until returning to the raga and resolving to B again in measure 29. The ascending minor-third relationships between the tonicized key centers gives the atonal phrase structure and forward motion. Mahanthappa demonstrates mastery of extended techniques in this solo. In mea- sure 28, he uses an alternate fingering for A. (It sounds like the “articulated” low-C# spatula key was used to play the initial A, and the second A was fingered as a low C# with the octave key.) This technique gives the repeated A a different timbre than the tra- ditional A fingering. In measures 30 and 31, Mahanthappa uses a “sub-tongue” tech-

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 89 Toolshed

Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box Dialed-in Studio Guitar Sounds he new OX Amp Top Box from Universal Audio combines a pre- function. OX has six selectable onboard “rigs” that offer a variety of cab- mier reactive load box with a world-class digital amp and the com- inets, microphone and effects emulations to create studio-quality record- Tpany’s Dynamic Speaker Modeling. Suitable for use on stage or in ings. OX also provides a “room” control to dial in the exact amount of the recording studio, it’s UA’s first hardware product designed specifical- ambience. The six selectable rig models provide plenty of great options, and ly for the guitar market. the sound is amazing. This functionality alone might be enough for some OX is composed of two individual components: the analog load box users to justify the unit’s $1,299 price tag, but the OX box bursts with pos- and the digital modeling section. On the analog side, OX works in con- sibilities when paired up with the OX software app. junction with your tube amp, providing the ability to control your speak- The app requires a Wi-Fi connection and runs on Mac or iPad. (No er volume, while still driving your amp at optimum saturation levels. The Windows or Android version is available at this time.) Once connected, digital end offers cabinet and microphone modeling that allows you to pro- you are presented with a host of additional rig options, plus the ability to duce studio-quality guitar recordings directly out of the box. customize and create your own rig presets. You also can use the app to cus- A load box takes the place of your tube amplifier’s speaker. You simply tomize the six rigs that are available from the unit’s hardware box. connect your amp’s speaker output to the input of the load box, and the OX has two quarter-inch line/monitor outs that can feed either a mix- output of the load box is sent back to your speaker. The load box has an ing board or monitors for live playing; they also can be connected to a attenuator that controls the volume of the returning signal. DAW for direct recording. In addition, there is a headphone out for mon- Tube amps react to how hard you drive them, and an amp set to a lower itoring or silent practicing. OX also has a digital out that supports a fixed level will sound much different when cranked. But with the load box con- sampling rate of 44.1kHz. Depending on whether you have a combo amp nected, you can adjust your amp for the desired sound and dial back the or a separate head, be aware that you might need to purchase special cables overall volume to a more comfortable level, while still retaining the same to make the proper connections to OX. tonal characteristics and dynamics—including speaker breakup, drive and Considering Universal Audio’s reputation as a leader in both analog cone cry. hardware and digital software, it’s no surprise that the OX Amp Top Box Although the speaker output is pure analog amp tone, the digital com- hits the mark in both of these categories. —Keith Baumann ponent of OX offers additional line outs that feature the DSP modeling uaudio.com

Evans UV1 Bass Heads Durable Coating, Full Tone, Quick Rebound vans Drumheads by D’Addario Percussion has released UV1 coated and toms. The heads’ ultraviolet-cured textured coating—slightly heavi- bass heads, which complement the company’s UV1 single-ply coat- er than a sprayed-on coating and resistant to chipping, fading and stick Eed snare heads and tom heads. Available in a range of sizes from 16 marks—eliminates just enough overtones to give the bass drum a full and inches to 26 inches, the standard UV1 bass head is similar to the snare and deep tone, allowing it to be played with minimal damping. tom heads in dynamic response and durability, but it has a collar especial- Evans’ UV EQ4 version of the bass drum head adds an internal 10-mil ly designed to fit bass drums. This is an ideal head for players who seek a overtone control ring around the circumference. It still has plenty of sus- bright attack and want their bass drum to match the sonority of their snare tain, but the attack is less bright than the standard UV1. The UV EMAD

90 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 version is the same as the standard UV1 but adds two dif- ferent sizes of felt tone rings (for more or less dampening), Antigua Pro-One Alto held in place by an externally adhered bracket around the circumference of the head. This bass head has increased Cryogenic Treatment, Classic Antique Finish punch and attack with minimal sustain. ntigua Winds has released a cryogenically treated version of its Pro-One All UV1 heads have the textured coating only on the AS6200 professional alto saxophone in Classic Antique finish. playing surface. The collar is not coated, which makes it A According to Antigua’s Michael Summers, feedback on recent Pro-One slightly thinner and more flexible. It allows the collar to prototypes that received cryogenic treatment—a process that involves subjecting the conform to the shape of the drum’s bearing edge. This instrument to extremely low temperatures—was tremendous. The treatment helps to makes the drum easier to tune, expands the tuning range relieve residual stresses that form within the saxophone’s brass body and neck during and helps it stay in tune—a great move by Evans. manufacturing. It also creates a tighter, more uniform molecular structure that allows When playing UV1 heads, you feel and hear the sen- for a more even and consistent vibration throughout the instrument, resulting in clear- sation of playing single-ply coated heads that sound er tone and improved response. bright and are responsive to the touch with a quick Like the original Pro-One alto released in Vintage Lacquer finish in 2011, the new rebound. When playing horizontal brush strokes, the AS6200 is constructed using brass with a high copper content, resulting in a heavy horn textured coated surface creates an even sound. The grit with vibrant response and plenty of tonal flexibility. Innovative design features include of the surface isn’t as rough as a sprayed-on texture, so a hybrid setup where the horn’s five lowest toneholes—low B flat, B, C, C sharp and E you feel less resistance. It also isn’t as loud as a fresh head flat—are rolled, and the rest of the toneholes are straight. with the sprayed-on surface. But unlike a sprayed-on tex- I play-tested the cryogenically treated Pro-One alto in Classic Antique finish ture that quickly wears off and leaves you with nothing using a hard-rubber Claude Lakey mouthpiece, a hard-rubber Bari Woodwinds but smoothness, the UV1 texture stays the same for the Infinity mouthpiece and a metal Yanagisawa mouthpiece. I was able to produce an life of the head. exceptionally warm tone quality using the hard-rubber pieces, and I immediately The UV1 is an extremely durable head that can out- noticed how sweet and responsive the horn was in its lower range. last other single-ply heads many times over. After play- Switching to the metal setup, the Pro-One’s altissimo range really ing full UV1 setups on two different kits on multiple gigs, came to life. Articulation and intonation felt comfortable on each I didn’t see any signs of wear. The surface still looked new, mouthpiece. with no flaking, dents or stretching. Playing the bass The next test for the Pro-One came playing lead alto in a big band drum heads with felt beaters and no patch did not pro- setting. The keys felt nimble and comfortable from the start—I was duce any visible dents. I eventually noticed some discolor- able to tear through fast passages with accuracy and enjoyed easy response ation of the surface, so I would recommend using a patch during subtone passages. Moving between the lowest note fingerings felt where the beater strikes the head. especially solid, and there was no flutter whatsoever in the low-C-sharp Evans UV1 heads are a great choice on just about any key. I found I had plenty of lead-playing power when I outfitted the Pro- type of drum—modern, vintage, even slightly oversized. One with the metal mouthpiece; hard-rubber pieces would be great The heads include the company’s Level 360 Technology, choices for big band sectional playing. whereby collars are extended between the flesh hoop and Other professional features include a high F-sharp key, Pisoni the playing surface to enhance contact with the bearing pads with metal resonators, mother of pearl key buttons, a metal edge of the drum. left-hand thumb rest and an adjustable metal right-hand thumb Kudos to Evans for adapting to the needs of players hook. Trident key arms on the low C, B and B-flat keys assure and creating a drumhead that caters to the ever-changing proper pad closing for quick response. needs of the drumming community. —Steve Hawk A uniquely designed lift mechanism for the G-sharp daddario.com pad effectively insures quick, reliable opening every time—this G sharp never will stick. Adjustment screws are easily accessible in key locations. And the instrument features a raised-angle neck designed by Peter Ponzol to create a free-blow- ing feeling and enhance tone quality and response. The instrument sports attractive engraving from inside of the bell flair around the bow and all the way up to the left-hand thumb rest and con- tinuing on the neck piece. And the Classic Antique finish is a cool cosmetic option that brings to mind many of the great-play- ing professional horns that were in produc- tion decades ago during the golden era of French- and American-made saxophones. —Bruce Gibson antiguawinds.com

AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 91 1 Toolshed

2 1. Mini-Combo The Crush Mini from Orange Amplification is a portable mini-combo that features an all-analog approach to guitar tone. The unit’s front panel provides access to full tonal control with gain, shape and volume knobs. Backing off the gain and increasing the volume results in British crunch, while pushing the gain gives you searing high gain. The shape control cuts or boosts the mids to achieve everything from fat to scooped tones. The Crush Mini comes with an 8-ohm speaker output, headphone output and built-in tuner. More info: orangeamps.com 2. More Motian Lead Sheets The Paul Motian Archive has released The Compositions of Paul Motian, Volume 2, a spiral-bound collection of 49 handwritten lead sheets to tunes the late drummer composed during the years 1990–2011. Motian’s bands from that period included the Paul Motian Trio (with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano), the Electric Bebop Band, Paul Motian Band and Trio 2000. The Compositions of Paul Motian, Volume 1, released in 2016, contained 64 Motian lead sheets written during the years 1973–’89. Both collections were assembled by Cynthia McGuirl, Motian’s niece and archivist. More info: paulmotianarchive.com 3 3. Hybrid Drum Toca’s Lightweight Djembes feature a hybrid design that combines elements of a doumbek with those of a djembe. The sculpted shell is made of an ultra-light synthetic that reduces the weight of the drum without sacrificing tone, resonance or durability. Available in 9-, 10- and 12-inch sizes, each Lightweight Djembe is topped with a pre-stretched synthetic head. More info: tocapercussion.com 4. Lip Service The OmniGuard from Silverstein Works is a lip protector for all wind-instrument musicians. Made with biomedical-grade material, the OmniGuard is the solution to sore lips and gums for players who dedicate long hours to practice and performance. The braces-compatible, reusable product easily molds to the necessary shape and dimensions of the player’s lower teeth for a snug and proper fit. Dual packs of OmniGuard for lower and upper teeth are available for players who use a double-lip embouchure. More info: silversteinworks.com 5. Sound Enhancer The lefreQue consists of two scientifically engineered metal plates—held in place by a knotted band—that act as a sound bridge between the connection points on woodwind or brass instruments. It is designed to repair sound breaches that naturally occur at such points, resulting in purer overtones, more accurate tuning, clearer response, extended dynamics and improved projection. Distributed in the U.S. by Iowa-based West Music, the lefreQue is available in various sizes and materials, including brass, red brass, silver-plated, gold- plated, solid silver and solid gold. More info: westmusic.com/b/lefreque; lefreque.com

92 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2018 AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 93 Jazz On Campus School Notes

Esperanza Spalding at Berklee College of Music DAVID GREEN ©MARK SHELDON

Such an Honor: More than 1,000 graduates received degrees at Berklee College of Music’s May 12 commencement. Berklee presented honorary doctor of music degrees to Nile Rodgers, Rosanne Cash and Esperanza Spalding, a 2005 graduate of the college who delivered the commencement address. “We are artists, so everything that we live, The Plummer Jazz Quintet performs with Indiana University professor/trumpeter John Raymond (right). The band includes Clay Wulbrecht (left), Jake Jezioro, Barclay Moffitt, Sam Bryson and Amanda Gardier. practice and study prepares us to share and tell the truth,” Spalding said. … The Juilliard School presented Ron Carter with an IU Jazz Embraces Change honorary degree on May 18. The commence- ment speaker was Wynton Marsalis, who told ONE MEASURE OF A MUSIC PROGRAM’S their original music, as well as creating an envi- graduates, “Your art can be the vaccine for strength is how well it alters course to remain ronment for students to collaborate more.” the types of self-involved hysterias that have relevant. Additional emphasis also is being placed on so often stained human history.” Marsalis The 50-year-old jazz studies baccalaureate exploring a wide range of styles and genres. studied trumpet at Juilliard and has been the program at Indiana University’s Jacobs School In recent years, the school has built a record- director of Juilliard Jazz since 2014. … New of Music in Bloomington continues to grow and ing studio, added two rehearsal rooms and England Conservatory presented Herbie evolve in order to meet the needs of millenni- introduced a music entrepreneurship element. Hancock with an honorary doctorate on al musicians. One approach has been to recruit Currently, there are two full-time advisors to May 20. … Brown University presented Sting with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters new faculty members, including bassist Todd help students with issues like copyright law and degree on May 27. berklee.edu Coolman, trumpeter John Raymond and saxo- developing a marketing plan. phonist Walter Smith III. “We [help] students to think more strategi- Cool Camp: About 90 high school students “This has really been an injection of new cally about how to build a career in music,” plan to attend the 14th annual Grammy energy for us,” said Tom Walsh, who has been Walsh said. “We’re encouraging them to take a Camp at USC’s Thornton School of Music chair of the program for five years and who first DIY approach, showing them things like how in Los Angeles on July 17–21. “The program joined the Jacobs School in 1997. to run a studio. At the same time, we want to gives young people the opportunity to study It was a decision partially driven by tragic be careful not to create too much anxiety about with music industry professionals—including loss. In 2015, Steve Zegree, the renowned jazz what the future holds. One of the great things some Grammy-winning creators—and to collaborate with their peers, resulting in a vocal teacher who directed the IU Singing about music is that things happen organically.” genuine learning experience about life in the Hoosiers, died at age 61. The following year, One challenge facing administrators at the music industry,” said Neil Portnow, president/ David Baker, who founded the program and Jacobs School is how to expand the focus on CEO of the Recording Academy and chair of served as chair until 2013, died at the age of 84. business, while maintaining a conservatory pro- the Grammy Museum Board. Although retired as chair, Baker had continued gram that demands a considerable amount of grammyintheschools.com to carry a course load and interact with students. students’ time. “We’re having discussions across During Baker’s tenure, the program nur- the school about this,” Walsh said. “How do we Bern Films: George Wein has donated a tured musicians like Michael and Randy Brecker, strike a balance?” copy of The Jazz and Blues Artbox to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Peter Erskine and Chris Botti. Under Walsh’s The jazz program has expanded beyond IU’s Culture (part of the New York Public Library direction, the faculty has added acclaimed Bloomington campus to create a relationship system). The set documents 230 concerts and recording artists who are also talented educa- with the University of Music and Performing 96 interviews filmed between 1983 and 2002 tors—such as guitarist Dave Stryker and trom- Arts in Graz, Austria. This year during spring at Switzerland’s International Jazz Festival bonist Wayne Wallace—to carry on Baker’s break, IU’s Plummer Combos traveled to Graz Bern. nypl.org/locations/schomburg tradition. to study and perform. “Improvisational music starts with a desire As he looks to the future, Walsh is confident Music in Class: The Grammy Museum and curiosity for musical growth,” Wallace said. that the IU program can build on its strong named Lois MacMillan, of South Middle “My main goal as an academic is to help students foundation. “We give our students a thorough School in Grants Pass, Oregon, the recipient of the 2018 Jane Ortner Education Award. find and develop their musical voices by nurtur- grounding in the fundamentals,” he said. “The The award honors K–12 academic teachers ing their natural instincts.” challenge is that music continues to evolve, and who use music in the classroom as a powerful “One thing we’re doing is putting more we have to continue to stay relevant. We’re not educational tool. emphasis on composition,” Walsh said. “We’re going to abandon the history, but we’re embrac- grammymuseum.org/janeortnereducationaward finding ways to for students to showcase more of ing the future.” —James Hale

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AUGUST 2018 DOWNBEAT 97 Blindfold Test BY TED PANKEN JOE MARTINEZ Marcus Printup mainstay of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra trumpet sec- tion since 1993, Marcus Printup has recorded 14 leader dates— A most recently Youngbloods, his ninth for SteepleChase. Nate Wooley “Hesitation” (Dance To The Early Music, Clean Feed, 2015) Wooley, trumpet; Josh Sin- ton, bass clarinet; Matt Moran, vibraphone; Eivind Opsvik, bass; Harris Eisenstadt, drums. “Hesitation”—not Wynton’s version from the early ’80s, which is the only one I’ve heard. This is freer within the form. Dave Douglas and Chris Potter? I’m stumped. Whoever it is, the trumpeter is on top of their game, with a lot of chops, and so free—it’s as though there’s nothing he can’t do on the horn. 4 stars. Brian Lynch “Sweet Love Of Mine” (Madera Latino, Hollistic, 2017) Lynch, trumpet, arranger; Mi- chael Rodriguez, trumpet; Zaccai Curtis, piano; Luques Curtis, bass; Obed Calvaire, Marcus Printup drums; Little Johnny Rivero, congas. Two trumpets. Is the first trumpet Mike Rodriguez? Mike is one of my drum, bass and piano are playing gives the improviser a lot of free- favorite cats. I love his sound and his fingers. His ideas are fantastic. He dom to create and be nimble on top. I love how Marquis plays interludes recently did a few tours with the orchestra, and I had a ball playing with between the solos, which adds so much flavor, life and personality to him. The other trumpet player sounds fantastic. He’s on the tip of my the music. Who’s the alto player? Caroline Davis? I don’t know her. tongue. They’re complementing each other. Fantastic orchestration on She’s killing. For the composition and the vibe of the song, 4.5 stars. the shout chorus at the end, and they maintained the vibe of the style Marquis is one of those young cats who inspire me to find my voice. throughout. 4.25 stars. His note choices are damn near perfect; his solos are full of soul and spontaneity. Andrew Rathbun Large Ensemble “Two Islands II” (Atwood Suites, Origin, 2017) Rathbun, composer; Tim Hagans, flugel- Ingrid & Christine Jensen horn soloist; Seneca Black, Matt Holman, Dave Smith, Russ Johnson, trumpet, flugel- “Duo Space”/“Old Time” (Infinitude, Whirlwind, 2016) Ingrid Jensen, trumpet, effects; horn; John O’Gallagher, Ben Kono, Quinsin Nachoff, Dan Pratt, Carl Maraghi, wood- Christine Jensen, tenor saxophone; Ben Monder, guitar; Fraser Hollins, acoustic bass; winds; Alan Ferber, Mike Fahie, JC Sanford, trombones; Chris Olness, bass trombone; Jon Wikan, drums. Jeremy Siskind, piano; David Ambrosio, bass; Bill Stewart, drums. Ingrid Jensen. She goes from the low range to the high range so easily— Ingrid Jensen? Dave Douglas? I love how it starts, like a classical sonata, something that nobody has but her. I know she’s been experiment- and then goes into a Gil Evans chorale-type thing, then the rhythm ing with electronic effects. She has a lot of Miles in her playing, but she comes in. It’s brilliant. The trumpet player was weaving in and out, estab- sounds like herself. It’s great to hear her dig in like this. 4 stars. lishing a mood. This cat was singing. I liked the very end of that opening part, when he or she ends up on that high A. It’s a little “wavery,” but that Terence Blanchard grit lets you know there’s a human being behind it. When things are too “Tit For Tat Nocturne” (The Comedian, Blue Note, 2017) Blanchard, trumpet; Kenny Bar- clean, it sounds like a computer. 4 stars. ron, piano; David Pulphus, bass; Carl Allen, drums. [after] Of course it was Tim. After our Freddie Hubbard tribute Terence Blanchard. I love how he bends notes, which I do playing certain album [Hub Songs] 20 years ago, we did a two-week tour; by the end, I styles; some of that came from hearing him do it when I was younger. was playing like him and he was playing a bit like me. That’s a great example of the 12/8 bluesy style of playing. 4.5 stars. I love the way Terence slips and slides around. And he plays the Tom Harrell trumpet like he’s singing. You hear elements of Miles Davis and all “View” (Something Gold, Something Blue, High Note, 2016) Harrell, Ambrose Akinmu- this history in his playing, and he’s been able to transform that into sire, trumpets; Charles Altura, guitar; Ugonna Okegwo, bass; Johnathan Blake, drums. film and into the mainstream without sacrificing any integrity. Ambrose. Oh, two trumpet players. I met Ambrose when he was 15 or 16, playing kind of like Freddie Hubbard. He’s evolved into a Ron Miles giant. The other cat sounds great, too. I was thinking Marquis Hill, “I Am A Man” (I Am A Man, Enja, 2017) Miles, cornet; Bill Frisell, electric guitar; Jason but Marquis is different. I love the tune. It’s minimal, but they’re Moran, piano; Thomas Morgan, bass; Brian Blade, drums. making thousands of chords within the improvisation. I play Duke That sounds like the same key as this Ron Miles song, “Just Married.” It Ellington and lots of other great standard compositions; hearing how is Ron! Ron’s playing always takes you on a journey—his compositions, inventive these young cats are makes me want to learn something his band. That’s Bill Frisell. Was that Brian Blade? I missed the piano else. [after] That’s Tom Harrell? I haven’t heard him play like this. His player. It’s Jason? That makes sense. There are so many themes within fingers are so nimble and his ideas are so fresh. 4.5 stars. that one cut, and everything fits like a puzzle. 4.5 stars. DB

Caroline Davis The “Blindfold Test” is a listening test that challenges the featured artist to discuss and “Penelope” (Heart Tonic, Sunnyside, 2018) Davis, alto saxophone; Marquis Hill, trum- identify the music and musicians who performed on selected recordings. The artist is pet; Julian Shore, piano; Tamir Shmerling, bass; Jay Sawyer, drums. then asked to rate each tune using a 5-star system. No information is given to the artist That’s Marquis. I know his warm sound. The sparse rhythm that the prior to the test.

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