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Short Takes Might Get It" Has Grit, While Dave Keeps Sounding Older and Older

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Short Takes Might Get It Record Reviews After a majestic brass prelude, "Namesake"; the hefty blues of nuts, "Daily Growing," which you may "Upswing" gets down, accelerated by an "Reunion"; the Middle Eastern-tinged know as "The Trees Do Grow High." I upbeat tempo that makes the piece per- "Harem"; and a pretty waltz, "Sava can't possibly begin to tally the times fect for open-highway driving. It's fol- Bella." Spotlit arc LeDonne's keenly I've heard this sung, from Baez on lowed by the sole ballad of the chosen, motoring-along ideas and Steve down, but Ni Mhaonaigh and guest collection, "First Snow," a tune both Nelson's subtly buoyant vibes lines; the vocalist Paul Brady make it sound new. reflective and romantic. others add juicy-noted improvs. And This tune is followed by that peculiar What Goes Around ends with abang. Cranshaw and Roker deliver punch children's ditty "Uncle Rat," which I The festive "Shadow Dance" features throughout. The clear, detailed, life- seem to remember from an ancient pockets of spirited improvisation among sized sound is aplus. -Zan Stewart Robin Williamson record, and again several players as well as a series of Akan makes it worth rehearing (al- Mingus-like tempo changes instigated though no one can match Williamson's by Holland's bass surges. There's afrol- KITTY MARGOLIS: Left Coast Life eccentricity). ic of saxes chirping like birds, aunit of Kitty Margolis, vocals; Eric Crystal, saxes; Steve Altan is not the flashiest of Irish Erquiaga, Joyce Cooling, guitars; Paul Nagel, piano; trombones in marching form, and arol- Jamie Sieber, cello; John Schiflett, bass; Jason bands, but it may well be the steadiest. licking drum exhibit by Kilson. Lewis, drums; Mike Spiro, percussion; others There are few purely showoff solo riffs, Mad-Kat MKCD1008 (CD). 2002. Kitty Margolis, and tempos are never fast to show how One of Holland's best friends and a Alfonso Montuori, prods.; Gary Mankin, eng.; longtime bandstand associate, Jack George Horn, mastering. DDD. Tr: 56:18 many notes per minute they can pro- DeJohnette, has marveled at the bassises Performance **id/2 duce. The musicians know as well as Sonics **** ability to get acrowd on its feet during any playing in the neo-trad world when asolo. On What Goes Around, Holland Le Oast Lyi• is veteran San Francisco to step up and when to get out of the humbly takes only two breaks, and both jazz singer Kitty Margolis' fourth album way. They display this to perfection in arc highlights of the Cll. As in his com- on Mad-Kat, the label she co-founded the gorgeous duet between Ni positions, he eschews a simple — and with fellow singer Madeline Eastman. Mhaonaigh and her friend from the potentially boring —plan of attack. He It's an aural smorgasbord: swingers, a green fields of Amurricay, none other varies the expression on the solo that Brazilian-tinged original, listen-here bal- than Dolly Parton. The connection opens "Shadow Dance," moving from a lads, funk-bolstered jazz, rock tunes — between British and Irish traditional blues-bent line to amore rhythmically Margolis applies her ringing, vibrant music and its American cousins has urgent section to afast-plucking stretch, voice to them all. Though more focus been explored by musicologists from then quieting the pulse before the band would have made abetter record, most the 19th century up to the present, but dives in. And, as they do throughout the of these tracks arc winners. Margolis it has never been more gloriously illus- album, they plunge in with a splash, nimbly rides the speedy "I Want to be trated than here. Anyone requiring ales- delivering exclamatory big-band music Happy" as saxophonist Eric Crystal tears son in harmony singing need only cue at its best. -Dan Ouellette it up, and she has fun with Randy up this track and hit Repeat. The expe- Newman's "Lonely at the Top" and rience will also make you wonder if Roger Waters' "Money." Her "You Just Parton has an LP up in her attic that short takes Might Get It" has grit, while Dave keeps sounding older and older. Frishberg's ballad "Heart's Desire," and Ican testify from personal experience MIKE LeDONNE: Bags Groove: A Margolis' collaboration with guitarist (a lovely pub crawl to Matt Molloy's in Tribute to Milt Jackson Westport) that traditional music is gen- Mike LeDonne, piano, organ; Steve Nelson, vibes; Joyce Cooling, the Brazilian-bent "k's Jim Snider°, flute; Steve Wilson, alto flute, soprano You," arc rich in substance. Some tracks, uinely alive and well on Paddy's Green sax; Jim Rotondi, trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Davis, though, like the way-fast "Without a Shamrock Shore, and bands like Altan trombone; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Mickey Roker, drums Song" and the almost monochromatic arc busy keeping it alive. The Blue /do/ Double-Time Jazz DTRCD-182 (CD). 2002. Mike "Devil May Care," have more surface contains several songs collected from LeDonne, prod.; Mike Marciano, eng., mastering. DDD. TT: 53:17 flash than real emotion. The musicians friends and family members. (Maircad's Performance **** 1/2 arc top-drawer, every one. —Zan Stewart relatives seem to be an especially fertile Sonics **** source.) These tunes arc presented Bags Groove is superbly crafted by Mike mostly unadorned with modernity, but LeDonne, atop New York bop-based there arc afew little jazz touches here pianist who worked with bebop vibes etc. and there that serve to move things giant Milt Jackson from 1988 until his along nicely. Sound is also relatively death in 1999. This gem showcases a ALTAN unadorned, although some tasteful pro- team of aces, including bassist Bob cessing does serve to thicken the stew The Blue Idol Cranshaw and drummer Mickey Roker just abit. Narada 11955-2 (CD). 2002. Altan, prods.; Gary Speaking of stew, Imust in fairness (the vibises longtime rhythm partners), Paczosa, eng. DDD. TT: 49:28 and offers seven succulent Jackson orig- Performance ***V, point out that while traditional music is inals and a ballad in a completely Sonics ***I/2 going strong in Ireland, traditional food authentic, swinging manner. The don't know if people get to be is not. ("A wee bit o' salsa on your que- leader's choice arrangements variously National Treasures of Erin, the way sadilla, me laddie?") This could prove employ flute, alto flute, soprano sax, Iit works in Japan, but if so, Maircad serious: without beef, potatoes, and trumpet, trombone, and vibes to give Ni Mhaonaigh (mahr-ADE nee WEE- lamb boiled beyond recognition, the the theme statements and solo back- nee) ought to be one. If asingle voice great tradition of Celtic lamentation drops aquality simultaneously dreamy exemplifies the current state of Irish could well die out. You'd better grab and muscular. music, it is hers. The Blue Idol begins this CD —it might be the last. Among the delights: the bold, driving with that hoariest of traditional chest- —Les Berkley Stereophile, November 2002 191 .
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