power. The excitement stems from Aldana’s Never Be Another You” and melting tone on “The precociously mature lyric intelligence wedded to a Nearness Of You”. Worthy of mention, too, is di sensitive but restrained romanticism. The pared-down Martino’s lightly swinging work on “Moonglow” and format of her Crash Trio, with bassist Pablo Menares (a inspired pianistics on a bossa treatment of “Say It Isn’t fellow Chilean) and Cuban drummer Francisco Mela, So”. Other highlights are Kozlov’s arco introduction to gives her full freedom to explore, along with the “For All We Know” and Takahashi’s outstanding consequent responsibility to imply harmony in lieu of brushwork on “It Could Happen To You” and pulsing chording instruments. drumming on the Latin-ized “For All We Know”. The setlist contains two covers and tunes by each The ingredients in this album—a talented vocalist, Root of Things bandmember, mostly straightforward compositions five most able musicians and some of the best songs to Matthew Shipp Trio (Relative Pitch) with quirky twists, Mela’s catchy samba “Dear Joe” be found—all make for a most delicious treat. Enjoy! by Jeff Stockton probably the most memorable of the lot. But what jumps off the CD is the graceful, unbroken logic and For more information, visit barbaralevydaniels.com. Daniels Pianist Matthew Shipp is frequently labeled “cerebral” syntax of Aldana’s improvisations, a mix of extended is at Metropolitan Room Jun. 18th. See Calendar. and his playing is usually described using a math phrases and shorter exclamations, glued together with metaphor. Yet his musicianship with the David S. Ware parallel melodic contours or mirrored gestures or Available at CD Baby and iTunes Quartet was always as passionately spiritual as that of displaced counterlines, all infused with subtle its leader and Shipp’s solo work has always been ornamentation and tonal detail. Indeed, musical Anna Elizabeth Kendrick informed by the sounds of his time, including hip-hop thoughts that begin nonchalantly often gather Debut Album: In Out of The Rain and electronic dance beats. Consistently prolific, momentum and density as they unfold such that, just Shipp’s recent work as a soloist and as a leader has as a melodic thread seems to be winding down, a bit been a return to the basics of acoustic instruments. more skein is unraveled, revealing an unexpected Basics, however, doesn’t quite cover it, because it twist, all in the same breath. Menares, featured to good sounds as if Shipp and his trio are putting it all together effect on “Tirapié”, is a strong accompanist with a on Root of Things. buoyant beat while Mela, who on “Peace, Love & The disc opens with the title track, which finds Music” mimics a whole batá drum ensemble with a Shipp and bassist Michael Bisio laying down lines that single drumkit, provides flexibility and finesse. come together and apart while drummer Whit Dickey Aldana’s soloing, consistently strong, is particularly so adds seasoning on cymbal and hi-hat. “Jazz It” begins on the aforementioned tracks, the standard “You’re My with a walking bassline and proceeds as an exercise in Everything” and a closing soliloquy reading of “Ask rhythm parried back, forth and around among the Me Now”, where she gently squeezes out a high players. “Code J” rounds out the first half of the climactic note, followed by a long chromatic program in a gentle collision of controlled melodic downwards slide, crafting a gripping narrative without statements and ideas freely expressed. resorting to melodrama. The second half of Root of Things puts the annaelizabethkendrick.com individuals in the spotlight as each performer gets a For more information, visit concordmusicgroup.com. This solo moment. “Path” highlights Bisio as he mixes project is at Dizzy’s Club Jun. 16th. See Calendar. bowing with strumming before Shipp and Dickey come in to quicken the pace and bring the song to its Satoko Fujii in NYC conclusion. Dickey then solos to start “Pulse Code” and Shipp opens “Solid Circuit” unaccompanied. The Saturday, June 14 - 7 pm effect of these solo segments is captivating for their Satoko Fujii New Trio + 1 Vision Jazz Festival, NYC exploration of tempo and touch, but also leave the Roulette listener anxious for the complete trio to reform. This is 509 Atlantic Avenue music-making at its highest level, in performances that (Entrance at corner of contain elements of jazz history, certainly, but also 3rd Avenue), Brooklyn, NY artsforart.org classical accents and an overall presentation informed by a chamber sensibility. The trio manages a magic Love Lost and Found New CDS trick: they are concise and expansive, seemingly at the Barbara Levy Daniels (Bldproductions Inc.) Satoko Fujii New Trio same time. For Shipp, it’s a career high: the years, his by Marcia Hillman technique, his understanding of free jazz and swing Spring Storm Libra 203-034 and the avant garde and what he’s learned playing The Great American Songbook is rich in material standards, composing and improvising, as a leader about the two states of love—to have and have not. “huge sound… and as a member of a working trio. It’s all here. Vocalist Barbara Levy Daniels explores both in her new enthralling melodies... CD, a collection of familiar favorites with pianist and wild abandon.” - DownBeat For more information, visit relativepitchrecords.com. This musical director John di Martino, cornetist Warren trio is at Roulette Jun. 14th as part of Vision Festival. See Vache, guitarist Paul Meyers, bassist Boris Kozlov and “...one of 2013’s Calendar. drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi as her musical best releases.” accompaniment. The songs are all mostly from the - Pop Matters ‘30s, written by some of the most creative and well- known songwriters of all times, including Johnny Gato Libre Burke-Jimmy Van Heusen, Richard Rodgers-Lorenz DuDu Hart, Hoagy Carmichael-Ned Washington and Irving Libra 104-035 Berlin, among others. Daniels delivers straightforward renditions of Satoko Fujii Orchestra NY each song, singing either two choruses or a chorus and Shiki a half of each, interspersed with either a piano or a Libra 215-036 cornet solo. She possesses a flair for storytelling well Oscar Noriega, Briggan Klauss – as, suited for the chosen repertoire, almost speaking the Tony Malaby, Ellery Eskelin – ts, Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio Andy Laster – bs, Herb Robertson, Melissa Aldana (Concord) words at appropriate times. Her vocal quality swings Steven Bernstein, Natsuki Tamura, by Tom Greenland from edginess to a softer tone depending on the lyric Dave Ballou– tp, Joey Sellers, but the warmth is always there. She displays her most Curtis Hasselbring, Joe Fiedler – tb, enor saxophonist Melissa Aldana has enjoyed a innovative phrasing on “Willow Weep For Me” and Satoko Fujii – p, T Tsutomu Takeishi – b, rising profile following her 2013 first place showing at “There Will Never Be Another You”, bringing a Aaron Alexander – dr the Thelonious Monk Institute’s prestigious annual freshness to these overdone songs. competition, but her third release, and first for Concord Vache plays behind Daniels on some of the songs, (a contract with the label being a notable perk of her punctuating her vocals and then taking a solo turn. win), offers compelling evidence that she’s got staying Most notable is his inventive work on “There Will satokofujii.com THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | JUNE 2014 23.