DB23 09

September 2023
VOLUME 90 / NUMBER 9
President Kevin Maher

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4 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023
ON THE COVER
JOHN ROGERS
22 Kris Davis
At the Vanguard
BY JOHN MURPH
In late May 2022, pianist and

composer Kris Davis realized a
dream. She and her ensemble
Diatom Ribbons performed
six nights at the world’s most
famous jazz venue — New York
City’s Village Vanguard. It’s
28
been documented on Kris Davis’
Diatom Ribbons Live At The
Village Vanguard, put out on
her own Pyroclastic Records. She
discusses her journey in her first
DownBeat cover article.
“I won’t sit and cry by the phone, waiting for it to ring,” says the multi-talented drummer and composer
FEATURES Tyshawn Sorey. “I’ll produce my own projects. Where I do that, I’ll do it my way, and I’ll do it well.”
Cover photo by Caroline Mardok
28 Tyshawn Sorey
Plays It His Way
BY TED PANKEN
34 Dan Auerbach
Tells Everybody!
BY DAN OUELLETTE
38 Paal Nilssen-Love
Lives & Loves Large
BY PETER MARGASAK 48 Anthony Hervey 49 Eric Alexander 49 Kate Gentile 51 David Virelles
KEYBOARD SCHOOL
58 MdCL Bridges the Gap 64 Transcription DEPARTMENTS
Between What Was Eliane Elias’ Solo
and What Is on “Impulsive!”
BY GARY FUKUSHIMA BY JIMI DURSO 8 First Take 19 Cecile Strange
20 Motéma at 20
60 Master Class 10 Chords & Discords 20 NEA Jazz Masters
Bulgarian Rhythm 66 Toolshed
Exercises New Kawai Announced
13 The Beat
BY DR. MILEN KIROV Digital Pianos
13 Marc Ribot 45 Reviews
62 Pro Session 16 Warren Wolf 70 Jazz On Campus
Choose Your Voice 68 Gear Box
BY TOM HAMMER Synths a Go-Go! 18 Lucien Ban & 74 Blindfold Test
Mat Maneri Sullivan Fortner

First Take BY JOHN MCDONOUGH
DANE MOON
Bennett’s passing ends what was perhaps the longest

sustained career as a star in show business history.
Tony Bennett, Rest In Peace

TONY BENNETT, WHO ASCENDED TO THE sudden success of “Because Of You,” which he
top of American popular music a year before had recorded for Columbia in April of that year.
Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne in Network Radio and 78 rpm records were near-
England 71 years ago, died July 21, in New York ing the end of their reign as Bennett began his.
City. He was 96. Over the next seven decades, as he evolved
“Tony left us today but he was still singing from pop sensation to senior statesman, he
the other day at his piano and his last song was never seriously slipped from the top ranks
‘Because Of You,’ his first #1 hit,” his social of the most admired and respected singers in
media pages reported. music. His celebrated recent partnerships with
Bennett’s passing ends what is almost cer- Lady Gaga, Diana Krall and others kept him a
tainly the longest sustained career as a star per- stadium act in the contemporary music scene,
former in the annals of show business history. while his regular solo concerts at Radio City,
The wonder of it all is that over that huge Ravinia, Carnegie Hall and The Hollywood
arc, Bennett managed to change so little. In Bowl represented a lineage of living cultur-
his first extended DownBeat interview in June al memory that connected audiences to a vast-
1954, he seemed suspicious of his recent string ly different time in mid-20th century America.
of popular hits and charted his preferred future. For most it became a rare chance to glimpse
“I’d like to make an album,” he told Nat Hentoff, a surviving symbol of continuity winding back
“where I go in and just blow. No special arrange- into the final days of the great songwriters a
ments. A very relaxed album of standards away decade before singers became their own writers.
from the commercially stylized records we’ve It helped that well into his 90s, Bennett contin-
been making.” It would happen a number of ued to perform in top form, even as he became
times in different ways, none more elegantly ravaged by Alzheimer’s Disease.
than in his 1976 sessions with Bill Evans. It also helped that from the beginning his
Bennett planted himself like a sequoia in classicism was leavened by direct jazz influ-
the soil of the American Popular Songbook and ences. “I always wanted a jazzman with me,”
made himself a stubborn bulwark of tradition he told Dom Cerulli in a May 1958 DownBeat
against the storm of fads. He would become the interview. There was never a time when
eternal defender of the faith long after the rest of Bennett was not in proximity to the finest play-
the world moved on. It was a repertoire he never ers. Ralph Sharon, Ruby Braff, Harold Jones,
aged out of, although by the time he passed 90, and Gray Sargent were part of his working
audiences might have chuckled at the irony of groups, and there were encounters with Count
hearing him sing “as I approach the prime of Basie, Herbie Hancock, Candito, Herbie Mann,
my life” in the verse to “This Is All I Ask.” Neal Hefti and Bill Charlap among many oth-
He sprang into the big time at age 25 in the ers. “For me,” he told Cerulli, “having jazzmen
summer of 1951, propelled by strength of the with me means I never get stale.” DB

Chords Discords
Lovin’ Threadgill
First of all, I want to thank Aaron Cohen for
his terrific review of Henry Threadgill’s new
memoir, Easily Slip Into Another World: A Life
in Music [July issue]. I had no idea that Mr.
Threadgill had a book out, and was delighted
to read about it. Of course I read his whole
review, but I knew right with his second sen-
tence, where he calls the book a “remarkable
memoir,” that I was going to read it.
I am roughly 200 pages into the book
right now (our local library had it on their
shelf!), and I can’t remember another auto-
biography where I just couldn’t wait to read
more. Please, do a cover feature on Mr.
Threadgill. With this book, which Amazon
calls a best seller, a lot of people would be
very interested in hearing from him.
Since I got into jazz in the early ’70s, the
AACM Chicagoans — Muhal Richard Abrams,
the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Anthony Brax-
ton, Wadada Leo Smith and many others —
Red Fan!
were some of the musicians/composers I was
Thank you, Veterans Committee, for some-
really getting into. Later in the ’70s, I became
thing I wanted to see for over 50 years. Red
a huge Air fan. I still listen to these records
Norvo is in the Hall of Fame [August Critics
whenever I can. As a young drummer, I loved
Poll issue]. All of us who play xylophone thank
Steve McCall’s playing, as well as Mr. Thread-
you. Next, on to the person who discovered
gill’s hubkaphone.
this year’s [Hall of Fame] inductee Alice Col-
It would be incredible if you could do a
trane … that being Terry Gibbs, who finished
feature story, perhaps a roundtable type of
his new recording … at age 98 and two-thirds.
discussion, with some of these musicians.
MARSHALL ZUCKER
WANTAGH, NEW YORK Thank you for the excellent work.
BOB ZANDER
Editor’s Note: We asked readers if we should PALO ALTO, CA
keep separate categories for male and fe-
male vocalists. Here are two responses.
Coffin Corner
You should be ashamed for publishing this
Lose ’em critical review of Jeff Coffin’s latest album
I feel that breaking down vocalists by gender is [July issue]. Either support the music or remain
a meaningless exercise. DownBeat should lead silent.
the way and send a signal to others to get this WAYNE BRANCO
right. VIA FACEBOOK
LELAND VERHEYEN
VIA EMAIL
Editor’s Note: Music critics are not cheer-
leaders. Their job is to listen with an open
ear and judge it. But we get it — one per-
son’s dessert is another’s dumpster fire.
Keep ’em
I don’t think that having separate categories
for male and female vocalists is any more Corrections & Clarifications
“quaint” than having separate categories for We hate mistakes, but ’fess up and apologize when
bass and electric bass or the saxophones. They we make ’em. DownBeat regrets these errors:
are two separate instruments, very much sep- In July, Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s name was
arated by tone and range. misspelled on the Inside page.
CHRIS KRONICK
In July, in a review of the self-titled debut
VIA EMAIL by People of Earth: “Chiki” and “Shoulda
Known Better” are corrected song titles.
In July, Sexmob was misspelled in a review
Harland MIA? of the group’s new album, The Hard Way.
No Eric Harland in the best drummer category? In the August issue, the photographer for
This must be the worst oversight in the entire the Ahmad Jamal article was Don Bronstein.
71st Critics Poll.
MATTHEW HANLEY Have a Chord or Discord? Email us at [email protected]
YUCCA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA or find us on Facebook & Twitter.

The
Warren Wolf, Lucian Ban & Mat Maneri,
Cecile Strange and Motéma Music @ 20!
EBRU YIDIZ
Ceramic Dog is, from right, Shahzad Ismaily, Ches Smith and Ribot.
Marc Ribot’s Rock Dreams

T
here’s an unrepentant snarl to Marc of his musical engagement, from his son-based tions with Guitar Works. But his Ceramic Dog
Ribot’s voice on twisted tunes like Los Cubanos Postizos band to his harmolodic has another bark entirely.
“Subsidiary,” “Soldiers In The Army Of Philly soul group, The Young Philadelphians A kind of stripped-down, skronkier ver-
Love” and “Heart Attack” from Connection, (with fellow guitarist Mary Halvorson, elec- sion of Ribot’s Rootless Cosmopolitans band
the fifth release by his punk-edged power trio tric bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, drummer of the 1990s, this fringe rock trio featuring
Ceramic Dog. G. Calvin Weston and three-piece string sec- bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Ches
The wildly eclectic guitarist, who has tion) to his swinging B-3 trio The Jazz-Bins Smith has maintained a scorched-earth policy
recorded and toured with Tom Waits, Elvis (with organist Greg Lewis and drummer Chad since debuting in 2008 with Party Intellectuals.
Costello, Laurie Anderson, Susana Baca and Taylor) and free-jazz group Spiritual Unity Along the way they’ve also turned in stinging
Solomon Burke, was a member of the Lounge (with trumpeter Roy Campbell, bassist Henry parodies of familiar tunes. For example, on
Lizards and the Jazz Passengers, and is a fre- Grimes and drummer Taylor). Ribot has also 2013’s Your Turn, there was Paul Desmond’s
quent collaborator on John Zorn projects like interpreted the beguiling melodies of his men- “Take Five”; on Connection, it’s the Hollywood
Bar Kokhba, Electric Masada, Book of Angels tor, the Haitian-born guitarist-composer classic “That’s Entertainment.”
and The Dreamers. He has cut a remarkably Frantz Casséus. In fact, in 1989 he recorded “It’s a rock record, for sure,” said Ribot in
wide swath stylistically since the 1980s. His his Haitian Suite and in 2014 published a col- a phone interview from his home in Brooklyn,
own bands have reflected the depth and scope lection of newly discovered Casséus composi- a day before embarking on a European tour
SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 13

with Ceramic Dog. “I’ve always had big affec- comping, but polytonal. I wanted complete Elsewhere, Ribot’s love of skronk (aided by
tion for No Wave. When I was coming up in cliches in terms of the phrases, but they had the sound his Fender Jaguar makes when
New Jersey, playing in my junior high school to be bridging the gap. So Anthony’s keyboard fed through a distortion pedal and assault-
band Love Gun and just figuring out what I functions as a kind of glue between these other ed with wreckless abandon) comes across on
liked, when No Wave came along, I said, “OK, unrelated keys.” the distortion-laced manifesto “Subsidiary,”
this is for me.” And I see that term No Wave Ribot’s love of clever wordplay is appar- the free-jazz blowout “Swan” (featuring guest
in a larger category that also includes the ent on carefully constructed “word sal- James Brandon Lewis on tenor sax), the fero-
Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time band, Sonny ads” like “The Activist” from 2021’s Hope cious title track and Ceramic Dog’s Sex
Sharrock and James Blood Ulmer, as well as (recorded under strict pandemic proto- Pistols-ish take on “That’s Entertainment”
groups like Richard Hell & The Voidoids with cols at Ismaily’s Brooklyn based Figure 8 (with Coleman providing the mocking farfi-
guitarist Robert Quine or DNA with guitar- studio) and tunes like “Heart Attack” and sa organ). And his love of Hendrixian chords
ist Arto Lindsay. “Subsidiary” from Connection. comes out on his delicate minor-key instru-
“But it seems like I’ve kind of approached it “I’ve always written songs, and some of mental “Order Of Protection,” which is remi-
a little indirectly. Rootless Cosmopolitans was them have made their way onto these band niscent of Jimi’s “Little Wing” and “Villanova
a quasi-New Music but also jazz influenced project records,” he said. “What I feel like I’ve Junction” and also features his Jazz-Bins part-
project that was secretly a rock band. And Los developed more recently is the ability to rant. ner Greg Lewis on organ.
Cubanos Postizos was a son Cubano group that And I was becoming more and more deranged Aside from the late Voidoids/Lou Reed
was secretly a punk rock band. So that kind of in my rants until I realized if I wrote them sideman Robert Quine, Ribot also points to
quasi/secret thing continued through a long down on paper that they were useful in some Fred Frith as an important guitar influence.
line of projects until eventually I just said, ‘Fuck way. So now it’s like I’ve kind of developed this “I’m a huge Frith fan,” he said. “One of my
it! I’m just going to do a rock band.’ And that’s ability to speak in tongues. And I have a pro- main introductions to free improvisation was
what Ceramic Dog is. And in the five records cess that I use. First, I just kind of rant the lyr- his records with Henry Kaiser, With Friends
that we’ve done, I feel like it’s gotten more and ics, and then I carefully comb through them to Like These and Who Needs Enemies? Hearing
more focused in that direction.” see if there’s anything that suggests a narrative those albums for the first time was a revela-
While there are some more ambitious or makes sense, and I edit that out. But a lot of tion to me, like, ‘Wow, you can do this?!’ I
compositions on Connection, like the sal- it is sonic. I’m interested in perturbing uncon- couldn’t believe it. And it kind of gave me per-
sa-son informed “Ecstasy” and the cumbia scious associations and sonics.” mission, which is the most you can hope to
flavored “Crumbia” (with Ribot making a As for his aggressive ranting on “Heart do for other people. But I’ve always told stu-
rare appearance on English horn), Ribot goes Attack,” Ribot explained, “I was interested dents and other guitarists that if they haven’t
directly for the jugular on tunes like “Soldiers in the music of cursing in different languag- seen Fred improvise solo, they must. Just to
In The Army Of Love” and the instrumental es, the sonics of it. You’ll notice when men are see him live, it has to be done. It’s one of the
polytonal rocker “No Name.” As he explained, cursing in English, they constrict the words wonders of the world. It’s a necessary part of
“The bass line on ‘No Name’ is in one key and in a certain way: “Fock! Fuck you, you fock- calling yourself a literate guitarist.”
the horn lines start to go into unrelated keys. in’ fuck!” And there’s a certain rhythm to it. So Earlier this year, Ribot unleashed his
I added a noise element from the sympathetic I was interested in that. And then I made the skronk at the Gucci Men’s Fall Winter 2023
strings of an electric sitar, and then Anthony “B” section cursing in Italian because there’s fashion show in Milan, where Ceramic Dog
Coleman overdubbed Farfisa organ on it. And also a certain rhythm, a different rhythm, to performed an 11-minute live version of their
Anthony was able to really get the concept that cursing in Italian. Those little national differ- menacing “Lies My Body Told Me” as the
I wanted — absolutely straightahead soul-jazz ences are interesting to me.” models strolled the runway. “It was funny
because afterwards, as I was breaking down
my equipment, all these famous supermodels
that were in the show were hanging around,
and all they wanted to know is what kind of
distortion pedal I was using. They all have
bands, you know. They all play guitar.”
Following Ceramic Dog’s summer tour of
Europe, Ribot will return to the States to per-
form his solo guitar score for Charlie Chaplin’s
1921 silent film The Kid on Sept. 29 at Sacred
Heart University Community Theatre in
Fairfield, Connecticut. It’s a piece he has show-
cased several times across the States since its
2010 premiere at New York’s Merkin Hall,
though he’s never done it in Europe.
“It’s a little problematical there because,
apparently, Charlie Chaplin requested that his
film only be performed with his score, a fact
which I found out after I’d done the score for
that film that was commissioned in 2008 by
the New York Guitar Festival. So I’ve done it
in the U.S., Canada and Japan, but I can’t do it
in Europe. It’s against the law there.”
—Bill Milkowski

ROY COX
“This album is every little thing about Warren Wolf that I’ve been trying
to do for almost 40 years,” says Wolf of Chano Pozo: Origins.
Warren Wolf Beyond Vibes

WARREN WOLF IS DETERMINED TO DO IT Convergence. Throughout, Wolf’s vibraphone date, I’ve made around 160 tracks of everything
all. More than 20 years into his career as a vibra- has been a steady, soulful presence, but it took the from standards to new compositions, since I’m
phonist, drummer and composer, the Baltimore- pandemic in 2020 to set him on a different path. always looking for something different.”
based musician shares the true breadth of his “Once everything was canceled and we had As the world began to reopen, Wolf felt cre-
musical talent. to stay home, I went onto YouTube and began atively freed thanks to his production and
“I’m releasing my 10th album as a bandlead- practicing along to a bunch of jazz standards,” he self-recording knowledge. He also found him-
er, and I had to make something special,” he says. says, over a video call from his home. “I’ve played self as an independent artist once more, since his
“I decided to showcase myself: to write and play these songs so many times though, I knew them five-album deal with Mack Avenue had ended
all the parts and let everyone know who Warren inside out, and I realized I needed something new after the release of 2020’s Christmas Vibes. With
Wolf really is. Since I never wanted to be known to keep me fresh.” the path ahead cleared, it seemed like the natu-
as just a vibraphone player.” Wolf decided to put together a home record- ral option to continue with his solo experimen-
Starting his career as a classically-trained ing setup and began laying down all of the parts tation to produce an album of original music,
percussionist at the prestigious Peabody to songs like Chick Corea’s “Humpty Dumpty” Chano Pozo: Origins.
Preperatory at Johns Hopkins University, Wolf and George Shearing’s “Conception” through Across the album’s nine tracks, Wolf riffs on
went on to study under Spyro Gyra vibraphonist MIDI keyboard and Logic production software. gospel Hammond organ during the medita-
Dave Samuels at Berklee College of Music and has He then left gaps for solos to be filled remotely by tive “Sunday Morning,” frantically soloing on
since played with the likes of Christian McBride, friends — including vibraphonist Joe Lock and piano during the hard-swinging “Havoc” and
Karreim Riggins and the SFJAZZ Collective. As saxophonist Walter Smith III. even singing through talkbox on the D’Angelo
a bandleader, his records have spanned from the “It sounded so good, it soon became about cover “Lady.” Aside from horns and guest vocals
R&B influences of 2020’s Reincarnation to the more than just practice,” he says. “My friend, the from Allison Bordlemay, Chano Pozo is all Wolf
hard-swinging intricacies of 2011’s Warren Wolf drummer Lee Pearson, warned me that since I improvising and competing with himself to pro-
and the breezy West Coast melodies of 2016’s play lots of instruments, it would get addictive. To duce a seamless blend of self-sampling.

“This album is every little thing about Warren
Wolf that I’ve been trying to do for almost 40
years,” he says with a smile. “You’re hearing the
piano, drums, bass and composition — even
my singing. It’s the full spectrum of my musical
upbringing, played exactly as I want it to be.”
That upbringing was largely shaped by Wolf’s
father, Warren Wolf Sr., who worked as a histo-
ry teacher by day but was a percussionist and
music fanatic by night, often jamming and play-
ing records by the likes of Roy Ayers and The
Temptations in the Wolf family basement until
the early hours. It was there, as a 3-year-old, that
junior Wolf became entranced by the vibra-
phone, clambering up a chair to have a go at hit-
ting its resonant surfaces. Spotting his interest,
Wolf’s father soon began giving him music les-
sons, along with the nickname Chano Pozo.
“I had no idea what that name meant as a kid
— it was just something that everyone called me,”
Wolf says. “Later, I found out he was a percus-
sionist who played with Dizzy Gillespie. Perhaps
my father saw that same musical spirit in me, but
I never got the chance to ask him why he called
me that in the first place.”
In 2022, Wolf’s father passed away and
Chano Pozo plays as a tribute to his memory, as
well as an exorcism of Wolf’s musical roots, chan-
nelling his childhood alter ego to traverse every-
thing from ’70s fusion to ’90s G-funk, sensu-
al soul and jazz melody. “I didn’t grow up in a
jazz household. I just came from a music house-
hold,” Wolf says. “My dad played a lot of Motown
and classical, and then I have two older sisters
who played a bunch of ’80s hip-hop. By 5, I was
at Peabody Prep, and at 6, I had my first tour
with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, when I
thought I was going to be a classical musician. By
17, though, I was fully into jazz.”
With that jazz interest sparked by a lesson
spent improvising over Sonny Rollins’ “Doxy,”
Wolf was soon accepted into Berklee and wound
up with a weekly residency at Boston’s renowned
Wally’s Cafe. There he developed an impres-
sive aptitude for marathon sets, playing for
three hours or more with the likes of classmates
Kendrick Scott, Walter Smith III and Avishai
Cohen. “It was just magical because we encour-
aged each other to write, and it gave me such con-
fidence,” he says. “The club owners gave us com-
plete control to do what we wanted and that ethos
of freedom has still stayed with me today.”
Indeed, with tentative plans to put out a
“metal jazz” record with Mars Volta drummer
Thomas Pridgeon in the cards as well as the pos-
sibility of another solo record — writing, record-
ing and producing each composition — Wolf’s
drive for freewheeling creativity continues.
“I just want to get our music heard by as
many people as possible,” Wolf says. “From tak-
ing listeners back to my origins to working out
the improvised music of the future — it’s all there
to be played.” —Ammar Kalia

also with a trumpet. Between those you can get
SERBAN MESTECANEANU
both power and the subtlety of a chamber ensem-
ble. The right rhythm section can bring the drive
of jazz into the picture but also sound like a con-
temporary classical group. What we wanted was
a midsize group — think of Gil Evans’ tentet on
Prestige, or the Henry Threadgill groups of the
late ’80s and ’90s — that can sound both like a
jazz group and a contemporary classical ensem-
ble. With the proper timbral palette and the right
musicians, it can be done.”
More than usual, for this project, the art of
casting the right musicians was paramount in
achieving those creative dreams. As Maneri
notes, “The musicians on this project are of
a family of improvisers that can traverse the
many styles and textures of music, past, pres-
ent and future.”
Joining the pianist and violist, the list of art-
ists well-known for their versatility and adventur-
ousness includes the rhythm team of drummer
Tom Rainey and bassist John Hebert grounding
the contributions of flexi-vocalists Jen Shyu and
Theo Bleckmann, clarinetist Louis Sclavis and
Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri bring jazz exploration to Enescu’s opera Oedipe Rex.
trumpeter Ralph Alessi.
Operatic Re-invention
Ban says, “We knew that Ralph Alessi’s beau-
tiful trumpet sound and concept will blend great-
ly with Mat’s viola and Louis Sclavis’ deep, reso-
with some Jazz DNA

nant bass clarinet. Louis is one of the most creative
musicians to ever play the bass clarinet, and he
also knows the repository of European classi-
ON THE LIST OF AMBITIOUS AND PARA- 2020 Sunnyside album Transylvanian Folk Songs. cal music and how to blend it with the jazz tradi-
digm-shifting jazz or jazz-related projects this Enescu’s opera premiered in 1936 and has tion. We knew that John Hebert and Tom Rainey
season, Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri’s version only recently been climbing out of relative obscu- can lock immediately in a groove, that they can
of the Enescu opera Oedipe Rex, aptly dubbed rity into modern opera houses. The original swing an atonal line and feed the band a propul-
Oedipe Redux, occupies a unique and lofty posi- notion of broaching the grand opera project, sive engine, but also can [lock in with] one of the
tion. The Transylvania-born/New York-based in fact, came through Maneri, who recalls that soloist’s instruments. And, this being an opera,
pianist Ban and American violist Maneri have “hearing Oedipe stirred in me a deep feeling of we knew that Jen Shyu and Theo Bleckmann can
gamely expanded on their earlier treatments of the many ways humanity deals with suffering.” bridge Enescu’s lines into a jazz ensemble while
music by iconic Romanian composer George Maneri’s interest in re-envisioning the opera bringing their own touch to the written material.
Enescu and taken on the challenge of transform- naturally stuck a chord with Ban: “I said yes imme- Getting the right people for the project was essen-
ing the infamously complex opera into a compact diately because Enescu’s Oedipe is a towering work tial for such a mad endeavor of reimagining an
jazz-meets-new music chamber incarnation. of 20th century music and one of the greatest opera through jazz and improvisation.
The result, performed at the Lyon Opera in operas ever written. Of course, it was a mad idea, Speaking more broadly about the kindred
2018 and newly released by Sunnyside, can be and it took us 10 years to make it happen.” spirits and adaptability of vernacular Eastern
called jazz, in its expansive and ever-evolution- Through an invitation from the Lyon Opera, European musical culture, Ban points out that
ary spirit, rather than any narrow definition. as part of a French-Romanian festival, Ban “Eastern European folklore in its purest forms
Then again, genre-blurring comes instinctively to explains that Oedipe Redux finally came to life. was created by communities devoid of erudition.
Maneri and Ban. Ban feels that “the genius of jazz “Mat and I wanted a chamber-like group to There’s something primordial in it that speaks
is this ability it has to cross genres, styles, borders, allow us to move seamlessly between improvi- directly to modern and contemporary avant-gar-
races, and reinvent itself through the individual sation and written material,” he said. “It took de instincts. It also swings madly and can be ten-
voices of its practitioners.” He adds, “Every occa- George Enescu 26 years to finish his Oedipe, so der one moment and visceral the next one.
sion I get to spread the genius of my fellow coun- our timeline is not too bad.” “Eastern European folklore, as Bartók and
tryman, George Enescu, is a worthy proposal.” Oedipe Redux establishes its own musical Enescu understood, is an endless source of inspi-
The Ban-Maneri-Enescu collaborative link parameters, between traditional expectations ration. What separates it from other folk music
goes back 15 years, when Ban invited Maneri to of jazz and classical forms and groupings. One in Europe is the fact that it was less influenced by
join other “jazz” players to perform at an Ensescu distinction is that, through the parsing of parts court music, religious music and classical music.
Festival in Bucharest. Subsequently, the pair have and textures within the assembled ensemble, the It is this unique trait that makes it so appealing to
processed the Romanian composer’s music on sum sound can suggest greater dimensions than modern and contemporary contexts.”
the album Enescu Re-imagined and delved into it contains. “We thought of how instruments Oedipe Redux counts as a prime contempo-
Transylvanian folk music — an inspirational blend, and which combinations can do justice rary example of Transylvanian culture in action,
source for Enescu, Béla Bartók and others — on to Enescu’s rich and complex score,” Ban says. and in metamorphosing motion.”
the ECM album Transylvanian Concert and the “Viola blends amazingly with bass clarinet, but —Josef Woodard

Cecilie Strange Comes Full Circle
CECILIE STRANGE, THE GIFTED YOUNG carrying our first child, and I was like, this is
BYSSAN LULL.
Danish saxophonist and composer, first hit beautiful. I got my mother-in-law to write down
DownBeat’s radar with Blue (April Records), the lyrics so I could learn to sing it.
her 2020 debut as leader of her “dream quartet,”
which set listeners adrift on a tonal soundscape McCree: You also dedicated “Where My Heart
both melancholic and warm. Then came the Lives” to your husband. You two have a power-
shimmering music of 2021’s Blikan (Blue), an old ful bond.
Icelandic word that means to shine or to appear. Strange: We really do. We’ve been together for
This year’s release of Beyond (April Records) con- half my life, we have three children together, and
tinues her journey with meditations on the cir- he gives me the most amazing support as a musi-
cle of life written on a remote Norwegian island cian, an artist and a composer.
under the midnight sun.
Simultaneously, Strange has blossomed as McCree: You’ve also come full circle with your
the co-leader of KELIIDO with guitarist Anna “dream quartet” with pianist Peter Rosendale,
Roemer, who shares her vision of ambient impro- drummer Jacob Heyer and bassist Thommy
vised music. Elements (ExoPac) their hauntingly Andersson, who played on Blue, Blikan and Cecilie Strange on Saltværsøya Island,
beautiful second album, won the 2023 Carl Prize Beyond. where she composed the music for Beyond.
for Jazz Composition, and they have a new release Strange: Yes, in one room, instead of isolating the
coming out this fall. Both live in Copenhagen’s sound in separate rooms. Josefine Cronhol, our McCree: You and Anna are completely in sync.
bohemian enclave of Vesterbro, where Strange guest vocalist, was also in the circle for Beyond, How did you first get together?
and her husband, Viktor Guldagger, an orthope- which was amazing. She used to play with Miles, Strange: We went to the same music academy. I
dist, are raising their growing family. and I remember hearing her for the first time was five years ahead of her, but we had an imme-
When DownBeat caught up via Zoom, when I was 17. I had this dream that maybe one diate musical understanding, so when I had my
Strange had just returned from a five-week family day I could do some recording with her. big masters composition concert I invited her to
vacation in Bali. The conversation was enlivened play on it. Then we moved to Norway for a few
by some delightful pop-in visits by her 3-year-old McCree: Another dream that came true is win- years, and when I got back Anna asked me to play
daughter, Alice. ning the 2023 Carl Prize for Jazz Composition in her masters concert.
The following interview has been edited for for your visionary improvisations with guitarist So, when we both found ourselves living in
length and clarity. Anna Roemer in KELIIDO. Copenhagen at the same time, we decided we
Strange: The prize is named after the Danish wanted to make a project that was free impro-
Cree McCree: “The Alices Of My Life,” the lovely composer Carl Nielson, and it’s a huge honor. vised music. We invite new guest musicians to
opener of Beyond, sets the tone for an album that We play free improvised music so at first we every concert, and every recording session, so
traces the circle of life. were like, can we even be nominated for this? that the music is never predictable. Every time
Cecilie Strange: That’s the musical journey I’m on. But there’s something called instant compos- we play it is 100% improvised. It’s like painting
I named my daughter Alice after my late grand- ing, you compose while you play it. with sound. —Cree McCree
mother, who was really important to me and died
when I was a child, and it ends with a tribute to
my grandfather, who’s 95 and still plays golf. And
I was carrying my third child when I went to
this little island in the northern part of Norway,
where I composed all the music.
McCree: Your meditation on that experience,

“Midnight Sun Upon Saltværsøya Island,” is very
evocative. You can almost see the shimmer of
light dancing on the sea around you.
Strange: Going there was a huge experience for
me. You can apply to go compose on this island,
and I was lucky to get that opportunity. It’s
remote. I needed to take three planes, one ferry
and a boat to get there. I was six months preg-
nant when I went, and there was just one other
person living there, the caretaker. But I felt like
I needed to go and experience this place, that all
this music was about to come out of me.
McCree: The lullaby “Byssan Lull” traces another

circle of life. You learned it from your husband,
whose mother sang it to him.
Strange: He taught me that lullaby when I was

“I want to work with good people,” says Motéma founder Jana Herzen, which has led the label to
Riffs sign and promote a host of major jazz stars during its 20 years of existence.
CRYSTAL BLAKE
ALAN NAHIGIAN
Amina ClaudineMyers Gary Bartz
WILLARD JENKINS
CEDRIC ANGELES
COURTESY
REBECCA MEEK
Terence Blanchard Willard Jenkins
Bartz, Blanchard, Myers,
Jana Herzen Reflects

Jenkins Named NEA Jazz Masters
Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Amina Claudine
Myers and Willard Jenkins have been named
on Motéma at 20
the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters Fellows. The
honors, awarded by the National Endowment
for the Arts. The honorees each receive an
award of $25,000 and will be celebrated
with a free concert on April 13, 2024. A LOT HAS CHANGED AT MOTÉMA MUSIC debut Soup’s On Fire in 2001, then released per-
“Jazz is one of our nation’s most significant in 20 years, but as founder, president and A&R cussionist Babatunde Lea’s Soul Pools in 2003.
artistic contributions to the world, and the director Jana Herzen will tell you, the label’s Through Lea, Herzen would be introduced
NEA is proud to recognize individuals whose three criteria for signing artists hasn’t changed to Moffett after Herzen had moved the label to
creativity and dedication ensure that the
one bit. First, a potential signee should be a mas- New York. Their business relationship eventual-
art form continues to evolve and inspire,”
said Maria Rosario Jackson, NEA chair.
ter at their craft, or on their way to being one. ly deepened into a creative partnership, and then
Gary Bartz, a purveyor of informal compo- Second, as a live performer, they need to be able to a romance, which led to the label’s inadvertent
sition, has been one of the leading alto saxo- “change the molecules in the room,” per Herzen. return to San Francisco. The sudden onset of the
phonists on the scene since the 1960s, working And ultimately their work should reflect a desire pandemic, and grim positivity rates back in New
with the likes of Max Roach, Charles Mingus, Art to “make a positive difference in the world.” York, ultimately kept the pair in California.
Blakey and Miles Davis. He has released more “I want to work with good people,” Herzen “As shocking as it was, with so many people
than 45 albums as a leader and appeared on
says, her matter-of-fact shrug all but audible on a dying, having now lost Charnett, I actually think
more than 200 as a guest artist or sideman.
Terence Blanchard, a seven-time Grammy call from her home office in San Francisco. of those times fondly: We had a chance to be
winner, has been a force for more than 40 Nowhere in those tenets will you find the together a lot and make music. That really was a
years. An alumnus of Art Blakey & the Jazz Mes- boundaries of genre. What started as an unbox- blessing,” Herzen says.
sengers, Blanchard went on to write film scores, able label working broadly in “world music” has Moffett’s death from a heart attack last April
most famously for Spike Lee, as well as tour and earned its reputation as a jazz juggernaut, releas- has left Herzen struggling to imagine her life —
perform with his own groups and as a sideman.
ing albums by Terri Lyne Carrington and Social and Motéma — without him. The label took a
Amina Claudine Myers has honed her
craft as a composer for voice and instruments. Science, Gregory Porter, Geri Allen, René Marie, 16-month hiatus from new releases, but now, as
From her beginnings as a member of the Monty Alexander, Melissa Aldana and Arturo Motéma breaks its silence in time for the 20th
Association for the Advancement of Creative O’Farrill. Bassist Charnett Moffett was also a anniversary, Moffett is the beating heart of its
Musicians, she moved to New York City in the Motéma signee, becoming partners with Herzen return. Innocence Of Truth, a duo recording he
1970s, giving her compositional work priority. in music and life until he passed away last year. made with Herzen, comes out Oct. 20, with more
Willard Jenkins, recipient of the A.B.
“I was never limiting it to jazz, but we got a material to follow.
Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for
Jazz Advocacy, has been involved in jazz as
reputation as a jazz label,” Herzen says. “It’s a heartbreak for me because he was very
a writer, broadcaster, educator, historian, When the singer and guitarist looked to loved as a sideman and made records as a lead-
artistic director and arts consultant since the release her own music around the turn of the er all through his life. But he raised two kids, and
1970s. He is currently the artistic director of millennium, she found a record industry on the whole financial responsibility thing led him
the DC Jazz Festival and host of the Ancient/ shaky ground — and few labels willing to take to rely a lot on income from being a sideman,”
Future program on DC’s WPFW radio station. a risk on a singer-songwriter from an unconven- Herzen says. “By the time he got to Motéma,
“Gary Bartz’s saxophone has blazed trails
tional background. “I was being told, ‘The music most of his focus was really on his own material,
with his dynamic phraseology and iconic tone
for decades — he is representative for the truth sounds great, but we can’t do anything right and it was a career we were enjoying developing.”
in music,” said Jason Moran, Kennedy Center now.’ I got enough of those that I thought, ‘Well, I Also due out are Rising Sun (Sept. 15), the
artistic director for jazz. “Terence Blanchard guess I’ll start my own label to put it out.’” debut by 25-year-old pianist-composer Shuteen
does it all, from the trumpet to the screen with With guidance from industry vets, Herzen Erdenebaatar; and A Lovesome Thing (Nov. 24),
a singular genius. Amina Claudine Myers has founded Motéma in San Francisco. The name Geri Allen and Kurt Rosenwinkel’s live album
devoted endless time and energy to creating
nods to its culturally roving mission: “moté- recorded at Jazz à la Villette in 2012. Already
a new canon in the AACM, and when she’s at
the keys, soul pours freely from her voice and ma” means “heart” in Lingala, the Bantu lan- released as part of the celebration is Flamenkora,
fingers. And, Willard Jenkins has wielded his guage spoken in much of the Congo region, just a collision of West African Mande music, fla-
pen to be a passionate amplifier for the music as Herzen’s surname is the plural for the German menco and Western jazz spearheaded by
and the musician.” DB word for “heart.” The label unveiled Herzen’s Motéma signee Volker Goetze. —Hannah Edgar

KRIS
Davis
OF RESISTANCE & FLIGHT
BY JOHN MURPH
PHOTO BY CAROLINE MARDOK
In late May 2022, Kris Davis realized

a dream. She and her ensemble
Diatom Ribbons performed six nights
at New York’s Village Vanguard —
the world’s most famous jazz venue.
T
he pianist, composer and bandleader originally had booked the date for
April 2020, but like so many other concerts during that time, hers was can-
celed because of the pandemic.
In January 2021, Davis did perform at the Vanguard with drummer Eric
McPherson and bassist Stephan Crump, collectively known as the Borderlands Trio.
That concert gave Davis a phantasmagorical experience in getting acquainted with
the club’s acoustics.
“It was sort of freaky because I’ve heard all these pianists perform at the
Vanguard on albums, and suddenly I hear that sound coming back at me while I’m

adding guitarist Julian Lage.
CAROLINE MARDOK
“One thing that is very cool about this group

is that Kris, Val and Terri have been performing
as an autonomous trio for some time, so there is
a built-in core to the larger group,” Dunn says.
“That makes for a certain flexibility in the con-
figuration. Sometimes we play as a quartet; other
times she might add a saxophone player, or in the
case of the Vanguard record, Julian Lage. This,
of course, affects the arrangements of the songs,
not to mention, Kris is always coming up with
new ways to approach the material.”
Spirits Up Above
Going back to the “room” sound of the
Vanguard, Davis reflects on the experience of
playing the piano while weighing in on the histo-
ry of so many others who have performed there.
Negotiating the sonic memories imprinted in
the room affected some of her in-the-moment
musical decisions.
“It was sort of spooky: It’s like having some-
one, who’s really accomplished, sit in the audi-
ence and listen to you play,” she explains, before
noting that she had to put away such potential-
ly self-sabotaging thoughts. “We had to just con-
centrate on what we do and stay in the moment.”
For Jeanty, the Vanguard reminds her of
those cozy basement parties where DJs often
spin. She started playing there in the mid-aughts.
“It feels like a bar gig,” Jeanty says. “But there is
so much creative energy in that space because of
all of those legends, who’ve played there before.”
Lage, Diatom Ribbons newcomer, loves
the room from a guitarist’s perspective. He
says that it rounds out some of the edges of
electric guitar and softens the attack. “For gui-
tarists, it’s very forgiving,” he says. “There are
Kris Davis Diatom Rhythms, right to left, Val Jeanty, Julian Lage, no parallel walls in that room, so the sound
Trevor Dunn, Terri Lyne Carrington and Davis.
functions differently than about every other
space that you’ll ever play with low ceilings.
playing,” Davis says from her Boston home in Instrumental Album for her contributions on The room has a lot of features that make a
late June, just one day away from joining Dave New Standards Vol. 1 (Candid Records), a proj- [concert] sound like a [studio] record.”
Holland on a European tour. ect produced by Terri Lyne Carrington. In turn, Dunn says that the Vanguard is
For sure, many pianists, ranging from Last year, DownBeat named her Pianist of “one of the driest, most unforgiving rooms”
such towering icons as Bill Evans, Bobby the Year in its Critics Poll. A year prior to that, she he’s ever performed in. “I can really only
Timmons, McCoy Tyner and Thelonious received a $275,000 Doris Duke Artist Award. describe the sound as clear and direct,” Dunn
Monk to such eminent modernists as Brad And in 2020, the Jazz Journalists Association says. “Somehow the room itself doesn’t inter-
Mehldau, Uri Caine, Jason Moran, Chucho named Davis both pianist and composer of the fere with the sound, which can be a positive
Valdés, Geri Allen and Junko Onishi have doc- year. Since moving to New York from Toronto or negative thing, depending on your perspec-
umented their stints at the Village Vanguard. in the early aughts, the 43-year-old Davis has tive. For example, low subs are not amplified
And some of those albums have become part released 24 albums as a leader and co-leader, a by a hollow stage, which is something I like in
of the pantheon of best live albums in jazz his- few of which were issued on her own imprint, bigger rooms. As a bass player, typically posi-
tory. Davis adds her scintillating new dou- Pyroclastic Records. tioned between the piano and drums, I have the
ble-disc, Kris Davis’ Diatom Ribbons Live At The first Diatom Ribbons album came out in most ideal sound in the room. At the Vanguard,
The Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic Records), to 2019. It featured a larger cast that included sax- it almost feels like there is an acoustic limiter
that distinguished legacy. ophonist JD Allen, singer and bassist esperanza happening naturally — you can’t play too loud
Davis’ entry into the esteemed class of musi- splading, vibraphonist Ches Smith and guitar- in there; it’s not possible. Every time I’ve played
cians who have chronicled their time at the ists Nels Cline and Marc Ribot. there, I’ve definitely had to adjust my approach
Vanguard as a leader comes when her ascen- For the Vanguard dates, Davis retained to the room. At the Vanguard there is a certain
sion in the jazz ecosystem continues to soar. drummer Carrington, bassist Trevor Dunn pristine quality to the sound that puts everyone
Earlier this year, she became one of the first three and turntablist/sound sculptor Val Jeanty under the microscope.”
women to win a Grammy Award for Best Jazz from the group’s 2019 album lineup while Indeed, it took the ensemble some time to get

its footing while striking a balance between acoustic and electric instru-
mentation. “You have to just live through all these sonic explorations that
always go on at the Vanguard,” Dunn says. “Part of the beauty of that club
is that you’re playing 12 sets over six nights. So, the invitation to go deep-
er into those [sonic] inquiries is far greater than when you’re playing in
another room for just one night.”
Jeanty felt the challenge of the close proximity among the musicians on
the small stage, especially when it came to setting up her arsenal of equip-
ment (including a Vestax VCI-400 controller, a Roland HandSonic digital
drum and a Korg Kaossilator Pro Plus). She also brought a small monitor-
ing speaker so that she could better hear sonic collages.
“The first couple of nights, we had to adjust to all the different sounds
within the band for that room,” Jeanty recalls. “The first night felt a little
weird. Sometimes I would make a sound but couldn’t hear it. Other times,
I would trigger a sound that was too loud. But I could feel a progression. By
the third or fourth night, it was on point. It was fiyah!”
Flying Through Resistance

Diatom Ribbons Live At The Village Vanguard begins with the band’s
lurking treatment of “Alice In The Congo,” a snarling harmolodic-inspired
composition by drummer Roland Shannon Jackson. At the Vanguard,
Dunn fattens the bottom with a lubricous undulating pulse on which
Carrington helps propel with an intricate, almost New Orleans second-line
groove. In between, Lage and Davis unravel crisscrossing improvisations
that tighten as the rhythm section liberates from timekeeping duties and
gets more involved in the collective improvisation while Jeanty joins the
foil through her silvery textures.
Davis engaged in a heavy investigation of Jackson’s Decoding Society
albums when she worked with David Breskin, who produced Jackson’s
1982 LP, Man Dance (Antilles), which closes with “Alice In The Congo.”
Breskin had commissioned Davis and fellow pianist, Craig Taborn — col-
lectively billed as Octopus — for a February 2022 concert at the Modern
Art Museum of Fort Worth honoring Jackson. In addition to commission-
ing Davis and Taborn to compose two new pieces, each based upon sculp-
tures, they performed piano-duet interpretations of “Alice In The Congo”
and Jackson’s “Apache Love Cry.”
“After that [Modern Art of Museum of Fort Worth] concert, I thought
‘Alice In The Congo’ would sound cool in Diatom Ribbons,” Davis remem-
bers before mentioning that she was listening to Jackson’s Decoding
Society LPs before she recorded her first Diatom Ribbons album. “I like the
groove element and the repetition element of their music, but I also like the
freedom that he brings to it. I do not know if it is through his instruction or
just how the musicians approached it, but there is the grounding and free-
dom in his music that really speaks to me.”
Later on Live At The Village Vanguard, Diatom Ribbons delivers two
mesmerizing makeovers of Wayne Shorter’s “Dolores,” which was first
recorded by Miles Davis’ iconic mid-’60s quintet. In concert, Davis artic-
ulates the quizzical melody across Carrington’s shuffling momentum and
Dunn’s molten bass line. As the composition progresses, Davis embroiders
a stunning improvisation that stretches from the post-bop vocabulary to
the thundering, dissonant edges reminiscent of Don Pullen. Eventually
Lage interjects then engages Davis in some knotty cross dialogue.
Davis says that when she first started getting into jazz while growing
up in the suburbs of Calgary, Canada, Miles’ mid-’60s albums featuring
Shorter played a crucial role in her falling more deeply in love with the
music. Decades later, she got a chance to work with him during the pan-
demic while he taught some of her students — via Zoom — at the Berklee
College of Music’s Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice.
“[Shorter] has so many great one-liners that really rang true to me, and
I reference them often,” Davis says. “One of my favorite ones was, ‘A plane
needs resistance to fly.’ Man, that is so deep.”
Davis also pays homage to Geri Allen with the inclusion of her compo-
sition, “The Dancer,” which first appeared on Allen’ 1987 album Open On

1.
2.
3. 4.
Davis as a fierce collaborator: 1. On tour with the Dave Holland New Quartet, from left, Davis, Holland, Jaleel Shaw and Nasheet Waits. 3. As a member of Trefoil with, from
left, Gerald Cleaver, Ambrose Akinmusire and Davis. 3. At the Grammy Awards as member of Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standards Vol. 1 album, which won the Grammy for
Best Jazz Instrumental Album. From left, Linda May Han Oh, Davis, Carrington, Nicolas Payton and Matthew Stevens. 4. Davis with Craig Taborn, her Octopus duo partner.
All Sides In The Middle (Minor Music). Diatom Study No. 9 for Player Piano. The episodic “Kingfisher,” however, does not
Ribbons’ version eschews Allen’s rambunctious At the Vanguard, Davis maps out the swirl- sound like conventional modal jazz. Instead,
avant-funk arrangement from the mid-’80s ing pointillistic melody on the synthesizer atop it sounds like the soundtrack to a meta gam-
in favor of a more laidback, bluesier approach, Lage’s lulling four-note ostinato. As she explores ing platform. “The song is based on this idea of
marked by Davis’ plucking of the piano strings the inner mechanics of the acoustic piano. Dunn threes,” Davis says. “There is the three-bar cycle
and tweaking of the Arturia microfreak synth, strums eerie acro touches on acoustic bass while with the bass line happening on which a solo
Lage’s languid guitar lines, Jeanty’s sandpapery Carrington and Jeanty add more intriguing col- occurs. Then there are three sections within the
textures and the rhythm section’s loping gait. ors and textures. bigger piece where we have that groove bass line
Davis says that she’d seen Allen play multi- “Nancarrow has always been a real inspira- thing, a halftime groove freak-out and then a
ple times, but only met her once. Nevertheless, tion for me through those player piano pieces,” free section. ‘Kingfisher’ incorporates this idea
through several tribute concerts and com- Davis explains. “I wanted to incorporate some of of jumping cuts between sections.”
missions, Davis has explored Allen’s multifac- his language with Eric Dolphy’s ‘Hat And Beard.’ Messiaen’s influence also manifests in the
eted oeuvre since her passing in 2017. When I just sequenced that line from ‘Hat And Beard’ evocative second part of the suite, “Bird Call
Carrington invited Davis to play at a few tribute in the synthesizer and used those little pieces of Blues,” a capricious original that wouldn’t sound
concerts for Allen, she said that she was mostly DNA to create an improvised piece.” out of place on one of Art of Noise’s seminal
familiar with Allen’s 1991 album, The Nurturer Lage’s four-note ostinato on “Nine Hats” can ’80s albums thanks to Jeanty’s virtuosic turn-
(Blue Note/Somethin’ Else). Eventually, Davis be detected on the conclusion of Diatom tablism and sonic manipulations of voiceovers
dug deeper and delved into Allen’s earlier reper- Ribbon’s treatment of “Alice In The Congo.” “I from Messiaen and Paul Bley. Diatom Ribbons
toire such as 1984’s The Printmakers and 1985’s consider that [ostinato] the wallpaper of [‘Nine also utilizes voiceover samples of Sun Ra from a
Homegrown (both on Minor Music). Hats’],” Davis says. “He was instructed not to 1991 radio interview on the protean “VW” and
move from that and just be this thing shim- Karlheinz Stockhausen from a 1972 lecture on the
Ghosts in the Machine mering in the back. Then the rest of us created a riveting third part of the suite, “Parasitic Hunter.”
The rest of the Vanguard program consists soundscape around those little pieces of DNA.” “Val is the X factor for me,” says Davis, before
of Davis’ suspenseful originals. Her probing Other intrepid originals include the almost revealing that prior to them working together
“Nine Hats” almost follows Allen’s noteworthy punkish “Kingfisher” — the first of the three- that she had not written or played with a turnta-
investigations into Eric Dolphy’s music. It refer- part suite “Bird Calls” commemorating Charlie blist. “When we first improvised, she was using
ences Dolphy’s mid-’60s Thelonious Monk trib- Parker’s centennial in 2020 — on which she sub- her banks of sounds and audio clippings of inter-
ute, “Hat And Beard.” Davis’ composition also limely incorporates Olivier Messiaen’s mode views. As we got further into the process of the
incorporates elements of Conlon Nancarrow’s three from his “modes of limited transposition.” [2019] album, I thought it would be really nice to

bring in some clips of interviews of people that I ing with Carrington and Jeanty. Carrington lenge with her music is to play the written mate-
really respect. Cecil Taylor had just passed away, told Davis that she was attracted to her strong rial and make them sound free. When people
and I was looking for a way to pay tribute with a sense of rhythm combined with her strong see a lot of notes on paper, they often see it as
different approach to paying tribute to him.” sense of freedom. confinement, but with her music it all makes
“I just stared digging around and finding “It was exactly what I was looking for some such beautiful sense.”
language that Val could use that felt personal to years back when we first connected,” Carrington Lage says Davis’ compositions are a great
me in the music,” Davis continues. “Then she says. “[Kris] is a beast of a player with incredi- invitation for guitarists in how they deal with
could manipulate in any way that she felt would ble technique, but most importantly to me is the frequencies and a wide sonic spectrum. “She
work. I like to give her some sonic tools, but then sound she gets out of the piano. And she’s always designs these pieces where you really can’t go
tell her that she can do whatever with them.” looking for windows for ways out. The expan- wrong,” he says. “As a guitarist, it never feels like,
Jeanty says that Davis provided charts for all sion in harmony from the written material of the ‘Oh, God, if I don’t do the right thing, I’m not
of the compositions. On some songs, Davis compositions allows expansion in rhythm. They going to fit in.’ A true hallmark of her music is
notated specific voices in sections. “But Kris go hand in hand. I love playing with her because that it transcends instrumentation.”
doesn’t say that it has to come on the fourth bar I don’t feel trapped.” “Kris’ music has everything — vamps, open-
or something like that,” Jeanty explains. “We let In turn, Davis praises Carrington for her ness, changes, melodies,” Dunn adds. “There
the samples flow into the music naturally. We improvisational acumen and keen listening are dense harmonies as well as sparse ones that
have a trust. There are specific instructions in skills. The pianist also agrees that the two have give way to interpretation. As a bassist, every
other places where she will notate that certain a strong rhythmic connection. “I love playing tune is a new adventure. I jump back and forth
sounds need to occur in the intro. For instance, improvised music with drummers who have a between upright and electric basses, swinging
on ‘Bird Call Blues,’ Davis specified that she real sense of groove as well as time and rhythm, over changes or holding down atonal ostinatos.
wanted the song to begin with samples of bird’s because then I can get more into the explorato- In many ways it is the ideal band for me.”
chirping. But it was up to me on how I wanted to ry state. Sometimes, when I play with drummers “The thing that came to me through the
scratch with those sounds.” that are more color-oriented, who never go into Vanguard concerts as well as from the first
a groove or even provide colors through rhythm, Diatom Ribbons album is Wayne’s idea about
Groove Allegiance something is lost for me.” needing resistance to fly,” Davis says. “There is
Davis formed Diatom Ribbons to channel In describing Davis’ compositions for something about writing tunes that are more
her love for groove-based music. She said that Diatom Ribbons, Carrington notes that they tonal that gives me the space to be more explor-
her compositions from prior albums before are not freeform in spite of their capacious atory in terms of my musical language and
the ensemble’s 2019 outing lacked a strong sound. “They are extremely intricate and most intervallic approach as an improviser. It also
foundational groove. But before Diatom of them are notated profusely so you have to be allows me to use more atonal language to cre-
Ribbons was established, Davis began work- a good reader,” Carrington explains. “The chal- ate that resistance to fly.” DB

BY TED PANKEN PHOTOS BY JOHN ROGERS
When Tyshawn Sorey turned 40 a few months into the

pandemic lockdown, he decided henceforth to focus on
more explicitly foregrounding hardcore jazz roots within
his musical production.
“C
OVID furthered my intention respective extended improvisational con-
to make only the music I want,” ducting languages. In a few hours, they’d
Sorey said in late February in engage in an improvised duo set on various
the basement of Roulette, Brooklyn’s ven- drums and percussion, electronic process-
erable, essential experimental music venue ing and piano, and then guide the ensem-
— where he and Adam Rudolph, his part- ble through a spontaneously directed piece.
ner in a recent spirit-raising trio album During the drum duo, Sorey displayed
with Dave Liebman titled New Now (Meta) the full measure of his choreographic con-
— had just rehearsed three accomplished ception, his phrases sometimes tsunami-
percussionists in the highly calibrated ges- intense and overwhelming, sometimes deli-
tures and symbols that constitute their cate and spare.

The Tyshawn Sorey Trio, from left, Aaron Diehl, Sorey and Matt Brewer.
His commanding execution of abstract, what would happen?” Whatever the case, Sorey much-lauded, sold-out run of Sorey’s multidis-
structurally cogent improvisational ideas con- was determined to establish “a situation where ciplinary Mark Rothko tribute Monochromatic
ceived in service of the music earned him I’m playing jazz standards — or jazz, peri- Light (Afterlife) at Park Avenue Armory, direct-
first-call stature during the ’00s through od. Even though I’ve been known to do that ed by Peter Sellars.
the ’10s with forward-thinking bandlead- extremely well, I haven’t gotten calls to do it. I On the surface, Sorey and Diehl might
ers like Butch Morris, Steve Coleman, Muhal won’t sit and cry by the phone, waiting for it to seem an oil and water matchup. Now 37, Diehl
Richard Abrams, Vijay Iyer, Dave Douglas, ring. I’ll produce my own projects where I do toured with the Wynton Marsalis Septet direct-
Henry Threadgill, Steve Lehman, Michelle that, I’ll do it my way, and I’ll do it well.” ly after graduating high school. On three Mack
Rosewoman, Myra Melford, Kris Davis and The spring 2023 release Continuing (Pi) is Avenue albums, he interrogates ragtime and
Ingrid Laubrock. Meanwhile, Sorey was pre- the final album of a trilogy documenting Sorey’s stride piano, bebop, the blues and the classical
senting his beyond-category, transidiomatic pursuit of that endeavor in conjunction with orientation of John Lewis and Roland Hanna
compositions (as well as his skills on trombone pianist Aaron Diehl, another distinguished on their own terms of engagement, showcas-
and piano) on a series of recordings — That/Not pan-genre practitioner interested in connecting ing his thorough, individualistic assimilation
(2007), Oblique–I (2011), Alloy (2014), The Inner the languages of jazz and the Euro canon. As of Marsalis’ “all jazz is modern” mantra. Diehl
Spectrum Of Variables (2016), Verisimilitude on the 2022 releases Mesmerism (Yeros7 Music) has also sustained a flourishing career concert-
(2017), Pillars (2018) and Unfiltered (2020) — and The Off-Off Broadway Guide To Synergism izing on repertoire spanning Philip Glass to
that spanned Anton Webern-esque spikiness, (Pi), Sorey showcases his profound connection Prokofiev to Gershwin.
Morton Feldman-esque stillness, exhilarating to the jazz timeline and his deep connection to In late 2017, Diehl heard Sorey play drums
outcat jazz, AACM-descended soundscapes the drummers who’ve fueled it. In the process, with pianist Vicky Chow, a respected con-
and card pieces and collective improvisations. he upholds both the tropes of mobility (“keep temporary classical specialist, in a concert of
During the ’10s, Sorey earned a doctorate of them guessing”) and individualism (“that’s John Zorn’s music. Not long thereafter, he sent
musical arts in composition from Columbia Tyshawn Sorey”) that have defined each step of Sorey a complimentary note on Instagram.
University, a MacArthur “Genius” Grant and, his musical journey. Dialogue ensued. In the spring of 2020, Diehl
in 2018, a tenure-track assistant professorship On Mesmerism and Continuing, Sorey, publicly interviewed Sorey (via Zoom) for the
at University of Pennsylvania. He concomitant- Diehl and bassist Matt Brewer function as a Phillips Collection.
ly broadened his scope, composing fully notat- standalone trio, exploring deep cuts by Horace “Tyshawn’s wide palette of musical knowl-
ed and improvisationally oriented works for Silver, Ahmad Jamal, Wayne Shorter and edge, interests and understanding fascinated
orchestras of various sizes. In the process, Sorey, Harold Mabern as well as songbook chestnuts me,” Diehl said. “People use the phrase ‘blur-
raised in a Black working-class neighborhood in like “Detour Ahead,” “Autumn Leaves” and ring the lines’ between musical disciplines, but
Newark, New Jersey, became a celebrated, wide- “Angel Eyes.” Russell Hall plays bass on The he’s really been doing that, synthesizing all his
ly reviewed figure in highbrow contemporary Off-Off Broadway Guide To Synergism, a tri- influences into his own compositional output
music circles, even the subject of a 6,000-word ple CD culled from a five-night run at the Jazz in fascinating ways. He’s brilliant, and I want-
profile in the New York Times Magazine. Gallery led by protean alto saxophonist Greg ed to get to know him.”
“I’d been paid for two years of premieres Osby, with whom the trio functions as an exu- Sorey’s feelings were reciprocal, but he was
that still had to be completed for performance,” berantly freewheeling, interactive rhythm sec- concerned Diehl might consider him too “out.”
Sorey said of his July 2020 mindset. “Who knew tion. It dropped in late 2022, contiguous to a Eventually, he recalled, “I mustered the cour-

age to ask Aaron to play. Without hesitation, thinking about rhythm and melody operat- join him at DROM, on Manhattan’s Lower
he said he’d be down to do something.” In May ing within different forms of time — half-time East Side. “We loved it,” Sorey said. “Aaron has
2021, they entered Brooklyn’s Bunker studio for or double-time or a third of the time — which incredible ears; he was able to adjust quickly.
a maiden voyage. “I wanted to create an envi- happens before we get to the solos, which are We’d been constantly communicating about
ronment where Aaron was comfortable but also played over the regular form.” music, almost every day, and I’d been point-
have my aesthetics in the air, if not necessari- “Before the rehearsal, Aaron sent me a ing him to Greg’s records and AACM stuff.
ly in the forefront. Aaron likes to be super-pre- voicemail where he played piano on Paul I already knew Greg’s music inside-out —
pared; I wanted to go into the studio and devel- Motian’s ‘From Time To Time’ and then hung his experiences in Special Edition with Jack
op it there to get the freshest possible result.” up. At rehearsal, I told him, ‘This is exactly DeJohnette, who’s one of my biggest heroes,
He sent a song-list, and called a rehearsal at how I thought this arrangement would go.’ At how he worked with virtuosos like Eric Harland
Diehl’s apartment the day before the session, the studio, after we heard back the first take of and Rodney Green, how artful and chance-tak-
sticking the drum parts on Diehl’s couch. “I ‘Enchantment,’ the opening song, I said, ‘I told ing his rhythm sections were.”
thought Tyshawn would have written arrange- you.’ We’d never played a single note togeth- Osby met Sorey in 2008 when supervising
ments, but he thought up roadmaps that he er, and there was initially some nervous ener- saxophonist Meilana Gillard’s Day One for his
dictated after we ran down the tunes,” Diehl gy. But then it was as though we’d been playing Inner Circle imprint. “Tyshawn’s approach was
recalled. He consulted his iPhone for the notes together for a decade.” completely different than a lot of drummers in
he’d scribbled as Sorey broke down “Detour Mesmerism also features Muhal Richard his generation,” Osby said. “I found him total-
Ahead.” “Measures 11 to 12 half-time; we vamp Abrams’ “Two Over One,” which Sorey knew ly complementary and welcoming. He didn’t
those measures. Bridge, half-time melody, omit both from Sight Song, Abrams’ 1977 duo recit- call unnecessary attention to himself. He plays
last 8, straight to bass solo. Bass solo, top of al with Malachi Favors, and from Greg Osby’s with a large kit, an array of cymbals and var-
form in normal time. Two choruses. Truncate Zero, which, he says, “blew my mind” as an ious sticks, mallets and hybrid brushes that
last bar of last 8. Piano solo, first chorus, play in undergraduate at William Paterson College. he switches in the middle of songs to get dif-
A major except modulate to D-flat major.” “I’d been playing in school ensembles and jam ferent colors. It’s a wash of sound, as though
“I came up with this arrangement instanta- sessions that didn’t push the envelope, and the he’s playing timpani, glockenspiel, marimba,
neously, inspired by Matt’s and Aaron’s play- harmonic sophistication and ensemble inter- vibraphone, the whole percussion ensemble of
ing through the song,” Sorey explained. “I’ve play made this exactly the music I was hear- an orchestra in one kit, giving you this wealth
listened to Bill Evans’ timeless, classic inter- ing in my head,” Sorey said. “I’d wanted to play of possibility. He might do a whole song play-
pretation countless times since high school. with Greg ever since.” ing with his hands. He’s spontaneous in the
I approached ‘Autumn Leaves’ the same way, Fortuitously, Osby invited Sorey’s trio to moment, propulsive, without stepping on the

precise, kaleidoscopic 25-minute journeys, one
of them recorded on video chat.
“For George Lewis” is one of several “tone
parallels” (Duke Ellington’s term) by Sorey
that embody the essences of personal heroes.
In a four-minute YouTube clip of For Roscoe
Mitchell, cellist Seth Parker Woods method-
ically cycles a rubato phrase as the Seattle
Symphony Orchestra plays in the lower register
of their instruments.
“I’m dealing with my compositional aes-
thetics: breathing, letting sound be itself, a
strict harmonic approach,” Sorey said. “But
I’m also recalling my performance experienc-
es with Roscoe’s interest in extremes, like cir-
cular-breathing for five minutes on soprani-
no saxophone. The piece begins with Seth very
high on the fingerboard. He has to repeat one
single note with a good sound for a long time.
The physicality of doing that on the cello, with-
“He was largely responsible for my growth,” Sorey said of pianist Harold Mabern, an
out exhaustion, interested me.”
elder statesman who mentored the young drummer-composer-producer. Extreme imperatives also animate Adagio
(For Wadada Leo Smith), an alto saxophone con-
soloist’s feet. He’s a thinking, very studied musi- with him to Manhattan, and he’d talk about certo performed in March by Tim McAllister
cian. His perspective aligns with experimenta- players who inspired him and different peo- with the Atlanta Symphony. “The piece is full of
tion, working things out, trimming the fat and ple I should be listening to — and also a lot of long alto saxophone lines where the saxophon-
accentuating things that often are diminished. I tunes! In 2015, he came to the Village Vanguard ist doesn’t breathe for as much as 30 seconds. It’s
consider him a composer first.” to hear my trio with Corey Smythe and Chris more about preparing for how much breath to
The quartet reconvened at the Jazz Gallery Tordini play music from Alloys and part of take in before you play than the actual breathing.
in March 2022, relying on their collective Verisimilitude. I thought he’d hate it because That comes from high school, when I played long
knowledge to flow seamlessly from one song to it’s so far from the music he was into. But to my tones on trombone, working on getting a big
another, as Osby had done on the 1998 Sweet surprise, he was super-encouraging. It made sound, no matter what dynamic level. I wanted
Basil gig captured on Banned In New York, me emotional. He said: ‘I’m so proud of you, to to get an orchestra gig and play classical music.”
another Sorey lodestar. “I wanted to play things see how far you’ve come in this music, and your “For George Lewis” signifies on Lewis’ “The
we could internalize and get to the core of with- knowledge of so-called traditional things. Keep Will To Adornment,” which Sorey witnessed at
out a lot of reading,” Osby said. “I told them, ‘If doing what you’re doing.’” its 2011 premiere. “George and Butch Morris
I use some of these songs as an interlude and On Continuing, the trio honors Mabern’s are two of the most important people in my
launch pad to go into something, listen to me exhortation. On extended treatments of life,” Sorey said, noting that when Lewis first
— don’t get into your own thing.’ I wanted to Ahmad Jamal’s “Seleritis,” which transpires to heard him in Italy in 2003 with Morris’ con-
sound very free and compositional, as if we a hallucinatory slow-drag “Poinciana” groove, duction ensemble, he immediately dubbed him
were writing these songs on the fly.” and the noir ballad “Angel Eyes,” addressed “a future co-conspirator.”
“I’ve had my years of producing long CDs molasses-slow, the players develop the narra- “That piece brought me closest to what I
and long works and long processes,” Sorey said tive arc with extreme patience and deliberation was looking for in my own compositional prac-
after the Roulette concert, from his home near that evokes the stillness and incrementalism tice. Each player has to be aware of their rela-
Philadelphia. “Mesmerism let me get away from of Feldman’s sound world. Each holds up their tionship to the others, or they’ll be complete-
that. Nobody has time to listen to so much.” end with independent yet synchronous ideas, ly lost in the chaotic sound world that George
The four tracks on Continuing, recorded last eschewing call-and-response, in line with the established. Much of it deals with non-tradi-
December, are much longer, culled from Sorey’s aesthetics of mentors like Roscoe Mitchell and tional ways to play an instrument — violin
original 10-tune song list. “I thought we’d Butch Morris. glissandos, growls on the trombone and brass,
record all the tunes and still have a short CD,” Does Sorey’s roadmapping on the trio multiphonics on the woodwinds, double-stops
Sorey said. “But when we finished ‘Angel Eyes,’ albums mirror the extended improvisation on the strings.
I said, ‘Let’s go home.’ We’d played so much system (he calls it Autoschediasms, after the “Near the end, a jazz-like melodic sound-
music, we didn’t need to do more.” ancient Greek word for “to extemporize”), scape emerges from this soundscape. The har-
As signified by a photo in the CD package, inspired by Morris’ conduction process and monies slowly shift back and forth and the
Sorey conceived Continuing as a tribute to the Anthony Braxton’s Language Musics, that he meters are changing, which destabilizes the
late pianist Harold Mabern, a crucial mentor at deployed on the Roulette concert? ensemble so you won’t notice a particular pulse.
William Paterson. The session ends with a spare “Yes, in the context of working with notated The music evokes a joyful, busy energy. I want-
yet relentlessly funky rendering of Mabern’s “In musical materials,” Sorey responded. A more ed to explore those ideas, express that joy, but
What Direction Are You Headed?” from Lee elaborate Autoschediasm experience occupies with my own aesthetic, in a meditative space,
Morgan’s final studio album. the second disk of the 2021 release For George also reflecting trauma and grief.”
“He was largely responsible for my growth, Lewis/Autoschediasms (Cantaloupe), on which A hands-on mentor to Sorey as he pursued
not only as a musician but as a person,” Sorey Sorey guides Alarm Will Sound, the esteemed his degree at Columbia, Lewis described the
said. “Sometimes after school I’d ride the bus 20-member chamber orchestra, through two dropped-jaw quality he can elicit among even

his most accomplished peers. “I remember Reinforcing the maestro’s point was a one- is in there. He doesn’t waste notes or concepts.
performing with Tyshawn and John Zorn at off gig in June at Manhattan’s NuBlue with Everything is done with a purpose. He’s one of
the old Stone, and thinking that what he was under-30 rising stars James Francies and the greatest living composers and he’s in my top
doing — coming up with very meaningful tiny Immanuel Wilkins, whom Sorey first encoun- five drummers of all time.”
sounds that he knew just where to place — was tered as teenagers. “I’ve always been known as a physical play-
amazing,” Lewis said. “I was trying to write a “Tyshawn is a genius,” Francies said. “This er, and it was a physical gig,” Sorey said. “I hav-
lot of percussion music, and realized he knew a music has a lot of different time signatures and en’t done music like that, with intricate forms
lot about it. I thought about how I could learn to mixed meters. I sent it to him a few days before and synthesizers, for a long time. It was refresh-
do some of the ideas he was doing. He was very the gig. We didn’t rehearse, but he memorized ing to be in a situation where I give a million
generous with his time and attention.” and internalized everything, as if he’d come up percent of myself — which I always do — to
Lewis’ own tone parallel to Sorey is with it. It felt like we’d been on tour. Immanuel playing music I haven’t encountered before, and
“Calder” (2015), “a mobile piece” for trom- and I were laughing at how amazing he is, not to be able to really hang with them. You’re up
bones, piano and percussion, which “Tyshawn only playing the drums, but how much music there, saying, ‘Yeah, I can still do this.’” DB
plays equally well.” The musicians, guided by
cards containing different instructions, move
from place to place on a large stage covered
with percussion instruments where they play
their impression of the card.
“Tyshawn knows a lot of different traditions
of music-making,” Lewis said, before recall-
ing a Vijay Iyer Trio concert with Sorey and
Linda May Han Oh in February. “At a cer-
tain point they played something that sound-
ed like Roscoe Mitchell’s ‘Nonaah.’ The concept
sounded like it sprang forth from Vijay’s head,
like Athena springing forth from the head of
Zeus — and Tyshawn was right there. Their
encore was ‘Night And Day’ in 7/4 with a bridge
that sounded like ‘Giant Steps.’
“Tyshawn does these things easily or effort-
lessly. When I say ‘effortlessly,’ I don’t mean
without thinking. You hear an incisive intel-
ligence in whatever he’s doing, a logic built up
over time that you follow. It always surpris-
es you. It’s like listening to a Beethoven piano
sonata. At first, you’re thinking, ‘Why is he
doing that?’ But after a while, it becomes clear
why he’s doing it and what it really means, and
then you wonder what other layers are hidden
that you’ll have to think about long after the
concert is over.”
“Mobility is not adhering to a particular
model that society categorizes,” said Sorey, who
spent May composing three commissioned
works, including Requiem For A Plague Coda,
which will be paired with a movement from
Hans Werner Henze’s Voices at a festival in
Finland, and a piece, dedicated to Peter Sellars,
for piano, string quartet and three percussion-
ists. The Sorey-Diehl-Brewer trio is booked for
several European concerts in November, and
will then record “several albums of material.”
Sorey was gratified to see more University
of Pennsylvania students “wanting to work
with me specifically to investigate the broad
field of composition from an Afrocentric lens
as well as Eurocentrically,” he said. “More peo-
ple are interested in post-genre music. After
seeing people like me perform, they don’t see
themselves as classical composers, or even
electronic composers, but are interested in all
areas of music, with no fixed idea of what com-
position is.”

ALYSSE GAFKJEN
ALYSSE GAFKJEN
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes sings “Catfish Blues.” Glenn Schwartz, Auerbach’s blues mentor in Akron, Ohio.
Chicagoan Gabe Carter was discovered through Meanwhile, Leo Bud Welch warns against “Dancing With The Devil.”
JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS
a video of him playing on the streets.”
ALYSSE GAFKJEN
BY DAN OUELLETTE
The viable flow of the blues continues to cultivate. Elemental and rooted, it has per-
colated through the American popular music basics, from bebop to hip-hop. It’s the
godsend of melody and rhythm expressed in a range of emotions, from misery and
oppression to humor and raunch. Its architects like to party hard, entice audienc-
es to abandon niceties and pack the dance floor, tell stories with a swell of wisdom.
R.L. Boyce delivers a
JIM HERRINGTON
hypnotic dance party tune.
JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS

Korean American bluesman Nat Myers.
LARRY NIEHUES
The terrific new blues compilation was produced
by Dan Auerbach, guitarist for The Black Keys.
Auerbach and The Keys both add a tune to the mix.
JIM HERRINGTON

Robert Finley serves as the cover icon for Tell Everybody!
LARRY NIEHUES
EVAN CLOSE
Black Keys Drummer Patrick Carney joins the mix. Detroit duo Moonrisers bring a whole new flavor.
T
he stylistic fluidity inherent in the blues spice of the ear-opening Korean-American Nat “He has so much energy and the audience feeds
informs the heart, the soul. In today’s Myers singing about using the water diviner to off that. When we played Ryman Auditorium in
music world dominated by artifice dig a well for his woman on “Willow Witch.” Nashville, he got three standing ovations.”
and predictability, the new generation of alt- “Dan found out about me by viewing my Auerbach recently recorded the 70-year-old
boogie blues artistry powers on. videos on Instagram during the pandemic when Louisiana native’s new offering, Black Bayou, a
The history of the music, from the fertile I couldn’t do any busking,” the Kentucky-based visceral, vibrant album set to be released Oct. 27.
Mississippi Delta to the survival diaspora in Myers explains. “It was a crisis time, and I’m not “This captures Robert’s joy and personality,” he
northern cities, has been documented in field interested in having the camera turn to myself. says. “The whole record was free style, with him
recordings (Alan Lomax, Arhoolie Records’ But it ended up being a blessing that I was able telling jokes and making up songs as he went.
Chris Strachwitz) and pioneering record labels to meet Dan and begin working with him and We were just along for the ride — heavyweight
like Fat Possum. The latest champion of the blues talking with him about our shared interests like players in the band serving Robert.”
tradition, Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint the rootsy soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art That’s how the robust guitarist and singer
Blues), arrives with the impressive compilation Thou? He was interested in me creating new delivered his searing electric fire power on the
of relatively unknown elders and upstart new-to- songs in the blues tradition.” title track. He’s having fun getting his audience
the-attention bluesters. Recorded just before the Stop Asian Hate aroused for partying and dancing by belting out:
The album is produced by Dan Auerbach, protest movement, Myers wrote new mate- “If you wanna have a good time
the co-pilot of the dynamic blues-rock cookers rial with Auerbach and his team at Easy Eye Come on out to the shack
The Black Keys and owner of his Nashville-based Sound for his debut album Yellow Peril. “Nat Cause you gonna have the time of your life
Easy Eye Sound studio. came to me out of the blue with his Instagram And you might not never go back”
“Tell Everybody! is not the same-old-blues posts,” Auerbach says. “Instantly I heard Big Bill
compilation,” says Auerbach via a WhatsApp Broonzy and Sam Chatmon and Furry Lewis Auerbach says that he and his crew launched
conversation in Portugal during the final stretch with that Delta slide that I love so much. I wasn’t into Tell Everybody! to honor the Mississippi hill
of the blockbuster The Black Keys dates in hearing music like that anymore.” country blues tradition embodied in guitarists
Europe — its first tour there in nearly 10 years In lieu of setting up in his studio, Auerbach R.L. Burnside and especially Junior Kimbrough
that was populated by, to his surprise, crowd decided to take the sessions to his 100-year-old who founded the famous Sunday night juke joint
surfing for every show. house in the countryside outside of Nashville. jam on Highway 4 between Senatobia and Holly
“The album is a mixed bag, the ways blues “I wanted that home sound that’s unique,” he Springs. In 1992 Kimbrough recorded All Night
always has been,” he says. “It’s not pop, it’s not says. “And you could resonate with it and hear Long, and in 1994 Burnside recorded Too Bad
polished. It’s very raw, gutsy and strange at Nat tapping his foot on the wood floor. This was Jim. “When I first heard their early Fat Possum
times. There’s magic there. That’s why people where a blues party should be.” records, they hit me and made the light bulbs go
love it so much. It’s not supposed to be at the Myers says that he’s constantly re-educating off in my brain,” Auerbach says.
top of the charts. It’s supposed to be in the juke himself with the music. “I’m outspoken, swing- His initial entrée into the blues was through
joints because that’s what keeps the music alive. ing my own way,” he says. “I’m hoping the blues his father’s complete Chess Records catalog on
It is so potent.” keeps moving forward. There’s a lot to be said in vinyl. “I was new to that world,” he says. “Those
The 12-track collection ranks as the most acoustic country music. It continues to speak to records sounded so fresh, so different. I loved
valuable album of recent times that documents a lot of people. It’s been awesome to be a part of blues music. I listened to video series on Lomax
the evolutionary lifespan of the new blues. It the cross section of the blues on Tell Everybody!” tapes on VHS and read his book The Land Where
includes veterans and such newcomers as the While Myers is a relative newcomer, Auerbach The Blues Began. And then Arhoolie Records.
Detroit-based drum-dobro duo Moonrisers who gives top-billing to the blues guitar megastar Chris was the king!”
chug through their easy-flowing instrumental Robert Finley, who has opened for numerous Auerbach, a native of Akron, Ohio, fully
“Tall Shadow.” Then there’s the acoustic dobro Black Keys shows. “Robert slays people,” he says. plunged into blues guitar when he heard Hound

Dog Taylor and Lightnin’ Hopkins. He head- Mississippi that included a visit to Junior’s More compilation highlights include blues
ed to the library, started taking out more VHS Place. The elder blues statesman had recently elder Jimmy “Duck” Holmes delivering a per-
tapes to seek out the players he liked including passed away, but the rawness of the Delta sound cussive version of the favorite “Catfish Blues”
Hopkins, Fred McDowell, Bukka White. “It was was still strong. Not knowing that the shows most noted by the Muddy Waters rendition, and
all about play, pause, rewind,” he says. “That was were after-dark Sunday affairs, they appeared at Leo “Bud” Welch, who passed in 2017, putting
my training method. I took a guitar lesson once the empty parking lot during the day. They were the gospel blues sting into “Don’t Let the Devil
or twice. I brought a Junior Kimbrough CD to approached by Junior’s son Kinny Kimbrough, Rule.” Both are mono versions from their previ-
one of my teachers, and this guy had no clue. His drummer of the joint. He needed help. “Kinny ously released Easy Eye Sound albums.
Chicago-based guitarist Gabe Carter, dis-
covered by a video of him playing on a street,
‘I THINK OF THIS AS leads two compelling tunes, the down ‘n’ dirty
“Anything You Need” and the twangy, gritty
story of two gray wolves on “Buffalo Road.”
“I’ve always loved compilations,” says
A RECORD YOU’D WANT

Auerbach. “They’ve always been influential to
me. When done right, they can be a great mix-
tape. I think of this as a record you’d want to put
on at a party.”
Two bonuses on Tell Everybody! come from
TO PUT ON AT A PARTY.’ The Black Keys and a solo shot by Auerbach. The
lovelorn blues rocker “No Lovin’,” composed by
Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney and
recorded by the duo, was released earlier this
—DAN AUERBACH year as a singles teaser to announce the upcom-
ing compilation. The catchy party rocker, “Every
only response was that Junior’s guitar was way came up to us, first wondering why we were Chance I Get (I Want You In The Flesh),” drives
out of tune.” there in the afternoon, then asking if we could with three electric guitars and a hip synthesized
Auerbach stretched out to find blues pur- help with the bail to get his brother David out drone. It’s an older song in Auerbach’s song cat-
veyors nearby. When he was 16, he discovered of jail on drug charges for the show that night,” alog that was co-written by his New York col-
Glenn Schwartz playing his weekly Thursday- Auerbach says. “We gave him some cash, and laborator, L. Russell Brown (most famous for
night bar show at the working-class Cleveland David was freed.” writing the 1973 pop hit, “Tie A Yellow Ribbon
club Hoopples. “Glenn was a huge influence on That evening the pair went into the juke joint Round The Ole Oak Tree,” put on the charts by
The Black Keys,” he says. “He had a homemade — a shack patched together by walls of weathered Tony Orlando and Dawn). “He’s old school,” says
guitar with four additional strings because he plywood and rusted sheets of corrugated metal. Auerbach. “I love how this song feels, so it seems
read in the Bible that music for the Lord must Hand-written signs at the door prohibited drugs like a good fit to be on the album. The drone is
be played on a 10-string instrument. He had and photos. Inside was a standard bar with two- from an Indian sound box machine that I picked
giant amps that made the whole bar shake. It buck beers, a pool table, a couple of old couch- up years ago. We call on its powers every once
was like seeing Cream in a small room. His gui- es, original folk artwork on the walls (including a in a while.”
tar always sounded so good, and he’d stop in portrait of Oprah) and murals (ocean waves and As for why he and The Black Keys slide into
the middle of songs and tell everyone they were white pointed-peak mountains against a deep the rustic blues mix, Auerbach grins. “It helps to
sinners who were going to hell for drinking and blue background). The walls were painted blue- move units,” he says. “It’s an easy way to get this
fornicating, then continued the song. It was green and red and sparkled with tiny silver glit- music to more people, Being in The Black Keys
bizarre and exciting. On a couple of occasions ters. The dance floor was packed with grinding, is a blessing. It helps in every way to make peo-
I recorded him with a hand-held stereo mic. I hooting and sweating locals in transcendence. ple aware. On the road we have opening acts like
saw some mythical sets.” A hero at the club and a terrific guitarist, Robert Finley that wake people up.”
Schwartz, who died in 2018, served as one of David Jr. 3rd arrived to take the stage with Kinny As a producer, Auerbach has been produc-
the original guitarists for Cleveland-based and R.L. Burnside’s son Gary on bass. They all ing several albums for his Easy Eye Sound
rock band James Gang before Joe Walsh came played Junior’s songs for the set. ”It was amaz- label including Finley, Meyers, Holmes and
on board. Down the road, Auerbach recording,” Auerbach says. “David was so talented, and the Oakland-based alt-rock band Shannon
ed Schwartz proper in the Easy Eye Sound stu- yet so troubled.” As for his young experience and The Clams that was on the road with The
dio for two tunes that appear on Tell Everybody! there, he says, “Go to a juke joint the first time, Black Keys recently.
With Walsh along for the ride as a guest, the hec- and it will really change you.” “My studio is my happy place,” says
tic, chaotic Schwartz delivers the gospel blues On Tell Everybody! the leadoff track comes Auerbach who has had East Eye Sound head-
“Daughter of Zion.” The final track of the album directly from the roots of the Mississippi hills quartered in Nashville for the last 13 years, “It’s
is Schwartz delving into sober deep blues on country region with Grammy-nominated sing- been a constant part of my adult life. I can’t do
acoustic guitar. He sings the chilling story song er-electric-guitarist R.L. Boyce mesmerizing anything else. I’m geared to supporting musi-
“Collinwood Fire” that tells the “hard times” with a hypnotic dance-party rendering of “Coal cians and songwriters. And the blues? There’s no
tragic tale of 172 elementary school children Black Mattie,” written by Ranie Burnett. It was way to stop it.” DB
POSTSCRIPT: There was a blessing on those who
dying in a catastrophic fire at Lake View School a songbook favorite of Burnside and Junior experienced Junior Kimbrough’s juke joint. He
in suburban Cleveland in 1908. Kimbrough, and The Black Keys dug deep into passed away in January 1998. In April 2000, the
it on its 2021 Delta Kream album. The big draw building burned down, never to be rebuilt. David
W
Jr. 3rd passed away, age 54, in 2019. Sibling Kinny
hen Auerbach turned 18, he and his here is that Boyce is heralded in his home and still drums today, including on Robert Finley’s
father made a blues pilgrimage to reigns as the King of Hill Country Boogie. ”Tell Everybody” title track.

BY PETER MARGASAK
PHOTO BY LARS OPSTAD/KLADD.NO
On the evening of
Saturday, March 25,
Norwegian drummer Paal
Nilssen-Love was seated
on the stage of the respect-
ed Oslo club Victoria —
Nasjonal Jazzscene.
H
e was being interviewed by Lasse
Marhaug, a veteran sound art-
ist and graphic designer, who’s
worked with the drummer for decades. In
the midst of the conversation, Sebastian
Uul, performing as Mr. Orkester — an
unhinged one-man band — burst in from
the rear of the club, turning the pro-
ceedings delightfully upside-down. The
gathering was the third and final night
marking the 10th anniversary of Nilssen-
Paul’s raucous big band Large Unit, and
the drummer was determined to make
the occasion both outsized and full of
surprises.
groupings drawn from the Large Unit ranks,
LASSE MARHAUG
past and present, to say nothing of nightly DJ

sets and short sets from deadpan magician Jon
Øystein Flink.
Nilssen-Love formed the band in 2013,
and the ensemble has persevered through line-
up changes, economic difficulties and a pan-
demic. Obviously, the pandemic put a major
damper on that practice and, during the early
lockdowns, it took the wind out of his creative
sails. “I lost all motivation for playing music,”
he says. “There was no joy in practicing or
playing because it was all so bloody abstract.”
Still, Large Ensemble has emerged — argu-
ably stronger, more unified and more creative-
ly vital than ever.
The group performed wildly different sets
each night, with the stellar assortment of
guests, whether it was the Dutch guitarists
bookending the stage with their typical manic
energy and gestural noise on a new piece one
night, or the raft of Ethiopian musicians and
Large Unit celebrating its 10th anniversary in style. dancers turning the occasion into an all-out
party as they reprised pieces from the col-
Between March 23 and 25, he brought musicians and dancers connected to the laborative album Ethiobraz, released in 2019.
together some 40 participants, an interna- Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa. But The venue was festooned with traditional
tional cast of past collaborators, including the central figures of the nightly program were Ethiopian scarves and strings of colored lights,
Japanese reedist Akira Sakata, Amsterdam- the sprawling crew of Scandinavian musi- in an attempt to recreate the vibe of Fendika.
based guitarists Terrie Hessels and Andy cians that constitute Large Unit. Nilssen-Love Speaking to Nilssen-Love a few weeks after
Moor, and a large contingent of Ethiopian also presented a variety of soloists and smaller the shows in Oslo and around Norway, he’s in

the midst of filling out paperwork required to But Nilssen-Love wanted more. He wanted ship requires a certain devotion, as the materi-
secure the funding that made the whole crazy the band to be on edge, ready for the unex- al he’s been writing for the group requires seri-
endeavor possible. pected, so he began changing the set list and ous focus.
Few figures in improvised music are as how the band traverses the compositions. At the tail end of 2022 the band released
hard-working, relentless and social as Nilssen- “On the first U.S. tour [in 2015], I started two new albums recorded in September of
Love, who has routinely spent more than 200 cutting pieces into two or three. We would 2021. It was the first time the musicians had
nights of each year on the road, going back start, let’s say, on the third part of one song, go convened in nearly two years. The music on
decades. After spending years as the drummer back to the first part of another one and back Clusterfuck and New Map, both released on
in Atomic, an excellent Scandinavian post- to the second of the initial song. That refreshed the drummer’s PNL imprint, reveal distinct-
bop quintet, working in the gritty power trio the music and it also kept people extremely ly new directions for a 15-member iteration
the Thing, helping power the Peter Brötzmann focused.” of the band, with material Nilssen-Love con-
Chicago Tentet and playing in countless He also learned how difficult it was to ceived of during the pandemic. The core of
other bands — both fully improvised and maintain an ensemble with a dozen members the first album is built around a graphic score,
tune-driven — he decided to finally launch his over the long haul. Lives change — musicians while the second utilizes map-like notation
own band with Large Unit, initially design- get married, have children, get busy — so the to organize a dozen discrete composition-
ing a series of loose compositions designed lineup changes occasionally. The drummer al cells. “It’s bloody difficult to make it work,”
to inspire exciting improvisation from a stel- found that he enjoyed the new energy — and he says of “New Map.” “It demands that peo-
lar group of musicians. Despite years of expe- at one point considered dismissing unavail- ple pay attention, take space, give space, move
rience, the drummer was learning how to run able musicians — but he also recognized the the music. There’s a few rules, like one of the
a band on the fly when they began touring in commitment of the musicians who have stuck cells I just want to be played for 10 bars or
Norway in 2014. with him for years, if not the entire decade. whatever. When it works, it’s absolutely fan-
“That was the first time taking my band or In fact, several former Large Unit members, tastic,” an assessment proven by the recorded
a band that I was leading on the road, creat- including trumpeter Thomas Johansson and version, which is as uncharacteristically ten-
ing a setlist and to figure who’s taking a solo tuba player Børre Mølstad, turned up for the der and lyric — with gentle harp and accordi-
on such and such,” he says. “On the first gig, it Oslo celebration to perform as alumni of the on pierced by skronky guitar during one pas-
was perfect. This works fine. So we did it the band. Nilssen-Love now keeps a steady sta- sage — as it is abstract and jagged. It’s ideal
second night, and I think we did it the third ble of around 18 musicians in the fold, so execution relies on all of the musicians tak-
night. And then you could sense that people there’s always knowledgeable backups ready ing initiative, which has happened slowly, but
knew what was going to come. They were all to go, with new faces like the versatile reedist Nilsson-Love said he’s thrilled that tuba play-
so relaxed, so well rested.” Marthe Lea adding fresh ideas. Still, member- er Per-Åke Holmlander, an original member

LASSE MARHAUG
LASSE MARHAUG
It was an international affair, including saxophonist Akira Sakata and an Ethiopian
contingent of performers including vocalist Selamnesh Zéméné and dancers
Melaku Belay and Zenash Tsegaye.
of the band with loads of experience navigating the procedures of mul-

tiple large improvising ensembles — including the Brötzmann Tentet
and Ken Vandermark’s Territory Band — has proven especially invest-
ed. “He’s just on fire, let’s do more, let’s do more, right more, which is
very encouraging for me.”
While Nilssen-Love expresses excitement for new possibilities for the
core line-up of Large Unit, he also can’t stop connecting the group with
other musicians from around the globe. His deep interest in global music
and international collaborators stretches back to the late 1990s, when he
and bassist Ingebrit Håker Flaten, a bandmate in multiple combos over
the years, worked with the South African saxophonist Zim Ngqawana, a
connection made through the Norwegian reedist Bjørn Ole Solberg. That
experience, which included making several albums and internation-
al tours, helped the drummer use improvisation to connect with musi-
cians from far-flung locales. Back then, the drummer played Ngqawana’s
pianist, Andile Yenana, a recording he’d made with the Sten Sandell
Trio, and after learning that the entire performance was improvised he
expressed shock. It was a reaction he encountered again years later with
the Ethiopian percussionist Mesay Abebaye.
“He asked me, ‘Hey, Paal, what do you call this?’ I said, ‘What do you
mean?’ He replied, ‘What’s the style we just played? Is it swing? Is it
bossa?’ I said, ‘No, it’s just improvised music.’ Maybe it’s wrong of me
saying so, but unfortunately, he had to put it in a box so he can under-
stand what it was. Because his idea of just walking on stage and improvis-
ing — he would do it, but always tagging it onto a rhythm.”
During a workshop in Brazil he first met Paulino Bicolor, a master of
the indigenous percussion instrument called the cuica. “We were sitting
down doing these different exercises — just making sounds and scrib-
bles, and shadowing each other — and there was nothing related to
Brazilian [music] about what we were doing,” he explains. “That made
him curious to jump over to the other side. I find it interesting that in
the end, you’re free in all of the styles in all of what you know, through
experience.”
Before long, Bicolor had become a member of a new Nilssen-Love
ensemble called New Brazilian Funk.
These global connections inspire the drummer. “Let’s say I go to a
country, and I really love what’s going on there in terms of culture, music,
food, dance,” he says. “I would like more people to experience it because
I’ve been there, and I’ve felt the strength of it, and I want to share that.”

LASSE MARHAUG
LASSE MARHAUG
He’s well aware of the inequalities that exist between his privileged posi-
tion as a citizen of a wealthy European nation and many of the places
he’s visited, and for most of his trips to Ethiopia he’s worked hard to leave
something in return. On his first trip to Addis Ababa he brought a bun-
dle of old drumsticks and local musicians pounced on them. He noticed
one kid practicing with the same sort of sticks he uses. “But his was four
centimeters shorter. That’s the drumsticks he’s had for I don’t know how
many years? There was not much left.”
A few months before the Oslo celebration the Large Unit traveled to
Ethiopia to perform and lead workshops at the Yared Music School.
Before leaving Nilssen-Love put out a call for musicians to donate equip-
ment and instruments to take along with them.
“We brought tons of instruments with us,” he says. “If you’re gonna go
there, and you’ve got so many resources, then bring as much as you can.
You’ll be invited to somebody’s home — which is very, very small, proba-
bly a fourth of your living room — you are given so much, offered so much
food, so much drink, the hospitality and generosity is beyond, and I think
most the guys in the band were in shock. It just shows that despite the lit-
tle they have, they’ll always share. Then you go back home and you see the
wealth, which becomes quite disgusting when people do not share at all.”
When the musicians returned from Ethiopia after the tour they filled
the suitcases that had been crammed with musicial gear with tradition-
al scarves, which were sold at the festival in Oslo, with all of the proceeds
going back to a school for the blind in Addis.
Nilssen-Love remains involved with many other projects, including
Circus — a septet that dials back some of the aggression and introduces
a dramatic element through singer Juliana Venter, an acclaimed actress
with a magnetic stage presence — Arashi, his trio with Sakata and bassist
Johan Berthling, and a new improvising quartet called Sun & Steel with
younger figures on the Norwegian scene, including saxophonist Lea, a
relative newcomer to Large Unit. But he plans to keep Large Unit active.
A new recording by Extra Large Unit — with a line-up that practical-
ly doubles the usual number of musicians — recorded last year at the
Oslo Jazz Festival is due out soon, and the drummer hopes to perform
the recent material at a series of European shows in the fall. “I’m still also
pushing myself to write music and to try write different things, which I
haven’t heard before, or I haven’t heard the guys in the bands play before,
or I haven’t experienced before,” he says. “I’m not going to reinvent the
wheel, but maybe I can reinvent things for myself.” DB

Masterpiece ★★★★★ Excellent ★★★★ Good ★★★ Fair ★★ Poor ★
JANETTE BECKMAN
On their second album cut at the Village Vanguard, bassist Eric Revis, drummer Greg Hutchinson and
pianist Aaron Parks feed Rosenwinkel all he needs to render a parade of inspired rambles.
Kurt Rosenwinkel and waxed sublime on a baritone guitar recital. they born of ballad or burner.
Undercover–Live At The Couldn’t his key descriptor be “explorer”?
Turns out these disparate pursuits nour-
From Parks peppering the action on “Our
Secret World” to the entire band’s jitter-swing
Village Vanguard ished the bandleader’s muse for this return to on “The Past Intact,” the accord arrives with
HEARTCORE
the bedrock context of jazz quartet. What some plenty of tenacity — this stuff crackles. And
HHH might call Rosenwinkel Classic, Undercover though I’m not the biggest fan of the pedal-en-
Kurt Rosenwinkel is hailed for his athletic tech- has enough fizz and flava to tickle veteran fans hanced guitar hues Rosenwinkel chooses (ditto
nique and clever design strategies. And there’s while providing newcomers with goosebumps for Parks’ keyboard texture in a couple spots),
no question: A sly fluency has marked the gui- galore. his decision to vary them throughout the date
tarist’s path since his crazed and captivating It’s due to the flare-gun solos with which deepens the program’s expression. Some might
Human Feel work in the early ’90s. the guitarist rouses the audience, but it’s also say it adds to the exploration. —Jim Macnie
But perhaps his most defining artistic trait due to the bonding he and the band enjoy. On
lies elsewhere. Sporting an omni approach the second album he’s cut at the Vanguard, Undercover– Live At The Village Vanguard: Cycle Five;
these last few years, the 52-year-old has begun bassist Eric Revis, drummer Greg Hutchinson Under Contact; Solé; Our Secret World; Music; Undercover. (53:12)
Personnel: Kurt Rosenwinkel, guitar; Eric Revis, bass; Greg
to sing, made a piano album, clocked a free- and pianist Aaron Parks feed their boss all he Hutchinson, drums; Aaron Parks, piano, Fender Rhodes.
prov string’tronics date, interpreted Chopin needs to render a parade of inspired rambles, be Ordering info: shop.heartcore-records.com

batic soprano of yore.
The songs span four decades, but the meat
comes from Mitchell’s 1969–’74 confession-
al heyday, her sound often blended with that of
others but occasionally carrying the lead with
clarity and poise. Carlile dominates an infec-
tious “Carey,” and the vocal duo Lucius helps
Carlile carry a crisp ’n’ crunchy “Big Yellow
Taxi.” But after Carlile launches the darkly erot-
ic “A Case Of You,” Mitchell takes over, articu-
lating the words with mature pathos. Mitchell
also imbues George Gershwin’s “Summertime”
with a poignant, rich vibrato. But the tour de
force is “Both Sides Now,” which the singer
reinvents in a brown-sugar tone with subtle,
wry inflections.
Joni Mitchell Mitchell is featured just once on guitar, on Lowcountry
At Newport “Just Like This Train,” sans lyrics. That track Lowcountry
RHINO and “Help Me,” are two of the disc’s only real ROPEADOPE
HHHH disappointments. —Paul de Barros HHH1/2
After a 2015 brain aneurysm, Joni Mitchell At Newport: Introduction by Brandi Carlile; Big Yellow Taxi;
A Case Of You; Amelia; Both Sides Now; Just Like This Train;
Too often when drawing from folkloric materi-
learned to sing and play again, hosting all-star Summertime; Carey; Help Me; Come In From The Cold; Shine; The al, the temptation is to emphasize the primitiv-
Circle Game. (61:27)
“Joni Jam” sessions at her house. This live album Personnel: Joni Mitchell, vocals, guitar (6); Brandi Carlile, vocals; ism of the source material. Fortunately, trum-
documents a Joni Jam produced and presented Phil Hanseroth, bass, backing vocals; Tim Hanseroth, guitar, dulci-
mer, backing vocals; Lucius (Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig), vocals
peter Matt White, the arranger and composer
at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival by Mitchell (2), backing vocals; Taylor Goldsmith, guitar, vocals (4, 10), backing behind this tribute to South Carolina’s Gullah
vocals; Celisse, guitar, vocals (9), backing vocals; Blake Mills, Rick
überfan Brandi Carlile. For the concert, Carlile Whitfield, guitar, backing vocals; Ben Lusher, piano; Marcus culture, is more interested in maintaining con-
embraced Mitchell in a brilliantly forgiving Mumford, percussion, vocals (3), backing vocals; Josh Neumann,
cello; Allison Russell, clarinet, backing vocals; Matt Chamberlain,
nections than in embalming the past, and as
ensemble that celebrates her genius while rein- percussion; Wynonna Judd, Shooter Jennings, Kyleen King, such uses his source material — age-old hymns
SistaStrings (Monique Ross and Chauntee Ross), Jay Carlile, Marcy
forcing her relocated voice, which sounds more Gensic, Sauchuen Yu, group vocals. and blues — not as bricks to build a mortuary,
like a slightly grainy tenor than the clear, acro- Ordering info: store.rhino.com but as the basis for an entirely new structure.
White has already done his share of docu-
mentation, capturing the traditional sound
of St. Helena Island on 2014’s Gullah: Voice
jaimie branch Of An Island. Lowcountry takes that music a
Fly Or Die Fly Or Die Fly Or step or two further, weaving its melodies and
Die ((World War)) rhythms into a larger compositional frame-
INTERNATIONAL ANTHEM work. White , for example, loops a phrase from
HHH1/2 the hymn “Day Come Clean” into an ostinato
that becomes the rhythmic basis for a chamber
During jaimie branch’s too-short life (she died jazz chart flavored with strings and clarinets
in August 2022 at age 39), the forward-leaning and topped by a Chris Potter tenor solo.
trumpeter challenged many a status quo. You It isn’t all church music. “Cheraw,” named
can hear her tearing down walls on Fly Or Die for Dizzy Gillespie’s hometown, is a charming
Fly Or Die Fly Or Die ((World War)), her post- pastiche of Gillespie motifs featuring trumpeter
humous release for Chicago’s International Charlton Singleton from the Gullah roots band
Anthem label. There’s the way she applies the Ranky Tanky, and the album opens with a poem
pedal, lulling the ear into a sense of safety, by Ron Daise of the TV series Gullah Gullah
before she interjects animalistic screeches and Island. But the strongest moments draw upon
roiling chords (“aurora rising”). Or her use of sacred themes, from the panoramic treatment
world” — this time with a declarative finale.
repetition in the keyboard, like a soon-famil- of “Where You There” to the lyric eloquence of
On the last track, “world war (reprise),” branch
iar drone, even as the trumpet and cello agitate “Come By Here” — a Gullah classic more com-
broadcasts the album’s message outright:
above (“borealis dancing”). monly known as “Kumbaya.” —J.D. Considine
“What the world could be, if only you could
These are the record’s first two tracks, and
see,” she sings. In response, some wind chimes
it’s best to listen straight through in designated
rustle: a gentle farewell. —Suzanne Lorge Lowcountry: Forgotten Moment; Welcome/Buzzard Lope; Hey
order. Intentional or not, each new tune often Neva; Line The Hymn; Were You There; Watchman; Cheraw; Prayed
Up; Come By Here. (55:40)
seems to begin where the previous left off, giv- Fly Or Die Fly Or Die Fly Or Die ((World War)): aurora rising; Personnel: Matt White, trumpet, flugelhorn, composer, arranger
ing the album a certain continuity of spirit. borealis dancing; burning grey; the mountain; baba louie; bolinko
bass; and kuma walks; take over the world; world war ((reprise)).
(2–9); Charlton Singleton, trumpet (7); Michael Thomas, alto
saxophone (2–8), bass clarinet (3); Chris Potter, tenor saxophone (3,
Curiously, branch demonstrates a prefer- (43:52) 5, 6, 8); Mark Sterbank, tenor saxophone (2–8), clarinet (3); Jerald
Personnel: jaimie branch, trumpet, voice, keyboard, percussion, Shynett, trombone (2–8); Tim Fischer, guitar (2–6, 8–9); Demetrius
ence for abrupt or messy outros, as if a thought happy apple; Lester St. Louis, cello, voice, flute, marimba, keyboard; Doctor, piano (2–9); Rodney Jordan, bass (2–9); Quentin E. Baxter,
drums (2–9); Charleston Symphony String Quartet: Micah Gangw-
— intriguing, complex — just suddenly ended. Jason Ajemian, double bass, electric bass, voice, marimba; Chad
Taylor, drums, mbira, timpani, bells, marimba; Nick Broste, trom- er, violin; Alex Boissonnaul, violin; Jan-Marie Joyce, viola; Norbert
Note how a breathless silence descends after the bone (5, 6); Rob Frye, flute (5); bass clarinet (5–7); Akenya Seymour, Lewandowski, cello (3–7, 9); Ron Daise, narration (1, 2, 6); Gracie
voice (5); Daniel Villarreal, conga, percussion (2, 5, 6, 7); Kuma Dog, Gadsen, vocals (2, 4, 5); Joseph Murray, vocals (2–4); Rosa Murray,
free squawkiness of “and kuma walks,” even as voice (5). vocals (2, 4, 6, 8).
the jumble of noise returns on “take over the Ordering info: intlanthem.com Ordering info: ropeadope.com

The
Critics Jim Macnie Paul de barros Suzanne Lorge J.D. Considene
Kurt Rosenwinkel ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★½ ★★★★½

Undercover
Joni Mitchell ★★½ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★

At Newport
jaimie branch ★★★½ ★★★ ★★★½ ★★★★

Fly Or Die …
Lowcountry ★★★½ ★★★ ★★★½ ★★★½

Lowcountry
Critics’ Comments
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Undercover–Live At The Village Vanguard
Running the gamut from dry, light amplification to Wes-type octaves and speedy, super-legato,
EWI-like runs, guitarist Rosenwinkel and his quartet romp through a warm, happy, celebratory
set, with pianist Aaron Parks in a particularly eruptive mood. —Paul de Barros
While Rosenwinkel’s writing lends itself to inviting ambiance — effervescent chordal progres-
sions, loping movement, noir sophistication — he’s not merely about mood. His sleek, linear
compositions speak to ordered thought and aesthetic intent. —Suzanne Lorge
The guitarist’s mastery is long established. But this band matches him lick-for-lick, idea-for-idea,
and elevates the music to a plane that’s unusual even for Rosenwinkel. —J.D. Considine
Joni Mitchell, At Newport
Thrilling to see our hero bounce back, and the positive vibes of the love squad surrounding her
nourish her attitude. But hosannas aren’t that interesting on their own. The best parts here are
Joni’s age-chafed vocals, not the tribe’s interpretations of her ancient gems. —Jim Macnie
Over the course of a lifetime, the timbre of Mitchell’s voice has moved from the flutey strato-
sphere to the earthy growl. Even though such changes are to be expected in our vocal artists,
we mourn these passages. —Suzanne Lorge
This sloppily adoring tribute teeters between showy all-star jam and celebrity karaoke, a balance
that may sit well with fans of Brandi Carlile and her coterie but seems embarrassingly over-
wrought to those who prefer the understatement of Mitchell’s studio albums. —J.D. Considine
jaimie branch, Fly Or Die Fly Or Die Fly Or Die ((World War))
Strong stuff. Across the board the band’s throttled motion really sweeps you along. The clarion
vibe that was key to her horn sound dominates, even when muted. And, yep, I had to wipe
away a tear during the Meat Puppets nod. —Jim Macnie
The late and lamented trumpeter delivers her last set, a dark, gutsy punk-jazz outing with
neo-primitive drums and (her) urgent vocals. —Paul de Barros
Given the growth, both musically and spiritually, between branch’s second album and this,
it would be natural to feel a sense of loss with this album, were it not that the music is so
groove-centered and joyful you can’t listen without breaking into a smile. —J.D. Considine
Lowcountry, Lowcountry
This mix of speech/song testimony can hit ya hard, and its blend with the band is super effec-
tive. If a blues essence is waning in modern music, this helps assuage the ache of its absence.
—Jim Macnie
This ambitious celebration of South Carolina Gullah history and culture weaves field recordings
into a contemporary jazz suite with strings and chorus that somehow feels slightly academic
and overpolished, especially by contrast to the raw source material. —Paul de Barros
On the surface, the admixtures conjured by Lowcountry — beauty/pain, despair/hope, betrayal/
promise — seem contradictory. In the tension between these seeming opposites, however, lie
the human truths that these musical narratives unveil. —Suzanne Lorge

whom Armstrong had collaborated with pre-
viously in Detroit group Musique Noire, and
bassist Damon Warmack, to form Eunoia
Society in support of Armstrong’s dissertation
research at the University of California-Irvine.
The experimental jazz ensemble, in which
Armstrong plays her signature cajon setup,
devotes itself to pairing processed effects with
unexpected instruments for an original sound.
Coming together in a vortex of emotion
and exploration, Inception, which includes the
fluid stylings of guitarist Sasha Kashperko, is
an otherworldly, introspective and, at times,
trance-like six-song record inspired by the
story of Armstrong’s transition from shel-
tered, religious child to free-thinking adult.
JoVia Armstrong Throughout the adventurous album, tradition- Anthony Hervey
Inception al musical ideas are turned on their heads as the Words From My Horn
BLACK EARTH ensemble plays daringly with effects, including OUTSIDE IN
HHHH drones, reverb, and delays, as well as with forms HHHH1/2
both repetitious and free, to mirror the mood of
JoVia Armstrong lives a life dedicated to what’s Armstrong’s transformation. As a debut effort, Anthony Hervey’s Words
next. And her groove- and effects-forward Meditative and expressive, Inception is a From My Horn is stunning. The trumpeter’s
Inception, the sophomore record of her group thrilling exhibition of Eunoia Society’s mes- first outing features an impressive array of orig-
Eunoia Society, is another adamant expression merizing sympatico and dynamic jazz men- inal compositions showcasing his range and
of her tireless musical innovation. tality. —Alexa Peters interests. Yet, it is his foray into the blues regis-
The Detroit native spent the early part of ter that will make one excited about this arrival.
her career serving as a percussionist, back- Inception: Creation; Embryo; Birth; Babies; Curiosity; Hide, Then
There is a subtle conversation here. The
ground vocalist and tour manager for JC Brooks Seek. (40:15) album begins with a tune, “Crystal Stair,” a title
Personnel: JoVia Armstrong, hybrid cajon kit; Leslie DeShazor,
and the Uptown Sound. In 2019, she came electric violin; Damon Warmack, bass; Sasha Kashperko, guitar. taken from Langston Hughes’ famous poem
together with electric violinist Leslie DeShazor, Ordering info: joviaarmstrong.bandcamp.com “Mother to Son.” The choice to cite Hughes,
a poet who effectively wrote through a prism
inspired by the blues, was more than appropri-
ate. We are then thrust immediately into the
Nicole Zuraitis evocative “The Rust From Yesterday’s Blues.”
How Love Begins There, Hervey takes this theme forward, pro-
OUTSIDE IN gressing through a romp that alto saxophon-
HHHH ist Sarah Hanahan complements. Continuing
the conversation through ragtime is the tune
Zuraitis is a pianist, bandleader, singer/song- “Du Rag,” which nevertheless feels modern.
writer, arranger, composer and vocalist based With the penultimate track, “Dreams From The
in New York. She leads her own quartet and Crossroad,” evoking the Terre Haute native’s
often fronts the Birdland Big Band. For her home, Hervey could also be nodding to blues-
sixth album, she’s written 10 impressive songs man Robert Johnson and the Yoruba deity Esu.
investigating various aspects of relation- Just as in the mythology that defines their sto-
ships, touching on infatuation, self-deception, ries, something happens to us at the crossroads
apprehension and other aspects of relation- of this project.
ships. With the help of co-producer Christian Accompanying Hervey there is a quartet fea-
McBride, she’s fashioned original arrange- turing some of his fellow Juilliard classmates.
ments that bring these feelings to life. nist feels. On the positive side, “Two Fish” fol-
Adding vocals on “Smoky Cloud,” Hervey’s duo
McBride’s lively bass line opens “The Good lows a couple as they take a deep dive into the
performance of “His Eye Is On The Sparrow”
Ways.” Zuraitis adds subtle accents on a Rhodes ocean of love. It’s a wide-open jazzy blues tune,
with pianist Isiah Thompson precedes the uplift-
as she gives us her impressions of a possible with McBride’s bass, Gilad Hekselman’s hushed
ing blues “Better Days.” Along with Thompson
suitor, acknowledging the outrageous risks he guitar tones and Zuraitis’ minimal piano cele-
and Hanahan, a rhythm section featuring
takes, singing, “You’re only crazy in the good brating the joys of affection. Zuraitis sings in a
Miguel Russell on drums and Philip Norris
ways.” Her vocal is nicely balanced between comfortable tone, adding melismatic accents to
shows us that blues can create joy and happiness.
excitement and resignation. deepen the sense of comfort and well-being love
Not an oxymoron, Hervey’s words from his horn
“Like Dew” is a more cynical take on the can bring. —j. poet
take us higher. —Joshua Myers
same subject. Zuraitis plays a sparse intro- How Love Begins: The Good Ways; Travel; Reverie; Let Me Love
You; Burn; Two Fish; Well Planned, Well Played; 20 Seconds; Like Words From My Horn: Crystal Stair; The Rust from Yesterday’s
duction, describing the preparations a woman Dew; The Garden. Blues; Neither Here, Nor There; Afro Power; Du-Rag; The Glider; But
Beautiful; Smoky Cloud; His Eye Is On The Sparrow; Better Days;
makes for a date, only to be left standing alone Personnel: Nicole Zuraitis, vocals, piano, Rhodes, backing vocals;
Christian McBride, bass; Gilad Hekselman, guitar; Maya Kronfeld, Dreams From The Crossroad; Words From My Horn. (64:25)
on the street when the guy fails to show up. Her organ, Wurlitzer, Rhodes; Dan Pugach, drums; David Cook, piano; Personnel: Anthony Hervey, trumpet; Sarah Hanahan, alto sax-
Billy Kilson, drums; Sonica (Thana Alexa, Julia Adamy), backing ophone; Isaiah J. Thompson, piano; Sean Mason, piano (5); Philip
smoky vocals are delivered slower and slow- vocals; Edna St. Vincent Millay, lyrics. Norris, bass; Miguel Russell, drums.
er, mirroring the disappointment her protago- Ordering info: outsideinmusic.com Ordering info: outsideinmusic.com

strings arranged and conducted by Bill Dobbins
is “Blues For Diane,” and it lends straightahead
bop licks to the quartet’s artful tincturing of
such beautiful tunes as “Maybe September”
and “To Love And Be Loved.” On these occa-
sions, Alexander and pianist David Hazeltine
take turns authoring rippling forays through
the lush orchestrations. Their notes roll with a
bright continuity off the string voicings, blend-
ing at moments almost imperceptibly. One of
the loveliest tracks here is “Anita,” an Alexander
original that is gorgeously rendered.
They are a commanding duo, guiding
drummer Joe Farnsworth and bassist John
Webber on the vastly reimagined “She Was Too
Good To Me,” and Alexander is particularly Noah Haidu
Eric Alexander creative in his treatment of this timeless stan- Standards
A New Beginning: Alto dard. Many will recall Alexander’s previous SUNNYSIDE
HHHH
Saxophone With Strings venture with strings on tenor saxophone, and
HIGHNOTE perhaps charting a fresh direction with the alto Noah Haidu’s Standards is an eloquent paean
HHHH1/2 is what A New Beginning means. to Keith Jarrett’s seminal trio. Haidu’s play-
Whatever the case, this is great Alexander, ing reminds us that at the core of the music
Any alto saxophone recording with strings will priceless Hazeltine, with a Joe and John in the is heart. A follow-up to his earlier tribute to
invariably stoke the long-dead coals of mix — and strings attached — making it a Jarrett also released on Sunnyside, Buster
Charlie Parker, and Eric Alexander does this replay-demanding production. —Herb Boyd Williams returns for this record, sharing the
with panache right from the start of A New
bass chair with Peter Washington, and joining
Beginning. Yes, the incomparable Bird flutters A New Beginning: Blues For Diane; Embraceable You; All My
Tomorrows; Maybe September; To Love And Be Loved; Anita; She drummer Lewis Nash and guest Steve Wilson
from Alexander’s horn, and riffs and tremolos Was Too Good To Me; Too Late Now; Blues For Diane. (46:37) on alto saxophone.
dart seamlessly through a string of evergreens, Personnel: Eric Alexander, alto saxophone; David Hazeltine,
piano; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums; string arrange- Mostly consisting of tunes made famous by
most lushly on “All My Tomorrows.” ments and conducting, Bill Dobbins.
Jarrett, Peacock and DeJohnette, the album
Bracketing the seven ballads with the Ordering info: jazzdepot.com
ends with Haidu’s originals “Last Dance I”
and “Last Dance II,” which respond to the
2014 Jarrett album of the same name featur-
Kate Gentile/ ing Charlie Haden. Haidu composed it after
International attending the Standards Trio’s last public per-
Contemporary formance, commenting that he was inspired
by Jarrett’s challenge for those in the audience,
Ensemble instructing them not to try this at home.
b i o m e i.i Though Jarrett seems to be implicated
OBLIQUITY
everywhere in this record, Haidu’s group goes
HHHH1/2 beyond the album’s immediate inspiration to
Percussionist and composer Kate Gentile’s find their own footing. Their offering reminds
music is rigorous, and the amount of thought us that an influence does not always render the
that goes into its creation is audible in every resulting product derivative.
measure. The 13 short pieces that make up The addition of Wilson to several of the
this suite are beautiful first and foremost. They tunes rounds out the proceedings quite effec-
unfold like flowers grasping at the sun, and tively. A great example is the beautiful layering
although they are scored for and performed by he adds to the trio sounds in their rendition of
only seven musicians, they feel like the work one instrument briefly dominates the others, Wayne Shorter’s “Ana Maria.” Haidu describes
of a much larger ensemble — this is orchestral then is swallowed up again by the whole. The this moment as a meditation on loss, made even
music, performed by a chamber group. balance of timbres, with violin, clarinet, flute more profound in the wake of Shorter’s own
The liner notes indicate that the titles are and piccolo up top; bass clarinet in the middle; recent transition.
references to an imaginary landscape; each piano, vibraphone, and percussion at the bot- Transitions in the music in the lives of the
term is defined, and one can imagine the alien tom (including various junkyard clanks and musicians are often marked by sound. Sound
fauna growing and interacting as one listens, rattles and surprisingly heavy, almost art-metal is an effective tool for memory. Among other
eventually coming to hear it as the soundtrack drums) gives the whole thing weight and depth, attributes, Standards allows us to remember.
to a nature documentary with its time-lapse and rewards repeated, close listening. —Joshua Myers
photography of flowers blooming, its dramat- —Phil Freeman
ic action shots of animals catching and eat- b i o m e i.i: drobe; ikbii; oergn; bippf; flibb; chorp; nionine; vlimb; Standards: Old Folks; Just In Time; Beautiful Friendship; All The
xooox; moons; shorm; drode; isth. (52:51) Way; Someday My Prince Will Come; You And The Night And The
ing each other, or its long meditative pauses as Personnel: Kate Gentile, drums, percussion; Isabel Lepanto Music; Ana Maria; Skylark; I Thought About You; Last Dance I; Last
light shimmers over water. All these tropes are Gleicher, flute, piccolo; Jennifer Curtis, violin; Joshua Rubin, clarinet, Dance II (56:28).
bass clarinet; Rebekah Heller, bassoon; Ross Karre, vibraphone, Personnel: Noah Haidu, piano; Buster Williams, bass; Peter Wash-
reflected somewhere in this parade of small, percussion; Cory Smythe, piano. ington, bass; Lewis Nash, drums; Steve Wilson, alto saxophone.
repetitive but ever-shifting melodic cells, where Ordering info: kategentile.com Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com

Blues / BY FRANK-JOHN HADLEY
Tradition Beyond Revivals

Duane Betts: Wild & Precious Life (Royal
ROYAL POTATO FAMILY

Potato Family; HHHH 51:21) The Allman
Brothers’ legacy is in robust health mostly
due to the creative efforts of Derek Trucks
(nephew of drummer Butch Trucks) and
three sons of original members in the cur-
rent Allman Betts Band. One of them, Duane
Betts, a 45-year-old formerly with his father
Dickie’s Great Southern Band, stays true to
tradition while putting his own imprint on
the Southern rock of his first solo album. His Brandon Seabrook’s
singing voice, with its haunted-blues quality,
Epic Proportions
matches well with lyrics that by turns reflect
his difficult path through life and his knowl- brutalovechamp
edge of love’s saving grace. Not unlike the PYROCLASTIC
elder Betts, Duane’s fingers press the strings HHHH
of his Les Paul in such a special, confident Duane Betts stays true to tradition while putting
his own imprint on Southern Rrock. Guitarist and banjoist Brandon Seabrook’s
way that Western Swing-like melodic exalta-
tion breaks out in several of the 10 songs he Hudspeth & Taylor: Ridin’ The Blinds
newest record, brutalovechamp, is a depar-
wrote. Betts makes soul-head-heart connec- (Hudtone; HHH½ 39:03) It’s not a particu- ture from his usual brand of high-octane
tions with bassist Berry Duane Oakley (son of larly good time for acoustic duos but there’s a rock, jazz, pop and metal fusion. Backed by
Allman Brother Berry Oakley), drummer Tyler strong little community inhabited by worthies a remarkably adaptive octet, featuring musi-
Greenwood and the other musicians. like Paul Rishell & Annie Haines, Erin Harpe & cians from his 2017 sextet Die Trommel Fatale,
Ordering info: royalpotatofamily.com Jim Countryman and Cary Morin & Celeste Seabrook expands his compositional range
William Lee Ellis: Ghost Hymns (Yel- Di Iorio. Not to forget 42-year-old guitarist to include classical, chamber and folk music
low Dog; HHHH 37:44) William Lee Ellis, a Brandon Hudspeth and sixtyish vocalist Jais- motifs. The result is a more nuanced and inti-
classically trained guitarist who grew up in son Taylor, who started collaborating eight mate view into Seabrook’s creative process.
Tennessee, earned his acoustic blues stripes years ago and now offer their second album.
Seabrook’s frenetic lines on guitar, man-
back in the early aughts. Then for years he fo- Subtle relining of pre-WWII Delta classics by
cused on academic studies till recently return- Muddy Waters, Skip James, Bukka White and
dolin and banjo give way to orchestral move-
ing to recording with Ghost Hymns. Today his Fred McDowell, along with traditional fare ments, astral jazz improvisation and avant-gar-
artistic instincts extend from pre-WWII blues, and samplings of Texas and Piedmont blues, de noise rock. In the two-part series “I Wanna
folk, country and gospel to Ghanaian highlife shows they are as honest as the day is long. Be Chlorophylled,” the octet’s strings section
and Madagascan sounds. Northern Vermont Hudspeth’s fingerpicking is uncommonly oscillates between chamber arrangements and
college teacher Ellis’ voice has an emotional skilled, crisp, full of fresh thoughts, and Tay- angular phrases that act as a foil to Seabrook’s
quality that draws a fine line between joy and lor’s toughened-by-life vocals have decent frenzied licks and the industrial noise-rock
melancholy, while his impressively controlled clout. Good as these covers are, though, they feel of the woodwinds and percussion. On
guitars (and banjo, on one number) reach the are but sparkles silhouetted against the bright “The Perils Of Self-Betterment,” the physi-
heart of original and traditional songs. He hon- light of the masters’ 78s. One miscue: James’
cality and feverishness of Seabrook’s banjo is
ors his father Tony Ellis, a prominent bluegrass singularity is such that it’s a fool’s errand to
musician, with the old fiddle tune “Earth And touch his “Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues.”
paired with Chuck Bettis’ ethereal electronics
Winding Sheet,” its beautiful string arrange- Ordering info: brandonhudspeth.com
and John McCowen’s meandering contrabass
ment by fellow Vermonter Matt LaRocca. Ellis’ The Nick Moss Band: Get Your Back clarinet. The octet transitions to a more med-
acoustic music isn’t so much a revamping of Into It! (Alligator; HH½ 51:40) Chicago’s itative space on “From Lucid To Ludicrous,”
the past as a new marker in his adventurous, Nick Moss Band, co-starring veteran guitarist where Sam Ospovak’s resonant gongs and
ongoing drive to create a cross-genre music Nick Moss and harmonica player Dennis Gru- Marika Hughes’ methodical cello step into the
from the wellspring of his imagination. enling, goes down a storm with fans around foreground.
Ordering info: yellowdogrecords.com/wle the world and with the Blues Music Awards Seabrook’s Epic Proportions approaches
D.K. Harrell: The Right Man (Little cognoscenti. Their third Alligator release of jazz and avant-garde chamber melodies with
Village; HHH 48:32) While D. K. Harrell, a well-played Windy City and updated West
punk-rock energy, which makes brutalove-
25-year-old based in northern Louisiana, isn’t Coast jump blues will please the faithful. But
yet equipped with his own identity — B.B. a doubter will note that the quintet draws
champ a captivating ball of energy that is at
King permeates his guitar tone and sound too heavily from familiar tropes and at times turns highly lyrical, aggressively metal and
— but his debut release is reasonably enter- seems calculated in their earnestness. A quar- deeply contemplative. —Ivana Ng
taining. He’s making strides as a developing ter century into his career, Moss isn’t much of brutalovechamp: brutalovechamp; I Wanna Be Chlorophylled
storyteller, and his singing is gaining in con- a singer anymore, and he doesn’t get points I: Corpus Conductor; I Wanna Be Chlorophylled II: Thermal Rinse;
The Perils of Self-Betterment; From Lucid to Ludicrous; Gutbucket
fidence. His idea of modernity is funking up as a songwriter, either. As a guitarist, he still Asylum; Libidinal Bouquets; Compassion Montage. (58:58)
the groove. A dream team supports Harrell: lives up to his reputation for exceptionally Personnel: Brandon Seabrook, guitar, mandolin, banjo; Nava
Dunkelman, percussion, glockenspiel, voice; Marika Hughes,
bassist Jerry Jemmott, keyboardist Jim Pugh, high quality. Highlight: “The Solution,” a sa- cello; Eivind Opsvik, contrabass; Henry Fraser, contrabass; Chuck
drummer Tony Coleman. lute to Jimmy Johnson. DB Bettis, electronics, voice; John McCowen, contrabass clarinet, B-flat
clarinet, alto and bass recorder; Sam Ospovak, drum set, chromatic
Ordering info: littlevillagefoundation.org Ordering info: alligator.com Thai nipple gongs, vibraphone, concert chimes.
Ordering info: brandonseabrook.bandcamp.com

passages, serves him well on his lyrical-yet-an-
gular ballad “Sunset Park In July” and gives
distinction to more energetic terrain, as on
“Uncomfortable Truths” and the title track.
On Carta, Virelles brings his own brand of
poise and artful economy to the more com-
mon, but ever-malleable context of the classic
piano trio format, in tight collaborative esprit
de corps with bassist Ben Street and drummer/
percussionist Eric McPherson. Improvisation
plays a key role in the eight tracks, but always in
service of the songs.
As with other bedazzlements in Virelles’
discography, the pianist is carving out a fasci-
nating new musical pathway to call his own.
Cuban roots freely intermarry with touchpoints
David Virelles and pianist David Virelles, stating their artis- of jazz history (including the present moment),
Carta tic cases beyond stifling mainstream standards. with measured virtuosity and deep musicality
INTAKT The empathetic relationship between Speed in check. Virelles’ piano work impresses with-
HHHH1/2 and drummer Dave King has by now gone pub- out distracting from the prime directive: heed-
lic through the enrollment of Speed in King’s ing the musical integrity of the song set as an
long-standing band the Bad Plus. Speed seems almost narrative whole. —Josef Woodard
Chris Speed Trio ideal in his new front-line position, supply-
Despite Obstacles ing restraint, wit and heat when needed. Such
Carta: Uncommon Sense; Confidencial; Lamento Taino; NY-
Chepinsón; Carta; Tiempos; Island; El Tivoli; Samio. (51:09)
INTAKT
qualities are also reflected in King’s playing, as Personnel: David Virelles, piano; Ben Street, acoustic bass; Eric
HHH1/2 heard on Despite Obstacles, the third release by
McPherson, drums and percussion.
Despite Obstacles: Advil; Wrangled; Uncomfortable Truths;

Intakt has long been a rich source of American the “chordless” Chris Speed Trio. Despite Obstacles; Sunset Park in July; In the Wild; Lone Satellite;
jazz of an adventurous stripe. The Swiss label’s Speed leads the session with a benevolent Amos. (35:55)
Personnel: Chris Speed, tenor saxophone, clarinet; Chris Tordini,
recent releases include two prime examples of and democratic hand. His soft touch and acoustic bass; Dave King, drums.
bold New York artists, saxophonist Chris Speed muted tone on tenor, even on the more intense Ordering info: intaktrec.ch
Freddie Bryant Louis Hayes

Upper West Side Exactly Right!
Story–A Song Cycle SAVANT
TIGER TURN HHHH
HHHH It always burns a little bit when an
The multitalented Freddie Bryant artist’s record is reissued with some-
highlights his native New York City one else’s name on the top, on the
on Upper West Side Story: A Song grounds that they’re the more bank-
Cycle. His project speaks to joys and able artist. That happened to Louis
tribulations common to us all. Over Hayes’ 1960 debut on VeeJay, which
more than 90 minutes, Bryant, for- reappeared under Yusef Lateef’s byline
tified by vocalist Carla Cook, violinist Regina Carter and bassist John as Contemplation. Unfair, when it’s so obviously the drummer’s album,
Benitez, delivers blues, hip-hop, Afro-Cuban, Afrobeat, reggae and spo- without slipping into that awkward category of “drummers’ albums.”
ken word. His passionate lyrics and colorful music suffuse his reflections “Underrated” is another weaselly term in music criticism; easy to
on a neighborhood so gentrified he had to leave. throw around generously but bordering on meaningless much of the
Bryant’s “haikus” preview tracks that explore topics at greater depth. time. If anyone merits it, it’s Hayes, who was been making records for
Many feature Bryant’s classically elegant guitar, a balm each time. “His seven decades but has never been elevated in the manner of some of his
Bed Is a Box: Haiku #6” is a deep blues deploring homelessness. Cook’s peers. But just listen to his interpretation of Cedar Walton’s “Ugetsu” here,
voice brims with emotion and despair, paving the way for “Intro–Moses or that difficult, twisty line of “Nefertiti,” and it’s obvious what a master
The Pharaoh: Who Will Stay And Who Will Go?” —Carlo Wolff he is — master of the simple things, rather than of mazy complexities.
Working with Hazeltine, who includes Walton and Oscar Peterson
Upper West Side Love Story–A Song Cycle: (CD 1) Columbus, Quiet: Haiku #1; Intro–We Used among his audible influences, and Steve Nelson, a like-minded exponent
To Dance; We Used to Dance; Intro–Love Can’t Live On Nostalgia; Love Can’t Live On Nostalgia; Life Of
The Playground: Haiku #2; A Walk In The Hood–part 1; A Walk In The Hood–part 2; Lost MJLP: Haiku #3; of fat-free vibes playing, he produces beautifully open-form jazz that’s
Intro–My Home Sings; My Home Sings; High-rise Kiss: Haiku #4; Kid’z Rhymes: Remember That? (CD 2)
Always Be Aware: Haiku #5; Intro–Roses And Rubies: The Cost of What We Lost; Roses and Rubies: The
instantly communicative but still engagingly subtle and provocative.
Cost Of What We Lost; His Bed Is A Box: Haiku #6; Intro–Moses The Pharaoh: Who Will Stay And Who Hayes has certainly been taken for granted up to now. This one should
Will Go?; Moses The Pharaoh: Who Will Stay And Who Will Go?; Central Park Life: Haiku #7; Intro–Finale;
Finale; Spoken Word: Like Sand Is To Coral; A Box of Pictures: Haiku #8; Last Song: It’s Time To Say do something to spark a little deeper appreciation. —Brian Morton
Goodbye. (48:34/43:32)
Personnel: John Benitez, bass; Freddie Bryant, guitars, vocals; Regina Carter, violin; Carla Cook, vocals; Exactly Right!: Exactly Right!; Is That So?; Hand In Glove; So Many Stars; Carmine’s Bridge; Nefertiti;
Akua Dixon, cello; Maria Alejandra Hoyos Escobar, voice (track 3, CD 1); Alvester Garnett, drums; Gwen Mellow D; Theme For Ernie; Scarborough Fair; Ugetsu. (54:50)
Laster, viola; Donny McCaslin, tenor and soprano saxophones; Roberto Quintero, additional percussion Personnel: Abraham Burton, tenor saxophone; David Hazeltine, piano; Steve Nelson, vibraphone;
(tracks 3, 5, CD 1); Steve Wilson, alto and concert flutes, alto and soprano saxophones. Dezron Douglas, bass; Louis Hayes, drums.
Ordering info: freddiebryant.com Ordering info: jazzdepot.com

Historical / BY HOWARD MANDEL
Ashby‘s Early LPs Restored

Dorothy Ashby–With Strings Attached
(New Land; HHHH 3:33:49) is a lavishly
packaged, vinyl-only, limited edition collec-
tion of six albums recorded by the gifted,
innovative harpist between 1957 and 1965. It
serves her well: Ashby (neé Dorothy Thomp-
son, 1932–’86) can be overlooked no more.
Embracing her highly flexible instrument,
she had a lustrous career starting with these
albums, eventually extending to first-call stu-
dio status, collaborations with stars including
Stevie Wonder and posthumous clips used by
Marquis Hill
today’s producers. Rituals + Routines
She was abetted at the start of her career EDITION
by Frank Wess, who arranged the Detroiter’s HHH1/2
debut recording in New York for the short-
lived Regent Records. Wess is co-billed on the
Dorothy Ashby had a lustrous recording career. This quick hit from trumpeter, composer and
first three LPs included here, playing flute to strument. One sterling example: “Yesterdays,” producer Marquis Hill leaves a long-lasting
help set a standard of classy, entertaining, cinematic and heavenly. impression. Rituals + Routines deepens Hill’s
subtle and often seductive takes on standards On Soft Winds, well-matched with vibist unique recipe of jazz, hip-hop, R&B and elec-
and blues. But Ashby herself demonstrates Terry Pollard, Wright and drummer Jimmy tronica and positions him as a sound sculptor
wit, grace and substance. Her music is a treat Cobb, Ashby applies her approach happily in the new tradition of Makaya McCraven or
for those who prize tuneful, swinging, sophis- on tracks including “The Man I Love” and Christian aTunde Adjuah.
ticated jazz, structured freshly if rather con- “I’ve Never Been In Love Before,” but can’t do Hip-hop appears here more in the sense of
ventionally for its era and market. much to avoid sentimentality on “Laura” and beats than of rapping — however, spoken words
Sixty-six years later, however, The Jazz “Misty.” If commerciality steered her towards
also play a role. Each track features verbal com-
Harpist sounds fresh and true, hewing to the make-out music and exoticism, she usual-
original mixes of the six albums by original ly circumvented schmaltz, preferring tart
mentary about a ritual/routine from a typical
engineers Rudy Van Gelder and Tom Dowd, themes like “Secret Love,” elegant ones like day in the human life. On “Stretch (The Body),”
among others. Good taste and exquisite exe- “Satin Doll” and “Li’l Darlin’,” or deep drama as it’s a looped lecture about those rituals in gen-
cution have staying power. “Thou Swell,” the in her take on “Gloomy Sunday.” eral. What follows has a remarkable variety,
opener, establishes the Ashby-Wess duo’s High sales eluded Ashby, but aficionados featuring strong rhythmic work from bassist
crisp yet warm feel, suggesting flirtation, if not appreciated her art. In 1965 Atlantic Records Junius Paul and drummer Indie Buz and elec-
intimacy. The harp — aka lyre, veena, chang, producer Arif Mardin supervised The Fantastic tronic washes from keyboardist Micheal King.
yaal, depicted in Egyptian art as early as 3000 Jazz Harp Of Dorothy Ashby, featuring bassist Hill’s trumpet is less prominent; on tracks
B.C. — has famously gentle timbres and res- Richard Davis, conguero Willie Bobo, drum- like “Cleanse (The Waters)” and “Break
onance. It can be manipulated for harsher mer Grady Tate and a four-man trombone
(Fuel)” it blends into the ambient wash. When
sounds, but Ashby embraces its essence, the section on four tracks (including “House Of
touch of fingertips to strings, letting their The Rising Sun” and the Israeli folk song “Dodi
it is a more assertive voice, as on “Rise (All
vibrations ring but never overdoing it for ba- Li”). Oddly, these arrangements (uncredited; Possibilities)” and “Breathe (Give Thanks &
thos. She is restrained, cool, noble. Wess’ fleet are they Ashby’s, Mardin’s or Ollie McLaugh- Gratitude),” it is no less ambient, if impressive
flute is the perfect balance against supple lin’s?) work. The horns murmur support and and artfully applied.
rhythms provided by bassist Wendell Marshall lay easily over the rhythm team, and Jimmy Given its brevity, the album bypasses
and drummer Ed Thigpen, and on Hip Harp Cleveland’s one solo is in the groove. extended improvs in favor of atmosphere and
and In A Minor Groove, subsequent Prestige As Ira Gitler wrote in liner notes repro- mood. Tracks begin, linger long enough to
releases, bassist Herman Wright and under- duced here, Dorothy Ashby was neither the make their point, and leave. One has to con-
stated Art Taylor and Roy Haynes. first (Caspar Reardon) nor the first female clude that it’s meant more as a momentary
Ashby’s programs are characterized by jazz harpist (Adele Girard). In the 1940s, Paul
meditation than a full-length artistic statement,
her catchy compositions (“Aeolian Groove,” “Spike” Featherstone played harp in Space
“Pawky,” “It’s A Minor Thing”) and apt Amer- Cooley’s Western Swing band. But Dorothy
and at this it does a marvelous job. Still, it’d be
ican songbook choices (“There’s A Small Ho- Ashby brought the harp to contemporary ma- nice to hear the individual players and special
tel,” “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To,” terials from bebop to beyond (hear her Middle guests, most of them talented and soulful jazz
“Alone Together”). She’s a constant, as enrich- Eastern-inflected Rubáiyát, not included in improvisors, with opportunity and space to
ing when she comps as she is forthright build- this collection). really munch on these ideas. —Michael J. West
ing solos, floating her figures deftly, spinning Forty years since her death, having been
out phrases flecked sparingly with arpeggios sampled ad infinitum, Dorothy Ashby’s mu- Rituals + Routines: Rise (All Possibilities); Breathe (Give Thanks
And Gratitude); Stretch (The Body); Cleanse (The Waters); Smoke
and glisses for emphasis and color. Her two sic is restored to life as she made it in the day, (Herbs & Teas); Peace (Be Still); Break (Fuel); Outside (Protected).
(24:36)
hands work together more like an ambidex- proving every instrument has potential that Personnel: Marquis Hill, trumpet, flugelhorn, effects, vocals;
trous knitter’s than a pianist’s or guitarist’s. transcends stereotype, depending on the per- Michael King, piano, Rhodes, organ, synths; Junius Paul, bass, toys,
She is adept at trading quick phrases, but her effects; Indie Buz, drums, toys, percussion; Braxton Cook, alto saxo-
sonal resources of the person playing it. DB phone (4), vocals (4); Joel Ross, vibraphone (3); Ariesfoolmoon (1), G.
true metier is orchestrating songs for her in- Ordering info: newlandrecords.co.uk Thomas Allen (6), Doelow Da Pilotman (5), Phoelix (8), vocals.
Ordering info: editionrecords.com

credits his time away from trying to make a liv-
ing out of music with him developing his own
original style.
Soul Song is Levitt’s eighth recording as a
leader. His previous, Upside Down Mountain,
was a trio date with pianist Omri Mor and
drummer Ofri Nehemya. Soul Song adds gui-
tarist Lionel Loueke, who attended Berklee at
the same time as the bassist and has long been
a musical friend.
Throughout the 14 Levitt originals, the
quartet sounds very much like one voice,
exploring the folkish and often spiritual melo-
dies with subtle creativity. The individual state-
ments are a logical outgrowth of the ensembles
and the playing of the four musicians is very
Yosef-Gutman Levitt compatible, adding variations to the themes Nora Stanley &
Soul Song and reacting instantly to each other’s ideas. It Benny Bock
SOUL SONG is easy to enjoy the sound and unclassifiable Distance Of The Moon
HHH1/2 style of the group, which can be thought of as COLORFIELD
a latter-day Oregon. Their music is gentle but HHHH1/2
Yosef-Gutman Levitt was born and raised in never sleepy, and there are enough mood and
South Africa, started playing the electric bass rhythmic variations to hold onto one’s interest This brief album of evocative, deceptively light-
when he was 16, and two years later moved to throughout this quietly delightful outing. weight instrumental sketches pulls from a vari-
the United States to attend Berklee. After a peri- —Scott Yanow ety of traditions and styles. The thing about
od in New York, he became disillusioned with young people is that they don’t draw the same
both his playing and the scene, so he dropped Soul Song: Chai Elul; Soul Song; Myriad; Song Of The Sea; The genre boundaries their parents and grandpar-
out of music, moved to Israel in 2009 and had a Tender Eyes Of Leah; Amud Anan Duet; Torah Tsiva; Lanu Moshe;
Kave El Hashem; Devotion; Tikum; Kol Dudi; Desert Song; Hashka- ents did. You can’t scare them by pointing out
successful technology business. ma; Amud Anan. (61:04) that, say, “Vista Ahead” is pure smooth-jazz,
Personnel: Yosef Gutman Levitt, bass; Lionel Loueke, guitar; Omri
In 2019 Levitt returned to music full-time, Mor, piano; Ofri Nehemya, drums. dripping from the speakers like melted butter
this time playing the acoustic bass guitar. He Ordering info: yosefgutman.bandcamp.com as Nora Stanley and guest guitarist Jeff Parker, a
man whose hip credentials are unimpeachable,
play unison lines with Jacob Richards laying
down a quiet but emphatic beat, heavy on hiss-
Kaisa’s Machine ing cymbals, and synths filling out the arrange-
Taking Shape ment in a Thundercat/Kassa Overall style.
GREENLEAF Stanley’s saxophone is recorded extremely
HHHH closely, so that the clapping of the keys are prac-
tically as loud as the notes themselves, and she
The great Michael Hamburger said that the
overdubs two and three times, harmonizing
whole project of modernism — and jazz is the
tightly with herself. On “Assembling,” strings
quintessential modernist art form — was a
and percussion swirl behind her, creating a
continuing conflict/tension/dialogue between
backing track reminiscent of lush ’70s soul, or at
the essentially rural (bucolic, pastoral) and the
least its smoky Soulquarian reincarnation; the
urban. There’s a strong hint of that in Kaisa
tripled horns could have come off D’Angelo’s
Mäensivu’s music. She left her native Finland
Black Messiah. Meanwhile, the haunted-sound-
seven years ago and has since been coming to
ing piano on “Maurice” brings to mind Tom
terms with the still overwhelming confluence
Waits. “Two” is even more indie-jazz, oozing
of cultures and musical styles that is New York.
group. Her bowed part on “Sink Or Swim” is vaporwave synths laying down a bed of hold
It used to be said that the Finns are a people
a perfect miniaturization of what her music is music over which Stanley lays off-kilter, dis-
silent in two languages, and there’s a certain
now about. jointed lines that draw from Pitchfork-friendly
gentle truth in that. Kaisa’s been listening qui-
Taking away the piano on “Gravity” was a R&B, before a pedal or a production effect
etly since she came to America and her solo on
clever stroke; this group really is Kaisa’s machine. warps them into a shimmering heat haze. “Like
“Dream Machine” is a quasi-autobiographi-
The group around her is responsive and tough Smoke” features Mark Guiliana behind the kit;
cal picture of her coming to terms with a noisy,
minded, but they know who’s boss. This is a it lives up to its title, floating through the room
polyglot city. Even the cover image, with a few
debut record of a sort, but only in the sense that and gradually drifting away. —Phil Freeman
flower-buds dotted around her dress, shows
she’s not leaving her old world entirely behind. all great creative records are debuts. There will be Distance Of The Moon: Hawk Hill; Assembling; Vista Ahead;
Maurice; Interlude; Into The Flats; Like Smoke; Peaches; Two;
Finland, in its odd way, is a different kind of much more to come. —Brian Morton Distance Of The Moon. (30:34)
Personnel: Nora Stanley, saxophone, synthesizers, percussion,
cultural melting pot, and so that instinct is Taking Shape: I; Floating Light; Dream Machine; Gravity; Aurora kalimba, drum programming; Benny Bock, piano, Fender Rhodes,
already in her. What’s happened since the first Unbound; II; Better Intentions; Sink Or Swim; III; Shadow Mind;
Sizzler; East Dessert First. (62:34)
Hammond B-3, pump organ, synthesizers, baritone guitar, per-
cussion, drum programming; CJ Camerieri, trumpet, French horn;
album, though, is that the bass, instead of being Personnel: Kaisa Mäensivu, bass; Tivon Pennicott, tenor saxo- Jeff Parker, guitar; Daphne Chen, violin, viola; Owen Clapp, upright
phone; Sasha Berliner, vibraphone (3, 4); Max Light, guitar; Eden bass; Doug Stewart, electric bass; Mark Guiliana, drums; Myles
a routine component of the rhythm section, has Ladin, piano; Joe Peri, drums. Martin, drums; Jacob Richards, drums; Abe Rounds, drums.
become the main compositional voice of the Ordering info: greenleafmusic.com Ordering info: colorfieldrecords.com

Justin Chesarek dig into these eleven vehicles
with warmth and gusto. The results are predict-
ably upbeat, straightahead and in the pocket.
You can hear strains of McCann’s signature
churchy exuberance — a quality exhibited
most famously on his interpretation of Gene
McDaniels’ “Compared To What” (which
is not in this collection) — on “Beaux J. Poo
Boo” and “Come On And Get That Church.”
They delve into funky waters on “Someday
We’ll Meet Again” (originally from 1977’s
Another Beginning), deliver a tender read-
ing of McCann’s ballad “Could Be” (which he
originally recorded with the Gerald Wilson
Orchestra in 1964) and summon up an infec-
tious second line groove on “Ruby Jubilation.” Transatlantic Five
Joe Alterman And their rendition of McCann’s shuffle blues Transitions
Big Mo & Little Joe “Big Jim” is brimming with swagger. NEMU
JOE ALTERMAN Alterman closes out the collection with a HHH
HHH1/2 poignant solo reading of “Don’t Forget To
As the band name implies, this quintet pairs
Love Yourself,” a tune he co-composed with
In this tribute to his mentor Les McCann, musicians from each side of the Atlantic,
McCann for his 2020 release The Upside Of
Atlanta-based pianist Joe Alterman con- bringing together American reedist Ken
Down. Alterman’s eighth recording as a leader
veys a real sense of joy in his interpretations Vandermark and trumpeter Nate Wooley
is both a glorious gesture of thanks and a gift to
of McCann tunes from the ’60s, ’70s and into with the European rhythm section of vibist
lovers of soulful jazz. —Bill Milkowski
the 2000s. Exhibiting an unhurried, comfort- Christopher Dell, bassist Christian Ramon
ably sparse sensibility at the piano, à la McCann and drummer Klaus Kugel. The quintet came
Big Mo & Little Joe: Come On And Get That Church; Could Be;
or Ramsey Lewis, as opposed to the more pyro- Beaux J. Poo Boo; Samia; The Stragler; Dorene Don’t Cry; Someday together for a brief European tour in August of
We’ll Meet Again; It’s You; Don’t Forget To Love Yourself; Ruby
technic approach of an Oscar Peterson or Jubilation; Big Jim. (60:32) 2022 and made this recording, loosely designed
Phineas Newborn, Alterman and his copaset-
Personnel: Joe Alterman, piano; Kevin Smith, bass; Justin to celebrate the work of Eric Dolphy: an homage
Chesarek, drums.
ic crew of bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Ordering info: joealtermanmusic.com
made most clear on the opening Dell composi-
tion “Around Town.”
There’s no missing the wide intervals in the
melody traced by the horns or the way it’s punc-
Ruslan Sirota tured by the spiky interjections of the vibra-
Fruits Of The Midi phonist, but once the theme has been stated, the
HONEY ROSE group pivots to a more open attack. The high-
HH1/2 light of the album is the only other composed
work, Vandermark’s “En Attente,” a slowly
Keyboardist-composer Ruslan Sirota is origi-
unfolding ballad that demands a different ener-
nally from the Ukraine, where he was classical-
gy and a more focused dynamic sensibility.
ly trained; grew up in Israel; and at 18 moved
The quintet’s primary raison d’être is
to the United States to study at Berklee. He
improvisation, and the bulk of the album is
has since worked with Stanley Clarke, Kamasi
constructed around a set of six freely impro-
Washington, Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau and a
vised works. Each section of the band has
variety of jazz and R&B groups. Fruits Of The
logged plenty of experience together, with
Midi is his third recording as a leader.
Vandermark and Wooley developing an almost
The musicianship of the players on his CD
preternatural vibe through an ongoing duo
is top-notch and there are guest appearanc-
project, while the Europeans have also worked
es from guitarists Pedro Martins and Kurt
selections are a strong asset and Sirota’s tradeoff together often in different contexts.
Rosenwinkel, Dayna Stephens on soprano, and
with Dayna Stephens on “Bourbon Person” is They all mesh rather well here, and it’s clear
altoist Eric Marienthal. Sirota and Yan Perchuk
a highlight, but little else happens that distin- that all five players are locked in, but in the end
co-composed all the songs other than “At Last.”
guishes one performance from another. None of the album feels a bit ordinary despite some
The problem with this set from the jazz
the melodies stick in one’s mind afterwards, and exciting flourishes. Indeed, it’s always a treat
standpoint is that no one ever cuts loose, the per-
even the closing “Nightingale,” dedicated to the getting to hear how improvisers navigate new
formances are often overly concise, and nearly
Ukraine, lacks passion. —Scott Yanow situations in real time, but as Dolphy himself
all the pieces are in the same laidback, thought-
famously said, “When you hear music, after it’s
ful mood. One can certainly imagine this safe Fruits Of The Midi: Overture Americana; The Becoming; La
Bandera; Fruits Of The Midi; At Last; Boondoggle; Bourbon Person; over, it’s gone in the air. You can never capture
recording being used for a soundtrack or for Laine (As We Forgive); Bayesian Hope; Nightingale. (42:58)
Personnel: Ruslan Sirota, piano; Kurt Rosenwinkel, Pedro Martins, it again.” —Peter Margasak
background music. No one sounds as if they are Mike Miller, guitar; Hadrien Feraud, Darek Oles, Benjamin Shep-
sweating or attempting to stretch themselves. herd, Dan Lutz, bass; Chaun Horton, drums; Pedrito Martinez, Pete
Korpela, percussion; Mike Cottone, trumpet; Ido Maimon, trom-
Transitions: Around Town; Transition 1: Transition II; Transition III;
En Attente; Transition IV; Transition V; Transition VI. (60:19)
Sirota’s playing on keyboards is occasionally bone; Lissa McCormic, French horn; Ian Roller, Dayna Stephens, Personnel: Nate Wooley, trumpet; Ken Vandermark, tenor saxo-
Eric Marienthal, sax; Katisse Buckingham, flute; Natasha Agrama, phone, clarinet; Christopher Dell, vibraphone; Christian Ramond,
reminiscent of Chick Corea although without Genevieve Artadi, vocals; Budapest Art Orchestra. double bass; Klaus Kugel, drums.
the fiery creativity. The Latin rhythms on some Ordering info: ruslanmusic.com Ordering info: nemu-records.com

play. These two have consistently been chefs
THE AFTFORM STUDIO

putting together all the right ingredients for
these brilliant courses. Each of these half-hour
albums are as enjoyable and replayable as the
last. For these guys to make each Jazz is Dead
album sound so much like a part of the series
while also maintaining their own sense of dis-
tinctiveness is as much a credit to their pro-
duction ability as it is their curation of collab-
orators, the legends and the backing players
alike. By this point, everyone knows what the
assignment is.
It raises the spirits a bit knowing the pro-
lific Tony Allen is still releasing work this
sharp even after death. And it’s extremely cool
that Lonnie Liston Smith at age 82 has such
jubilant music in him to share. Younger and
Muhammad have known this about all the
legends they’ve celebrated in this project, but
the most astounding thing about it is there’s
no sign of flagging. —Anthony Dean-Harris
Lonnie Liston Smith JID017: Love Brings Happiness; Dawn;

Cosmic Changes; Gratitude; Love Can Be; Fete; Kaleidoscope; What
May Come; A New Spring. (34:08)
Personnel: Lonnie Liston Smith, acoustic piano (1–4), Fender
Rhodes (5-9); Adrian Younge, electric guitars (1–9), electric
bass (1, 3–5, 8), alto saxophone (1, 3, 5–6, 8), sopranino sax-
Tony Allen
ophone (1, 3, 6), monophonic synthesizer (1–5, 7-8), clavinet
(1, 4, 9), vibraphone (1, 4, 9), percussion (1, 3–9), Mellotron
how it’s a half hour about the man as much (2, 9), flutes (2, 7), Hammond B-3 organ (3, 5, 7–8), acoustic
Lonnie Liston Smith as it is about the band. That’s always been the
guitar (3), auto-harp (4, 9); Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Fender
JID017
Rhodes piano (1), electric bass guitar (2, 6, 9); Loren Oden,
vocals (1, 3, 5, 9); Greg Paul, drums (1–5); Malachi Morehead,
kind of player Allen was. He’s always made drums (6–9).
JAZZ IS DEAD the most sense with a strong horn section and
HHHH these folks fit the bill. Like all JID albums,
Tony Allen JID018: Ebun; Steady Tremble; Oladipo; Don’t
Believe The Dancers; Makoko; Lagos; No Beginning; No End.
these songs feel like distillations of what could (27:57)
Personnel: Tony Allen, drums; Adrian Younge, electric bass
be such larger jams. It’s just a joy to have these.
Tony Allen All the while, it’s the multi-instrumental-
guitar, electric guitars, acetone electric organ (1–6, 8), marimba
(1–2, 4, 6, 8), percussion (1–4, 6–8), Orgatron (2), Yamaha
JID018 ist maestro Adrian Younge giving all the right
YC-25D (3), Wurlitzer electric piano (7); Marcus Gray, additional
percussion; Jazmin Hicks, additional percussion; Loren Oden,
JAZZ IS DEAD additional percussion; Scott Mayo, flute; Phillip Whack, alto sax-
guidance on these albums with Ali Shaheed ophone; Jaman Laws, tenor saxophone; David Urquidi, baritone
HHHH Muhammad in tow, playing every other
saxophone; Jacob Scesney, baritone saxophone; Emile Martinez,
trumpet; Tatiana Tate, trumpet; Lasim Richards, trombone.
What began a couple years ago as an innova- instrument that they didn’t hire sessionists to Ordering info: jazzisdead.com
tive way to call living legends back to the car-
pet and show that with the right folks around
them, they’ve still got it, has turned into a reg-
ular showcase of those who are getting their
flowers. As producers, Adrian Younge and
Ali Shaheed Muhammad play to each guest’s
strengths for their respective Jazz is Dead
album, and this is nowhere clearer than on the
series’ 17th and 18th releases.
Lonnie Liston Smith gets a party going
and keeps the funk alive, always finding some-
thing interesting and beautiful to say on the
keys. Vocalist Loren Oden fits in the Smith
sessions perfectly; as a frequent collabora-
tor with Younge, Oden was the right call for
appearing on nearly half of JID017 and feeling
like the dawning of another Age of Aquarius.
So many of these albums feel like unearthing
lost ’70s sessions and Oden’s vocals are key to
this feeling.
Tony Allen, in one of his last sessions, is
the soul of a mighty ensemble. It’s awe-inspir-
ing how he keeps a beat so steady and simple,
so focus grabbing in its showy un-showiness,

Large Ensembles / BY JOHN MCDONOUGH
MARK SHELDON
The Busselli/Wallarab Orchestra
Big Bands for the Superego

The history of big-band jazz has been its up- provide a scrim of antiquity. finds opportunity in virgin land. But the poi-
ward mobility, from babysitting fervent flap- Ordering info: patoisrecords.net gnancy John Ford could summon with a simple
pers and jitterbugs to art-house ensembles Florida jazz educator Chuck Owen uses harmonica is elusive here because folk melo-
where everyone sits quietly and pays atten- Renderings (MAMA; HHH 73:02) and the dies recoil from erudition. Scott Robinson’s sim-
tion. The tipping point came grudgingly. But WDR Jazz Orchestra of Cologne, Germany, ple bari makes something of “Shenandoah,”
once Goodman, Basie and Ellington made Car- mostly to showcase original concert works by but Kurt Rosenwinkel’s moving guitar on “Red
negie Hall, young arrangers like Eddie Sauter, himself and band members. The WDR provides River Valley” is emotionally contradicted by the
Billy Strayhorn, Ralph Burns and Gil Evans felt a carefully measured balance that is spotlessly cool urbanity of the brass. Hersog’s charts are
permitted to write for jazz’s superego, not its captured and mixed: each player with his own smart and well-intended, but perhaps a bit up-
id. Here are five concert bands today for the mic and isolated in his own headset. It serves scale for the neighborhood. He also draws ma-
superego. Owen’s intent. His arrangements look for sub- terial from many sources, much of which may
The original jazz bands were children of tle challenges to settle as they emphasize a be less widely shared, which is un-folkish. But
show business and indigenous to big-city leisurely emotional impressionism in pieces stars for the quality and effort.
ballrooms. The earliest sustained recording like “Fall Calls,” full of cool pastel color balanc- Ordering info: cellarlive.com
began in 1922 when Gennett Records scout- es. There’s not a lot of heat to rustle the velvety Turkish Hipster: Tales From Swing
ed the new Chicago scene where young lions textures. Craft supplants passion. To Psychedelic (Dunya; HHH 57:24) by
like Armstrong, Beiderbecke, Morton and even Ordering info: mamarecords.net Mahmet Ali Sanlikol concocts a global cock-
Hoagy Carmichael played for dancers. Gennett In Doug Beavers’ Luna (Circle 9 Re- tail by mixing the microtonal flavors of Turkish
imported them to its “studio” in Richmond, In- cords; HHH½ 54:11), the trombonist offers music, then shaking well in a big-band pitcher
diana, and from these sessions sprang the first his Luna Suite, a six-part sequence intended with guests Anat Cohen, Miguel Zenón and
canon of authentic standards in the jazz reper- to express the ocean’s response to the gravi- Antonio Sánchez. We hear Cohen play with
toire. This is the raw material for the two-CD The tational push-pull of sun and moon through a fluid formality. But Zenón gets the space to
Gennett Suite (Patois; HHHH 47:14/36:54) the dialects of salsa, Afro-Latin and Portuguese spread out on “A Capoeira Turca,” an inviting
by the Busselli/Wallarab Orchestra, in idioms. It sounds more serious than it is. Once five-part piece of several simple themes, one
which Brent Wallarab reimagines century-old past the brief intro, the brass toss the physics of which suggests Jerome Kern (“Smoke Gets
themes like “Tin Roof Blues,” “Riverboat Shuf- of oceanography to the winds and dominate In Your Eyes”) more than anything Turkish.
fle,” “King Porter Stomp,” “Davenport Blues” “Tidal” with a zesty indifference to intent. The “Abraham Suite” is a three-part work commis-
and six others into a contemporary suite. Like music moves according to its own path with an sioned for large orchestra and reduced here
Gil Evans and Henry Threadgill before him, he easygoing vigor as Beavers blows with smooth to big-band dimensions. A pompous fanfare
intends neither an earnest repertory-style du- authority. The trombone quartet on “Flor de leads into what seems like a tedious protest
plicate nor a cartoonish, cut-and-paste mock- Lis” is a standout. chant. Part two delivers fitting exotica and
ery of ‘20s pop culture. Using a stylish modern- Ordering info: circle9music.com some decent solos, but spirals into a some-
ism, he dresses them in a 21st-century context Where most jazz musicians have avoided what undisciplined turmoil before returning
so we can hear them played with care for fresh folk music (outliers who prove the rule: Stan to its nest. It concludes with a lyric on eternity,
ears in today’s terms. For those who’ve let their Kenton, Gary Peacock), in Open Spaces: Folk which is not nearly as hip as the worthy guest
homework slide on the early jazz songbook, Songs Reimagined (Cellar Music; HHH players. DB
there’s a richly appointed, 68-page booklet to 75:01), the Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra Ordering info: dunya.bandcamp.com

BY GARY FUKUSHIMA
MARK SHELDON
MdCL, a.k.a. Mark de Clive-Lowe
‘He’s the Chameleon’

MdCL Bridges the Gap Between What Was and What Is
“D
o you mind taking your shoes ing with musicians in Brazil before returning reconnected with his early jazz roots through
off?” asked Mark de Clive- to Japan for a three-month residency, proof Nia Andrews, a singer and daughter of the late
Lowe, in a respectfully cheery of how his music crosses boundaries of both jazz musician and educator Reggie Andrews,
New Zealander accent. I certainly didn’t genre and culture.) who mentored some of L.A.’s storied and
mind, doing as he requested while stepping The artist known commonly by his more recent jazz icons: Patrice Rushen, Rickey
through the door into a spacious apartment DJ-friendly handle as MdCL has always been Minor, Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington,
in an interesting, less-defined neighborhood an enigma in regard to his identity as both an Thundercat. “She was huge in bringing me
of Los Angeles, tucked somewhere between individual and a musician. Born in Auckland into that community,” said MdCL. “And,
Silverlake and Koreatown. It feels more like to his New Zealander father and Japanese she had a piano.” He and Andrews married
a city here, compared to the winding hills or mother, he began studying piano at age 4, and had a son. They have since divorced, but
sprawling valleys in other parts of Southern became enamored with jazz as a teen and thanks to her his love for the piano and jazz
California. Urbania is perhaps more comfort- studied it at Berklee in Boston, and by 1998 was rekindled and has remained so.
able for one who spent a decade of his life in he ultimately found himself in London, help- The jazz artists MdCL met in L.A. have
London and much of his childhood in Tokyo. ing to pioneer and perfect the intricacies of spearheaded a West Coast resurgence of a new
(Not long after this interview, he would give the broken-beat scene there. When he relocat- kind of jazz fusion — that of the Afrocentric
up his apartment, spending a few weeks hang- ed to Los Angeles in 2008, he serendipitously post-Coltrane “spiritual jazz” movement of

the ’60s that was reflected in this city by the to the music that he especially enjoys. They synth presets, which he then can play on his
likes of Alice Coltrane, Horace Tapscott, first played together on Mason’s 2014 album secondary keyboard controller. He is able to
Billy Higgins and Azar Lawrence, with the Chameleon (Concord), and the drummer has quickly switch synth patches simply by hit-
electronic rap and beat scenes propagated in had MdCL in his band ever since. “He’s very ting one of the 16 pads on the Maschine. “It’s
the 2000s by artists like Ras G, the Gaslamp creative, and he can play just straight piano a really convenient way to change the patch,
Killer, Daedelus and Flying Lotus (the latter great, as well. He can do a lot of the old things,” based on visual memory,” he said. Stacked on
being non-coincidentally the nephew of Alice he affirmed. “My band is the Chameleon Band, top of the left side of the upper keyboard con-
Coltrane). It was into this melting pot of music and he’s the chameleon.” troller is a Novation Launch Control, a digi-
and culture that MdCL stepped into when he Inside a bedroom at the rear of the apart- tal mixer which allows him to mix in real time
every sound, from keyboard to bass to drums
‘I love this idea where and percussion as well as live analog sounds
like piano or saxophone, and add effects like
low or high pass, delay and reverb to any of
the technology
those sounds.
Back on the left underneath his computer
and audio interface, MdCL has what could be
becomes an actor in
the equivalent of a DJ table, only instead of dual
turntables he has twin Korg KP3+ Kaoss Pads,
sample loopers with a touchscreen that can
quickly manipulate and distort the incoming
the conversation.’ sound. “It’s a super-fun way to be tactile about

effects, without worrying about parameters so
much,” he said. He demonstrated their capa-
bility by looping a piano riff, altering the tone
arrived from London in 2008. In a way, he is ment, MdCL leads me toward his rig, which via the touchpad, then he surprisingly reached
a walking embodiment of what has been hap- looks a bit like something one might see on the back over to the lower keyboard and slid his
pening to the creative music scene in L.A. bridge of the Enterprise. The elaborate amal- fingers along an iPad mini sitting inconspic-
MdCL has seamlessly interfused his rediscov- gamation of keyboards, touchpads and other uously on it to the left. Instantly, the tempo
ered skills as a pianist and jazz improviser into MIDI controllers is exactly what he uses for slowed down to a dirge, and MdCL quick-
his extensive knowledge of and experience his shows. “When the pandemic happened,” ly moved back to the Maschine and punched
with beat music, in a way that pays homage he recounted, “I said [to myself] I might as out a slow funk beat under the new groove.
to both traditions while forging something well set all my shit up, since I’m not going any- The app on the tablet is called “Touchable” by
entirely new and defining of his own sound, where.” He further streamlined the setup, con- Zerodebug, allowing yet another tactile con-
a crafting honed to a razor’s edge on his 2023 verting from routing his sounds through an troller for the many features in Ableton.
album Hotel San Claudio (Soul Bank), a trio analog mixer to now being able to run every- “My whole mission is to not be on the com-
collaboration with drummer/DJ Shigeto and thing through his Apple laptop. puter,” MdCL summarized. “That’s for emer-
vocalist/flutist Melanie Charles. “It’s fundamentally a software setup, but gency use only — break glass in case of emer-
When drummer Harvey Mason first it’s such that I can add analog gear or mic gency.” He restarted the initial sample, then
reached out to MdCL for a project, the key- acoustic instruments,” MdCL explained as layered a short synth melody on the Bass
boardist was rather intimidated at first by the he sat behind the controls. Two MIDI con- Station, grabbed the sample with the Kaoss
prospect of living up to the legacy of whom trollers anchor the rig, an 88-key weighted Pad, “chopped” the sample into essential-
Mason had worked with. “Herbie [Hancock] action board that runs either piano (Native ly a short fragment and then sped it up via
alone is enough, right?” he asked rhetorically. Instruments Komplete) or Rhodes (Scarbee) Touchable into a pulsating beat. This took all
It was only until he invited Mason to play on samples, and a non-weighted 72-key board of 24 seconds. He can do this same thing to
one of his shows that it clicked. After seeing stacked above it for synth sounds. If the venue any instrument on stage: saxophone, bass,
and hearing all of MdCL’s keyboards and elec- has a piano, he can swap out the lower key- vocals or even the entire band, since all the
tronics in person, he asked, “Why don’t you board and place the synth board on top of the audio is running into his DAW.
bring that on my gigs?” piano, miking the instrument himself to run “I love this idea where the technology
“He’s a fantastic musician,” said Mason of into his system, allowing him to control the becomes an actor in the conversation,” said
MdCL, speaking by phone from La Quinta, acoustic instrument as if it were a digital sam- MdCL, enthusiastically. “We’ve had moments
California. “I love using him because he bridg- ple. On the right side of his main MIDI con- where I swear, we had some avant-garde jazz
es the gap between what was and what is. He troller rests a Novation Bass Station II, one of shit, and the dance hall is just bumpin’. If I just
adds colors and sounds and loops that enhance a number of devices that produce their own suddenly muted all the electronics, it would
my playing, and also it helps me on a creative sounds. All inputs are interfaced to the com- sound like [being] in the middle of some Sun
tip — it’s not just playing drums; I feel like I’m puter via a Focusrite Clarett+ 8Pre, on a sepa- Ra madness. But that marriage of the two, it
playing music. It’s really a lot of fun, and if I rate stand to the left of the keyboards, placed becomes an interesting counter-culture narra-
don’t have it, I miss it.” Mason has played with directly underneath his laptop. tive of sound.”
virtually all the best jazz pianists in the world For his DAW, MdCL uses Abelton Live, A marriage of a jazz improviser’s mentali-
(many of whom can be heard on his two expan- befitting any electronic music producer. In ty and harmonic sensibilities into the extend-
sive, excellent albums of straightahead piano keeping with that paradigm, his main digital ed family of hip-hop and electronic music,
trios, 2004’s With All My Heart (Bluebird) controller for Ableton is a Native Instruments creating a synthesis that is simultaneously
and 2006’s Changing Partners (Videoarts), but Maschine, which is used primarily as a drum interesting, artistic and entertaining.
he told me MdCL brings another dimension pad, but MdCL reserves one bank for all his It sounds like the future. DB

Woodshed MASTER CLASS
BY DR. MILEN KIROV
eighth note in order to not get lost. We should
IRINA LOGRA
always remember that these rhythms actual-
ly are dances and every Bulgarian time signa-
ture represents a dance with different steps,
although sometimes the steps of the same
dance meter vary from region to region. What
this means to us as musicians is that we have
to groove in the rhythm, to feel comfortable
in feeling and playing the larger beats (and
groups of beats) the way dancers do, instead of
focusing on the subdivisions.
For instance, in 7/8 we should not count
the eighth-note subdivisions as I pointed out
earlier, but focus on the larger beats: quarter,
quarter, dotted quarter (or the first, third and
fifth eighth-note, if you prefer to think this
way). Dancers think of these beats as short and
long steps. This way, the music should flow
in “one-two-threee” or “short-short-looong”
motion and when in faster tempos — in two
beats (half note + dotted quarter). This level of
comfort can be achieved with diligent practice
with metronome in a variety of tempi (from
very slow to very fast) where you start off with
the click hitting every eighth note and then
Every Bulgarian time signature represents a
dance with different steps, according to Kirov. switching to only the large beats.
Finally, you should experiment with the
Practice Hand Independence click playing only on the downbeats of mea-

sures, or in longer metric structures such as
Using Bulgarian Rhythms

11/8 (2+2+3+2+2) having the click only on
the first and the third beat (i.e. the first and
N
the fifth eighth-notes). When practicing, you
umerous music cultures across the sures, each with a different meter), and meters should always have a plan for your articulation
world have developed complex of 11, 13, 15 or even 18 eighth-notes found vir- as well. You can practice the same exercise in
rhythm structures and grooves over tually nowhere else. This prompted Bartók to a few different ways: completely legato with
the course of many centuries. Rhythmic devic- call all asymmetrical rhythms “Bulgarian” in even tone, non-legato with even tone, staccato,
es such as beat cycles, polyrhythms, asymmet- his writings and music. and then with accents on different beats (i.e. in
rical groupings and patterns in traditional Now, my goal here is not some strange 7/8 you can accent only the downbeat or the
music from different corners of the world have kind of a nationalistic rhythm chauvinism or downbeat and the third beat (i.e. the first and
been well-documented in the last 120 years. a deep dive into the history of these rhythms, the fifth eighth-notes). You can also practice
In fact, quite a few of them have become a but rather to take a look at them from the per- each hand playing in different dynamics and/
main ingredient in today’s music universe — spective of a contemporary improvising pia- or accenting different beats in a measure for
from the “classical” and film music worlds, nist and composer. There are a myriad of ways the ultimate hand independence exercise.
through jazz and some more adventurous one can utilize asymmetrical (a.k.a. uneven- In the present day, one can find a rich variety
pop, to prog-rock and mathcore. Although the beat) meters in their music. As they have been of rhythmic structures in many different types
asymmetrical rhythms (sometimes also called a part of my musical journey since the day I of traditional and contemporary music. It is not
odd, irregular or uneven) can be found in quite was born (thanks to my Bulgarian musician possible to cover all of these in a short article, but
a few cultures, most prominently in the Balkan parents), I have developed ways to practice I would like to share with you the most common
and Middle East regions, nowhere else do they and become comfortable with them, and to time signatures in traditional Bulgarian music.
have such a variety of beat groupings and com- make them sound organic in your playing and These meters offer us a different way of groov-
binations as in Bulgaria. compositions. Here, I will share some of these ing and new compositional devices regardless of
One of the first Western musicologists to ideas with you. what genre of music you are creating.
shed light on this fact was the great Hungarian A common mistake some Western musi- It is crucial to remember that just like in
composer Béla Bartók. Through his travels and cians make when playing uneven-beat jazz, the feel is important and there are a vari-
research he discovered that although a few of rhythms is counting every eighth-note sub- ety of ways to perform the Bulgarian uneven-
those rhythms (mainly 5/8, 7/8 and 9/8) could division (as in “one-and, two-and, three- beat time signatures — with a swing feel, play-
be found in the music of other countries in the and-a”) and accenting every beat. We can ing on top or on the back of the beat, being
region, Bulgarian music had this large variety attribute this to them lacking enough comfort locked in with the metronome/pocket. You
that included mixed rhythms (groups of mea- with the rhythms and needing to count every can experiment with the interpretation of the

meters, thus creating a very personal style of ate your own rhythm exercises using simple, are you playing on top or the back of the beat,
performance. Besides dances in 2/4 and 6/8, compound, asymmetrical and mixed meters. are you in the pocket? With articulation, you
in Bulgarian music also popular are 5/8 (2+3) When creating and practicing such exercis- must practice legato, non-legato, staccato,
called Paidushko, 7/8 (2+2+3 called Rachenitza es or pieces of music, always remember about with and without accents — all in a wide range
and 3+2+2), 8/8 (3+2+3 and 3+3+2), 9/8 these two aspects of performance: the rhythm of dynamics. When you pay attention to these
(2+3+2+2 and 2+2+2+3 called Daichovo), and the articulation. With rhythm you have factors and make them a part of your practice
11/8 (2+2+3+2+2) called Kopanitza, 13/8 to be aware of how you feel the beats: are you regimen, your playing and musical thought
(2+2+2+3+2+2) and 15/8 (2+2+2+2+3+2+2) subdividing, are you feeling the larger beats, will reach new levels without a doubt. DB
called Buchimish. There are also other unique
rhythms and mixed meters that are used
Dr. Milen Kirov is a Bulgarian-American performer, composer and educator whose career redefines the role of the performer-
around the country. However, they are not as composer in 21st century by transcending genres, labels and artistic boundaries. Combining his Bulgarian music heritage and
prevalent in the Bulgarian culture as a whole, concert pianist background with contemporary composition, jazz, world music and improvisation, Dr. Kirov has carved a career
as a unique and respected artist. He is also the creator and director of the internationally acclaimed 11-piece “peasant funk” band
but rather confined to certain regions. Orkestar MÉZÉ. As a solo artist, bandleader and producer, Kirov has released four albums and several singles on his own Luta Rakia
Example 1a shows an exercise in D Hijaz, Music label, and has appeared on numerous other records on labels such as Sony BMG, MRi and A.i. Music. Milen’s compositions
and performances have been featured on dozens of radio and TV stations on four continents. He has written music for film and
an Arabic maqam (modal structure, mode) theater as well. Besides as a pianist, Dr. Kirov is known also as a keyboardist who utilizes a wide range of acoustic, analog and
digital keyboard instruments such as harpsichord, organ, accordion, Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes and synthesizers. Born in
widely used in the music of the Balkans, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Milen Kirov started playing the piano at age 4. He holds degrees from California State University, Northridge and
Middle East, Northern Africa, Spanish fla- California Institute of the Arts. Currently Dr. Kirov resides in Los Angeles, where he is an Associate Professor of Piano, Composition
and Theory at Los Angeles City College. He frequently gives master classes and lectures, and serves as a jury in piano, jazz and
menco, and known in jazz as the fifth mode chamber music competitions. Visit him online at milenkirov.net.
of the harmonic minor. It is in 7/8 meter
(3+2+2) where each hand plays a different
melodic line with a specific rhythm: The right
hand plays eighth note subdivisions while the
Example 1a
left hand is playing the large beats. At first,
you should always practice hands separate-
ly. When ready to put them together, start in
a slower tempo with even legato tone. When
you are comfortable with the exercise in a
variety of tempi, you can start practicing
with accents as detailed above.
In Example 1b, the melodic lines have
switched hands. Both exercises can and should Example 1b
be played in other keys as well. A simpler ver-
sion of this exercise is to play each line with
both hands separated by an octave or two.
Examples 2a, 2b and 2c show a one-mea-
sure exercise phrase in 7/16 (2+2+3 or rather
4+3) in a major key that is meant to be per-
formed chromatically all across the keyboard.
You can repeat each bar as many times as you Example 2a Example 2b
wish before moving a half step up. The trick
here is to feel the groove in two beats (quar-
ter and dotted eighth note) instead of three
(eighth, eighth, dotted eighth). This dance
rhythm is meant to be performed fast (hence
grouping the first two short beats into one lon-
ger beat). Work with the metronome hitting
only the first and the fifth 16th-note. Practice Example 2c
even legato tone and then with accents.
Example 3 is based on the half-whole
diminished (a.k.a. octatonic) scale and is in
11/8 (2+2+3+2+2), a popular Bulgarian dance
called Kopanitza. Here again, you should
practice with metronome in a variety of ways:
legato with even tone/touch, with accents, in
different tempi and dynamics. You can repeat
Example 3
each measure twice or more before moving a
half step up for the next measure.
By now, I trust you are getting the gist of
this approach to practicing complex rhythmic
structures and hand independence. One of the
exciting aspects of this type of creative play-
ing is that the possibilities are endless. You can
use any scale, mode, maqam or raga and cre-

Woodshed PRO SESSION
BY TOM HAMMER
ister, with the bass in the low register, horn pad

COURTESY TOM HAMMER
in the middle and piano up top. The arranger,

of course, is Nelson Riddle.
When you get in a rut and think it’s all
been done, stop and take a listen to this or
anything else that is truly inspiring. All this
can be played on solo piano. The beauty and
challenge for solo piano is trying to cover all
the parts yourself: picking out the key ele-
ments of a group arrangement and translating
it to work at the piano, whether it’s a pop song,
classic rock song, or big band or classical work.
Check out guitar tabs and play them on piano.
Andy Summers’ guitar voicings are great to
explore on piano. And, again, it’s all about how
he arranged those chords on the guitar that
Hammer recommends practicing blindfolded in order to get to
know your instrument and have it become an extension of you. helped create the sound of the Police. There
are so many places to find inspiration and then
All About Arranging: How run with it, reshape it and make it your own.
With all the available instruction online,
it’s very easy to get distracted and lose sight of
Choices Define Our Voices one’s self, and to lose sight of one’s own explo-
T
ration of the piano. There are so many possi-
hough I aspire to be as great as Herbie And it’s hard work looking at something in a bilities — they just have to be discovered.
or Chick or Oscar or Art or Thelonious completely different way. But it’s great prac- It’s such a great feeling to make a new dis-
or Keith (in my case, Keith Emerson), tice and great for your ear. And when you find covery. Give yourself a day and just see where
I will always be Tom Hammer. And I have something you like, make an exercise out of your practice takes you. Step out of your rou-
to remind myself of that from time to time. it. Tun it through every key and really get to tine for a change. Yes, you need the basics and
And though I try to grab a piece of those who know it so it becomes a part of you. the foundation and theory and technique, but
inspire, I have to play with my own voice and Take something you’ve only played in one there’s so much on the fringe. Go ahead and
spirit and enjoy the music as I play it and key, something with a nice elaborate arrange- mess around on your instrument, you may
express how I feel. It’s so easy to compare and ment, and then check it out in all the other even stumble upon a happy mistake. You only
judge ourselves to others, especially now when keys. It’s surprising what it will look and feel need the time and curiosity to go there.
you hear so many great players online. But like in another key, but it will start to open up
instead of dwelling on how you measure up more possibilities. Try practicing blindfold- Know your voice
to the greats, let’s talk about finding your own ed. Erroll Garner never looked at his hands In closing, here are some additional tips on
voice and style — a much more constructive — he was too busy smiling and looking at the how to discover and develop your voice:
activity than YouTube-gazing. audience, and his hands were all over the key- • Limitation breeds creativity. I was having
I remember when I was really little, before board. This is the way you get to know your a problem with a couple notes on my digi-
any lessons, just sitting and messing around at instrument, feel your instrument and have the tal keyboard one gig, so I was limited to the
the piano. It was a lot of exploration and dis- instrument become an extension of you. range in which I could play my solo. It ended
covery and so exciting. Seems like I’d forgot- Feel the the flow of the music. If there is no up being one of my best solos. I played much
ten that and don’t spend nearly enough time flow, then it will become stuck and feel more rhythmically and reworked a motive in
exploring for myself since I’ve been so busy labored. This will result in a feeling of fight- all sorts of different ways, since I was limited
chasing everyone else. I think it’s a question of ing yourself. And that’s the last thing we want. to the range of one octave.
what-ifs. If I have this note in the melody, and This is why all the great players look as if their • Make a list of your weaknesses: maybe
it’s this chord, what if I arrange the other notes playing is effortless. They are relaxed and free soloing in certain keys or over a particular set
this way or that way or add a note not in the and let the music happen instead of trying to of changes, or two-handed rhythmic patterns,
chord or alter a note? make it happen. or left-hand stride variations. Most impor-
In an interview with Joe Sample, he said So the choices about what to play are all tantly, make the list and practice — get on it.
that below the melody note, all notes are a pos- about arranging. And arranging is everything. • Let your ears guide your hands, not the
sibility. So in the end it all comes down to what Look at the Sinatra recording of “I’ve Got You other way around. DB
it sounds like and what sounds you like. Do Under My Skin.” The intro has a melody in
you like voicings that are spread out or voic- the bass with a 6/9 chord in fourths played Tom Hammer is a pianist, composer and producer who lives in
New Jersey. He studied classical piano performance at William
ing with clusters? Or a bit of both? Does the by the horns. Then the piano plays fourths Paterson College and has written music for ESPN for the last 20
melody always have to be in the right hand? I in the upper register, which also works when years. Tom collaborated with Cyndi Lauper on the Grammy/
Tony-winning musical Kinky Boots. He also accompanied Lisa
hope not. And if you do put the melody in the the next chord is played: the ii7 chord over the Fischer in the Oscar/Grammy winning documentary 20 Feet
left hand, then it’s going to change how you pedal bass, which is approached by chromatic From Stardom. Hammer has toured extensively with The Family
Stand. He also has a few song cowrites with Prince. Hammer is a
approach what you play in your right hand. fourths in the horns. It covers such a wide reg- Casio artist. Visit him online at tomhammer.com.

Woodshed SOLO
BY JIMI DURSO
COURTESY ELIANE ELIAS

Elias plays a 24-bar bebop style blues
Eliane Elias’ Piano Solo on ‘Impulsive!’

A
lthough her 1997 album Impulsive! creating a sense of space within the dense- much lighter. This is especially necessary since
(Stunt Records) was recorded with the ness of the melody line. (Notice the left hand the overlap I spoke of can sometimes occur
large Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, doesn’t just stop when the right crosses over, temporally. Some examples: The high G in the
on the title track pianist and composer Eliane it’s been out from 5–11 and 43 until the end.) left hand in bar 1 is the final note of the melo-
Elias starts her solo in a trio setting, backed As a corollary, when there’s space in the dy in the following measure.
only by bass and drums. melody is when the left hand fills in (15–16, The same thing happens with the high E in
We wouldn’t be able to fit her entire solo 28, 31–32 and 38–40). It isn’t a one-hand-or- the bass clef in the next measure. The D ♭ that
here, so I’ve started it where the groove starts the-other thing, though. Through much of her begins her solo line in measure 17 is the top
to solidify and provided two full choruses, just improvisation, Elias uses both hands togeth- note of Elias’ left-hand chords in that bar and
up until the rest of the ensemble enters with an er, but these sections where she limits it to one the next. Bars 31–33 have left-hand chords
interlude. It’s a 24-bar bebop-style blues at a hand create a positive vs. negative space sense whose high pitches go from C up to E ♭ and
brisk 274 bpm, though it does start out with a of openness and density together. back down to C. In the next bar, her melody
half-time feel, and it’s not until the second tran- Adding to this, though the right hand is starts off on the same C, and following that
scribed chorus that the rhythm section really restricted to single notes (with the exceptions the chords have a D a step above that. So the
lays into the fast swing. being bars 19 and 36, and in both of these parts never cross but the border between them
Elias plays with this half-time/fast tempo instances the left hand does not support the is treated as movable.
disparity, sometimes playing quarter-note right), the left hand plays three-note groups And it would have to be. Her right hand
lines, which could sound like eighths if one (fairly typical of jazz piano playing) and also alone covers an area of just over four octaves.
is hearing the half tempo (as in measures 2–3, diads and single notes. She’s varying both the By contrast, the left hand seems restricted to
21–27 and sort of 35–36), as well as eighth-note vertical and horizontal density. an octave and a third. This is curious, espe-
lines (5–8, 17–18, 41–48). Notice that not all There also doesn’t appear to be a dividing cially as this comping range sits within the
the quarter-note lines are in the half-time sec- line between melody and accompaniment in domain of the soloing range. Notice also that
tion and not all the eighth-note lines are in the terms of range. The solo line drops as far as when Elias plays long, flowing lines, that’s usu-
fast section. She’s playing on our perception of the low G in bass clef (bar 47), which is actually when she covers the most range, as in bars
time. Kind of like one of those graphics that ally much lower than her comping ever goes. 17–20 and 41–48. Measures 5–8 don’t travel as
can appear to be two different things depend- The comping reaches up to the G in treble clef far, but do sort of set us up for the later excur-
ing on how you look at it. (measure 40), which means there is a lot of sions. DB
I also really like her use of space and the overlap between where Elias hears the melody
dialogue between her hands. In the places and accompaniment. In fact, it’s really more Jimi Durso is a guitarist and bassist based in the New York area.
He recently released an album of Indian classical music played
where the melody drops down into the bass texture that separates the two, with Elias real- on the string bass, titled Border Of Hiranyaloka. Find out more
clef (bars 6–9, 46–48), the left hand lays out, ly digging in on the solo and tending to comp at jimidurso.bandcamp.com.

RICKIE LEE JONES SWINGS STANDARDS
JAMES
BRANDON
LEWIS
SUBVERTS
PROTOCOL
WALTER SMITH III GETS CASUAL
TAJ MAHAL FINDS JAZZ
JOEY BARON
BLINDFOLD TEST
46th
ANNUAL DOWNBEAT
STUDENT
MUSIC
AWARDS

Toolshed
Kawai CA401 & CA501 Digital Pianos

2 Powerful Midline Models Reach New Levels of Authenticity
K
awai makes the kind of digital pianos that are a natural fit in a
traditional piano showroom. During a recent visit to Cordogan’s
Pianoland in Geneva, Illinois, Kawai’s newly upgraded series
of Concert Artist digital pianos were right at home on display
among the store’s renowned inventory of fine acoustic grands,
baby grands and consoles.
That’s because Kawai’s digital Concert Artist models —
the CA401, CA 501, CA701 and CA901 — not only sound
exactly like high-end Kawai pianos (and sport appropri-
ately elegant looks), they also feel just like playing the real
thing, as revealed by recent play-testing. Their wooden key
actions and ivory touch key surfaces come straight out of
Kawai’s piano R&D, and their sounds have been upgrad-
ed to include the new Competition Grand piano sample,
which is recorded from the player’s perspective and pro-
vides a clearer, more realistic-sounding concert grand
experience. The CA samples capture the tone of the flag-
ship Shigeru Kawai 9-foot SK-EX Concert Grand and the
6-foot 7-inch SK-5 Chamber Grand — ultra-performance
level instruments respected worldwide for their exquisite
tone and touch — plus a variety of other acoustic piano and
instrument sounds.
The high-end CA701 ($4,389–$5,599) and flagship
CA901 ($6,399–$7,299) are for more advanced players who require
an instrument of the finest construction with the most refined and
nuanced sounds possible. They replace the company’s CA79 and CA99 more solid, partly because the audio team that did the sampling used a cus-
digital pianos, respectively. The more budget-friendly CA401 ($3,099) and tom mic that they used from the player perspective, picking up the sound
CA501 ($3,999), featuring great sounds and a compact version of the com- from that position,” said Alan Palmer, Digital Piano Product Manager
pany’s Grand Feel wooden key action, are major entries to the mid-level for Kawai America Corp. “It’s not a faster or harder attack, it’s just solid.
digital piano market. Our play-test focused mainly on these two models, There’s nothing lacking in there or any kind of lag. Some sample pianos
which are ideal digital options for pianists who play all the time and crave feel like no matter what, they’re never quite fast and don’t have that instant
the feeling of a real acoustic instrument. (The CA401 and CA501 replace connection with the player. This one has a nice, pleasing attack. The other
previous Kawai digital piano models CA49 and CA59.) thing Kawai went for was more of the string ring that you get from a big
The beauty of the CA401 is that it’s an “everything you need and noth- piano. The way they recorded it gives it a much more natural sound, like
ing you don’t” instrument, which will appeal to players looking to replace how a big concert grand really sounds.”
their old piano and don’t care about tons of features. It has 19 sampled The bass range is a little better balanced on the CA models now as well.
sounds and 40 watts of stereo power, enough to easily fill a room. The The new samples were taken from one of the latest Shigeru models, one
action is impeccable and it plays like a dream. that was chosen for its tonal clarity and had been used in several competi-
The redesigned CA501 has 45 sounds, an improved control panel with tions. The meticulously sampled sounds afford pianists an extraordinary
a large OLED display, a metronome with 100 rhythm styles and an level of expressiveness ranging from the softest pianissimo to the strongest
enhanced Virtual Technician feature that allows pianists to customize fortissimo, a rare quality for a digital piano in this price range.
various parameters regarding the tone of each sound. The CA501’s 100- The CA401 and CA501 are compatible with Kawai’s PianoRemote app
watt speaker system has been enhanced by 360-degree diffuser panels on and offer built-in Alfred lessons as well as Czerny, Chopin and Burgmuller
the top-mounted speakers that expand the sound distribution in all direc- pieces. In addition, both models are now compatible with Bluetooth MIDI
tions. Kawai also updated the CA501’s cabinet design, adopting the taller V5 and Bluetooth audio V5.
body and rounded edge details of the larger Concert Artist models, for a The power adaptor on these new digitals has been upgraded to provide
more contemporary look. Both the the CA401 and CA501 are available in smoother, cleaner sound. And Kawai’s three-pedal configuration has been
rosewood, satin black and satin white cabinet finishes. repositioned to more accurately replicate the height and feel of real grand
In addition to acoustic pianos, the CA501 also features an excellent piano pedals. It functions exquisitely and gives just the right amount of
selection of additional instrument sounds, ranging from dynamic elec- resistance to promote a real-feel and accommodate the subtle pedaling
tric pianos, realistic drawbar organs, lofty church organs, vibrant strings, techniques used by advanced players.
astounding human choirs and even atmospheric synth-style pads. The CA401 and CA501 attain superior levels of authenticity and make
One major improvement over previous models in the CA series is the for two great new entires to the midline digital piano market. —Ed Enright
immediate attack of each note as experienced by the player. “It’s much kawaius.com

Toolshed GEAR BOX
1
1. Experimental Synth
MicroFreak from Arturia is a peculiar instrument
that rewards the curious musician. It blends
wavetable and digital oscillators with analog
filters, and adds controlled randomness to
sequences. It features a unique poly-aftertouch
flat keyboard. MicroFreak has a versatile digital
oscillator so you can create rare and interesting
sounds with ease. Modes like Wavetable,
KarplusStrong, Harmonic OSC and three
granular engines give musicians the chance to
explore new possibilities.
2
More info: arturia.com
2. Semi-Modular Synth
An updated incarnation of its predecessors with
all the original features, the Behringer Neutron
lets you conjure up virtually any monophonic
sound imaginable with finesse and ease. The
pure analog signal path is based on authentic
VCO, VCF, VCA and state variable filter
designs in conjunction with a flexible, multi-
wave LFO and classic Bucket Brigade Delay
(BBD). Neutron can be mounted in a standard
Eurorack, making it ideal for the studio or the
road.
More info: behringer.com
3
3. Modeling Synth
Roland’s SYSTEM-8 synth architecture includes
authentic models of classic oscillators, filters
and effects. It even has down-to-the-circuit
recreations of the JUPITER-8, JUNO-106 and
JX-3P built-in, not to mention the collection of
legendary synths available on Roland Cloud. It
has multiple flavors of digital and analog-style
oscillators including Saw, Square, Triangle,
SuperSaw, FM and more completely unique
waveforms. Filter options include the famous
JUPITER and JUNO filters as well as more recent
designs like the unique Side Band Filter.
More info: roland.com
4. Virtual Analog Synth 4

Sledge 2.0 from Studiologic is a mix of pure
synthesis and sound sampling. New features
expand the synthesizer’s power and versatility.
Combine and play two sounds at the same time,
in Split or Layer mode. Every sound combination
can be stored in any of the 999 available
presets. Sound samples and new waves can be
loaded in the internal memory, played by OSC 1
and modifiable by all parameters of the control
panel.
More info: studiologic-music.com
5. FM Synth
The Korg volca fm is a six-voice, six-operator
FM synthesizer with all 32 classic algorithms, a
16-step loop sequencer, effects and a powerful
arpeggiator that reproduces the sound of the
Yamaha DX7 and is completely compatible with
5
SYS-EX patches for the DX7. The volca fm is the
ultimate portable FM solution for all musicians.
This new generation has double the voices of
its predecessor, added effects, and expanded
its MIDI connectivity and intuitive interface.
With six voices (instead of the three of its
predecessor), the volca fm brings a new world
of harmonic possibilities to your production.
More info: korg.com

Jazz On Campus
it’s like to be part of a professional jazz tour
LAUREN DESBERG
before she graduated from the jazz program at
the University of Southern California in 2005.
After winning a DownBeat Student Music
Award, she was chosen to join a national tour
that included vocalists Karrin Allyson, Diane
Schuur and Oleta Adams.
“I learned so much from them on that tour,”
she recalled. “How to interface with a sound
person. What songs open and close sets well.
Even what to do when the merch is lost. Those
are all things I didn’t learn in school, which
turned out to be really important elements of
my success as a professional musician.”
Gazarek is interested in making sure the
new vocal jazz track at Eastman is fully inte-
“I think most jazz musicians exist in a space where the unknown is actually pretty thrilling,”
grated with the school’s prestigious instrumen-
said Sara Gazarek about putting together the new jazz vocal program at Eastman School of Music. tal jazz program. Soprano saxophonist, orches-
Gazarek Heads New

tra leader and arranger Christine Jensen, who
joined the faculty last year as an assistant pro-
fessor and director of the acclaimed Eastman
Eastman Vocal Program

Jazz Ensemble, has brought her own fresh per-
spective to the program — and is looking for-
ward to working with Gazarek.
EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC AT THE Grammy nominations: two for Thirsty Ghost “Eastman has built a great musical tradi-
University of Rochester, founded in 1921, cel- and one for säje’s debut recording. She has tion,” said Jensen. “But the music changes, the
ebrated its centennial a year late because of taught for the last 12 years at the Thornton music industry changes, and academic insti-
COVID, but it did so in style, commission- School of Music at the University of Southern tutions tend to be the last things that change.
ing more than 40 world premieres, many com- California. Eastman has clearly committed to change, and
posed by Eastman graduates. But the school is “I’m looking forward to being invited into a this is a really exciting time. Sara’s ideas are
not content with resting on past achievements, space at Eastman where there’s curiosity and going to provide a new balance to things.”
especially when it comes to jazz education. openness,” said Gazarek. “They’ve said, ‘We “I think there will be important founda-
In 1995 Eastman began offering an under- trust that you know how to teach vocal jazz.’ It’s tional things at the core of what we’re hoping to
graduate degree in jazz studies to complement a beautiful gift to hear someone say, ‘We want do with the new jazz voice program that I want
its existing master’s degree program. It resulted you in this role. How can we help you?’ That’s every student to have access to,” said Gazarek.
in a dramatic expansion huge.” “A deep understanding of music theory, ear
This past June, Eastman announced anoth- “At Eastman we realize we’re not the experts training and ensemble work, musicianship,
er major expansion of its jazz and contempo- at teaching vocal jazz,” explained Rossi. “We’re compositional skills and other tools as well.
rary media program: adding a jazz voice under- looking to Sara to bring her expertise to refine I really want to instill a broad sense of what’s
graduate degree program that will begin in Fall what the curriculum will become over the next available to them in the hope that they can see
2024. Vocalist and educator Sara Gazarek will year. Sara’s a person of energy, intelligence and a path for themselves that’s undefined — and
lead the new program, with the tenure-track warmth. I’m so excited about what she’s going also one they can choose how to traverse.”
title of associate professor of jazz voice. to bring to the school.” Gazarek officially joined Eastman’s faculty
“We began putting together a skeleton of a For Gazarek, her role in shaping the on July 1 and is eager to begin shaping the cur-
jazz voice program two years ago,” said Jamal Eastman vocal jazz program also presents an riculum of the new track as well as getting the
Rossi, the Joan and Martin Messinger dean of opportunity to bridge the gap between jazz word out to begin recruiting the initial class of
school. “But we needed to find the right jazz education and the world of professional jazz vocalists who will enroll in the program in the
vocalist — someone who’s also a great teach- performance. 2024–2025 academic year. “I’ll be doing a lot of
er and has the ability to build a great program. “It’s an opportunity to put together a pro- outreach at the JEN Convention, at feeder high
And Sara certainly is the ideal candidate.” gram to address what our jazz vocal students schools and community colleges and doing
Gazarek has built an impressive resume really need to help them thrive in the world brainstorming about other ways to get the word
since releasing her debut album, Yours, in of performance art,” she said. “It’s thrilling to out. And I’m also looking forward to being able
2005. She now has four additional studio me to have the opportunity to pull from what to keep thriving as a creative individual and a
albums to her credit: Return To You, Blossom I’ve learned as a jazz musician and in dedicat- jazz musician,” she said. “It’s certainly a chal-
& Bee, Dream In The Blue and Thirsty Ghost, ing my life to this art form, and I want to use lenge putting a brand-new program together
as well as a recent EP, Vanity. She is a found- that experience to change the way the program in a year, but it’s also good to have the runway
ing member of the vocal group säje, which also is designed, and help students provide what the to pull it all together. The idea of the unknown
includes Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick world wants from them. and the path uncharted is exciting — but it’s not
and Erin Bentlage. Gazarek has earned three Gazarek had the chance to experience what overwhelming.” —Terry Perkins

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DB Buyers Guide
Berklee College of Music........ 33 Edition Records........................31 P. Mauriat............................... 75
berklee.edu editionrecords.com pmauriatmusic.com
Blue Note Records.................... 5 Greenleaf Music..................... 10 Patois Records........................ 14
bluenote.com greenleafmusic.com patoisrecords.net
Cannonball Music..................... 7 Hyde Park Jazz Festival.......... 27 Pittsburgh Jazz
cannonballmusic.com hydeparkjazzfestival.org Festival...................................40
Casio......................................... 9 JEN – Jazz Education pittsburghjazzfest.org
casiomusicgear.com Network.................................. 63 Pyroclastic Records..................17
Circle 9 Music........................... 8 jazzednet.org pyroclasticrecords.com
circle9music.com JodyJazz................................. 76 Sam Martinelli Music................ 8
Creative Perspective Music.... 42 jodyjazz.com sammartinellimusic.com
donbraden.com Kawai...................................... 41 Solid Jackson
Criss Cross Jazz....................... 47 kawaius.com Records................................... 10
crisscrossjazz.com Malletech................................19 javonjackson.com
Daly Bread..............................44 malletech.com SteepleChase
clairedaly.com Monterey Jazz Festival........... 67 Productions............................ 47
DC Jazz Festival.......................21 montereyjazzfestival.org steeplechase.dk
dcjazzfest.org NJPAC – New Jersey U.S. Navy Band....................... 55
DownBeat ..............65, 69, 71, 73 Performing Arts Center...........12 navyband.navy.mil
downbeat.com njpac.org Vandoren.................................. 3
Dünya....................................... 2 Nonesuch Records.................. 57 dansr.com
sanlikol.com nonesuch.com VJC Publications....................... 4
Eastman School of Music........ 43 Oregon Coast Jazz Party........... 4 valleyjazz.org
esm.rochester.edu/jazz coastarts.org William Paterson
Eastman Winds........................ 11 Origin Records.........................15 University............................... 25
eastmanwinds.com origin-records.com wpunj.edu

MARK SHELDON
Blindfold Test BY MARK RUFFIN
Sullivan Fortner
B efore taking a live Blindfold Test in Indianapolis during the
American Pianists Association Awards last April, pianist Sullivan
Fortner was asked to tell the audience about a deal he struck with his
father. His father wanted the young pianist to go into medicine. Fortner
said no. With tears in his eyes, Fortner’s dad relented, but asked his son
to do one thing. “He said, ‘The only thing I ask is that you go and you get
a master’s degree,” Fortner said. “At least when all else fails, you could
teach. So I went to Oberlin and Manhattan School and got a master’s
degree.” The rest is history. Fortner is one of the bright stars on the scene
today who happened to win the American Pianists Association Award “He was the coolest, Fortner says of Nat “King” Cole. “Didn’t break a sweat.”
in 2015. This is his first Blindfold Test. He gave 1,000 stars to every artist
because, “If you play a jazz or anything closely remotely to this thing that changed the way jazz piano is played, period, is more known for his sing-
we call jazz or African-American classical music or American classical ing voice, which is great. There’s nothing wrong with his singing. I’ve
music, everybody deserves a thousand stars.” learned a lot from his singing. But the piano playing was something pret-
ty spectacular. Pretty spectacular. Pretty perfect.
That was “Caravan.” And what’s funny about it is that it is very rare
Tommy Flanagan that you hear him stride. That’s what threw me off. You don’t hear him
“Beat’s Up” (Overseas, Prestige, 1958) Flanagan, piano; Wilbur Little, bass; Elvin Jones, do that much. Everybody came from Nat — Teddy Wilson and Ahmad
drums.
Jamal. Oscar Peterson.
That’s Tommy. This is very early, Tommy, though. It’s the way those cats
He was the coolest. Didn’t break a sweat.
orchestrated, the way they orchestrated the piano and how they used,
you know, the blues inflections and registration. [vocalizes it] And some- Ahmad Jamal
thing about the beat, and the way that the beat felt, really signaled Detroit “Autumn In New York” (Live At Bubba’s, Who’s Who in Jazz, 1980) Jamal, piano; Sabu
to me. Hank Jones. Barry Harris. Sir Roland Hannah. Something in their Adeyola, bass; Payton Crossley, drums.
beat and how it felt. Even Johnny, Johnny O’Neil. Something in the way It’s Ahmad. There it is. I met him a couple times. He told me two things.
their rhythm felt — that buoyancy and the looping of the quarter notes. I asked him once, I said, “How do you come up with those timeless
arrangements that last forever.” And he said, “I don’t eat pork, and I pray
Geri Allen every day.” The other thing he told me, he said, “Don’t do drugs and don’t
“Soul Heir” (The Gathering, Verve, 1998) Allen, piano; Buster Williams, bass; Lenny
get anybody pregnant.” That’s my Ahmad Jamal story. [laughs]
White, drums.
That’s Geri. What a sweet lady, man, oh, man. I do have a story, an intimate Herbie Hancock
story. The week that Geri passed, Joan Belgrave, Marcus Belgrave’s wife, “Mimosa” (Inventions & Dimensions, Blue Note, 1964) Hancock, piano; Paul Chambers,
called me. She said, “I need you to make a playlist for Geri, she’s definite- bass; Willie Bobo, drums/timbales; Osvaldo “Chihuahua” Martinez, percussion.
ly going to transition.” And, you know, they wanted me to come up with I’m gonna hate myself. Any guesses? [to the audience] Herbie. That’s
a playlist for her. So I made a playlist of like Muhal Richard Abrams and Herbie. Now I hear it. Now it’s there. There it is. What record is this?
Randy Weston and Alice Coltrane, you know, things that I know about Ruffin: This album is Inventions…
Geri and the people that influenced her. … A couple of days after she Fortner: Inventions & Dimensions. Gahd doggit! Sure is! Sure is. What
passed, Joan called me. She said, “She was listening to your playlist when do you say about Herbie Hancock? Pretty much every piano player who
she passed.” So it was kind of my gift to her as she was leaving in transition. ever played with Miles Davis post-Ahmad was influenced by Ahmad
Jamal. So much so that they would pretty much steal Ahmad’s arrange-
Duke Ellington ments and play them on their records. “Billy Boy” was a perfect exam-
“Take The A Train” (Uptown, Columbia, 1953) Ellington, piano; The Duke Ellington
ple. Miles made Red Garland play it exactly like Ahmad Jamal on the
Orchestra.
Milestones album [Columbia, 1958].
Ruffin: It’s too easy.
Fortner: It was Duke Ellington. I really can’t stress this enough. This
Gerald Clayton
dude literally was the greatest. Can we actually start it from the top? “Scrimmage” (Two-Shade, Emarcy, 2009) Clayton, piano; Joe Sanders, bass; Justin
Ruffin: This is one of the best piano solos ever to me. Brown, drums.
Fortner: Just love it. The greatest. Yes, the absolute greatest. And what My generation? I’m down to five, but wait until the solo.
was interesting about him is that this particular solo — you can kind of Ruffin: Want more clues? He got it through osmosis.
trace from the very first time he played it until the very last time with a Fortner: Gerald. That’s Gerald Clayton. He was in the three that I was
few minor adjustments. He pretty much takes the same solo. Like there narrowing it down to. At first, there was something he did that almost
are certain sections that remain. made me say Christian [Sands]. But then he did something in the begin-
ning, and I said, “Naw, that’s probably Gerald,” but it’s early Gerald
Nat “King” Cole because Gerald don’t play like that now. DB
“Caravan” (Blues, Jazz At The Philharmonic, Featuring Nat King Cole and Les Paul) Cole,
piano; Les Paul, guitar.
The “Blindfold Test” is a listening test that challenges the featured artist to discuss and identify
That’s Nat “King” Cole. Ha! Whoops! How about that? It’s just baffling to the music and musicians who performed on selected recordings. The artist is then asked to rate
me. You know, somebody like the man, “King” Cole, who pretty much each tune using a 5-star system. No information is given to the artist prior to the test.


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September 2023

President Kevin Maher

Musical Instruments & East Coast Schools

Record Companies & Schools

188 W. Industrial Dr., Ste. 310, Elmhurst, IL 60126

Jack Maher, President 1970-2003

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Send orders and address changes to: DOWNBEAT,

4 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

In late May 2022, pianist and

6 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

Bennett’s passing ends what was perhaps the longest

Tony Bennett, Rest In Peace

8 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

10 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

Marc Ribot’s Rock Dreams

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 13

14 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

Warren Wolf Beyond Vibes

16 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 17

with some Jazz DNA

18 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

McCree: Your meditation on that experience,

McCree: The lullaby “Byssan Lull” traces another

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 19

Bartz, Blanchard, Myers,

Jana Herzen Reflects

20 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

In late May 2022, Kris Davis realized

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 23

“One thing that is very cool about this group

24 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

Flying Through Resistance

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 25

26 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 27

When Tyshawn Sorey turned 40 a few months into the

28 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

30 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 31

32 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 33

a video of him playing on the streets.”

JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 35

36 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

A RECORD YOU’D WANT

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 37

past and present, to say nothing of nightly DJ

40 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 41

of the band with loads of experience navigating the procedures of mul-

42 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 43

SEPTEMBER 2023 DOWNBEAT 45

46 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2023

Critics Jim Macnie Paul de barros Suzanne Lorge J.D. Considene

Kurt Rosenwinkel ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★½ ★★★★½

Critics Jim Macnie Paul de barros Suzanne Lorge J.D. Considene