Richard Sussman Quintet – Live at Sweet Rhythm – Origin 3 Sep 2010, 12:00 am

Richard Sussman Quintet – Live at Sweet Rhythm – Origin 82563, 61:42 ****: (Richard Sussman – piano, producer; Tom Harrell – trumpet; Jerry Bergonzi – tenor saxophone; Mike Richmond – bass; Jeff Williams – drums) Usually magical moments only occur once. But sometimes, with luck, magic strikes twice. That’s the glory of Live at Sweet Rhythm, which features the Richard Sussman Quintet, also known as the Free Fall Reunion Band. First a bit of history to set the proper perspective: back in 1978 p...

The Marsalis Family – Music Redeems – Marsalis Music 1 Sep 2010, 12:00 am

The Marsalis Family – Music Redeems – Marsalis Music 0013, 66:58 ***1/2: (Ellis Marsalis – piano; Branford Marsalis – saxophone; Wynton Marsalis – trumpet; Ellis Marsalis III – spoken word; Delfeayo Marsalis – trombone; Jason Marsalis – drums, vibes & whistling;  Harry Connick Jr. – piano (tracks 7 and 8); Eric Revis – bass; Herlin Riley – drums) Music Redeems reveals the outcome of an inestimable father and his famed sons coming together. This 12-track, 66-minute album documents the ...

Mingus Big Band- Live At Jazz Standard – JSM 30 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Mingus Big Band- Live At Jazz Standard – JSM 370701, 71:53 ***½: (Randy Brecker, trumpet; Kenny Rampton, trumpet; Earl Gardner, trumpet; Wayne Escoffery, tenor Saxophone; Abraham Burton, tenor Saxophone; Vincent Herring, alto saxophone; Douglas Yates, flute, alto and soprano saxophones; Lauren Sevian, baritone saxophone; Ku-umba Frank Lacy, trombone and vocals; Conrad Herwig, trombone; Earl Mcintyre, bass trombone and tuba; David Kikoski, piano; Boris Kozlov, bass; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums) On...

Chris Colangelo – Elaine’s Song – C Note 30 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Chris Colangelo – Elaine’s Song – C Note CNR001, 60:53 ****: (Chris Colangelo – bass, producer; John Beasley – piano; Steve Hass – drums; Bob Sheppard – tenor saxophone (tracks 1 and 9) and soprano saxophone (tracks 3 and 8); Benn Clatworthy – tenor saxophone (tracks 2 and 6) and flute (track 4); Zane Musa – alto saxophone (track 2)) Anyone familiar with the Los Angeles jazz scene probably is already acquainted with bassist Chris Colangelo: he has worked at length in the City of Angels jazz ci...

Chris Massey’s Nue Jazz Project – Vibrainium – Chris Massey Music 29 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Chris Massey’s Nue Jazz Project – Vibrainium – Chris Massey Music, 45:46 [9/2/10] ****: (Chris Massey – drums, producer; Donald Malloy – trumpet; Benjamin Drazen – alto and soprano saxophone; Evgeny Lebedev – piano; David Ostrem – bass) Drummer Chris Massey evokes two areas of interest from the 1960s – Marvel comic books and Blue Note-era jazz – on his self-released debut as a leader, Vibrainium, credited to the Nue Jazz Project quintet. Massey might not be familiar to some, but has performed ...

Mike Mainieri - Crescent - NYC 29 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Mike Mainieri - Crescent - NYC 6041 (2 CDs) 44:24, 45:13 *****: (Mike Mainieri, Vibraphone; Charlie Mariano, Alto Saxophone; Dieter Ilg, Double Bass) It’s always tragic when we lose another talented jazz player. Recently, saxophonist Charlie Mariano passed away, and  many mourn his passing. Mike Mainieri’s latest album, Crescent, features the last recordings Mariano made, and Mainieri dedicates the record to him. On the album both of them, with Dieter Ilg backing on bass, explore composit...

Doug Webb - Midnight - Posi-Tone 29 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Doug Webb - Midnight - Posi-Tone PR 8070, 52:19 ****: (Doug Webb, saxophones; Larry Goldings, piano; Stanley Clarke, bass; Gerry Gibbs, drums; with special guests: Joe Bagg (tracks 1 & 4) and Mahesh Balasooriya, (track 5) - piano) Both Los Angeles and New York City have many jazz musicians who remain largely a secret to the public as they remain mostly in the background, playing on studio sets for television and movies. They certainly are known to band leaders who know they can be counted ...

Vijay Iyer, solo piano – Solo – ACT 27 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Vijay Iyer, solo piano – Solo – ACT 9497-2, 56:59 [8/31/10] ****1/2: After listening to pianist Vijay Iyer’s first solo album, simply titled Solo, the initial inquiry is: what took so long? Iyer’s multifaceted career has been fruitful: he worked with Steve Coleman and the M-Base collective in the mid 1990s, collaborated with Roscoe Mitchell and Wadada Leo Smith, has been involved in classical commissions, rock projects and traditional Indian music and earlier this year was named Musician of the...

James Moody – 4B – IPO 24 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

James Moody – 4B – IPO 1017, [8/24/10] 61:04 *****: (James Moody – tenor saxophone; Kenny Barron – piano; Todd Coolman – bass; Lewis Nash – drums) It goes without saying anyone who likes tenor saxophone is a James Moody fan. He is considered one of the first tenor men to play bebop extensively; was a longtime Dizzy Gillespie cohort; and has a broad, distinguished career. This year Moody celebrated his 85th birthday and to help with the commemoration comes 4B, the second part or companion piec...

Steve Tibbetts - Natural Causes - ECM 20 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Steve Tibbetts - Natural Causes - ECM 6025 270 2164 5, 44:02 [6/15/10] ****:(Steve Tibbetts - guitars, piano, kalimba, bouzouki; Marc Anderson - percussion, steel drums, gongs) The clichés have already been printed about Steve Tibbetts and his guitar-playing abilities.  But, if he had 12 fingers to play the 12-string guitar on Natural Causes, my bets are that he would be a household name by now.  The Minneapolis native takes it to the next level with each album released.  Explori...

Barbara Carroll Trio - Something to Live For (Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola / Jazz at Lincoln Center) - Harbinger Records 14 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Barbara Carroll Trio - Something to Live For (Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola / Jazz at Lincoln Center) - Harbinger Records HCD--2601 [Distr. by Qualiton] *****:(Barbara Carroll, piano & vocals; Ken Peplowski, tenor sax & clarinet; Jay Leonhart, doiublebass; Alvin Atkinson, drums) Known as “the first girl to play bebop piano,”  Barbara Carroll is one of the top women in jazz and is now 85 years old and still working.  While she dropped out of the jazz world for a period when pu...

Cindy Blackman – Another Lifetime - Four Quarters Entertainment 12 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Cindy Blackman – Another Lifetime - Four Quarters Entertainment FQT-CD-1820, 55:05 ****: (Cindy Blackman – drums, vocals, spoken word; Doug Carn – organ; Benny Rietveld – bass; Mike Stern – guitar; Carlton Holmes – synthesizer; Fionn O Lochlainn – guitar; Vernon Reid – guitar; Patrice Rushen – Fender Rhodes, synthesizer; David Santos – bass; Joe Lovano – tenor sax) Cindy Blackman was destined to be a musician. With both of her parents steeped in classical music, she would acquire a first set o...

Billy Bang – Prayer for Peace – TUM Records 12 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Billy Bang – Prayer for Peace – TUM Records TUM CD 018, 69:57 ****1/2: (Billy Bang – violin; James Zollar – trumpet, flugelhorn; Andrew Bemkey – piano; Todd Nicholson – bass; Newman Taylor-Baker – drums; Milton Cardona – conga, percussion (tracks 2 & 5); Joe Gonzalez – bongos, percussion (tracks 2 &5)) Jazz violinist Billy Bang deserves to be better known: he is a veteran who has collaborated with Sun Ra, Don Cherry and Sam Rivers; was an important member of New York City’s loft jazz s...

Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto – Take Your Pick - 335 Records 11 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto – Take Your Pick - 335 Records CD335-1006, 61:06  ****: (Larry Carlton - guitar; Tak Matsumoko - guitar; Billy Kilson - drums; Michael Rhodes - bass; Jeff Babko - keyboards; Mark Dourhit – saxophone; Watanabe Fire – saxophone; Kazuhiro Takeda - saxophone; Mike Haynes – trumpet; Osamu Ueishu - trumpet; Barry Green – trombone; Azusa Tojo - trombone.) Larry Carlton may be the most or least known guitarist of the last 40 years. Despite a long-term affiliation...

Chie Imaizumi - A Time of New Beginnings - Capri Records 11 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Chie Imaizumi - A Time of New Beginnings - Capri Records 74104-2, 63:43 *****: (Chie Imaizumi, composer and arranger; Randy Brecker, Greg Gisbert, Terrell Stafford - trumpets/ flugelhorn; Steve Wilson, Scott Robinson & Gary Smulyan - saxophones, clarinets, flute; Steve Davis, trombone; Mike Abbott, guitar; Tamir Hendelman, piano; John Clayton, bass; Jeff Hamilton & Paul Romaine, drums) When we reviewed Chie Imaizumi’s last CD for Capri Records in 2007.  We noted that her compositi...

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (with special guest, Jimmy Heath) - The Endless Search - Origin Records 11 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (with special guest, Jimmy Heath) - The Endless Search - Origin Records 82565, 51:47 ****:(Michael Brockman, Mark Taylor, Hadley Caliman, Travis Ranney, Bill Ramsay, Scott Macpherson - reeds; Scott Brown, David Marriott, Jr., Dan Marcus, Bill Anthony, David Bentley - trombones; Cesar Amaral, Andy Omdahl, Dennis Haldane, Jay Thomas, Thomas Marriott - trumpets; Jon Hansen, tuba; Randy Halberstadt, Bill Anschell (track 5), piano; Phil Sparks, bass; Clarence Acox, dr...

Dave Wilson Quartet – Spiral – Summit 11 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Dave Wilson Quartet – Spiral – Summit DCD 544, 61:38 ****: (Dave Wilson – tenor and soprano saxophone; Phil Markowitz – piano; Tony Marino – bass; Adam Nussbaum – drums) Some jazz recordings seem produced to fit specific kinds of listeners or audiences: avantgarde, traditional, pop-oriented, soul jazz and others. Pennsylvania-based saxophonist Dave Wilson does not create jazz in an attempt to complement all tastes but nevertheless one listen to Wilson’s third album as leader, Spiral, and it be...

Jessica Williams, piano - Touch - Origin Records 9 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Jessica Williams, piano - Touch - Origin Records 82566, 56.5 min. *****: Pianist Jessica Williams was recorded live at The Triple Door in Seattle in this eight-track CD of four of her original compositions plus one each from Gershwin, Mingus, Coltrane and Johnny Green. I’ve long felt she is one of the very finest jazz pianists today - a jazz equivalent of Martha Argerich in the classical world. And her notes in the booklet are some of the most interesting notes from a performer I have ever read...

Esperanza Spalding – Chamber Music Society – Heads Up International 6 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Esperanza Spalding – Chamber Music Society – Heads Up International – HUI-31810, 56:20 ****: (Esperanza Spalding – acoustic bass, vocals; Leo Genovese – piano, Rhodes, Melodica; Terri Lyne Carrington – drums; Quintino Cinalli – percussion, Candombe Drums, Bombo Leguero; Entcho Todorov – violin; Lois Martin – viola; David Eggar – cello; Milton Nascimento – voice; Gretchen Parlato – voice; Ricardo Vogt – guitar.) The concept of integrating jazz with classical music is daunting. To Esperanza Spal...

John Lee Hooker Jr. - Live In Istanbul, Turkey - CCE 6 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

John Lee Hooker Jr. - Live In Istanbul, Turkey - CCE 92009, 64:20 ****:(John Lee Hooker Jr., vocals; Darrell Fields, bass; Mike Roger, drums; Jeff Horan, guitar; James Anderson, keyboards; Mike Rinta, trombone; Frankie Bailey, trumpet; Frank Thibeaux, bass, vocals; KT Turner, vocals; John Garcia, guitar; Will Griffin, keyboards; Elpher Legaspi, organ, vocals; Angelo Santi, guitar; Joe Cohen, saxophone; Pam Hawkins, vocals) John Lee Hooker Jr.’s latest release on Steppin’ Stones Records, Live In...

Sun Ra Arkestra under dir. of Marshall Allen - Live At The Paradox - IOR 5 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Sun Ra Arkestra under dir. of Marshall Allen - Live At The Paradox - IOR CD 77098-2, 66:45 *****: (Marshall Allen, director, alto sax, EVI, flute, clarinet, vocals; Charles Davis, tenor sax; Knoel Scott, alto sax, vocals; Yahya Abdul Majid, tenor sax; Danny Thompson, bars, flute, percussion; Rey Scott, bars, flute; Fred Adams, trumpet; Cecil Brooks, trumpet; Dave Davis, trombone, tuba; Farid Barron, piano, organ; Dave Hotep, guitar; Juini Booth, bass; Wayne A. Smith Jr., drums; Elson Nascimento...

Roberto Occhipinti – A Bend in the River – Alma 5 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Roberto Occhipinti – A Bend in the River – Alma ACD11182, 47:40 ***1/2: (Roberto Occhipinti – bass, producer; Luis Deniz – alto saxophone; David Virelles – piano; Dafnis Prieto – drums; Tony Allen – drums (track 2); Michael Occhipinti guitar (track 2)) Toronto-based bassist Roberto Occhipinti is equally at home in both classical music and jazz realms, since he has spent time in Canadian orchestras and recorded and performed jazz that employs orchestral elements. In addition, Occhipinti has wor...

Claudio Roditi - Simpatico - Resonance Records 4 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Claudio Roditi - Simpatico - Resonance Records HCD-2008 ****: (Claudio Roditi - trumpet, Flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, vocal; Romero Lubambo - guitar; Michael Dease - trombone; Helio Alves - piano; John Lee - elec. bass; Duduka da Fonseca - drums; orch. arr. on Slow Fire by Kuno Schmid) We liked Claudio Roditi’s 2009 effort for Resonance, which was nominated for a Grammy, and here is a new one with some differences. Instead of some fellow Brazilian players joining in the blend of samba and boss...

Jim Rotondi - 1000 Rainbows - Posi-Tone 3 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Jim Rotondi - 1000 Rainbows - Posi-Tone PR8062, 52:34 ****½: (Jim Rotondi, trumpet; Joe Locke, vibes; Danny Grissett, piano; Barak Mori, bass; Bill Stewart, drums) Jim Rotondi is one bad cat. He can purr on his trumpet or growl like a tiger on a hunt, whether with the collective hard bop super band, One for All, or in a quintet setting as a leader, like on his latest issue for Posi-Tone, 1000 Rainbows, where he is the sole horn. In his abilities, he so much brings to mind either Lee Morgan or ...

Patty Cronheim – Days Like These – Say So Records 2 Aug 2010, 12:00 am

Patty Cronheim – Days Like These – Say So Records – SSR-9 ****½: (Patty Cronheim – vocals; Aaron Weiman – piano/Rhodes; Brian Glassman – bass; Corey Rawls – drums; Greg Wall – tenor/soprano saxophone; Clifford Adams – trombone; Audrey Welber – alto saxophone) All musicians have to pay their dues. In the case of Patty Cronheim, a rigorous self-directed musical education, combined with tenacity and talent has propelled this artist to the precipice of national recognition As a child, she took the...