Saxophonist Owen Broder and Quartet Dazzle at 1905 Jazz Club

Owen Broder at the 1905 Jazz Club

The multi-reed player Owen Broder is a new name to me. I was fortunate to get to see this musician and his quartet Friday April 11, 2025 at his first set show at the 1905 Jazz Club in Portland. Broder is a talented musician whose creativity bubbles up with modernity with each note he plays. But his respect for the tradition and those who blazed the path of this music before him becomes apparent when you witness his mastery and the reverence with which he plays his instrument.

Broder is a saxophonist/composer/educator with multiple skills on clarinet, baritone and soprano saxophones, and his main instrument, the alto saxophone. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and received his baccalaureate at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and his master's at the Manhattan School of Music in NYC. My personal unfamiliarity with this man's work in no way reflects on the well-received acclaim this artist has received for his previous work. He is a sought after section player in large-ensembles and has performed as a member of many prestigious orchestras including the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evan's Project, Miho Hazama's Orchestra and Anat Cohen's Grammy Nominated Tentet, to name a few.

Broder's own work as a leader includes his American Roots Project: Heritage from 2018, which Downbeat's Bobby Reed called it "A transcendent work of art."  His Cowboys and Frenchmen Quintet, which fellow JJA member and Downbeat critic Howard  wrote  “The ensemble is smart, cohesive, ... using virtuosic skills and rhythmic power to walk the line between irony and earnestness, with listenability as high a priority as group creativity.” His 2022 album Johnny Hodges: front and Center Vol 1, received multiple critical acclaim. Broder is  a respected educator that works as the Director of Jazz Studies at Reed College and as as an adjunct professor at Portland State and Pacific Universities.

Broder's esteemed career and his reputation for having a transcending sound on the alto, made his performance at the 1905 something I was looking forward to. 

Broder came with both a soprano and alto saxophone to the club, but at my set he concentrated on his burnished alto. The group were all local musicians that played with confidence and poise. Broder introduced the pianist Kerry Politzer on piano, Bill Athens on bass and Machado Mijiga on drums. Broder made it a point to explain to the receptive audience that tonight's music would be drawn predominantly from local Portland-based composers who he felt deserved attention. 

The music opened with a tune composed by local drummer/composer Rivah Ross. Ross's "Dare to Hope" is a driving piece of music that she released on her debut album of the same name in 2024. The music features a repeating main line that features roiling drum work by Mijiga supported by Athens anchored bass lines. It allows Broder's probing, yet silky alto, some creative space to stretch out and explore over the top. Politzer's piano featured repeating, percussive chord lines that had a Tyner-like influence to them. These like-minded musicians had developed a connection that only comes from familiarity and respect.

The remaining set included five additional Portland based compositions. One  from the dynamic drummer Machado Mijiga (whose title I missed); "Channeling" from local pianist/educator Todd Marston from his album Integer from 2022, which to me had a Bad Plus feel to it; the slinky, ethereal  "Venus" from inventive local guitar icon Dan Balmer, from his 2006 album Thanksgiving; one from arranger/saxophonist/composer Jessika Smith, a local educator whose music is originally composed to be played by a big band and claims Buddy Rich as one of her inspirations; and one from the local legend pianist/drummer/educator George Colligan's "Waiting for Solitude" which is a progressive piece from his brilliant 2013 release The Endless Mysteries. 

Despite the diversity of the music, the group showed familiarity and facility navigating the selections with poise, enthusiasm, and inspiration. Broder's skill is top notch, with liquid lines that pour out of his horn with purpose, creativity and tonal beauty. His mastery of tone was especially impressive when the group tackled the only composition that was not composed by a Portlander. On the Quincy Jones composition "Midnight Sun Will Never Set," Broder's horn was such a delight. His sound was rich, resonant and silky, and one couldn't help but compare the way he played with his cherished alto master predecessors like Desmond, Woods and  Johnny Hodges, whom Broder used for the inspiration of his fabulous album  Johnny Hodges: front and Center Vol 1 from 2022.

Let's not take anything away from Broder's compadres. Bill Athens provided some nice probing solos and anchored the rhythm throughout. Mijiga's trap and cymbal work provided powerful drive, but he also intuitively added subtle accenting to the music creating a textural base upon which his bandmates could rely. Politzer's piano work was rhythmically dynamic, with Shearing-like block chording alternating with graceful embellishments, trills and arpeggios that had a Errol Garner-like feel. Broder was the architect in control of this splendid evening of music. He is a calm driving force with thoughtful purpose in his approach. His liquid, tonal beauty flows like honey out of his horn at times, but he can also play incisively and with impressive facility. 

It will be a big loss for the music lovers of Portland when this talent leaves the area and relocates to the Washington DC area in the near future as he announced to the crowd. Portland's loss will be DC's gain and we wish him our sincerest best wishes for his continued success. 

John Ellis and his Quintet take their "Heroes" seriously.

John Ellis: Heroes: Blue Room Music

The talented multi-woodwind artist John Ellis originally hails from North Carolina.  He is a much sought after musician with over one hundred and fifty album credits as a sideman to his name. Besides his work as a leader, his horn work has often been heard in the orchestra of Darcy James Argue, and on projects with Kendrick Scott, Helen Sung, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Charlie Hunter, John Patitucci and Sting to name just a few. 

Ellis studied in New Orleans in the 1990s with the pianist Ellis Marsalis and worked with drummer Brian Blade and trumpeter Nicholas Payton while studying there. The NOLA sound is a important aspect of his unique musical voice on the saxophone. Now based in both New York and New Orleans, Ellis's last recording as a leader was his 2023 release, Bizet: Carmen in Jazz, a wonderful album inspired by the music of Georges Bizet. Ellis's album was named one of Notes on Jazz's Best of Jazz for 2023 for its skillful execution of using jazz and some New Orleans influences to bring Bizet's opera into a new light with vivacity and reverence.

Ellis's latest project is titled Heroes, released in March of this year on Blue Room Music. Despite being a first call musician whose work has been predominantly in large ensembles, Ellis has always had a special connection to the classic jazz quintet format, two horns, in this case trumpet and tenor saxophone, and a piano along with bass and drums. On this outing, Ellis enlisted the expressive pianist Gary Versace, and a long time collaborator and superb bassist Reuben Rogers, both of who were on his Bizet album. The group is rounded out with the trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, a fiery horn player that is also part of the star ensemble SF Jazz Collective, and the sought after traps master Kush Abadey, who also works frequently with Ethan Iverson and Melissa Aldana.

With this exceptionally talented group, Ellis presents eight compositions on Heroes whose themes are derived from people-mentors, friends, family or inspirations- who have had an impact on Ellis's life. The unifying factor that makes this album so rewarding is the empathetic playing that these five gentlemen find in expressing Ellis's music so decisively and with passion. The interplay is so  intuitive as to make the whole of this band so much more as a unit than as the individual parts. There are notable individual performances on this album to be appreciated, but the cohesiveness of this group and the subtle direction of the leader is the magic potion here. 

"Slingshot" is a reharmonizing of the chords of pianist Ron Miller's "Small Feats," a mentor/teacher to Michael Rodriguez while he was at  University of Miami. Miller's song was in turn a take on Coltrane's "Giant Steps." Here Ellis's brand offers some beautiful synchronized trumpet/tenor playing and a stellar piano solo by Versace.

"Beautiful Day" is a song that borrows from the theme to Fred Rogers old show Mister Roger's Neighborhood, a favorite of Ellis. There is joy in this song and you got to love the booming bass work of Rogers as he prances through this one. Ellis's tenor solo is deep-throated and reminiscent of some of Sonny Rollins' work. Abadey has his turn to add his own percussive acuity to the mix.

"El Cid" is a cinematic feast that features Rodriguez's clarion trumpet. The music recalls the movie of the same name that featured Charlton Heston as the Castilian knight Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar who grappled with Christian and Muslim armies. The music transports the listener to the medieval majesty of the period.

"Fort Worth" is an Ellis tip of the hat to two Texans of influence, Ornette Coleman and Dewey Redman. The music has that jumpy, walloping attitude that brings the world of hoe-down sensitivity to this one. The two horns fluently play off each other-Versace has an inspired take here- and Abadey's drum work shows his  skillful percussive play off these lines.  I am sure these guys enjoyed playing this one.

"Three Jewels" brings sensitivity and some contemplation to the music. This could be inspired by some of Coltrane's more meditative pieces. There is some probing, beautifully resonating bass lines by Rogers as Rodriguez soars majestically on the first solo. Ellis's deep-throated tenor navigates the shifting and turning line with expressiveness and aplomb. Versace's accompaniment is subtle and on point, and Rogers' solo is facile and inventive.

The album continues with "Color Wheels," a modal piece that has a circular feel and features telepathic trumpet/saxophone synchronous playing. There is a sense of reverence to this music that seems to emote from the way these guys play on this one. Ellis is particularly fluid and expressive. Versace 's piano is delicate and warm. The music is purportedly inspired from Bill Evans' "Blue in Green." Clearly  a musical Hero for many.

"Linus and the Lyre" takes its theme from Greek mythology. Linus of Thebes was a notable musician, poet and teacher who was assigned to teach music and letters to young Hercules, son of deity Zeus and his mortal mother Alcmene. The legend has Linus berating and beating a young Hercules so severely for his unscholarly behavior, that Hercules in a rage took a Lyre and beat Linus to death. The music opens with a syncopated bass line before the two horns spell out the gorgeous melody line. Ellis plays a compassionate tenor solo that ebbs and flows with grace and style, one of his most expressive on the album. Rodriguez follows with his own more staccato, searching trumpet solo. Gary Versace's piano unfolds with a emotionally strong solo that dances as Abeday's set work accentuates the music with a percussive delight. The drummer's talent is featured in front of the last section as the two horns, piano and bass fade in a synchronous coda.

"Other Saints" has a distinct NOLA feel, accentuated with a Caribbean vibe that Reuben, who originally hails from St Thomas, carries off so well on his bass. It's hard not to claim some influence from Sonny Rollins's "St. Thomas" or from other island inspired classics. There are plenty of heroes that could apply to this song. As you metaphorically follow this cheerful group as they make their way down a boisterous and gay Bourbon street, there is no denying that the music makes you want to move your feet and puts a smile on your face. 

Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm Showers You with "Grit & Grace" and Love

Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm: Grit & Grace- Sunnyside Records

Being on the bottom is not always the best place to find yourself, especially in a pile -up that can often happen in a rambunctious football game or a school yard ruckus. Generally, being on the bottom has its disadvantages, except for when you're a bottom master like Jennifer Wharton, a master of the bass trombone. Jennifer Wharton is the exception. 

Wharton is a talented trombonist who specializes in playing the bottom. Having mastered the deep, burnished brass sound of her instrument has served her well. Her deep toned instrument can be heard in a variety of settings, from in the brass section of a classical orchestra, to the pit orchestra of a Broadway musical, to offering comedic relief in the studio music of commercials,  to the brass section of jazz orchestras like D'Arcy James Argue's Secret Society, the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Band and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra to name just a few. 

Wharton started her own band, Bonegasm, in 2019 and her latest release         Grit & Grace was released in late 2023 on Sunnyside records. There is no doubt that when it comes to grit and grace- a quality that Forbes magazine once decreed a requirement that women must have to thrive and strive in the business world- this woman has it in spades! And let's face it, as much as music can be an art, surviving as a professional musician is a business.

Wharton's four trombone group, aptly titled Bonegasm-you think this woman likes her instrument- includes her husband John Fedchock, himself a master of the trombone and a prolific leader/composer, ace trombonists Alan Ferber and Nate Mayland, pianist Michael Eckroth, bassist Evan Gregor, drummer Don Peretz and percussionist Samuel Torres. 

Don Peretz , Evan Gregor, John Fedchock, Jennifer Wharton, Alan Ferber, Nate Mayland, Michael Eckroth (photo credit unknown)

Wharton took the Forbes challenge to heart. She decided to commission all but four of the songs on this album from other successful woman composer/conductors. She includes three of her own compositions. "Be Normal," an agitated piece that Fedchock arranged as a birthday gift and is a reference to her own frenetic energy. "Mama's Alright"  a tribute that Wharton penned for the trailblazing trombonist Melba Liston, and one of her earliest compositions "Virtual Reality,"  a  wining piece that has some great ensemble work.

Australian composer/conductor Vanessa Perica wrote "Our Darkest Hour," a dirge-like piece of music that somberly expresses concern over the political turmoil we experienced back in 2020. With somber moans and wails  by Wharton and some nice work by Ferber, this one is even more relevant in today's chaotic climate.

"Norhala" was penned by composer conductor Miho Hazama and uses a fantasy novel "The Metal Monster" as it's source of inspiration. Here the section wail in synchronous cadence. There is a ominous metallic, mechanical feel to this one  with an effective solo by Mayland and a potent drum feature at the coda by Peretz.

"Uncertainty" was beautifully written by Columbia born pianist/composer Carolina Calvache, well known for her trombone pieces. The percussive effects by Torres stand out here setting the tone, as Fedchock's trombone offers a moving solo. The four trombone section work is a beautifully controlled synchronous marvel and Gregor's offers a buoyant bass solo. The music is a joy.

Trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman wrote the Brazilian influenced  "Menina Sozinha" which fittingly translates to "girl on her own." This one features solos by Wharton and the pianist Eckroth.

Nadje Noorhuis is an Australian born trumpeter/composer whose "Coop's Condiments," is a funky shuffle that features Wharton on lead vocals and the band backing her up with their call and responses. The song is a homage to a Creole restaurant in New Orleans and features a plucky bass solo by Gregor. They certainly had fun with this one.

"La Bruja" is a traditional Mexican folk song that was played in the film about Frida Kahlo. The music is arranged by Wharton, played with gusto by Fedchock and also features some nice piano solo work by Eckroth.

The only song on the list that was not written by a woman is saxophonist Dick Oatts "Anita."  Wharton arranged this one for the record and is played like a beautiful waltz, with solos by trombonist Mayland and Eckroth. 

If you love a trombone ensemble like I do. One that revels in the textures, emotionally evoking and depth of sound that one of music's most expressive instruments can produce in the right hands, then you will certainly enjoy Jennifer Wharton and her Bonegasm's Grid & Grace  as they shower you with some great music and some love.

Death of the Voice of America Without a Proper Eulogy

The Voice of America building, Monday, June 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)


The Voice of America is an International broadcasting media network that was founded February 1, 1942. It was primarily used as a means to deliver uncensored anti-propaganda information to an international audience, particularly during World War II, where the Axis countries suppressed free press and disseminated misinformation. During the cold war and beyond, the United States continued to broadcast radio, music and television programming in as much as forty-eight languages, particularly aimed at peoples who lived under communist regimes or exploitive autonomous rulers. While the aims of the broadcasts were purportedly a boost to the promulgation of free speech and free thinking, there is no doubt that the V of A was consider, by some, to be a soft power tool for the United States to present our culture, education and arts in a favorable light and hopefully promote democratic principals. You find yourself on either side of the motives behind why these broadcasts were provided. One thing seems to be true, most people found the free programing an intellectual lifesaver, a welcome portal into an otherwise unavailable world of opposing thought. An alternative world of arts, music, education and culture that they may have never been aware.

On March 15, 2025, an executive order from President Donald Trump ordered the closing and discontinuation of news and other regular programming. It was a rather abrupt change and overnight almost all of the 1300 journalists, administrators, and managers were put on leave. The V of A has been one of the only sources of news, music, education and art programming for people in underdeveloped or restricted countries for over its eighty-three years.

Some may say that the continuation of the mission of the V of A is outdated, a remnant of a world where communications were less sophisticated, where anyone with a digital radio, a cell phone or a television can today receive an almost unlimited amount of news from multiple sources without ever needing to rely on the V of A broadcast anymore. Many people in the third world do not have the luxury of possessing or having access to these devices. Radios are relatively cheap links to these people and the services were provided in multiple languages. Do the myriad of bloggers,  digital reporters, newswire services  et al provide translations in as many languages as V of A did?  This chainsaw evisceration of the V of A has left a gapping hole in the flow of truthful information being sent out to those people who have relied upon the V of A. It is likely that this hole will be filled by another broadcaster. A broadcaster who will try to win over new fans of their own particular version of the truth. Easy to guess who they may be and what their messaged programming might sound like.  

But why is a jazz journalist interested in such an occurrence? Another journalist that I read and respect, Richard Williams, wrote a short post today about the shut down of of V of A (link to Richard's post here). He mentioned he couldn't recall listening to the V of A since the '60s, but nonetheless remembers how much his exposure to the V of A broadcast of the show Jazz Hour with Willis Conover meant to him.

Photo of Willis Conover from Wikipedia (photo credit unknown)

Williams lives in England and it on Conover's show where he first heard Miles Davis's "All Blues" from Kind of Blue and Gil Evans's " La Nevada" from his seminal Out of the Cool record. He calls them "...still the richest and most compelling extended pieces of music I know." What more do we need to hear about how important this broadcasting has been for Williams and countless others. And that's just from a jazz music point of view. 

I just hope the brainiacs in charge realize that their impulsive actions do not help this country and in fact most likely to cede influence in the world. It was a special thing to have a voice reaching out to other people, in their own language, and allowing them to see some of our openness warts and all.  Soft power or not it was a service that served us well, celebrating and sharing our art, our music and our culture proudly and it will be missed. 

A New Piano Voice from Italy: Giulio Gentile : Dream's Museum

Giulio Gentile with Pietro Pancella and Michele Santoleri- Dream's Museum- Auand records

The Italian pianist Giulio Gentile is a new name to me. Gentile is from Pescara, a coastal town along the Adriatic. It is in central Italy halfway between Ravena to the north and Bari to the south. Gentile has won several important awards throughout Italy and Europe, and he is rightfully starting to get attention beyond. His association as a duet with the supple vocalist Emanuella Di Benedetto produced a delightful and ethereal release in 2019 titled There is No Place Like Home,       where Gentile provided the music and Di Benedetto provided the lyrics and vocalizations. We hope to hear more from this interesting duo in the future. 

Gentile's sympatico relationship with his trio bandmates-double bassist Pietro Pancella and drummer Michele Santoleri- was first recorded on their 2022 album titled Insight, also on Auand. Having briefly listened to these two melodic and creative albums, its no wonder to expect anything but more exciting music from this fertile pianist and his bandmates on his latest Dream's Museum, released on March 7, 2025, and it doesn't disappoint.

Giulio Gentile (photo credit unknown)

The album took a year to develop after it's debut album Insight, as the trio tried to explore different sounds and approaches to the music without varying too far from what they felt was their essence. Gentile says " ...this album has a wider range of colours, sounds, and rhythmic approaches, compared to the previous one." Thematically, the album is centered on the creative aspects that dreams have on the artist, in this case Gentile.

The music has a sense of being melodically driven in a contemporary pianistic way, but like some of jazz's best piano trios, the group is not rhythmically stuck, often introducing unexcepted dynamism and elasticity to their themes. The trio  uses traditional instrumental sounds- double bass, drums and piano- and add contrast by introducing unusual sounds like a Glockenspiel to great affect.

Giulio Gentile Trio (photo credit unknown)

The opening song "Dream's Gate" has a gorgeous opening from Gentile with a classical feel before it shifts dramatically, rhythmically, as Pancella's bass booms with authority and Santoleri's drum work is explosive. There is a freedom in their playing that seems unrestricted by what Gentile has laid down on his score and it is invigorating to hear them let loose and really get into it.

There are nine Gentile compositions ranging from just over five minutes to just over seven and one half minutes, and they all have  appropriate ethereal character. "In Her Eyes" is a waltz-like feel to it. The trio varies the pace keeping the music unpredictable and they keep you wondering what might be next. There are parts that seem majestic before the trio settles back into the original pace. The listener, like we the dreamer, follows an unmarked path that leads us through the musical miasma to unknown places until we are awakened at the coda.

Other songs include "Guardians of Awakening," a shifting rhythm that features some powerful bass lines by Pancella. The bassist  has a second sense of how to accentuate Gentile's music at just the right time. The music overflows with improvisational bravado.

"Life Finds A Way" introduces the bell-like chimes of Santoleri's Glockenspiel, adding  a gentle tonal color to this one. Gentile's piano is fluid with a driven momentum that creates it's own splendor. Gentile's staccato piano lines match Santoleri's chime-work to create a synchronous line of varying colors that really stand out.

"Ancestral Roots" has a hymnal sound to it, tender, searching and emotional. . Pancella's double bass resounds with a burnished tone that is strong and impressive.

"Hopscotch," revives Santoleri's  use of the chime-like sound of the Glockenspiel to the mix. Gentile's piano work is probing. Like a sleepwalker in a dream, he is traveling, discovering and trying to make sense of the constantly changing terrain. The pianist creates a vortex of ideas that all swirl and then hopscotch forward, as they navigate the suppressed reality.

"Subconscious"  is a state of awareness in the mind that often challenges our sense of what we are seeing and this awareness is not available when fully conscious. Gentile tickles the piano keys, subtly teasing the subdued  mood as if  not awaken the trance. The trio are intuitively aligned in creating this mental state of suspension. Gentile's repeated piano lines accompanied by Pancella's driving bass and Santorleri's roiling drums end the piece like an attempt to shake oneself out of the stupor.

"L'Abisso."  the Abyss, a deep and gaping emptiness, could be Gentile's metaphor for being in a dark creative hole. The music has a somberness to it and perhaps that is what he and his trio are trying to relate.

The final composition is titled "Join the Dots."  The music has a jagged line that evokes to me a sleepwalker trying to navigate himself on a foreign terrain  When your dreaming, you may not be able to "join the dots" of what you have just experienced in a dream state and make sense of it, to use it as creative inspiration. If you are able to recall your subconscious travels, you may like Thomas Edison, jot the waking thoughts down immediately and 'join the dots" that the creative side of your mind is trying to reveal to you. Inspiration through the subconscious has often been a trail for further creativity. Gentile seems to be one who can tap that mysterious resource. 

"The Wicked Crew" from Perceptions Trio Shows Promise

Perceptions Trio: The Wicked Crew

Making modern improvised music is a constantly evolving work process. Experimenting, adding and rejecting concepts, honing creative skills in ways that add to, or at times, cull and refine the possibilities. Current trends often involve the creative use of electronics and effects to expand the palette of possible colorations available to the musician in the process of creating new music. When you start off with this concept and you intend to enhance the music for the listener's pleasure, you had better come through when they invest their time with you. 

Along comes a  group, Perceptions Trio,  that was formed in Basel, Switzerland in 2019 and released their debut album The Wicked Crew on February 14, 2025. The trio is made up of French saxophonist Charley Rose, the Swiss guitarist Silvan Joray and the Brazilian drummer Paulo Almeida. The trio is a bass-less, piano-less group that adds electronic synths and effects to expand the sound possibilities that the saxophone of Rose and the guitar of Joray can employ, as lead instruments, to make the sound fuller, tonally diverse, and more textured. Drummer Almeida is intuitive and adds his own percussive colors deftly to the mix with sensitivity and a solid sense of rhythm. These guys seem to be promising, with some very interesting ideas being presented on this album, but in some of their offerings they seem to be still in the gestation period of their development.

Silvan Jory, Charlie Rose and Paulo Almeida (photo credit unknown)

Saxophonist Rose hails from outside of Paris . He has played with pianist Benoît Delbecq's Multiplexers since 2018 and is also a leader of his own trio since 2016. Rose has admitted to being inspired by boundary crossing composers like Stravinsky and Prokofiev. He has roots in rock as well as traditional and free jazz.

Guitarist Joray is from Switzerland, but now resides in Brooklyn, NY. where he has added an American flavor to his inventive European style of electric guitar. He has played in festivals and concerts across Europe, Scandinavia and Africa. Joray has studied with guitar master Wolfgang Muthspiel, who has expanded the guitarist's sonic concepts and encouraged him to compose of his own music.

Drummer Almeida has brought his own sense of Afro-Brazilian-inflected rhythms to the group's music. He has played with diverse modern artists like progressive oud playing vocalist Dhafer Youseff, percussionist and vibes player Jorge Rossy, and Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, as well his work with guitarist Muthspiel. He is also an educator at Jazzcampus University in Basel.

The Wicked Crew  includes ten compositions three written by Rose, three written by Joray and two written by Almeida along with two improvised compositions by the trio. The opening number, Rose's "Radio Goose Bumps," has elements of fusion in the synth and pedal effects the wired guitar and sax that these players use to create an otherworldly scene. The music is tight, rhythmically and melodically interesting and there is certainly enough proficiency on display.

Joray's "Ubarto," one of my personal favorites, takes a softer approach, with an  ballad-like feel and some nuanced colorations from Joray's sensitive guitar work complimented by Rose's fluttering, electronically modulated, voice-like saxophone and Almeida's muted drum and cymbal work. This one is atmospheric, at times eerie, and it touches the listener viscerally.

"Perceptions" is another thoughtful, almost spiritual-like Joray offering worth checking out. The guitar leads with a gentle strumming, metronomic-like  musical armature upon which Rose's mournfully sounding saxophone adds an emotional, wandering-like melody,  accented by a skillful use of drum and cymbal accents by Almeida. These guys are at their best conjuring up a sonically rich meditative hymn that swells with hope and promise.

The group  includes two improvisational pieces, "Andromeda" and "Nebulosa," that both seem to be in-the-moment, unstructured, atmospheric, free-association type vamps. Interesting, but not particularly my cup of tea.

The cover composition "The Wicked Crew" is a nothing special, synth and drum  driven vamp that  frankly looses me in its electronica splendor. As a feature for Almeida's drum work, his rhythmic prowess shines through.

Almeida's "Lit Candles" is another aural landscape that features a variety of percussive colors, as Jory and Rose play opposite each other in counterpoint.

"Sombra" is another composition by the drummer Almeida. Shifting rhythmically, after some initial wandering, Almeida is given a brief drum feature before Joray on guitar and Rose on sax offer brief comments.

Rose's "Flashlights and Sewer Explorations" is perhaps the group's inside joke. The music is somewhat directionless. Rose plays sensitively before Joray's guitar takes on prog rock inspired sound and Almeida's drum work becomes appropriately explosive, but to what purpose. Ascending and descending and bringing the listener to a dead end. This music feels somewhat self-serving, and after taking a ride with them that leads nowhere, you hear the group laugh at the end as if to say "How cool was that?"

"Peaceful Departure" is the final of Joray's compositions on this album. He is clearly the most promising composer of the three. The music effortlessly captures the listener's attention because the music has a sonic story to tell. The three seem to be well suited to play this calming, melodically rich music. Rose's ability to find his most emotionally connecting saxophone work is on display, and Jorya's guitar skills prove deft. Almeida's drum work is beautifully understated and complimentary. Another song that demonstrates what Perception Trio is capable of and shows these guys should be kept 

Dave Potter and Retro Groove 2 : Modernizing the Music of the Seventies and Eighties

Dave Potter & Retro Groove

The Atlanta based drummer Dave Potter has made a name for himself as a part of  the rhythm sections of the vibraphonist Jason Marsalis, saxophonist Greg Tardy, pianist Eric Reed and the pianist Marcus Roberts. Originally from North Carolina, Potter studied his trade at Florida State University, where he received a masters degree after turning down an offer to attend prestigious Julliard School of Music to continue his education under the tutelage of Roberts, who is on the faculty at Florida. 

I met Dave when I lived in Atlanta for several years and had a chance to see him perform up close at jazz impresario Sam Yi's Mason Tavern and at one of the popular jazz shows at Atlanta's High Museum. I had more than one occasion to talk with Dave about the music. Besides being a very good drummer, he is a thoughtful student of the music.

Dave Potter (photo credit unknown)

Potter has been working as a leader with his Retro Groove group for several years now. He has developed a musical simpatico with saxophonist Miguel Alvarado, one of the group's stalwarts, and their interaction shines on his latest record Retro Groove 2, which was released on February 7, 2025. 

In addition to Alvarado on tenor, Potter is joined by Angelo Versace on piano and Rob Lintin on bass. The album includes two guests, vibraphonist Jason Marsalis, who also uses Potter in his Vibes Quartet, and saxophonist Greg Tardy.

Retro Groove 2 is Potter's third release as a leader and on this one he chooses music from the late seventies and eighties as vehicles on which to add his own brand of hardbop and progressive jazz influences to modernize these often overlooked songs.

The music on this album is varied, with influences that span dance-pop, R & B, prog rock, soft Soul, and even film inspired music. I believe that some of Potter's choices were influenced by who was playing drums on the original song releases.

Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" is a dance-pop song that still can make you move your feet. Potter opens this one with an ostinato bass line by Linton before Potter's propulsive drum work and Alvarado's urgent tenor take it to another level. Abdul's original recording from 1988 and ironically used a drum machine for its rhythm section.

Whitney Houston's  1985 release ,"Saving All My Love For You,"  was originally covered by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. of Fifth Dimension fame. The ballad was composed Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin and features a great saxophone solo by session-master Tom Scott. Whitney's voice took this to another level. Potter and his team's approach provides some plucky bass work by Linton, heartfelt tenor by Alvarado and sensitive piano work by Versace. Potter's drum work is subtle and his instrumental arrangement adds a modernistic approach to this vocal centric R & B classic.

"License to Kill" is the lead song of the James Bond thriller from 1989. The music for the original movie was composed by Michael Kamen. John Barry, the usual music master behind Bond movies, was unavailable due to illness. The title song was originally to be played by Eric Clapton and Vic Flick (an English studio guitarist who cut the original guitar work for the James Bond theme), but ultimately Gladys Knight was chosen to sing the theme. The lead song was composed by fusion drummer Narada Michael Walden with Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff, so there lies the drummer connection to Potter's musical choices. Potter may have intuitively felt the drumming influence in this theme, or not, but the music is fun, the band executes it with gusto and whether you are a Bond fan or not the music grabs you and can evoke good memories.

The band covers an Isley Brothers' 1975 release "For the Love of You", a soft R & B composition that Potter and company plays in a jaunty, swinging way proving these hidden gems can be vehicles that can be fertile for improvisation.

Potter is young enough to have been influenced by  prog rock style of the Canadian group Rush and their drummer Neal Peart, a drumming legend. "Tom Sawyer"  is a song with a theme about rebellion and individualism. Released in 1981, this  prog rock anthem is opened by Potter with his own explosive drum entre, demonstrating some of his skills, and the group takes off from there. Alvarado sets out the repeating melody line on his potent tenor. Linton on bass and Potter on drums create a forceful rumble of power before Versace produces  a fluid improvisation that weaves in and out of the staccato theme. This rendition is half prog rock, half modern jazz with a special tip of the hat to Alvarado's incendiary sax solo. A powerful piece.

The pace slows, as the group tackles the soulful "Why Can't We Fall in Love" from Deniece Williams from 1979. Potter, Linton and Versace accompany guest Jason Marsalis' vibraphone on this one. The vibes have a warm, resonating sound that accentuate the emotional side of this music and Versace gives an added color to the song on his piano solo. Potter on brushes and Linton on bass give appropriately muted accompaniment. 

The hit song "Rosanna" is a 1982 release by the group Toto. It's famous for it's session drummer Jeff Porcaro's iconic "Half-Time Shuffle Groove" on the song. Potter opens with his own devoted version of Porcaro's memorable drum pattern as guest Greg Tardy's tenor sax is heard spelling out the theme's melody. The music has a joyous feel to it and the group relishes the soft shuffle that propels this one. Versace adds a bit of a honky-tonk piano part as Tardy wails.

The finale is from Michael Sembello's "Maniac" a theme from the 1983 dance movie "Flashdance." 

Potter mines some interesting creative possibilities from this potpourri of some of the less memorable music of the seventies and eighties. I am more endeared to the music of the sixties and early seventies, my era, so I guess I'm a bit prejudiced. To me, not all these songs stand the test of time as well as others. It doesn't take away from the effort that Potter and his bandmates took to modernize these compositions in a way that preserves the memories associated with these songs for those who lived with them during an important part of their lives. Under Potter's direction, Retro Groove 2 makes this  era music is enlivened, contemporized, played with verve and talent and just plain fun to listen to. I call that a success.

Therapeutic , Inventive, Spiritual and Expansive : aRT from akLaff, Robinson and Thayer

aRT: ScienSonic Records-

I recently received a new album from the multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson released on his self-produced ScienSonic label. I have always been impressed by the music that comes out of this inventive spirit. Being one of the most accomplished musicians I have ever met, Robinson is also a thinking musician who has dedicated his life's work to both proficiency and expansion. He is a master practitioner and a collector of some of the most unusual and diverse instruments you might find in the business. He has often been awarded top acknowledgement on such instruments. His collection includes a contra-bass saxophone, bass clarinet, Theremin, C Melody saxophone, baritone saxophone, various trumpets,  a bass marimba and F Tuba to name just a few. His main instrument is the tenor saxophone. His multi-instrumental musicianship can be found on his many works as a section member and soloist in Maria Schneider's award-winning orchestra, and with the Charles Mingus Big Band, the Vanguard Jazz Band and the Sun Ra Arkestra not to mention some European orchestras. His work has also been been found in groups that have included Joe Lovano, Ron Carter, Marshall Allen, Paquito D'Rivera, Chet Baker, Teri Lynne Carrington, and Ella Fitzgerald to name a few. His most recent album Tenormore was released in 2019 and I named it one of my best of releases for that year. 

Scott is the proverbial mad scientist of jazz. He is always searching and exploring. Expanding the tonal palette that he uses to create his music is just one of his many pursuits, the quest to finding the perfect note. He has been playing music with two other unique musical explorers since the late eighties- drummer/percussionist/educator Pheeroan akLaff and distinguished Phycology Professor and bassist Dr. Julian Thayer- so it surprising that these guys never released an album of their music until now!

Scott Robinson and Julian Thayer (Photo credit unknown)

Brooklyn born Dr. Julian Thayer is an accomplished bassist who initially pursued a musical education at  Berklee in Boston before following his muse, receiving his PhD from NYU in psychophysiology. His distinguished career as an educator included faculty positions at Penn State, University of Missouri, Ohio State University, University of California Irvine and as a visiting professor at Carnegie Mellon and many European and Scandinavian institutions. Thayer has used his awareness of the therapeutic phycological and physiological aspects that music can have on our physical and emotional well being. He believes music can be vital to calming the heart rate variability (HRV) of our inner clockwork. To this end, Thayer has continue to be involved with like-minded musicians like akLaff and Robinson as well as artists like George Garzone, Jimmy Cobb and Terrell Stafford, to make music that can be adventurous, beautiful and uplift the listener.

Pheeroan akLaff (photo credit unknown)

Detroit born Pheeroan akLaff is a progressive drummer/percussionist and educator who currently teaches at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. His percussion work has been mostly seen with some of music's more Avant Garde and free jazz players in the business like saxophonists Oliver Lake, Sam Rivers, Henry Threadgill and Anthony Braxton, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and pianists Cecil Taylor, Mal Waldron and Andrew Hill. He believes that music can be a source for giving back to society and a vehicle for making change. There is a spiritual side to this man's music and his connection with the spiritual is woven into the way he interacts to his fellow bandmates when he plays. His intuition operates on another level, raising the art of percussion to an truly interactive art.

aRT consists of twenty improvisations all recorded at ScienSonic Laboratories on January 25th, 2024 as is a piece of art in itself. A beautiful cd package, "Abstract Sculptures Looking at Abstract Paintings, and, if the Truth Be Known, Vice Versa" a piece by Richard M. "Gorman" Powers, ca. 1991, adorns the cover and the inside artwork on this album. Scott takes his art seriously and that carries through into his packaging of the recording.

The music feels spontaneous, with titles that beckons you to attend a visual art gallery. It is twenty different aural pieces of art being presented here, but you are being invited to listen to these creations with an open mind, where the synapses of our brain are being encouraged to make the leap from the aural to the visual. We are asked to suspend our reality for  just under one hour that it takes to listen through this demonstration of artistry and free association. If you allow it, you can be immersed, taken away by the creativity and aural images that they create. The titles predominantly include the word abstraction. "Abstract Painting" and "Abstract Sculpture," "Abstraction in Blues" and "Abstract Interlude," and unless you don't yet get the immersion thing there is "Abstract Dance" too. 

aRT: akLaff, Robinson and Thayer @ Holyoke Media, Holyoke Mass June 2024

There's the intro, a brief invitation to the show. There are warbling sound sheets that lead to some shimmering cymbal work, and a probing saxophone that leads into a resonant arco bass line that comes to life. Some percussive accents all being added to the picture by akLaff, like colors by a skilled artist's brush on an open canvas.

The music continues, the next piece adding what sounds like a darting Tuba by Robinson and toms and snare skins being pounded in time by akLaff, as the musicians create their version of a choreographed piece of art, "Dancing About Painting." Thayer's string bass is again bowed like a sighing creature introducing a counterpoint to Robinson's bellowing Tuba, a preposterous creature that waddles through the scene with a boisterous authority, and akLaff's intuitive percussive accompaniment together makes this one piece titled "Electrabstraction."  

I can't do these pieces justice by allowing my insufficient word descriptions to faithfully capture for you what it is like to experience these free flowing, inspired improvisations for yourself. There is science here, as well as performance artistry and deep spiritualism. You can play this album multiple times and I can assure you that there is a peace and tranquility that emanates from this music. These guys want to transport the listener for a little while to a place where only music like this  can. There are cymbals, and gongs, bells and a Chinese transverse flute. There are Sarrusophones and contrabass saxophones, bass marimbas, an alto clarinet, and a string tremoloa. And of course there is a tenor saxophone, a theremin, a string bass, a drum and cymbal set, and and F Tuba. I am sure I missed something on this list, but most of all there is a superb sense of purpose, a sense that this music is healing, spiritual, evocative, exploratory and most of all creative. What more you could possibly ask for? In these times of stress and doubt,  supporting sincere art created with conviction and sensitivity like this is surely worth our support.

Guitarist Thom Rotella's "Side Hustle" A Magical Dynamic

Thom Rotella: Side Hustle: High Note Records

I have to admit, I am a sucker for good  jazz organ trio music. There is something so soulful about this music. The organ can strike you in a deeply visceral way that seems to be hard wired into your nervous system and to my way of thinking the guitar is perhaps the most perfect instrumental foil in this setting. It goes back to hearing the great matchings that we, the listeners, have been treated to over the years. 

Organist Pat Bianchi, in an article from Jazz Guitar Today from 2020, offered some dream or "matches made in heaven,"  combinations that stood out to him, "...focusing on the dynamic  between the guitarist and the organist."   Bianchi chose ten combos that did it for him. They include an eclectic group in no particular order: Grant Green/Larry Young, Joey DeFrancesco/Paul Bollenback, Melvin Rhymes/Wes Montgomery, Jack McDuff/George Benson, Don Patterson/Pat Martino, Jan Hammer/John Abercrombie, Larry Goldings/Peter Bernstein, Jimmy Smith/Kenny Burrell, Dr. Lonnie Smith/Jonathan Kreisberg, and Charles Earland/Melvin Sparks. As you can see there are many incendiary possibilities when you match two like-minded musical spirits. Of course there are many other combinations that could easily be considered in this same category. Bianchi's work with Pat Martino and Paul Bollenback come to mind, as does Dave Stryker's work with Jared Gold, Brian Charette's work with Ben Monder and Larry Young's fusion work with John McLaughlin.

Recently, I discovered another matching that seems to possess that same magical dynamic that can exist between the guitarist and the organist, Thom Rotella's latest release Side Hustle, on High Note Records. Despite the fact that the group Rotella takes into the studio is more expansive than the trio format, this tasty gem, matches  LA based guitarist Rotella with Columbus, Ohio based Bobby Floyd. Through eleven of the twelve compositions on this satisfying outing, Rotella and Floyd find an almost telepathic sense of how to play together in such a way that they seem to anticipate each others moves.

Rotella originally hails from Niagara Falls from a musical family where he took lessons from a local teacher, John Morell, who by chance previously taught studio guitar legend Tommy Tedesco. With Wes Montgomery and Tedesco as inspirations, Rotella eventually honed his skills and attended Berklee where he was taught by, amongst others, vibraphonist legend Gary Burton. By the early seventies, Rotella made his way into Los Angeles where he started becoming a regular in studio sessions. Eventually, he met Tedesco who showed his fellow Niagara native the ropes about that side of the music business. Rotella's talent eventually made him too a first call studio guitar artist on the LA music scene.

Bobby Floyd (photo credit unknown)

Organist and Ohio native Bobby Floyd, a new name to me, started playing piano at the age of two. From 1984-85, Floyd played piano and organ in Ray Charles' Band across Europe and US until he left when his daughter was born. Floyd took over the piano chairs for both the Columbus (Ohio) Jazz Orchestra in 2004 and  the Count Basie Orchestra in 2012 besides manning his own organ/piano trios.

Besides the obvious simpatico Rotella and Floyd have on this album, the music is propelled by drummer legend Roy McCurdy's unfailing groove, the percussive nuance of Lenny Castro and is accentuated by the inventive horn men, Eric Alexander on tenor and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet.

Catchy "Who Dat?" is a tasty Rotella composition that showcases the guitarist's mellow octave playing, a direct lineage to Wes Montgomery. Floyd's soulful organ solo captures this musician's ability to evoke heart-felt expression. Don't forget McCurdy's roiling addition at the coda. There's something here for everyone from an easy swinging "Love for Sale" that will have you tapping your feet and feelin' so good, to Rotella's bossa-like "Pick Pocket" which features some infectious percussion by Castro and blues tinged work by Rotella and Floyd.

Lenny Castro (photo credit unknown)

"Side Hustle" is the title Rotella composition that carries references from both Kenny Barron ("Voyage") and Wayne Shorter ("Speak No Evil"). This quick paced song offers an appearance by the talented tenor man Eric Alexander, who adds another effective voice to the mix of Floyd and Rotella. Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia On My Mind" has a respectful, gospel-like organ intro from Floyd before Rotella takes the slow-burner into a blues-based journey that is sensitive and  precise. Floyd's organ replies in return with some scorching lines that announces the gospel lesson is over and the blues has arrived.

The album continues with two Rotella compositions. The angular "Not So as the three soloists feed off each other's ideas. The moody, loose feeling "Mr. Moontanda," features the trio, and offers some of Rotella's more adventurous solo explorations. This one simmers with an understated confidence. A quiet gem, Floyd is also inspired to expand on his solo by the noirish feel of this one.       

Marvin Gaye's "Don't Mess With Mister T." is a 70's soul based acknowledgment of tenor titan Stanley Turrentine's influence on the music. Castro's percussion and McCurdy's nuanced drum work set the breezy feel. Rotella gets a chance to release his own side of guitar soulfulness on this one and boy does he feel it here. Jeremy Pelt's muted trumpet and Floyd's modulating organ just compliment this smoky piece to perfection. Soulful blues that doesn't quit.

Roy McCurdy (photo by Leon James)

As if we needed a rejuvenating reminder of McCurdy's legendary shuffle, "Roy's Groove" give the album a joyous adjourn into pure groove. Rotella and Floyd are invigorated here and you can't help but feel that dance is in the air.

Tadd Dameron's "On A Misty Night" has a slow-paced vibe that has an inherent swing to it. Rotella's guitar is so breezy and loose here, effortless. Floyd always finds a way to come at his solo at a different angle that surprises but never strays too far. When these guys play in unison, you feel like they have been playing together for years.

The classic "Alone Together" always seems to make it to many guitarists' rotation. With a unique repeating, staccato-like entre line before these guys get into the familiar melody at a swinging pace, the trio also takes a decidedly different way of treating the arrangement along the way. There is a lot of inventiveness at display here, making this classic both modern and a vehicle for expansion. Floyd offers the first solo, accentuating the changes and making this a cooker at what is an accelerated pace, before Rotella gets his turn to offer his own angular solo . McCurdy's groove over Floyd's bass lines is the armature on which these guys operate and man do they feel it here.

The closing composition is a creative matching of two songs, Jaco Pastorius' "Three Views of a Secret" and Charles Mingus' Goodbye Pork Pie Hat." This arrangement is just soooo good it's hard to imagine why these two songs were never matched before. The opening has an eerie, ethereal feel with Rotella's airy, moaning guitar lines-reminiscent, to me, of some of John Abercrombie's work-being overdubbed by his own gently strummed chords. Jeremy Pelt's muted trumpet enters here, just perfect, like a Siren's hypnotic voice drawing you into to the expanse of the unknown.  Castro's percussion sets the pace with some modulating organ by Greg Karukas and drum work by Kendall Kaye. The organ slowly rises the intensity of the proceedings before handing it off to Rotella. Rotella's guitar pierces the air with some slow, piquant lines that build the tension with a master's grace and with a blues inspired bite that is unmistakable. Just beautiful. The music returns to the clouds with Rotella's guitar before the group play the progressively fading coda in unison, Pelt's urgent, muted trumpet in conversation with Rotella's wispy guitar. Side Hustle  will be on your repeat play cycle for some time. It's just that good to listen to.