A forum for jazz reviews, discussion of new jazz, blues music, the musicians, reviews of recent and historical releases, reviews of live performances, concerts, interviews and almost anything I find of interest.
by Ralph A. Miriello
Today’s song-of-the-day features the hard bop master of the tenor
saxophone, Joe Henderson, on his fourth recording as a leader, the influential Inner
Urge on Blue Note from 1966. The album is a vibrant, almost urgent
album that finds Henderson teamed with members of the then John Coltrane’s
quartet, McCoy Tyner on piano and Elvin Jones on drums. The recording band was
completed with a member of Sonny Rollins’ band, bassist Bob Cranshaw. It’s hard
to imagine a more talented, albeit combustible and perhaps even risky group
that producer Alfred Lion could have matched to play with Henderson for this
record, but he hit gold with this combination. The album included three
Henderson originals the title cut “Inner Urge,” “Isotope” purportedly a nod to
pianist Thelonious Monk’s, and “El Barrio,” which shows Henderson’s proclivity toward
Latin music and its influences. The two remaining cuts include Duke Pearson’s “You
Know I Care” and Cole Porter’s “Night and Day.”
This album was my portal into the music of Joe Henderson,
and it made a lasting impression. A fieriest album, Henderson’s unleashing a
muscular, urbanized sound to his saxophone, a sound that spoke to how this mid-westerner
was relating to the frenetic life he found in NYC. The quartet left us with adventure
and sensitivity on a sterling performance on the closing piece “Night and Day”
The band was telepathic throughout, Tyner and Jones creating a turbulent backdrop
upon which Henderson could improvise. Jones drum work was particularly on top of his game, and Cranshaw deftly maintaining stability
and grounding the music like the roots of an oak.
While the entire album was a treat, the title cut, “Inner
Urge” was Henderson’s salvo into the era of hard bop that was to dominate the jazz
scene.
For November 5, 2026, my song for the day is my first
exposure to the great trumpet player Freddie Hubbard on his 1964 release on
Blue Note titled Breaking Point!Hubbard was joined by Ronnie Mathews on piano,
the underrated James Spaulding on alto saxophone and flute, the bassist Eddie
Kahn and the recording debut of drummer Joe Chambers.
Breaking Point, as the title boldlyexclaims,
was a breakout album for Hubbard whose incendiary and high energy playing separated
him from fellow trumpets Davis, Morgan, Byrd, Dorham and Mitchell. The music explodes
with the title cut and in just over ten flaming minutes the post-bop era was introduced
to a kinetic performance of the direction progressive jazz was heading. Hubbard’s
trumpet was like a combination of a gatling gun and a flame thrower. Spaulding’s
alto was dynamic and challenging, Khan’s bass was set free, and Chambers drum
set exploded. There was a lot to process and absorb. The elastic feel of “Far Away” with its
ostinato driven pulse and Spaulding’s airy flute work. The gutsy Blues based “Blue
Frenzy” with Hubbard’s mastery of the genre being unabashedly on display and a soulful
alto solo by Spaulding. “D Minor Mint” certainly points the music into the post
hard bop direction. Hubbard’s solo is powerful, tangy and fluid; Spaulding’s
alto saxophone just wails with authority. Mathews’ piano simmers and the rhythm
section cooks. The ending piece is perhaps the gentlest of this album’s music
and a tremendously moving composition by Joe Chambers foretelling the
brilliance of this talented music. Mathews opens with a touchingly sensitive
piano intro. The group plays the melody with Spaulding playing flute in counterpoint
to Hubbard’s sonorous trumpet and the rhythm section accompanying perfectly in
sync. Hubbard’s solo is particularly touching and it’s the first time I hear what
becomes one of Hubbard signature licks. Spaulding follows with a superb solo that
just makes this song take flight. Despite
all the fire that this record provides it’s the final cut, Joe Chambers’ “Mirrors”
that is most memorable to me.
Today’s song of the day brings us to the great pianist Bill
Evans and an album that I have cherished for years, Portrait in Jazz
from Riverside Records released in 1960. The cover showed a studious looking gentleman
in a jacket and tie, staring into the camera with a serious, meek, almost
yearbook-like portrait announcing this man has come. One could hardly look at
the front cover and expect to hear what they would hear by playing the vinyl
inside, but the nine tracks on the original release would change forever people’s
minds about what a piano trio should sound like.
While it was the fifth album that was to be released by that
time, it was importantly the first studio recording of the trio that included
the revolutionary double bassist Scott LaFaro and the attentive, space creating
drummer Paul Motian. This trio would soon set the standard for three-piece
interaction and expression. Three equal parts merging into a coherent unit that
complimented and encouraged each other by anticipation, intuition and freedom
of spirit. The rhythm section would never be seen quite the same. Of the nine pieces
on the album two, “Peri’s Scope” and “Blue and Green” were Evans compositions.
Even though the pianist shared composition rights to “Blue and Green” with
Miles Davis, with whom he first recorded it on Kind of Blue in
March of 1959, most believed it was actually Evans creation as it was often common
for band leaders to claim composition rights for the royalties.
Either of these two compositions are easily worthy of being
chosen as a song of the day, but today I choose the Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer classic
“Come Rain or Come Shine,” which Riverside chose to be the opening cut on the
album. The song was written for the Broadway musical St Louis Woman that
opened in March of 1946.Evans’ approach
enlivens the repeating melody with his own sense of how to accent and emphasize
the pastoral sense within this music, as LaFaro serves up a deft accompaniment
and Motian creates a floating backdrop. Evan’s splendid facility allows him to create
embellishments that make his version a continuous fountain of ideas that percolate
in front of the listener. His flourished cadenza is just inspired! The song
became a continuing source of great inspiration for the pianist and over the
years Evans included and recorded this song in his repertoire multiple times.
In 1969 the British guitarist John McLaughlin released one
of his most influential albums on the Polydor label titled Extrapolation.
Those who took up guitar as a form of expression at the time found his type of playing
expanded the possibilities that the guitar could offer. Few could master his facility
and speed of execution on the fretboard. His precision and harmonic expression
was something to behold and emulate if you had the chops. Mclaughlin would be a member of drummer Tony
Williams’ original power trio Lifetime (1969) with Williams, organist
Larry Young and McLaughlin, and a quartet with bassist Jack Bruce (1970). His
guitar was later enlisted into Miles Davis’ excursion into the era of fusion on
the albums In a Silent Way (1969) and Jack Johnson (1970)
before he would follow his own muse and form his first Mahavishnu Orchestra
with Jan Hammer on keyboards, Jerry Goodman on violin, Rick Laird on bass, and
Billy Cobham on drums in 1971. Mahavishnu
refers to “the absolute truth” and the band is one of the premier groups that
ushered in the jazz fusion era.
Extrapolation preceded this musician’s excursion
into rock/funk-oriented jazz fusion or McLaughlin’s later off shoot into classical
Indian inspired music that he merged with jazz improvisation with his group Shakti.
Extrapolation did give the listener a brief glimpse into what was
to come from this prolific artist. The album has elements of free jazz, echoes the
spiritual jazz work of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, has slivers of classical
guitar influences, and the searing sounds of progressive rock /jazz fusion explorations.
The set brought together a potent team of musicians like the expressive John
Surman on baritone and soprano saxophones, the fluid sound of double-bassist Brian
Odgers and the textual drum and cymbal work of Tony Oxley. I was always enamored
by “Arjen’s Bag” which was later revisited as “Follow Your Heart” on The CTI
album The Joe Farrell Quartet (1970). For this song of today I
feature the beautiful “This Is for Us to Share.”
The pianist Helen Sung has released her debut as a
composer/arranger for big band music with Oracles on the Sunnyside
label and it’s certainly an auspicious one.
Sung was born in Houston, Texas where after graduating from
Houston’s High School of Performing and Visual Arts. She took her undergraduate and
master’s degrees in classical piano from the University of Texas at Austin. Subsequently, she enrolled and completed a two-year
graduate program at The Thelonious Monk Institute then located at Loyola
University in New Orleans, where she was able to tour with Herbie Hancock and
Wayne Shorter as part of an International educational performance tour to India
and Thailand. Later awards included becoming a semi-finalist in the 1999 Thelonious
Monk piano competition and winning the Mary Lou Williams piano competition in
2007.
Besides being an in-demand artist, she has served as an
associate professor at Berklee (2011-2014) and is presently on the faculty of Columbia
and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She recently was awarded the
prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 2021.
While I have had exposure to some of Sung’s previous work, this
is my first chance to really see this artist as the triple threat she has
become. Besides her excellent pianistic instincts, Oracles captures
Hung’s mastery of both composition and arrangement for the big band format. On
this album, she coordinates seventeen instruments, with Alan Ferber conducting the band for the recording. She creates a suite of music that
is beautifully conceived, creatively arranged and played, and does honor to her oracles;
the musical icons that mentored and encouraged her so inspirationally along the
way.
The music includes twelve compositions, each with a special
connection to the pianist’s path. The
opening piece is titled “Convergence” and is a Sung composition that could be
seen as the culmination of the work her mentors encouraged the pianist to pursue
beyond her obvious instrumental prowess. “Convergence” is more like an opening
exclamation point, a wonderful piece that erupts with promise and excitement. A
facile statement of her vision both as a composer, but also promisingly demonstrates
her intuitive abilities as an arranger/orchestrator of multiple instruments.
“Convergence” opens with a brief but powerful drum intro by
Adam Cruz. The brass and reed section layer the threads of the tapestry upon which the tight
trumpet work of Alex Norris is featured. Sung’s section creates great force and
tension. Her piano solo follows with energy and fluidity, as the rhythm section
of Cruz and bassist Vincente Archer pulse. John Ellis offers an authoritative
tenor solo. The sections work in both unison and as
counterpoint to each other and the net experience is exciting, powerful and joyous.
The remainder of the set includes compositions that are
penned by some of Sung’s mentors; trumpeter Clark Terry’s “Samba Da Gunz,”
where Sung features trumpeters Nathaniel Williford, Mike Rodriguez, Alex Norris
and Tatum Greenblatt, to show four different takes on Terry’s trumpet-centric music.
Saxophonist
Wayne Shorter’s gorgeous “Diana” is beautifully played by Sung on an otherworldly
sounding electric piano in duo with Ellis on a vaporous soprano saxophone, a
real highlight.
Bassist Ron Carter’s “R.J.” finds Sung on piano pulsing as bassist Archer lays
down some fierce bottom lines and the brass and reeds wail in the background.
“A
Little Bird Watchin’ “is a Sung dedication to the saxophonist Jimmy Heath and
features the wonderful deep-toned tenor saxophone of Nicole Glover.
Pianist Horace Silver’s “Peace” finds Sung
using Greenblatt’s lead trumpet along with Archer’s plucky bass to open the poignant
melody. The brass and reed section create a marvelous weave of sounds as
Torres expressive percussion adds another element to the aural colors.
Other oracles that Sung honors with compositions include “Positively
C.T.” for Clark Terry, “Mr. Virtuosity” for Ron Carter, and “Wayne’s World” for
Wayne Shorter.
Sung also wrote a suite of songs under the name “Pianism” for
the pianist Roland Hanna, who always encouraged the pianist to retain some of her
classical roots into her jazz compositions, which Hung includes in the opening and closing parts of this three song suite.
The suite
includes: “Pianism I (for)
Barry Harris”, a piece that features a classically influenced flute entre. Sung's piano transitions into a swinging pace with walking bass by Archer before an alto sax solo by Alejandro Aviles prevails with some hard bop roots and the piece ends with a soaring soprano solo,(could this be Ellis again or maybe Pietro?) at the coda.
“Pianism II (for)
Kenny Barron” finds Mike Rodriguez on a flugelhorn solo that movingly captures some of Barron’s
melodicism.
“Pianism III (for) Herbie Hancock”, is a modern piece where Sung trades
fours with two trombonists Sara Jacovina and later James Burton, altoist Dave Pietro and John Ellis on soprano get their turns and then Nathaniel Williford on trumpet is the last to parry with Sung as the band layers and
soars behind the Reed and Brass sections and Torres and Cruz create a tumultuous explosion at the coda.
Oraclesis a feast to the ears of anyone who loves creative big band jazz and should clearly mark Helen Sung’s debut
as a big band composer/arranger a rousing success!
Musicians :
Helen Sung - piano/composer/arranger
Tatum Greenblatt - lead trumpet, flugelhorn Mike Rodriguez - trumpet, flugelhorn Alex Norris - trumpet, flugelhorn Nathaniel Williford - trumpet, flugelhorn James Burton III - lead trombone Sara Jacovino - trombone Willie Applewhite - trombone Gina Benalcázar López - bass trombone Dave Pietro - first alto sax, doubles
Alejandro Aviles - second alto sax, doubles John Ellis - first tenor sax, doubles Nicole Glover - second tenor sax, doubles Andrew Gutauskas - baritone sax, bass clarinet) Vicente Archer - bass Adam Cruz - drums Samuel Torres - percussion Alan Ferber - conductor
For the song of today, October 30, 2026, we go to one of my favorite
songs that saxophonist Michael Brecker did on his fabulous Tales from the
Hudson released in 1996 on UMG/Impulse, “Midnight Voyage.”
There was a lot to choose from on this album
with such a stellar group of musicians who collaborated on this release. Brecker
had his cohort pianist Joey Calderazzo but also featured the great McCoy Tyner
on piano on two cuts. The inimitable bassist Dave Holland and the revolutionary
drummer Jack DeJohnette made up the formidable rhythm section. The guitarist Pat
Metheny played guitar and guitar synthesizer, and the percussionist Don Alias
was heard on the of the released cuts. Joey Calderazzo’s swinging yet haunting “Midnight
Voyage” captured Brecker and the groups at their best. Michael was clearly at
the top of his game. The song opened
with a strong walking bass line by Holland accompanied by DeJohnette’s subtle trap
work. Beautiful accompaniment by Calderazzo, and a piercing, powerfully
exploratory solo by Brecker is pure gold. Metheny adds his own airy and inventive
guitar imprint to this one that just takes the whole production to another
level.
Here is one of my favorite jazz songs for the day on this October 24, 2026. A great composition with a fantastic arrangement and some fabulous solos by Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy and the master Oliver Nelson and his orchestra. From the superb album is Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth released by Impulse in 1961, the endearing composition is "Stolen Moments." What more could you ask for?
Back in the late sixties and early seventies, I was exploring the spiritualism that seemed to be erupting from the world of jazz from such artists as John and Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry, Albert Ayler, Leon Thomas, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra and of course Pharoah Sanders. For me it was Pharoah's Tauhid that opened whatever third eye I was to find in myself. The particularly moving song on this album was "Aum/Venus & Capricorn Rising". From the tumultuous openings, the frenetic energy, the dissonance, to the absolute stunningly expressive and emotionally charged passages that he and his band generated just took me to another place. I would replay parts like the this one that starts at about the 4:30 minute mark and feel like their playing opened a portal to the unknown, the magical, the spiritual! I was forever smitten. Maybe this song for the day will do something like that to you to if you let it.
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (photo credit unknown)
On this song for the day, Oct 27, 2026, we find a beautiful and harmonically challenging composition, "Lush Life" from the 1963 Impulse album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Remarkably written by Billy Strayhorn when he was likely under the age of twenty, this tour de force deals with the very adult concept of the weariness of a robust night life after a failed romance. As jazz chronicler Ted Gioia wrote, "Lush Life" " ...ranks among the most sophisticated jazz ballads." The difficulty of being able to honestly deliver the feelings of the poignant lyrics within such a beautiful but boldly structured piece of music has always been a challenge. Others have tried, but Johnny Hartman's wonderfully rich and expressive baritone along with John Coltrane's burnish tenor accompaniment, is perhaps the unsurpassed version of what many consider Strayhorn's masterpiece.
Today's song for the day was considered one of the pianist Bill Evans' most endearing compositions "Waltz for Debby." Originally wordless and recorded on his Riverside 1956 release "New Jazz Conceptions," the song was purportedly written for his then three year old niece. The song was given Swedish lyrics by poet Beppe Wolgers for vocalist Monica Zetturland, who sung it under its Swedish title "Monica Vals" with Evans on an album titled "Waltz for Debby: Monica Zetturland Bill Evans" and released in 1963.
Canadian journalist and lyricist Gene Lees wrote English lyrics for the song for vocalist Tony Bennett for his popular 1964 album "Who Can I Turn To." Evans and Bennett would eventually collaborate on their seminal duo album "The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album" from 1975, and it is on this first collaboration that the two would play this memorable waltz with such conviction and feeling. Although Evans played this song many times as part of his repertoire throughout his career, this recording marks the only time the pianist would record the song with lyrics ever again. Maybe these two created something that was too good to be improved.
Today’s song of the day is from an album from 1970 titled
Joe Farrell Quartet. Joseph Carl
Firrantello was a multi-reedist and flute player born in Chicago Heights, Illinois
in 1937. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he relocated to
start his career as a professional musician in 1937, changing his name to the
more generic Joe Farrell. In the sixties, Farrell’s skill and versatility found
him recording with a range of musicians from Maynard Ferguson to Charles
Mingus, from Jakai Byard to Elvin Jones. After John Coltrane’s passing in 1967,
Farrell joined drummer Elvin Jones’ trio with bassist Jimmy Garrison and
recorded Putttin’ in Together on Blue Note in 1968, one of three albums
recorded with the trio through 1969.
Joe Farrell, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones (photo credit unknown)
In the early seventies Farrell maintained connection with Jones,
who he recorded with through the mid-seventies, but became a founder, with
Chick Corea, of the original Return to Forever with bassist Stanley
Clarke, vocalist Flora Purim and percussionist Airto Moreira. His proficiency
at both flute and soprano saxophone fit perfectly with Corea’s airy approach to
Latin-inspired music.
Farrell joined Creed Taylor’s CTI label in 1970, where he recorded
his debut as a leader on Joe Farrell Quartet, with Chick Corea on
piano, Dave Holland on bass, Jack De Johnette on drums and John McLaughlin as a
guest guitarist. McLaughlin’s composition “Follow Your Heart” was originally heard
as “Arjin’s Bag” on the guitarists fantastic Extrapolation recorded
five months earlier in 1969.
Farrell’s talent as a studio musician was in demand. His
prolific work can be heard on popular albums by Aretha Franklin, The Band, Darryl
Hall and John Oats, The Average White Band, Patti Austin, Mose Allison, Carly
Simon and Santana.
This album was my initiation to Farrell’s artistry. I got the opportunity to see this astoundingly
talented artist in person, in a trio setting, at an intimate now defunct club
in NJ in the early seventies. He was just mesmerizing. His performance and his many
recordings have been the source of great joy and satisfaction for me for
decades and this song never fails to make a lasting impression.
Unfortunately, Joe Farrell’s talent was short lived. He
passed away from MDS in California at the age of forty-eight in 1986. His music remains a testament to this talented
musician’s legacy.
The alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo has been in the New York
metro area honing his skill and obtaining important real-life experience for
years. He is a product of the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT and was
mentored by the great altoist Jackie McLean among others. McLean’s influence
on the student’s sound is understandable, but DiRubbo’s alto sound is darker,
less sharp-toned, more low register-based and just as stealthily honed as a
slashing razor blade as his mentor's.His alto saxophone
has been heard on recordings by trombonist Steve Davis, pianists Larry Willis
and Harold Mabern, and trumpeter Jim Rotondi, not to mention several albums as a
leader.
His latest release, Way Out Northwestwas
released in July by Cory Weeds’ Cellar Label. The altoist first met producer
Weeds after the two came in contact at a concert in New York back in 2006. The album
Mike DiRubbo Quartet featuring Harold Mabern -New York Accent -Live at
the Kitano was recorded and released shortly after. Importantly, Weeds
and DiRubbo stayed in touch.“Timing is
Everything” -coincidently the title of one of DiRubbo’s compositions on the
album- and so when Mike contacted Cory, the timing was indeed everything!
DiRubbo came to record with eight compositions. Two compositions were by
mentors –“Song for My Queen” by South African pianist and one-time
Hartt educator Hotep Idris Galeta, and trombonist Steve Davis’s “A Star to
Chick” -plus six DiRubbo originals.
Mike suggested a change of venue from his
NYC area and decided to record this album in Vancouver, British Columbia with
an all-Canadian rhythm section.The
built-in cohesion and intuitive skills that pianist Tilden Webb, bassist Jodi
Poznick and drummer Jesse Cahill brought to the recording as a seasoned trio was
the magic sauce that made this session such a treat for both DiRubbo and producer Weeds.
The title and opening cut “Way Out Northwest” establish the
hard bop drive that will be the prominent feature of this album. DiRubbo’s alto
is strong, vibrant and hovers in the lower register. The theme is set and the
rhythm section plays with a familiarity and comfort level that provides a
floating carpet upon which DiRubbo’s saxophone sails. Tilden ‘s piano accompaniment
is light and fluid. Poznick’s punctuating bass and Cahill’s roiling drum work offer
the saxophonist a sympathetic one-two rhythmic punch that allows the altoist’s to
showcase his probing style.
Mike DiRubbo (photo credit unknown)
The album follows with “Striking Distance, “a modal piece that opens
with a repeated line that sets the tension. DiRubbo’s alto is liquid and he
adds short bursts of emotionally charged lines that raise the temperature. Cahill
is given a short but potent feature that shows real kineticism.
“Song for My Queen” is a composition from one of DIRubbo’s
Hartt School instructors, South African pianist Hotep Idris Galeta, who often played
with Jackie McClean. The music was first recorded on the pianist’s album The
Prophet from 1972 and integrates
South African musical inspirations with modern jazz. There is a sweeping sense
of swing mixed with reverence and Mike’s alto plays the melody with a
clarion-like approach.
“Jimbo” is a DiRubbo dedication to the trumpet player Jim
Rotondi, who passed in 2024 ,and was one of the veteran players that saw the
promise in the altoist. Rotondi joined DiRubbo on the front line of the altoist’s
first album Keep Steppin’ from 2001. This easy, undulating melody
is one of the most fetching on the album. Pozniak’s bass offers a plucky melodic
solo of note. DiRubbo’s alto is warmer,
free-flowing, more tonally closer to the great Phil Woods on this one. You can
feel the emotional connection that the altoist had to the lyrical trumpet player,
and it makes for some enjoyable listening.
The album continues
with the fine, moody “Late August.” DiRubbo’s lower register inclinations are
perfectly suited for this one. He wails with emotion and delivers bursts of harmonically
rich lines that never seem to be desperate. Tilden’s piano has a searching solo
that fits the mood. This one leaves a lasting impression that DiRubbo is an
altoist that something to say.
The Steve Davis composition “A Star for Chick” could easily be
a homage to the late pianist Chick Corea. Latin-inspired, the music has a
driving bass line by Poznick and some propulsive drum work by Cahill. Tilden’s
piano solo work is powerful. DiRubbo’s horn shears the air with some of his
most sharply driven lines. His alto pierces the atmosphere with a take no prisoner’s
appeal and Cahill’s drum work at the coda adds his own percussive notation.
“Timing is Everything” is a sauntering melody that could be
DiRubbo’s comment on how this gig came about. There is a feel that DiRubbo is leisurely
walking down a street when he eventually gets stopped and things change. The nonchalantly
played alto has an easy listening swing, but this is no elevator music. There
is an inherent dark tone to DiRubbo’s horn. Maybe things sometimes don’t go the
way we had hoped, but his alto is serious and yet it never seems to forget to hold
the promise of hope. Things change.
The final composition is DiRubbo’s homage to the pianist
Harold Mabern titled “One for Mabes.” DiRubbo recalls that his first trip to
Vancouver, BC was with Mabern. “I’m blessed to have spent so much time around
him.” Opening with a repeating melodic line, “One for Mabs” is an energetic piece that seems to allow the band to percolate on a high level. DiRubbo plays with enhanced passion and piercing purpose. Cahill’s polyrhythmic drum feature cooks. DiRubbo’s alto is forceful and played with a reverence that is palpable and moving at the coda.
If there is one theme throughout this album it is the concept of lineage.
The world of jazz is often made up of brief encounters and lasting impressions between
teachers, places, and between fellow musicians on the stage. DiRubbo found his
relationships with McClean, Davis, Willis, Mabern, Rotondi and Galeta all to be
memorable and important enough in his development to acknowledge them on this wonderful album Way Out Northwest.
Sam Bardfeld, Joe Fonda and Barry Altschul-BFA Trio-Hurtling Between-Fundacja SluchajMusic
The violinist Sam Bardfeld has been seen playing violin and
coordinating larger string sections for popular rock group acts like Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, and Elvis Costello. His history, however, has revealed a more avant-garde
penchant. Bardfeld has found more expansive avenues for his musical expression
with adventurous artists like Anthony Braxton, with the late trombonist Curtis
Fowlkes’ Jazz Passengers or with Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra. Following that inclination, the violinist recently teamed
up with two iconic players of the free jazz world, double bassist Joe Fonda and
drummer/percussionist Barry Altschul.
Joe Fonda, Sam Bardfeld and Barry Altschul (photo credit unknown)
A short look at Joe Fonda’s diverse double bass musical history includes his work with pianist/composer Carla Bley, the saxophonists Anthony Braxton and Archie
Shepp, as well some creative work with the trumpeters Dave Douglas and Wadada Leo Smith.
Likewise, drummer Barry
Altschul’s propulsive percussion has been an important part of work with the likes of pianist
Paul Bley, and as a member of Chick Corea’s forward-looking Circle Group with multi-reedist
Braxton and master bassist Dave Holland, to name just a few. Fonda and Altschul have been probing
the cutting edge of the avant-garde jazz world for the last half-century.
In 2003, Fonda and Altschul found common cause with the progressive violinist
Billy Bang. The three became enamored with their intuitive, improvisational free
association. To these three adventurers, this approach to improvisational jazz was aligned to their vision of creativity. The three
formed the influential, but sadly short-lived, FAB (Fonda, Altschul and Bang) Trio, performing from 2003 through Bang’s transition in 2011.
FAB Trio: Billy Bang, Barry Altschul and Joe Fonda (Photo credit unknown)
Fast forward to 2026. This latest group BFA (Bardfeld,
Fonda and Altschul) picks up where the former trio had last left off. Bardfeld plays with a raucous, folk-inspired, sometimes humorous
sense of abandon. Bill Milkowski likened his style to a mixture of “… a Stuff
Smith playfulness with a Charles Ives aesthetic…”! It’s no wonder why Fonda and Altshcul found this
like-minded soul to be an artist that they could have common ground and make music with.The BFA
Trio’s first release, Hurtling Between, is to be released on the Polish label Fundacja Sluchaj this late October.
The release features seven compositions, two by Altschul which bookend this album. The opener “Martin’s Stew” is a dedication to fellow American drummer
Stu Martin. Martin’s career ran the spectrum- from big bands led by Basie,
Ellington and Quincy Jones, to backing post-bop giants like Sonny Rollins and Herbie
Hancock, and into creative work with modernists like multi-reedist John Surman, bassist Barre
Phillips and pianist/composer Carla Bley. The trio takes a free flow interactive approach to communicate their musical message, and while it may lose some listeners in what appears to be disorder, dissonance or randomness, there is an intuitive order to these three and how the interact. Even when the direction of a composition seems tentative. Even when the boundaries seem at times silky. This trio somehow always stay complimentary and on the same wavelength.
“Ida Lupino”, my favorite from this album, is a revered Carla Bley composition with an
Americana hymn-like feel to it. The song was previously played as a trio with Altschul on Paul Bley’s
album Closer from 1966 with Steve Swallow on bass. Here it opens with a bowed drone by Fonda,
as Bardfeld tickles the strings with creative, expansive lines before the music
swings into the repeating melody. The easy sway is playful, energetic and
propelled by Altschul’s cyclonic percussion. Fonda offers a probing solo and there is a
beautiful intuitive interaction here that reveals the possibilities that these
three can create.
Julius Hemphill was an alto saxophonist that Altschul also played
with in 1975 on Hemphill’s album Coon Bid ’ness.Bardfeld connection to this music comes from him being a member of the Hemphill
Stringtet that was formed in 2022 . They released this tribute album as an all-string quartet, The Hemphill Stringtet Plays the Music of Julius Hemphill,
in 2025. “C”, Hemphill's composition on this album, is a blues-based piece.
The trio takes off at the opening setting at a blistering pace, held together by
the frenetic pizzicato of Fonda, the often tumultuous drum work of Altschul, and the kinetically
charged violin work by Bardfeld.
Sam Bardfeld (photo credit unknown)
The trio collectively create “Hippie Sh*t Could Set Us Free”
another piece of music born out of free association. Fonda is on flute on this one, where he
creates bird-inspired chirps. Bardfeld’s violin creates eerie, glassy
squeals, and Altschul’s percussive accents punctuate the action deftly. The
music ends with a sustained, medium-pitched metallic, almost gong-like wash to a fade.
The cover composition is Bardfeld’s “Hurtling Between” opens
with Fonda’s strong ostinato bass lines, as Bardfield’s violin states the jagged, repeating
melodic line. The music swells with turbulent drumming, explosive double bass pizzicato,
and a violin that seems bent on playing with dissonant abandon. There is
a sense of these three musicians being caught in a dervish whirlwind of their own making. It is not likely to leave you either calm or unagitated, but if you can imagine being caught in a tornado-like gust and being hurtled around like a rag doll, than this will aural soundtrack will neatly compliment the cinematic experience you can imagine in your mind's eye.
Barry Altschul and Joe Fonda photo credit Guy de poel
Joe Fonda’s composition “G.S. #2” is a tribute to drummer
George Schuller. Schuller is the son of the famous composer/educator/conductor Gunther
Schuller who coined the concept of “Third Stream” music; the integration of classical
techniques to jazz sensibilities. Fonda's opening bass solo is so resonant, pliant,
and fluid. In just over one minute this virtuoso treats the listener to a feast of tones,
attacks and aural possibilities that double bass under can
evoke. Bardfeld adds his own artful attack to the mix, humanizing the violin with eerie, moan-like sounds that hang in the air. Altschul provides
one of the most tumultuous solos on the album. His kit is alive, erupting with kinetic energy. A percussive cauldron that percolates, simmers and at times boils over.The trio ends in a unified
conclusion.
The album ends with another Altschul composition, “Be Out School.”
A playful, humorous tune that conjures up three sandbox occupants that are
free to create their own entertainment. Boys
will be boys. These three rollick with the realization that they are suddenly free of boundaries. Free jazz has that sense of having no limits and Bardfeld is
clearly the instigator on this one. His violin boisterously taunts dissonantly. He challenges
his bandmates to take a jump into the unknown. Fonda responds in kind with authority
and defiance offering his own jagged response. Altschul percolates slowly, at first in tandem with his bandmates, and then with his own cantankerous response of being 'all in' on this romp. No one is going home unscathed here. Like three rough-house kids, hair all askew and 'best to school' clothing torn and soiled, there will be a price to pay. But these ruffians don't seem to mind, they have a wide smile on their face and the feeling is infectious. Pure 'out of school' fun.
The trio of Allison, Cardenas and Nash, as they are known,
released their latest album titled Triological on Sunnyside Records
this past April. If you have had the privilege of hearing these guys work
before, either as sidemen, members of respected big bands/orchestras or as
leaders of their own ensembles, then you are already aware of the copious talent
these three musicians have.
For those who are unaware, Ben Allison is a vibrant bass
player/composer/educator. He is also one of founders and creative director of
the formative alliance, the Jazz Composer’s Collective in NYC, that from
1992-2005 promoted the creation and performance of creative, forward-looking
jazz. His work first came to my attention with his group Man Size Safe’s album Little Things Run the Worldfrom 2008. The superb guitarist Steve Cardenas was
also a member of that group, and I got to see that group perform in Brooklyn back in
that year. I subsequently saw Allison and group with the performance artist Joey Arias at Carnegie Hall. I have reviewed several of his fine releases.
Cardenas was a member of the drummer Paul Motion’s Electric Be Bop Band
and was with bassist Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra for ten years. I was also able to see Cardenas perform as a
member of pianist Jon Cowherd’s talented Mercy Project when they performed in
Portland, OR in Feb of 2023. I have enjoyed his work on his Blue Has a Range and enjoyed his work with bassist John Patitucci and the drummer Adam Nussbaum..
Ted Nash has been a multi-woodwind member of Wynton
Marsalis’s Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra from 1998 through 2024! I have heard him play in that orchestra on several occasions. He is
the son of Dick Nash and the nephew of Ted Nash; both were first call Hollywood
studio musicians who worked predominantly with the composer/arranger Henry
Mancini. Ted’s Presidential Suite:Eight Variations on Freedom, a big band suitereleased in
2016, won a Grammy in 2017.
Ted Nash, Ben Allison and Steve Cardenas (photo credit unknown)
This gifted trio’s first recording was Quiet Revolution, from 2018, explored the music of guitarist Jim Hall and reedist
Jimmy Guiffre. Guiffre’s inventive drum
less trio concept became the impetus for this trio’s future explorations,
expanding the concept that a reed, guitar and bass could generate their own
internal rhythmic drive through thoughtful interplay.
In 2019 they released Somewhere Else which featured the music of West Side Story and the work of composer
Leonard Bernstein. The trio released Healing Power-The Music of Carla Bleyin 2020,
and in 2024 they released Tell the Birds I Said Hello, a celebration of the rhymically
displaced and harmonically rich music of pianist Herbie Nichols. It was only inevitable
that this dynamic threesome, a trio so adept at interpretating other people’s
compositions, would eventually release an album that featured their own original
compositions. Thus, the genesis of the latest release, Triological.
Ten compositions, four by Allison and three each by
Cardenas and Nash, make up this all-original offering. The inspiration for
composing can often be found in previously composed, influentially residual, impressions that emerge from seeds of other people’s work.The music has elements of chamber jazz on this
offering. The three reach a quiet, sensitivity that reaches for musical boundaries and can
only be reached by musically empathetic artists willing to explore tonal and rhythmic
boundaries. This album does all that and more.
Allison’s opening composure, “See Forever,” is an easy, mellow,
sauntering piece that the bassist speaks of as being the product of a stream of
consciousness approach. He finds this song the perfect vehicle for his vintage 1967
Hofner electric bass. Nash’s tenor is sonorous and Cardenas’ guitar is light and
airy as the three weave around separately and at times in sync with each other. Allison admits that
there is a late fifties “easy listening” feel to this one, and he credits being somewhat influenced by the seminal work of conductor/composer Henry
Mancini. Emulation of a great composer is hardly a weakness, and we will see
this approach being somewhat thematic throughout the album.
Guitarist Cardenas’ “Puddle Jumper” is a flowing, bubbling
piece that originally developed from the opening melodic lines that the guitarist
was playing with and recorded on a voice memo, only to be left for development
at a later date. There is a quiescent to this beautiful, melodically repeating line that emanates to the listener. It’s like a tonic to whatever may be ailing or disturbing
you; just under four minutes of tranquility.
Ted Nash’s “Burnt Toast & Avocado” opens with a
sensitive acoustic bass entre before Nash’s tubular clarinet takes a
sinewy solo that lulls you like a snake charmer. Cardenas follows with his own exploratory, uncluttered solo that rings with sensitivity, before Allison’s throbbing bass
lines resonate with sustain and authority.
Allison’s lively “Fellas with Umbrellas” is a composition
that has two sources of inspiration. Initially Allison wrote the melody over
the chord changes of bassist Steve Swallow’s composition “Ladies in Mercedes.” An
opening staccato bass line frames Nash’s gorgeous descending lines on his
tonally rich tenor. Allison’s acoustic bass solo dances with aplomb; a
sustained resonance that is subtly comped by Cardenas’s feather strumming. When
the guitarist takes his turn, Allison’s strong rhythmic pace allows Cardenas to
fearlessly explore the harmonic possibilities of the melody. Surprisingly, Allison
mentions that the composition also had another great composer, Michel LeGrand,
in mind. LeGrand’s cinematic soundtrack from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
clearly was in Allison’s mind when he titled this one. It turns out, Allison,
in talking to Swallow about this composition, admitted that he too was
influenced by LeGrand. The world of music can clearly be a small, small world,
but one that is constantly renewing itself with new artists and new ideas of
interpretation.
The album continues with the film-noirish “Milton,” an
Allison composition previously released on his Moments Inside
from 2021. Nash’s tenor is a marvel of luscious tonal delight. Allison again
utilizes his Hofner electric bass, as Cardenas offers a solo accentuated by his
use of a tremolo effect. The contrast between the metronomic bass lines, the trembling
guitar lines, and the legato tenor lines make this sonically a treat.
“By Heart” is a Cardenas almost Americana style ballad that opens
with the guitarist’s slow, sensitive opening lines that are repeated in sync by
the three musicians. Cardenas’ guitar solo is short and poignant before Nash’s
tenor adds to the pensive mode. Allison’s bass just hums with sustain and
includes some higher register lines before the music returns to the opening
lines to the coda.
Nash’s “For Bill” is one of my favorite compositions of the
album. Nash used Bill Evans’ “Time Remembered” as his inspiration. The music opens with
bass and guitar before the tenor enters with the melody line. There is patient,
unhurried approach that clearly honors Evans’ own approach to music. Nash’s
tenor tantalizingly navigates the sinewy lines with unshowy confidence and with
rich harmonic ideas that don’t wander too far from the melody. Cardenas’ accompaniment is intuitive and
splendid. When he solos, it’s always airy, unobtrusive; always meaningful.
Allison’s bass rings with a rhythmic presence that few can match. He always
offering surprisingly inventive lines that accentuate the instruments vibrant possibilities.
“Back Home” is a return to the roots of the
guitarist’s influence back in Kansas City, Missouri and his early time with pianist
Jay McShann. With a loping bass line and tandem playing by Cardenas on electric guitar and Nash on
tenor saxophone, the music swells with back home comfort. Nash is so welcomingly melodic,
and Cardenas’ guitar sometimes has a comping feeling that recalls the sound of
a delicately hammered vibraphone.
Nash’s “Ida’s Spoon” is supposedly reimagined from Victor
Young’s classic “Stella by
Starlight”. The music has the flow and
momentum of a cryptic Lenny Tristano song where the lead instruments guitar and
tenor weave themselves into a tapestry of sounds with no apparent direction.
Nash claims saxophonist Warne Marsh’s as an inspiration on this one. Cardenas’ guitar work is at its most abstract
here, and Allison’s bass is as free-flowing as we have heard.
The finale is Allison’s “Peace Out There” and reprises the
sound of Nash’s warm, woody-toned clarinet. Allison claims that this was
originally a work that had Jimmy Guiffre in mind, but as it developed, he feels
it was more inspired by Carla Bley and her abstract “Mornings Out There.”There is parts with quickly played staccato lines followed by a more pastoral section where Allison’s electric bass
and Cardenas’s guitar lines are played in unison, as Nash’s clarinet probes the
atmosphere of the music. Quite beautiful, ambient and peaceful.
The Ali Ryerson Quartet at the 1905 Jazz Club August 10, 2026
Ali Ryerson
The variation of music that you can enjoy in Portland is
always a cornucopia of possibilities. The month of August was especially fertile
for me. This month, I was able to enjoy the music of three disparate musicians;
master flutist Ali Ryerson and three local musicians graced the stage of 1905
Jazz Club in support of her fabulous new album The Ali Ryerson Quartet,
the solo pianistic stylings of Bill Mays as featured at Classic Pianos, and the
robust musical piano and accordion of the talented Ben Rosenblum and trio brought
his own unique approach to the music to the 1905 Jazz Club.
Jasnam Daya Singh, Bill Athens Ali Ryerson and Ken Ollis at the 1905
Monday is an unusual night
out for music, but I was privileged to catch the first set of world class flute
master Ali Ryerson playing with three sensational local musicians at 1905 on
Aug 10th. Ali and I have an unusual connection. We independently knew a pianist
who we both cherished, and who had sadly passed away recently. Ryerson’s performance
at 1905 gave us a chance to meet in person; recall our common friend, and through
the language of music, celebrate his memory. What music it was! Ryerson was in town for the National Flute Association
54th annual Convention which was held from Aug 6th-9th
at the Oregon Convention Center. There she performed with other flute masters
like Jeff Coffin, Nestor Torres, and Robert Dick to name a few.
I recently reviewed Ryerson’s latest release The Ali
Ryerson Quartet back late June which you can read here.
On this wonderful album, Ali re-established herself as a vibrant and potent musician
who is still considered one of the top players on her instrument. The album has
been well received and rode the charts prominently for several weeks.
On this evening, Ryerson engaged pianist Jasnam Daya Singh, bassist
Bill Athens, and drummer Ken Ollis. These local musicians were accomplished and
complimentary to Ryerson’s skill at both flute and baritone flute. The set opened
with Chick Corea’s “Windows,” was first played on flute by Hubert Laws on his Atlantic
release Laws Cause from 1969. Ryerson plays her “C” flute with authority on
this composition, giving that exploratory ethereal feel that makes this wonderful
piece so enchanting. Athens’ pizzicato work is inventive, and Singh pianistic
accompaniment subtle and understated. The set continued with Thad Jones’ post-bop
swinger “3 and 1,” with Ryerson taking up her alto flute to replace Jones
flugelhorn from the original. Athens and Ollis maintain the pace impeccably as
Ryerson’s deeper toned alto solo cooks. The set continued with Ryerson introducing
her own interpretation of Steve Swallow’s classic “Falling Grace” which is the
perfect vehicle for Ryerson, Singh and Athens to each offer their own solo
takes on the theme. Ryerson appropriately returned to her alto flute on Dizzy
Gillespie’s “Birks Works,” a blues bop classic that offers Ryerson the chance to
strut some of the bluer side of her repertoire. The group played a beautiful ballad
by pianist Singh which featured the group’s sensitive side. Then one of my
favorites was Ryerson’s reimagining of a Jerome Kern’s classic renamed “Before
Today/Yesterdays” with Ali returning to her “C” flute and some notable solos by
her, Athens on bass and a rousing drum spotlight by Ollis. The show ended with
Ryerson graciously inviting up another flutist, the Japanese artist Yuko Hoshi,
to play on a bossa nova-based tune with the band, providing an interesting
comparison of the two stylists. The set ended with another Brazilian samba,
with Ali and band showing their Brazilian influenced chops. The sold-out
audience left the venue with a satisfying smile on their faces. Ryerson’s
performance certainly left no doubt she is still one of the eminent jazz flautists
of her era. If you are a fan of swinging,
jazz-centered music, then The Ali Ryerson Quartet will certainly be
a enduring, enjoyable addition to your collection.
Bill Mays Solo Piano at The George Fendel Concert Series -Classic Pianos Aug 16, 2026
Bill Mays at the Piano at Classic Pianos in Portland
On Sunday August 16th, at a beautifully renovated building,
purportedly dating from the eighteen hundreds, houses a thirty-thousand-foot piano
showroom and service center for Classic Pianos, owned by the Unis Family, down off
Powell Blvd in Portland.
Classic Pianos 1010 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR
There, in a tucked away recital area, I got to see the
highly regarded pianist Bill Mays at a solo performance. Mays performance was
part of the George Fendel Concert Series, now managed by Patrick Springer. This
is a new series to me and one that clearly adds another rewarding element to
the music scene in Portland. Fendel was a local jazz radio DJ, jazz pianist and
jazz aficionado who started the series in 2010. He unfortunately transitioned this
year.
George Fendel (photo credit unknown)
The venue seated perhaps seventy admirers who got to
experience an up close and personal performance by Mays. Now eighty-two, Mays
facility is still marvelous. I have been
a fan of Mays since I was exposed to his Invention Trio’s Palmetto album Fantasy
released in 2007. The trio featured Mays
on piano and composition, the talented Marvin Stamm on trumpet and flugelhorn
and Alisa Horn on cello. The music was a fusion of classical composition with
modern jazz improvisation. A hybrid that some people would call chamber jazz.
On this evening, Mays played on a Yamaha grand and opened
with JC Handy’s “Memphis Blues.” The man exudes a joyful presence when he is
behind the keyboard. He included rhapsodic intros that preceded the melody with
flair and style. He used a walking left hand as a bass line and his right foot
bounced keeping the time. There were elements of stride and boogie Woogie that created
an exuberance that primed the audience for what was to come.
Bill Mays
Mays is a consummate performer. He continued with the
beautiful Jobim ballad “Estate”(Summer) opening the music strumming of the
strings of the piano like a harp. The Brazilian sway of the song was just
another aspect of the pianist’s repertoire. Mays followed with a composition
that he titled “Mike” as a tribute to the musician Mike Wofford, a fellow
pianist who passed away in 2025 and was an accompaniest to Sarah Vaughan, Mel Tormé,
and Ella Fitzgerald. The music had Mays in swing mode, and he offered
some right-handed creative improvised lines as he maintained the bass line with
his left. The pianist also scatted a little in coordination with his piano
lines. Mays was enjoying himself and the audience was captured by his
showmanship and talent.
The set included a song he wrote that was inspired by a watercolor
made by his wife Judy who was present in the audience. The painting evoked play
long, flowing lines that ascended and descended wonderfully up and down the
keyboard. For the straight-ahead fans, Mays played Thad Jones “3 in 1,”
utilizing a cooking hard bop piano style that sizzled. The music featured Billy
Strayhorn’s beautiful composition “Chelsea Bridge” which he dedicated to George
Fendel.
Not to leave out cinematic music from the repertoire, Mays
played the “Theme to Godfather II” written by Nino Roti, and including the
improvisational embellishments, the familiarity of the music grabbed the
audience favorably as expected.
Bill Mays on the keyboard up close
Bill Evan’s “Waltz for Debbie” is always a favorite of
pianists, and Mays made his take beautiful with wonderfully creative harmonic variations
and chordal runs that made the experience worth the price of admission. Mays is
a storyteller on his keyboard, and he continued with classics like “Young and Foolish,”
which he read from the lyrics. Gershwin’s “Embraceable You,” preceded Mays
doing something unusual, three separate Prelude’s to Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”
which I had never heard before and which demonstrated creativity and impressive
facility. The set ended with the Gershwin Brothers tin pan alley torch song “Someone
to Watch Over You” and with Antonin Dvorak’s “Goin’ Home” where the pianist
played inside the piano on the strings creating a zither-like sound.
If the performance of Bill Mays is any indication of the
kind of top-rate solo piano concerts you can experience here in Portland at the
George Fendel Concert Series at Classic Pianos, then a word to the wise should
suffice.
The Ben Rosenblum Trio at The 1905 Jazz Club Aug 23, 2026
Ben Rosenblum and Greg Finegold at 1905
The final performance I caught this month was up and coming pianist/accordionist
Ben Rosenblum and his trio at the 1905 Jazz Club on August23rd. I got a chance
to speak with Rosenblum before the early show. He indicated he was doing a
short West Coast tour in promotion of his latest album The Longest Way Around”
which was released in February of this year to promising reviews. Ben is
another of those musicians that exude love when creating and sharing music. He
is a rumpled sort of bespeckled guy with copiously flowing hair and a scraggy-bearded
face. Under that visage is a talented musician who seems to have cross pollinated
the multiple inspirations that seem to show up in his music. There is a
pianistic vibrancy here. Rosenblum amalgamizes elements of Americana, Cajun,
New Orleans Dixieland, Latin, Irish and other folk music, as well as boisterous,
Storyville inspired saloon-style music to make what he plays all his own.
Mostly, he just has fun! The diverse elements seem to fit seamlessly. He has
found a way to integrate his accordion playing into his world-inspired jazz music,
similarly to the way the Argentinian and Uruguayan musicians have made the use
of the Bandoneon into a critical part of Tango music.
Ben Rosenblum
Rosenblum, who now calls Brooklyn his home, was joined bassist
Greg Finegold from Seattle, and the drummer Ben Zweig, whom he traveled with on
this tour. The music started with a song first recorded by the Nat King Cole
Trio at Carnegie Hall and released in 1949 titled “Bop Kick.” It’s a quick-paced
bebop song that requires agile facility from the pianist. Rosenblum’s fingers floated
across the keyboard as the bassist and drummer kept the pace. Zweig drum skill
was featured and finished playing the drum kit with his bare hands.
Rosenblum’s ballad “Henry and the Sunset” is a slow bossa
that showed the pianist’s sensitive side and offered a solo by Goldstein and
subtle mallet work by Zweig.
The crowd was treated to “Sheridan’s Reel” a traditional
Irish dance song dedicated to an old passed friend of Rosenblum’s, Michael
Sheridan. Rosenblum called up a guest percussionist Brad Dutz, who appeared on Ben’s
latest album The Longest Way Round, to play bones and percussion
on this reel. The music burst with jubilance as Rosenblum picked up his
accordion for this one. The song was filled with eighth notes and in 2/4 time.Watching Rosenbaum play his squeeze box with
such emotional abandon and honest joy, it was hard for the audience to not get
up and dance! Zweig and Dutz added percussion
accents that just added to the juice.
Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project- The Longest Way Round-One Trick Dog Music
The set continued with another bossa, before Duke Ellington
and Lawrence Brown’s “On a Turquoise Cloud.” This is an impressionistic piece that originally
featured wordless vocals by Kay Davis, bass clarinet by Harry Carney, trombone
work by Lawrence Brown and violin by Ray Nance. Rosenblum didn’t have that kind
of diverse instrumental palette to pull from here, but he offered his own gorgeously
expressed piano take that had embellishments that recalled Erroll Garner.
Rosenblum returned to his accordion on the waltz he wrote “Living
Stream” from his album A Thousand Pebbles from 2023. Dance was in
the air when “Bamboula” a Creole/African dance rhythm that Rosenblum used it as
the basis for the next song that he apparently improvised while on piano. Zweig
and Dutz added their percussive accents to this one.
The set finished with Rosenblum’s reimagination of the
Beatles’ classic “Fool on the Hill.” Ben
admitted to being most influenced by the Sergio Mendez Brazilian inspired take
on the song, but suffice it say that Brazil 66 never had the added dimension of
Ben’s accordion for their version. He couldn’t have ended this triumphal
appearance better.
