Suspend Some Time and Take a Trip Through Julian Lage's “Gladwell”

 

Julian Lage "Gladwell"

Decca Records B0015502-02

Recorded at WBGH Studios, Boston, Ma

August 12^th , 13^th  & 14^th  2010 September 29, 2010 and December 10 & 11^th 2010

You have entered a world where time and space are suspended; a world, mysterious and forgotten as created in the mind of guitarist Julian Lage. You have entered the imaginary town of Gladwell. In this town all the instrumental voices are aural representations of the unique residents of this metaphorically magical place.

Using this town as his canvas, Lage creates a musical vignette that captures the sights, sounds and feel of this wholly imaginary place- a compilation of sorts that is made up of people, musical influences and experiences that he and his fellow musicians hold dear.

From the decidedly western sounding “233 Butler” which Lage impeccably plucks on a 1934  guitar built by R.A. Mango, the album has a rooted  Americana feel. A layered percussion solo by Tupac Mantilla is laced with voice overs, sighing cello and an array of unidentifiable percussive elements.

Tupac Mantilla

“Margaret” is a particularly evocative ballad that Lage wrote for friend and fellow Berklee guitarist/composer Margaret Glaspy. Lage employs tenor lines by Dan Blake and cello accompaniment by Aristides Rivas to create this compelling piece of music that somehow has undertones suggestive of  Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden’s “Beyond the Missouri Sky” from 1997 . 

 

Lage includes three improvised guitar pieces in the album, which he plays on a vintage 1926 Martin

00-28. On the first “ Point the Way” Lage over dubs three parts into an interesting quilt of sounds that he codifies in a brief two minute twelve seconds. The second piece, “Cathedral” ,is the equally short but delicate chamber piece that employs the unique resonance of the vintage Martin guitar. The final improvised/ overdubbed guitar piece is 

“Listen Darkly” which is the most frenetic of the three.

“However” is written by saxophonist Dan Blake and has a distinctively a rhythmic drive created by Mantilla’s effective use of drums and shimmering cymbals. Lage has a distinctive sound that lies somewhere between Metheny and Frisell without being too much like either of them.

Saxophonist Dan Blake

The classic “Freight Train” is played in a un-garnished, straight ahead almost reverential way, with Lage’s virtuosity and passion shinning delightfully through.

On “Listening Walk” we find Mantilla, Roeder and Lage create the bustle of a crowded train station. Lage uses a finger picked ostinato that sets the stage for Blake and Rivas to introduce the backing melody line, that simulates the loudspeaker announcements at the imaginary Gladwell’s train station. Mantilla and Lage have a great affinity as the two play off each other like two familiar friends walking through their imaginary town. 

 

“Cocoon” is a gossamer tune that is laden with both melancholy and timelessness. Aurally it depicts the sacred place, the sanctuary that all destinations like Gladwell invariably have.

The seminal standard “Autumn Leaves” was reportedly played by Lage in a living room-like environment created in the studio. Here he played for the exclusive enjoyment of his band mates who were all seated in a half circle on the floor around him. It is a rare glimpse of the fine guitarist playing solo for the enjoyment and under the direct scrutiny of his fellow musicians.

“Iowa Taken” is another fine example of the precise interplay that Mantilla, bassist Jorge Roeder and Lage have developed. Roeder provides some interesting and fluid bass lines during his solo. There is a fascinating draw to Lage’s creative process of building his musical vignettes, employing changes in direction, time and alternating between repeating lines and dancing single line adventures. 

Bassist Jorge Roeder

The final piece on the album is “Telegram” which, according to the liner notes, borrows from the tune

“Red Prairie Dawn” and is a jaunting, joyful down home piece of Americana in the finest tradition. Lage picks his way on a vintage 1932 Gibson L-5 here and saxophonist Dan Blake soars on this one.

Julian Lage and company have astutely orchestrated this entertaining travelogue through his imaginary Gladwell and it is a trip worthy of multiple visits.





Musicians: Julian Lage (guitars); Dan Blake (saxophones); Aristides Rivas (cello); Jorge Roeder (bass); Tupac Mantilla ( drums and percussion)

My Fourth of July List Celebrating Living Jazz Legends

Revised to include additions based on readers comments:


With the recent passing of Herb Ellis, Hank Jones, Fred Anderson and Benny Powell it becomes painfully apparent that we continue  to lose some of the great heroes and pioneers of this music that we call jazz. Despite  losses like these, jazz has proven time and again that it is a durable art form. It is a resilient performance art that is constantly recreating itself beyond categorization. This durability and creativity springs from the jazz tradition. Through the longevity and generosity of  the living jazz masters this tradition continues. They pass it along  through their moving performances, their valuable recollections and their tireless dedication to educating the next generation. The jazz audience has been characterized as aging and relatively small, but none can deny it is made up of passionate enthusiasts. On this fourth of July let our passion start a yearly celebration of our living jazz legends, those who have been and continue to be so instrumental in bringing us this music we love so much. The musicians who have created what could arguably be called America’s only true indigenous art form. An art form that has become the most internationally cooperative means of communication in the world today.

Here is my list of veteran players who are still with us, many vibrant and still actively playing or teaching, people who should be honored for their past and continuing contributions to this music we call jazz. I have only included those artists who have reached their seventieth birthday and beyond and I am sure I am missing some important players ( my apologies for any inadvertent omissions), but here is my fourth of July 2010 list of living jazz legends, with a great big thank you to each and every one.



LIVING JAZZ LEGENDS : July 4, 2010

Saxophonists: Pharaoh Sanders, Arthur Bythe  and Lew Tabakin (70), Zibigniew Namyslowski (71) Charle Lloyd (72),Archie Shepp (73), Don Menza (74) George Coleman (75), Gato Barbieri and Lanny Morgan (76), Wayne Shorter and John Handy (77), Phil Woods and Sonny Rollins (79), Ornette Coleman (80), Herb Geller and Benny Golson (81)  Lee Konitz and Med Flory (82), Lou Donaldson (83), Jimmy Heath (84), James Moody (85), Marshall Allen and Sam Rivers(86), Von Freeman (87), Frank Wess (88), Yusef Lateef (90).

Pianists: Herbie Hancock(70), McCoy Tyner and Roger Kellaway (71), Steve Kuhn (72), Les McCann, Carla Bley and Harold Mabern (74), Ramsey Lewis, Pat Moran and Pat Rebillot (75) Paul Bley and Larry Novak (77), Jack Reilly and Michel LeGrand (78), Horace Parlan, Muhal Richard Abrams and Derek Smith (79), Amhad Jamal and Barry Harris(80), Horace Silver, Junior Mance and Toshiko Akiyoshi (81), Martial Solal, Joanne Brackeen and Mose Allison (82), Dick Hyman (83), Randy Weston (84), Billy Taylor (88), Dave Brubeck (89), George Shearing (90) and Marian McPartland (92).

Bassists: Eberhard Weber (70), Charlie Haden (72), Ron Carter and Chuck Israels (73), Henry Grimes (74), Gary Peacock and Cecil McBee (75), Bob Cranshaw and Jack Six (77) and Richard Davis (80), Jymie Merritt (84),Eugene Wright (87).

Trumpeters: Ted Curson (75), Donald Byrd (77), Jack Sheldon (78), Kenny Wheeler (80), Doc Severinson (83), Clark Terry and Uan Rasey (88) and Snooky Young and Gerald Wilson (91).Lionel Ferbos (98) 

Guitarists: Ralph Towner (70), Gene Bertoncini (73), Kenny Burrell (78), Jim Hall and John Pisano (79), Bucky Pizzarelli (84) and Johnny Smith (88).

 
Trombonists: Billy Watrous and Dick Griffin (71), Grachan Moncur III and Philip Wilson (73), Julian Priester and Roswell Rudd (75), Curtis Fuller (76) Locksley "Slide" Hampton (78), Bob Brookmeyer (81), Urbie Green (83) is eighty-three and Eddie Bert (88).



Drummers: Andrew Cyrille and Idris Muhamed (70), Bernard Purdie (71), Pete LaRoca Sims, Tony Oxley, Edwin Marshall and Nesbert “Stix” Hooper (72), Grady Tate (73), Albert “Tootie” Heath and Chuck Flores (75), Ben Riley (77), Mickey Roker (78) Paul Motian and Ronnie Bedford (79), Jimmy Cobb, Joe Morello and Charlie Persip (81), Roy Haynes (85), Al Harewood (87),  Chico Hamilton (88), Candido Camero (89) and Butch Ballard (91).

Organists: “ Papa” John De Francesco and Mac “Dr John” Rebbenack (70), Brian Auger (71), Trudy Pitts and Johnny “Hammond” Smith (77) and Sir Charles Thompson (92).  

Jazz Vocalists: Astrud Gilberto and Al Jarreau (70), Mary Stallings (71), Etta James (72), Nancy Wilson and Carol Sloane (73),Freddy Cole and Mark Murphy (78), Abbey Lincoln, Helen Merrill, Gloria Lynne and Jon Hendricks (79), Annie Ross (80), Sheila Jordan and Ernestine Anderson (81), Cleo Laine and Ernie Andrews (82), Tony Bennett (83) and Jimmy Scott (84).

Miscellaneous Artists: Roy Ayers, vibraphonist (70),  Hermeto Pascal, accordian (74), Michael White, violin (77), Terry Gibbs, vibraphonist (86), Buddy DeFranco, clarinetist (87)

Composer/Arrangers,
Don Sebesky (72), Quincy Jones, composer/arranger/ trumpet (77), Lennie Niehaus, composer/arranger/saxophonist (81), Bill Holman, arranger/composer/saxophone (83),  Johnny Mandell, composer/arranger (84)

A happy fourth of July to all of you and thank you for your tireless contributions to the music we all love.

 

My Picks for Best Jazz Cd’s for 2009

First and foremost I want to say how impressed I have been with the quality of offerings that I have had the chance to preview this year. Most of these selections come from musicians that fly far under the radar of the general listening public. Admittedly there are many fine albums, many by more established artists, that I have not had the opportunity to listen to or review. Consequently my list in no way attempts to represent a very best of 2009 but simply the best that I have had a chance to hear. With that caveat firmly established here are some of my favorite cds from this year.

PART ONE:
My Top Five Piano Based CD’s


Lawrence Hobgood with Charlie Haden and Kurt Elling When the Heart Dances (Naim CD112)Exquisitely recorded by Ken Christianson, this album awakened my consciousness to the beauty of the playing of pianist Lawrence Hobgood. The under appreciated Hobgood has for years been successfully accompanying and arranging with vocalist Kurt Elling, who joins him brilliantly on three songs on this album First Song, Stairway to the Stars & Daydream. His poignant collaboration with the noble, warm bass of Charlie Haden is notable especially on Que Sera Sera, When the Heart Dances, Why Did I Choose You, New Orleans & The Cost of Living. His unaccompanied piano plays like a reverential benediction on his own compositions, Sanctuary & Leatherwood. A fine album from a pianist who we hope to hear more from in the near future.

Marc Copland, Drew Gress and Bill Stewart
New York Trio Recordings, Vol. 3: Night Whispers(Pit3037)
Pianist Marc Copland has had a prolific year with several releases that all merit close attention. My favorite, this year, showcased the brilliant and sensitive Copland with a powerful trio made up of the buoyant Drew Gress on bass and the ubiquitous Bill Stewart on drums. There is a wonderful exhibition of subdued introspection-ala Bill Evans-on Copland’s three solo deconstructions of the touching Johnny Mandell song Emily. His treatment of the Julie Styne standard I Fall In Love Too Easily is equally moving. The eruptive force of Stewart’s drums and Gress’s elastic bass are perfect foils to Copland’s probing piano musings. On Gress’s Like it Never Was the interaction is moving and spookily telepathic. The album features three Copland compositions the somnambulistic "The Bell Tolls" along with the title tune "Night Whispers", and his visual "Scattered Leaves". An unusual take on the familiar Miles Davis classic "So What" is icing on this cake.

Steve Kuhn, Drew Gress and Joey Baron with Joe Lovano
Mostly Coltrane(ECM 2099)

In celebration of a brief collaboration between Kuhn and saxophone titan John Coltrane back in 1960, pianist Kuhn has offered an inspiring album of rare warmth and elegance.The pianist carefully chooses a series of Coltrane tunes that are more in line with his own melodic sensibilities including Welcome, Song of Praise, Living Space, Central Park West, Configuration, Jimmy’s Mode and Spiritual.
The tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, channels the spirit more than emulates the sound of Coltrane, and is featured on several compositions. Lovano is in top form and he and Kuhn can be especially poignant in their interplay.The rhythm section of David Finck on bass and Joey Baron on drums play with a respectful yet powerful energy. Kuhn’s ability to wretch emotion from his keyboard is touching on Crescent. On the free flowing treatment of Like Sonny, the entire group achieves a truly remarkable flow of oneness. Kuhn takes another run at his own composition Trance from his 1975 album of the same name. This time around he chooses to play the ostinato based melody solo. He delves more deeply into the nuances that he can produce from its core theme rather than concentrating on the driving, rhythmic nature of the original song. An interesting retrospective look at a song that I always found compelling. Kuhn is a treasure and with this album he has re-established himself as someone who is still at the top of his game.

The Jeff Hamilton Trio : Jeff Hamilton, Tamir Hendelman, Chris Luty
The Jeff Hamilton Trio: Symbiosis (Capri74097-2)

I know, I know the Jeff Hamilton Trio is lead by the very talented drummer Jeff Hamilton, nonetheless with Chris Luty on bass and the marvelous piano of Tamir Hendelman, it makes my top five of piano based Cd’s for 2009. This album swings on songs like You Make Me Feel So Young or Fascinating Rhythm . The music can also pull at your heartstrings, like when Hamilton’s wellspring of ideas on drums spurs on Hendelman to pianistic magic on Midnight Sun. Luty’s inspired arco bass work and Hamilton’s airy brush strokes, on the somber Claus Ogerman composition Symbiosis is perfect for the pensive, classically inspired piano of Hendelman. Blues for Junior and Blues in the Night are straight ahead blues with no excuses. A pleasurable musical experience throughout.

Jay Epstein, Bill Carothers and Anthony Cox
Easy Company (Gone Jazz 0902)
I am sure this is not everybody’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed Easy Company a great deal. With unusual choices in material like the John Williams composed Star Wars inspired Imperial March to a hip treatment of the Cream classic White Room, Messers Epstein, Carothers and Cox stir up a convincing pot of piano based trio music that is surprisingly fresh. No two treatments are alike and the trio manages to push each other along to unexpected heights and around blind corners without any deleterious effects. Check out the emotionally evocative treatment by Cox on bass and Carothers on piano on Never Let Me Go. Carothers is an interesting, restless soul of a pianist who is hard to pigeonhole. Epstein and Cox are equally creative with something to say. They truly make for Easy Company. The entire album has the raw feel of a garage band recording where the musicians are serious about their craft but are having fun, prodding each other on and seeing where it takes them. It’s a fascinating ride that is worth the trip.