"Horizons": Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin's Musical Message About A New Start

Alex Sipiagin: Horizons; Blue Room Music

For years the trumpeter Alex Sipiagin has become a first-call session and section player in the world of modern jazz and pop music. Spiagin was born in Yaroslav, Russia a town approximately 160 miles north- east of Moscow. He attended trumpet lessons at the age of twelve and studied at the Moscow Music Institute and the Gnessin Conservatory where he received his baccalaureate degree. At the age of twenty-three, Sipiagin came to the U.S. in 1990 competing in the International Louis Armstrong contest sponsored by the Thelonious Monk Institute and received top honors. Despite the honors, the young man  wanted to establish his creditability to himself and others. That same year he relocated to New York City, the cauldron of competitiveness, and found his first employment in the orchestra of prestigious composer/arranger Gil Evans.  It didn't take long for his inherent talents to get him to become part of Gil Goldstein's Zebra Coast Orchestra, George Grunz's Jazz Band, drummer Bob Moses' Mozamba, the Charles Mingus Big Band, the Mingus Dynasty and Mingus Orchestra groups as well as bassist Dave Holland's Big Band, Sextet and Octet groups to name a few.

This prolific trumpeter was making a name for himself as one of the most accomplished, tasteful, and fiery players on the scene. In 2003, he started a relationship with the saxophonist Michael Brecker, recording and touring with Brecker's Dectet -which won a Grammy for the album Wide Angles-and  with Brecker's Sextet. Alex's first recording as a leader was made in 1996 and released in 1997. Titled Images,  it is an auspicious debut with an eclectic group of up and coming musicians including altoist David Binny, bassist Scott Colley, pianist Gil Goldstein, guitarist Adam Rogers, percussionist Kenny Wollesen and tenor saxophonist Chris Potter. Many of these musicians would grow together and often collaborate over the years. Sipiagin's in demand trumpet sound was also used in recordings by pop artists Eric Clapton, Michael Franks, Elvis Costello and Dr. John. Sipiagin is also a founding member of the group Opus 5 which features saxophonist Seamus Blake, pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer  Donald Edwards and has released five records on the Criss Cross label.

Alex Sipiagin photo credit Vladimir Korobitsyn

I've seen Sipiagin perform as an important trumpet voice of the Mingus Big Band at the Jazz Standard and have been delighted by his work as a vibrant session and solo player for Conrad Herwig's Latin Side albums. His own releases,  particularly his two Positone releases Upstream  which made my Notes on Jazz Best of 2021 list and Ascent to the Blues have both shown an ever ascending artist who never ceases to push the boundaries of the music as a  musician/composer. 

Sipiagin's latest release is titled Horizons and was released in May of this year on Blue Room Music label. Alex has been in New York for over thirty years and  was a educator at NYU for seven of those years. He and his wife decided it was time for a change and they relocated to northern Italy in 2020 to the town of Sandrigo, in the province Vincenzo, Veneto.  The album carries a theme inspired by Sipiagin's  move to Italy, the disruption of uprooting yourself,  reflections of things accomplished, and the expectations of new horizons, of what is to come.

On Horizons, Alex has enlisted some of the familiar faces from his past records. The tenor sax flame thrower Chris Potter joins with his energized tenor and sinewy soprano saxophone. John Escreet brings his piano chops, his Rhodes sensitivity and deft synthesizer talents.  Bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Eric Harland together create a formidable rhythm section as well as two versatile solo artists in their own right.

The album features two songs penned by guitarist virtuoso Pat Metheny and six Sipiagin compositions. The opener is Metheny's smoker "While You Were Looking" which the guitarist offered with the intent of making this one a  technical challenge. The serpentine opening finds Sipiagin's penetrating trumpet in sync with Potter's tart tenor, matching impossibly complicated lines with sterling aplomb and accuracy before the two trade solos all driven by Brewer and Harland's syncopated drive. Sipiagin soars over Escreet's airy-like synth touches as he rises to heights that seem to fly up to the stratosphere. Potter offers a rhythmically fragmented solo that shrieks and simmers in unexpected ways as Escreet's flowing piano work adds depth to the mix. This one has a fusion-era like feel that reaches back but at the same time forging forward into new territory. 

"Overseen" is a gorgeous Sipiagin ballad that features Escreet on Rhodes and Potter on soprano.  Alex is on his flugelhorn here and his interplay with Potter is a real treat. These two have a telepathic connection when they play in unison. Potter has a Shorter-like feel here and Harland's distinct drum work accentuates and Brewers bass compliments the music with wisdom and style. You can just feel yourself getting drawn into a blanket of sumptuousness. There is some notable Rhodes work by Escreet with the rhythm section to the coda.

"Clean Cut," a reference to Sipiagin's move to Italy, finds the trumpeter, Potter and Escreet on his synth following each other in another circuitous route of music that never ceases to have surprises. Just like one might experience in a major life move. Potter's tenor is jagged, muscular and adventurous, Escreet's piano work flows with speed and artistry, Brewer's bass is like an anchoring force that moves with the flow but never leaves you stranded. At about the five minutes mark Alex's trumpet offers a superb solo with unlimited range, flawless execution and unquenchable creative artistry. This man can play. Harland is featured on an explosive solo that erupts with power and rhythmic inventiveness. 

Another Sipiagin composition, "Jumping Ahead," is reportedly inspired by Brazilian composer/ multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascal whose penchant for repetitive melodies and harmonies are deployed here. The group spells out the recurring lines led by the front line and accentuated with Brewer's buoyant bass solo. Alex's trumpet negotiates the ostinato with a flowing solo that percolates with excitement and promise. Its  anxious but invigorating to be moving forward with a new path in your life. Potter adds some flute lines at the coda over Harland's bubbling drum work.

"When Is It Now?" is the second Metheny composition on this album. The ballad finds Sipiagin on his emotive flugelhorn, Potter on tenor and Escreet on  piano all weaving their instruments into a tapestry of contemplation and reflection. 

"Lost" is another Sipiagin composition that is representative of some of Alex's feeling s that he experienced in his move to Italy. Sipiagin's trumpet wanders over the syncopated rhythm as he is finding his way in a new land with new surroundings, leaving some of his long established relationships back in N.Y. and trying to find a new equilibrium in his new home. The rhythm section bubbles like a simmering crucible, Potter's tenor pleads and cries. Eventually, Escreet's crystalline Rhodes work lends the music a dream-like feel to this journey.

Sipiagin offers a three piece suite of songs titled "Horizons 1," Horizons 2," and "Horizons 3." The three explore tones, color, freedom, expansion and expression. "Horizon 1" is free and loose. "Horizon 2" is a space-like experience of sounds led by Escreet's  synth atmospheric sounds, Sipiagin's muted trumpet cries and Potter's soprano has a avian feel as Brewer and Harland provide the percussive sound effects. "Horizon 3" has a rhythmic drive over which Potter and Sipiagin intertwine there sounds as Escreet adds effects. There is an expression of relief here, a release from angst and an acceptance of the possibilities of an untethered future.

The final composition is titled AIVA-tion, a reference to a local bar/cafe that Sipiagin found in his new hometown of Sandrigo. The crowd sound opens and is happy, the feeling is inviting and the future looks bright. The piece has a laid back hip, cosmopolitan sound that exudes a feeling of cool contentment. Escreet's Rhodes leads the path with a glimmering sound, Sipiagin's trumpet flies like a free bird, Potter's tenor responds in like as Brewer's bass and Harland's drums lay down the groove. Italy should be a blast!

Jazz Saxophone at it's best, Walter Smith III "TWIO"

Walter Smith III TWIO Whirlwind Records 

Houston born Walter Smith III is now a West Coast based, no nonsense tenor saxophonist who is amongst the leading voices on his instrument. I have been following his work since I first heard him on his Live in Paris from 2009 and later on Ambrose Akinmusire’s When the Heart Emerges Glistening from 2011. At the time he was a strong ensemble player who worked particularly well with trumpet players like Terrence Blanchard, Christian Scott, Sean Jones and Ambrose Akinmusire on a front line.

On his latest effort Twio (think of Elmer Fudd saying trio), soon to be released on February 9, 2018, his playing as a leader has matured and become more confident. He is joined on six of the nine songs on the album, by the plucky bass of Harish Raghavan and the percolating drums of Eric Harland. For the other four songs Harland remains on traps while the bass chair is taken over by the ubiquitous jazz ambassador and uber-bassist Christian McBride. On two of the songs Smith is joined by the second tenor saxophone of Joshua Redman. As the saxophonist has said in his promo materials, the songs were chosen to be more accessible and are about community and having fun. It seems with Twio he has accomplished what he set out to do.

The set starts off with a loping version of Monk’s “Ask Me Now.”  Smith’s bold tenor sound starts off with Raghavan’s brash bass out front and deliberate in its steadfast march as Harland playfully, dances around the rhythm. It’s Smith’s smooth, lustrous tone that is front and center here, as he works the melody with a marvelous sense of confident mastery. His explorations, especially when he solos alone, naked with his horn with no background rhythm section for support, are marvelously free and inventive.

On the Jerome Kern standard “Nobody Else But Me” we hear some intuitive interplay between Raghavan and Smith as the freewheeling Harland mixes it up. Smith’s sax has a loose limber feel to it both within the melody line and when he delves into some quicker paced harmonic explorations, yet he always seems to maintain the core melodic line of the song when he is playing. He has a knack of keeping the listener always engaged even when he improvises.

The cowboy inspired “On the Trail” finds bassist McBride, his big round bass and his signature stutter step, double-time lines leading the drive.  Harland is more in the pocket on this song and we are treated to the dual tenor saxophone line of Smith and Joshua Redman. The song brings back memories of Sonny Rollins venture into cowboy songs with his Way Out West album. While neither saxophonist has quite the same big, biting sound of Rollins, they each have their own identifiable sound and play off the other with great dexterity and purpose. After alternating the melody between them, the two saxophonists offer their own take on the melody before trading licks in a friendly exchange of ideas;  a fine addition to the tradition of tenor saxophone sparring matches by the two young titans.

The C. Fischer ballad “We’ll Be Together Again” is played as a saxophone and drum duo. We hear an unusual metronomic drum entrance by Harland that has the cadence of a slow strip. Smith’s round Dexter Gordon-like tenor rings through the melody with a mellifluous warmth that is quite sensuous as Harland adds percussive accents around the slow tempo beat.

McBride and Harland return for the Sammy Fain classic “I’ll Be Seeing You.”  Smith’s languorous saxophone states the melody solo before McBride’s buoyant bass and Harland’s traps enter. At about the two minutes mark the group picks up the pace and turns it into a medium tempo swinger with McBride’s bass leading the charge. A fleet fingered bass solo gets you snapping your fingers before Smith returns and restates the melody with a nuanced sensitivity that is compelling.

On Wayne Shorter’s “Adam’s Apple” bassist Raghavan returns providing a throbbing backdrop. The trio takes on a more modern feel, with Smith winding his sinewy way through the composition and finding some common ground with Harland who is given an extended solo that crackles with energy.

Perhaps the most moving performance on this album is Smith’s poignant portrayal on Jimmy Rowles “The Peacocks.”  Smith correctly chooses a slow, languorous approach to this brooding song. His saxophone is beautifully nuanced and emotive as Raghavan’s bass down holds the bottom and Harland’s active traps swirl and shimmer beneath. The song has been in the repertoire of many a jazz great because of its haunting melody and it’s potential as a vehicle for expression. Here the thirty-seven-year old Smith makes it his own with a quiet confidence that is mature beyond his age.

Another perennial favorite is Gigi Gryce’s “Social Call” which starts off with Smith simply stating the melody line and playing a jaunty duet with a walking bass of McBride. Smith’s unadorned saxophone is a joy of fluidity and clarity and with McBride’s musical bass the two make wonderful music on this amusing Gryce classic.

The finale reunites the two saxophone voices of Redman and Smith in a unison chorus of Smith’s original composition “Contrafact,” a song based on "Like Someone in Love" in five meter. The two weave each other’s voices into an aural tapestry that is both willowy and colorful. McBride and Harland create a rumbling underbody over which the two saxophonists take turns finding common harmonic ground. It offers the listener a chance to compare the two saxophonists’ approach to improvising, which except for tone and attack have more similarities than differences. McBride offers a dazzling display of dexterity on his short but potent solo before the two saxophonists return to unison playing that is quite impressive in its precision.

The Artistry of Billy Childs on "Rebirth"

By now it’s evident that the pianist/arranger/composer Billy Childs can compose gorgeous music. Just listen some of his past repertoire."Into the Light " the 2006 Grammy winner for Best Instrumental Composition. “The Path Among the Trees,” a cinematically beautiful composition and the 2011 Grammy Award winner for Best Instrumental Composition. His poignant work with vocalists like Dianne Reeves on the Grammy winning album The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughn from 2000 or more recently with Renee Fleming on another Grammy award winner, re imagining Laura Nyro’s composition “New York Tendaberry” in 2015. 

With his luscious orchestrations, and his inherent ability to find beauty in whatever he composes, some have labelled him as a “Third Stream” artist-a term coined in a 1957 speech by jazz composer/arranger Gunther Schuller to describe the skillful combination of elements of classical music with the improvisational aspects of jazz. But Childs is more than an accomplished symphonic composer. His history includes playing his share of hard-bop piano alongside some of jazz’s great masters. His youthful experiences touring with the great trombonist J.J. Johnson and subsequently as a member of the iconic trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s band made their indelible mark on his musical soul. 

With the release of his latest recording, aptly titled Rebirth, Childs has renewed his love of the kind of group interplay that was the hallmark of those early Johnson and Hubbard groups. But this music is pure Childs, and it incorporates the orchestral feel of his own musical identity. Of the eight pieces of music on this recording, five are Childs originals. The title song is a Childs collaboration with vocalist Claudia Acuna, who also sings on it, and the remaining two songs are thoughtful rearrangements of Michel Legrand’s “Windmills of Your Mind” and Horace Silver’s seminal “Peace.”

For this recording Childs enlisted a group of musicians who are at the cutting edge of today’s contemporary jazz scene Steve Wilson on alto and soprano saxophones, Hans Glawischnig on acoustic bass and Eric Harland on drums make up the core group. The singers Claudia Acuna and Alicia Olatula, as well as trombonist Ido Meshulam and percussionist Rogerio Boccato are also featured on the album.

The songs, for the most part, dense, very conversational constructions that sing with lyricism and swim in the waters of syncopated rhythmic patterns that encourage magical interplay. The opener “Backwards Bop,” a cooking swinger that just surges with energy, features Glawischnig’s pulsing bass, Childs perceptive piano, some searing alto by Wilson and explosive drum work by Harland. The same roiling intensity, can be heard on the rapid-fire changes of “Dance of Shiva,” Harland often pushing with his relentless fusillade of sounds and Childs’ using stabbing piano lines that fire like the report of an automatic weapon.

Billy Childs photo by Katie Stiefel

“Rebirth” is a soaring piece of music. Child’s and co-writer Acuna have clearly found inspiration in the work that Chick Corea did with vocalist Flora Purim on Light as A Feather. Child’s piano stylings have a lusciousness that are all his own. Acuna- as fluid a voice as there is in jazz today- has an amazing instrument, using her impressive ability to rapidly modulate through complex passages while still eliciting great feeling. The entire group plays with great cohesion and synchronicity, whipping the song into a climactic frenzy. Wilson’s soprano and alto saxophones dance with grace and meaning. The music is topped off by a rousing trombone solo by Ido Meshulam and some crashing cymbals by Harland at the coda.

On the yearning “Stay,” Alicia Olatuja’s haunting voice creates a sense of poignant eagerness. The vocalist modulates the lyrics in some unusual and sometimes unsettling ways as Childs and his trio play with sparse sensitivity.

The piano concerto-like sound of Childs on his moving “Tightrope” is enhanced by a beautifully realized bass solo by Glawischnig.

Childs’ brief pianistic intro on “The Starry Night,” is a scintillating taste of what is to come. When the band enters, Wilson’s airy soprano is out front and flying. Listen closely as each band member brilliantly match the complex lines in precise synchronicity, Glawischnig’s bass, Wilson’s soprano, Harland’s dancing drums, all led down the path constructed by the magic of their leader. Childs strong use of chording and fluid filigreed runs are brilliantly orchestrated and expertly executed. Wilson’s soprano work floats weightlessly above the music like a bilious cloud.

On Michel Legrand’s “Windmills of Your Mind,” Wilson is featured on alto, and although he does an admirable job with Childs’ much more contemporary arrangement, I can’t help but to go back to the great Phil Woods captivating performance of this song with Legrand’s own orchestra on the album “Images” from 1975 as my personal choice.

In these times of turmoil what better anthem to resurrect than Horace Silver’s “Peace.” Childs opens the song with a piano intro that leads to a brief but beautiful alto statement of the melody by Wilson. Childs follows with his own piano solo, adroitly sensitive and emotionally brimming. Wilson returns with a very Desmond-esque sound and the two end this beautiful conversation in sublime unity.

Trolling for Jazz at the 40Th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival

Legends Stage 

This year’s Atlanta Jazz Festival marks the fortieth year of one of the largest free jazz festivals in the country. With strong corporate and community support the festival is a celebration of music, a drawing together of neighborhoods near and far and a kick off to the summer season here in Atlanta. To celebrate this milestone, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs commissioned a book of pictures, photographs taken from the Festival’s forty-year history, that best captures the spirit of this tremendous yearly spectacular. The coffee table book features the work of photographers Jim Alexander, Ernest Gregory, Susan Ross, Michael Reese and Julie Yarborough and can be purchased by linking here.

So far, the weather has cooperated and the festival seems to be enjoying record crowds. I was able to  attend part of Friday night’s session. The evening started out with the Pedrito Martinez Group at 7:30 pm on the main stage which by all accounts had the house rocking. I got there in time to catch the genre bending Robert Glasper Experiment which was the headliner on the Main or Legends Stage at 9 pm.

Robert Glasper

Glasper is a contemporary pianist and keyboard artist who often plays in a modern trio format as well as his more progressive, electronic group The Experiment. He recently won the Grammy for his work on the soundtrack to Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis movie Miles Ahead as well as for his fifth studio album from 2012 Black Radio. His work is an amalgam of R & B, Hip/Hop, Groove based music with jazz oriented improvisations.

Glasper came onto the Legends stage in high spirits. It appeared as if he was feeling no pain, amusingly rapping with the audience before he even got started about how they should show their appreciation for him and his group, whether or not they were any good, because the concert was free. This version of the Experience featured Glasper on keyboards, Casey Benjamin on saxophone and vocoder, Mike Severson on guitar, Burniss Travis on electric bass and Justin Tyson on drums. The band started with “Cherish the Day” a Sade tune from his Black Radio album and proceeded with a set of mostly groove based tunes that had the crowd vibing.  Mr. Benjamin has an arresting voice with a high range that he processes along with his saxophone through a vocoder. The eerie sound can be compelling but is best used sparingly. Guitarist Severson whose credits include work with singer/rapper Bilal, showed some gutsy  rock playing that at times recalled Carlos Santana’s guitar work.  Glasper was most effective when he played solo, a dedication of sorts to Miles Davis whose birthday was the day before, on the Cyndi Lauper pop tune that Davis memorialized into the jazz canon “Time After Time.” The crowd sang willingly along and glassy eyed Glasper seemed to have them all in the palm of his hand.

Randy Weston

On Saturday I made my way to the Legends Stage and caught the first few songs of the maestro Randy Weston and the infectious sounds of his African Rhythms Quintet. Mr. Weston, an incredibly vital ninety-one-year old, brought together a stellar group of musicians on the big stage. Joining Mr. Weston was his core group of T.K. Blue on alto saxophone, Alex Blake on contrabass and Neil Clarke on percussion. The tenor saxophone legend Billy Harper, a longtime collaborator also played on this gig. To watch Mr. Weston bounce his feet while playing his piano with such exuberance is a real treat. Harper’s tone is so focused, mellow and penetrating as to be its own reward. The group just played beautifully swinging and deeply soulful music.

I made my way across the throngs of people, past the rows of tents, the spread blankets, the myriad of camper chairs, the parade of porta-potties and countless concession stands to the Contemporary stage in anxious anticipation of Nicholas Payton’s performance scheduled for 5:30pm. The lawn that faces the bandstand was brimming with people for yards and yards. It was a beautiful day and the crowd was into a party. At forty-three, New Orlean’s born trumpeter Nicholas Payton is a force to be reckoned with. He has made his bones touring with such legends like Elvin Jones and Marcus Roberts. He received a Grammy for “Best Instrumental Solo” for his work on the album Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton from 1997. While his work is always evolving, his distinctive, rich trumpet is always at his ready command. He is a prolific writer and social commentator who has challenged conventional thinking on racial inequities. 

The Crowds swelled  at the Contemporary Stage

For this concert, Payton brought his group from his recently released Afro-Caribbean Mix Tape album, and sat behind a stack of keyboards, his trumpet was mounted to his right on a bracket that allowed him to both blow and play keys simultaneously. Turntable artist DJ Lady Fingaz deftly maneuvered the scratches and taped vocals into the flow of the music. Bronx bopper Daniel Sadownick laid down the Afro-Cuban groove on percussion, with Joe Dyson on drums and Vincent Archer on bass. Payton’s grooves skillfully integrate musical influences developed from world influenced beats, harmonies and melodic roots. At the same time his signature clarion trumpet utilizes a variety of notes, slurs and trills that complement the music brilliantly. It was especially interesting to listen and watch as the rhythmic patterns developed by Fingaz’s turntable melded so seamlessly with Sadownick’s congas and Dyson’s rhythmic patterns.

Nicholas Payton

I hurried over to the New Gen stage, quite a trek at the far end of the park, to catch the Marquis Hill “Blacktet” which started at 6:30 pm. Marquis Hill was new to me, but he and his group of young pumped up musicians, thrilled the smaller more intimate crowd at this venue. The twenty-nine-year old Hill is from Chicago and won the prestigious Thelonious Monk Trumpet Competition in 2014. He is considered one of the new wave of players to be reckoned with. The group did a set of tight, well-conceived music, mostly standards, but rearranged by Hill and company to better express their modern sensibilities. With Hill on trumpet and, was the formidable Mike King on Fender Rhodes, Josh Johnson on alto sax, an animated Jeremiah Hunt on bass and Jonathan Pinson on drums. I caught a few songs the most recognizable was a potent version of the Herbie Hancock standard “Maiden Voyage.” Hill claims Donald Byrd as a major influence and one can see some similarities, but the young man has a fluid style that is rapidly becoming his own. It was interesting to see Nicholas Payton checking out the younger Hill from the sidelines.

Marquis Hill,  Jeremiah Hunt and Josh Jackson on the Next Gen Stage

I made my way back to the Contemporary stage to catch a few songs of one of the evenings headliners Macy Gray and take some pictures. Ms. Gray has a distinctive, gravelly voice that can be very engaging. As a seasoned entertainer, she played to the large overflowing audience with aplomb.  She wore a slick, dark gray leather gown with a red and black boa and pink shoes. I surveyed the lawn in front of the stage and it was more overflowing then I had ever seen in in the last two years of being here. A very impressive showing for an artist whose appeal is more pop than jazz. The band was tight and professional and Ms. Gray accommodated the crowd with some of her popular favorites like “I Try.”

Macy Gray

I moved my way to the Legends stage to try to catch some of Rene Marie’s act. Ms. Marie looked elegant in her tightly clipped silver gray hair, wearing a white tunic over black pants. Ms. Marie, a talented singer who writes much of her own music, finally achieved some national recognition when her last album Sound of Red was one of those nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album for 2016. She brought a stellar cast of musicians with her on the Legends stage including pianist John Chin, bassist Elias Bailey and drummer Quintin Baxter. Inspired performances by the energetic pianist Chin and a masterfully bowed solo by Bailey added to the set.

Rene Marie, Quintin Baxter,ELias Bailey and John Chin on the Legends Stage

Ms. Marie has a beautiful voice with a full range and a sophisticated delivery that is quite compelling. Her bluesy, soulful sound is always a treat and she was warmly received by the enormous crowd.

The evening’s top bill on the Legends Stage was saxophone and flute legend Charles Lloyd who started just before nine pm. The seventy-nine-year old Mr. Lloyd was nattily attired in his signature pork pie hat, blue deck shoes and a white loosely fit blazer under a horizontally stripped deck pullover shirt. Mr.  Lloyd is a west coast musician who has a long and storied history of going his own way. In the sixties, he was musical director for drummer Chico Hamilton’s Group and was with Cannonball Adderley’s Group for Two years.  In 1965, he formed a legendary quartet with pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Cecil Mc Bee and drummer Jack De Johnette, whose recording Forest Flower was one of the first crossover jazz albums to sell over a million copies. His experiments with fusing psychedelic rock, avant-garde and free jazz were revolutionary.

Charles Lloyd

The always morphing Lloyd still attracts top talent as his most recent rhythm section demonstrates. On the stage, he was joined by the facile Reuben Rogers on upright bass and the ubiquitous Eric Harland on drums. Rogers was in top form as he pushed the pulse along with Harland’s dancing traps. Mr. Lloyd rocked the music, his spindly figure wielding his large tenor as if it was one with his being. Lloyd has a youthful energy that he communicates through his horn and the two younger musicians were visibly prodded on by his enthusiasm. On one tune, Mr. Lloyd picked up his flute and started to play a soulful peppered vamp that Mr.  Rogers countered to with his own staccato response. It was quite entertaining to watch the younger musicians follow the lead of the master.

As the evening wore on the crowd started to dissipate, as many were there from mid-afternoon. For the truly fanatic, there was a sold-out Jazz Jam, hosted by local drummer “Little John” Robert’s and his All-Star Band and featuring trumpet master Russell Gunn and percussionist Mino Cinelu, after eleven pm at the Park Tavern at Piedmont Park.

If you missed the events of the last two days you still have Sunday when the lineup will include local  saxophonist  Frank Houston, trumpeter Darren English, chanteuse Kemba Cofield, Cleveland Jones, singer Julie Dexter, Joe Gransden’s Big Band, trumpeter Russell Gunn and saxophonist Kebbi Williams and the venerable crooner Freddy Cole to name just a few. 

Saxophonist Dayna Stephens: Knowing the Meaning of "Gratitude"

Gratitude is a state of mind. A sense of seeing all the benefits that life has bestowed on one and demonstrating a true appreciation for having received them. Sometimes gratitude takes the form of a prayer of thanks to one’s creator. Sometimes it is a simple expression of showing those around you that you care and have not taken their kindness or love for granted. Sometimes it is a simple moment of acknowledgment that briefly crosses past one’s consciousness amongst all the daily clutter. For saxophonist/composer Dayna Stephens Gratitude is a musical expression of joy, appreciation and a celebration of life.

The thirty-nine-year-old Brooklyn born saxophonist grew up in the San Francisco Bay area before attending school at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston on scholarship. He has studied with piano legend Kenny Baron, pianist Ed Kelley, trumpeter Terrence Blanchard and the iconic Wayne Shorter among others and was on his way to establishing himself as one of the top young voices of a new generation of saxophonists when he was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, a rare kidney disease, in 2009. After struggling with the limitations of the disease, awaiting a suitable transplant that somehow often seemed just out of, and with the challenge of finding the funds necessary to get the expensive anti-rejection drug treatment needed for the transplant, Stephens finally received a transplant from his Aunt Lauren Bullock in October of 2015. All during the process Stephens maintained his music as his own personal lifeline. Meanwhile the musical community, both friends and fans, rallied for him, planning benefit concerts, outreaching to the public for donations to help the young musician defray some of the costs of his operation and treatments.Stephens sees this new lease on life as a gift that he cannot take for granted and thus this heartfelt album Gratitude is his musical expression to all those that helped, encouraged and stood by him in his time of need.

The music is a splendid offering by a deeply talented musician. His sound is warm and liquid, and conveys great emotional depth with an earnest but joyful intensity.  The band features a stellar cast of today’s most sort after musicians; Brad Mehldau on piano, Julian Lage on guitar, Larry Grenadier on bass and Eric Harland on drums. 

Stephens’ musical selections are marvelously diverse and uber contemporary. He has skillfully distilled the music of such diverse artists as the French composer/violinist Olivier Manchon, the poetic stylings of Rebbeca Martin, the electronica-jazz driven music of Michelle Amador, the Americana tinged work of guitarist Julian Lage, the durable music of guitar legend Pat Metheny and the perennially masterwork of Billy Strayhorn, into a modern interpretation of what this music means to him.

Starting with the beautifully rendered “Emilie,” we get a taste of Stephens deeply personal approach to sound. His tone is honey-throated, an authentic extension of his voice. Pianist Mehldau, exploratory as ever, responds to this sensitive piece with a probing solo that traverses the outskirts of the melody without ever losing its bearings. Grenadier and Harland offer turbulent, but somehow totally in sync backup, that redefines what it means to be provide rhythmic support. 

On the pianist Aaron Parks moving “In a Garden” Stephens sincerely states the melody and then bassist Grenadier takes an ambitious, plucky solo as Lage’s filigreed guitar work provides a delicate backdrop.

On Michelle Amador’s “Amber is Falling” Stephens is again the lead voice. The band swirls around him in a mist of sounds in the intro, until the song takes on a more forceful launch with Stephens again leading the way with his fluid tenor that brims with clarity and purposeful direction. The superb rhythm section builds the song into a flurry of tension that allows Stephens to soar above the roil. Mehldau spins his pianistic magic on a solo of inspired imagination, spurred along in part by the limitless percussive wellspring of ideas that Harland’s drum kit provides. Stephens ends the piece holding a contemplative note to silence.

On guitarist Julian Lage’s cinematic “Woodside Waltz” we are transported back to a time of wagon wheels and five-cent a beer saloon’s with a honk-tonk piano tucked off to the side of the bar. Mehldau employ the “tack” piano to produce the nostalgic sound. Stephens’ offers a plaintive sound on his tenor which is contrasted nicely by Lage’s nimble, Western-tinged guitar solo.  

On Pat Metheny’s ruminative composition “We Had a Sister,” Stephens uses his EWI/synthesizer to create an otherworldly sound. The electronics are nicely counterpointed against Mehldau’s, by comparison, stark acoustic piano sound. The composer originally played this song acoustically with his trio, but Metheny’s own subsequent electronic explorations could easily be the source of inspiration for Stephens version of this quiet gem.

Stephens’ sole composition on this album is “Timbre of Gratitude.” The song features Stephens’ and Lage playing synchronous lines. On his solo, Lage traverses the fretboard with a gossamer touch that flows like droplets of water running down the silken strands of a spider’s web.

Billy Strayhorn’s exotic “Isfahan” finds Stephens on the big baritone saxophone. His tone is rich with a lustrous vibrato that burrows its way into your chest cavity.  The interplay between him and Lage’s masterful guitarwork is especially noteworthy.

On Rebecca Martin’s beguiling “Don’t Mean a Thing at All,” Stephens’ tenor is warm and inviting and resonates into your soul. The marvelous melody is accentuated with a subtle synthesizer accompaniment by Stephens as Lage darts around the melody with his deft guitar accents.

The closing song is a medley of two songs titled “Clouds.” The first by Massimo Biocati is a synthesized series of vamps with Stephens’ sole tenor voice singing against a trap drum background. The second is by Louis Cole and has a more magisterial, orchestral sound, again with Stephens tenor and synthesizer. Both offer an interesting look at mixing electronics with acoustic instruments to create intriguing aural landscapes.

With Gratitude Stephens has returned from his brush with illness in renewed and inspired form. He has created a  distinctive suite of music, with intriguing contemporary melodies, that should satisfy even the most demanding of listeners.

My list of best of Jazz 2011

My list of some of the best Jazz in 2011

The year 2011 was an inspirational year. I was privileged to listen to, and in some cases experience “live”, some of the best and most varied musical performances that I have seen in many a year. With all the discussion of jazz dying and the graying and shrinking of the jazz audience, what I have personally witnessed is that this improvisational music that we paint with the expansive brush we call “jazz” is flourishing and experiencing a renaissance of creativity that is nothing short of breath taking.

People love lists and fans often relish in picking their favorites. Often people revel in finding their choices being validated by inclusion in lists made by critics at the end of the year. But music is subjective and there will always be room for outliers in taste. This year I am going to list my picks for the best music I have heard this year, trying to be as inclusive as possible for the deserving music that has been created. I stress some very worthy albums will undoubtedly be missing from my list simply because I  haven’t had the opportunity to listen to them, but of the many I have listened to these are some of my favorites.

Contemporary big band music had a  resurgence
this year.Ninety–three year old Gerald Wilson had 
an exquisite offering  with his brilliant “Legacy” .
(See you tube video here)

Another big band album that could equally be placed in  the best of Latin Jazz  category  was the cooking Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Bobby Sanabria and their marvelous
 "Tito Puente Masterworks Live" . This band of young artists just keeps getting better and better. 


The Westchester Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Mike Holber is certainly a seasoned group. This year they offered their take on the music of Herbie Hancock on their "Maiden Voyage Suite".  I was fortunate enough to catch this polished orchestra "live" this year,, with the powerhouse tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano as a guest soloist. This is a talent packed group of professional musicians who take playing tight arrangements and turn it into an art form.


Another fine "live" performance was the spectacular mulit-media show  composed and conducted by the talented D'arcy James Argue and illustrated by the artist Danijel Zezelj titled "Brooklyn Babylon".
 (see video here).


Trumpeters offered some compelling music this year. One of my  favorites included the fresh sound of the young Ambrose Akinmusire  and his quintet on his impressive  "When the Heart Emerges Glistening".  (see video here).

"The Talented Mr.Pelt" was a showcase of fine contemporary music by trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and his fine quintet. Pelt has a matured tone that is wonderful to behold.
















The electric Tim Hagans demonstrated his compositional acumen as well as his instrumental virtuosity on his 
 " The Moon is Waiting".  Under appreciated guitarist  
Vic Juris was a standout on this outing. I caught Tim live at the WJO show where he was featured in a piece with saxophonist Joe Lovano on a song he arranged for the orchestra .


The trumpeter Tom Harrell came to the table with his own  quintet on his ethereal  "The Time of The Sun" . 


















With so many fine pianist offerings this year it was a daunting task to pick and choose a handfull. In the solo category Denny Zeitlin's remarkable "Labyrinth" , brilliantly recorded live at Ernie Shelton's house in California, was a standout. Denny's performance with drummer Matt Wilson and bassist extraordinaire Buster Williams at the Kitano this fall was a wonderful display of mature but daring virtuosity  that I was fortunate enough to attend..


The pianist Michael Cain's release, simply titled "Solo", was a unique combination of solo acoustic piano and electronics that I found intriguing. His "Prayer"  is an evocatively spiritual piece of music that is very meditative. ( see video here)

A delicious duet was served in Italy by masters Chick Corea  and Stefano Bollani. Titled "Orvieto", this demonstration of magical interplay was recorded live at the Umbria Winter Jazz Festival in 2010.






The pianist Benny Green, who was schooled  with stints in bands led by Ray Brown, Art Blakey and Freddie Hubbard to name a few,  blew my socks off with his swinging album "Source" a pianistic joy.

Two terrific trio recordings by pianists Sam Yahel with his 
 "From Sun to Sun" 




and Ted Rosenthal's
"Out of this World"  were both strong outings in a crowded field of exemplary performances. (see video here)




The pianists Aaron Goldberg and composer/pianist Guillermo Klein, ably assisted by drumming phenon Eric Harland and bassist Matt Penman,.produced one of my favorite albums of the year "Bienestan. ,  a musical trip to an imaginary country of the same name. I was able to see them perform this enchanting music "live" at the the Jazz Standard with the fabulous altoist Miguel Zenon,  who was also featured on the album. The live performance did not disappoint with the hypnotic original composition "Human Nature" capturing my attention.
(listen here)


At the wonderful Caramoor festival this year Joshua Redman's
new super group, which featured Aaron Parks on piano, Matt Penman on bass and the ubiquitous Eric Harland on drums, blew away the audience. There self titled album James Farm features original music composed by each of these talented players and is another must listen. ( see video here)








Alto saxophonist David Binney composed an unusual  suite of cinematic-like music titled "Graylen Epicenter" featuring some of today's most hip musicians on the New York jazz scene.

New York based tenor saxophonist Donnie McCaslin introduced the dynamic
"Perpetual Motion"   and caught my ear earlier this year.




Bassists were fully engaged this year with some creative outings.Ben Allison continues to show a rare ability to create new music by deconstructing contemporary songs from recent times and presenting them in  new and exciting ways. Allison's  Action-Refraction was inspired by  the music of composers as varied as Neil Young, P.J.Harvey, Thelonious Monk  and Donny Hathaway. ( see video here)
 




















Bassist Sean Smith had a quiet and joyful gem with his album "Trust" , with notable support from guitarist John Hart and a superb outing by the saxophonist John Ellis.

The ubiquitous Christian McBride had a busy year with his big band performance at the Caramoor festival being a real crowd pleaser. This big band music was released as "The Good Feeling" , but his recent release "Conversations with Christian"  was the real McBride standout to me. It showcased his  virtuoso playing in some really intimate musical conversations with various artists. His duets  with the astute Dr.Billy Taylor on the composition "Spiritual" and the marvelous  Hank Jones on the song "Alone Together" , both recently passed giants of this music, were pure gold. A  duet with the soulful guitarist Russell Malone on "Sister Rosa"  demonstrated why Mr.Malone is a first call guitarist of exquisite taste. 


Bassist Jay Anderson  and fellow members of the band named BANN, drummer Adam Nussbaum , saxophonist Seamus Blake and guitarist Oz Noy, produced and played on an quirky but satisfying album from earlier in the year titled 
"As you Like".  I especially enjoyed their re-creation of the David Crosby tune "Guinnevere". (see video here)


Guitarist Jonathan Kriesberg came out with a fusion infused album that I really grooved on titled "Shadowless". It featured some impressive playing and composition by the talented guitarist and some penetrating saxophone by Will Vinson. Just listen to the lead track 

"Twenty-one" and you will be hooked. (see video here)





"Gladwell" by guitarist Julian Lage offers a musical journey, this time through a fictional town of the same name. Lage weaves a convincing picture of this place, its people and the vibes he experiences there. It is a fascinating musical trip worth taking the time to experience it through Gage's talented fingers.



The so called "Third Stream" of music  as described by Gunther Schuller was alive this year with a beautiful offerring from Carlos Franzetti and his wife Allison Brewster Franzetti titled "Alborada". It combined elements of  classical and South American folk music with the music of contemporary jazz artists like Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans and Milton Nascimento.


Drummers had some important offerings this year with special mention of Eric Harland's work on Bienestan and James Farm. I was fortunate enough to see Mark Guiliana's kinetic drum work when he played an unrehearsed electronic set of pure improvisation with pianist Brad Mehldau at Tony Falco's club The Falcon in Marlboro, .NY. back in September
( see video here) . 





The drummer Ralph Peterson had a take no prisoners offering titled  
"Outer Reaches" that featured organist Pat Bianchi and  absolutely shredding guitar solos by Dave Fiuczynski on Woody Shaw's "Zoltan" and John McLaughlin's "Spectrum". Also checkout Peterson's version of the Christmas classic "We Three Kings".

Drummer Adam Cruz had an auspicious year. I caught him recently with the talented saxophonist Chris Potter and the amazing John Patitucci at Smoke in NYC. Cruz released his latest "Milestone" and indeed it was just that. With a brilliant supporting cast that included the aforementioned Potter, along with fellow saxophonists Miguel Zenon and Steve Wilson, guitarist Steve Cardenas, pianist  Edward Simon and  bassist Ben Street this one packs a punch.


Vocalists that piqued my interest this year Giacomo Gates fine tribute to the late Gil Scott Heron titled 
"The Revolution Will Be Jazz".  With Gates successfully pulling off some of the poet's most poignant music.






Gretchen Parlatto was again impressive with her latest
album "The Lost and Found" where her wispy voice continues to defy convention. Taylor Eigsti's piano work was inspired.




Two artists who were new to me this year were the violinist Majid Khaliq with his impressive "Basilisk" , a surprisingly stirring
 album from a rising talent.
(see video here)


A second surprise was the discovery of the talented saxophonist from Utah, Chaise Baird on his impressive debut album "Crosscurrent".
For those who question Jazz in Utah? Check this kid out.









Two recently recieved albums that deserve honorable mentions are the baritone saxophonist Brian Landrus' "Traverse"  and Canadian trombonist William Carn's 
"Run Stop Run". 










So there you have it, my exhaustive list of the best I have heard in jazz this year.I am sure some will scratch their heads in confusion, others will nod in agreement and others will be pleasantly surprised,  but one thing is for sure jazz is alive and thriving in 2011 and I for one predict that based on the trend 2012 will be an even better year for this music we call "jazz".