RUST: A Homage to the Crescent City by Pianist/Composer Amaury Faye and his NOLA Quartet

 

Amaury Faye and his NOLA Quartet-RUST

The French pianist Amaury Faye is new to me. His latest music, the album released November 15, 2025 RUST, is a robust revelation. I have to thank the persistence and good taste of his publicist Matt Merewitz, for turning me onto this one. When I saw drum master Herlin Riley on the credits, that was one more positive indication to me that Faye's music might offer some welcome surprises and I was not disappointed. 

This thirty-five year old pianist comes out of Paris. Faye has a long list of achievements in the European musical world. He has been a member of the Vogue Trio where he lent his pianistic skills to the group led by Belgian double bassist Giuseppe Millaci from 2016 through 2023. The group is known for modern jazz that incorporates a European elegance and rhythmic variation. Faye has also played with the well-respected twelve-member French collective Iniative H led by saxophonist David Haudrechy.

Faye's history as a potent sideman has not stopped the pianist from finding his own voice as a pianist/leader. In  2010, he released My Big Toe with Louis Navarro on bass and Pierre Ardré,  which was a live recording based on music inspired by pianists Kenny Barron, Oscar Peterson and Hank Jones. In 2016, Faye came to the US to study at Berklee, in Boston, with Joanne Brackeen, and in March 2015, he was awarded Berklee's Jazz Performance Award for best jazz pianist of that year. In 2019, Faye released his first solo album Buran, a grand and introspective eight-piece suite that was inspired by his parent's work in the space industry. Bursan means snowstorm in Russian. It is inspired by Faye's respect for Russian music, culture and the beauty of Siberia's vast expanse and incorporates elements that combine classical, cinema, pop and jazz music.

(left to right clock wise) Amaury Faye, Herlin Riley, Julian Lee and Amina Scott  

With so many diverse influences, Amaury is never one whose musical offerings can be pigeonholed into a particular genre. On his latest release RUST,  Faye is joined by a dynamic group of musicians who add to the possibilities in the pianist's color palette. Besides Faye's facile piano work , he creates catchy, cinematic compositions which lend to creative, lively improvisation by his bandmates. Bassist Amina Scott offers plucky, booming lines that swell the beat organically and with vitality. Tenor saxophonist Julian Lee plays with a searing confidence. A fiery player whose  sax elevates this music. Trap master Herlin Riley adds  that secret sauce factor to the album. The soul and Afro-Caribbean rhythm variations that breathe New Orleans life into this offering.

The opener, "Sirens of the Crescent City," finds Lee's saxophone recreating the urgency of a siren-like plea over Faye's ostinato piano lines. Besides the images created by the music, there is a jagged line here that is punctuated by Scott's booming bass and Riley's simmering drum and cymbal work. Lee's saxophone builds the urgency like an overflowing pot of boiling water. The music aurally captures the frenetic energy of an unexpected emergency mode that a visitor to any big city might experience.

"Walkin' Down the Levee" captures a funky, sauntering musical strut down to New Orleans famous Levee. The Levee, over one hundred feet long and at times finding embankments of over sixteen feet in height, offer New Orleans a lifeline. It allows this unique city to exist below sea level. But the Levee is also a liability. The dual personality of the structure showed its dangerous side when in 2005 Hurricane Katrina ran havoc, overflowing the levees and yielding massive destruction. That being said, Faye's take on walking down at the Levee is more of a soulful, funky ode to the vitality and spirit that he has experienced there. Faye sets the tone with a slinky, captivating shuffle that opens with a syncopated drum entre by Riley and  features Lee's husky tenor stating the repeating lines of the melody, supported by Scott's pulsing bass and Faye's supportive descending piano lines. Lee's tenor work builds tension and excitement with an aplomb that  remind me a bit of Michael Brecker. Faye's piano solo is inventive with a graceful elegance that carries you along. You find yourself rocking your head back and forth to the infectious beat he, along with Scott and Riley, create. If you're like me, this one is on your repeat play list for a while.

"The Railyard," part of Faye's cinematic-like portrait of New Orleans, finds the pianist using the propulsive rhythm of the team of Scott and Riley to create an aural image of constant motion. The team play brilliantly, all four locked into a repeating syncopated synchrony. The music offers solos- first by Faye whose playing hovers in a soup of sounds that have elements of pop, classical and jazz, similarly to the way Brad Mehldau amalgamates and blurs these styles. Lee's tenor follows with his own clarion bursts and the song ends with Riley's roiling drum work finishing with authority to the coda.

"Huckabuck Garden" opens with Faye, Scott and Riley having a rollicking conversation. This has a low down, Honky-tonk, NOLA feel to it. The title refers to a sweet, fruit or sugar flavored homemade frozen desert -a huckabuck-popular in New Orleans and parts of the Louisiana and Georgia. 

The album continues with a ragtime inspired tune "Public Belt Rag." As the pianist Jelly Roll Morton was one of the first to incorporate ragtime time with improvisation, this one could easily be a homage to this inventive style. Faye once again proves just how diverse his musical education and abilities are. Pure fun.

The boogie-woogie blues is on display on "The Barges Blues." Faye's piano work  follows in the steps of early innovators of this style like James Booker, Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons. Faye's pianistic style here, like mush of what he does, always has a certain elegance to it. The quartet all have fun with this one and it has a spirit that puts a smile on your face.

The title cut "Rust" opens with an repeating rhythmic phrase that creates a signature, a theme to the song. Faye's piano lines set the scene, Scott and Riley add the rhythmic counterpoint and Lee's saxophone play a serpentine line over the riff. Rust is a pervading, often a never-ceasing deterioration that is usually associated with aging metal. For old cities like New Orleans, infrastructure like bridges and railroad tracks have their share of rusting. As the cover photo of the album reveals, Faye seems to have witnessed this ongoing fight to keep valuable structures from rusting away and ultimately failing. As an artist, Faye's music is raising awareness of these issues, as well as celebrating the area's celebratory musical feel and I applaud that effort. 

"The Old Empress in the Gloaming" is a very telling title to this haunting ballad. Faye has a poetic flair here. While its hard to know his intention, the title refers to the fading grandeur of an old royal lady. "In the gloaming" refers to in the twilight or in the dusk. The music evokes mystery, a little melancholy and reflection. The music seems to have been based on Faye's experience in New Orleans. One might project that this song is the pianist finding the Crescent City, presumably the old empress, to have been through a lot (like Katrina), with its rusting infrastructure, and its once grandeur is rapidly in decline. Listen for yourself and see if that reading feels true to you.

The closing composition, "Sweet, Chaotic And Vibrant"  is a moving, classically  inspired solo piano ode, probably  to the Crescent City. Faye ends with this emotive piece and he impresses with his astute observations of what his experience has meant to him. If ever an artist revealed his love of a place, with all its warts, Amaury Faye's RUST  is a fitting and deep felt homage to New Orleans.

  

Saxophonist Owen Broder and Quartet Dazzle at 1905 Jazz Club

Owen Broder at the 1905 Jazz Club

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Ellis: Heroes: Blue Room Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Wicked Crew" from Perceptions Trio Shows Promise

Perceptions Trio: The Wicked Crew

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Dynamic Trio of Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart Impress at Portland's 1905 Jazz Club

Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings Bill Stewart

The dynamic organ/guitar/drum trio of Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, and Bill Stewart graced the stage of Portland's 1905 for two nights on October 3 & 4th. I was fortunate to attend the early set on the Wednesday show. Anytime you can see this trio live it is a special occasion. The New York Times Nate Chinen once said "Two of the best organ trios of the last decade have featured the same three players. Technically speaking, it’s just one group, variously billed ... Consisting of Mr. Goldings on organ, Mr. Bernstein on guitar, and Bill Stewart on drums..." High praise for this trio that never seems to be a hyperbolic claim and it certainly more than lived up to the expectations on this evening at the 1905, which always seems to get top-notch talent.

These guys have known each other since 1989 and their first recording titled Intimacy of the Blues was released in 1991. That's a thirty-two-year run- an impressive feat by any measure! While the members have, as both leaders and collaborators, followed many diverse projects with other musicians, their loyalty to each other is a lasting testimony to the true friendship and magical chemistry that these men have when they sit down and make music.

Larry Goldings is a talented keyboard artist who originally hailed from Boston. He studied classical piano as a youth and attended the Eastman School of Music. He moved to NYC in 1986 and attended the New School. At various times, Goldings studied with Ran Blake, Keith Jarrett, Jaki Byard, and Fred Hersch. In 1988 Goldings started to develop his B3 organ sound at a regular trio gig he procured at Augies' Jazz Bar (presently Smoke) in NYC with Bernstein and Stewart, and the rest is history. 

Goldings' distinctive sound is often compared to the enigmatic approach of Larry Young on the B3 and he credits the pianist Dave McKenna, a master of the left-hand bass line, as an inspiration for his own bass line abilities on the B3's foot pedals. His unique approach to the instrument made his services in demand as a sideman for various artists in the worlds of pop, rock, Brazilian, R&B, alternative, as well as jazz. Goldings has collaborated with the likes of John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock, and Pat Metheny, along with popular artists like Beck, Tracy Chapman, Norah Jones, and Rickie Lee Jones.

Peter Bernstein is a native of NYC. He attended classes at Rutgers and the New School. He studied guitar with Ted Dunbar and piano with Kenny Barron. He was twenty-three when he was offered a spot to perform at the JVC Jazz Festival by guitarist Jim Hall in 1990. Bernstein has performed with Brad Mehldau, Jimmy Cobb, Lee Konitz, Eric Alexander, Joshua Redman, and Dr. Lonnie Smith to name a few.   

The drummer Bill Stewart was raised in the midwest in Des Moines, Iowa. He was largely self-taught but attended William Patterson College under the direction of bassist Rufus Reid. There he studied drums under one-time Bill Evans drummer Eliot Zigmund and Horacee Arnold. After moving to NYC, he joined guitarist John Scofield's Quartet and Goldings and Bernstein in the trio. Stewart has collaborated with Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Larry Grenadier, Steve Wilson, Pat Martino, and other notables.

On this set, the trio warmed up the audience with a melodically rich classic, Gus Arnheim's  "Sweet and Lovely." Opening with Bernstein's toasty-sounding hollow-bodied guitar, which has a burnished, Wes Montgomery-like tone. Goldings enters, adding his Leslie speaker-armed B3 to the mix with his eerie ability to utilize his instrument's modulating powers to swell and ebb in simpatico collaboration. Stewart's penchant for melodicism on his skins and cymbals carries the rhythm with poise. These guys have a rapport that is almost telepathic, a sensory experience that makes you believe they have learned to tap the creative ether and can evoke that common mind space almost at will. 

After playing a pretty, new composition by Stewart titled "Turquoise," Goldings' takes the mic and dons his alter ego personality- a dry, tongue-in-cheek humorist  who uses subtle sarcasm to introduce or maybe not the next tune, Goldings' own composition "Mr. Meagles." Meagles is a character from Dickens' novel Little Dorrit, which to be honest, I have never read, so I can't assume to know why Goldings called this one by that name. To my knowledge, the song was first heard in 2014 on the trios recording Ramshakle Serenade. Goldings activates a small electronic device that slightly synthesizes/modulates the sound of his Hammond B3. The music has an ostinato-based groove established by Berstein's guitar and Goldings' organ. It's a slow-building simmer that has a stealth-like funk to it. Bernstein's probing, warm guitar sets the melody line and Goldings' pulse-like keyboard work sets the groove, all propelled by Stewart's creative cymbal and trap work. When Goldings does solo he always fastidiously maintains the bass line while exploring the harmonic possibilities using creativity and alternate voicings. Stewart's roiling drum solo is another treat to behold. This song keeps the audience bopping their heads to the infectious beat.

The group picks up the pace with a Gary Bartz song "Libra" that they recently included in their latest Smoke Records release Perpetual Pendulum.  Stewart starts out this one with a repeating, stabbing snare and bass drum line before Berstein's guitar and Goldings' organ play a swift, synchronous counter line that sets up the tension in this song. Goldings' bass lines are rhythmic and in the groove while he accentuates Bernstein's lead guitar lines brilliantly. Berstein fills with fleet single lines and well-placed chordal accents like a master impressionist. Like a freed bird, Bernstein releases a flow of ideas that are exhilarating. When the keyboard wizard takes his turn out front he offers a series of swirling, swelling, and modulating lines that drive this one into a frenzy of joyous and inspired excitement. Not to be left behind, Stewart explodes in a carefully controlled solo that is beautifully melodic and intuitive.

The group follows these two smokers with Bernstein's gorgeous take on the Ralph Rainer ballad "Easy Living" which the guitarist originally played with organist Melvyn Rhymes in 2009. There is nothing like a melody so expertly executed and explored by three so in-tune musicians. The classic Burt Bacharach song "This Guys In Love With You" was originally recorded and made popular by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass in 1968. It's always nice to be an old favorite reimagined in a modern way and these guys took this gem and made it their own. The set ended with a Peter Bernstein catchy composition "Jive Coffee" originally recorded on his album Signs of Life from 2090 and re-released on his All Too Real (Live) from 2017. This swaying, joyful song has Bernstein/Goldings/Stewart finding their groove, allowing the song to inspire a free, exquisite interaction of expression that left the audience joyful and grateful. 

If you have the opportunity to see these guys you will not be disappointed.

EEE Eubanks-Evans Experience Two Like Minds Create Together

Eubanks Evans Experiment: Imani Records

Two Philadelphia musicians, separated by an almost generation of age, have nonetheless found themselves linked by a foundation in music that emerges, in part, from their shared Philly experience. 

Guitar wizard Kevin Eubanks is a member of a jazz family that includes his two brothers, younger Duane a trumpeter, and elder brother Robin an established trombonist. Eubanks attended Berklee and has worked with drummer Art Blakey, saxophonist Sam Rivers, and bassist Dave Holland. The guitarist made his presence known more widely to the public when he became the musical director of the band of the Tonight Late Show and the subsequent Jay Leno Show from 1995-2010.  

Orrin Evans attended Rutgers, worked with drummer Ralph Peterson, saxophonist Bobby Watson, soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome, and studied with master pianist Kenny Barron. He has made his mark with his work with the quartet TarBaby, his Grammy-nominated Captain Black Big Band, and increasing his exposure to a wider audience by replacing leaving pianist Ethan Iverson for a time with The Bad Plus.

These two created a dynamic duo for this album and titled it the Eubanks Evans Experience. The synergy here becomes apparent from the opening cut “Novice Bounce,” a Eubanks composition from his debut album Guitarist from 1983. This groove starts with some delicate guitar work and some precisely accompanied piano work that demonstrates just how in-tune these two can be. Like two joyously dancing fairies in an enchanted forest, there is a magical air to this one. The group morphs it into a more soulful endeavor with Evans' syncopated piano. Eubanks guitar increases the funk quotient without ever losing the sensitivity. His slithery guitar work shows a commanding articulation and an inherent flare that are impressive.

One of the most beautiful interpretations from the duo takes a soul/funk, some may say smooth jazz, hit from trumpeter Tom Browne from 1980 titled “Dreams of Loving You.”  Eubanks and Evans reimagine this as a dreamy haunting ballad. Evans introduces this with a sensitive statement of the catchy and moving melody. Eubanks is the star here with his deft modulating guitar sound that emerges from Evans’ entry with an almost eerie Theremin-like sounding line that eeks with longing and pathos. This one is just beautiful.

The two break it up with a blues/funk-drenched collaboration “I Don’t Know” that raises the temperature of the proceedings up a couple of notches. Eubanks guitar is slippery and gut-busting and Evans’ piano takes on the feel of a barrel-house honk-tonk. The two get into it and play off each other’s ideas telepathically in a way that flows spontaneously.

“As They Ran Out of Biscuits” is a free-style collaboration that seems to be built by establishing a groove and then taking the improvisations to where they may go. This is probably the least structured and most adventurous of the set. This will not be everyone’s cup of tea but there is a real joy to absorb the active fluid collaboration going on here.

Orrin Evans composed the next ballad “Dawn Marie” for his wife. Eubanks opens the song with his own creative lead before the two enter this fetching melody. Evans plays beautifully here. There is obviously a deep connection with the loving sentiment that Evans intends to convey with this composition, and his touch and feel speak volumes. Eubanks is a master of using his electronics on his guitar to enhance his instrument’s effect. Here, his control is spookily modulated, perfectly aligning his sound to the mood intended.

The last two cuts of this album “Variations on the Battle” and Variations on Adoration” were both apparently recorded live at Chris’s Jazz Café in their hometown of Philadelphia. The two use two songs Evans’ “Half the Bottle” from his album #knowishalfthebattle of 2016 and Eubanks's “Adoration” from his album Zen Food from 2010 as the armatures upon which to improvise and expand. In the longer “Variations on the Battle” Eubanks exhibits a fusionist approach. His lines bloom in front of you as he gestates his ideas in an organic process that compliments over Evans' fertile backdrop. These two are brain-linked when playing so there is no hesitation, no awkward transitions they simply follow each other intuitively.

The shorter “Variations on Adoration” has a more melodic identity and Eubanks gently finger picks the entry as Evans creates lush pianistic lines. There is an exploratory feel to this composition as the two find a pulsating path to follow here, one that has a heartbeat of its own.

Eubanks Evans Experience is just that an experience; one that requires attention, one that requires awareness of nuance, and the ability to appreciate the true creative excellence of these two marvelous musicians. I will be looking forward to more from these two.

 

Taking the higher path "Upstream" by Alex Sipiagin

ALEX SIPIAGIN'S UPSTREAM:  Posi-Tone PR-219

The Russian trumpeter Alex Sipiagin releases a new album titled Upstream, on May 7th and this fine offering is propulsive, modernly melodic, and superbly played.

Sipiagin contributes five impressive compositions for this record and his bandmates add three others along with one gorgeous Wayne Shorter ballad for good measure. Posi-Tone producer Marc Free continues to reveal an uncanny talent to identify distinctive players and match them up with like-minded musicians to great success. On Upstream, Sipiagin is joined by pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Rudy Royston and together these guys can elevate your heart rate with excitement, dazzle your mind with their taste or pull at your heartstrings with poignancy.  

Trumpet legend Randy Brecker said "...there is a full spectrum of many moods and emotions on this great album..." "...one of his best many excellent albums."

This album is simply a joy, and if you're like me, it will be on auto replay on your both headphones and your iPhone.

Alex Sipiagin is one of those first-call trumpet players that if you do not recognize his name, you have certainly heard his work before. Since his arrival from his native Russia in 1991, Sipiagin’s distinctive, precise and melodic sensibilities have been heard in the orchestra’s trumpet sections for Gil Evans, Swiss Composer George Gruntz’s Concert Jazz Band, bassist Dave Holland’s Octet and Big Bands, Michael Brecker’s award-winning Quindectet and Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side Orchestras. Alex has been a member of the great Mingus Big Band since 1996, and I last saw him in that great band almost two years ago at the Jazz Standard.

Despite being often seen as a first-call orchestra trumpet section voice, Alex has worked extensively as a leader, with seventeen other releases since 1998. He is a founding member of the group Opus 5, which includes Seamus Blake (s), David Kikoski (p), Boris Kozlov (b) and Donald Edwards(dr).

The title Upstream refers to Alex’s desire to maintain “intensity and desire” in his artistic life. Consequently, he likes to go against the current and swim upstream of the fray. This album is Sipiagin’s artistic representation of that never-ending search. 

The opener “Call” is the artist’s expression of an overflow of emotions that sometimes just happens as if by a force of nature outside of your control. An explosion of expression as Sipiagin’s trumpet is like a clarion call that bubbles with emotive and powerful bursts. The group responds with equal energy and well-controlled sympathetic kineticism. 

The pianist Art Hirahara’s beautiful “Echo Canyon” allows the listener’s elevated pulse to take a breath for a moment. The music has a more pensive feel, with Sipiagin using the warmer sound of Flugelhorn to great effect, playing out front of his bandmate’s sensitive accompaniment. Hirahara’s piano solo is splendid and Sipiagin reaches some gorgeous high register notes that just soar. 

Alex’s “Sight” has a switchback, complex pattern that is brilliantly executed by this formidable rhythm section. Hirahara plays on what sounds like a Rhodes piano and offers an airy solo. Sipiagin’s trumpet is focused, precise, and always melodic. Sipiagin’s compositions musically inspire and are advanced both harmonically and melodically and yet executed with aplomb and taste. 

Another of the leader’s compositions is the scorching “SipaTham” which is an acronym of the first letters of Alex and his wife Mellissa Tham’s last names. There is a volcanic eruption of expression in these songs. Like “Sight”, “SipaTham” were both created when artistic creativity was being quarantined from all normal outside world activity by the pandemic. Sipiagin successfully used the time to compose and it shows how his energy was being redirected into this amazing music. His bandmates undoubtedly felt that being able to tap into this music’s energy would be cathartic for them when this was finally recorded, and it shows. Alex’s playing is on fire, and the group is on a mission. Hirahara and Kozlov are in beautiful sync and Rudy Royston’s drum work is particularly propulsive and takes you to a new level of involvement. This one is special.

Boris Kozlov is a top-notch bassist who I have had the privilege of seeing play in several different settings. Here Alex takes Boris’ composition “Magic Square” on a fusion take that features Hirahara’s searching Rhodes, Kozlov’s electric bass, and Sipiagin’s tart muted trumpet. Royston’s drum work is spectacular and erupts with a flurry of syncopation that overflows like an overheated cauldron.

Sipiagin’s “Rain” is a sensitive ballad that was inspired by waiting for a loved one to be released from a hospital while it was relentlessly raining. It is these moments, being unprepared and being subjected to live’s uncertainties, that can provide inspiration. Sipiagin’s trumpet is played beautifully on this and you can feel his release of angst, the sincerity in his expression of thanks, and the mastery of his command that allows him to gorgeously express those feelings.

“Shura” is another Kozlov composition that is played in 6/8 as requested by Alex and was written in humor and named for the trumpeter by his nickname. I can’t get enough of Alex’s facility and clear tone. Many people play the trumpet well, but few with such authority and joy. Royston’s drums fill up the song copiously, especially at the coda, and Kozlov and Hirahara accompany brilliantly.

Wayne Shorter’s “Miyako” is a gorgeous ballad and Sipiagin’s flugelhorn simply needs to be heard to be appreciated. Kozlov’s bass solo is fluid and eloquent. Royston’s cymbal and tom work are impressive. 

The title song “Upstream” returns to the energy level previously offered in the  Sipiagin compositions covered earlier n this album. According to the artist’s notes, some of the melodies in “Upstream” were inspired by a Russian folk song. The folk song was in turn inspired by a painting by Ilya Repin titled “Barge Haulers on the Volga,” which depicts exhausted workers depleted by the strenuous work and the heat of the sun. 

"Upstream" is a quick-moving song featuring Sipiagin’s declarative trumpet, Hirahara’s melodic Rhodes, Kozlov’s probing bass, and Royston’s roiling drum work. The heat rises-the energy level is driven into overdrive activity-lead by Sipiagin’s piercing high register work. Royston’s drum solo is like a whirlwind of percussion inventiveness and worth the price of admission.

https://soundcloud.com/posi-tone-records/sight-022321-master-24-01

Exploring Lost Art Treasures : Jason Palmer's "The Concert: 12 Musings for Isabella'

Jason Palmer The Concert: 12 Musings for Isabella GSA 004

Art often discovers inspiration in unexpected places. For trumpet talent Jason Palmer, inspiration came from a visit to the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston, while attending classes at New England Conservatory of Music,  and seeing the empty stark frames on the walls, an eerie reminder that art was not immune to violation.

On March 18, 1990, the Isabell Stewart Gardner Museum was the scene of a massive theft- the purported single largest property theft in the world. Thieves posing as police officers, duped the on-duty security officers to let them into the closed museum, tied them up and in eight-one minutes proceeded to remove thirteen priceless works of art. They made off that night, over thirty years ago, to never be seen again.  It is an amazing caper for its gall and confounding success. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but like the famous parachutist thief D.B. Cooper, who vanished never to be found, these careful burglars were amazingly never captured or even identified. These gorgeous and priceless pieces of art, reportedly worth $500 million dollars, were never recovered and so, for now, the robbery leaves humanity forever the poorer. 

For Jason Palmer, the artwork represented a series of beautiful stories in and of themselves. Although lost, they needed to be properly celebrated and memorialized. As an artist whose brush and easel was a chart of music and the voices of expressive instruments, Palmer went about to compose musical pieces that represent his concept of these lost works of art.

The album is titled The Concert: 12 Musings for Isabella and was produced by Jimmy and Dena Katz at Giant Steps Arts and features the potent and talented group of Mark Turner on tenor saxophone, Joel Ross on vibraphone, Edward Perez on bass, Kendrick Scott on drums and Palmer on trumpet and composer. The performance was recorded live in May of 2019 in the Harold S. Vanderbilt Penthouse at the InterContinental New York Barclay. 

The two-disc recording includes twelve compositions named after the stolen artwork or in two cases art artifacts “ A Lady and Gentleman in Black"

(Rembrandt), ‘Cortege aux Environs do Florence’ (Degas), ‘La Sortie de Pesage” (Degas), “Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee” (Rembrandt), “A French Imperial Eagle Finial” (uncredited artifact), “Chez Tortoni” (Manet), “Program for an Artistic Soiree” ( Degas), “An Ancient Chinese Gu” (uncredited artifact), “The Concert” (Vermeer), “Landscape with an Obelisk” (Flinck), “Self Portrait”

(Rembrandt) and “Three Mounted Jockeys” (Degas).

Palmer has taught in many universities and is an assistant professor at Berklee School of Music. He often plays with his own quintet at Boston’s historic Wally’s Café  and has appeared with many jazz prominent artists including Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes, Phil Woods, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to name just a few.

Palmer and his astute bandmates have captured the aural aspects that the visual images that these exceptional artworks evoke. The staccato, darting pace of the music introduces you to Rembrandt’s rather decorous looking “A Lady and a Gentleman in Black.”  It features the tight, front-line synchronous work of Palmer and Turner. Palmer’s trumpet is precise and penetrative in his note selection. Turner offers a more resonant attack that darts in and out of the pulse. Ross’ sinewy vibes work nicely and complimentary to Scott’s rapid fired drum lines and Perez’s grounded bass. If the music is any indication, these two prim and proper figures of Rembrandt’s focus may have led a more robust life than their appearance seems to reveal.

Rembrandt's A Lady and a Gentleman in Black

Palmer’s clarion sounding trumpet leads off on Degas “Cortege aux Environs do Florence,” which is a pencil and sepia wash on paper, and one of the more understated of the works that were stolen. The mood established by Palmer and his group is atmospheric, carefree, and almost fanciful. Palmer, Turner and Ross each take turn soloing. The musicians are true to a feeling evoked by Degas’ figures, strolling on foot and leisurely being accompanied by horses on a procession through the pastoral scene outside of Florence. It is easy to imagine Degas’ revelers might enjoy this music if played for their enjoyment by a group of troubadours.

Degas’ “La Sortie de Pesage” is an expressive, muted watercolor that depicts a more urban setting that centers on the parading of jockey mounted racehorses as they saunter through the back streets of a city on race day.  The music has a rhythmic canter feel that in some ways mimics what the horses, in being walked through the streets of an 1850’s era European metropolis, might sound like. The music is carried rhythmically by the deft rhythmic whooshing created by Scott’s percussive mastery.  

Degas: La Sortie de Pesage

Perhaps one of the most valued artworks lost in the robbery was Rembrandt’s tumultuous “Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee.” The scene depicts a ship with Christ and his followers overwhelmed by a squall in turbulent seas. Rembrandt has often painted his own image, with purportedly as many as ninety self-portraits known to have existed.  Here he places himself in this biblical scene as one of the terrified fishermen. His face is seen holding his hat in one hand and grasping the ropes to steady himself with the other. Jesus is sleeping during the storm, and according to the gospel of Mark, he is frantically awoken by panicked followers. The awakened Christ calms the wind and storm with his exclamation “Peace. Be Still.” stopping the storm and fortifying the greatness of his divine authority. 

Musically Palmer opens this composition using Scott’s polyrhythmic drums as a tool that slowly builds the tumult in intensity, like a brewing storm. The front line of Turner and Palmer play lines in tandem, seemingly ascending with force like a cascading flow toward a pluming swell of water. The soloists alternate in quick succession over Scott’s tumultuous drums. This one captures the painting's fury aurally. They build the kinetic electricity of the rising storm until the group resolves the tension to a tranquil calm at the coda. 

Rembrandt The Storm at the Sea of Galilee

Two of the pieces taken from the Gardner heist were not paintings or drawings but artifacts. One was a Bronze Eagle Napoleon Flag Finial and the other a Chinese Shang Dynasty Ku (beaker) from the 1100-1200s.  Palmer creates a bit of a militaristic sound for his “A French Imperial Eagle” and on “An Ancient Chinese Gu,” Palmer's composition finds Ross’ vibes voice a tubular conversation with Scott’s percolating drums.    

“Chez Tortoni,” by Manet, is a portrait of a well-dressed gentleman in a top hat with pen in hand, as he is gazing at the observer with intention. The music starts off with a probing bass solo by Perez that morphs into a percussive rhythmic exchange with Scott before it emerges into the full group playing energetically in unison. Turner creates a warm and pointed sound that just intrigues and Ross adds a full mellow and floating vibe that elevates the music to the ozone. Palmer's trumpet often can erupt with piercing lines but can also caress a tune with lyrical mastery. These are all talented musicians with distinct voices on their instruments.

“Program for an Artistic Soiree” is another Degas’ pencil sketch that features multiple ideas from the artist-smoke stacks, sailing Clippers, musical instruments, and ballet dancer-all miniature studies. With the diversity of the subject matter, Palmer composes what is the most traditional straight-ahead jazz piece of the cd. The music has a pulsing drive led by Perez’s bass and Scott’s drive. Each musician has an opportunity to be featured on a solo with Perez’s facile bass standing out on this one. This is a "live" recording so often you hear how much the audience loves what they are hearing. The music swings and Turner and Palmer work exceptionally well together, meshing counterpoint lines as dual leads that sonically merge beautifully.

Vermeer’s “The Concert” is one of the artworks that a musician can easily relate to. It depicts three musicians in a sitting room. Vermeer features two other artworks placed on the walls of the scene and a landscape painted on the piano’s open lid. As with all of Vermeer’s artwork, the light is hauntingly realistic and illuminating. Palmer and his cohorts use this composition to create a sonic expression of how a small house concert could be played- softly, sensitively, and with a simpatico between the musicians. This composition has its own beauty, freedom, and transcendence.

Vermeer The Concert

The remaining compositions include Govert Flinck’s “Landscape with an Obelisk” with some fascinating cymbal and drum work from Scott. Rembrandt’s “Self Portrait,” a celebration of multiple ideas from these musical minds. Degas’ “Three Mounted Jockeys” ends the set with this jaunty piece played robustly and with feeling by Turner. Palmer’s mastery of the high register is used poignantly here, and the talented Ross’ vibes modulate with a buoyancy that again elevates the music. Scott and Perez keep the music moving seamlessly.

If an artist’s musical creativity can draw you as a listener into the sources of his inspiration, then one can only appreciate the musician for his curiosity, creativity, and dedication. Palmer is an unusual artist whose imaginative music captured me with his The Concert:12 Musings for Isabella. Beyond his facility on the trumpet, Palmer’s compositional skills show a bright future. He has created some thoughtful and expressive pieces of music here and this project had the added reward of piquing my own curiosity to learn more about those lost Gardner masterpieces that inspired this work.

Unified Vision: The Music of "Tetraptych"

Tetraptych: Max Ridley b, Hery Paz  ts, Bert Seager p, Dor Herskovits dr

The definition of the word Tetraptych ( Tet-trup-tick) is a picture made up of four parts or four panels. Each panel can stand on its own as a complete picture, but together the four make for a more expansive and unified theme. Now it can also be defined as a talented group of four musicians, each capable of their own voice, who together have create a unified musical vision that is much bigger than any could produce individually.

The musicians that make up Tetrapytch are pianist Bert Seager, Hery Paz on tenor saxophone; Max Ridley on upright bass and Dor Herskovits on drums. The songs, on this self-titled album, are all by Seager, with the exception of the free spirited “Equanimous Bosch” which was a group collaboration. Bert Seager has been a leading player around Boston as has bassist Max Ridley. Hery Paz is Cuban born and NYC based and Dor Herskovits is Israeli born and raised. The group has strong ties to the New England Conservatory of Music and their faculty.

From the opening syncopation of Herskovits drums on “Welcoming the Water,” to the conversational quality of Paz’s tenor and Ridley’s bass, you can tell this is a working band following their own path. Composer’s Seager’s stacatto piano, in tandem with Paz’s tenor, establish the traces of a melodic line; an intriguing repeating cadence that has a rumbling, modernistic AfroCuban pulse, with Ridley in intuitive counterpoint. The quartet smoothly transitions into a progressive hard bop section where Paz’s precise, Bergonzi-like intonation and Seager’s deft lyricism are on display. A Herskovits drum solo-featured at about the eight-minute mark- is like a jeweled centerpiece to this intriguing collaboration. The song closes stirringly with the group rejoining in a grand restatement of the theme in a unified musical vision.

Seamlessly Seager’s solo piano introduces Paz’s eerie, vocal tenor sounds that opens the start of “Last Snow”.  This operatic piece features Ridley’s arco-bass under Seager’s classical sounding piano and Herskovits shimmering cymbal work. It is Paz’s fierce and pleading tenor that takes the lead role, bellowing like Pavarotti in I Pagliacci, until the finale when his horn barely whispers in his forlorn breath.

The intro to “Star Wise” has a film noir sound accentuated by Paz’s echoed tenor and Seager’s understated piano. The song, based on the jazz standard “Star Eyes,” morphs into a straight swinger with Ridley’s firm, pulsing bass leading the way. Paz’s surprisingly adventurous solo is a model of harmonic invention. Seager’s piano solo is also pushes the boundaries of the song’s melodic structure. Ridley’s quicksilver bass is the glue that holds this one together.

The freely improvised “Equanimous Botch” is a study in how ideas can evolve communally when band members have spent some time together and find they have developed a universal mind. The group interaction is intuitive and crisp.

“Distances” has the deliberate pace of choreography. Perhaps a slow Tango best describes the feel of this musical movement between Seager’s piano and Paz’s tenor. Each one embracing the other’s moves in one sensuous and symbiotic motion. Paz’s voluptuous tenor is a marvel of sensitivity and restraint.

“Blues You Can Use” is a ¾ time swinger, with Herskovits and Ridley providing the unerring groove and Seager deftly comping as an unleashed Paz roars over the changes with a Coltrane-like intensity. Seager’s solo work is accentuated with Tyner-like block chording and fleet right handed invention. Ridley and Herskovits have a spirited exchange before the group returns to the main vamp, ending it all with flurry and punctuation.

This is fresh, inventive music at its finest. Hopefully we will hear more from Seager and Tetrapytch.

Check out "Star Wise" on Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/bert-2-2/03-tetraptych-star-wise-121416?in=bert-2-2/sets/tetraptych-the-cd

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt's # Jive Culture: Hipness meets Maturity

Jeremy Pelt photo by Sally Pritchard

When a new album comes out from an artist that you have listened to and appreciated, it is always a moment of anticipation when you play the first cut and see if it holds up to your expectations. I have been a fan of Jeremy Pelt’s playing for quite some time and when the opening notes of the lead off song “Baswald’s Place,” from Pelt's latest # Jive Cuture, hit my ears I knew I was in for a treat.  Pelt has a beautiful tone and his attack is precise and piquant. The interplay with the superbly swinging Billy Drummond on drums is a lesson in synchronous dynamism and of course the ever present foundation of the swing is laid down to perfection by the inimitable Ron Carter on bass.

Jeremy Pelt's #Jive Culture High Note # HCD7285

It is the opportunity to play with the great bassist Carter that made this date all the more special for Pelt. The mutual respect these two have is on brilliant display on Carter’s “Einbahnstrasse” a down home blues that features a potent solo by Carter and some lyrically responsive trumpet playing by Pelt. The song is the perfect vehicle for the group to simply strut its ability to swing.

On Cole Porter’s “Dream Dancing,” Pelt’s beautifully Chet Baker-like solo floats on Drummond’s steady cymbal-driven beat and Carter’s full bodied, roaming bass lines. Pianist Danny Grissett comps to perfection behind Pelt before taking a gorgeous solo where he elegantly ventures off into his own extrapolation of the melody. It seems that the inclusion of the venerable Carter into the group has elevated the maturity level of all the players on this date, as they each play within the song to great effect.

The Dave Grusin/ Allan Bergman ballad “A Love Like Ours” is perhaps the piece de re.sis.tance of the entire album. This achingly beautiful song features Pelt’s lone voice at his most lyrically emotive, with the band playing behind him in a brilliant display of subtle complimentary playing at its finest. It doesn’t get much better than this.

As if to demarcate a change in approach, Drummond’s solo rolling drums open the second part of this album for almost two minutes before the group gets into the main theme of Pelt’s composition “The Haunting.” Pelt’s trumpet wanders around the core of the melody, often modulating the level of intensity with his horn as the band plays on. Carter is particularly active in his playing, peppering the loose swing provided by Drummond with a variety of accented notes and bends. Grissett plays an equally elusive solo.

The deceptively cadenced “Rhapsody” features a syncopated rhythmic vamp that Drummond and Carter produce in conjunction with the ethereal sounds of Grissett on Fender Rhodes. Pelt uses this throbbing groove to establish a floating, tension-building trumpet solo that escalates the drama in the song. Through a series of increasingly urgent sounds, Pelt creats the illusion of entering into the unknown until the song fades out into oblivion at the coda.

Opening with an unaccompanied solo piano introduction by Grissett that sets the alluring mood of “Akua,” is a slow, sauntering ballad, whose repeating vamp imprints in your brain long after you leave it. The film noir-like theme features Pelt’s poignantly muted trumpet and Grissett’s pensive piano work. Carter’s walking bass meanders with creative two-step in-fills that add to the feel of this sultry song.

The final song of the cd is another Pelt original titled “Desire,” an upbeat, loosely structured romp where the rhythm is turbulently played by Drummond creating a sense of unease. that is punctuated by Carter’s roving bass. Grissett and Pelt are both featured playing on the repeating vamp which is the armature around which they base their improvisational ideas. Grissett ventures off into unpredictable grounds on his solo before returning to the theme. Pelt is equally off to the wilderness with his probing trumpet only occasionally touching on the theme in some remote way before magically resolving back to it before the finale.

With #Jive Culture Jeremy Pelt has achieved that rare plateau where hipness meets maturity in one totally satisfying album.