Paul Motian: Lost in a Dream (2010)

Once in a while, a jazz recording seems to announce itself as a "classic" from the first moment. Lost In A Dream is one such album. It documents the birth of a great new project, captured live at New York's celebrated Village Vanguard, with repertoire emphasizing Paul Motian's wonderful ballad writing. New Motian tunes are juxtaposed with older ones, and a free exploration of Irving Berlin's "Be Careful It's My Heart" completes a program distinguished by gloriously supple playing from all three participants who are in tune at a high level. Or, as the New York Times noted, reviewing the concerts from which this album was drawn: "The accumulated wisdom within the band was clear." Master drummer Motian (born 1931) is heard here with two much younger musicians: saxophonist Potter (born 1971, and with whom he shares already a long playing history), and pianist Moran (born 1975, with whom he had worked only once previously, in the context of a gig with violinist Jenny Scheinman in 2006). Motian noted Moran's particular idiosyncrasies and waited for the right context to deploy them, - he was especially taken with Moran's strong and active left hand figures which, in a trio context, could dispense with the necessity for a bassist. There is a cragginess in Jason Moran's piano playing that testifies to deep roots in Thelonious Monk, a quality that Motian - who played with Monk in the 1950s - was bound to identify with. Motian has a Monkish sense of stubborn independence: he remains the most unpredictable of drummers. In the flowing ballads of Lost In A Dream, Motian is as much a sound painter as a time-keeper. There is a lot of space in the music, used brilliantly by all three players. Chris Potter, long recognised as the one of the most outstanding saxophonists of his generation, delivers an extraordinarily inspired performance in the trio, playing with great emotional conviction. Each of the three musicians has a dedicated following. Moran's listenership has been expanded recently through much roadwork with Charles Lloyd's quartet (Lloyd's critically-hailed Rabo De Nube was Moran's ECM debut).

Tracklist:
01. Mode VI (5:09)
02. Casino (8:05)
03. Lost In A Dream (6:39)
04. Blue Midnight (6:09)
05. Be Careful It’s My Heart (2:58)
06. Birdsong (6:52)
07. Ten (4:30)
08. Drum Music (6:07)
09. Abacus (4:26)
10. Cathedral Song (6:29)
Personnel:
Chris Potter – tenor saxophone
Jason Moran – piano
Paul Motian – drums
Lost in a Dream
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Enrico Pieranunzi: Fellini Jazz (2003)

Italian pianist, composer, and arranger Enrico Pieranunzi has done something delightful and enlightening on Fellini Jazz: he has gathered together some of the brightest lights in American jazz -- all of whom who have a serious affinity for European music -- and formed a quintet for creatively interpreting theme music from the director's films. While most of the themes here were composed by Nino Rota, there are two original pieces that extrapolate from various melodic and harmonic schema in Rota's work. All of the music here, with the exception of the themes from Amarcord and City of Women (the latter composed by Luis Bacalov), comes from Fellini's films of the 1950s. There is a reason for this. The musical element in Rota's scores from these films was, at the very least, informed by the spirit of jazz. Using the great American musicians who came of age during the great Yankee discovery of Fellini's movies is a brilliant touch, as they become "actors" themselves in this musical drama. Not being Italian, and not being regular players of Rota's scores, they look at Pieranunzi's adaptations with a non-literal, gauzy, nearly surrealist view. And while some would argue that Pieranunzi is not on the same level musically with his collaborators as a pianist, and perhaps someone like Brad Mehldau or Fred Hersch might have been a better choice, they'd be wrong. Pieranunzi -- specifically because he brings the great Italian jazz tradition, with its deep reliance on lyricism and harmonic interplay, to the mix -- is the only player who could have pulled off the gig. This is a beautifully, movingly wrought album that is indeed a jazz date first, but one that is also not so far removed from the music of Fellini's cinema because of its reliance on impression, subtlety, grace, warm humor, and, of course, elegance. Two sets of liner notes accompany the set, one by Pieranunzi about the session and one from Ira Gitler about the films and Pieranunzi. Fantastic and breathtaking. ~ Thom Jurek

Tracklist

01. I Vitelloni;

02. Il Bidone,
03. Il Bidone;
04. La Citta Delle Donne;
05. Amarcord;
06. Cabiria’s Dream;
07. La Dolce Vita;
08. La Dolce Vita;
09. La Strada;
10. Le Notti Di Cabiria;
11. Fellini’s Waltz.
Personel:
Kenny Wheeler - Trumpet, Flugelhorn;
Chris Potter - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone;
Enrico Pieranunzi - Piano;
Charlie Haden - Bass;
Paul Motian - Drums.
Fellini Jazz
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Dave Holland Octet: Pathways (2010)

In his latest release, Pathways, bassist Dave Holland shapes his octet into a groove-heavy, blue-flame intensity with writing that is state-of-the-art hard bop. "Pathways" opens the album with the horns setting the pace as Smuylan’s baritone leads the melody with commanding solos. The horns riff hard while Nelson plays the vibraphone with a modernistic feel. Next up is “How’s Never?” Holland starts it off with a bass solo as Nate Smith eases in with some rhythm. The marimba gives it a sophisticated feel but the horns — specifically Hart on alto sax backed by Smulyan’s baritone — gets into the groove vein of greasy funk.

Personnel:

Dave Holland - bass

Antonio Hart - Alto Sax and Flute
Chris Potter - Tenor Sax and Soprano Sax
Gary Smulyan - Baritone Sax
Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin - Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Robin Eubanks - Trombone
Steve Nelson - Vibraphone and Marimba
Nate Smith - drums
Tracklist:
01 Pathways
02 How's Never?
03 Sea of Marmara
04 Ebb and Flow
05 Blue Jean
06 Wind Dance
07 Shadow Dance
Pathways
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Wayne Shorter: Alegria (2003)

Following the release of the critically acclaimed Footprints Live!, this CD is saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter's first studio recording as a leader since the Grammy-winning 1994 release, High Life. Shorter is joined by pianists Danilo Perez and Brad Mehldau, bassist John Patitucci, drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Brian Blade, and percussionist Alex Acuna. Backed by a superb woodwind and brass ensemble, this project offers a comprehensive and sophisticated presentation of Shorter's music, from the Andalusian airs on "Vendiendo Alegria" by Antonio Molina to a reincarnation of "Capricorn II" from his mid-'60s Miles Davis days. Shorter's soprano and tenor playing is his most expressive in years, and producer Robert Sadin (who worked on Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World and Kathleen Battle's So Many Stars) has provided Shorter with his most poignant sonic setting on record. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

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The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (2009)

The Monterey Quartet" is a historic summit of four of today's top Jazz Musicians together on one CD for the very first time!

Dave Holland: Today's most accomplished pure-jazz composer among bassists; his sense of swing is unexcelled.

Gonzalo Rubalcaba: One of the most important figures to emerge from Afro- Cuban jazz; he's an extraordinarily versatile pianist able to blend Cuban and American jazz traditions into a fresh, modern whole.

Chris Potter: One of today's most sophisticated and respected saxophone stylists.

Eric Holland: A drummer extraordinaire who has become a first-call player; his collaborations represent a virtual who's who of modern jazz.

Their live performance at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival was mesmerizing and the talk of the festival; now it is captured live on CD.

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Live at the 2007

Jay Azzolina: Past Tense (2000) mp3 @ 320K

Apart from an intriguing arrangement of Kurt Weill's hauntingly lovely "My Ship," guitarist Jay Azzolina's first album as a leader in eleven years is devoted entirely to original compositions. What may come as a real surprise to those familiar with his earlier work is the straight-ahead nature of the compositions and of his quintet's playing style. Gone are the rockish tone and slick fusioneering of his previous solo work and his two albums with Spyro Gyra. Instead, Azzolina leads a quintet (guitar, tenor sax and piano trio) through a set that includes the spiky, bluesy strut of "Inside Pie Eyes," the minimalist "Black Waltz," and a difficult and highly original treatment of the "I Got Rhythm" chord changes entitled "Rhythms Change." Azzolina's tone is self-consciously traditional, warm and round with the occasional edge of John Scofield-style vinegar. His supporting group couldn't be more empathetic — John Pattitucci spends most of his time on string bass (though it sounds like he's playing a fretless electric on "Marvelous Marvin") and drummer Adam Nussbaum keeps things well grounded while still creating lots of rhythmic interest. Best of all is tenor player Chris Potter, who spars with Azzolina throughout the album and keeps him on his toes. Highly recommended!!!

(105MB)

Gil Goldstein: Under Rousseau's Moon (2006) mp3 @ 320K

Gil Goldstein has always been an adventurous musician testing boundaries, but this may be his most eclectic release. With a group that includes elements of straight-ahead and contemporary jazz (saxophonist Chris Potter, trumpeter Michael Brecker, vibraphonist Mike Maineri and electric bassist Richard Bona), plus the Zebra Coast String Trio, the keyboardist looks to break down barriers. Opening with a dramatic setting of Robbie Robertson's "The Moon Struck One," the band segues into a decidedly contemporary setting of Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee," though Bona's plodding bassline proves to be a handicap. Several tracks composed by the late Jaco Pastorious prove a bit uneven; the boisterous treatment of "Liberty City" works well, while the reggae-flavored "Good Morning Anya" quickly grows tiresome. The leader switches to accordion for his subdued ballad "The Camel's Lament," played unaccompanied. While this project may not please every listener all the way through, its ambitious scope and the strong efforts of the musicians involved make it an ear-opening experience worth revisiting.