Saturday, December 2, 2017

Funkallisto : Saturday Night Dogs

Italian funk band, Funkallisto, comes from Rome's Trastevere neighborhood, a fascinating maze of medieval streets along the Tiber. I originally got turned onto these Roman funkateers because of their smoking cover version of Willie Bobo's Latin funk classic, "Broasted Or Fried." Influenced by the great funk bands of the 1970s, Funkallisto keeps to those roots as they carry the funk torch in Italy. 

Their 2017 album, Saturday Night Dogs, is the band's best record to date. You can tell they put a lot of heart & soul power into making this one. When in Rome...make it funky!


"Saturday Night Dogs," the title track, gets the party started on a high-energy note. Baritone saxophone, funky chicken scratch, potent percussion, and sensational keys stimulate the groove...and set the tone for 7 more diverse, funky songs. 

"Take A Little Time" is the only song on Saturday Night Dogs with full lyrics. Jess Roberts sings a super soulful song with a positive message. The organ vibe gives it a greasy, early 70s feel. 

"Rhythm" is exactly what it says it is. In this tune the rhythm section gets to show off. Powerful percussion, tight drumming, and a dope bass line hold down the groove for the horns to soar. 

"The Devil" begins with super funky guitar, syncopated cymbals, and fiery horn lines. Listen for the heavy breakdown on drums just after the halfway mark. Hot horns jump back on the groove, and the wah-wah flows throughout. 

"Piamose Trastevere" captures the band's high energy—showing off its horny horns, old-school organ grooves, funky wah-wah guitar, and deep rhythm section. And, it's one of my favorite instrumental funk songs of 2017. 

"Marcelito el Tropicano" captures the band's sensational energy. The tune oscillates between a mellow jazz groove and exhilarating Latin funk. The percussion shines, the electric piano dances on top of the beat, and the impressive horns astonish alongside electrifying funk guitar playing, and proper drumming. 

"Fatebenefratelli" arouses even the most devoid-of-funk folks because of its electrifying rhythm & impelling groove. This tune is totally irresistible, and must get people on the dance floor instantly at Funkallisto's live shows. 

"Darkalabro" ends the album with an extended jam. It's got a jazzy Afrobeat vibe, and genre-bending funk demeanor. I love it because it's too cool to categorize, and impossible not to dig. 

Funkallisto is the dopest funk band in The Eternal City! Their 2017 record, Saturday Night Dogs, is fabulously funky all the way through. Listen to more of their music, and hopefully catch them live in Rome.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York : Fukushima

Satoko Fujii's Orchestra New York has been together since their 1997 debut South Wind (Leo Lab/Libra). A "super group" by any standards, it has remained largely intact over the course of twenty years, bringing the ensemble to its latest release, Fukushima, a memorial suite. The Fukushima nuclear accident was caused by a major earthquake and a subsequent tsunami and was the worst such incident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Fujii was in Tokyo at the time, in 2011. There were no immediate deaths from the accident, but there are estimates of future cancer-related fatalities that number in the hundreds. That uncertain future is part of the anxiety that Japan lives with on an ongoing basis.

The fourteen-member orchestra includes such notable artists as saxophonists Oscar Noriega, Ellery Eskelin and Tony Malaby, trumpeters Dave Ballou, Herb Robertson and Natsuki Tamura (Fujii's husband and frequent musical partner), as well as Nels Cline and Ches Smith. Fujii serves as the composer/conductor, leaving aside the piano for this recording.

There are five untitled tracks on Fukushima; bookending three extended pieces are two shorter ones that are correspondingly abstinent and tranquil. Breaking through the heterogeneous sound waves of "Track 1," Cline's guitar and Andy Laster's baritone saxophone provide their own chemical reaction. Only when "Track 2" begins to swell—approximately half-way through its sixteen minutes—do we grasp the full power of the orchestra. "Track 3" is dark and frantic and appropriate to the sense of unknowing that must have gripped those present in the disaster. Robertson and Smith share standout performances here. "Track 4" begins in cautious near-silence—an evaluation of the circumstances, followed by shock. The tenor saxophone and trumpet figuratively dig their way out of the chaos and the sounds of nature barely emerge. The final three minutes of the seventeen minute track are the most structured, as if rebuilding before Noriega's beautiful closing track epilogue.

Fujii is not unfamiliar with expressing her personal emotions through her music. She has done so through the loss of bassist Norikatsu Koreyasu and guitarist Kazuhiko Tsumura, both from Gato Libre. A different—less predictable—sense of loss pervades much of Fukushima. Among the characteristics that make Fujii unique as a composer, is her process of building minimal structures within conventional forms, and then turning them loose to free and extended techniques. Each of Fujii's orchestras produce consistently exceptional projects but Fukushima is the best to date. Highly recommended.

Note: the CD will be offered in an alternate version that includes Fujii's vocals on "Track 2." The CD features a cover photo by Ann Braithwaite.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Rohey : A Million Things

The debut album by this three-year-old band, Rohey, is what you’d expect from Jill Scott or Adele if either said screw the charts and got with one of Oslo’s famed hard bop or jazz fusion bands for some experimental fun. Scandinavia has been quietly killing the jazz and soul game for years with artists like Tuomo, Kinny, Quadron, Bernhoft, Timo Lassy, Beady Belle, Stephen Simmonds, Marie Dahlstrøm, and Samson for President, to name but a few. This bright Norwegian band proudly keeps that Northern torch alive by following the blueprint of some of the best of those artists by creating a project firmly rooted in the atmospheric traditions of neo-soul, while also leaning fully forward with futuristic jazz and funk. The project is familiar in its cool lounge allusions, but also unexpected in its multiple improvisational twists and turns by an imaginative band of exemplary musicians with a collectively brave heart. Rohey’s A Million Things is just left-of-center enough to be considered daring in today’s cookie cutter musical landscape, but accessible to every person who swears they hate jazz but loves “edgy” artist-artist’s like Laura Mvula or Björk. 


Versatile, powerhouse alto, Rohey Taalah, is backed by a jazz-funk trio that feels like a synthy, big band orchestra in the way they fill every crevice with sound, thanks to the outsized gifts of Ivan Blomqvist on keyboards, Kristian B. Jacobsen on bass, and Henrik Lødøen on drums. Rohey’s musicians are every bit as important as their namesake frontwoman, with both musicians and singer given equal musical weight throughout the project in ways reminiscent of recent jazz hybrid projects by The Baylor Project and Ronald Bruner, Jr., where the singer is handled as a respected, but not privileged, instrument in the tapestry’s mammoth whole. As with those artists, the overall sound here is sophisticated and coolly classy even as the vanguard youngsters here try to push the envelope—and the listener’s ear—with songs as bold as their urgent messages about the environment, climate change, and various social ills on rebuking cuts like “Responsibilities,” “My Recipe,” and “Cellphones and Pavements.” Taalah’s righteous, advocating voice is big and brassy enough to match the mammoth walls of sound the band erects as shimmering, sometimes spiky backdrops as brash and audacious as they are nearly always beautiful. 

Not everything is colossal and ever evolving in kaleidoscopic ways on A Million Things. In it’s bittersweet lyric and restrained vocal, the twinkling hush of a lullaby, “Now That You Are Free” is just as emotionally impactful a locket portrait as the adventurous floor to ceiling canvasses occupying the album’s art space. The spare drums and keys of “Tell Me” keep it simple with a “less is more approach” on a questioning song that feels like a prayer to the Gods or perhaps the universal human family. The opening number, “I Found Me,” is also less overtly intricate, if only by comparison to the major tracks, and may be the closest the project can proclaim as a commercial soul single. And, really that’s only because of the cut’s traditional Fender Rhodes and drum and bass composition hewn more closely to the early paths of artists like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu, artists who made jazzy soul sophistication popular for mainstream audiences again, not because it’s any less musical than anything else making A Million Things one of the finest releases of 2017.

There is little fat on an album touting A Million Things and can sometimes feel like a million musical things happening in a cut. Like several previously mentioned jams, the syncopated vocals of the title track and punchy Afrobeat of “Can’t Get This” are showstoppers, as is the metaphoric “Is This All There Is?” in their demanding arrangements that can’t help but showoff the dexterity and talent of everyone involved at every level, from songwriting to musicianship. Nothing here is done half-hearted or feels less than sincere. Only the somewhat redundant lullaby of “My Dear” and the forced aggressiveness of the blessedly brief “I Wonder” feel like false notes, but on an album peopled by mini-maestro masterpieces we can take a superfluous cut or two just to remind us that this toddler act with the genius debut is still stunningly mortal after all. Highly Recommended. 

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Ruba Shamshoum : Shamat

Though a graduate of Dublin's Newpark Music Centre in jazz performance, Ruba Shamshoum's delightful debut CD doesn't fall neatly into any particular category. What does these days? The Palestinian-born, Dublin-based singer infuses elements of jazz with her Middle Eastern roots on these nine originals, ably backed by some of the country's finest musicians, who straddle the fields of contemporary jazz, folk and improvised music. A little of all these strands percolate through the compositions. Shamshoum delivers most of the songs in Arabic, a language whose innate musicality seems tailor-made for the poetic sensibility of these songs of love, kinship and soul-searching. No Arabic vocal diva, Shamshoum stylishly sidesteps stereotypes and instead maps out a highly contemporary and personal course. 



Shamshoum's voice is a thing of beauty, the seduction immediate from the first notes of "Randomness of Beauty Spots." Not just a pretty voice, much of her vocal appeal lies in the subtle shifts of weight in her phrasing and the flow of sounds that imbue the songs with their emotional ambiance. Her accompanists are significant partners in the process. Aleka Potinga's cello and Matthew Jacobson's hand percussion lend Arabic textures to this opening track, while Orlando Molina 's guitar and Barry Rycraft's deft double bass rhythms are more jazz oriented. Against this hybrid soundscape Shamshoum glides between gently undulating narrative, punchy rhythmic mantras and high-pitched wordless flight, culminating in a powerful finale. It's an impressive opener that stays with you. 

Brushes, bass and painterly guitar accompany Shamshoum's layered vocals on the caressing slower number "Hana," with Matthew Berrill's softly lilting clarinet coloring the spaces. Sparer still the arrangement on "Carousel of Love," with acoustic guitar the sole foil to Shamshoum, who flits between solo and harmonically layerd vocals. Lyrically, love provides the grist to Shamshoum's mill, her tales sometimes simple, as on the breezy, bass-driven "Lalya," or hauntingly poetic, notably on "La Yayl La Trooh," where her verse evokes the lyricism of the Arabic romantic poets: 

'white of jasmine and gardenias too/red of poppies and pomegranates/green, pure of cactus and fig/a paradise full of song/black/never once does the night last.' Or this from the sunny "Fuqaati," where cello, guitar and voice entwine over the gentle swing of brushes and bass: 'Across the mountains/across the sea/take me in your skies/let the wind sew your path.' 

There's poetry of a different kind on "Genesis of the Bubble," where Shashoum's spoken-word recital is backed by abstract, edgy collective improvisation from Potinga, Molina and Jacobson that's evocative, at least in mood, of the Grateful Dead's "Dark Star." Irresistible, the rhythmically cantering "Burkan," with pianist Jay Wilson adding another texture; Molina's sinuous electric guitar improvisation and Potinga's infectious cello motif are both memorable but its Shamshoum's powerful vocal that most captivates here. Intimacy is the key on "Ya Layl La Trooh," a slow-waltzing anthem given the small jazz ensemble treatment, with Berrill's clarinet dovetailing with Shamshoum's to gorgeous effect. 

With her beguiling debut—which should win some converts to the beauty of the Arabic language—Shamshoum blurs the lines between what might be considered radio-friendly fare, smouldering balladry and more progressive ventures. It's the accomplished work of an emerging talent—one that could go far.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro “Uhuru Peak”

A mere few weeks old, 2010 is already shaping up to be a hell of a year for Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro. To get primed for the release of their new “Uhuru Peak” sophomore full-length, the Saitama sextet started off January with a three-week live jaunt of Australian clubs and summer festivals. Familiar with large-scale events, the natty-looking group previously appeared in the Crystal Palace tent at Fuji Rock ’08.


While 2008’s eponymous debut strove to tear up dance floors, “Uhuru Peak” is all about playing it cool. Boasting a more predominately lounge vibe than its predecessor, tight, well-crafted grooves such as “Theme of Kilimanjaro” and “Super Jock Strut” are heavily accented with jazz in addition to the excellent 1970s throwback funk and soul that is the cornerstone of the band’s sound. Primarily performing instrumental tracks, Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro show off their playful side by working in small vocal parts on “Sweet LAS Coke” and “Mr. Soul Machine Gun” from “guests” Diana Russ & the Chou-Creams and George Clikinton.

After 11 cocktail-sipping numbers, the guys cut loose on “(Ain’t Got Nobody) Just a Rambling Man.” The infectious notes turned out by guitarist Naokazu “Bobsan” Kobayashi and his wah-wah pedal mix wonderfully with the up-tempo organ, trumpet and tenor saxophone creating something that will have even the most chilled of cats eagerly searching the bar for a pretty lady friend to get down with.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Friday, November 10, 2017

Michel Camilo : Live In London

While he may be best known for fronting dynamic trios, piano titan Michel Camilo does just fine by himself. There's tremendous propulsion, clarity, and strength in play when Camilo takes to the bench, and there's truly no place better to hear that than in a solo setting. 


Camilo has explored this format on record before—first on Solo (Telarc, 2005), later on What's Up? (Okeh, 2013)—but those efforts spoke to his work in the studio. Live In London was captured on the stage, making it Camilo's first live solo record. In many respects, the distinction is unimportant. His dazzling technique, complete with Art Tatum-esque flourishes, classical allusions, and Latin jazz flair, rarely differs from album to album or place to place. And his directional compass typically points to the same realms. The real difference that's noticeable here is in how Camilo responds to the moment and, subsequently, how the music blooms. His pianistic proficiency on all three albums is incontestable—let's face it, the man's chops are out of this world—but the level of passion he projects on this one completely trumps what he brought to those aforementioned dates. 

Those in attendance for this performance at The Queen Elizabeth Hall in June of 2015 were given a real treat, as Camilo clearly wasted no time getting down to business. "From Within," where rhapsodizing quickly gives way to fervent thoughts, kicks off the show, serving as a springboard into the pianist's world. Then Camilo provides a quick detour to another time and place on "The Frim Fram Sauce" before returning to his own oeuvre with a glowing and dazzling "A Place In Time." Two more originals follow, offering contrast in tempo and tone. "Island Beat," a dance-friendly Cuban treat with a montuno foundation, and "Sandra's Serenade," built on contemplative ground, couldn't be more different. Yet both speak directly to the artist's state of mind and artistic outlook. 

To wrap things up, Camilo gives the audience some crowd-pleasers with substance and power. "Manteca" is a tour de force, grooving over its insistent bass line, darting here and there, pouncing, sprinting, and even taking a brief trip to a Harlem rent party; and the album-ending medley—a sweat-inducing trip through "I Got Rhythm," "Caravan," and "Sing Sing Sing"—plays as vaudeville and pure virtuosity rolled into one entertaining package. Michel Camilo's been operating on this high a level for decades, but he consistently remains something to marvel at.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Shabaka And The Ancestors : Wisdom Of Elders

This recording is the culmination of the triangular experiences of tenor man Shabaka Hutchings and his personal destiny. Born in London, his family relocated back to their native Barbados, where Hutchings was raised in a musical environment until his teen years. Returning to London, he became a fixture on the free jazz scene, and while on holiday to South Africa, was drawn back to the primordial source of inspiration. Recorded over one day with no rehearsal, Wisdom Of Elders explores and expands upon traditional Nguni rhythms, while injecting blues, spiritual hymns, and Caribbean calypso. Accompanied by the best players from Capetown; this session transformed into a tribute to those who have played jazz in the townships, especially saxophonist Bheki Mseleku, a major influence on Hutchings, and an inspiration for this production. This is an intended throwback to the era when African jazz was played as a spiritual path to resistance and creative survival. 




The bass opens the blistering "Mzwandile," which is the tribal name bestowed on Hutchings, vocalist Siyabonga Mthembu then commences his incantations, allowing Hutchings to weave his horn into an intro for the rest of the band, accented by propelling percussion and spatial piano work from Nduduzo Mahathini. Having raised the temperature at the outset, "Joyous," has a soothing effect, featuring local legend Mandla Mlangeni on trumpet, who carries on an honored tradition of South African trumpeters. Altoist Mthunzi Myubu joins Hutchings on solos, as they rise up in one voice. 

"The Observer," is dedicated to a Barbadian calypsonian from Hutchings' youth, and is presented as a melancholy blues; vocal chanting invoking hope and redemption amidst the sadness. The township connection is evident on "The Sea," as the repetitive bass pattern and dual saxophones invoke the master Abdullah Ibrahim, and his extended forays into cerebral jazz. Strategically placed midway through the record, this is a soaring aural orison. 

There is a slight undercurrent of reggae syncopation in "Natty," as Hutchings reaches into his mixed bag of influences, yet remains anchored in the ritualistic concept initiated. The provoking drums and sax exchange in "Give Thanks," is centered around these two instruments exclusively, both taking turns on solos and maintaining the fiery tempo. They end as they commenced, with a bass intro on "Nguni," but this time the mood is tempered as the vocal chants slowly bring it up to a crescendo. This final track is in honor of the Swazi, Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu, and Bantu people of southern Africa, whose history and lineage reach back to the dawn of time, and whose influence on jazz is monumental. 

Creating from an abiding space beyond the instruments, compositions, and arrangements, Shabaka Hutchings' African sojourn tuned him into a higher energy source, and he plays his music from that dimension. Of course, a lot of the credit goes to the accompanying musicians on this project, for they were his enthusiastic guides and accomplices on this spiritual endeavor. This is music of the utmost caliber, performed with an unrefined attitude, taking jazz back home.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Zara McFarlane : Arise

Zara McFarlane's If You Knew Her from 2014 promised much, being a wonderful, individual, mixture of jazz, reggae and soul that viewed the singer's Jamaican roots through the prism of her UK birth and London upbringing. It was an original blend that signaled the arrival of a major talent on the UK scene, setting a path that McFarlane has continued to purposefully stride down on this superb follow up. 



Everything about this collection has been thought through -from the opening invocation of creativity "Pride" to the sleeve notes from Lloyd Bradley (author of the excellent and highly recommended history of Jamaican music When Reggae Was King). Even the aural link back to the previous record provided by Binker Golding's explosive solo at the end of "Pride," that echoes the impact of his solo work on the last album's "Police and Thieves" cover, has been carefully sequenced to draw the listener in. The cover shows McFarlane standing unsmiling and resolute in red beret stood in front of exotic foliage on what looks like a London suburban street, possibly about to go to the front line on our behalf to defend musical freedom. The picture appears to echo many of the themes of the record -Caribbean culture viewed from a London upbringing, the beret indicating either a struggle or maybe just that McFarlane has a fondness for the preferred head gear of the jazz hipster of days past. 

Tracks like "Fussin' and Fightin'" are such perfect summations of the Jamaican styles of the late 1960s to early 1970s that you will be scurrying for the sleeve notes to try and place this obscure reggae classic that has somehow eluded you. McFarlane's vocal is superb, balancing the downbeat plea for steadfast strength in the face of the suffering that the world throws our way, against her own background vocal harmonies. The piano solo from Peter Edwards in the final section pushes the track into a nod towards dub which features some great percussion work from Moses Boyd. 

There are two fine covers on this collection -the first "Peace Begins Within" is, like "Angie La-La" on the last album, a Nora Dean track here given an Acid Jazz/Talkin' Loud twist, while the second is a soulful reading of the Congos' rootsy "Fisherman." Both are given soulful readings keeping the 'sound of surprise' that comes from jazz and improvisation, but adding the emotional depth that comes from allowing the music you love to come out irrespective of genre. The original compositions on the rest of the collection are, however, at least as good. Take "Allies or Enemies" where McFarlane's intriguing lyric about the slow collapse of a relationship emerges over another example of her harmonising with herself, minimal percussion and acoustic guitar. "Freedom Chain" too has a great fluid bass line from Max Luthert, over which Peter Edwards adds Clavinet as the tune hits an impressionistic, dubby, final section. "Silhouette" features a spellbinding, stately and controlled, bass clarinet solo from Shabaka Hutchings that stretches for nearly 4 minutes of its 5 minute 24 second length before McFarlane joins in with only around 90 seconds to go. It's an exercise in atmosphere doing what the material needs, not complicating things with unnecessary layering. 

The benchmark record for jazz/soul fusions has long been Jhelisa's Galactica Rush from 1994, but this is one of few subsequent albums in this genre that is capable of comparison with that classic in terms of the quality of the material and the strength of the playing and production. If there is a minor criticism it is that on some tracks there is a feeling that the musical ideas might have gone even further had a fade not been put on the music. Best example is on "Peace Begins Within" where, like many old soul classics, you suspect the studio tapes would have been incredible if allowed to continue for another 2 or 3 minutes. But these are just quibbles, Zara McFarlane has made another magnificent record that has surpassed even her breakthrough If You Knew Her and deserves to be the talk of the town -highly recommended.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Cory Weeds : EWF in a retro mood !

When last heard from, Canadian Cory Weeds was wielding a mean neo-swing tenor saxophone with the superb Jeff Hamilton trio on the albums Dreamsville and This Happy Madness. On Let's Groove: The Music of Earth, Wind & Fire, Weeds moves from tenor to alto (with no loss of merit) alongside tenor and fellow Canadian Steve Kaldestad, Hammond B3 maestro Mike LeDonne, guitarist Dave Sikula, drummer Jason Tiemann and (on four tracks) percussionist Liam MacDonald. 




This is the third Weeds / LeDonne collaboration, the first two having surveyed the music of boppers Hank Mobley and Jackie McLean. Make no mistake, this latest alliance espouses a funky R&B groove, in keeping with EW&F's temperament, but one that seems to suit the ensemble well. If there's a weakness in that blueprint it is that much of the music, as far as rhythm and tempo are concerned, is complementary; that is to say, the variations are as a rule so spare as to be immaterial. There is one ballad ("Imagination") and an Afro-jazz burner ("Kalimba") that veer somewhat away from the requisite design, but they are the exception. 

The end result does show that almost any form of music, R&B included, lends itself under the proper circumstances to an agreeable jazz rendition. The hallmarks in this case include accomplished and versatile musicians who give the music its due, embracing the spirit of the original themes while giving them a jazzier spin that serves to enhance their immanent charm. Weeds and Kaldestad comprise an impressive front line, while LeDonne and his comrades provide a taut and unbending rhythmic backdrop. 

Those who are familiar with EW&F may recognize some (or all) of the tunes on offer, most of which are under the sway of LeDonne's forceful Hammond organ (which obviates the need for bass or piano) and enfold cogent solos by Weeds, Kaldestad, Sikula and Tiemann, as well as by LeDonne himself. For those who savor rhythm that is spiced with blues, this is a generally pleasurable session that should set your toes to tapping as you groove along with Weeds and his open-hearted quintet / sextet.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Rock Candy Funk Party : Groove is everywhere!

Rock Candy Funk Party delivers a lavish soundscape that incorporates a plethora of genres, from dance and electronica, to rock funk and jazz and everything in between. The band is gearing up to release their brand new album The Groove Cubed this fall following their last studio album released back in 2015, Groove Is King.



The Groove Cubed which is set for release on October 20, 2017, was recorded at Tal Bergman Studios in Los Angeles, California. With this new album, the band continues to push the musical envelop and seamlessly blend various genres together. Standout track and first single “Don’t Even Try It” shakes things up by adding the boundless energy and soulful vocals of Vintage Trouble’s Ty Taylor. The classic cover of James Brown’s “I Got the Feelin’” is brought to life with Australian singer Mahalia Barnes. Adding these two powerhouse singers is a first for RCFP, who normally stick to grooving instrumentals. According to Bergman, “It will take the listener on journey that explore the use of different styles of music from different eras and hopefully break some rules!!” The Groove Cubed has the “mark of real pros,” with top-notch improvisation and musical chemistry. The band went into the studio without any songs or ideas came out victorious with a new record.

This album is an all-around fun and exciting record that shatters genre defining stigmas and takes elements from the past as well as from contemporary music. Each song starts with “a riff, groove, or feel” and morphs into a stellar funk gem. Bergman says that the main goal for The Groove Cubed was “as always to say something different. This band is a perfect vehicle to make music in unorthodox ways that crosses different genres.” The band’s motto and perfect concept for this new album is that “there are no rules, just expect the unexpected.”

RCFP is a collection of top-notch groove loving musicians aimed at bringing the world fresh and funky vibes. Their collective credits include Billy Idol, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Joe Zawinul, Hugh Masekela, Prince, Ruth Brown, Chaka Khan, Simple Minds, Tito Puente, Conan O’Brien, Sheila E. and many more.

The band formed around 2009 when drummer Tal Bergman and guitarist Ron DeJesus combined their love of funk music and released Groove Vol. 1 to share it with the world. After Tal began recording and performing with blues-rock titian Joe Bonamassa, Bergman invited him to join the fun. By 2011, Bonamassa had officially joined the band and the groove has been growing stronger ever since.

RCFP isn’t your run-of-the-mill funk jam band. They are highly reputable, respected, and experienced professional musicians who share a love of experimenting with various musical concepts. Individually, the members add their own expertise and styles to the mix. Tal Bergman’s versatile drum style has allowed him to play every style from rock and R&B to Jazz and Funk. Guitarist Ron DeJesus has always been inspired by funk music and has been continuing to preserve the legacy of funk greats like James Brown and Sly Stone. Bassist Mike Merritt brings the swinging jazz side of things to the table and is currently a member of TV Host Conan O’Brien’s Basic Cable Band. Finally, keyboard wizard Renato Neto brings a Brazilian flavor that adds a fantastic rhythmic element.

Groove is everywhere!

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Gilad Atzmon plays Coltrane

Duke Ellington's exquisite "In A Sentimental Mood," the first track on their memorable team-up album for Impulse! is here given a luscious treatment with the subtle addition of strings. "Invitation," the Coltrane version of which was found on Standard Coltrane a 1962 Prestige release but actually recorded in 1958. Like that version it's given a slow ballad treatment with Atzmon on sultry tenor augmented by the string quartet. 




Atzmon's lone composition is the modal "Minor Thing" very much in keeping with Coltrane's mid to late period sound but with the addition of some yodel-like trills from the tenor, the effect of which is slightly reminiscent of Leon Thomas's distinctive vocals. The longest track on the album, there's a short ensemble section inserted at around the 3:55 mark which interrupts the flow but doesn't affect the overall appreciation of the number which is, as implied from the record's title, very effective in conjuring up the spirit of Trane. There's also a very satisfying coda too. 

"Soul Eyes" recorded by Coltrane on his eponymous 1962 album, is here given a sumptuous string quartet backing countered by Atzmon's rich tenor. With Atzmon now on soprano, the relatively thin version of "Blue Train" (but only when compared with its relatively brass-heavy progenitor on Coltrane's Blue Note classic) is nonetheless atmospherically charged and sensitively appealing. On Coltrane's unforgettable ballad "Naima" the strings work well to produce an elegant interpretation. 

A lyrical version of "Giant Steps," played as a quartet, starts out slowly but gradually picks up the pace with the piano and bass transforming the whole piece into a more sprightly version. The Loesser / McHugh standard "Say It (Over And Over Again)" appeared on the Impulse! 1963 release Ballads and it's here that both the string quartet and Atzmon's saxophone meld together most appealingly. As a respectful and often imaginative paean to the late, great saxophonist, who died 50 years ago this year, this album works very well indeed.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Brass Funkeys : Rabble Rouser

The 8-piece Brass Funkeys might draw on the traditions of New Orleans marching bands, but the group, which formed in 2011, is based in London and takes much of its inspiration from contemporary musics. This combination of second line, R&B, hip-hop and the rest is enticing: Rabble Rouser is a fine collection of originals and covers delivered with enthusiasm and musical skill—there's plenty of brass and lots of funk, too.


From the first warm, fruity notes on "Goblins," (written by guest trumpeter Jack Banjo Courtney) it's clear that this is going to be a fun-filled, groove-laden bunch of tunes. The mix of wind instruments—trumpets, trombones, a sax and a sousaphone—ensures there's depth and richness to the ensemble's sound while Chris Brice's percussion and Scott Jowett's drums give added power and broaden the sonic palette. Adding the players' obvious enthusiasm into the mix ensures that this is a listener-and dancer-friendly set. 

The band's original tunes, contributed by six of its members, are varied but never lose the Funkeys' trademark positivity and good vibes. Rob Smith's splendidly-titled "David Battenberg's Life Of Cakes" is a punchy number with an irresistible groove. "Le Sable," written by Rob Slater, is a seductive late-night number, for those times when dancing cheek-to- cheek is the only way for two people to remain upright. Trombonist Vij Prakash's "Pacha Mama" melds brass band and blues— laid-back, cool, with bursts of fiery sax and trumpet. Matt Letts' "Clave Maria" nods its hat to old-school Cuban dancehalls, Tom Green's "Dynamo Blues" does the same to classic jazz big bands. 

The Brass Funkeys' performances of the four covers all impress. There's a tight, driving, take on Gorillaz' "Dirty Harry"—arranged by Chris Saunders and featuring a vocal chorus from the gentlemen of the orchestra. "Honeydripper" is slow and slinky, underpinned by big, fat, bass notes. Tune-Yards' "Bizness" features Dave Robinson's sax over fine percussion grooves from Brice and Jowett. "Zambezi"—a UK hit in 1982 for The Piranhas—is taken at a fast clip: fun, cheery, but perhaps only the fittest should consider it dance-friendly. On this hugely enjoyable evidence, the Brass Funkeys should be able to rouse any rabble.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Rez Abbasi : Unfiltered Universe

Rez Abbasi was born in Karachi, Pakistan but at the age of four his family moved to Los Angeles and at eleven he started learning guitar. Whilst there are undoubtedly some South Asian influences in his compositions, these are generally incidental or to be found "under the radar" as Abbasi himself puts it. In any case the music surely transcends geographical boundaries. With a brace of ten albums to his name, this is Abbasi's follow-up to 2016's Behind The Vibration but is also the third in a trilogy he started to record with his group Invocation in 2008.



The opener "Propensity" does admittedly display some passing South Asian influences in its opening statement, and hot on the heels of Rudresh Mahanthappa's frenetic alto solo, Abassi solos with breathtaking glissando runs. The title track, augmented by Elizabeth Mikhael on cello, is perhaps the nearest this album gets to the generally perceived notion of chamber jazz, but even here it defies that generic description. The album was actually commissioned by Chamber Music America and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Suffice it to say both organizations got their money's worth and more besides.

The short "Thoughts" constitutes a solo pyrotechnic display from Abbasi, his guitar notably enhanced by synth-like electronic effects. "Thin-King" has a mesmeric off-kilter rhythm which propels the piece along and a keen pizzicato bass solo from Johannes Weidenmueller. "Turn Of Events" the longest track on the album at nearly twelve minutes, subtly builds the tension, embellished by legato cello notes, achieving a release with a cascade of notes, only to die down to its pastoral opening and finally resolving in a short ensemble coda. The frenetic paced "Disagree To Agree" benefits from a fine staccato piano solo from Vijay Iyer and Mahanthappa and Abbasi compete in the coruscating stakes, making it compulsive listening as the guitarist takes his instrument to new places ripe for exploration. 

The closer, "Dance Number" begins with a vaguely Eastern head but rapidly transmutes into a groove-laden piece dominated by Abbasi's strident and fluid guitar and subsequently by Mahanthappa's florid alto and Iyer's lustrous piano. An imaginative composer and guitarist of considerable virtuosity, plus an ensemble of immense talent, are all factors that make this high calibre album, imbued with unfettered vigour and intrigue, a most satisfying affair.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Mehdi Nabti : Beyond The Trance

I just found this interesting interview of Mehdi Nabti by Ayoub Mouz via social networks. Published by an english magazine in Arabic, I put this english translation. Here the source Original interview in Arabic (Maazif magazine, London UK, sept. 2017). You can also read my review of Mehdi Nabti's album Hybridations & Transformations (2016). 


Interview with Mehdi Nabti : about the crosses between moroccan trance music (Aïssâwa) and jazz music

Mehdi Nabti is a french-canadian saxophonist, composer, autor and researcher in anthropology. In this meeting, he interacts with a moroccan musician about his compositions and their relationship with the moroccan folklore. The two interlocutors discuss the convergence of two musical styles, Aïssâwa Sufi music and jazz (which have their African roots in common), the problem of mixing musical styles, attempts at hybridization and the challenges of artistic renewal .

Maazif : You took classical music and later university studies in anthropology. Tell us about this adventure.

I was born in Paris and I lived in this city then in the Paris region. Since 2009 I live in Montreal. My family is from Kabylie, city of Bejaia, in Algeria. In France, I received a standard academic training: studies of classical guitar in conservatory from the age of 6 years, then classical saxophone and jazz from 15 years. I thank my parents for having given us a "bourgeois" education, even if we are from the working class. At the University of Paris 8, I followed a curriculum in multimedia communication (Maitrise in Sciences and Techniques) and a DEA in sociology. I then went to EHESS for my doctoral studies. I had my phd/doctorate in social anthropology in 2007 on the Sufi trance music of Aïssâwa. But when I was at the University I followed the teaching of jazzmen François Jeanneau (improvisation techniques) and Max Hedigger (jazz harmony). I deepened my knowledge with Philippe Sellam, Steve Coleman, Andy Emler and other more confidential musicians who encourage creativity and intellectual autonomy.




Maazif : After this rich and eventful journey, where is your artistic practice today ?

My artistic practice evolves with age and life. In the 1990s in France I played a lot of different music (funk, jazz, electro, house, percussion orchestras, Afro folklore, improvised music) and I created and directed from 2004 to 2008 a French-Moroccan jazz/world orchestra bringing together jazz musicians and Aissawa musicians from Fes in Morocco, Aissawaniyya. With this group, I gave masterclasses and recorded unpublished sessions (in Morocco, Spain and Paris). We have performed at various festivals in Europe, Africa and Canada. From 7 years I am in the intensive composition phase, I document my work and I regularly record albums that I sell directly to the public on digital platforms. That is my priority. I try to elaborate a contemporary improvised music which is part of the "Afro-Berber continuum", term of my invention. It is a matter of composing and improvising from techniques derived from ancient and medieval Berber and sub-Saharan traditions. I mean these elements :

  • Compound rhythms / adaptation of Sufi trance rhythms of the Maghreb (Aissawa and Hamadcha)
  • Afro-Berber and Andalusian melodic modes
  • Musical forms and structures resulting from the Maghreb Sufi trance rituals (Aissawa and Hamadcha)
  • Afro-Mediterranean non-musical techniques applied to music: geomancy, geometry
  • Musical evocation of the forgotten and unknown history of North and sub-Saharan Africa (ancient Berber mythology, historical figures, monuments, geographical spaces)


I incorporate in this Afro-Berber continuum ideas from various disciplines : philosophy, symmetry, epigraphy, but also heroic-fantasy and science fiction (especially uchronie and ideas borrowed directly to Isaac Asimov). I also write books and articles on North African culture and music. I have just published in France a book entitled « Présence arabe, berbère et nord-africaine au Québec. 55 ans de musiques plurielles (1962-2017) ».



Maazif : Between 2012 and 2016, you have released four albums, one album a year. You propose in most of your albums a hybrid production, a musical work influenced mainly by the Sufi music of the Maghreb on which you have studied and dedicated your doctoral thesis («  Les Aïssawa. Soufisme, musique et rituels de transe au Maroc »). Where do these influences manifest themselves?

Originally my motivation was to play a contemporary music that is an alternative to the North American cultural domination as well as the lascivious aesthetic coming from the Orient, the East. These various popular currents conceal the plurality of musical expressions of the Maghreb (North-Africa) which are extremely rhythmic, diversified and mixed. I was very surprised, noting and codifying folk music during my musical research in Morocco, to take up avant-garde musical techniques worthy of modern composers like Bartok or Messiaen: use of symmetry, irregular proportions, palindromes, complementary rhythms, polyrhythms, volume changes, accelerations, slowdowns, speed superimpositions, colors, tritonic substitutions, major modes played in minor modes, saturations, collages, questions / answers. These data are even more remarkable when we know that they are community music that is largely improvised, played in real time, collectively and without any scoring. By playing this type of music in its original cultural context, the notions of concentration, communication, quality of execution and cohesion between musicians make their sense. In short, a sophisticated musical vocabulary is still popular in some parts of the world but has completely disappeared from current commercial music. This still alive heritage is still absent from the institutional musical formations but knows how to make itself accessible to those who really take the trouble. To do this, you have to accept a traditional transmission of information: go out there, meet people, discuss, participate, share and spend time together in everyday life. It is towards the creative appropriation of these old unknown traditions that my approach tends.




Maazif : In recent years, there have been many attempts at "fusion" and "mixing" which often fall into "ease". What do you think of this "musical phenomenon" in light of your academic work and artistic experience?

First of all, we, the public, artists, journalists, politicians and broadcasters (festivals, etc.) all have a responsibility to deal with the situation of art and culture, which have become synonymous with commerce, industry and can not be envisaged outside. Many adopt the posture of the market by proposing what they imagine that the public wants, while defending themselves. The alienating and coercive power of the market breaks creativity and reduces the individual and the artist to the state of passive consumer and producer. It must be remembered more than ever that art and industry are two different things. Totally opposed.

Next, I think that the "facility" we are talking about here is related to the retromania phenomenon that has affected the entire world cultural sector since the early 2000s. The constant references to musical aesthetics of the past are too immediately identifiable by the listener, and even more by a music enthusiast. The dynamic of experimental creation is generally absent from the musical approaches of many musicians known as "fusion".

The overall impact of these different collages simply does not mean anything. Their symbolic, technical and aesthetic bearing is thus considerably diminished. Even though musicians can often be technically fantastic, I am tired of this approach. I always wonder why an artist seeks to put himself in such an environment nowadays where all music is accessible at home in a few clicks.

Moreover, the tendency of musicians to follow overwhelmingly the discoveries and breakthroughs of the stars of the milieu represents for me an inability to define themselves adequately by developing a methodology that emphasizes the individual character of their musical composition.

There is a consistency in approach that is shared by many musicians of our time which makes them difficult to identify. Certainly very competent, but desperately similar. I've heard amazingly accomplished musicians, but for me, most of them lack remarkable characteristics in style, interpretation approach, concept, logic, phrasing and voice, sound. I do not say that they are not good musicians, I say that there is not much difference between them. If only the musicians dig in the most unknown archives of music, in the techniques used in oral tradition traditions, in ancient epigraphs, in medieval manuscripts, etc., they would find an untapped reserve of technical resources that would separate them from the rest of the lot. I'm not talking about something very radical, maybe a personally developed technique, a conceptual approach, a way to develop ideas and phrases, a very personal sound, a juxtaposition of thoughts, and so on.

Maazif : Could we speak of a certain "relationship" between the music of the Aissawa and jazz, following the example of the rapprochement that some historians and ethnomusicologists make between the music of the Gnawa and the blues?

Jazz, both creative and individual music, aims at an ideal of self-fulfillment by focusing on collaboration, technical rigor and positive individualism. Historically, his teaching was done by oral tradition, that is, by imitation, listening and observation. I emphasize that jazz is originally a folklore of oral tradition played and elaborated by the lowest and marginalized social classes of American society. It was, say, a music of poor people. In fact, he shares some of his characteristics with music from this oral tradition in Africa, the Maghreb or elsewhere: fraternal companionship, community repertoire, improvisations and the search for trance, transcendence. Unfortunately, contemporary jazz has lost many of these original elements to become a new bourgeois classical music without flavors. That is why I tried to get closer to the folk music of the Maghreb.

Concerning improvisation in jazz and Aissawa, we can find some common points. The first common point is the rhythmic improvisation of percussion instruments. The Aïssâwa are called "embroidery" (zwaq) on a "mother" rhythm (achiyya). The second common point is the melodic improvisation that the singers perform during the 'mowals' (uncapped improvisation a cappela). Finally, the players of oboe (reta) improvise also, between two codified melodies, instrumental melodies on the grooves of percussion. This is called simera. If the player of reta plays alone without any accompaniment, this is called ramadan. In all cases, these are improvisations codified in a given aesthetic. This can come close to the original jazz like dixieland or swing, but certainly not free jazz.

Maazif : How then can you evoke the "universal" character of these musics strongly marked by improvisational techniques in the face of an overwhelming musical, instrumental and technological technicality?

The universal character is found in improvisation and in the collective playing, because all the traditional musics practice them and put them in scene. These are fundamental characteristics that allow music to be renewed. At the philosophical level, the universal character of these musics comes from their creative, evolutionary, adaptive aspect. These are musics that evolve, which are alive. And they must remain so and not become nostalgic and retro-vintage music. This fashion is a scourge for creativity and encloses music in a fantasy museum. Creativity comes from within, it does not obey any rules other than those of her innermost desire and feelings. To be creative is not to play something because it is fashionable, because you are told that this is the way to succeed and make money, but to trust and to go to the end of his own expression. It also means not shutting oneself up in a style that one would make one's own once and for all. On the contrary, he is constantly listening to his intimate evolutions, his metamorphoses, and trying to account for them in his music. That's why I do not believe that there are styles inherently more creative than others, folklore and traditional music can be creative. It is the musicians who simply have to give themselves the means to express what they have deep within themselves. Being oneself is an increasingly difficult challenge in our normative societies that insidiously push you to conform to the tastes of others, to align yourself with the law of the greatest number, simply to have the chance to survive. In this context, it is a struggle of every moment to retain its creativity and to persist in being oneself. Moreover, all music has its own technical difficulties to perform, but the audience does not have to know it, it does not matter. The Artist's work is to convince him and not to seduce him.

Maazif : And to finish, do you conceive of a certain musical "coexistence/reconciliation" between the so-called traditional music and the so-called modern techniques?

Music does not exist independently of the people who make it. The coexistence of music must therefore be approached from the point of view of social ties, human relations between people and generational transmission. Music is linked to our singularities as human beings, to our philosophical, aesthetic, political choices. The answer to this question seems broadly cultural. Artists who can collaborate spontaneously, whether they be "traditional" or "modern" musicians, must have in common that they were born at about the same time in the same country, sharing common ideas about the state of society and music and, above all, having similar cultural references rooted in their experiences. They must share a common vision of the world. No matter in which musical aesthetics each one expresses himself, the aim will be to make a music that most faithfully reflects their tastes, their desires, their anger, their traditions, their collective history. This is how the meeting of music takes place. In this context we mean both the individual expression of the musicians but also the whole cultural environment in which they live, which nourishes them, influences them and serves as a substratum for their art. And each music is the product of a given milieu, of a cultural space, at a precise moment in history. On the other hand, some artists possess a double or even a triple culture which allows them to collaborate with artists from different regions of the world because they possess influences and common references although they are not of the same generation . All this common culture will enable them to collaborate in the creation of a new music, to relate their respective languages ​​in order to find common territories where the exchange could take place. There are many musicians everywhere who create music at the crossroads of these different worlds, epochs, influences. Unfortunately the majority of the media of all stripes, but also the festivals, became the places of the submission to the show-business, the popular song and the offers pastiste. But it is in the margins, slowly and surely, that the sound of today and tomorrow is create.


Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.











Thursday, August 31, 2017

Vijay Iyer Sextet: Far From Over and intensely engaging.

There are any number of valid ways to describe Vijay Iyer's music over the course of his twenty-three albums. Analytical, angular, intricate, dissonant, and oddly lyrical; his two previous ECM releases, Break Stuff (2015) and the duo outing, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke, with Wadada Leo Smith (2016), have been more widely accessible without forsaking complexity. Not merely an academic, Iyer is a perpetual student, absorbing information and disseminating his aggregate knowledge in new and inventive ways. On Far From Over, there is an overall level of energetic enthusiasm played out in funk, swing, hard bop, and the avant-garde, all with Iyer's idiosyncratic approach and often surprising in pure elation.




Bassist Stephan Crump and the ubiquitous Tyshawn Sorey are a regular rhythm section for Iyer; Sorey occasionally trading off with Iyer's other drummer of choice, Marcus Gilmore. The sextet fills out with a stellar horn section; Graham Haynes on cornet, flugelhorn and electronics, the eclectic alto saxophonist Steve Lehman and Mark Shim on tenor saxophone add much of the punch on this album.

"Poles" opens with Iyer's delicately cascading notes before the horns explode and take over. The piece rises to a fevered pitch and then descends on Haynes beautifully rounded flugelhorn. Iyer takes a more active role on the title track where the horns again engage in thorny interplay, setting up a boisterous solo for piano. When Haynes, Lehman and Shim rejoin, the effect is dramatic. "Nope" is more abstract with short bursts of soloing in close proximity, making for an attention-grabbing interlocking of sounds that would be very much at home on a Lehman recording. The brief "End of the Tunnel" is electric, mysterious and a fine lead-in to "Down To The Wire" with Iyer's bewilderingly fast playing stitching together the late arriving horns and pulling up just short of a free-for-all. Far From Over has its more reflective moments as well, "Wake" being other-worldly and "For Amiri Baraka" and "Threnody" affecting lamentations driven by Iyer's piano.

Despite the caliber of musicians on Far From Over, this very much a group album, steeped in spontaneous improvisation. Iyer explains his methodology as looking to ..."build from the rhythm first, from the identity of the groove...." In doing so, there are often textural designs taking shape and dissolving at close intervals, making the listening experience something like watching an abstract painter work on canvas. The complexity of it all can make subsequent listening experiences seem to shift their emphasis. As always in Iyer's work, there is a lot going on and it's all intensely engaging.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Friday, July 7, 2017

Steve Coleman's Natal Eclipse : Morphogenesis

After his 2015 masterpiece, Synovial Joints, alto saxophonist/composer Steve Coleman left his listeners wondering how he could try to top that extraordinary project. With 21 musicians and an ambitious melding of classical and jazz instrumentation with intricate compositional decisions, Coleman used that record to reveal yet another dimension of his constantly-evolving musical concept—one that's been changing shape for over thirty years now. In some ways, Morphogenesis continues that project: although this is a smaller nine-piece ensemble, almost all of these musicians worked with Coleman on Synovial Joints, and there's a similar emphasis on the kind of instrumentation that opens up classically-influenced structural possibilities: most particularly, the presence of Kristin Lee on violin and Rane Moore on clarinet. Not only that, but with thematic inspiration from the world of boxing (as evidenced by song titles such as "Shoulder Roll," "Dancing and Jabbing," and "Inside Game"), Coleman continues to invoke metaphors linked to human physicality, just as he did with his anatomical references on the previous record.



But at the same time, it's also clear that this is a very different album. Most noticeably, there's almost no percussion on the record—something that will certainly surprise longtime Coleman fans, as there are few musicians who've done more over the years to highlight the work of truly first-rate drummers, a list that includes Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Sean Rickman and Marcus Gilmore. The undeniable rhythmic power at the heart of Coleman's music has been channeled and enhanced in no small part due to the presence of drums in his music; yet here there's no "drummer" to speak of, and classical percussionist Neeraj Mehta is used very sparingly on only five of the nine tracks. While this still remains a rhythmically potent album—indeed, it's hard to imagine Coleman making any music lacking a fundamental rhythmic component—that element is now created mainly through the razor-sharp bass work of Greg Chudzik and the ensemble writing itself, which contains Coleman's trademark syncopated phrasing and myriad overlapping lines, which work to give the music its momentum and sense of forward thrust, even without the presence of a drum kit. The result is remarkably dense and sophisticated music, as one expects from Coleman, but it requires more of the listener to grapple with it. That toe-tapping accessibility that characterizes even the most esoteric of Coleman's earlier creations is less prominent here.

Even so, there's some remarkable music to be had on this record. But first, suspend expectations of easily-recognized themes: Coleman's approach instead involves the seemingly endless interweaving of phrases, sometimes played in unison and sometimes in counterpoint, using the entire palette of his ensemble. Don't count on a lot of extravagant soloing either, as Coleman is much more interested in drawing out the different textures and dynamic possibilities these instruments can create while in conversation with each other. It's the group dynamic as a whole that really takes center stage here, as each piece evolves through the mutual interactions of all the musicians. Take as an example the 14-minute centerpiece of the record, "Morphing," a hypnotic accrual of clipped phrases that gradually extend and alter their shape as they're played by various sub-groupings of the larger ensemble, eventually leading to ever-more-complex permutations and syncopated interjections as the piece builds to its thrilling culmination.

Other tracks worthy of note include "Pull Counter," where Coleman's alto hints at Charlie Parker's legacy through a bebop-flavored track that even adds an element of swing, thanks in part to Chudzik's walking bass line and pianist Matt Mitchell's Monk-like jabs; the soulful-sounding "Roll Under and Angles," where Jen Shyu's vocals and Jonathan Finlayson's trumpet tease out a lyrical dimension; and the last two pieces, the suitably-titled "Dancing and Jabbing" and "Horda," both of which offer the characteristic rhythmic suppleness of Coleman's classic work, wherein the music can captivate both the mind and the body in equal measure.

It may not quite reach the level of Coleman's finest music, and some listeners may have a hard time getting past the limited percussion—but any Coleman release is well worth careful attention and patient engagement, and this one's no exception.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Friday, June 2, 2017

Monty Alexander: Harlem-Kingston Express Live!

Many jazz musicians have mined the music of other cultures and countries for new ideas. Many of the most successful combinations have come from importing the music of warmer climates—Afro-Cuban and bossa nova to name but two.



Monty Alexander has always done the reverse: a native of Jamaica who played straight-ahead jazz in the States for decades, he has always included some music of his native country in his book. However, for his new group he has gone a step further. The Harlem-Kingston Express (evoking not only the combination of the two cities but also the high-powered excitement the band brings to the stage) is essentially two groups in one: a jazz group and a reggae group, with Alexander straddling the two on piano. Each plays more or less purely in their own genre, but with Alexander the common thread that holds them together. Alexander begins playing a tune with one band, switching to the other group mid-song. Or he might play with one or the other exclusively, or he might play with everyone at the same time. The end result is a set of deeply groovy tunes that work so well together that it would be pointless to determine out what's jazz and what's reggae. This live album, recorded in 2010 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at the Lincoln Center (and a few other numbers from past performances overseas), captures the group's excitement.

The end result is also supremely joyful music (as could be expected given the sources) and an absolute joy to the ear. Alexander can swing Oscar Peterson-style on "Sweet Georgia Brown" with the jazz combo then seamlessly switching to the deep reggae grooves of "Freddie Freeloader (Riddim)" making it seem like little more than a tempo change or a bridge. The straight-ahead jazz numbers swing like mad, and the reggae group has the deeply rhythmic groove of percussion and bass that the music requires—no disappointment on either front. There is a wealth of interesting compositions courtesy of the pianist as well, from "Strawberry Hill" to "Eleuthera," beautiful haunting melodies that he works through with both groups. Alexander, ever the entertainer, finishes off the concert with "Day-O," complete with crowd participation and a melodica solo.

Reggae has been such a popular music for so long it's surprising that more jazz musicians haven't recognized its potential as a vehicle for improvisation. It's certainly possible to swing almost any song—Alexander ends the album with a version of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" done with his jazz group—but it's difficult to merge two genres while keeping the best parts and still remaining faithful. The Harlem-Kingston Express does just that, and Alexander it to be credited with creating a terrific fusion of genres.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Kevin Eubanks : East West Timeline

You could call this a ‘Tale of Two Cities,’ but also a ‘Tale of Two Bands’ and a ‘Tale of Originals Vs. Covers.’ Jazz guitar extraordinaire Kevin Eubanks decided to present the dualities in his musical life for his latest Mack Avenue Records release, East West Time Line (dropping on April 7, 2017). 




Having spent his young adult life in NYC and hanging out in L.A. since then, Eubanks made a record that’s half in the Big Apple and half in the Los Angeles, the first half utilizing the talents of New York-based musicians and the latter played by California guys. And in a final twist, the New York band plays Eubanks originals while the West Coast dates are all about covers and standards.

Starting on the East Coast, the backing band is to say the least, impressive: Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Dave Holland on bass and Jeff “Tain” Watts on drums. “Time Line” swings with a capital “S” and with that all-world rhythm section, how could it not? But Eubanks pushes out the swing into the stratosphere with his rhythmically charged solo that includes gobs of chords and octaves. It’s a tough act to follow but Payton is to the task, putting out the fire with a cool, easygoing and pure-toned trumpet.

“Watercolors” finds Eubanks’ switching to acoustic guitar and a lyrical melody with a soft gait makes this appealing in a different way. Payton’s alternately piercing and emotive trumpet steals the show. “Poet” (video above) is an appropriate name for a tone poem, and Eubanks caresses it with a warm tone and tender, note-bending delivery. Joining Holland and Watts is pianist Orrin Evans but it’s his Rhodes that drops splotches of color on the song. And in a microcosm of the album itself, the song assumes a different character in middle when Eubanks goes from electric to nylon string guitar and Evans leaves his electric piano behind for an acoustic one. The beauty of the melody remains even after it’s recast.

“Carnival” again features Eubanks’ nylon string work, working hand-in-glove with Evans’ piano but the real hero here is Watts, whose dynamic rhythms pushes everything forward with controlled energy (especially during the spot when it’s just him and the soloing Holland). “Something About Nothing” stretches out in modal fashion, and with Evans on Rhodes alongside Eubanks on electric guitar and Payton’s provocative horn, this is a bit in the spirit of Bitches Brew, something about which Holland knows first-hand.

What’s immediately evident from the Left Coast recordings is the Latin influence brought on board by Mino Cinelu’s percussion. Joined by Bill Pierce (sax), Rene Camacho (bass) and Eubanks’ old Berklee mate Marvin “Smitty” Smith, this crew immediately gets to work on making other people’s songs their own. Cinelu’s cha-cha rhythm sets a loose and festive pace for Duke Ellington’s “Take The Coltrane” and the group is content to let that groove become the track’s dominant force. That includes Eubanks, who seems to be having a ball jamming judiciously in the pocket.

Eubanks returns to acoustic guitar for Chick Corea’s “Captain Señor Mouse” but with metal strings time, and his solo on this one is stupendous. The electric solo one he offers on his uncle’s song, Ray Bryant’s “Cubano Chant” is not bad, either. Pierce is given a bright spotlight here and puts in an invigorating turn on soprano sax. His soprano sax also serves as the familiar opening statement on Marvin Gaye’s “What Goin’ On,” a theme Pierce revisits later. But most of this rendition involves a rapid, finder-snapping swing and Eubanks adeptly handling the lyrical part through octaves.

Lastly, “My One And Only Love” is given a treatment that most closely resembles the traditional way it’s treated, that of a tender ballad. Pierce’s tenor sax is luscious and Eubanks’ electric guitar is willowy and full of soul.

For an artist whose career has comfortably crossed — and sometimes blurred — the lines between traditional and contemporary, inside and outside and self-penned music versus interpretations, East West Time Line isn’t some diversion from normalcy. This is who Kevin Eubanks has always been as a musician.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Miles Okazaki's Trickster

Jazz guitarist Miles Okazaki is more than able to lead both his band and the listener into far-off rhythmic and harmonic places, and crucially finds a way to bring everyone back, too. 


As a member of jazz saxophonist Steve Coleman’s bands, guitarist Miles Okazaki has learned a few lessons about teasing. Coleman’s music often skates near the R&B mood, while moving restlessly between frequent changes in rhythm and harmony. At its best, tunes by the MacArthur “Genius Grant” winner cycle through the compositional variety with such equanimity, you hardly realize that his ensemble has avoided giving up the straight-ahead funk. On Trickster, Okazaki’s own music proves nearly as ingenious in its play with morphing grooves. 

Opening track “Kudzu” begins with a fast flourish: a long, knotty line, played with a clean tone by the guitarist. Then, over the rhythm section’s unusual vamp, Okazaki restates some of this opening music, lingering over the material. Pianist Craig Taborn is in the mix, too, offering some mercurial chords. On a first pass, you might wonder: Where are we, exactly? Is this the main theme? The beginning of a strangely chill avant-garde solo? Before you have time to wallow in the uncertainty, Taborn and Okazaki join forces and display the song’s real hook.

During performances like these, it’s clear that this bandleader is interested in the unstable realm of rhythm and melody, the place where it's easy to get lost. Though he won’t leave you lost for long. On the slowly developing “The Calendar,” Okazaki begins in a contemplative mood. By the end of the track, he solos with fevered inspiration, as if all of time is running out. Like Okazaki, drummer Sean Rickman and bassist Anthony Tidd are also graduates of the Coleman school, which means they make these darting, surprising structures sound fully natural. 

Over the hurtling rhythm of “Black Bolt,” one melodic cell travels through different octaves. You know it can’t go on like that forever. This initial lack of a clear destination point creates a suspense that is resolved when the pianist and guitarist begin racing to complete the other’s lines. After a stretch of roaming around in an attractive darkness, you get one clear payoff after another. During the brisk “Caduceus,” the interplay between Tidd, Taborn, and Okazaki results in glorious braids of melody. The execution is obviously complex, the work of virtuosi. But the resulting beauty is easy to appreciate. 

Some performances on Trickster don’t quite manage to replicate that feat. A few of the obsessive phrases on the album stop just short of turning into memorable compositions (as with “Box in a Box”). Fortunately, some of the songs that sound the least like puzzles reveal that Okazaki can craft simpler themes that are just as stirring. “Mischief” is anchored by a strutting beat, one that fans of the Meters should appreciate. The relative stability of the song’s pulse allows Taborn the freedom to uncork one of his lengthy, exciting solos. And the miniature “Borderland” offers the album a lyrical coda. While Okazaki can be plenty entertaining as a master of misdirection, he also has a gift for direct communication.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 


Thursday, March 16, 2017

Yosvany Terry: New Throned King

Yosvany Terry is part of the new wave of young Cuban players who have come to these shores during the last decade and established a solid presence based on their artistry and virtuosity. What has distinguished Terry from his counterparts, however, is that while most of the Cubans are either pianists or drummers, his instruments of choice have been the alto and soprano sax. In the meantime, Terry, who is the scion of one of Cuba's musical first families, Los Terry, has been a mainstay on the New York jazz scene playing with the likes of Eddie Palmieri, Roy Hargrove, Dave Douglas, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. 



While operating in the U.S., Terry has maintained a personal interest in the richly varied musical and religious cultures of his island. Terry was born and raised in the town of Matanzas, a recognized as a repository of traditional African culture and religion. He was raised in the Lucumi (Yoruba) tradition of his family, but recently developed an interest in another more esoteric spiritual/ tradition known as Arara, which came to Cuba with Africans who came from the Dahomey region. As his mother is descended from Haitians who practiced this, Terry made a conscious decision to study Arara rituals and music, eventually becoming initiated into the Arara community in Mantanzas. 

Terry's new recording New Throned King (5Passion Records) is the musical culmination of his spiritual exploration, and one of the most creative recordings of the year. The entire set is comprised of music Terry composed, based on Arara "cantos" and rhythms, which for the most part have never been performed outside of Matanzas. 

To insure the cultural authenticity of this project, Terry recruited top flight Afro-Cuban players and formed a group which he named Ye-De Gbe, which means " with the approval of the spirits" in Fon, the traditional Arara language. In this group are bassist Yunior Terry Cabrera who besides having solid Afro-Cuban cred is Terry's brother, pianist Osmany Paredes, African guitarist Dominck Kanza, drummer Justin Brown, who has been keeping time for Terence Blanchard, and a percussion battery comprised of, perhaps, the best Afro-Cuban drummers in the States, Roman Diaz, Pedro "Pedrito" Martinez, and Terry's homie from Matanzas, Sandy Perez, a member of the family clan which founded the legendary ensembles Los Munequitos and Grupo Afrocuba. 

Terry opens the set with a ceremonial piece titled "Reuniendo La Nacion," (Reuniting The Nation) which begins with a mashup of Haitian and Arara drumming. Terry lays down an angular melody, joined by a haunting piano riff from guest Jason Moran. The title tune, an invocation to Asojano/Babaluaiye, starts off with a chorus by Martinez, Diaz, and Perez laid over a rhythmic piano vamp by Paredes, with a swingin' Shorter-esque solo by Terry. Terry makes things interesting with variations on the instrumentation. On "Laroko," dedicated to Elegua, Terry simply uses chants and clapping, interspersed with a sinuous soprano response. He also shows mad chekere skills to open the traditional ceremonial piece. 

Other cuts of note are "Nase Nadodo," which includes a poem by Ishmael Reed dedicated to the African Amazons women warriors, and "Thunderous Passage," dedicated to Chango, a straight drum/percussion set. Terry eschews his horn and plays the ceremonial Arara drums known as wewe. The recording concludes with "Ile Ire." (House of Joy) which starts with vocals by Martinez and poetic meditations by Diaz, intertwined with hypnotic solos by Terry and Paredes on piano. 

With New Throned King Terry has managed to take what might have been a pedantic scholarly work and created music which is at once powerful and revelatory. His ensemble is more than up to the task. Terry has shown to be a highly creative saxman. Paredes is schooled in both Afro-Cuban and bop/swing idioms, so his solos veritably dance through each composition, while Brown is adept at handling highly complex rhythm patterns. With this project Terry has created music of the highest order, redefined definitions of what constitutes so-called "Latin Jazz," and made arguably one of the best releases this year.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Gonzalo Rubalcaba : the 21st Century Pianoman

If Gonzalo Rubalcaba were a major league pitcher, he would be a seasoned veteran with the knowledge that to be effective he would have to be the master of multiple pitches. Gone are his rookie days when he could throw nothing but fastballs to get outs.



Same for Gonzalo Rubalcaba, jazz pianist. Twenty-five years ago he wowed audiences with his powerful attack and blinding speed. As his sound has matured, he has begun communicating with more subtlety, throwing audiences more off-speed and graceful pitches.

XXI Century is the second release from his own imprint, and like the previous solo outing, Fe...'Faith (5 Passion, 2011), he continues to reveal his expanding repertoire. This double disc plays off Cuban themes, percussive fusion, funk, and introspective improvisation.

Well chosen guests supplement his working trio of bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Marcus Gilmore. Rubalcaba's opening "Nueva Cubana" traverses a percussive attack to etch itself upon the electricity of Gary Galimidi's guitar. The sound is not so much a fusion of rock and Cuban jazz as it is a mutual path. Same with the funk laid down on "Fifty." Lionel Loueke's Afropop guitar bumps into Gilmore's groove, and Rubalcaba's Cuban vibe ties West Africa to North America and the Caribbean.

With the help of percussionist Pedro "Pedrito" Martinez, the groove stays firmly rooted in Cuba. "Son XXI" highlights the pianist's percussive attack, matching the clavé with the keyboard—a dare to sit still.

While the pyrotechnics are present, the pianist also shows another side, covering Lennie Tristano's "Lennie Pennies" as Keith Jarrett might eschewing rhythmic emotion for a mathematical precision. His take on Paul Bley's "Moore" and Bill Evans' "Time Remembered" expose a very thoughtful side, where the pianist opens compositions up to lighter swing.

Rubalcaba has mastered a backdoor strike here, not to keep the listeners off balance but to display his full array of talents.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan. 

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Ameen Saleem : The Groove Lab


Composer Irving Berlin once famously said that "everybody ought to have a Lower East Side in their life." True and, although technically speaking Brooklyn is not part of the octagon that thrives between Houston Street and FRD Drive, the groove, that precious intimate rumble of inspiration, is the one element that connects one area with the other; contemporary music and its multiple historical declinations. While the paradigm differs and keeps on evolving, the end result is invariably of a similar nature, now as it was under the reign of the likes of guitarist Kenny Burrell and trumpeter Lee Morgan. 



Ameen Saleem, surely one of the most promising bass players in the world, knows the simple but elusive rules that make up a groove album, and this debut as a bandleader stands out between the crowded ranks of modern jazz. Innovators, conservatives, revolutionaries—all of them are sometimes connected by the one thing that Saleem boldly cites in the title of his album. You might know the Roy Hargrove Quintet, and if you do, you might have noticed the rhythm section, chances are that you have appreciated the great work done by Saleem at the bass.

While The Groove Lab strives to come up with an original and personal sound, the end result is undoubtedly not too far from those atmospheres. Saleem does not try to overdo or take the listener off the beaten path, but while the overall attitude may appear reassuring, the range of influences a good reviewer should duly list is potentially endless. Funk, jazz and soul certainly constitute the three main points of reference, but the many veins that propagate from these often abused genres, are virtually impossible to keep track of. The fact that he is lucky enough to be able to interact with amazing musicians (pianist Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Gregory Hutchinson and the already mentioned Roy Hargrove on trumpet) surely contributes to the variegated array of elements which, at least apparently, should not find space on the same album. 

Ameen Saleem manages to find the perfect balance between the idea and the usability—to use an artistically horrible but commercially positive term—of his inspiration. This is music that develops in layers: one enjoys the more superficial ones before venturing into the hidden substrates which keep the album together. For this reason, tracks like "For My Baby," with lyrics dangerously close to banality, flow from jazz to funky so naturally that the very nature of the music remains beautifully ambiguous and enjoyable at the same time. 

Flugelhorns, Rhodes and Wurlitzers, tenor saxophones, to name but a few instruments involved, can sometimes pose a threat to coherence, but the rich, colorful texture underlying "Don't Walk Away," "Epiphany" and the beautiful "So Glad" make this debut an interesting and challenging work.

Via Veneto Jazz and Jando Music keep on proposing high quality jazz whose most appreciable virtues lie in the clever administration of novelty and institution, with one goal in mind: accessibility. It is not clear whether or not Irving Berlin would have loved The Groove Lab, but what is certain is that there is a common language that is spoken on this and the other side of the river. Further east, a new star might be rising.

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.