http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Thu, 24 Feb 2005 20:54:19 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/02/24/205419.php jsOn Joshua Redman's 2000 release, Beyond (Warner Brothers), you can already hear the funk and rock inspiration that characterizes his current funk-jazz project, the Elastic Band. However, this band is completely acoustic (Aaron Goldberg on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums), while with Elastic, Redman employs Sam Yahel on organ and keyboards and Brian Blade on drums.On "Belonging (Lopsided Lullaby)," the time signature is practically undescernable. (Is it in 7? Is it in 13?). Redman and Goldberg trade choruses, playing with ease as if it's in 4. Hutchinson thrashes the drums, propelling the music forward. On "Leap of Faith," Redman and band are joined by tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, who is often said to be influenced by Redman. (I bet the influence moves both ways.) The song starts with Redman and Turner performing a subdued duet, before the rhythm section joins in to play a melody that sounds similiar to "Still Pushin' That Rock" from Redman's electric Elastic. According to his website, Redman has his next CD coming some time this spring from Nonesuch Records. Music25972@blogcritics.org Thu, 24 Feb 2005 20:54:19 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/02/20/180940.php jsThe following review was first posted on jazz unDone.As is the case at other major record labels, Verve's jazz roster is falling apart. Most of their recent releases are by smooth jazz musicians (David Sanborn) or mega-selling singers (Jamie Cullum), and then there are the never-ending reissues. However, on March 1, in a welcome exception to this trend, Verve will issue a new CD by a deserving player: guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel's Deep Song. I was lucky enough to recieve an advance copy.Much of Deep Song focuses on intricate arrangements, rather than the usual head-solo-head format. On songs like "The Cloister" and "The Cross," Rosenwinkel and band (saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Larry Genadier, and drummers Jeff Ballard and Ali Jackson, trading turns) refrain from soloing. Instead, Rosenwinkel and Redman play winding, trance-like melodies over the rhythm section's quiet, intricate vamps. In this way, Deep Song is out of the Miles Davis "Nefertiti" tradition.A lot of thought went into making this unique recording. Rosenwinkel overdubbed his own voice, so that he sings along with the melodies and his solos. This lends a meditative feeling to the music.Occasionally, the band steps out to play in a more swinging style. On "Cake," A Rosenwinkel tune based on George Gershwin's "Let 'Em Eat Cake," the rhythm section masterfully changes the feeling under the soloists: from waltz, to march, to the pulse of a mid-1960's Wayne Shorter band.Among Verve's new releases, Rosenwinkle's Deep Song is an anomaly in that it is actually interesting. Lets hope Verve keeps him on its roster. Music25757@blogcritics.org Sun, 20 Feb 2005 18:09:40 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/02/12/181710.php jsSlowly, as many of the great jazz drummers have passed on, a new group of percussionists has risen to the top ranks of the music. As part of this process, Jeff "Tain" Watts, 44, has become the most revered drummer in jazz. A virtuoso capable of creating a storm on the bandstand, he has played with everyone from piano legend McCoy Tyner to master saxophonists Michael Brecker and Branford Marsalis. By far, Marsalis is his most important collaborator. For 15 years, Watts has been the drummer in Marsalis's quartet. The two are so close that they have their own slang, their own lingo off the bandstand. (The two joke about it on Coltrane's A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam [Marsalis Music]). On the bandstand, they are even closer. They know one another's moves. In fact, their musical in-synchness can be compared to that of John Coltrane and Elvin Jones, the greatest tenor saxophone-drum combination of the 1960s.Recently, Watts has begun to establish a separate identity on his own CDs; his music tends to have more pop influence than Marsalis's. 2004's Detained (Half Note) marks his fourth solo outing. It also marks the drummer's first live recording. As with many live recordings, Detained allows Watts to break loose from the tightly produced atmosphere of his past discs and explore a looser, more fun style. While his first three CDs, especially 2002's Bar Talk (Sony), were uneven (sometimes they get a bit too smooth), Detained is hard-driving bliss.Detained starts with "107 Steps," a Wayne Shorter-esque melody played by saxophonist Marcus Strickland over a repeating, eight-note ostinato set down by bassist Eric Revis (who is also a member of Marsalis' quartet). It is a Watts original, just like the three other songs on the CD, and it is electrifying. Other drummers have excelled as composers: Max Roach, Tony Williams, and Elvin Jones come to mind. But Watts's songs are especially catchy and instantly singable.Saxophonist Strickland, guitarist David Gilmour, and pianist Dave Kikoski all take modal solos on "107 Steps." Kikoski has been one of my favorites since I heard him on drummer Roy Haynes's tribute album to Charlie Parker, Birds of a Feather (Sunnyside). Gilmour has inherited Wes Montgomery's style of playing horn-like lines on the guitar. And Strickland, who only recently graduated from the Manhattan School of Music and is already playing with many of the greats, performs with the intensity of Coltrane, the ultimate saxophone saint.Kenny Garrett, who is my saint among today's saxophonists, joins the band for "Mr. JJ," "Sigmund Groid," and "...Like the Rose." The saxophonist, who is often hailed as a new Coltrane on the alto, plays with his usual fire. However, he is much more than a Coltrane replica, bringing his own singular mix of gospel, funk, and rhythm and blues influences to his improvisations. On "Sigmund Groid," he propels the band forward until it reaches a breath-taking climax. The music, recorded at New York's Blue Note club in Greenwich Village, has a spontaneity and power that's akin to gospel music. And Watts has a sense of humor: His composition JC Is the Man, according to the liner notes, was written for a bartender, not Coltrane or the Christian savior. On the live recording, Tain takes the song, which was left on Bar Talk as a brief and unexplored riff, and stretches it out to an 11-minute study.Strickland takes the first solo. He starts off cool and detatched and slowly builds until he is screaming at the top of his horn. Then comes Watts. He thrashes the set while keeping a steady groove. Behind his solo, the band plays a descending set of half notes and Watts builds off this.For the final number, Watts and company play an original ballad titled "..Like the Rose." It starts with an elegant piano solo by Kikoski. He is soon joined by Watts, who now tries his hand at... singing? He is untrained and it shows. Yet his singing is more soulful than that of many slicker vocalists. Watts makes you listen to the lyrics, about a failed love affair. It's raw - Watts has far less prowess with his voice than his drums -- but it's a great performance."Rose" has one more surprise. After Watts finishes singing, the band breaks into a reggae beat., and then a straight funk beat. And then, all of a sudden Garrett is taking a solo so unbelievably impassioned, he has me screaming profanities. Thank God for Kenny Garrett.Detained perfectly captures the deep feelings conveyed by Watts in performance. The songs form an arc of intensity: They put you through almost every emotion that can be communicated through song. This is Watts's most complete and satisfying recording to date. It leaves you wanting more. Music25431@blogcritics.org Sat, 12 Feb 2005 18:17:10 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/12/07/025136.php jsI've been looking at Jazzmatazz's list of upcoming CD releases. Here are the 2005 albums that look the most promising, with their release dates:Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - A Love Supreme (Palmetto): Jan. 11th. Strange that Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" hadn't been re-recorded by anyone for 40 years -- until November when a new version was released by Branford Marsalis and his quartet. Now, another is on its way from Wynton and his big band. Is there a little brotherly rivalry going on? I'm curious to see whether a piece originally performed so freely can be effectively played by a big band that thrives on structure.Stefano Di Battista - Parker's Mood (Blue Note): Jan. 25th. I actually have this already. It is a tribute to Charlie Parker, on which Di Battista plays with conviction and an obvious love for Bird's music. Add to that an all-star rhythm section with Kenny Barron and you can't go wrong.Dave Douglas & Nomad - Mountain Passages (Koch): Jan 25th. I'm unsure who is in the band, but Douglas's playing is explosive and incorporates jazz, classical, and pop. On his last record, he was able to break loose and create new music by playing in a style akin to 70's Miles Davis.Albums with Unanounced Release Dates Miguel Zenon (Marsalis Music): Spring. Recently, Zenon has been taking the jazz world by storm. I saw him with the SFJazz Collective playing the music of Ornette Coleman. Despite his first CD on Marsalis Music, Ceremonial, being straight-ahead, he was able to attack Coleman's music with emotion and familiarity.Jacky Terrasson - Solo (Blue Note): I've been hooked on Terrason since I saw him co-lead a band with Stefon Harris a few years ago.Dave Holland Big Band (Dare 2): The bassist's last big band album, What Goes Around, was incredibly swinging; his band members are all great performers in there own right (Chris Potter, Gary Smulyan, and Steve Nelson, oh my!). It will be exciting to see what Holland does with his first album on Dare 2, his new label.Joe Lovano/Paul Motian/Bill Frisell (ECM): I'm not crazy about Frisell, but I just can't resist Joe Lovano's warm tone and his free-moving improvisational style.Brian Blade (Marsalis Music): I've been waiting for Blade to record his Marsalis Music debut for a while now. I've seen everybody's favorite drummer with Wayne Shorter, the SFJazz Collective, Bill Frisell and lots of others. It's about time he takes center stage again -- Blue Note, stupidly, dropped him a couple years ago.Sonny Rollins (Milestone): That's right, SONNY ROLLINS. The greatest saxophonist alive and perhaps the greatest one ever. It's too bad he doesn't play more of the straight-ahead music he perfected in the '50s and '60s. And it's too bad he doesn't play with a better band. But still, it's amazing the things he can do with a calypso. Music22998@blogcritics.org Tue, 7 Dec 2004 02:51:36 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/12/06/214152.php jsWell, there's a new Downbeat Reader's Poll out and McCoy Tyner has finally been inducted into the Hall of Fame. If I hadn't been too lazy, here's how I would have cast my votes: Hall of Fame: McCoy Tyner. The one, the only. Jazz Artist of the Year: Joe Lovano. He has participated in so many good recordings this year. You can't help but love his quirky, but fiery playing. Jazz Album of the Year: Joel Frahm's Don't Explain. (My review of it is HERE.) Acoustic Group: Dave Holland Quintet. Everyone in this group is great and together they're even better. The group has really developed its own sound - partly because of the unorthodox instrumentation (vibes, tenor, trombone, bass, drums) and partly because the arrangements are so unique that the musicians are forced to find new ways of expressing themselves. Jazz Reissue: You know, I don't really care. I guess I'd go with Monk In Paris: Live At The Olympia, but I don't spend a whole lot of time listening to reissues. Record Label: Marsalis Music. This label is just getting started, yet it has already produced a big percentage of my favorite recent CDs. Oh my god, I'm still trying to get over how good Branford's Footsteps of Our Fathers is. Electric Group: Roy Hargrove's RH Factor. This music is funky as hell. I haven't gotten the new CD yet (part re-mix, part new material), but am looking forward to it. Soprano Saxophone: Dave Liebman. This guy is a monster. His playing is passionate and original. He's also one of the funniest people I've ever met. Alto Saxophone: Kenny Garrett. Part Coltrane, part gospel singer, part... himself. He is unlike any other musician around today. Like I said before, Kenny Garrett is my god. Tenor Saxophone: I'm going to give it to Branford Marsalis. His playing reflects the immense knowledge he has of jazz history. Seeing him live is inspiring. I don't know how he manages to keep up his playing when he also runs a record label and a steady band. Baritone Saxophone: Hamiet Bluiett. He is one of the most creative musicians I've ever seen. Bluiett never repeats himself and his charismatic personality on the horn is captivating. Clarinet: Don Byron. The only jazz clarinetist I listen to and look forward to hearing. Seeing him play at the Monterey Jazz Festival two summers ago was mind-blowing, like experiencing nirvana. Read his "Blindfold Test" at the back of the new (December 2004) Downbeat. Do it. Flute: No idea. Trumpet: Roy Hargrove. His warm, brassy sound and imaginitive... I really need to get Roy Haynes's Birds of a Feather CD. Trombone: I will abstain from voting on this. Acoustic Piano: Uri Cane. Electric Keyboard/Synthesizer: I don't know. Organ: Sam Yahel. I don't like Bill Frisell but I sure do dig Sam Yahel. Guitar: Anybody, Pat Martino, Jim Hall, Peter Bernstein. Just NOT Bill Frisell. Acoustic Bass: Dave Holland. Electric Bass: Christian McBride. Drums: Elvin Jones. He lives. Percussion: Kahil El Zabar. Vibraphone: Stefon Harris. (Kindred, anybody? Anybody, Kindred?) Miscellaneous Instrument: David Murray, bass clarinet. What exactly is a miscellaneous instrument? Aren't all instruments equal in the eyes of god (Kenny Garrett)? Male Vocalist: No idea. Female Vocalist: DENA DEROSE! She is so good, if you don't have any of her records go out an buy them. She's an equally talented pianist. Vocal Group: I don't know. Arranger: Dave Holland! YES! His next big band album is coming out early next year on his new label Dare2. Composer: Once again, Dave Holland. Well there you go, folks... my winners. Next year, I will vote, and hopefully they will be THE winners. Music22988@blogcritics.org Mon, 6 Dec 2004 21:41:52 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/12/04/211856.php jsIt's almost 2005, so I've decided to make a list of the shows I'm especially excited about in the coming year:Joshua Redman Elastic Band with Sam Yahel and Brian Blade: Dec. 28th through Jan. 2nd at Yoshi's in Oakland. If it weren't for stupid Warner Brothers, which sat on Redman's latest disc, I'd have it by that time. As it is, the yet untitled record will come out in the spring on Nonesuch.McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Billy Cobham: Jan. 25th through Jan. 30th, again at Yoshi's. This is Week One of Tyner's annual residency at the club.Directions in Music (Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Michael Brecker): February 7th at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz. I saw the band a couple of years ago when they were first touring. I think it was pretty good, but can't totally remember. The record is exciting, although not quite at the level you would expect from three jazz titans. Michael Brecker's solo sax tracks are bruising.Kenny Garrett: March 31st through April 3rd at Yoshi's. There's also a possibility that I will be able to attend a clinic with him around this time in San Francisco.Dave Holland Big Band: April 6th through April 8th at Yoshi's. Maybe the band's new CD will be out by then too.Saxophone Summit (Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker): June 13th at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz. I've seen Liebman and Brecker, but not Lovano. The "Summit" CD is fantastic, the type of in-the-moment music that should be even better live.For reviews of jazz CDs, concerts, and general commentary, visit jazz undone. Music22902@blogcritics.org Sat, 4 Dec 2004 21:18:56 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/12/04/025318.php jsNext Saturday, Bobby Watson will be giving a clinic at a local community college here in Northern California. In anticipation, I've decided to review his new CD, Horizon Reassembled (Palmetto Records), which reunites one of the great ensembles of the late '80s and '90s:Watson's music is as joyful and uplifting as ever. His compositions draw on everything from jazz to hip-hop to soul. Turning on the first track, "Lemoncello," I couldn't help but dance and sing along. In addition to originals by Watson and his bandmates, there is the Jimmy Heath standard "Ginger Bread Boy" (Heath sometimes jokes that the song should now be called "Ginger Bread Man," since his son, who inspired it, is an adult), as well as a beautiful ballad by Watson's wife, Pamela, titled "The Love We Had Yesterday." The CD includes Horizon's version of "The Look of Love," the old Burt Bacharach hit, and a piece by one of Watson's students. The CD's highlights are its compositions; they are that good. Still, Watson plays with soulful elegance, and the reassembled Horizon plays tightly, as if they had never disbanded.A Side Note: I was first turned on to Bobby Watson's compositions when I heard his "Fuller Love" on the Art Blakey album Keystone 3. It is one of the most addictive songs I have ever heard.I'll be going to the clinic next Saturday, and will report back to you about it.For more reviews of jazz CDs, concerts, and books visit jazz unDone. Music22890@blogcritics.org Sat, 4 Dec 2004 02:53:18 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/11/30/235804.php jsOn Monday, November 8th, I witnessed history in the making: Bud Shank and Phil Woods, two of the greatest alto saxophonists alive, shared a bill at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz. Although both men are in their 70s, their playing is still captivating and youthfully energetic. Yet the show was not merely that of an all-star band. Woods' fluid bebop lines and Shank's screaming, often avant-garde playing complimented each other, creating an exciting night of music. Although both Shank and Woods are rooted in the music of Charlie Parker, each has created his own vocabulary. Woods is more virtuosic and blues-oriented. Shank at times resembles Eric Dolphy in his howling tone and loose solo structure. Yet, their disparate vocabularies made for a very interesting conversation. As soon as one finished his solo, the other would respond. The two saxophonists' solos flowed together and seemed like continuous thoughts. A prime example of this came in their rendition of Woods' song, "And It was Nowhere." The song's familiar chord changes - reminiscent of standards and Charlie Parker tunes- allowed for both men to become more expressive. When it came time for the horn players to trade fours with drummer Bill Goodwin, the three musicians began what sounded like a friendly argument, every four bars becoming more furious and technically dazzling. When Woods quoted "Harlem Nocturne," Shank responded with "Donna Lee," and Goodwin with a break so rhythmically enticing he had the entire club shaking and hollering. Another high point was when the band played pianist George Cables' beautiful "Helen's Song," deceptively simple, like a children's song. Starting with a funky ostinato played by bassist Bob Magnusson, the rest of the band soon joined in the soulful melody. Then came the real treat: Magnusson took a slap bass solo, pianist Mike Wofford played a solo that started quiet and slowly built into a storm of notes, and Shank took a solo that resembled Kenny Garrett's playing with its gospel-like enthusiasm. I arrived at the Kuumbwa on Monday night expecting to see two men who were on the threshold of innovation fifty years ago, but was surprised to find two men who are still exploring that ground today.For more reviews of jazz concerts, CDs, and books, visit jazz unDone Music22775@blogcritics.org Tue, 30 Nov 2004 23:58:04 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/11/30/192314.php jsHere are my favorite CDs of the Year. In no particular order:Joel Frahm with Brad Meldau - Don't Explain (Palmetto): I don't usually like Brad Mehldau; he strikes me as overly intellectual and detached, even bland. But lately I've heard two CDs that feature him in a duo, and I've loved both. This is one; the other is by bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz (Like a Dream - Crypto Gramophone). Somehow, Mehldau becomes much freer and melodic in a duo setting. Don't Explain teams him with tenorist Joel Frahm, who possesses an incredibly warm tone and a unique style of improvisation. Friends since childhood, Frahm and Mehldau perfectly compliment each other so that written melody and improvisation are almost indistinguishable. I can't emphasize enough how good this CD is. Every time I listen to it, I feel tingly all over. If only they would tour together; Frahm is a member of Jane Monheit's band. She doesn't deserve him!Joe Lovano - I'm All For You (Blue Note): Lovano is officially on fire, what with his CDs On This Day and now I'm All For You. It is a collection of ballads, save "Countdown" - a welcome selection from the Coltrane songbook. As any jazz musician will tell you, ballads are harder to play than fast tunes. Yet, with the help of veteran pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Paul Motian (what a band!), Lovano shapes every song into a thing of beauty.and now a short departure from saxophonists' CDs (don't worry. there'll be more.)... Jeff "Tain" Watts -Detained (Half Note): Jeff Watts is my favorite drummer today. I've seen him with Branford Marsalis, Michael Brecker (Watts's playing was the only redeeming part of that concert), and with his own group. In the past, his CDs have been uneven, especially 2002's Bar Talk (Sony). Although they've had some magnificent music, they've also had some...less magnificent music. Well, Detained sets the record straight. With guest saxophonist Kenny Garrett (who is my god) on hand, this is hard-driving bliss. And Watts has a sense of humor: His composition "JC Is The Man", according to the liner notes, was written for a bartender, not Coltrane or the Christian savior. The CD's best moment comes on "Sigmund Groid" when Garrett propels the band forward until it is so funky I can hardly stand it. Watts also tries his hand at singing on "...Like The Rose." Although his vocal skills can't be compared to his technique on drums, the performance is strangely beautiful.i promised there would be more saxophonists... Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman - Saxophone Summit: Gathering of Spirits (Telarc Jazz): What's better than one great saxophonist? Two great saxophonists. What's better than two great saxophonists? Three great saxophonists. What's better than three great saxophonists? Three great saxophonists playing music written and inspired by John Coltrane. I knew that Lovano and Liebman were good before I heard this CD. What surprised me was how well Brecker plays. He can hang with these guys, handling way more than the corny shit that's on his own CDs. This isn't a sax battle. There is a good deal of group improvisation and each saxophonist drives the others on to play more and more beautiful thoughts. The band reworks some Coltrane songs in new ways and offers a few very nice original compositions, too, especially Lovano's "Alexander the Great". Damn! Lovano really is on fire.Chris Potter - Lift (Sunnyside): Lift is a breakaway from the more polished, studio CDs that Potter has made. It starts off strong with a mind-blowing saxophone solo improvisation and stays strong. My one problem is with the telephone-like-sound produced by keyboardist Kevin Hays on "7.5." It's really weird; I have no idea what he is thinking. By the end, Potter has played two solo improvisations, both awesome, as well as originals and standards. Oh, I forgot to mention that the CD was recorded live at New York's Village Vanguard, always a plus.I'm going to stop here at a nice even number of CDs - five. Some other great CDs that I am too lazy to review, but which deserve mention, are...Don Byron - Ivey-Divey (Blue Note): A genius. And a member of MENSA; 'nough said.Von Freeman - The Great Divide (Koch): Chicago's great, under-appreciated tenor veteran has put together an instant classic.Branford Marsalis Quartet - Coltrane's A Love Supreme in Amsterdam Live (Marsalis Music): This package includes the band's performance on DVD, along with an audio CD. Both are beautiful. The DVD also features interviews with Alice Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Ned Goold, David Sánchez, Miguel Zenón, and follows Marsalis around for a day.Get these CDs. You won't regret it. Music22758@blogcritics.org Tue, 30 Nov 2004 19:23:14 EST