|
 Once
again, your humble reviewer has been “doubled
up” due to falling behind on reviews, this time
with Peter Veteska & Blues Train. I
really enjoyed guitarist/singer Veteska’s two
previous efforts, recorded as Peter V’s Blues
Train, and have been wanting to get to his 2020
release, Grass Ain’t Greener On The Other
Side. Recently, Veteska released So Far
So Good, so we will be looking at both of
these releases in my effort to try and catch up.
Grass Ain’t Greener On The Other Side
includes guest artists Mikey Junior
(vocals/harmonica), Jen Barnes (vocals), Chuck
Hearne (bass), and Roger Girke (guitar), along
with Blues Train (drummer Alex D’Agnese, bassist
Coo Moe Jhee, and special guest keyboardist Jeff
Levine. This release has more of a pure blues
feel than the previous albums I’ve heard,
beginning with the tough original “Am I Wrong
Pretty Baby,” which showcases Mikey Junior’s
harp right off the bat. On a zesty cover of the
Brook Benton/Dinah Washington 1960 hit, “Baby
You’ve Got What It Takes,” Veteska teams up with
Barnes on vocals, while the band gets funky on
the tasty “Running Like A Dog.”
The
band unplugs for the gently-swinging acoustic
toe-tapper, “I’ve Been Missing You,” before
jumping into the greasy shuffle, “You Give Me
Loving.” “Learning The Blues” is an old Sinatra
tune with Veteska’s gritty delivery giving this
one a real “blues” feel, while “Thinking And
Drinking” is a fun, Crescent City-flavored romp.
Guest Roger Girke joins Veteska on vocals and
guitar for Ray Charles’ “Heartbreaker,” before
the band launches into an extended read of
Willie Cobbs’ classic “You Don’t Love Me,” where
the band gets ample room to ply their wares. The
title track is a rock-infused mission statement
of sorts for Veteska, who also provides some
ripping fretwork to close out the disc.
 Veteska’s
follow-up, So Far So Good, finds the
singer/guitarist on the Blue Heart Records
label, with D’Agnese, Coo Moe Jhee, and Levine
still in support, with an expanded cast of guest
stars (Mikey Junior, Jen Barnes, and Roger Girke
all return as well) that includes harp men Gary
Neuwirth and Derek “Slim” Matterson, slide
guitarist Paul “Slideman” Boddy, bassist Rick
Prince, and a horn section on one track. Of the
dozen tracks featured, Veteska wrote or co-wrote
(with Patti Martz) eight of them.
The
albums kicks off with the defiant, funky blues
rocker “Done With Bad Luck,” with Neuwirth
guesting on harp, which leads into the acoustic
slow blues “I’ve Got The Blues This Morning,”
which features Levine on piano and Mikey Junior
on harp, followed by Veteska teaming with Barnes
on “I Miss You So,” a cool find from gospel
legend Rev. Morgan Babb, who wrote the tune for
Lillian Offitt back in the mid/late ’50s. “My
One And Only Muse” is a swinging shuffle, and
James Cotton and Tom Hambridge’s spicy rhumba
“Young Bold Woman” features Veteska sharing the
mic with guest vocalist Chuck Lambert.
The
slinky “Lovin’ Oven” really swings, with Levine
showing out on B3 and guest harp from Matterson,
and Barnes returns to sing with Veteska on the
horn-fueled “You Give Me Nothing But The Blues,”
a hit for Guitar Slim in 1956. These two make
beautiful music together.
“Low
Down Dirty Blues” is exactly that, with Veteska
testifying via his vocals (with help from John
Fernandez) and his guitar on this splendid slow
blues that ends a little too soon. Next up is
“Baby Please,” a dazzling jump blues from piano
master Johnnie Johnson, and “East Coast Blues” a
roadhouse rocker with guest Boddy laying down
some sizzling slide.
The
title track is a soulful number that allows room
for the band to stretch out a bit, and it’s
followed by the closer, “Can’t We All Get
Along,” a plea for peace and harmony with a bit
of a Motown R&B flair.
I
would be hard-pressed to pick between Grass
Ain’t Greener On The Other Side and So
Far So Good, so I will just recommend that
you buy both of them, as well as any of Peter
Veteska’s previous releases with Blue Train.
These two releases in particular will cure what
ails the everyday blues fan.
--- Graham Clarke
 Danny
Brooks and Lil Miss Debi met Tom Easley of
AVA Entertainment a couple of years ago and
talked about making a record. Brooks, known as
the “Texasippi Soul Man,” has recorded
frequently (check out his No Easy Way Out
from 2007 for a taste), and he and Lil Miss Debi
have been working together for about a decade,
having recorded several albums as a duo since
2012. The pair collaborated with Easley at AVA
Entertainment Studios in Raymond, Mississippi
(just south of Jackson) and a crew of musicians
to produce Are You Ready? The Mississippi
Sessions (Hishouse Records).
There’s a whopping 20 songs on the album. Brooks
wrote 19 of the songs, which are a mix of blues,
soul, southern rock, and Americana with a touch
of the swamp thrown in for good measure. The
southern rocker title track opens the disc on a
high note, and is followed by the gritty soul of
“Jesus Had The Blues,” the reggae-flavored
“Jamaica Sun,” and the bluesy ballad “We Do
Whatever It Takes.” “Let Me Know” ventures into
rockabilly territory with exciting results, and
“No Easy Way Out” (from Brooks’ 2007 effort) is
next, a slide-driven tune and one of my favorite
Brooks compositions.
Lil
Miss Debi joins Brooks for a heartfelt read of
“Angel From Montgomery,” the album’s lone cover.
Following that, the upbeat “Coming Home” has a
punchy Memphis vibe, and “One More Mile (to
Mississippi)” has a swampy, hill country feel,
while “Rock N Roll Was The Baby” is a downhome
rocker. The duo goes to church for “Where Will
You Stand,” and retain that soulful feel for the
somber “Hold On To Love,” but the driving blues
rocker “Broken” picks up the mood almost
immediately thereafter.
“Climb That Mountain” and “Put A Little Rock In
Your Soul” would both qualify as Americana
tunes, the former a powerful ballad and the
latter an upbeat countrified stepper. “Without
Love” is a southern soul ballad, while “Me and
Brownie McGhee” tells the story of Brooks’
meeting and playing with the blues legend.The
encouraging “Tell Me About It” and the southern
rock ballad “When I’m Holding You” mix blues and
country. The harrowing closer, “The Battle,”
tells of the battle the devil wages for each of
our souls.
Overall, this is a strong set with a lot of
great music in a variety of styles. Brooks is
well-versed in all of the styles and his rough
and ready vocal style is a keen fit. Ms. Debi’s
vocals complement Brooks’ very well. Brooks also
plays guitar, harmonica, slide, and percussion
while Ms. Debi provides cajon and percussion,
and they are assisted by a first rate band,
including Kentucky Headhunters guitarist Greg
Martin, and guitarist John Fannin.
Are You Ready? The Mississippi Sessions
should satisfy any blues or southern rock fans
with its diverse set of songs.
--- Graham Clarke
 The
French blues-rock band Jessie Lee & The
Alchemists was assembled in 2015 by
singer/guitarist Lee and guitarist Alexis “Mr.
Al” Didier, with Laurent Cokelaere (bass),
Stéphane Minana (drums), and Laurian Daire
(organ). The band has already taken home some
prestigious awards, including five awards at the
2018 International Mississippi Blues Trail
Challenge, as well as winning the France Blues
Challenge, which earned them a spot at the 2020
European Blues Challenge, taking place in 2022.
The
band’s second album, Let It Shine (Dixiefrog
Records) is a powerful set of blues rockers
written by Didier, featuring the band’s robust
guitar attack combined with Lee’s potent vocals
and the rock-solid work of the rhythm section.
The album opens with the Zeppelin-esque
“Another,” setting the bar pretty high for the
rest of the album. Lee’s vocals are front and
center for the soulful ballad “But You Lie.”
Meanwhile, the tasty “You Gotta” is tough and
intense (adding horns to the mix), and “The
Same” is a driving, rhythmic blues rocker.The
title track is a slow soul burner with a bit of
a pop sheen and some sharp guitar work.
“Sometimes” is a thunderous mid-tempo track that
mixes rock and soul deftly, and “One Only Thing”
is another slow blues that percolates slowly and
easily, featuring superb musicianship and
vocals. “Get Out Of My Head” and “You Took My
Mind Away” both combine rock and soul with a
taste of jazz.The closer, “I Don’t Need To Say,”
is a mostly acoustic ballad that’s quite
different from the rest of the album, but is
still a great fit.
Let It Shine is a well-rounded set of blues,
rock, and soul. Ms. Lee is an excellent vocalist
in a variety of styles and Didier’s guitar work
is as strong and versatile as Lee’s vocals,
while the rest of the band is stellar. Blues and
blues-rock fans are encouraged to check out this
fine release.
--- Graham Clarke
 Most
anyone who listens to the blues is familiar with
Bobby “Blue” Bland, the legendary singer whose
career spanned from the 1950s to the 2010s,
recording dozens of classic sides for Duke, ABC,
and Malaco during that time. Bland passed away
in 2013, but his son, drummer Rodd Bland,
has worked hard to keep his father’s music alive
while drumming for a host of blues musicians in
and around the Memphis area. In 2017, he was
persuaded to put together a tribute to his
father, dubbed The Members Only Band,
during the 2017 I.B.C. This gig was a huge
success and helped lead to three more shows and
the EP, Live On Beale Street: A Tribute to
Bobby “Blue” Bland (Nola Blue Records).
There are six tracks on this EP, clocking in at
25 minutes, and listeners will wish there was
more for sure. Three vocalists handle the
well-chosen selections from Bland’s repertoire
that span his lengthy career. Keyboardist Chris
Stephenson ably tackles the soulful “Up And Down
World” (from Bland’s 1973 His California
Album) and the funky “Sittin’ On A Poor
Man’s Throne” (from 1977’s Reflections In
Blue), while Ashton Riker turns in a smooth
version of “St. James Infirmary” (from Bland’s
1961 classic Two Steps From The Blues,
required listening for every self-respecting
blues fans).
Jerome Chism takes vocals for the last three
tracks, “I Wouldn’t Treat A Dog (The Way You
Treated Me)” (from 1974’s Dreamer), “Soon
As The Weather Breaks” (from 1979’s I Feel
Good, I Feel Fine), and the closer, “Get
Your Money Where You Spend Your Time” (from
1987’s Malaco release Blues You Can Use).
Each vocalist brings a little something
different to the mix. Stephenson has a nice
Bland-like quality to his vocals that gave me a
few goosebumps, Riker’s approach is smoother and
was a great fit to his song, and Chism is great
in a variety of settings on his three tunes.
The
band (Bland – drums, Jackie Clark – bass, Harold
Smith – guitar, Stephenson – keyboards, Marc
Franklin and Scott Thompson – trumpets, Kirk
Smothers – trombone) is spectacular from start
to finish, providing stellar support to the
vocalist, but also taking ample space to put
their skills on display.
If
you are a fan of Bobby “Blue” Bland, and, of
course, you are, you will absolutely love this
set. Hats off to Rodd Bland for doing his part
to keep his father’s music alive and vibrant.
--- Graham Clarke
 Big
Harp George Bisharat has made quite an
impression in just a few years. The former San
Francisco public defender turned professor of
law has released four high-quality blues albums
since his 2014 debut (Chromaticism), the
most recent being Living In The City
(Blues Mountain). This 13-song set features all
original tunes and venture a bit from the
traditional blues sounds, incorporating a
Paraguayan harp, violin, iiqae, and qanun on
selected tracks. Not to worry, because there’s
still plenty of George’s robust chromatic harp,
and support from familiar faces Kid Andersen
(bass), June Core (drums), D’Mar (percussion),
and guitar from Little Charlie Baty in what
would be his last recordings (the album is
dedicated to him).
George’s lyrics are quite different from
standard blues fare, touching on familiar and
topical themes, occasionally mixing in humor,
but always insightful in their content. The
clever opener, “Build Myself An App,” find him
attempting to improve his digital sales,
“Copayment” looks at rising health care costs,
“Pusher In A White Coats” puts the spotlight on
the rising impact of opioids on the American
public, “Enrique” looks at immigration, while
“Meet Me at the Fence” focuses on the issues at
the Gaza Strip. The bouncy shuffle “Smoking
Tires” is about a petite, but potent young lady,
and the jazzy title track features Baty on
guitar and some fine harp from George.
“Heading Out to Itaipu” was inspired by a
Brazilian working class beach and is a highlight
with its samba rhythm and instrumentation. Baty
also plays on this track, as well as on the
zesty shuffle “Try Nice?” and the wonderful
swinging instrumental “Bayside Bounce,” which
would have been a snug fit in the Count Basie
repertoire.
“Don’t Talk” and “Chew Before You Swallow” both
offer good advice with a wink and a nod, and
“First Class Muck Up” pays tribute to George’s
old friends who seem to leave destruction in
their wake.
Big
Harp George has the total package for success in
the blues idiom --- supreme skills on the
chromatic harp, strong, pliable vocals, and a
real knack for catchy, but thought-provoking
lyrics. The excellent band in support is just
icing on the cake, making Living In The City
another fine addition to an already-impressive
catalog.
--- Graham Clarke
 Altered
Five Blues Band recently issued their sixth
album, Holler If You Hear Me (Blind Pig
Records), teaming up once again with three-time
Grammy-winning producer Tom Hambridge. The
Milwaukee-based quintet is still powered by Jeff
Taylor’s robust lead vocals and Jeff Schroedl’s
first-rate guitar work and songwriting, and
anchored by their rock-solid rhythm section
(Mark Solveson – bass, Raymond Tevich – keys,
Alan Arber – drums), adding harmonica ace Jason
Ricci for five of the albums 13 tracks.
Ricci features prominently on the rousing title
track, kicking off the disc in fine fashion.
“Guilty Of A Good Time” is a clever take on a
good time with a sweaty, swampy vibe, and “If
You Go Away (She Might Come Back)” is a frenetic
shuffle highlighted by Ricci’s torrid harp and
Schroedl’s scorching fretwork. Meanwhile, the
slow blues “Holding On With One Hand” gives
Taylor and Schroedl ample space to ply their
wares. On the driving blues rocker, “Full Moon,
Half Crazy,” the band really cooks with Tevich
playing B3 and clavinet on this track, while
“Where’s My Money” has a swinging, old-school
Windy City vibe.
The
amusing “All Suit, No Soul” is a funky
cautionary tale regarding posers in the “all
hat, no cowboy” vein, and “I Got All I Need” is
a greasy, mid-tempo song where Taylor lets us
know that he’s doing just fine and the band
really locks in behind him. Schroedl’s muscular
guitar work gives a nod to Albert King on “Clear
Conscience, Bad Memory,” and “In The Name Of No
Good” has a funky swagger.
On
the ballad “Leave Before I Let You Down,” Taylor
struggles to convince his lover that he’s no
good for her, despite wishing otherwise, and on
“Fifteen Minutes Of Blame,” Schroedl and Tavlin
really stand out on guitar and clavinet
respectively. Holler If You Need Me wraps
up with “Big Shout Out,” a tribute to “everybody
who built the blues,” as Taylor name checks a
list of blues legends, covering most of the
bases in three short minutes.
Altered Five Blues Band’s previous release,
Ten Thousand Watts, hit the top of the blues
charts in 2019 and earned the band a win in the
blues category of the 2019 International
Songwriting Competition. It’s safe to say that
Holler If You Hear Me will earn the band
a few more accolades and award this year.
--- Graham Clarke
 In
2019, the Belgian band The Blue Chevys
celebrated their 30th anniversary. Formed by
Frederic and Philippe Martello (lead guitar and
percussion, respectively) and vocalist/harp
master Kris Bries, the band started out playing
vintage rock n’ roll and rockabilly, later
mixing in Texas blues shuffles and jump blues
along with R&B. Now expanded to a seven-piece
band with Jean-Luc Cremens (bass), Sven Smekens
(rhythm guitar), Kim Vandeweyer (trumpet), and
Koen Desloovere (sax), the band plans to release
their sixth album, The Night Calls, on
Naked Records in March of 2022. They recently
dropped the first single, “Willow Tree,” in
anticipation of the album. It’s a moody blues
with an after-hours feel, with Philippe
Martello’s shimmering lead guitar punctuating
Bries’ tough vocals. The band really locks into
the groove and the song breezes to its
conclusion much too soon, but don’t worry……
“REPLAY” is always an option and you’ll
definitely be doing that.
--- Graham Clarke
 "Brown
Sugar” is certainly one of the most memorable
songs in the Rolling Stones’ musical catalog,
becoming a Top 20 hit for the band in 1971 and
making the album Sticky Fingers one of
the biggest smashes of the band’s career. In
recent months, the song has become a source of
controversy due to references to the African
slave trade and physical and sexual assault,
which seemingly didn’t raise much of a fuss in
the song’s first 50 years of existence (Tina
Turner performed the song with the band numerous
times over the years). The Stones have since
backed away from the song, not performing it on
their recent tour.
However, the positively fearless retro-soul
singer Bette Smith, with able assistance
from monster guitarist Kirk Fletcher recently
released the song as a single, and a fiery hot
one at that. Smith and Fletcher turn the song on
its ear, modifying some of the lyrics and
transforming the song into a rallying cry for
women empowerment. Smith understood that the
Stones were originally focusing ironically on
the absurdity and evilness of slavery with the
song (as the Stones themselves explained), which
led her to go ahead and tackle the song herself.
Smith makes the song her own with her powerful,
assured delivery and Fletcher simply blazes away
on guitar. Give this one a spin for sure.
--- Graham Clarke
 Here's
a sleeper for those of you really into soulful
blues. Angela Easley is a Mississippi
native now based in Nashville, and has earned
awards for her songwriting chops. She also can
sing and play the piano, as heard on her new
self-released EP, Rise.
The
album starts out very strong with "I Can't Let
Go," thanks in part to the background vocals of
noted Nashville vocal group The McCrary Sisters.
This one's got heavy gospel overtones and allows
Easley to show off the impressive power and
range in her voice. She gets more bluesy on the
up-tempo "Runnin' Out Of Time," with a strong
saxophone solo at the start of this rambunctious
number. Columbia Records artist Shelly Fairchild
joins on vocals on the title track, with more
soulful horn sound behind the pair of singers
and strong guitar work from Randall Scott
Peterson.
"Don't Let The Devil Down" is a soul/blues
rocker with more grit in Easley's voice and a
hot sax solo from Mathew Gros. The tempo slows
on a slow, soulful number, "One More Last Time,"
with Easley's piano work and Gros' mournful sax
leading into a chance for the star of the show
to demonstrate the impressive range of her
powerful voice. Closing the album is the
country-sounding "Crazy Rain," on which Easley
shows the versatility in her vocals as she soars
over the sound of the slide guitar and then
holds a high note for a very long time.
Angela Easley is a likely a new name in the
music business for many of us, and certainly one
to keep an eye on in the future. For now,
Rise is a nice introduction to this very
intriguing performer.
--- Bill Mitchell
 I
realize that John Mayall, one of the
early blues/rock legend has been around
seemingly forever, but I was still surprised to
find out that he's already 88 years old. He's
outlived most of his counterparts from the early
days of the British invasion, and it's great
that Mayall is still recording quality stuff.
His latest, The Sun Is Shining Down, is a
high-quality album of blues, with many special
guests joining in. Despite his age, Mayall's
voice still works quite well although it
sometimes struggles with the slower numbers. But
that very minor nit is no reason not to consider
this album as potentially one of the best of the
new year.
While there are some very interesting special
guests appearing on about half of the cuts, this
really is Mayall's show from start to finish, as
the veteran shows, he still has his skills on
both harmonica and keyboards. The guest
instrumentalists instead serve as icing on the
cake, and in addition he's got Carolyn
Wonderland playing guitar throughout the
session.
For
my money, the best two cuts feature Chicago
blues cat Melvin Taylor on guitar. The opening
number, "Hungry and Ready," is an up-tempo blues
shuffle that also showcases Mayall on blues
harp, while the version of iconic blues standard
"Driving Wheel" gives Taylor chance to shine.
Mayall's vocals are extra-strong on this latter
tune. Mike Campbell is the guest guitarist on
the Bernard Allison original, "Chill and
Thrills," with plenty of funky guitar effects.
"One
Special Lady" is an up-tempo blues shuffle with
strong organ accompaniment, nice guitar from
Wonderland when she's trading licks with Jake
Shimakbukuro on electric ukele. This one smokes!
Wonderland also takes the lead on the closing
number, "The Sun Is Shining Down," a slow blues
that gives plenty of space for her exemplary
guitar work. One other big name on the album is
that of southern rock guitarist Marcus King, who
shares the spotlight with a solid horn section
on the funky soulful number "Can't Take No
More."
The Sun Is Shining is just another gem in
Mayall's exhaustive discography. Let's hope he
keeps recording as long as he can. The man is a
legend and he's earned our rapt adoration.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Love
One Another (VizzTone) is the latest from
New Orleans stalwarts Big Al & The
Heavyweights, with a couple of special
guests joining at times. It's Louisiana blues
with a little bit of country mixed in, featuring
the quartet of Al Lauro (bandleader/drums),
Wayne Lohr (piano), Marcel Anton (guitar), and
Mark Parsons (bass).
Noted guitarist Luther Dickinson, best known for
his work with the North Mississippi All-Stars,
joins the band on slide guitar on the opening
cut (and the single), "Love One Another," a
rollicking up-tempo shuffle that promotes unity.
Harmonica ace Jason Ricci also makes one of his
two guest appearances on this song. Ricci also
joins the band on the mid-tempo shuffle, "What
Can I Say."
My
favorite cut on the disc is a very good Mardi
Gras stomper, "Wild Tchoupitoulas," an up-tempo
number on which the rawer vocal style works
well. Gina Forsyth plays very fine fiddle on "Zydeco
Love," with an intro that sounds a lot like the
Louisiana classic "I Got Loaded" before breaking
into a full-fledged Zydeco dance number.
My
issue with this album is that the vocals on the
remaining 10 numbers range from adequate to not
very good. This band needs a better singer to
carry a full album. Your results may vary, but I
prefer strong vocals to go along with the
arrangements and instrumentation.
--- Bill Mitchell
Ten jazz downloads of 2021 we liked:
 Steven
Feifke - Kinetic (Outside in Music)
Feifke a young pianist and knows how to layer
thoughts into the different sections of a big
band to work in today’s complex truths.
Lee Heerspink - Monsters’ Impromptu (leeheerspink)
A funny name but a great guitarist. Clean,
single-note solos ride on top of an organ combo.
David Larsen - Deviate From The Standards
(DLP)
We get two for one from this baritone
saxophonist in almost a year’s time, as his
previous release was a tribute to baritone sax
legend Gerry Mulligan.
Charnett Moffett - New Love (Motema)
Not the deepest contemporary album lately, but
since Moffett features the electric bass (as
he’s known for his stand-up), and Irwin Hall’s
tenor sax sounds like Charles Lloyd, we can only
surmise their influences.
Dave Mullen Ensemble - Solace (Mullsoul
Music)
We don’t quite know…Is this ultra-hyperactive,
or is it smokin’ happening? The cover shows the
leader playing two saxophones at once, but we
only seem to hear that on one track.
Jackson Potter - Restless (Wise Cat)
This is a very young man, looking barely out of
his ‘teens. But his maturity and originality
almost match today’s higher-rated jazz
guitarists like Peter Bernstein and Kurt
Rosenwinkle.
Adam Scone- Woe And Slow (Cellar)
This guy must be channeling Jack McDuff, a
pioneer jazz organist. The best players, like
this newcomer, play organ bass heavy, grooving,
in-the-pocket hydraulic which shakes our insides
more effectively than any other low end.
Slide Attack - Road Trip
Who plays two trombones in unison these days?
Howard Levy and Alan Goidel, that’s who. This is
a refreshing and delightful set of music, retro
in attitude but a new take on an old idea.
Dara Tucker - "You Haven’t Done Nothin'"
from Dreams Of Waking: Music For A Better
World (Green Hill Music)
’21-Not “Daria,” this lady sings with conviction
in what might be a contra-alto range voice,
on-pitch and soulful, performing original
material.
Sarah Wilson - Kaleidiscope (Brass
Tonic Records)
Here is a trumpeter/vocalist from the Bay Area,
whose music is self proclaimed “avant pop,
Afro-Latin grooves and indie rock.” It makes for
happening music.
1987
recording never before released until 2021:
Oscar Peterson Quartet feat. Joe Pass -
Live In Helsinki (Two Lions/Mack Avenue
Records)
The leader and guitarist are both on fire, the
piano in great shape and the recording quality
most excellent.
Ten jazz CDs of 2021 we liked:
 Daggerboard
- Last Days Of Studio A (Wide Hive)
The album title does not refer to a lament,
rather many innovators like Kamasi Washington’s
side musicians have assembled all original
material, recorded at Fantasy Studios right
before they closed in 2018.
Echo Park Project - It’s My Turn
(theechoparkproject.com_
A medium-sized Latin jazz and salsa group is
charged by young players, utilizing traditional
Afro Cuban rhythms to keep any party fresh.
John Hasselback III - Entrance (Hasselcastle)
Here is a devoted trumpeter who composed an
entire album’s worth of new music on a grant as
the COVID age approached. It is standard jazz
instrumentation, but supercharged and includes
NY trombonist Steve Davis.
Willie Jones III - Fallen Heroes
(WJ3)
This drummer carries on a family tradition (II
drummed for Count Basie), and each track is
either for someone recently departed, or
socially conscious of a current plague in
society. The playing is hot and has an edge.
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown - Open World (la.reserve)
A global big band is laden with celebrity guest
soloists. It drives pretty nicely, but also has
its weak points. If you’re gonna do a big band
effort don’t hold back!
Larry McDonough Quartet - Kind Of Bill On
The Palace Grounds (LM Jazz)
Not every jazz pianist can replicate, or wants
to play, in the Bill Evans style. McDonough
however has earned this privilege, having known
Evans, as well as being endorsed by his widow.
Edward Simon - Solo Live (Ridgeway)
There are a handful of piano tracks on this
full-length CD, done just as the title implies.
All but one are covers, Monk is an example. We
like the one original track “Country,” because
of the tempo and energy, not easy by oneself.
Dave Stryker - Baker’s Circle (Strikezone)
This may be our favorite album of the year,
Stryker is simply one of the best jazz
guitarists out there today, though somewhat
underground. He favors the organ combo format,
and we dig that too.
Bobby Watson - Keepin’ It Real (Smoke
Sessions)
Watson is an alto saxophonist not too piercing
(like Paquito D’ Ravira), and not too coarse
(like Vincent Herring). His almost 50 years in
the business started with the master
drummer/teacher, Art Blakey.
Spike Wilner - Aliens And Wizards
(Cellar-Piano)
Trio albums are in abundance today, and most of
them are good and mean well. Wilner stands out
here because of the sonic quality and obvious
confidence. Feels like Erroll Garner’s or Monk’s
ghost is right there.
—Tom Coulson
https://www.facebook.com/Fhacksaw/
I play what I review on the radio.
 Something
I truly love about this CD, My True North
by Phillip Strange, is the way his pieces
are like conversations. It seems like he is
having a conversation with us. His music is so
interesting and captivating, you can’t help but
tune in and listen to the conversation.
Songs usually tell us a story, using words that
are designed to bring us into this moment in
time. They are stories in structure simply by
the way the lyrics are usually written. Phillip
is talking to us in his music, his musical
phrasing are the lyrics. And the stories? They
are created in our own minds as we listen to his
notes. That’s my take anyway.
"O
Mio Babbino Caro" and "Blue In Green" are the
only two tunes on this CD that are written by
other composers, and Phil puts his own spin on
these, I am sure.
I
find it difficult to come up with a definitive
interpretation of each piece, mainly because
every time I listen to this CD I get new ways to
imagine in my own mind just what this song is
about. Well, perhaps not necessarily what it is
about, but what my mind thinks it is about. You
know the way your mind creates its own images as
you listen to a particular piece? But really,
it’s about how it makes me feel each time I
listen to these tunes. And I find it so easy to
just get caught up into each cut, each time I
sit down to play it. And when I do, I want to
say, “Wait! Don’t bother me just yet, I need to
listen to this entire CD, right now.”
So
what else is it about this CD that I like?
Another thing I like, as I listen to some of
these tunes, I imagine, “How would this song be
interpreted by a dance choreographer, for modern
dance and or for ballet.” I just know they would
come up with some very amazing things. (Beauty
begets beauty ya know.)
Track four is called “Timeless.” In his liner
notes, Phillip writes, “I love the intimate
nuance of ballads. Timeless is a love story; the
melodic narrative unfolds gradually over
prismatic harmonic shifts, returning to the
opening sequence at the end.” --- OK, that’s
what Phil says.
As I
listen to this piece, I go through multiple
personal thoughts and feelings about my life
over the past several years as my wife’s and my
marriage was interrupted by her diagnosis of
breast cancer. And as I listen, it allows me the
gentle time and space to go through those
feelings with much dignity, solace and grace.
And when the end of the piece arrives, I feel
calm and at peace. And I feel some resolve about
the whole calamity of that troubled time for her
and me. It’s like having a real good therapy
session.
NOW,
it is time to move on again.
And
THAT is exactly what this CD does after track
four. Because track five, "Into The Blue," and
track six, "Harmelodica," are not the melancholy
pieces of this CD. In fact, I am here to tell
you, hang on kids, because we are getting ready
to go on an exhilarating, soaring ride. Kind of
like the ”Shinkansen,” or the bullet train that
goes between 150 and 200 mph in Japan where
where Phil and his family now live.
It
actually starts off quite innocent. Then you
start to hear some flourishes of what is about
to come. It just keeps building and building.
And the way the bass inner mingles with Phil's
keys is a thing of beauty and pure joy. His name
is Tetsuro Aratama.
And
then it comes.
At
about 4 minutes and 15 seconds, this drummer,
this Yohei Saito, kicks it into a gear that my
ears have never heard before. And it is a
masterful solo that makes one wonder, “just how
many arms does this man have?” Then, somehow, he
calms down enough and Phil comes sliding back
in. Then they work us into another piano, bass
and drum frenzy to a point where you wonder, how
much more can they do with this piece? Then they
manage to resolve this joy ride to a very
satisfying conclusion, and you just want to hit
the pause button and rest a while. It is so
exhilarating and so well coordinated, this
flurry of percussion, back at 4 minutes & 15
seconds, that it makes me want to JUMP UP and
CHEER! (And I’m a blues guy)
I
also really admire the way the tracks have been
arranged on this CD. There was a lot of thought
put into how these would be put into what order.
It
is a very concentrated effort and very pleasing
for the listener to sit back and share the ride.
Whether it be like on a bicycle cruising through
a small country village, like in Absinthe,
Oregon, the feeling of riding across country
from town to town on the “Shinkansen” (bullet
train.)
This
CD is a must have for your 2022 collection.
Heck, I bought two on my first go, because I
knew I was going to want to share one of them.
--- Ken Baker
|
