#jazzcritic

‘Fusion’, ‘world-music’, all those terms usually describe the fanciful ideas that musicians devoid of artistic compass dream up as a way to make up for their lack of rooted purpose. Inventive and lost, they use their technical abilities to create a flimsy figment of shallow music. Not so here. Some of those excellent compositions “Bird’s Eye View” and “Countdown” are really enduring melodies. There is gusto and passion in spirited solos, reflexive but colourful passages. 

Using all the possibilities of various musical traditions from North Africa, Spain and the Middle-East in a sober acoustic setting, this album possesses a rhythmic persistence and understated trance-like quality. Only the beat of “Silence After Blow Up” (and the dreadful remix) is on the heavy side and not as tasteful as the rest. The lead voice tends to be that of the excellent violinist Guillaume Dettmar but the album is powerfully served by the interventions of Jean-Jacques Taïb on clarinet and Jason Marsalis on marimba. Great rhythmic support by Bluteau, Haiouani and Drai who provide a colourful foundation. The clever intro to “Egyptian Dream” uses the intro to “Delilah”—while Jason Marsalis quotes “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” in his solo— thus discreetly weaving jazz into the Eastern fabric of the music. This is not folk’s music but it’s not jazz either. It is a collective take on cultural traditions that have been filtered by a contemporary artistic vision. An enjoyable album that makes the most of its rhythmic zest. ‘Fusion’ but only in the best sense of the term.

Jean Szlamowicz (Spirit of Jazz & Down Beat)

Tracks. Count Down, Sahara, Silence After Blow Up, Parfum d’Orient, Bird’s Eyes View, Aramaïc Prayer, Egyptian Dream, Andalucia, This World is Getting Wrong, Constantinople, Andalucia Remix

Personnel. Guillaume Dettmar (vln), Brahim Haiouani (b), Philippe Draï (perc), Pierre-Henri Bluteau (g), Jean-Jacques Taïb (ts, cl, ss) + Jason Marsalis (marimba, perc), Jean-Pierre Smadja (oud)

Recorded January 2018

We’ve already covered Brian Charette’s outstanding work here but this outing is yet another aspect of his jazz work that deserves to be heard. The encounter with one of the stylistic heavyweights of modern tenor saxophone is a proper discographic event. 

Memphis-born George Coleman has played with Herbie Hancock and Miles, with Ray Charles and B.B. King, which may be impressive to some but is not half the important story: his output as a leader, his original sound and musical world are major components of contemporary jazz. Both a tough tenor and an advanced one, he has been a model and mentor for decades. His more pensive and romantic side is at the forefront here (“On a Misty Night”, “Autumn Leaves”) but the blues remains a fundamental part of his voice, “Father and Son” is a pure churchy delight in that respect. George Coleman Jr. is an elegant drummer (as could be expected from someone who’s been so close to Billy Higgins) who is perfectly at ease in such a session that requires listening chops and good taste.

The colours brought by Juris have long been very distinctive (he’s played with Richie Cole, David Liebman, Lee Konitz) and he delivers some challenging lines here in his usually inventive way.

Charette can play with sophistication or grit—and he usually blends the two. He’s in very good company with Big George who has the same ability and Charette not only acts as a leader but also as a great comper and organiser of the music by providing the adequate ambiance on top of his excellent soloing.

Jean Szlamowicz (Spirit of Jazz & Down Beat)

Tracks. On A Misty Night ; Autumn Leaves ; Tenor Madness ; Maiden Voyage Alligator Boogaloo ; Body And Soul ; Father And Son ; Never Let Me Go Stella By Starlight

Personnel. Brian Charette (org), George Coleman (ts), Vic Juris (g), George Coleman Jr. (dm)

Recorded December 2017

The drummer quite deservedly landed an article in Down Beat in the January 2018 issue. It’s fitting that such a stalwart jazz advocate should be prominently featured—he is giving so much to jazz, through his relentless grooves as well as his knack for producing impeccable albums. His latest offering is a marvel. Crisp and inventive, without any of the conceptual tinsel that the industry expects to market jazz, his latest albums focuses on the essential: the compositional material and the expressive interaction between creative players. In the same spirit as his previous album dedicated to Cedar Walton (Groundwork), this is about making the most of great tunes, including three by the leader. There’s a clever funky reworking of Hancock’s “The Maze”, Buster Williams’s superb ballad “Christina”, his swinging compositions “The Wind of an Immortal Soul”, a deft original by Eric Reed (“Manhattan Melodies”) and Horace Silver’s “Peace” to add another touch of sensitive introspection. This aspect of the leader’s musical world is especially prominent here with his splendid “Early Morning” and the title track, clearly anchoring the date in a somewhat grave ambiance. The balance between hard blowing and more contemplative moods is a delicate affair based on the players’ personal commitment. One can only enjoy the subtle drone and conversation of Buster Williams’s lines, the drummer’s tasteful accents, the colours provided by Eric Reed and the lyricism of Moore and Henderson—two deeply original voices— all of this merging into a refined and intense set of deep and determined musical declarations. Each outing by Willie Jones III is a statement, one of devotion and passion—this one particularly vivid and heartfelt.

Jean Szlamowicz (Spirit of Jazz & Down Beat)

Tracks. Manhattan Melodies ; The Wind of an Immortal Soul, Christina ; My Point Is… ; The Maze ; Early Morning ; Peace ; Bluez for Dat Taz

Personnel. Willie Jones III (drums); Buster Williams (bass); Eddie Henderson (trumpet); Eric Reed (piano); Ralph Moore (saxophones)

Recorded March 2017.

Kenny Barron's "Concentric Circles" is a truly excellent of a record. KB has long been an expert at the Quintet format and this one is reminiscent of his 1980s line-up with Eddie Henderson and John Stubblefield. There are many superb compositions (a lost art in straight-ahead jazz?) and a lot of eventful soloing. KB's creativity, sense of colours, rhythmic variety is at its constant best, Kitagawa and Blake providing a very musical backdrop to his unique piano sound. Dayna Stephens and Mike Rodriguez add the touch of excitement and sonic weight that a quintet date should have. Kenny Barron is a rarity in the musical world—someone with taste and personality who's not trying hard to be original because he simply is… Unmissable.

Jean Szlamowicz (Spirit of Jazz & Down Beat)

Tracks. DPW; Concentric Circles; Blue Waters; A Short Journey; Aquele Frevo Axe; Von Hangman; In The Dark; Baile; L's Bop; I’m Just Sayin’; Reflections

Personnel. Kenny Barron (p), Kiyoshi Kitagawa (b), Johnathan Blake (dm) Mike Rodriquez (tp, flh), Dayna Stephens (ts).