like rain whispers mist

Economy and Labels Claim Another Victim: MediaMaster.com

2009-03-06T14:59:00.006-05:00

For nearly a year MediaMaster has been dwindling on life support as the founder and original programmers left for other, more economically viable, projects. And it looks like as of March first or so the domain has reverted to an open domain name.

Hence, all previous posts no longer feature the ability to hear the music at hand. This is also partially the reason as to why there has been no activity here simply because it has been a week to week thing at MediaMaster.

From a post on January 22, 2009 (now only available through Google Cache):

There are many other complexities to the business as well and one can point the finger at our friends the record labels. Their lawyers have created such a swamp of legal complexity from the old days that just does not fit in the new world. Funders of businesses are afraid of funding them and big companies do not take a risk that they might succeed and give the labels a new model for revenue.

I am working on some new ideas and what we can do that is a little more unique than just another music blog, if you have any ideas, drop a line...

2007 - The year in jazz

2007-12-31T01:18:00.000-05:00

Lists, lists, lists. Everyone is interested in lists.

No matter how you define the music, we are closing out a phenomenal year in jazz music (you know the art form that's dead). And in hopes of expressing some of the joy I have experienced this year, throughout the month of December, I plan on presenting a lot of the music that has made the year what it has been in various forms. I'll have a list up at some point, but for now I will have an ongoing index below. Click the image or text to take you the album feature:

12/17 - Label of the Year:

Clean Feed Records

12/14 - Music Blogs of the Year:

Music Blogs of the Year

12/10-13 - Songs from some of the best live releases of 2007:

12/7 - Boxset Release of the Year:

Dave Douglas Quintet - Live At The Jazz Standard Complete Book, December 5th through 10th, 2006 (Greenleaf Music)

12/5 - Historical Release of the Year:

Chu Berry - Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions (#236) (Mosaic Records)

12/4 - Historical Release of the Year Runner-Up #1:

Miles Davis - The Complete On The Corner Sessions (Columbia Legacy / Sony)

12/3 - Historical Release of the Year Runner-Up #2:

Tim Berne's Bloodcount - Seconds (Screwgun Records)

Comments, recommendations, disagreements, reminders of 'how in the world could you not think of X,' etcetera etcetera more than welcome and encouraged. In addition, please feel free to post your best of list or discoveries you made this year (from any year) here in the comments or if you are part of the AAJ Forum your best goes here and your discoveries here. Props to WorldB3 and Papsrus for setting up the threads there.

'Listen with big ears...'

Label of the Year: Clean Feed Records

2007-12-17T21:25:00.001-05:00

Label of the Year
Complete 2007 list here

If you look in the jazz magazines, the label contests are pretty much a three horse race between Blue Note, Verve, and ECM. But dig deeper into the great music being released nowadays and you’ll find there are a lot of creative labels out there releasing great music.

From the more traditional sounding SteepleChase, Criss-Cross Jazz or even Palmetto Records, the distribution houses like Sunnyside, to the more avant and niche labels like CIMP, Pi Recordings or Rogue Art – never mind the ever present Tzadik label and the hundreds of other independents. Nonetheless, the most consistently invigorating label this year for my ears has easily been Portugal’s Clean Feed Records.

“Made in Lisbon,” Clean Feed was formed in 2001 and has quickly begun to release a steady stream of high quality jazz running the gamut from the more straight ahead to the freer sounds so many enjoy (but I yet to hear sometimes, sorry Evan Parker still doesn't work for me really). From both local and international renowned artists including Ken Vandermark, Dennis González, Bernardo Sassetti, Joe Morris, Mark O’Leary, João Paulo and now Tony Malaby - everything is worth hearing, and often worth repeated listens. And how many labels openly offer that they "let the musicians decide what they want to do and having [their] ears as open as possible."

No disrespect to Blue Note, which has ended up having a decent year mainly centered around live releases, but it is hard to argue that any label has had as many artistic high notes as Clean Feed this year. Beneath the music player is an informal email interview comprised of some questions I had for Pedro Costa of Clean Feed. The fist thing you'll notice about his responses is that this is a music business based around the music, which ultimately comes across in the sounds. Just like the label name intends...

Below, you can hear some of the tunes from many of their 2007 releases by clicking play or just a particular tune below by double clicking on a song title. The tunes are what were hitting me today as I shuffled about the catalog, but damn if a lot of it doesn't refute what some I know consider to be primarily a free jazz label.

Clean Feed, unlike many, European labels has worked hard to make finding their music easy including being apart of eMusic, AudioLunchbox and Amazon's MP3 download launch. They also have a slew of MP3s available at Last FM that you can download and listen to at your leisure. Support these artists and labels by purchasing the music and seeing the artists in concert!

What was the impetus for the formation of Clean Feed?

I was always a record freak so to me starting a label was like a mission even before I started listening to Jazz. I worked in record stores for 15 years and too see that great musicians were not being taken care of by important Jazz labels gave me the strength to start this.

How did it come together?

That's a long story but it started with me and my two brothers in 2001. We started the previous year when I and my older brother, Carlos, started producing some music events for others. We knew we had to start our own company and to have a label was a dream that could come true as an extension. So we had the Implicate Order (Steve Swell, Ken Filiano and Lou Grassi) touring in Portugal and also recorded them for the first Clean Feed record. Those were both the first concert the company organized and the first record we did. I'm very happy that we started with these people that are still our greatest friends.

So, we started as concert promoters and jazz label but also a distributor. We kept dreaming of a Jazz store that we now have. Now the dream is to have a Jazz club in Lisbon. Maybe it won't take too long. That will really close the circle.

Now the company is me, my older brother Carlos, Ilídio and Hernani. Working with us we have Madalena (a true angel) and Jorge (a guy that can do everything and he's willing to).

Why call the label Clean Feed?

This was saxophonist Rodrigo Amado's idea. He joined the force briefly after the company started and that was the name he had for his first record. Knowing him as I do, I think this name was in his head for a long time. It's a technical video term to define feeding a pure signal.
That's the meaning of all this, let the musicians decide what they want to do and having our ears as open as possible.

Is there a label creed of some sort?

Not really we had such a belief before we started but now I can see one, to release organic improvised music that should also be called Jazz. At least I think this is the spirit of Jazz, freedom, openness, improvisation.

How do you guys operate in recruiting talent / releases? Off the cuff examples being Fight the Big Bull, Júlio Resende, Mark O'Leary, Vandermark etc...

Well, I try just to listen to the music whether it comes from known musicians or unknown. I have a special delight in releasing great young musicians with a concept which is something the big labels like Blue Note did once a long time ago. It's a kind of obligation that we feel, to expose the talents of our time. Others do the opposite and that's fine too. It's funny that you mention Fight the Bull, a truly great project that I was listening again this morning on my way to work. Great music, great spirit.

Also it seems Dennis Gonzalez has found a real home with you guys, care to elaborate...

I was a Dennis fan for a long time. I always loved his music- always mysterious, organic but very sophisticated.

When we met, it was like two bothers separated at birth. He's like a twin to me. A beautiful person with a beautiful family that we try to keep with us the most we can. When he plays a note in his trumpet, it is like a sun ray, sometimes only his presence is such a thing. Very powerful yet very delicate human being.

Global outlook? It's obvious you see the internet as your primary means of distribution especially in making the music available through associations with Audio Lunchbox, eMuisc, etc...

When we first started out, I felt sorry that Clean Feed wasn't in New York or Chicago, close to a strong scene. But today I see it as a blessing to be away from everything else that is killing the music, be away from strange politics and just hear the music, this is very clear to me. Besides, from here I can see a lot of things that most of the people that live in New York, Chicago, Paris or London where there's strong Jazz scenes can't see, the entire world.

The internet just makes everything close, as close as you want; it's just a matter of keeping contact going. I have a great relationship with musicians I never met or hardly met. Of course I have the vibe through the music and that says a lot of the people that plays it. It's incredible how the music can really speak and tells what's in people's minds. That's to me the strongest quality of Jazz, revelation.

Personal favorites, releases or artists?

I can say that from the catalogue you can see how much we care for people like Dennis, Gerry Hemingway, Scott Fields, Joe Morris, Will Holshouser, Bernardo Sassetti, Ken Filiano, and Lou Grassi. All great people that play great music.

What are your plans for the future, outlook, etc...

The plans are to keep releasing unknown great musicians, keep working with the ones we care and try to have others join the rooster like Ellery Eskelin, Louis Sclavis, Craig Taborn, Alex Schlippenbach, Joachim Kühn, and many others from both sides of the Atlantic.

--

By the way, a good way to gauge what releases might hit your ear best is to visit the Clean Feed Records Blog (with one of the best headers I have seen) which collects all the press relating to their releases as well as other randomness. Visit them by clicking the image below.

Music blogs of the year

2007-12-14T09:39:00.000-05:00

Music Blogs of the Year
Complete 2007 list here

If nothing else, I use the internet everyday to do two things, catch up on news and check my favorite music sites for some knowledge. The amount of knowledgeable from writers and resources, both professional and amateur, available is simply astounding. While I frequent all the places listed in the sidebar titled "Other Places," two blogs in particular routinely captured my imagination, eyes, and ears:

I think a lot of the visitors here already know Destination Out self described as:

An mp-free jazz blog focusing on rare or out-of-print music. We generally publish twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays (or so). Songs will be available for about two weeks, and are for evaluation purposes only. Attend concerts. Buy music.

Essentially, they bring you around to the gems you probably knew nothing about. The comments are just as enlightening as the posts themselves. Not everything is my cup, but even what is not I can now speak to better than before. Other times, you'll find yourself amazed that you have been sleeping on someone for so long... Click the image above to visit.

Marc Myers has been listening to jazz since 1971. His knowledge runs as deep as any musician, writer, promoter, etc I have met or had casual contact with. His blog, JazzWax is a fascinating education in jazz primarily focusing on the days before those commonly featured here.

Style wise, his voice comes through nicely in his comments on music (a post about some legendary solos was the source material for a post here back in September) but his interviews in particular are fascinating. Most recently with 'Jazz Advocate' Dan Morgenstern (Part 1 / Part 2) they come across more like oral history rather than in support of a product or album like the impetus most interviews are based upon. Don't sleep on his David Amram interview (here) either, a fascinating artist. Click the image above to visit JazzWax.

I'd like to know where you visit and read the most, take a minute and let us know.

Live Set #3 - After Hours Till Morn

2007-12-13T11:23:00.000-05:00

2007 Live Releases of the Year
Complete 2007 list here

Songs from some of the best live releases of 2007

Live Set #3 - After Hours Till Morn

Total time: 94:01

Funny how time slips through your fingers when you think you have everything under control. A day late, but the following is the third set of music here at like rain whispers mist documenting some of the best live releases in jazz released over the course of 2007. Flowing from the Trios (here) to the Ensembles (here), today we proceed into the after hours. From bands that have worked over time in various configurations like Omer Avital's Room To Grow to meetings of the minds however familiar like Lafayette Gilchrist & Hamid Drake or Joe Lovano & Hank Jones, these are those performances that sound incredibly tight yet loose and in the moment.

These are more expansive tunes as well. This time around, seven songs totaling just over an hour and a half so hopefully you can provide more than a minute or two worth of time to these fantastic sounds.

Please note these tunes are not meant to represent the pinnacle of these releases as that changes from listener to listener and ear to ear. But the ones presented here are especially hitting my ear of late and hopefully inspire you the same way.

Below are the albums, tunes, and personnel for today's mixtape. If you click the album cover, it links you to Amazon's product page for purchase.

Omer Avital
Room To Grow (Small's Records)
"Kentucky Girl"

Flat out have not had time to record even a simple introduction to this podcast today. But if you listened to the other two, you will recognize that I have been using Avital's solo bass introduction of "Kentucky Girl" for the backing. Of all the bassists currently out there, few reach me the way Avital and his bands do and I hope it is only a matter of time before 'the in the know' jazz public catches on to him, much less the larger jazz audience. Here is a signature tune (to me at least because it was the first one I ever heard from him) stretched out to well over twenty minutes. Myron Walden is ripping on this album and check out Grant Stewart! Souls run deep...

Myron Walden - alto saxophone / Gregory Tardy - tenor saxophone, clarinet & flute / Grant Stewart - tenor saxophone / Charles Owens - tenor saxophone / Omer Avital - acoustic bass / Joe Strasser - drums

Paul Motian
Live At The Village Vanguard, Volume 1 (Winter & Winter)
"Standard Time"

Osby and Potter on the front line of a band led by a drummer who uses time as more of a reference than a guide? This album works surprisingly well and Osby fits like a glove in Motian's compositions. But the real driving force for me throughout is the other guest, pianist Masabumi Kikuchi - a leader in his own right and part of Tethered Moon. His playing really sets up the soloists and his comping is spot on. While it may not reach the overall heights I was hoping for, a strong strong record.

Greg Osby - alto Saxophone / Chris Potter - tenor saxophone / Masabumi Kikuchi - piano / Larry Grenadier - acoustic bass / Paul Motian - drums

Lafayette Gilchrist & Hamid Drake
Duets: Live At The Vision Festival 2006 (Hyena Records - Digital Release Only)
"The Shadow Knows What The Shadow Do"

Lfayette Gilchrist seems on the verge of similar notoriety as Robert Glasper and his infectious groove along with Jason Moran's inside outside tendencies. Here is a fifteen minute cut culled from a duet performance with Hamid Drake that extends Gilchrist outside of the sounds I know of his personal releases, but the results are no less fascinating. Hamid Drake, of course, is the perfect foil.

Lafayette Gilchrist - piano / Hamid Drake - drums

Jeremy Pelt
Shock Value: Live At Smoke (Max Jazz)
"Blues"

This release flew low missing just about every radar I know of. It's an interesting set of music from a trumpeter who has the chops to become a major, major player but still seems to be finding his flagship sound or project. Think of On The Corner era vamps and blues sounds updated to today and directed through the blues based pen of the leader. A friend said it came across as similar to Russell Gunn, personally I don't think so. What do you think?

Jeremy Pelt - trumpet, flugelhorn & effects / Al Street - electric guitar / Frank LoCrasto - fender rhodes, hammond B3 organ & effects / Gavin Fallow - double-bass & electric bass / Dana Hawkins - drums / Becca Stevens - vocals (4)

Dennis González
At Tonic: Dance of the Soothsayer's Tongue (CleanFeed)
"The Matter At Hand"

Wow. I listened to this album repeatedly as soon as it arrived. Dennis González has quickly raised up on my radar, give this album a listen and I bet you will agree. For the song here, recorded at the now defunct Tonic, everyone has a chance to shine without losing the flow of the moment. And listen to Mark Helias, good gracious!

Dennis González - trumpet / Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone / Mark Helias - acoustic bass / Michael T.A. Thompson - soundrhythium percussionist

4 Corners (Broo / Vandermark / Lane / Nilssen-Love)
4 Corners (CleanFeed)
"Lucia"

If you know the names besides Vandermark, you know this is a super group of sorts. Thankfully, it is one that delivers on what one would expect. "Lucia" in particular with Vandermark's bass clarinet is outstanding, but the album is a highlight onto itself making it a legitimate top ten release for the year.

Magnus Broo - trumpet / Ken Vandermark - reeds / Adam Lane - acoustic bass / Paal Nilssen-Love - drums

Joe Lovano & Hank Jones
Kids: Duets Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Blue Note)
"Lazy Afternoon"

Following two acclaimed quartet albums comes this duet live performance from the stable of Blue Note. What one expects, but nonetheless entirely enjoyable. It's hard not to smile when you hear Hank Jones perform.

Joe Lovano - tenor & soprano sax / Hank Jones - piano

You can hear the compilation or just a particular tune below by double clicking on a song title. You can find all of these titles easily enough at a brick and mortar near you as well as online. Also, I am attempting something new in providing this as a podcast download as well. Let me know what you think if you listen via this route (links below).

Support these artists and buy their albums if you dig the sounds! Do the sounds sound good to you?

Download the like rain whispers mist mixtape by clicking below.

Live Set #3 - After Hours Till Morn

Live Set #2 - The Ensembles

2007-12-11T09:16:00.001-05:00

2007 Live Releases of the Year
Complete 2007 list here

Songs from some of the best live releases of 2007

Live Set #2 - The Ensembles

Total time: 84:38

From the trios yesterday (here), we move to the ensembles today.

You know, maybe I just haven't put two and two together in the past, but 2007 has been an incredible year for official live releases. And continuing the theme of spotlighting tracks form some of these standout releases, today he have the meat of the order, part two of our three part series. For the most part, these are all bands or ensembles that have worked and recorded together over a period of time. And the interaction and tightness shows, especially in the group dynamics of the larger ensembles like Jason Lindner's Big Band and the San Francisco Jazz Collective.

Eight tunes ranging form six to fifteen minutes. From the elegance of the vibraphone to the dirty dirty fender rhodes (Craig Taborn - damn!), this is the modern straight ahead jazz sound as I see it. What's your take?

Please note these tunes are not meant to represent the pinnacle of these releases as that changes from listener to listener and ear to ear. But the ones presented here are especially hitting my ear of late and hopefully inspire you the same way.

Below are the albums, tunes, and personnel for today's mixtape. If you click the album cover, it links you to Amazon's product page for purchase.

Dave Douglas
Live At The Jazz Standard (Greenleaf Music)
"Earmarks"

A two disc compilation released this year in response to those requesting cds of the 12 sets of music released digitally through Greenleaf and Musicstem. A perfect example of the tightness of this ensemble. Probably the best place to hear Donny McCaslin in my opinion...

Dave Douglas - cornet / Donny McCaslin - tenor saxophone / Uri Caine - fender rhodes / James Genus - contrabass / Clarence Penn - drums

Chris Potter
Follow The Red Line: Live At The Village Vanguard (Sunnyside)
"Arjuna"

Every song on this album is superb with no low point what so ever. Candidate for record of the year for many people I am sure and a great addition to his catalog. I still can't listen to his previous live album with Kevin Hays due the sometimes wacky sounding keyboards, but this group is lock step and downright funky in some places. No doubt Adam Rogers is on his way to Kurt Rosenwinkel type idolation if his solo albums continue this sound. Then again, Wayne Krantz never really cracked through somewhat inexplicably...

Chris Potter - tenor saxophone / Adam Rogers - guitar / Craig Taborn - Fender Rhodes piano / Nate Smith - drums

Avishai Cohen
As Is...Live At The Blue Note (Half Note)
"Bass Suite #1"

For Cohen, this album is in the middle of the pack when compared to the rest of his discography as far as overall consistency. The band here sounds more chops based and sometimes overcome the bombast, but not often enough for me. Still, the dvd component is fun to watch and when you don't mind flat out bass virtuosity, this is a good listen and hard to beat. The tune here though is representative of him on the acoustic bass, a beautiful melody from his debut release Adama.

Diego Urcola - trumpet / Jimmy Greene - saxophone / Avishai Cohen - acoustic bass

Jason Lindner
Live At The Jazz Gallery (Anzic)
"Rumors"

Modern big band jazz, only a few are pulling it off successfully now a days and after what I though was a misstep with Premonition on Stretch comes this album out of Anzic Records full of punch and unpredictability. Top to bottom, the two discs deliver some great music. Fans of Guillermo Klein, the wilder side of Maria Schneider, and Pablo Algeria should hunt this down. Zenon is (again) on fire...

Jay Collins - flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone & vocals / Anat Cohen - clarinet & tenor saxophone / Miguel Zenon - alto saxophone / Chris Karlic - bass clarinet & baritone saxophone / Duane Eubanks - trumpet / Avishai Cohen - trumpet / Joe Fiedler - trombone / Dana Leong - trombone / Rafi Malkiel - trombone / Jason Lindner - piano & various keyboards / Omer Avital - acoustic bass / Eric McPherson - drums / Yosvany Terry Cabrera - chekere

Wayne Escoffery
Veneration: Live At Smoke (Savant)
"Melody for Melonae"

Don't sleep on this guy. Along with Marcus Strickland, one of the most impressive younger tenors out there. The tune here is an homage to his former teacher Jackie Mac but the whole album is up to this taste level. Joe Locke is another of the many musicians who just can't seem to breakthrough to that wider audience. Here again he shines.

Wayne Escoffery - soprano & tenor saxophones / Joe Locke - vibraphone / Hans Glawischnig - acoustic bass / Lewis Nash - drums

SFJazz Collective
Live 2007: 4th Annual Concert Tour (SF Jazz)
"Brilliant Corners"

Kind of a shame that you can only pick this up from SFJazz because I think a lot more people would be lauding these albums if they heard them. Who can deny the group? The music is as good as one would expect. First disc is Monk, second is original. And though some may say they play it a little close to the chest on the former, the latter disc certainly doesn't. Included Monk's Brilliant Corners here simply because I love the arrangement so much. I wonder if Nonesuch will ever get around to releasing their compilation discs of this and the third set like they did for the first two, then at least people can find the discs more easily...

Dave Douglas - trumpet / Joshua Redman - tenor saxophone / Miguel Zenon - alto saxophone / Andre Hayward - trombone / Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone / Renee Rosnes - piano / Matt Penman - acoustic bass / Eric Harland - drums

McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner Quartet (Half Note)
"Sama Layuca"

This album is one of the best of the year studio or live. Tyner has never really shed the Trane influence to my ears (I know many think I am wrong in this respect) but the music here just flows in that vein. Luckily, it is not derivative at all even though Lovano occasionally throws in some Trane licks here and there. This is a great and original set of music. Powerful, driving stuff. Good to hear McBride in this context as well.

Joe Lovano - tenor saxophone / McCoy Tyner - piano / Christian McBride - acoustic bass / Jeff “Tain” Watts - drums

Miles Davis
Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival Records)
"Stella by Starlight"

Nice that this sees the light of day. Not as perfect as the 1964 sets, but beautiful all the same.

Miles Davis - trumpet / George Coleman - tenor saxophone / Herbie Hancock - piano / Ron Carter - acoustic bass / Tony Williams - drums

You can hear the compilation or just a particular tune below by double clicking on a song title. You can find all of these titles easily enough at a brick and mortar near you as well as online. Also, I am attempting something new in providing this as a podcast download as well. Let me know what you think if you listen via this route (links below).

Support these artists and buy their albums if you dig the sounds! Do the sounds sound good to you?

Download the like rain whispers mist mixtape by clicking below.

Live Set #2 - The Ensembles

Live Set #1 - The Trios

2007-12-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

2007 Live Releases of the Year
Complete 2007 list here

Songs from some of the best live releases of 2007

Live Set #1 - The Trios

Total time: 56:35

Rather than presenting list after list, I thought we could play with things a bit. A good deal of very good live recordings came out over the course of 2007, and while they all may not be among the best overall releases of the year, an official live document from a musician is always welcome in my book.

As is the case for listening to a tune developed night after night in sets like Dave Douglas' Live At The Jazz Standard Complete Book (featured here), it's fascinating to hear material you know by record and see what a musician does with it live. Furthermore, to hear warhorses tunes reworked and full of life is always an enlightening listen for me.

In this vein, I thought I would spend the first half of this week presenting compilation sets of live music released this year by various labels under various leaders. This set contains the obligatory (and utterly beautiful) Keith Jarrett Standards Trio, the always on point Mulgrew Miller, the ever tasteful Bill Charlap, a (for me) surprise in Steve Kuhn with one of the best versions of "If I were A Bell" outside of the Miles Davis Plugged Nickel Recordings, and the finally getting the wider attention he deserves Enrico Pieranunzi whose taste and swing arguably rivals Jarrett's trio. All of these artists are exceptional, and the performances here are wonderful.

Please note these tunes are not meant to represent the pinnacle of these releases as that changes from listener to listener and ear to ear. But the ones presented here are especially hitting my ear of late and hopefully inspire you the same way.

Below are the albums, tunes, and personnel for today's mixtape. If you click the album cover, it links you to Amazon's product page for purchase.

Live At Birland (Blue Note)
"If I Were A Bell"
Steve Kuhn - piano
Ron Carter - acoustic bass
Al Foster - drums

My Foolish Heart: Live At Montreux (ECM)
"My Foolish Heart"
Keith Jarrett - piano
Gary Peacock - acoustic bass
Jack Dejhonette - drums

Live In Japan (Cam Jazz)
"Improminor"
Enrico Pieranunzi - piano
Marc Johnson - bass
Joey Baron - drums

Live At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note)
"All Across The City"
Bill Charlap - piano
Peter Washington - acoustic bass
Kenny Washington - drums

Live At The Kennedy Center, Vol. 2 (Max Jazz)
"Eleventh Hour"
Mulgrew Miller - piano
Derrick Hodge - acoustic bass
Rodney Green - drums

In the end we have five trios here and just under an hours worth of music. You can hear the compilation or just a particular tune below by double clicking on a song title. You can find all of these titles easily enough at a brick and mortar near you as well as online. Also, I am attempting something new in providing this as a podcast download as well. Let me know what you think if you listen via this route (links below).

Support these artists and buy their albums if you dig the sounds! Do the sounds sound good to you? What live piano trios hit you this year?

Download the like rain whispers mist mixtape by clicking below.

Live Set #1 - The Trios

Dave Douglas

2007-12-07T11:10:00.001-05:00

2007 Box Set Release of the Year
Complete 2007 list here

Live At The Jazz Standard Complete Book, December 5th through 10th, 2006

Dave Douglas - cornet
Donny McCaslin - tenor saxophone
Uri Caine - fender rhodes
James Genus - contrabass
Clarence Penn - drums

Total time: 708:33

Box sets are interesting beasts. They can serve a variety of purposes from presenting the entirety or a large portion of one's discography like the Mosaic Chu Berry set, compiling prime cuts from numerous sessions like the very well done Jimmy Smith and Grant Green Blue Note boxes, and numerous other ends and means. My favorite form of the box set though are those documenting live music in a succession of nights. Hearing music as performed, workshoped, and developed performance after performance. When tunes repeat, it's not like hearing an alternate take culled from a recording session attempting perfection. Instead, because the music is recorded in the moment, it responds to the moment in front of the public and the beautiful sounds that comes from the interaction.

From hearing Miles Davis' second quintet perform set after set at the Plugged Nickel, Chick Corea debuting his Origin sextet at the Blue Note, or the Vandermark 5 performing at Alchemia these are sets for lovers of jazz and improvisation. And with new technology comes new ways of presenting these types of sets to the public which brings us to Dave Douglas' Live At The Jazz Standard Complete Book. Some might consider this a live release and question as to how this can be a box set when there is no physical product, but it is the concept and presentation that makes me rank this as the best box set of 2007 (and besides, I cheated a little using box sets in my Historical rankings here).

Performing at the Standard December 5th through 10th of 2006, Douglas and his imprint Greenleaf Music took on the almost incomprehensible task of "recording, mastering, digitizing, [and upload] with artwork Dave's magnificent music, all within the stated 24 hour goal."

Not everything was perfect, the tagging of the music files was all over the place initially (hopefully better now), but the music is glorious throughout. Two sets a night over six nights featuring 79 total performances of 44 tunes culled from the albums The Infinite, Strange Liberation, Meaning and Mystery, along with new road tested pieces; the band is obviously on fire led by the dynamic and severely underrated Clarence Penn. And who can deny Uri Caine's glorious fender rhodes sound?

The knock against sets of music like this I see most often stems from the sheer amount of music and the occasional repetition of repertoire. Multiple tunes, multiple versions, multiple days. Unlike a singular album (even live) you don't have a definitive version of something necessarily recognized uniformly among the critics because the music is not presented in that fashion. But honestly, arguments like this hold little weight in my opinion. If one attends a concert and enjoys the band and wants to see them again, what is the difference in hearing them on record? Especially when the energy present in the flesh is so faithfully reproduced on your headphones? Additionally, with the modern means of creating iTunes (or other) playlists where you can hear tunes back to back so easily if one wants to really dig deep within a tune they can. Or simply let the set wash over you as it occurred.

The music is solid, I think everyone knows that easily enough. And if one needs to be convinced or is afraid of a digital only release such as this, check out the two disc compilation available in a brick and mortar store near you or online at Amazon et al. The two disc cd set is a great encapsulation of the group sound, but hearing set after set is what I desire and find myself listening to most often. And as the music business at large comes to terms with new economies such as this type of digital release (or David Binney's concert releases and even Saul Williams and Radiohead-esque free releases) it will be interesting to see if this set is a harbinger of things to come in getting the music in front of people straight from the clubs.

Either way, a great set of music. You can hear the box or a particular tune below by double clicking on a song title. You can visit Dave Douglas and Greenleaf here. Download the book here. He runs a great blog there as well, worth subscribing too.

Do the sounds sound good to you?

What's your Historical Release? Vote for it...

2007-12-06T14:20:00.000-05:00

Chu Berry

2007-12-05T23:10:00.000-05:00

2007 Historical Release of the Year
Complete 2007 list here

Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions (#236)

Chu Berry - tenor saxophone

Bandleaders & other notables include: Fletcher Henderson, Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey, etc.

Considering the brevity of 'Chu's' life, and that his recording career spans a mere decade, it is remarkable that his name continues to loom large in the annals of jazz. had he lived, there is no doubt that he would be ensconced in the jazz pantheon alongside Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. He was that good.
- Dan Morgenstern, Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University

The annuals of jazz is unfortunately filled with stories of young musicians passing before their time, leaving listeners to wonder those usual questions of what would have been and where might the music have gone if they lived on. Leon "Chu" Berry could be the archetype for these questions that have long been attached to to the likes of Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Eric Dolphy, etc.

Born in Wheeling, West Virgina in September of 1910 and passing in October of 1931 due to injuries he received in an accident three days earlier while a passenger in a car of Cab Calloway Band members on their way to Canada for a job; Berry is almost completely forgotten by even the more astute jazz fans. Yet, he still considered a seminal influence by many of today's tenors including Branford Marsalis and James Carter. As usual, the availability of records is a big part of this problem. And this Mosaic box set may not really solve the problem because it is a specialty boutique of sorts, nonetheless, this is no doubt the definitive edition of his music available at anytime- past, present, or future.

Straight up, this is the definition of a swingin' tenor from the days before Bird & Diz changed the landscape. And while Hawkins, Young, and Webster are oft considered the big three tenors of the times, Chu Berry was the one being looked on as the next major figure. While the aforementioned Hawkins was Berry's idol, Hawkins looked at Berry as an equal. That swing that so predominated his playing, is ultimately what separated Berry from Hawkins most other elements being equal.

What is collected here in this release is over two hundred performances including many Cab Calloway and Fletcher Henderson sides. A complete discographical breakdown can be found at Mosaic here. On a personal listening note, I find it amazing how compact solos were back in these days on record, before they could stretch out. On the fly, purely formed, encapsulated messages every time. I wonder how many cats playing today could do the same?

So you might be thinking, 'where's the sounds? I'm interested, let's take a listen...' Well, I don't own this set yet. A friend and I hooked up a couple months ago and from the first couple of tunes I was hooked. It's the top of the Christmas list, but looking at my budget I am not holding my breath, Nonetheless, the sounds are still in my head.

Both musically and historically, in my mind, this is the historical release of the year. Check it out at Mosaic Records here. If you have never ordered form them, have no fear, they are great people. Some sound samples available on that link as well.

Mosaic concludes their little description of the set with the following, I think it's appropriate:

Listening to these recordings, there's no mistaking his influence on Charlie Parker (who named his first son for Berry) and every other bebopper, John Coltrane, and a host of other saxophonists today who may not even know from whom the ideas originated. Now, they'll know.

Let's hope so...

Miles Davis

2007-12-03T23:30:00.000-05:00

2007 Historical Release of the Year Runner-Up #1
Complete 2007 list here

The Complete On The Corner Sessions

Miles Davis - trumpet, the occasional organ & electric piano
everyone else plays everything else....

Total time: 406:06

Even before this was released, everyone knows it would win at least one Grammy just like every other box in this series. And while some of the boxes have been more enlightening then others, this set is truly an experience for Miles Davis fans.

So much press has been afforded to this set already and pretty much whatever I might write here will be redundant from what you have read anywhere else between the jazz rags, online, and even major media websites and magazines. Instead I will simply offer the highlights as offered by the official Columbia website:

A 6-CD collection of over 6 1/2 hours of music covering Miles' studio recordings from '72 to '75 - including 12 previously unreleased tracks!

Features Michael Henderson, Al Foster, Mtume, Dave Liebman, Sonny Fortune, Carlos Garnett, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Reggie Lucas, Pete Cosey, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Hart, Badal Roy, Don Alias, Bennie Maupin, Lonnie Liston Smith, Cedric Lawson and more

This is Miles taking it beyond the outer limits of jazz - capturing a time in history when he and his band were selling out stadiums worldwide!

120-page full-color booklet with brand new essays by arranger/composer Paul Buckmaster and music journalist Tom Terrell

Includes dozens of rare photos, Plus new illustrations from original illustrator Corky McCoy

Produced by multi-Grammy® winners Bob Belden and Michael Cuscuna

Amazing sound! 24-bit digitally mastered by Mark Wilder

Simply said, this is some amazing music. You Agree?

Tim Berne's Bloodcount

2007-12-03T00:38:00.000-05:00

2007 Historical Release of the Year Runner-Up #2
Complete 2007 list here

Seconds

Tim Berne - alto saxophone
Chris Speed - tenor saxophone & clarinet
Michael Formanek - contrabass
Jim Black - drums

Total time: 132:38

There were numerous historical releases that warrant attention this year. For myself, I define historical release as that coming to light from beyond roughly a decade in original or compilation form. Thus Tim Berne's Bloodcount release Seconds barely qualifies. Just as it has been somewhere around a decade since this was recorded live, it has been nearly a decade since I bought the desert island-esque Unwound set from a Border's Books & Music of all places (recipes and all) and first fell in love this band.

I'm not sure why I picked it up back then (as with a lot of my purchases then), but just as Live At The It Club was my first Monk, Unwound was my first foray into what many consider modern avant-garde jazz. Seconds is not necessarily on the same level as that set (maybe just in sentimentality?), but it is pretty damn close for my ears. If you don't know Bloodcount, check out this fantastic post over at Steve Smith's Night After Night here (do it even if you do, it's a great post).

The package here is two discs of music played by the band listed above along with an a hour-long cinema verité documentary titled Eyenoises...The Paris Movie 1994 directed by Susanna Schonberg featuring the fifth original member of Bloodcount Marc Ducret.

Video wise, it's an interesting view of the band especially if you don't have the oppurtuinty to ever see them in person. A lot of personality comes through that only heightens what you hear. Music wise, this can sound a little unwieldy, freewheeling, atonal, melodic, and whatever other adjective you want to throw at the wall - but it holds up. Berne and Speed are natural sounding foils with skittish tendencies but drawn to form as well. Listen to "Mr. Johnson" for the range these guys can run in one tune. Music like this is best heard, writers and reviews can provide context and vague metaphors, but it is simply best listened too to understand it (as it should be).

You can hear the album or a particular tune below by double clicking on a song title. You can visit Tim Berne here which is also his store front. Pick up a copy of Seconds straight from the source at Screwgun Records here. You have to respect the level of Berne's involvement in his own business. A lot like a visual artist has to be, he is seemingly involved top to bottom including the emails.

Do the sounds sound good to you?

Ahmad Jamal

2007-12-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

Ahmad's Blues

A friend shot me an email asking me about Jamal who I love. So of course I searched you tube for a nice clip and came across this...

Thelonious Monk

2007-11-29T17:01:00.000-05:00

Live At The It Club (Complete)

Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone

Thelonious Monk - piano

Larry Gales - acoustic bass

Ben Riley - drums

Total time: 153:27

Over two and a half hours of music. Nineteen songs, five previously released, eleven restored to how they were originally performed, and three previously unreleased in any form until Live At The It Club (Complete) was released back in 1998 by Columbia / Legacy (Sony). This was my first Monk record when it was first released and still one of my favorites to this day. And just about since that first day, I have been able to sing this performance of "Blue Monk" verbatim.

Nonetheless, here is a definitive document when it comes to Monk and Rouse in a quartet format. I am sure that statement is cause for argument, but these are some of the hardest swinging versions of these tunes recorded beautifully on October 31st and November 1st, 1964. Not long after this version of the quartet formed, but already locked in rhythmically, the corner stone to Monk's music.

The war horses are here in full regalia like "Blue Monk," "'Round Midnight," "Misterioso," as well as many of his other standards reminding one of how many standards he contributed to the book of jazz. But it is the rhythm and propulsion that make this record come alive the way it does. From the onset this evident in Rouse's tenor, but listen to one of Gales' many spots such as in "Well, You Needn't" and you can see Monk spinning and dancing in your mind eye.

Music like this pretty much speaks for itself, and one really doesn't need to get into the 'wrong notes right' dialog that often surfaces with Monk. One thing I do think warrants mentioning is placing this album in context with what else has been released. While Monk and his quartet were performing at the It Club in Los Angeles, California on 10/31 and 11/1, on 10/31 and 11/2 Monk was also recording the album released as Solo Monk which makes for some interesting comparisons in side by side listening. The following day on both 11/3 and 11/4 the quartet performed at The Jazz Workshop which has been similarly released as Live at the Jazz Workshop (Complete) not long after It Club. It's a blessing we have stuff like this floating out there officially and actually in print for new ears to discover.

While listening and locating an image off my hard drive for this post, I came across something I must have saved from Denny Zeitlin's website at some point in the past, an old DownBeat Blindfold Test with Thelonious Monk in 1965 conducted by Leonard Feather (just re-found it here). Click the image to see it enlarged beyond the original scan. It's a fascinating glimpse into some of his contemporaries like Andrew Hill, Bud Powell and even Art Pepper and his reactions to their interpretations of his songs. One might wonder about the motives about some of his comments, but either way, entertaining. And I love the interaction with Nellie.

You can hear the album or a particular tune below by double clicking on a song title. You can visit The Official Thelonious Monk Website here (but only for a chuckle in seeing a website design from the old tripod days of the late 90's, someone should help them out!). An immensely Stronger resource can be found here along with a wealth of liner note material including both the LP and Cd reissue liners. You can pick up Live At The It Club - Complete at Amazon here.

Sound as good to you?

Mikkel Ploug (Featuring Mark Turner)

2007-11-29T09:18:00.002-05:00

Mark Turner - tenor saxophone
Mikkel Ploug - guitar
Jeppe Skovbakke - acoustic bass
Sean Carpio - drums

Been digging on Mark Turner in various contexts since listening to Quartet yesterday (here). And I mentioned FLY in that post, forgot that I had posted a live version of State Of The Union a while back here. I did a search on YouTube and came up with this, similar conception to his work with Rosenwinkel but still a nice listen.

Billy Hart

2007-11-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

Quartet

Mark Turner - tenor saxophone

Ethan Iverson - piano

Ben Street - acoustic bass

Billy Hart - drums

Total time: 66:59

I have been thinking a lot about lists lately and of course about a best of list for the year since they do serve some positives especially for people to learn how their particular tastes jive with another persons. When I first got into jazz I quickly learned who I could trust and who to take a recommendation from with a grain of salt based off of their best of lists. Of course they are never complete, never inclusive enough, and never accurately represent things as well as they can, but they are fun and usually insightful.

While thinking about this year's list I returned to last year's and found myself listening to to Billy Hart's Quartet for the first time in a while. This is not explosive jazz on the cutting edge of some frontier, but damned if it isn't pure modern jazz at it's finest featuring one of my favorite saxophonists Mark Turner. Looking back on the past while moving forward is one of those stock phrases that would apply here. You have the core who has been performing jazz going on five decades while the rest of the group is at least 25 years younger.

I wish I had more time for this album, but work is quite hectic this week. Trust enough that this is a beautiful album that didn't get enough face time for the average jazz fan. Iverson is on full display outside of the context of The Bad Plus and Turner is simply waiting to be discovered by more people outside of Kurt Rosenwinkel fans. If you dig Turner, be sure to check out FLY with Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard on Savoy (you can see a live clip I posted a while back here). And if you dig the Iverson/Hart team look for the Fresh Sounds New Talent live release The Minor Passions.

The tunes at hand here are a mix of standards among original material from every member except for Street. For a quick listen try "Mellow B" which consistently grabs my attention with every listen but the ballad "Lullaby For Imke" is simply not to be missed.

You can hear the album or a particular tune below by double clicking on a song title. You can visit Billy Hart here. Be sure to check out the multi part interview conducted by Ethan Iverson there, it is a rare insight into a drummer who is often overlooked. You can pick up Quartet at Amazon here.

Wes Montgomery

2007-11-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

'Round Midnight

Another song that is near and dear is 'Round Midnight. After rewatching the Monk clip from the other day here, I started looking for other clips of the tune and came across this very nice Wes Montgomery clip. The description provides the details:

The Wes Montgomery 4tet performing for the legendary BBC TV series Jazz 625 (March 1965) with Harold Mabern on piano, Arthur Harper on bass and Jimmy Lovelace on drums, Wes' outfit of the time that toured and recorded extensively throughout Europe. Special note to the programme's host, Humphrey Lyttelton, a great British trumpet player and media personality with a career spanning several decades.

eden ahbez's Nature Boy

2007-11-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

A crucial portion of this blog, the ability for people to hear this music, is provided by MediaMaster who recently revamped their entire site and interface with some fantastic new features and look. I really can't plug this (currently free) service enough. Below is a screenshot with my customized color and background scheme, you can click the image to enlarge it in a new window.

One of the new and improved features is the ability to search by song allowing one to really explore your collection in a myriad of ways. I actually used to do this with an external hard drive but once I finished ripping the majority of my library I no longer could manage all my music in one place until now. So I thought it might be fun here to present a collection of 20 different versions of one of my favorite melodies in music, eden ahbez's Nature Boy.

Popularized originally by Nat King Cole in the late 40's and now known by people today because of its reoccurring use in the film Moulin Rouge, it lingers in my mind for days every time I hear the song. ahbez had an interesting life apparently, take a quick read at Wikipedia here including how he lived under the first L of the famous Hollywood sign.

Listening to this compilation straight through is engrossing and beautiful given the variety of the interpretations. There are some straight up joyous and swinging versions including Jacky Terrasson and The Three Sounds, but I tend towards the more languid haunting versions such as Ran Blake sucking the sound out of the air as soon as a note emanates from his piano. If you only listen to one or two versions though, make sure to check out Art Pepper and John Coltrane's interpretations for the height of this tune.

Nature Boy (eden ahbez)

Composed 1947

There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he

And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"

KOAN (Stillman / Noelle / Kneeland / Poor)

2007-11-26T05:20:00.000-05:00

The Lower Depths

Loren Stillman - alto saxophone
Sebastian Noelle - guitar
Thomson Kneeland - acoustic bass
Ted Poor - drums

Live at Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC, in March of 2007.

Loren Stillman

2007-11-19T12:45:00.000-05:00

When it comes to Loren Stillman, read any liner notes or any review and you will learn how he performed with drummer Bob Meyer when he was fourteen years old at a jam session in New York. A year later, in 1996, he was in a studio with pianist Russ Lossing and bassist Scott Lee recordings Cosmos for Soulnote. And now with nine albums under his belt (and one co-op group called Jackalope with Meyer and John Abercrombie), I think one can dispense with the amazement in relation to his age and just revel in Loren Stillman's sound.

So let's move from there.

Somewhere between Lee Konitz and his angular, sinewy lines and the technique of Jackie McLean (more so than the tartness), Stillman has forged a stimulating sound unique in conception both improvisationally and compositionally. I could try and formulate his sound in words, but his own voice, which you can hear below, will suffice just fine.

And so the question hangs out there... if someone is so stimulating to hear, has recorded nine plus albums, is lauded by luminaries including Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Ted Nash, Konitz, Abercrombie, and is consistently gigging around the globe with the likes of Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, Andy Milne, John McNeil, Michele Rosewoman, Tyshawn Sorey, Paul Motian's Trio+2, as well as his own groups ...why (most likely) haven't you heard of him?

Good question...

The answer probably comes in the form of a commentary about the fractionalisation of jazz. It also probably goes hand in hand with why John Lurie's Jazz Lizards weren't as popular as they should have been, and how there is just a plain wealth of talent that is marketable to a relatively small segment of the overall population with varying degrees of heart and musicality for listener's ears (you know, that whole college vs. bandstand dichotomy that is both full of truth and falsehoods).

Another factor of why many don't know him is the fact that he has nine albums on six labels and none of them are readily available within the US. They can be had easily enough though through online retailers. His latest, Blind Date should be available on eMusic shortly, assuming Pirouet continues that association. The German label Nagel-Heyer's How Sweet It Is release and the European Fresh Sound New Talent release Gin Bon are available on Cd Baby and are highly recommended. Cd Universe and Amazon claim to have them as well, but personally I have had somewhat of a hard time pulling through those sources.

Nonetheless, Stillman is an artist who will rise over time simply by the virtue of his music. His albums are stimulating affairs full of surprises even after multiple listens and he works within the current mainstream but is unafraid to move beyond the standard fare without losing the listener when seeking higher ground. Part of this comes from the fact that he often composes melodies first and fits forms later for a more liberal 'stream of consciousness' style.

So the sounds below are 14 tunes compiled from his first seven albums. And since AMG offers nothing in the way of even a review of nearly any of these albums, here is a quick snapshot of each with links to info (sometimes not worth much at all - when will labels learn the importance of Internet presence?), a review and the corresponding track numbers to the songs you can hear in the widget:

Cosmos (SoulNote)
Record info here
Track 11 below

How Sweet It Is (Nagel-Heyer)
Record info here / Review here
Track 3, 6, 9 below

Gin Bon (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Record info here
Track 2, 8 below

Jackalope - Saltier Than Ever(Challenge)
Record info here / Concert review here
Track 12 below

It Could Be Anything (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Record info here / Review here
Track 1, 13 below

Trio Alto Volume 1 (Steeplechase)
Record info here / Review here
Track 4, 7 below

Brother's Breakfast (Steeplechase)
Record info here / Review here
Track 5, 10, 14 below

Trio Alto Volume 2 (Steeplechase)
Record info here
Not included below

Blind Date (Pirouet)
Record info here
Not included below

I chose the tracks that have been hitting my ear the most lately. As with any compilation, I know I have missed some gems but honestly, that's why you should buy the albums... And by the way, April of '05 was a productive month producing It Could Be Anything, Trio Alto Volume 1, and Brother's Breakfast. Three albums, three different groups and styles. All strong sounds.

'His future, in my opinion, is so bright it's almost blinding. If he follows that light through, we will benefit from his creative exploration along with him. I love this beautiful world of music we live in. It has given us another wondrous gift: Loren Stillman.'
- Joe Lovano, from the Cosmos liner notes

You can listen below by double clicking a particular song or start from the front by simply pressing the play button below. You can visit Stillman's official website here or on Myspace here. Offer some feedback on this type of post as well while you listen. It has been time consuming, but hopefully a few of you will find you really dig him as much as I do and some of the other people I have recommended him to.

Dig the sounds?

Thelonious Monk

2007-11-19T10:53:00.000-05:00

Running behind today, but found a minute for some Monk...

Buy handmade year round

2007-11-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

As some of you may know, my wife runs a webshop called Circle Circle Dot Dot that sells handmade arts and crafts. I don't mean to hop up on a soapbox, but just like with music, it is imperative to support your local artists in all facets.

I invite you to shop handmade this season, either here [at Circle Circle Dot Dot] or elsewhere. By giving handmade gifts, you can support independent artists & designers, bypass shopping malls and discount marts, and give your friends and family unique gifts handmade with love and care. And if you're really serious, visit Buy Handmade to make a pledge to shop handmade this holiday season.

As always, feel free to get in touch with any questions or comments you may have.

Here's to fun, fruitful and handmade holiday shopping!
- Wendy, web shop owner

Triptych Myth

2007-11-16T21:49:00.000-05:00

The Beautiful

Cooper-Moore - piano
Tom Abbs - acoustic bass
Chad Taylor - drums

Total time: 48:19

Cooper-Moore is his own man, and in a perfect world, more listeners would revere him. Best known for his association with William Parker's groups, Cooper-Moore is capable of creating music with whatever tools and means he has available at the time. Whether playing homemade original instruments such as the xylophone-like ashimba or more conventional ones like flute and piano, he is always involved in the creative process, improvising daily life into concise musical statements.

The first of a series of three planned AUM Fidelity albums by Triptych Myth--a trio comprised of Cooper-Moore on piano, Tom Abbs on acoustic bass, and Chad Taylor on drums--offers another beautiful insight into Cooper-Moore’s world of musical expression. Building on the success of their earlier work, The Beautiful is a deeply affecting album of piano-driven interplay that seamlessly spans a range of jazz genres without a hint of trepidation or a false step.

Cooper-Moore remembers discovering Ahmad Jamal and the power of Charles Mingus when he was twelve, and then later on discovering more free jazz players. The music here reflects his many reference points, but in a wholly original manner replete with post bop timing and runs, nuanced melodies, and free playing that is tethered to the song's framework rather than consisting of simple exploratory blowing till something occurs.

Disposing of these labels throughout, Triptych Myth utilizes its entire musical palette. The bounce of “Papa's Gin In The Chicken Feed” illustrates how the musicians achieve this by simply playing. Built on an undulating figure played by Cooper-Moore, the song is reminiscent of the feel of a sparse Don Pullen trio recording. Cooper-Moore embellishes the melody liberally while still maintaining the flow, eventually subsiding behind Taylor as he takes the fore with a solo that floats above the stated time. Taylor, who has already accumulated a vast body of work through recordings with Fred Anderson and various Chicago Underground configurations, displays the growing prowess of a musician coming into his own.

Triptych Myth is really impressive and surprising when it comes to the more ballad-oriented pieces on the album. Parker describes “Robina Pseudoacacia” as “the most perfect peace of music I have ever heard”; Cooper-Moore's solo piano performance seemingly plucks single notes from the silence and thoughtfully pieces them together to form a whole. “Frida K. The Beautiful,” dedicated to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, “Pooch (for Wilber Morris),” and other tracks warrant similar admiration.

Triptych Myth, driven by Cooper-Moore, has produced an album that will surely find its way on to many year-end lists. All critical recognition aside, Parker notes that this is a recording of the utmost beauty that deserves daily listening. Receptors and communicators, Cooper-Moore, Abbs, and Taylor have found ways to break away from established structures and patterns to create a work of boldness and beauty.

Track Listing: All Up In It; Frida K. The Beautiful; Trident; Spiraling Out; Pooch (for Wilber Morris); A Time To; Last Minute Trip Part One; Last Minute Trip Part Two; Poppa's Gin in the Chicken Feed; Robinia Pseudoacacia.

Personnel: Cooper-Moore: piano; Tom Abbs: bass; Chad Taylor: drums.

This review was originally published at All About Jazz (direct link here). Take a minute to read Cooper-Moore's Megaphone letter at AAJ here.

Music & the Mind

2007-11-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

I try to listen to NPR's Science Friday every week via podcast and a recent segment caught my ear that I thought I would share here:

Why can music sometimes remain in the brain long after other memories fade? Why is it that some people with limited language abilities can sing unimpaired? Neurologist Oliver Sacks talks about his latest book, Musicophilia, and the way music affects the brain.

You can visit the Science Friday page for the story here. Personally, I find this whole area of study utterly fascinating and I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject as well. I have not read Musicophilia yet but it has been added to the Christmas list.

I have read Steven Mithen's The Singing Neanderthals which was a little unwieldy in trying to trace the evolution of music, language and the mind but was fascinating nonetheless and well worth your time.

You can listen via podOmatic by clicking the links below or by visiting the Science Friday website here.

Music & the Mind

Jazz Defined

2007-11-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

I think music as we know it, is autobiographical.
- Julius Hemphill

To me, much of what is charming about so-called jazz music is the sense of possibility. And one of the things I've learned about writing and collective improvisation is that if you place too many limitations upon players, you limit the potential of the performance. If you write the song well, pick the right players, and loosen the reins, then you have the makings of a really exciting collective experience.
- Ron Miles

And some great quotes here at Soundslope along with their corresponding sources...