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New Standards Vol. 1 Candid Records
The flip side of Terri Lyne Carrington’s aforementioned fake book (see feature article here), this album covers 11 of its pieces. For the purpose, she has put together a core quintet comprised of Nicolas Payton (trumpet), Matthew Stevens (sax), Kris Davis (piano), Linda May Han Oh (double bass), all held together by the drummer-leader. Several special guests make cameo apperances along the way, the likes of Ravi Coltrane (tenor sax), Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Dianne Reeves and Melanie Charles (voices), and Julian Lage (guitar). Released some four months ago on pretty well all listening platforms, and available in both CD and double LP formats, this hour-long album is actually the first in a series that will reprise all 101 compositions. The selections and performances are most listener-friendly, with several mid-tempos and almost half with vocals. The final cut, Rounds by pianist Marilyn Crispell, is the most energetic one of the set, with Akinmusire taking advantage of its more open form and cutting loose. A long-term undertaking awaits Carrington and company, and listeners ought to expect many more hours from them in years to come. (Listen to soundbyte here)
For the Love of Fire and Water – Myra Melford’s Fire and Water Quintet / RogueArt ROG0119
Those hip to today’s cutting-edge jazz scene surely know of the French imprint Rogue Art for its adventurous music, the musicians of this album notwithstanding. Leading the charge of this quintet date is pianist Myra Melford, with Ingrid Laubrock (tenor, soprano saxes), Mary Halvorson (guitar), Susie Ibarra (drums) and Tomeka Reid (cello) filling out the roster. This A-Team of women jazzers take us along on a 45-minute ride in an almost uninterrupted fashion, the divisions between the 10 tracks barely noticeable. Known for her good compositional chops, the pianist’s pieces are somewhat curt and appear fleetingly between long stretches of group or individual improvisations. For this listener, however, the music never really takes off at any point, as if the band was meeting in the studio and relying on its wits to make it through. But then again, it might it be a matter of expecting too much from this lineup with so much depth to it. Hard to tell. Best to let listeners decide for themselves. (Listen to soundbyte here)
The Ostara Project / Cellar Live CM021422
Unlike the previous band of heavy hitters, the septet of this recording does not measure up in terms of notoriety, but that does not diminish its value as a unit. With the exception of trumpeter Rachel Therrien, who see-saws between Montreal and the Big Apple, her cohorts still make Canada their home. Hailing from Toronto are guitarist Jocelyn Gould, saxophonist Allison Au and pianist Amanda Tosoff, formerly of Vancouver, the home base of the band’s remaining Members, bassist Jodi Proznick, drummer Sanah Kadoura and vocalist Joanna Majoko, the city where this group convened to record their début. The band name, which is that of the recording, stems from the Ancient Germanic goddess of the spring equinox, an apt choice considering the very upbeat musical offerings. All members chip in with one piece during this 45-minute side, one being a complete remake of the standard Bye Bye Blackbird by the singer, so altered from the original that one would not have known were it not for the lyrics. From blues to Latin, a ballad and a touch of funk, variety is the spice of this group’s life, played neatly by all and at times a little too close for comfort. Also worth mentioning are the wordless vocals of the singer that blend nicely into the instrumental lines. (Listen to soundbyte here)
Zodiac Suite: Reassured /Jeong Lim Yang / Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT 641
New to this reviewer is the Korean double bassist Jeong Lim Yang. In this outing, she tackles a historical work, pianist Mary Lou Williams’s Zodiac Suite. This pianist was an adept composer-arranger who wrote charts for swing era bands and remained active until her death in 1981 at, age 70. But playing jazz was no piece of cake back then for women in a world of men who offered them little more than being the band’s girl singer or, occasionally, the piano chair. The suite heard here in its entirety consists of a cycle of 12 pieces bearing the names of the astrological signs. Yang follows in her illustrious predecessor’s footsteps by performing it in the same piano trio format as the original of 1947, this version with two first-rate colleagues: pianist Santiago Leibson and drummer Gerald Cleaver. With one exception, they respect the track sequence of the original, ending its hour-plus jaunt with an eloquent tribute of Yang entitled Madam, Thank You, Madam. Kudos to all concerned for breathing new life into this extended work, which has been revisited in the past, yet with nearly not all of the commitment on display here, and in such a way as to make it sound like a work of our time rather than as a museum piece. (Listen to soundbyte here)
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