Select a month

Back to The Archives

tunes Archive

Mark Dresser Seven – Sedimental You – Trem Azul/Clean Feed

by Audiophile Audition | Mar 13, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

A timely jazz treatise of current events (and more). Mark Dresser Seven – Sedimental You [TrackList follows] – Trem Azul/Clean Feed CF385CD, 67:17 [12/9/16] ****: (Nicole Mitchell – soprano and alto flute; Michael Dessen – trombone; Marty Ehrlich – clarinet, bass clarinet; David Morales Boroff – violin; Joshua White – piano; Jim Black – drums, percussion; Mark Dresser – contrabass) Contrabassist Mark Dresser is a luminary in forward-thinking jazz. For ten years, he performed with the Anthony Braxton Quartet, and has worked with Anthony Davis, Jane Ira Bloom, Tim Berne, John Zorn and scores of others. As a leader, he has released close to 15 recordings and done numerous other projects, which include new music for classic films, theater productions, commissioned performances, and he’s been on progressive jazz/improvisation labels such as Clean Feed, Tzadik, Cryptogramophone and more. Dresser’s latest is the 67-minute, seven-track Sedimental You, which showcases his septet: Dresser on contrabass; drummer Jim Black; trombonist Michael Dessen; violinist David Morales Boroff; clarinetist Marty Ehrlich; pianist Joshua White; and flutist Nicole Mitchell. Two things are paramount throughout Sedimental You. This is music conceived specifically for the seven instrumentalists, who bring substantial contributions and inventiveness. The other is the overt political […]

Amendola vs. Blades – Greatest Hits – Sazi

by Audiophile Audition | Jan 17, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

Camaraderie and friendship on full display. Amendola vs. Blades – Greatest Hits [TrackList follows] – Sazi sr004, 47:39 [10/7/16] *****: (Scott Amendola – drums, cymbals, co-producer; Wil Blades – Hammond B-3, Hohner Clavinet, co-producer) What is the sound of deep-rooted friendship? Cajoling and jokes. Finishing each other’s sentences. And in case of drummer Scott Amendola and keyboardist Wil Blades [yes, he spells his first name with only one ‘l’], it’s the sound of music. The two San Francisco Bay Area musicians began performing together on stage as Amendola vs. Blades a decade ago. The 47-minute Greatest Hits is the duo’s debut recording. Of course the title is tongue-in-cheek, since the seven tunes will be new to most. Some of the compositions were recorded by Amendola and Blades for other projects, so fans might recognize some of the music. When the twosome decided it was finally time (and they had the time) to put their artistry onto tape, it was important to maintain an impromptu vibe. Amendola explains, “It’s all about keeping it fresh and keeping the audience engaged.” Which is why they turned Greatest Hits into a live recording, taped during two evening concerts inside an intimate downtown Oakland music […]

Lee Konitz / Kenny Wheeler Quartet – Olden Times – Live At Birdland – Neuburg Double Moon

by Audiophile Audition | Dec 29, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Lee Konitz / Kenny Wheeler Quartet – Olden Times – Live At Birdland – Neuburg Double Moon DMCHR 71146, 78:31 ****: Time has not diminished the astounding expressiveness of these two musical innovators. (Lee Konitz – alto saxophone/ Kenny Wheeler – trumpet, Flugelhorn/ Frank Wunsch – piano; Gunnar Plümer – drums) It would be futile to attempt to categorize the Lee Konitz / Kenny Wheeler Quartet re-release Olden Times. Both Konitz and Wheeler are unique players and have been associated with jazz categories as diverse as cool, post-bop, and avant-guarde. The music on this album probably fits all of these possibilities, and more. The original release of Olden Times was originally in 2000, but for a variety of reasons never caught on with the listening public, disappeared without a trace, and rarely showed up in most discographies. This remastering has enhanced the listening experience and the music is filled with thought and vitality. All of the tunes were written by the various band members, with Konitz and Wheeler carrying the bulk of the load. Konitz starts off the session with his own composition “Lennie’s” which begins abruptly with Konitz leaning into the number. Filled with long improvisation alto lines, it […]

Nate Lepine Quartet: Vortices – ears&eyes

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 28, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Saxophonist Nate Lepine: helping put the new Chicago sound on the musical map. Nate Lepine Quartet: Vortices – ears&eyes ee:16-054, 44:48 [9/30/16] ****: (Clark Sommers – bass; Nick Mazzarella – alto saxophone; Nate Lepine – tenor saxophone; Quin Kirchner – drums) Jazz fans may not realize it, but Chicago is a city with a vibrant jazz scene with talented musicians who regularly move outside of the jazz norm. For instance, tenor saxophonist Nate Lepine often goes toward the edges where free improvisation meets composed jazz. He cultivates material which has one step in the past and one foot in the ever-changing present. A sense of shifting between straightforward and forward-thinking permeates Lepine’s 44-minute debut, titled Quartet: Vortices. Alongside Lepine are other Chicago jazz artists who appreciate Lepine’s musical vision: bassist Clark Sommers (who has performed with Brian Blade, Bennie Maupin, Jeff Parker, and others); alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella (who has participated in other Chicago-based improv/jazz groups); and drummer Quin Kirchner (who has connections to Chicago bands such as Bill MacKay’s Darts & Arrows, the Rob Clearfield Trio and Old Door Phantoms). This foursome brings sympathetic perception to Lepine’s 11 originals, which range from whirlwind tunes to wafting cuts which have […]

John Lee Hooker – The Modern, Chess & Vee-Jay Singles And Collection 1949-1962 – Acrobat Music (4 CDs)

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 5, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

John Lee Hooker – The Modern, Chess & Vee-Jay Singles And Collection 1949-1962 – Acrobat Music ACQCD7103 (4-CDs) mono box set [10/7/16] ****1/2: This is a seminal anthology of a blues icon. (John Lee Hooker – guitar & vocals) Among the icons of blues, John Lee Hooker stands tall. In classic legendary cult persona, his birthplace is one of two places in Mississippi. But that’s Delta country and Hooker would represent the sub-genre with his own inimitable style. in 1948, he recorded the standard “Boogie Chillen” in Detroit, which was released on Modern Records out of Los Angeles. The single became the biggest “race” record of 1949, launching a memorable career. Throughout his years with various labels including Modern, Chess, Vee-Jay, Atlantic, and Verve (and others), he added songs like “Boom Boom”, “Crawling King Snake” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” to the blues landscape. His early work was renown for its unusual rhythmic structures (which made it difficult for musicians to accompany) and guitar-based boogie music. Due to money (or lack of money issues), Hooker recorded a lot of music under assumed names. Acrobat Music has released a 4-CD box set highlighting Hooker’s catalog with Modern, Chess and […]

BIZET: Carmen Suites 1 & 2; L’Arlesienne Suites 1 & 2 – London Sym. Orch./ Neville Marriner – Pentatone

by Audiophile Audition | Oct 5, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Pentatone restores Sir Neville Marriner’s intensely effective 1978 Bizet suites. BIZET: Carmen Suites 1 & 2; L’Arlesienne Suites 1 & 2 – London Sym. Orch./ Neville Marriner – Pentatone multichannel SACD PTC 5186 234, 65:10 (4.0 channels) [Distr. by Naxos] (7/8/16) ****: Composer Georges Bizet (1838-1875), tragically and ironically, died suddenly in June 1875, only three months after the unsuccessful première of his opera Carmen at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, 3 March 1875. The opera’s première in Vienna in October that same year scored a global triumph, a Pyrrhic victory for a composer who thought this most revered opera a dismal failure. A fellow student of Bizet, Ernest Guirand, collated the suites from selected arias and scenes he had arranged for a version of the opera in Vienna. Neville Marriner, for this 1978 recording, includes the Seguidilla, which would otherwise consist of originally instrumental pieces. On this album they are combined with the Arlésienne suites No. 1 and 2, Bizet’s other hugely popular set of orchestral suites, which are taken (1879) from the incidental music he had composed for L’Arlésienne, a tragedy by French novelist Alphonse Daudet. The suites from both scores, having become thoroughly familiar, it suffices to applaud […]

The Claudia Quintet – Super Petite – Cuneiform

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 12, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

The Claudia Quartet shares musical sketches from life incorporating travel, song, news, movies and more. The Claudia Quintet – Super Petite [TrackList follows] – Cuneiform, Rune 427, 47:21 [6/24/16] ****: (John Hollenbeck – drums, percussion; Red Wierenga – accordion; Matt Moran – vibraphone; Drew Gress – acoustic bass; Chris Speed – clarinet/tenor saxophone) Some writers prefer the conciseness and tight structure of short stories to the length of novels. There’s a nebulousness to characters and pensive situations where the reader has to fill in some details. One of Raymond Carver’s short story collections was called Short Cuts, and that’s an apt analogy to drummer/composer John Hollenbeck’s 47-minute Super Petite, the eighth release with his long-standing Claudia Quintet. Whereas some jazz artists gravitate to making albums or musical projects prolonged and larger, Hollenbeck took the opposite approach and focused on penning shorter compositions (although one piece on Super Petite is over eight minutes). Hollenbeck states in his liner notes, “Many of these compositions came from studies or ideas that I wanted to practice or explore—and through further exploration, they organically evolved into musical portraits or musical shorts.” Hollenbeck’s work has been and continues to be modernistic, and spans contemporary jazz and […]

Houston Person & Ron Carter – Chemistry – HighNote

by Audiophile Audition | Aug 4, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Houston Person & Ron Carter – Chemistry [TrackList follows] – HighNote HCD 7293 49:25 ****: An exuberant release from a definitive bassist and an earthy tenor saxophonist. (Houston Person – tenor saxophone; Ron Carter – bass) The word chemistry springs from the word alchemy which in its very early etymology was often seen as linked to the search to turn common metals such as iron into gold. This release is called Chemistry from Houston Person and Ron Carter, and the intermediate process has been eliminated, resulting in pure gold. In this session of standards, the tunes have been culled from the American Songbook with the intention of providing unabashed look at life, love youth and beauty. So if you want to hear two masters at work, playing off and for each other, this is the place to be. In addition, the dean of recording engineers Rudy Van Gelder brought his artistry to the session giving both instruments a deep full approachable sound that was a hallmark of his style. Miles Davis’ first great quintet recorded “Bye Bye Blackbird” and although Ron Carter was in the second iteration of the group, he was fully aware of the connection to the band. […]

Dave Miller – Old Door Phantoms – ears & eyes

by Audiophile Audition | Jun 12, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Multi-genre instrumental album of the year. Dave Miller – Old Door Phantoms [TrackList follows] ears & eyes ee:16-046, 44:59 [4/1/16] ****: (Dave Miller – guitar, Mellotron; Ben Boye – pianet, Wurlitzer electric piano, Mellotron; Matt Ulery – Fender bass; Quin Kirchner – drums, percussion) You can’t peg guitarist Dave Miller. He’s juxtaposes jazz, rock and pop influences on his first solo outing, the 45-minute Old Door Phantoms. Miller is experienced at genre-jumping, having performed with John Hollenbeck, Theo Bleckmann, Dan Tepfer, Colin Stranahan, Jeff Parker and many more from the improvisation/jazz scene. Miller taped his new album at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio located in Chicago, which is renowned for the many rock acts that have spent time there. Listening to these eight tracks is like being in a single room with Miller and his band: it has the impression and purity of a live recording, where the sound is analog-warm and the instruments seem to blend rather than be isolated. Miller’s quartet was well chosen. Keyboardist Ben Boye has worked alongside roots singer Bonnie “Prince” Billy and outsider jazz group Darts & Arrows. Bassist Matt Ulery has released several records replete with beauty, depth and imagination. And drummer Quin […]

Julian Lage, guitar – Arclight – Mack Ave.

by Audiophile Audition | Apr 18, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Guitarist Julian Lage plugs in. Julian Lage – Arclight [TrackList follows] – Mack Ave. MAC1107, 36:45 [3/11/16] ****: (Julian Lage – guitar; Kenny Wollesen – drums, percussion; Scott Colley – bass) In the rock music community, going unplugged (or primarily concentrating on acoustic instruments) is enough of an unusual turn it becomes a special event. In the jazz realm, it’s the opposite for some artists. Young guitarist Julian Lage (who isn’t yet 30) is as an example of plugging in and adding amplification and electricity. Lage’s 37-minute outing, Arclight, is the first time he’s employed electric guitar—specifically a Fender Telecaster, which Lage considers “the most refined embodiment of the modern guitar.” Arclight also marks other firsts for Lage. This is his debut on the Mack Avenue label (home to Herlin Riley, Christian McBride and Cyrille Aimée); and the first time Lage has recorded in a trio format: he’s superbly supported by double bassist Scott Colley (Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Brian Blade and more) and drummer Kenny Wollesen (a busy rock and jazz percussionist who has collaborated with David Byrne and has worked extensively with both Bill Frisell and John Zorn). Arclight follows Lage’s first completely solo record, World’s Fair (2015) […]

Florian Hoefner Group – Luminosity – Origin

by Audiophile Audition | Mar 8, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Musical storytelling which mixes compositional originality with instrumental brilliance. Florian Hoefner Group – Luminosity [TrackList follows] – Origin 82706, 54:28 [1/15/16] ****: (Seamus Blake – tenor and soprano saxophone; Florian Hoefner – piano; Sam Anning – bass; Peter Kronreif – drums) Stepping outside one’s comfort zone is a time-honored tradition in jazz. Pianist Florian Hoefner—born and raised in Germany and who finished his jazz education in Manhattan—took that journey a bit further than most. In 2014, he relocated from NYC to the isolated city of St. John’s in Canada’s farthest easterly province, Newfoundland. Not a hotbed of jazz, but the rugged and scenic area offered a place where Hoefner could and did focus his creativity. The result is Hoefner’s new quartet album, Luminosity, his third outing as a leader and one which exhibits growth, development and thoughtful complexity. The eight tunes (all Hoefner originals) total 54 minutes and were specifically composed for Hoefner’s international group, which also comprises tenor and soprano saxophonist Seamus Blake (who grew up on the west coast of Canada; runs his own quintet; and has been a regular with the Mingus Big Band); bassist Sam Anning (an Australian who resides in NYC and has worked with […]