NZ Jazz: Murray McNabb - Song for the Dream Weaver

Murray McNabb: Song for the Dream Weaver (Mod X Music)

McNabb (p) Ron McClure (b) Adam Nussbaum (d) 1990

On the recordings I've heard so far (Space Case, Dr Tree), McNabb has been largely in the background - aside from his contributions as a composer and arranger - so I was interested to hear in him in the foreground as a soloist and leader.

This is the first time since the series started that I've hung with an album that didn't spike my interest from the start or failed to grow on me much across the month. It's not as if I have given it a single spin, decided it wasn't for me and shelved it. Something about the album made me want to keep going (there have been others that didn't survive the first day or two... but I may return to them another time). As with all the albums in this series, it had multiple listens (most days I've listened to all or most of the album), in different settings (home, car, morning, night, day, headphones, stereo) - but something is missing and I can't put my finger on it.

I don't really like making comparisons, but this month I've been listening to quite a bit of Paul Bley and Lennie Tristano (two of my favourite pianists) and McNabb just doesn't grab me like they do. It just doesn't hit that mystical spot, and in fact, seems a bit pedestrian in comparison. I think it might be a rhythm thing as I get the feeling that most of the energy is being generated by the rhythm section. The drums came to the fore as the piano alone didn't really strike me. While I've heard a bit of Adam Nassbaum, this is by far the most I've concentrated on his work. He adds plenty of color, energy, and swing. 

Overall, McNabb's playing is quite introverted, and that's not a bad thing in itself as the “Hey, look at me... look at what I can do” style is a bit overdone in jazz. It seems crazy, as I have other albums that are equally (or more) introverted that don't seem to bother me. Perhaps it's not an introverted quality, maybe it's that missing mystical quality I can't put my finger on – intensity of purpose?. Or it could just be the state of mind I've been in this month. 

I did go back to the Space Case recordings to check out a couple of tunes that reappear here - “Recurring Dream” and “Dark Windows” (known as “Number Two” during the Space Case days). The jury is still out as to which I preferred, the horns add something on Space Case but I like the intimacy of trio.

One of the big takeaways from this month is thinking about what quality(ies) a particular piece of music (or artist) has that grabs you. When that element(s) is missing, do you know it straight away? If you hang in there, does that element or another one in it's place reveal itself to you? I can't say that hanging with Song For The Dream Weaver during March has helped the album grow on me all that much. Yet strangely, it hasn't put me off McNabb either. I still have another trio album of his to listen to and I'm even more curious to hear his later work – although I'm sure I'll come with a bit of baggage when I listen to those discs.

So it has been bit of an odd month and I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into something else. Stay tuned for more (but probably not from McNabb for a little while at least).

NZ Jazz: Dr Tree

Dr. Tree: Dr. Tree (EMI)
Frank Gibson Jr. (d/perc) Kim Paterson (trpt/perc) Martin Winch (g) John Banks (perc) Bob Jackson (e.bass) Murray McNabb (rhodes/synth) Colin Hemmingsen (ss)

After digging into a few new(er) releases, I felt it was time to get into something a little older. I can’t say I listen to much fusion (occasionally some early electric Miles, Fourth Way, and other bits and pieces here and there), so this month has been a change of pace curtesy some jazz-rock fusion by Dr. Tree. This self-titled disc was the sole release from the group featuring some of the heavy weights of the NZ scene. The group won the 1976 Recording Arts Talent Award for "Best New Artist" and "Recording Artist/Group of the Year."

Dr. Tree is definitely at the rock end of the fusion spectrum (with touches of world music and some funkiness too). It’s pretty high energy throughout - not surprising when Frank Gibson Jr is at the helm. He's pretty busy, and some of the over-the-top fills aren't to my taste, but it's fitting for the music I guess. A little more variety would be nice as everything tends to tear along - a spacious ballad would have been a welcome addition. 

A bit more tonal variety from guitar and keys may have helped too. I found Martin Winch's guitar to be on the bright and trebley side and it became a bit tiring on my ears. And there is something about his phrasing/articulation that didn't sit with me - possibly it was something about the way the effects affected the phrasing. As a result (and probably partly due to my horn player bias rearing it’s head), I did prefer the times when Paterson (and Hemmingsen) were at the fore, as they provided a welcome bit of non-electricity. Paterson plays with plenty of energy and I want to hear more from him. I must get the live recording with Bernie McGann from the 60s as I have very little jazz by Kiwis from that decade (side note: Kim recently uploaded a video on Facebook playing solo in the bush – sounded great!).

During the 80s, Gibson, Paterson and McNabb would play together in Space Case and the intro to “Transition” brought to mind Murray McNabb's “Recurring Dream” from the first Space Case album (McNabb was the arranger for Dr Tree). McNabb takes bit of a back seat as far as soloing goes. But from the little I've heard from him that seems to be the case. I'm keen to check out his trio disc I have on the pile that awaits.

I got the feeling that the music is about the grooves, textures and energy rather than placing an emphasis on individual soloists. But everyone got some room to move with Bob Jackson getting featured on “Vulcan Worlds” and Frank stretching out on “One for Dianne” - which has an almost frenetic energy during the melody statements.

I couldn't help but think of 70s/80s TV themes as the melody kicked in on “Eugino D” (and to a lesser degree on “Vulcan Worlds”). The former is the track I listened to the most - likely due to the guest appearance of Colin Hemmingsen. It's a bonus for me as it's the earliest recording I have of Colin - plus he's on soprano. The playing may not have the continuity as his later work but there's plenty of energy and some nice twists and turns. 

Of course, I'm listening to Dr Tree with today's ears and the album sounds very much of its time. But what was this album like in the 70s for a jazz fan (or rock fan) from New Zealand? Were any other local groups recording jazz fusion in the 1970s? And while I’ve enjoyed giving this disc a spin, I think I’ve had my fill of jazz-rock fusion for now. Having said that, Dr Tree is an important record in New Zealand's jazz history so do check it out.

NZ Jazz: Space Case - Retrospective

Space Case - Retrospective (ALMA/CDMANU)

One of the things I like about this series is that it will lead me to albums I may normally pass by. I can’t say I’m much of a fusion fan, but if I skipped Space Case while undertaking this listening project I would be missing out on a significant group comprised of some the veterans of the New Zealand jazz scene - Murray McNabb (keyboards) Frank Gibson Jr. (d/perc) Kim Paterson (trpt/flugel) Brian Smith (ts/ss) Bruce Lynch (b). Andy Brown replaces Lynch after the first album. No doubt I will be encountering these names again (and again!) as the series continues. They weren't strangers to fusion - Brian Smith was a founding member of Ian Carr's group Nucleus, while Kim Paterson and Murray McNabb were part of the Frank Gibson Jr. led Dr. Tree (I plan to get to that eventually). Also, trumpeter Claudio Roditi bassist Ron McClure appear on two tracks on the second album.

This 2-disc set combines Space Case One (1981), Space Case Two (1983), and Space Case Three (1985). The fusion of Space Case comes from the meeting of funk, latin, and jazz streams, with little in the way of the rock. It’s quite a clean, slick sound rather than some of the raw, exploratory examples from the beginnings of fusion. About half of the tunes are by McNabb and Smith with the rest from the other members of the group (although none from Paterson). The exception is the final track of the set - Wayne Shorter’s “Delores.” Production aesthetics aside, some of the tracks sound a bit dated ("Knight," "Funk City"), but I find this less of a problem on the more hardbop-esque pieces (such as “Paratutu,” “Beaver Fever,” “J.C.A,” “Number Two” etc.). Hanging with the album this month has caused a few of the tunes to stick in my mind and I‘ve caught myself singing "Recurring Dream," "Brothers," "Southern Excursion" and "Number Two" on a number of occasions.

I may been displaying my saxophone bias, but initially I felt Brian Smith was the standout soloist (“Knight,” “Boat People,” “Paratutu”). His soprano tone is a bit nasal on the first album but it fills out later on, with the tone on "Beaver Fever" being a more pleasing to my tastes. The nasal quality is something I hear in many soprano tones from this period (and earlier in the 70s) - I'm not sure how much this was to do with conception, if it was a by-product of the recording process, or a combination of both. 

Kim Paterson has some nice moments too - lyrical at times, more fiery at others. I particularly enjoyed his flugel playing in duo with Gibson on “Delores,” his fleetness on "Albert," and the fire on "Southern Excursion" (all from the final album). Side note: Brian Smith recorded the album Southern Excursion around that same time. I'm not sure if it has been reissued but I’ve added it to the list.

I had heard a bit about Murray McNabb but wasn't very familiar with his work. I found his playing as a soloist somewhat underwhelming, lacking the assertiveness of his bandmates. I dug his sneaky "Miles"/Milestones" quote during Paterson's solo on “Paratutu.” A few years later “Recurring Dream” would reappear on Song for the Dream Weaver, McNabb’s trio album with Ron McLure and Adam Nussbaum, and I'm interested to hear how he fares in that setting (I will get to it eventually).    

Frank Gibson’s playing is creative, high energy and on the money throughout the set. It’s that busy approach common in fusion that I don’t really care for, but he does it really well. In fact, from an instrumental standpoint, Gibson is the dominant voice on these three albums. As this series progresses I will be hearing a lot more of the Gibson-Andy Brown pairing.

Although I had watched a video on youtube of Space Case performing on "Nock on Jazz," I was expecting things to be a bit more fusion-y than they ended up being. And while many jazz projects can be short lived or one-offs, it's nice to hear the same group (pretty much) develop over three albums. I would put down Space Case 1 as the most fusion-y. Space Case 2 straddles the first and third albums and in 1983 it was a finalist for jazz album of the year - they lost out to Rodger Fox (I'm currently compiling a list of the winners and finalists - stay tuned for more). Space Case 3 is less fusion-y than the previous two albums. Could this be a reflection of the "Young Lions" thing that was happening in the 80s with acoustic jazz becoming fashionable again?

It’s great that these albums have been reissued but it would have been even better had they included facsimiles of the original covers and notes too. Now someone needs to put together Fourth Way and Sustenance retrospectives ASAP!