More from Kazzrie Jaxen

As I mentioned earlier the music of Kazzrie Jaxen has been pumping out of the speakers of late.

Released in late 2013, A Million Shimmering Fish (New Artists Records NA1057) comes from a 2010 duo concert with writer Mark Weber at the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The album draws largely from the first set - the 10-part poem sequence "Undulations Water & Clouds." For the most part, the format has Mark speaking followed Kazzrie freely improvising with exceptions being parts 3 & 5, where Kazzrie improvises as Mark speaks. At first I was a little disappointed with the lack of concurrent playing, but I was soon drawn into it and the sense of space it gave the album as a whole. The breaks following the poems had me waiting in anticipation for the surprises Kazzrie had in store (her playing is breathtaking).
Part 3, "On Breathing Down The Spine" also appears on Live at The Stone/NYC (New Artists Records 1046) with Mark appearing alongside the Connie Crothers Quartet.
The last four pieces come from the concert's second set - one solo piano piece ("Catharsis"), two pieces that feature Kazzire's vocals (in addition to piano) along with text from Mark ("Timebounce" & "How Deep Is The Ocean") and a delightfully fun encore. An engaging duo.

Mark has posted about the concert and the album (including the text for "Undulations") along with photographs on his blog - I wonder if the 2nd set (Kazzrie solo) will get released?

My introduction to Kazzrie's music came via the New Artists Records sampler disc which contains "Shine The Warrior's Heart" from her 1998 solo piano album For The Beauty Of The Earth (New Artists Records NA1030). I picked up not too long after hearing the sampler disc.

Around that time (2003 & early 2004) some albums that had plenty of repeated listens included:
Richard Tabnik - In The Moment (NA1015) and Life At The Core (NA1016). The trio and quartet albums that I discovered by chance at Tower Records online (if you can imagine that!).
Connie Crothers - Perception (SCCD31022)
Connie Crothers Quartet Ontology (New Artists NA1035)
These two albums of Connie's would accompany me on late night walks from Newtown over to Lyall Bay.
Lenny Popkin - Self-titled trio album on Lifeline Records (LR101) with Rich Califano (b) and Carol Tristano (d)
I was living in a flat with three other musicians and I remember them all being into trumpeter Terence Blanchard at the time. They had a live recording of his group that went on to record Bounce for Blue Note (I think it was from an IAJE performance that one of them went to). For whatever reason, it just didn't grab me. However, the half a dozen albums listed above did.

Kazzrie Jaxen

Due to a couple of recent releases of late, I have been listening to Kazzrie Jaxen (formerly known as Liz Gorrill). For those of you unfamiliar with her work, you're in for a treat.

First up…. Callicoon Sessions (Candence Jazz Records CJR1243, 2013) by the The Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet with Charley Krachy (ts) Don Messina (b) Bill Chatin (d).

During the second half of 2009, I started playing with Don and Bill (along with Carol Liebowitz & Will Jhun) and they mentioned that the quartet had started playing together. In fact, "My Melancholy Baby" comes from the quartets' very first session together. The individual histories are much longer. Bill & Kazzrie go back to the early 70s, Charley & Kazzrie the late 70s (first recording together is from 1989), while Don & Bill have been playing together for about 30 years.

I feel these long standing relationships play an important role underpinning the eight standard tunes and one free improvisation. There is a casual, playful feel throughout the album, very much akin to old friends catching up.

"Foolin' Myself" somehow got lost amongst the shuffle and is seldom played these days. If you are looking to add some underplayed tunes to your repertoire this one is a gem.

Having heard Charley play "My Foolish Heart" live, I was keen to hear the quartets' interpretation - it didn't disappoint. Nobody over plays their hand - timely fills are added in the bass, piano accompaniment is supportive yet creative, swirling brushes and cymbals create a subtle wash and the melody is presented quite "straight" but with plenty of feeling (with out resulting to milking it). During the saxophone solo, the melody is never far away.

Contrast follows in "You Stepped Out Of A Dream." It kicks off with a  piano/drum duet of blurring lines, dense chords and crisp ride & snare that is full steam ahead.

The free improvisation "Callicoon" is made up of two parts "The River" & "The Train." The quartet move out of flowing pulse that is a feature of the album and break things up with rubato/free time and hinting at a shifting pulse.

Don gets a pretty sweet recorded sound from a DAT recorder and a single stereo microphone. He has recorded a number albums this way (the three BMC Trio discs, Jimmy Halperin's Cycle Logical and an album he and Bill made with Jon Easton, probably others too). Sometimes it makes me wonder why there can be so much fuss over studios and such.

I got my copy from CD Baby. It only arrived a couple of days ago but has already had multiple spins.

Of her two duets with guitarist Andy Fite I have been listening to Cosmic Comedy (New Artists Records 1012) - from a September 1990 concert at Greenwich House. These duets are excellent examples of the unlimited nature of tunes from the Great American Songbook. The two albums are full of surprising twists and turns, it feels like the music could go anywhere at anytime. The music goes places.

The Whammies at Constellation

Jorrit Dijkstra (Alto Sax/Lyricon) Pandolis Karayorgis (Piano) Jeb Bishop (Trombone) Mary Oliver (Violin/Viola) Jason Roebke (Bass… Nate McBride on the albums) &  Han Bennink (Drums) make up The Whammies. And they were at Constellation on Saturday night playing the music of Steve Lacy (with one from Thelonious Monk added along the way).

Being a fan of Lacy I was interested to hear not only what compositions they played, but where they took the music.
A lot of the music Lacy debuted during the 1970s and there was quite a bit I had not heard or wasn't that familiar with such as "Skirts," "Threads" & "Lumps." Others I was more familiar with - "Feline", "Revolutionary Suicide", "As Usual" Monk's "Shuffle Boil"

The addition of the lyricon to the line-up had me curious. My only other experiences with similar instruments (the EWI) left me disappointed. This was not the case with Dijkstra who was creative in sonically and as an improviser. He displayed plenty of taste and didn't over do things.

For me, the second set seemed a little stronger overall with more variety in the tunes and improvisation. Mary Oliver had a very nice solo on "Pregnant Virgin" and "Feline" was hauntingly beautiful - the trio of piano, violin and lyricon blended superbly. The sextet finished off the night with "As Usual" which included the most perfectly timed smashed glass in the audience I've heard. In one of the quieter moments and right at the end of a phrase…. SMASH!!… It fit so well into the music I wouldn't have been surprised if the culprit was Han Bennink (who roared with approval and rushed to the front of the stage as the audience cracked up). A wonderful moment.

I left with a smile and a copy of the groups latest album, The Whammies Play The Music Of Steve Lacy Vol.2 (Driff Records 1303) - mostly due to Vol.2 having a few more tunes on it - Time to add it to this week's playlist.

Solo Mix Tape

With the wintery blast taking hold of Chicago (and the rest of the U.S) I decided to use some of the time I had indoors to put together a mix tape/playlist of solos (at both regular and half speed) that I want to spent time with this year. Here's what has made the list so far, with more still to be added.

Apparently it is "Sitting In."

Roy Eldridge
"Body and Soul"
"Stardust"
"Sittin' In" (I also included Chu Berry's solo)
These three tracks come from a session in 1938 for Commodore released under Chu Berry's name with Clyde Hart (p) Danny Barker (g) Artie Shapiro (b) Sid Catlett (d).

Warne Marsh
"Remember" (Live at Birdland 1949)
One of my favourite solos from Marsh. Based on "I'll Remember April."

Charlie Parker
"All of Me"
"I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me"
These two tracks were recorded with Lennie Tristano and Kenny Clarke in 1951.

Lennie Tristano
"Line Up" 
One of Tristano's best known solos. There was a time when I was listening to this solo everyday. I'm looking forward to sharing some time with it again.

Lester Young
"Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" (two takes of Tenor and Clarinet solos)
I plan to add the remaining tracks from 1938 on the Kansas City Sessions (Commodore) when I get the chance.

There are still a few others I would like to add… some more by Tristano and Lee Konitz to start.

cold weather listening

Over the past week, I have been listening to a few discs from the Masters of Jazz series of tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray.

The disc starts out with some tracks with the Earl Hines Big Band from 1944 - some of his earliest recordings.

Live performances from Gene Norman produced "Just Jazz" concert in 1947 with players such as Howard McGee (trpt), Sonny Criss (as), Dodo Marmarosa & Errol Garner (p) - there is a picture from this concert on this Wardell Gray fan-site. From the same year, tenor duels with Dexter Gordon - "The Chase" & "The Hunt."

It's probably been over 10 years since I listened to more than just a track or two (mostly his work with Bird in 1947) of Gray's playing. I remember listening to one of his LPs (I think it was one of the Memorial Albums) at the Wellington City Library. At the time I was living a block away from the Library and would stop in regularly after school or dinner and listen to some LPs. Another LP I remember listening to quite a bit was Clifford Brown & Max Roach Live at The Beehive and some albums by Eric Dolphy too.

Then today, as temperatures dropped to -25C, a couple of albums from Al Cohn got some air time.

Cohn On The Saxophone (Dawn, 1956)
Frank Rehak (trb) Hank Jones (p) Milt Hinton (b) Osie Johnson (d)

Al Cohn's Tone (Savoy)
The album comes out of two sessions. The first, in July 1950, with George Wallington (p) Tommy Potter (b) Tiny Khan (d). The second is from June 1953 with Nick Travis (trpt) Horace Silver (p) Curly Russell (b) Max Roach (d)

Nice swinging, uncomplicated playing.

Recent Listening: End of 2013

It has been a while since I last checked in. Here are a few albums that have been making the rounds.

When I stumbled upon Owls Talk (Hote Marge 2010) I had know idea who Alexandra Grimal was. It was the other personnel that grabbed my eye - Gary Peacock (b) Paul Motian (d) & Lee Konitz (as). Grimal splits time between tenor and soprano, and I feel the latter suits her best. Lyrical and open interplay from all, plenty of space and in general the album has an unhurried feel to it. Very nice recorded sound too.

Le Vent et la Gorge (Leo 2012) is the latest from the Frank Gratkowski Quartet with Gratkowski  (as/cl/b.cl/contrabass cl) Wolter Wierbos (tb) Dieter Manderschied (b) Gerry Hemingway (d).

The first part of the album is the 8-part suite "Harm-oh-nie," mixing up composed and improvised material -which at times is very hard to differentiate (a good thing). The piece tends to alter movements of held notes/multiphonics/harmonics/glissandi with more rhythmically aggressive movements. The movements are quite short, most fall between 3 and 5 minutes and this helps keep things moving.

The second part of the album is made up of four pieces, three of which are longer works (between 9 and 17 minutes) - I have only given these an initial listen. Perhaps I will report back once I've spent some more time with them. I'm sure the quartet members long association together (formed from the Gratkowski trio in 2000)  plays a role in the ensemble sound they create. This blurb from Gratkowski's website sums up the group well, "In the music of the quartet, I am trying to form a synthesis of composition and improvisation where all instruments have equal functions to build a unified whole."

The Rock On The Hill (Nato 2011) by the trio Lol Coxhill (ss) Barre Phillips (b) JT Bates (d) has been as nice surprise. It has only been in the last year that I have started listening to Coxhill and I find his playing quite fascinating. Not nearly as virtuosic as Steve Lacy or Evan Parker but he is most definitely his own man. There's something about his tone that draws me in. The seven improvisations that make up the album move through moments that are lyrical, abstract, calm, minimal, light, and there's even some groove in there. It's an album with plenty of space and the trio work very well together with Coxhill & Phillips taking the lead. A good one to check out if you have an interest in less frenetic free improvising.

WKCR Frank Wess Memorial Broadcast

Columbia University's WKCR 89.9FM is commemorating the life of Tenor Sax/Flautist Frank Wess with memorial broadcast from 6pm Thursday October 31 - 9pm Friday November 1st (Eastern Time). Tune in!