Music for Commuting: Alan Broadbent

Alan Broadbent has been keeping me company on the roads this week. Of these three discs, my preference is for the trio outings - Better Days and Over The Fence. The additional personnel on Together Again doesn't really do it for me. I've heard Gary Foster play better, and Chuck Manning doesn't feel like the right fit for the group. I do like to hear Broadbent backing a vocalist (check out his superb work with Irene Kral), but my favorite moments were when it was just Broadbent with bass and drums. I've really enjoyed Frank Gibson Jr's playing across the albums. Perhaps a little more understated that some of his work - tasty and swinging and he pairs nicely with Broadbent. If you like some classy, piano-led, mainstream (with personality), swinging jazz, Alan Broadbent is worth checking out. Whenever I listen to him, I always wonder why I haven't listened to him more. In some ways he reminds me a bit of Harvey Diamond - coming out of the Tristano tradition with a mainstream twist and with repertoire that falls a little outside of tunes associated with Tristano and players associated with him. It has been refreshing.

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: Broadbent/Chisholm/Brown/Gibson - Fine and Dandy

Fine and Dandy (Ode) 

Alan Broadbent (p) George Chisholm (trpt/flugel) Andy Brown (b) Frank Gibson Jr. (d)

A couple of months ago a friend of mine caught Alan Broadbent playing in New York. Following a conversation with him about the gig, I decided Broadbent was due for a spin. Initially I was going to go with his solo album in the Maybeck Recital Hall series but for whatever reason Fine and Dandy (Ode) was chosen instead. 

Considering his stature, I haven't listened to a bunch of Alan Broadbent – a couple of duo albums with Lee Konitz, his duo with Irene Kral, the solo album mentioned above, and a smattering of others (bits and pieces from a couple of trio albums, some Quartet West) - and I'm yet to hear him live. This album features his line playing more so than his harmonic work (check out the Kral album Where Is Love for some great work as an accompanist). Some words that come to mind are classy, elegant, refined, melodic, swinging, and clarity. I have really enjoyed the fleetness of his playing on the title track - the phrase starting at 1:30 always seems to grab my ear. I also hear the Lennie Tristano influence in his phrasing most clearly on this track. Another favourite is his comping and solo on “We'll Be Together Again” (probably the track during which I scribbled down those half a dozen adjectives) – tasty playing.

I mentioned back in September's post (Space Case Retrospective) that I would be hearing more from the classic pairing of Andy Brown and Frank Gibson Jr. I'm guessing that by the time this album was recorded they would have been playing together for over 20 years. The title track features Brown walking as Gibson solos. It's a texture you don't hear all that often but I like it (from memory I first heard it via Sonny Dallas and Elvin Jones on Lee Konitz's Motion). And I particularly enjoyed his brush work behind Broadbent on “We'll Be Together Again.” I know there's a least two or three albums on the shelf featuring these two but I'll try and share the air(ear)time with the other Kiwi rhythm section stalwarts of Paul Dyne and Roger Sellers and Kevin Haines and Tony Hopkins as well.

Of the quartet, George Chisholm is the player I am least familiar with (I have his album, Lend an Ear, but it's been ages since I listened to it). I feel he is at his best when keeps things concise and melodic as when he gets into double time, his lines can lose focus and the notes lose vitality. The album opener, “Have You Met Miss Jones,” is a pretty good example. He starts off in a melodic mode, from the second chorus he starts interspersing double time lines which for the most part seem a bit forced. However the double time lines on “We'll Be Together Again” flow more naturally. On “Limehouse Blues” he stays clear of the double time and I think it suits him better. 

Overall, Fine and Dandy is a clean, solid, all-standards outing. Perhaps it's a little too clean for me, but the playing is high quality playing and it's definitely one for the straight ahead fans to check out.

In 1992 Fine and Dandy won Jazz Album of the Year. Last year I created a list compiling the winners and finalists (here) - it's still a work in progress so drop me a line if you have any correction or information to add (there are a few holes that need filling).

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!