Jazz | Pint | Quartets Live at the Village Vanguard

A little more Lovano revision has been on the cards of late - this time around it is the double album Quartets: Live at the Village Vanguard, and like Trio Fascination Vol 1, it has been a while since I had heard this album. Of Lovano’s work as a leader, I think it is this era that is my preference (the likes of Sounds of Joy, Rush Hour, Trio Fascination), over his more recent offerings (with the Trio Tapestry recordings being an exception to that rule). If you add in dates with Paul Motian and John Scofield during that time, the 90s were very fertile for Lovano. Perhaps it’s just because I’ve listened to more of his work from that period.

The Ornette Coleman influence is more present in Lovano’s playing than many of his post-Coltrane saxophonic peers – both as a composer and as an improviser  - with “Fort Worth” and “Uprising” being nice examples on the first disc. I’ve heard people say at times he’s like a watered down Dewey Redman (which seems a little harsh to me), but being a fan of Ornette I enjoy hearing that influence through Lovano’s filters. And I know people criticise his tone too, but he’s distinctly Joe Lovano and isn’t that the idea?

I prefer Lovano on tenor but the other horns (soprano and c-melody) bring some different colours to a few tracks on the first disc. On the second disc he sticks to the tenor exclusively which seems a better fit for the approach with that quartet and the more straight ahead approach. And it’s much more of a “soloist with rhythm section vibe” with Lovano as the lone horn. The contrast in approaches of the drummers is noticeable with both slotting in to their respective quartets nicely - Billy Hart changes direction more abruptly, while Lewis Nash has a smooth flow of swing. Both are a solid lock with bassists Anthony Cox (Hart) and Christian McBride (Nash). It would have been fascinating to hear the two quartets playing some of the same repertoire (a la Ornette’s In All Languages). Nerds like me enjoy that kind of thing, but it’s probably has less appeal to the general audience who want bang for their buck – two different bands playing different tunes.

From the second disc, this time around I’ve enjoyed the slower swing of “This Is All I Ask” and “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” – a welcome change of pace from the more up tempo numbers. And the closing track “Sounds of Joy” made me want to go back to the album of the same name from 1991. Of all the pieces this on the second disc, this one seems the most out of place. Maybe it’s just that the earlier trio version was my first exposure to the tune and that’s stuck in my mind. I does pick up when Lovano starts soloing, but I feel this piece would have worked better with the quartet on the first disc. But after a couple of spins it started to grow on me.

Each disc stands alone but together they offer a nice contrast, the first being a bit more open and the second more straight ahead, and I think that makes it a stronger release. And both discs showcase Lovano in fine form so it’s been an enjoyable revisiting.

This afternoon’s listening was accompanied by a pot of Zealong Fire and Ice.

Jazz | Pint | Joe Lovano Trio Fascination

I’m pretty sure the last time I listened to this Trio Fascination Vol 1 was over 20 years ago. I borrowed it from a friend at music school I think... or it may have been at the university library. Either way, it has been a while. I picked up this copy late last year and I’m finally giving it a spin

Sometimes I find Lovano’s playing a little exaggerated (I get that with Dave Liebman too) but it’s a distinctive sound and stands out as Lovano... and that’s not a bad thing at all. And for a while there he was pretty influential but I don’t hear that much at all these days. But I still think that players could benefit from his blend of influences or explore those influences in addition to the usual fare.

As much as I love Elvin’s playing, I really don’t have much from later in his career.... plenty from the 60s but it’s only a scattering from then on. And that was probably one of the drivers for me picking up this disc last year... or maybe it was the completist(ish) side of me. I’ve had Vol 2 for a number of years now and the lack of Vol 1 was probably nagging away at me! Whether I’ll getting to around checking out more from this later period.. I don’t know, but it’s nice to hear Elvin in fine form here and I can see myself returning to this album just to focus on Elvin’s work.

And then as I’m wrapping up I realise I haven’t even mentioned Dave Holland. Tonight, I almost put on Triplicate.... so maybe that will make it’s way to the blog sometime soon and he’ll get more than just a passing mention.

So, it may have had it’s first spin in a long time, but I see myself returning to Trio Fascination a little more often in the future - solid playing from all three, and definitely one for Lovano fans.

Joe Lovano: Trio Tapestry

I used to keep listening journals and on a raining Sunday afternoon I resurrected it. And while the blog has been asleep for a while, I decided to post it here.

Joe Lovano: Trio Tapestry & Garden of Expression (ECM)
Joe Lovano (tenor sax/soprano sax/taragato/gongs) Marilyn Crispell (piano) Carmine Castaldi (drums/percussion)

I've kept an ear on Joe Lovano over years and I usually check out his work when the other personnel are of interest. And it was the presence of Marilyn Crispell that drew my attention to Trio Tapestry as over the last few years I have been increasingly enjoying her music.

Recorded in 2019 and released this year, Garden of Expression is the second album from Trio Tapestry. I was excited when the first (Trio Tapestry) was released but it didn’t strike me at the time… something must have stuck with me though, as I didn’t hesitate grabbing the second release.

The album touches on some areas that have been of interest to me for a while that I want to explore in my music - especially space, and silence - these are some of the same qualities that struck me when hearing Evan Parker’s 2016 release As The Wind (PSI) as well as some of Hayden Chisholm's work.

“Chapel Song” opens the album with a light, crystal, brightness that becomes increasingly warm while retaining the lightness. A delicate piano intro sets the tone for “Night Creatures”. It is interesting to hear what a prominent role the cymbals have on the sound and feel of both of these albums. Overall the drum texture really works for me. Often understated and unafraid of space or backing off. The piano gets busy under some melodic tenor....it works though. Ending is somewhat abrupt. The tracks are longer on this album than the first - not overly so (between 3- 7 1.2 mins with one sitting at almost 11), although there are 3 fewer pieces. “West of the Moon” has a nice flow to it – gentle swells. I like the change in “Garden of Expression” following the opening as it shifts into being momentary more rhythmically unsettled before returning to the warm melody. The piano and drums really lock in through the piano “solo”... really more of a piano/drum dialogue (with some nicely time gong hits from Lovano). The piece moves through many moods before returning home. My ears immediately pricked up as Lovano entered “Treasured Moments”, the vibrato and intonation bring a strangely wonderful tension – settled and unsettled at the same time. Economy is key here. It leads wonderfully into “Sacred Chant” which has a relaxed, joyous sound. The piece ends and feels unfinished. Piano and drums lead off on “Dream on That”, before the piano makes way for the tenor, and then then trio all together. Although this tune features a couple of duets, there’s more of everyone playing together on this album. Something I enjoyed with Trio Tapestry is the way the trio is broken up - solos, duos and trio. On Garden of Expression the sound of the trio is more present. Whereas Trio Tapestry ends with one of the more outwardly intense pieces, Garden of Expression comes back to space with “Zen Like”. It’s my favourite track on the album. Unhurried. Space. A weightless quality. Dig it.

Listening to Garden of Expression led me to revisit Trio Tapestry, and I’m enjoying it a lot more this time around. It still doesn’t quite hit the spot the way Garden of Expression does, but it has grown on me a lot since my last listen (although I'm still not sure what ECM were thinking with that cover art!).

Opening with gongs and cymbals before the tenor enters - I’m struck by the blend between the gongs and the tenor. “One Time In” acts as a spacious prelude. The trio are there from beat one of “Seeds of Change”. Unsurprisingly the sound is denser. The playing remains economical but the sense of space has changed. The piece feels longer. It is, but remains concise. “Razzle Dazzle” opens with solo piano with both hands in unison as drums creep in. The difference in space between one, two, and three active players is evident. Crispell’s piano lines behind the tenor bring to mind the opening phrase. “Sparkle Lights” opens with tenor and piano together before giving way to traded phrases that merge in places while the drums remains sparse. The longest track is “Mystic” (pieces range between 2 and 8 1/2 mins). A quiet rumble of drums is greeted by Lovano on tarogato. Space is at the fore. The rumbling swells but the space and sparse tarogato lines remain, eventually replaced by gong sounds. Eventually the piece builds into a more tradition duo between drums and tarogato. This may be my favourite piece on the album (which is mildly amusing as Crispell lays out). “Piano/Drum Episode” is as it suggests. Piano notes ring out and decay. The drumming is subtle with a warm cushioning quality that is perhaps interrupted by the bass drum. The cymbal hit at the end is all about timing and finding just the right spot. “Gong Episode” is just that – two minutes of gongs. It is well placed in the album flow. “Rare Beauty” opens with full trio, the dynamics are raised and there is a sense of urgency – perhaps heightened following the nature of the gong piece. Lovely interplay between the lines in each hand of the piano. Some of the busier playing on the album... but everyone else drops out to maintain balance. Lovano enters on tenor with Castaldi swinging quietly mid-tempo. The return of piano to take the tune out feels a bit abrupt. “Spirit Lake” opens with drums and tenor. I’m enjoying Castaldi’s stick work at low volume. The piano entry here works much better than the previous track. More dense playing than previously hear - rippling piano, tenor flurries with some growls and altissimo, and busier playing from the drums. “Tarrassa” opens with solo piano. The tenor enters with the drums – and the drum phrasing is standing out to me during this three-way dialogue. Creative playing without overdoing it. The album had been building in density and I was expected the closing piece - “The Smiling Dog” - might see a return to the quiet spaces present in the first half of the album. But it doesn’t and it leaves things feeling somewhat unresolved.

So these two albums have been getting a decent amount of airtime and I feel listening to Garden of Expression opened up Trio Tapestry for me. Lovano has selected the personnel wisely and I hope this group stays together.

Lambic Jazz Vol. 2

The post-class hang continues and I'm going to try and keep these going for the rest of the semester.

The night started off with Paul Motian: Time and Time Again (ECM) Paul Motian (d) Joe Lovano (ts) Bill Frisell (g)
I was introduced to the Motian by way of Lee Konitz (and come to think of it, that's how I first heard Frisell too) and I was taken by his playing, both as a soloist and as an accompanist. This album is a great feature of the latter. I enjoy the way he doesn't play time the way you might expect, breaking things up, creating dialogue with the rest of the trio, seamlessly moving between different pulses and textures so naturally and utilizing space in ways few drummers do. Lately, I'm enjoying Motian the composer and there are some really nice tunes here - "Wednesday," "Whirlpool" and "K.T." They have a uncluttered, folk-song or nursery rhyme simpleness that appeals to me.

This trio is a great showcase three very identifiable musical personalities and while I 'm not a huge fan of Joe Lovano, this is the setting in which I prefer to listen to his music. As opposed to degenerating into an all-star hit out, these personalities come together as one to form a true ensemble sound, although at times they provide the illusion of moving independently of one another - perhaps a side-effect of playing together for 20+ years.

Next up was Liz Gorrill (these days known as Kazzrie Jaxen) and Andy Fite: Cosmic Comedy (New Artists Records) - a live set of nine piano and guitar duets to round the night out. There are a couple of things that stand out to me listening to these two - Karrie's rhythmic nature and drive and Andy's articulation and tone with an emphasis on the acoustic side of his instrument (which seems to be a rarity). There are plenty of surprises as they take some familiar forms to new places, it's a wild ride but a lot of fun. I'm not sure I can really put this into words but I feel it's rare to hear jazz like this - spontaneous improvisation at its finest. The music feels as if it could go anywhere and often, at the blink of an eye, it takes off on another plane. The way Andy's lines slide over the piano dirge on "Blues for the Child" always gives me a kick, and then there's the counterpoint throughout the album. It's hard to play favorites but the quiet surge of "A Dream of April" snuck up on me tonight.

Accompanying the music tonight was St. Louis Fond Traditional Gueuze by Van Honsebrouck. And now it's time to tune in to the cricket (1st test NZ vs India). Yes that's right, I'm combining three of my favorite things tonight.... make that four as I played some sax before dinner!

Vol.1 can be found here.