Jazz | Pint | Tethered Moon

Another weekend comes to a close, so it's time to kick back and relax with music and a beer. Early on in 2020 I "discovered" Masabumi Kikuchi. I'm pretty sure I had heard him previously on a Paul Motian recording, but for whatever reason, it didn't stick with me. I'm not sure what led me to him this year, but I picked up Black Orpheus (solo), Sunrise (trio), and a few of the Tethered Moon albums. And I'm glad I did. Actually, the Tethered Moon recordings led me listening to a lot of Gary Peacock this year - with Jarrett, some other sideman work, and as a leader too - a rediscovery of sorts. 

Tonight, I gave First Meeting another spin. The trio's first recording... but not their first to be released. The music is unhurried, with opening track slowly unfolding and setting the mood for things to come. I enjoy the sense of space throughout the album. The sense of balance between the trio is also particularly notable. The last month or so I've been playing in a trio (albeit with different instrumentation) and balance is something that is becoming more and more apparent to me. How are the three of us interaction? Not to overplay. When to contribute sound and when to contribute silence. Can the use of silence turn the trio into a quartet? It playing a part as vital as the sounds we make. Just a few of the thoughts that popped into mind during tonight's listen. And how about the groove of Motian and Peacock on the title track? I'm also enjoying the recorded sound. Of the three Tethered Moon albums in my collection, I've listened to First Meeting the most. Does that mean it's my favourite? I don't know, it's early days yet. Still, it's a very nice album.

There is a slightly dark quality to Tethered Moon (and Kikuchi in general) - but I like that in their music, and it seemed that Morte Subite would be an appropriate accompaniment - in name mostly, but it's mix of sweet and sour (more of the former than the latter), and effervescence seems to tie in with the sounds bouncing around the apartment.

Lambic Jazz Vol.8

Connie Crothers and Roger Mancuso: Deep Into the Center (New Artists)
This seemed like the perfect choice last night, as I am using this disc for one of my school assignments. However, plans changed and I ended up going out after class so here I am this afternoon catching up. The added bonus was that today I had more time to listen and gave the album three spins.

At the time of the recording (circa 1994) Connie and Roger had been playing together for 30 years but I think this was their first recording together since Connie's 1974 debut, Perception. As I listen today, two words leap out - unity and flow. The connection between the drums and piano is deep, creating a seamless series of duets. Many times I have turned to this album for calm and floated away on a magic carpet of improvisation.

While it can be exciting to hear people playing together for the first time, as relationships develop the music takes on a different quality that only comes with time. And it can, perhaps counter-intuitively, even heighten the surprise factor in the music. There were many long-standing collaborations in Connie's music - the quartet she co-led with Lenny Popkin and the more recent Connie Crothers Quartet (that along with Roger also another included long-time collaborator, saxophonist Richard Tabnik) immediately come to mind. And then there are some other favorite groups of such as the Steve Lacy Quintet, the ICP Orchestra and Root 70 (new album due in May 2017). There's something to be said for groups that maintain stable personnel.

If you are in the NYC area on Sunday come on down to Roulette for Connie's memorial concert - Love and Music: Celebrating Connie Crothers

The Compositions of Paul Motian Vol. 1 arrived in the mail the other day. It covers his works from 1973-1989 (over 60 tunes). I had a quick browse through before class last night and a flick-through today. Printing it as a facsimile of the original handwritten lead sheets is a nice touch.

This post was accompanied by Boon Geuze Marriage Parfait.

Previous editions of Lambic Jazz: Vol.1 -- Vol.2 -- Vol.3 -- Vol.4 -- Vol.5 -- Vol.6 -- Vol.7

Lambic Jazz Vol. 3

It's Wednesday night after class and that means beer and jazz time. Only one disc tonight as there are dishes waiting to be done - Kieth Jarrett's The Survivor's Suite (ECM) from 1976 with Jarrett (piano, soprano sax, bass recorder, celeste, osi drum) Dewey Redman (tenor sax, percussion) Charlie Haden (bass) Paul Motian (drums, percussion)

The album is comprised of two tracks, each running over 20 minutes with fluctuations in feel and density that keep things moving along and engaging, which makes for a really well-paced album.

While many listeners are probably more interested in Jarrett's piano playing, I'm curious about his work on soprano saxophone. His playing doesn't sound like other players of the straight horn or that era (or since really). It's a stripped-back approach, kind of raw and unpolished with an emphasis on melody, sound and texture rather than flashy chops. Sam Newsome describes Jarrett's approach to the soprano as "organic" - it's definitely not genetically modified. Well worth checking out (as is Sam's playing!).

Haden's bass playing is a wonderful lesson in economy that is seldom heard. As and accompanist and soloist, he has the rare quality of being able to use the minimum amount of notes to maximum effect - with a great sound to boot. His partnership with Motian is one of my favorite rhythm sections. For that reason alone I don't know why I haven't checked out more from this group (aside from some listen sessions at the library some years ago). Add it to the list I guess! I'll get around to it, but before I do, The Survivor's Suite will get a few more listens. The 48 minutes fly by (hence this being a rather quick post). Highly recommended. And now it's time to do the dishes.

More Lambic Jazz: Volume 1 - Volume 2

A bit of recent listening

In addition to the albums mentioned in other posts, here's a taste of what else has been having a spin over the past couple of months.

photo credit: my wife (thank you!)

Herbie Hancock: Inventions and Dimensions (Blue Note)
It's not nearly as well known as the albums that proceeded it (Empyrean Isles and Maiden Voyage) but I'm not too sure why because it's a fine, fine album. Maybe it's because the latter albums featured tunes, whereas the music on Inventions is largely improvised.

Marilyn Crispell: Nothing Ever Was, Anyway: Music of Annette Peacock (ECM)
This is one of my go-to albums when I'm after something with a great sense of space. Even when things get a bit busier, the trio still maintains a vastness to the sound. The last listen through I focussed on Paul Motian's very conversational playing.


Roland Kirk: Domino (Verve)
Regardless of the instrument(s) he's playing, I love the infectious energy that Rahsaan Roland Kirk brings to the music. I've said it before and I'll say it again - a lot of people sleep on Rahsaan, don't let him pass you by.

Mat Maneri: Trinity (ECM)
I picked up this solo violin/viola album on a whim as I have been meaning to listen to his work (I heard him at the Hungry Brain a couple of years ago and really enjoyed his playing). Maybe it will strike me when the mood is right, but so far I haven't been able to get into the flow of this one.

Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now (Reprise)
Sometimes (not always) I feel the arrangements are a little bit overblown, but regardless of that, the vocals always hit the spot. Added bonus are some nice Wayne Shorter solos scattered throughout. His short soprano feature on "Answer Me, My Love" has a speaking quality that appeals to me.

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.

Recently Listening - Perry Robinson: Funk Dumpling

Reissued by Fresh Sound, Funk Dumpling (recorded in 1962 for Savoy) was Perry Robinson's debut recording as a leader.
From the little I've heard of Perry Robinson in the past, this album is more conventional yet still personal. Alongside Robinson's bold and distinctive clarinet playing are a young Kenny Barron and the formidable bass and drum pairing of Henry Grimes and Paul Motian. Although Robinson is the dominant soloist the album still has a very unified band sound and individually everyone contributes. Composition duties are split between Robinson and Grimes. It's a very well rounded album with an upbeat and joyful swinging feel plus some lovely ballad work too. The playing sounded surprisingly fresh to my ears and I couldn't help but feel that Robinson has been short changed in the canon of jazz clarinetists. If I had one, I wouldn't hesitate adding this to a "must hear" list of clarinet recordings. A gem and highly recommended - check it out!

Warne Marsh: Atlantic Album Review Part 2 - Jazz Review 1959

This review of Warne Marsh's self-titled album (partially recorded on this day in 1958) appeared in The Jazz Review (February 1959). The reviewer, Mimi Clar, dedicates plenty of space (in what must have been the longest review of Marsh's work at that point) to discussing Marsh's tone and intonation. She found his tone "so distracting as to have a hard time concentrating on the linear development of the music." Personal and different - yes, but "unpracticed" - I have to disagree. The inflections are part of what drew me in to Marsh's music.

Link on the first image to open as a PDF file. Here is the review in Down Beat and there are links to more vintage magazine articles here.
Jazz Studies Online has scanned copies of The Jazz Review.

Warne Marsh: Atlantic Album Review Part 1 - Down Beat

Here is Martin Williams' review of Warne Marsh's self-titled Atlantic album (one of the recording sessions was on this day back in 1957). This review is from the January 8, 1959 issue of Down Beat. Although Williams feels Marsh has a more personal style on the Atlantic album (although sounding less assured), he thinks Marsh is better suited to the setting of the Tristano sides on Capitol Records. His pick from the album was "Excerpt," but I'll give you a taste of "Yardbird Suite" which grabbed my attention when I first heard the album back in '99.

Check back in January as I will post Mimi Clar's thought's on the album that appeared in The Jazz Review.

Charlie Haden

Haden @ Jazz Middelheim August 2009
photo by Guy Van de Poel

The web is alive with tributes to Charlie Haden and I felt it was necessary to add my two cents. I spent some time on Friday afternoon listening to some selections from the post-Ornette quartet "Old and New Dreams" and Etudes (trio with Geri Allen & Paul Motian), Memoirs (trio Paul Bley & Paul Motian). He has plenty of room to shine on Soapsuds, Soapsuds, a duo with Ornette Coleman.

Improvisers (on any instrument) can learn so much from his melodicism and economy. The later being a rare quality (we all tend to over-play) and is something I am becoming increasing interested in. The man could say a lot with a little and his music came from a deep place. One of my favourites.

I first heard Haden during my mid-late teens on Ornette Coleman’s The Shape Of Jazz To Come. At the time my ears were drawn to Ornette's playing and it wasn't until years later that I started coming to grips with the importance of Haden in this music. It’s an album that I’ll write about separately at a later date.

He was brought to my attention again a couple of years later on Lee Konitz’ Alone Together (Blue Note). This album got some serious airplay in 1999-2001. I was transcribing Lee’s solo on “What Is This Thing Called Love?” and my saxophone teacher challenged me, saying something along the lines of, “Why? What are you going to learn from that?” – I didn’t know what to say! Haden’s backing of Konitz (and Brad Mehldau) is superb – not a wasted note on the entire album. The same can be said for his solos to. I heard a Konitz/Haden duo set was recorded but I have never managed to track it down (I found a pic of the album cover somewhere online years ago). If anybody out there can direct me to it I’d be extremely grateful.

I only heard Haden in person once – a duo with Paul Bley at the Blue Note in NYC in 2009. I could only afford to sit at the bar, where they crammed us in like sardines. It was a pretty disappointing listening experience and put me off going to the Blue Note again (it was my first time there). I spent the evening squeezed in the corner unable to see the bandstand and having to put plenty of chatter around me. However, I had no complaints about the music.

Here are links to just a few of the many tributes: Nate Chinen at the New York Times, the Free Jazz Collective Blog, NPR Remembering Charlie Haden.

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.