The cover art on Vancouver saxophonist Cory Weeds’ debut album evokes the Reid Miles graphics on the classic Blue Note albums of the ’50s and ’60s. That’s no accident, as the music on the disc is a throwback to the soul jazz of organist Jimmy Smith, as Weeds’ big-toned meat-and-potatoes playing is supported by the New York-based organ trio of Mike LeDonne, with Peter Bernstein on guitar and Joe Farnsworth on drums on this live set recorded at Weeds’ club, The Cellar, in January of this year. There’s nothing fancy here, and no one is trying to reinvent the wheel - this is simply honest, swinging hard bop with a lot of heart.
Big Weeds could well herald the return of the big, bad saxophone. Its protagonist, Cory Weeds, blazes his masterful way through a monstrous set, alternating on tenor and alto. And in one fell swoop, Weeds joins the ranks of the instrument’s great storytellers. On tenor he is as bold and dramatic as Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins. On the smaller and more sensuous alto, he is a younger version of (when he is racy) David “Fathead” Newman or, at times, as wry and ironic as Lee Konitz—even puckish like Paul Desmond. And so, in acquitting himself with aplomb on tenor and alto, Weeds gives notice that he has a soulful understanding of both horns—no mean achievement, by any saxophonist’s standards. Now here is another thing: Not only does Weeds play two horns so subtly different from each other—unlike, say, tenor and soprano—but he can make each horn bend to his will. So if he is playing a ballad, as he does so memorably on this record, or if he is roaring through a racy straight-ahead bop-ish tune, he simply ‘becomes’ the horn he is playing. His innate ability to inhabit the soul of a song is near perfect and this leads him to an exquisite sense of phrasing and pace. For instance Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, can almost be heard as Weeds ’sings’ his way through “Blossoms in May,” a tender chart dedicated to his wife. On “For Fathead,” a more obvious tribute to Newman, he is shy and respectful as he dances around his homage; it’s almost possible to see the saxophonist approach an idol with great diffidence.
That Weeds wrote both the above charts is a testament to his prowess as a songwriter as well. It is not, after all, about form, but more so about subtlety and nuance. And here Weeds is in great company as well. The mighty Mike LeDonne joins Weeds on Hammond B3, Peter Bernstein is added on guitar and Joe Farnsworth holds down the drum chair. Together this is a band that locks tight on James Moody’s relatively little-known classic, “Darben the Redd Foxx.” And their interpretation of “It’s Only a Paper Moon” is wonderfully exhilarating. LeDonne, better known for his piano work for Benny Golson, is often spare yet wholesome on B3—especially on “Corrupted Mango,” that oblique reference to the chord changes on Sonny Rollins’ “St Thomas,” while on “Simply Said,” he opens up the organ in heartfelt wails and moans like no other B3 organist does—not even the great Joey DeFrancesco. Farnsworth plays with wonderful taste and lyricism throughout.
It is hard to believe that this is Cory Weeds’ first record as a leader. This is real old school ’saxophonism’ at its very best by a saxophonist about whom much will be heard in the years to come. And it features music that will echo in a room long after the notes of the last bar fades.
In general I have no problems with music critics as long as they speak with knowledge and actually do more research into the record they are reviewing than just listening. Liner notes can give the particular CD some perspective. Peter Hum who writes for the Ottawa Citizen and has a great blog called THRIVING ON A RIFF is one such writer that does just that! Here are some great reviews he did for Cellar Live.
Some months ago, I wrote here about my envy for New Yorkers who continually have an embarrassment of jazz riches to choose from. These days, however, I’m looking West instead of South — to Vancouver, that is.
This year’s National Jazz Awards acknowledged Vancouver’s talent pool in a big way. The country’s top jazz CD was Foundations from Vancouver bassist Jodi Proznick. Her band was named Acoustic Band of the Year, and she was picked Bassist of the Year. Fellow Vancouverites Brad Turner (trumpet), Hugh Fraser (trombone) and Phil Dwyer (a saxophonist now living on Vancouver Island, but close enough) won their instrumental categories. Turner was also Producer of the Year. A label for which many Vancouver jazz musicians record, Cellar Live, was picked Label of the Year. Vancouver’s jazz festival topped its counterparts across Canada. What about the rest of Canada, you ask? I wrote here that the NJA’s perspective might have been blinkered, because, for one thing, Montreal’s vibrant jazz scene had been almost completely overlooked by the nominators. But that wasn’t to take away from the jazz achievements flowing out of Vancouver.
Indeed, it’s now my turn to tip my hat to Vancouver’s jazz output, and more specifically, to Cory Weeds. Shown above, he’s the city’s jazz renaissance man — saxophonist, owner of the Cellar jazz club, power behind the Cellar Live label, radio-show host and jazzblogger. A lengthy and meaty recent interview with Weeds can be found here
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Weeds sent me a batch of Cellar Live releases soon after the National Jazz Awards were announced. I’ll blog about as many as I can until I run out of steam.
Most of the Cellar Live releases stick to the main trunk of the jazz tradition, affirming heavy-duty swinging and the language of bebop as eternal verities. Well-codified forms and songs are the norm on most CDs — with an exception being Accelerated Development, a CD from the James Danderfer Group that I very much liked and reviewed here. Weeds at his blog commented on his friend Danderfer’s music: “You couldn’t pay me enough money to try to improvise on Danderfer’s tunes… Danderfer writes complex tunes, with complex melodies and harmonies yet the average person still walks away humming the tunes!” I agree. For his part, while Weeds enjoys Danderfer’s forward-looking writing and playing, he prefers a comfort zone rooted in 1960s sounds. Here, he blogged that “innovation is overrated.” Me, I might be more in agreement with the flipside — that the swinging, bopping tradition is underrated. And I think that music can somehow be both of the above, not either/or, and that art that all-encompassing may even have the broadest emotional range too.
The first Cellar Live CD that I’ll mention is drummer Joel Haynes’ Transitions. I’ll give it a lengthier treatment because it’s my favourite of the label’s straight-ahead discs, exemplifying Cellar Live’s sound and virtues in technicolour. Like many of the discs, it was recorded at Weeds’ club, and you really get the sense that the room and its patrons inspire the musicians to kick serious jazz butt when they play. The music has no lofty compositional ambitions (such as Danderfer’s), but the tunes are smartly crafted to be catchy from the get-go and moreover, to encourage soloists to take off. So with these parameters in mind, Transitions really is the standout.
I may have missed the trees for the forest here… the disc is from Toronto drummer Joel Haynes, who lives about 800 kilometres from his saxophonist of choice, New Yorker Seamus Blake, shown above. Haynes’ other bandmates, pianist Tilden Webb and bassist Jodi Proznick, are Vancouverites, another 3,300 kilometres away. Unite them on the bandstand, however, and they sound as thick as thieves. Given that Haynes, Webb and Proznick have a history dating back to their McGill University days in the 1990s, the simpatico’s not surprising. Blake’s ease with the trio makes sense too, given the broad swath of jazz styles that his covers, as well as his split-second musical reflexes. So the sense of a shared common purpose — the “bandness” of the people playing — is one big delight of Transitions.
The bulk of the CD consists of originals from Haynes, Webb and Proznick. They’re three separate writers, but they dip their pens in the same well, drawing inspiration from 1960s sounds and progressions. It’s the spirited immediacy of their playing and “right-now” feeling of their improvising that ensures that the music sounds, well, “un-innovative,” if that’s a word. The CD’s only cover is a bit of twist — Oasis’s Champagne Supernova, which elicits some contemporary testifying from pianist Webb.
Tearing up every tune, and making the CD exceptional, is Blake, a high-energy, positive musical force. He’s a double-time wonder, always articulate and exciting, constructing cascades of melodies that are marvels of logic and exertion. His soloing on the CD’s opener and title track, and on Impress Me, Haynes’ Coltrane-inspired blowing vehicle, are remarkable for their overall shape and pacing as well as for so many succulent phrases.
This CD should be a contender for 2008’s best Canadian jazz disc, and I can heartily recommend the quartet’s appearance at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival.
Bassist Proznick and her husband Webb are the core of Proznick’s award-winning disc Foundations, which is an upbeat, well-conceived studio outing.
Beyond its similar title, Foundations naturally shares some common ground with Transitions.free dance of the dead It smartly reworks well-written pop (Joni Mitchell’s Help Me), just as Haynes group remade Champagne Supernova. Proznick’s disc also has a superb band feeling, perhaps because drummer Jesse Cahill and saxophonist Steve Kaldestad were also McGill contemporaries of Proznick and Webb. Cahill is a snappy, driving drummer like Haynes, and Kaldestad is a lean, lyrical and expressive player like Blake, although he lacks Blake’s wow factor. (But to be fair, nearly all other saxophonists do.)
How do the discs differ? Foundations tends in places to be boppier, more 1950s you might say, with Wray Downes’ blues-with-a-bridge RB’s Line and Lucky Thompson’s Dancing Sunbeam as paragons of uncomplicated, straight-ahead playing that will definitely have your head nodding in time. Proznick gets more time to solo on her CD — and that’s great. She swings up a storm especially on Dancing Sunbeam.
Weeds’s own CD, Big Weeds, is a strong outing, with the leader arguably showing a bit of New York envy himself. He’s imported three New York/Smoke jazz club heavyweights — guitarist Peter Bernstein, organist Mike LeDonne and drummer Joe Farnsworth — to back him. That, I say, takes guts. Weeds could surely have played with his regular Vancouver cohorts and been comfortable in those circumstances. Instead, he wanted to bask in and be inspired by the brilliance and soulfulness of three Big-Apple players who likely represent the epitome of straight-ahead playing for him.
Weeds is an alto player first and a bopper above all, showing agility and a big, welcoming sound on the deep-groove blues No Bull and the aggressive closer Modal Issue. He has a hearty approach to tenor too, well-suited to the bright blues opener Darben the Redd Fox, the greasy loper For Fathead and the big, open-hearted ballad Blossoms in May. (He can also plays a smooth soprano saxophone when required… as he does on the NuJazzy tune featured in this video from Vancouver singer Melody Diachun:)
However, with Bernstein and LeDonne sharing the stage with him, Weeds has surrounded himself with truly striking players. While Bernstein and Weeds speak the same language, Bernstein speaks its more fluidly and freely, pretty much at a world-class level. LeDonne is a one-man orchestra, and a double-time, long-line whiz in Seamus Blake’s league. So as good as Weeds is, Bernstein and LeDonne can’t help but upstage him.
But then again, the jack of many jazz trades masters none. Are those New York guys club owners too, with radio shows and blogs and their own record labels?
Big Weeds is far from a vanity project. It’s an honest and worthy debut from a musician who plays not only saxophones, but also a crucial role sustaining the music he loves in the city where he lives. I’ll be glad to get to the Cellar the next time I’m in Vancouver, enjoy some fine music, and buy Weeds a beer.
James Danderfer: Inspired by Shanghai
I gave my first listen to James Danderfer’s CD Accelerated Development without so much as a glance at his extensive liner notes. I really liked what I heard. Its mix of horns (Danderfer’s clarinet and flute, Chad Makela’s baritone sax and Brad Turner’s trumpet) was distinctive. Chris Gestrin’s piano and tricked-out electric piano work was masterful — vital, I thought, to help realize the compelling, contemporary original material. I liked the bits of captured street sounds and exotic percussion that found their way into certain tracks. With some songs, the unique blend of timbres was so evocative and fresh that I wanted to play them repeatedly to savour them. You can hear a few snippets here and make your own observations
Once read, the liner notes solved a few mysteries. (I read them, in English, by the way, not in the Chinese mixed in with the copy.) Danderfer, a Vancouver native, had relocated to Shanghai a few years ago and then composed his stirring music based on his impressions of the great Chinese city in its throes of transformation. Had the timing been right, I might have worked Danderfer into last week’s blog posting on jazz in China, or into last month’s discussion about jazz and multicultural jazz.
I’ve found Danderfer’s disc yielding more pleasures and prompting more insights with repeated listenings. It’s consistently full of strong, provocative compositions and hearty improvising. I like too that its allusions to China are more a matter or imagination than classical or stereotypical. There’s no erhu (Chinese two-stringed violin), no arrangements of Asian folksongs as Kenny Garrett, the most celebrated of jazz’s Asiaphiles, often offers.
Instead, Danderfer, who is just 30 and has recently moved back to Vancouver after two-and-a-half years in China, is being true to the Shanghai he experienced, conveying a newcomer’s sense of wonder and urgency, track after track. There’s not a dud in the bunch of them, but for me, the standouts are:
Blues Migration — the CD’s opener is easy on the ears but substantial, setting a chattering melody over an earthy groove. There are solos all around, but everyone is definitely playing the song rather than their favourite cool lines over the chords. The rhythm section is nice and interactive, and Gestrin on Rhodes and piano has a really orchestral way of adding to the music.
The title track — a furious jam first for Danderfer’s clarinet and Makela’s bari, and then for Turner’s trumpet and Gestrin’s distorted keyboard. The energy and sophistication here remind me of some of Dave Douglas’ recent music.
Memory Loss – an insistent, melancholy odd-meter song driven by a spiraling piano figure, and perhaps because of that feature reminiscent of Brad Mehldau’s composing.
Freecracker – Foreboding from its opening gong, its mysterious, processed keyboard intro and Danderfer’s ominous melody.
The Constant River – A poignant ballad that keeps building and changing, balancing Turner’s pinched trumpet with cinematic piano and background horns.
Throughout, the music is spirited and deeply resonant, with Danderfer’s clarinet prominent and deservedly featured. Don Byron notwithstanding, the clarinet seems under-utilized in modern mainstream jazz, more associated with swing kings like Benny Goodman or Buddy DeFranco, or with klezmer-inspired outings by Don Byron or Chris Speed. On Danderfer’s CD, the instrument’s less familiar sound plays the foreigner very well. Gestrin gets the music’s MVP award for his versatility, all-round expertise with groove and harmony, and his striking facility for manipulating timbres. He’s up there, I think with those keyboardists like Craig Taborn, Jamie Saft and Adam Benjamin who, following Joe Zawinul’s great example, impress above all with their sounds but have every other musical detail in place as well. In other words, Gestrin’s playing is pretty close to magical.
Accelerated Development is a CD that gets your skin. I can only imagine that Shanghai does too.
I have had the pleasure of listening to some fantastic discs lately that I wanted to share with you. Some you might know but I’m pretty sure there are some that you wont know. The first one is under the leadership of tenor saxophonist HADLEY CALIMAN
Caliman falls into the same category as the likes of Von Freeman, Buck Hill etc. Who are these guys you ask? Well these are fellow saxophonists that for whatever reason chose to stay in their respective hometowns or settle in towns that would not be considered jazz hotbeds (no dis-respect to Seattle). His long career in jazz began at Jefferson High in Los Angeles where his classates included Art Farmer, followed by gigs on Central Avenue in the 50s where he was known as “Little Dex” (for Dexter Gordon with whom he studied). In the 60s he played with Mongo Santamaria, Gerald Wilson’s Big Band, Willie Bobo and Don Ellis. In San Francisco in the 70s, he played and recorded with Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Nancy Wilson, Hampton Hawes, Jon Hendricks and Bobby Hutcherson and led four albums of his own. One of his high profile dates of the period was touring and recording with Santana at a time when rock bands were trying to expand their musical horizons by employing jazz musicians.
His latest CD finds him in the company of some really fine musicians, some more well known than others. Drummer Joe Labarbera is no strangers to jazz fans in the Vancouver area as he has appeared at The Cellar many times. One of the true NICE GUYS in jazz Joe is a fiercely swinging drummer and is dynamic and versatile. I don’t think I have ever heard him sound anything less than spectacular and this date is no exception. Bassist Phil Sparks is a new name to me and what more can I say other than he anchors the band perfectly and does his job with not a lot of fanfare. He’s got a nice big, round sound and locks in nicely with Joe and Joe. The second Joe I speak of is vibraphonist JOE LOCKE (will be appearing in Vancouver at The Cellar on January 23rd and 24th). It seems everytime you turn a corner these days there is another album with Locke manning the vibraphone. He really plays beautifully and combines all the obvious infuences and forges a sound and style all his own. He is a very percussive and very rhythmic player and the unpredicatable twists and turns that his solos take are very welcoming! Perhaps the biggest suprise of the record is trumpeter Thomas Marriott. Marriott is new to me as well and hopefully we have a chance to get him up at The Cellar. He sounds absolutely fantastic through the whole recording. His trumpet sound is beautiful, his lines fluid and very very melodic. He’s not wasting any notes. They all mean something and his lines always have shape and purpose. That leaves us with Mr. Caliman. What an absolute treat to listen to. You instantly hear that this is someone that has been around. He has that classic old school sound and the execution of his lines are again only possible from someone that has lived and breathed the saxophone. His sense of swing and feel remain relaxed regardless of the tempo.
Kudos to Read Ruddy the recording and mix engineer for capturing beautiful sounds. Nice work!
I really hope we can get Mr. Caliman up to The Cellar because this elder statesman needs to be heard. Visit Origin Records for more information on purchasing this CD.
While we’re on the subject of tenor saxophonists I want to hip you if you haven’t been hipped already to a young tenor saxophonist by the name of JOEL FRAHM. He is among one of the finest saxophonists making music today. I had the great pleasure of meeting him at The Fat Cat Jazz Club a few years back when Cellar Live the New York Showcase. He was subbing for Ian Hendrickson-Smith in the Uptown Quintet. I have been aware of him for some time through Palmetto Records who send me their stuff. Frahm has done three records with Palmetto including DON’T EXPLAIN which is a duo outing with non other than BRAD MEHLDAU. Having only met Joel once I would also call him one of the NICE GUYS in jazz. His latest outing WE USED TO DANCE finds him in the company of some pretty heavy musicians. Pianist KENNY BARRON, bassist RUFUS REID and drummer VICTOR LEWIS make up the trio that back up Frahms big swinging tenor. This is a sophisticated, unpretentious swinging date from start to finish. The disc features tunes by Frahm, Kenny Barron and a few classic standards. A few highlights of the record for me are MY IDEAL played wonderfully and you really get an idea of what I’m talking about in terms of the beautiful, full, robust yet sweet sound of Frahms tenor saxophone and Barron’s SONG FOR ABDULLAH.
download mamma mia free It should be noted that the rhythm section of Frahm’s choice happens to be the rhythm section that was used by the late great tenor saxophonist STAN GETZ in the latter years of his life. Thats a gutsy move by the young tenor man but he acquits himself magnificently and plays with great confidence and sincerity. Frahm exhibits maturity beyond his years! We are talking about getting him up to The Cellar as well and hope it will be sooner rather than later.The Bluetoes Christmas Elf full
I don’t think Brad Turner’s Quartet has put out a bad album. I’m sure if you asked Brad he would cringe at a few things about his earlier recordings like any musician who listens to their early stuff. There will be absolutely no cringing by anybody now or ever about his latest release on Maximum Jazz, Small Wonder. Anchored by Dylan van der Schyff’s propulsive and creative drumming, Andre Lachance’s ultra creative and sensitive bass lines, Bruno Hubert’s quirky and completely unique piano stylings and of course the leader’s incredibly melodic and complex trumpet playing. Small Wonder is as complete as album as you will hear. Great sound, great playing, great compositions and great design!
On a number of occasions I have heard Brad Turner compositions before and been so taken with them asked him for a lead sheet only to look at realize it will take a miracle for me to actually negotiate the changes. In other words his tunes are a lot harder than they sound. This is a compliment to the seasoned composer. I can often remember the melodies and find myself humming them or parts of them throughout the day after listening to the record but to actually sit down and analyze whats going on and how to play over the changes is a whole other ball game. The four guys seem to interpret all of the tunes with a great amount of ease and comfort. Evidence that this band is very comfortable with one another and so they should be. It’s the quartet’s fifth release and except for the first one Long Story Short
where the late Chris Nelson occupies the bass chair the band has remained virtually the same. Kudos go out to Brad Turner for managing to keep things happening with this band. There isn’t exactly a lot of playing opportunities in the city but somehow BT continues to find the inspiration to write, rehearse and lucky for us, record the band.
Whether its playing drums in Bruno Hubert’s Trio, piano in his own trio, trumpet in Bill Coon’s Double Quartet or trumpet in his own quintet Turner always seems to ‘bring it.’ It is however very clear in talking with Brad and also listening that The Brad Turner Quartet is his number one priority and apple of his eye.
Its hard to pick a highlight on this record. It touches so many aspects of what makes a great jazz record. I love the opening track Scuffle, the openness and freeness of the bass / trumpet intro in 70 Mile
is beautiful and I love the way it goes into the opening groove. Punchy
is exactly as the title sounds and is a bit of a feature for van der Schyff who’s drumming sounds like a complete orchestra. There is absolutely nothing missing in his drumming which is wonderful.
Its nice to see Maximum Jazz living up to its name and actually releasing a few jazz records. This is a must have. You will not be disappointed
Simply titled Songs and Melodies , the album name is the only simple thing about this fantastic new record from the extremely talented pianist/composer and vocalist Jillian Lebeck. An absolutely gorgeous follow up to her debut release Living In Pieces, Songs & Melodies is more of a continuation of her first record than a radically different statement. Lebeck continues to exploit interesting harmonies and write unconventional chord changes that all seem to weave together and work wonderfully. The depth of her compositions and way she uses her voice is sublime.
There is a decidedly melancholy vibe about Lebeck’s music that was very evident on Living In Pieces and in her live shows but that doesn’t mean that its void of humour, buoyancy, or personality. For example check out the quirky ‘Round & Round’ that features some great clarinet work from Evan Arntzen. The doubling of Jill’s voice with bells results in a very different sound and Peggy Lee’sShattered Glass full
cello ostinato doubling with the clarinet under the melody keeps the tune pushing forward. The tune keeps my head bobbing throughout. Very cool!
Lennon and McCartney’s Julia is another highlight of the album. Jazz musicians recording pop songs has been going on for many years. It seems to be back in vogue in the last few years however and I for one love it! A musician of Lebeck’s talent applying her harmonic knowledge to a simple pop can only yield fantastic results. Much like her interpretation of Ani Difranco’s Everest on her first record, she succeeds again in honoring the tune but putting her own unique perspective on it. A cameo appearance by tenor saxophonist and ex-Vancouverite Seamus Blake displaying his vocal talent is also a perfect touch on this track.
The exclusive use of the Rhodes and Wurlitzer on the date is very refreshing and she has nurtured a very unique touch on these keyboards. Not switching back and forth from the piano allows for a very cohesive sound from start to finish and being a fan of the Rhodes and the Wurlitzer, I love it!
There are great performances all around: bassist Paul Rushka, drummer Paul Townsend, tenor saxophonist Jon Bentley, flautist Miranda Clingwall (the latter 2 are also responsible for the beautiful sound of this recording.)
Kudos to Downbeat for doing a feature on Brooklyn based tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens. We will definitely be hearing more from this young musician and that’s a very good thing. ‘A Timeless Now’ is a beautiful record from start to finish. It’s rare that I listen to a record more than twice and I’m already on my fourth run through of this one, discovering new things on each listen.
Dayna’s big, robust, yet sweet sound and beautifully melodic lines make you think he is twice his age. He is only 27. After just one listen however you do hear his youthful exuberance but its disguised with so much musical maturity it confuses you. His debut release as a leader is a wonderful collection of originals; a gorgeous reading of ‘On The Trail’ and an equally gorgeous turn on ‘But Beautiful.’ Featured throughout the album is young piano phenom Taylor Eigsti who shines on every track. It’s hard to pick a highlight. I particularly enjoy his Rhodes work on ‘Teeth’ and more specifically the sound he coaxes out of the Rhodes. The rhythm team of bassist Ben Street and Eric Harland are rock solid with the latter turning in some of the more creative drumming on record that I have heard recently. The addition of John Scofiled on the date is no doubt a coup for the young saxophonist but in my opinion is unnecessary. That’s not a dig on Sco but more a compliment to this band being able to stand on its own. Having said that Sco turns in some really swinging solos especially on “On The Trial.” The thing I enjoy most about Sco’s playing on this record is that he for the most part is using a dry guitar sound at least more dry than I have heard in many years.
The one thing that stands out about Stephens’ overall performance is his complete focus on making great music and not relying on flashy technique or impressive saxophone tricks. You can hear that his technique is flawless but I re-iterate he keeps ‘music’ in the forefront of his mind. Its modern jazz but its very rooted, which I think, is missing in a lot of the young players these days.
Last Sunday night I was preparing to do my radio show featuring Harold Mabern. I wanted to choose some music that maybe lot of people hadn’t heard. I perused my collection and pulled out some great stuff for sure but I came across a find on iTunes of all places that has lit up my world for the last few days. Its a record that was issued on Steeplechase Records and despite doing some extensive research I can’t really figure out when it was recorded. It says 1997 which I suppose is possible but getting any kind of info on Strozier is tough. The last I heard he was alive and well but concentrating mostly on playing piano, not alto saxophone. It is definitely a later recording so perhaps 1997 is correct. Its on Steeplechase as I mentioned and the number is SCCD 31420 and the title is “What’s Goin’ On.” The lineup is absolutely fantastic: Louis Hayes (drums, Stafford James (bass), Harold Mabern (piano) the late Danny Moore (trumpet) and of course Frank Strozier (alto sax. I have in many ways been unable to put Mabern’s playing characteristics into words but listening to this record pretty much sums it up totally! His comping is driving, swinging, unrelenting, urgent, constant and its clear on this session that Strozier is clearly spurred on by his Memphis counterpart. Strozier is in fine form. His tone is a lot brigher and harsher than that of his earlier recordings but this isn’t a bad thing. Its also great to hear Danny Moore who is somewhat of an ‘institution’ in NYC amongst musicians and he sounds great throughout this CD.
They do a great version of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Whats Going On’ that is just killing! Strozier also flexes his flute chops on the record exhibiting his gorgeous sound and technique. A great record. Check it out at www.jazzloft.com
I just dropped Harold Mabern off at his hotel and got the facts. This record he suspects was done in the early to mid 80’s as Strozier quite playing saxophone right after this recording sighting ‘bad reeds’ as his reason. Strozier is alive and well living in Westchester New York practicing piano!
I just got the exact facts from Gavin Walker that the CD was in fact recorded in 1977! The Level move
it’s my favourite of the label’s straight-ahead discs, exemplifying Cellar Live’s sound and virtues in technicolour. Like many of the discs, it was recorded at Weeds’ club, and you really get the sense that the room and its patrons inspire the musicians to kick serious jazz butt when they play. The music has no lofty compositional ambitions (such as Danderfer’s), but the tunes are smartly crafted to be catchy from the get-go and moreover, to encourage soloists to take off. So with these parameters in mind, Transitions really is the standout.
Instead, Danderfer, who is just 30 and has recently moved back to Vancouver after two-and-a-half years in China, is being true to the Shanghai he experienced, conveying a newcomer’s sense of wonder and urgency, track after track. There’s not a dud in the bunch of them, but for me, the standouts are:
