Chris Potter
Alive With Ghosts Today
(Edition Records)
Tenor-saxophonist Chris Potter’s Alive With Ghosts Today is inspired by the legendary if ill-fated John Brown. On Oct. 16, 1859, Brown led a biracial group of 22 men in an attempt to take over the U.S. Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia with the goal of starting a slave revolt that would result in the end of slavery. Unfortunately, the raid failed and Brown was soon hung. However, his attempt helped inspire the Northern states in the Civil War and the song, “John Brown’s Body” (soon retitled “The Battle Hymn Of The Republic”) became a rallying cry for freedom.
The seven originals on Alive With Ghost Today, while having titles referring to aspects of the raid and its aftermath, do not attempt to recreate the music of the 1850s or the Civil War. Instead, the original arrangements by Potter are filled with modern harmonies, picturesque colors, and post-bop explorations. They are performed by a group comprised of the leader on tenor and soprano, guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Burniss Travis, drummer Nate Smith, clarinetist Rane Moore, trombonist Zekkereya El-Magharbel, and violinist Sara Caswell.
The focus is on the arranged ensembles during the frequently melancholy but always stimulating set. Potter has several concise solos (with a fine statement on “Into Africa’) and there are occasional spots for his sidemen, particularly Caswell (who plays beautifully on “This Earth Would Have No Charms For Me”) and Frisell.
The music on Alive With Ghosts Today makes the case for Chris Potter not only being considered one of the top tenors on the scene today, but a talented arranger-composer. The CD is available from www.editionrecords.com and www.amazon.com.
Earl Bostic
Flamingo
(Retrospective)
Earl Bostic (1913-65) was an alto-saxophonist who was famous for his superb technique and for having several popular hits in his career including “Flamingo,” “Sleep,” and “Harlem Nocturne.” He worked with Fate Marable and a few territory bands early on, made his recording debut with Lionel Hampton in 1939, appeared at Minton’s Playhouse, performed with Hampton’s big band in 1944, recorded with Hot Lips Page during 1944-46, and began leading his own sessions in 1945. An exciting soloist whose tone and style made him sound like a very extroverted Johnny Hodges, Bostic impressed other musicians with his range (he could hit stratospheric high notes with ease), power, and ability to play heated solos. Bostic easily made the transition from swing to r&b. With his sound and ability to build up his statements, he certainly could not be denied. Bostic made a ton of recordings in the 1950s, especially during the 1956-59 period and, despite health problems, was a household name and a popular figure up until the time of his premature death in 1965.
Flamingo is a 27-selection single-CD put out by the Retrospectives label (www.retrospective-records.co.uk) that contains many of the highpoints of Bostic’s career. While including his hits and ballad showcases, it also has quite a few exuberant romps in which the altoist shows what a fine jazz player he could be despite his excesses. After beginning with his big selling version of “Flamingo” from 1951, there are six numbers from the 1945-47 period that feature him with a swinging combo. While “The Man I Love” is all Bostic, “The Major and the Minor” has spots for trumpeter Dick Vance and guitarist Tiny Grimes, and the two-sided rollicking blues “That’s The Groovy Thing” includes solos by guitarist Jimmy Shirley, clarinetist Tony Scott, John Hardee on tenor, and trumpeter Lemon Boler.
By 1948, with a few exceptions, Bostic was generally the whole show. It became a bit of a joke that, while he employed such major jazz musicians along the way as the up-and-coming John Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, Benny Golson, and Blue Mitchell, they primarily just got to play on the final note of Bostic’s showcases. He really tears into “Eight Forty-Five Stomp” (an exciting uptempo blues filled with riffs), plays the melody of “Temptation” with plenty of feeling, and really romps on “Sleep.” Bostic’s use of repetition on swing tunes and his emotional sound (often employing a wide vibrato) made him a natural for r&b audiences yet he was always a jazz musician at heart.
Flamingo mostly concentrates on Bostic’s stirring uptempo performances and occasional ballads from 1950-55 with ironically just one selection (“Harlem Nocturne”) from his very busy period of the late 1950s. While he was not the most tasteful of soloists, the excitement that Bostic generates on such numbers as “Cherokee,” “Steam Whistle Jump” (a thinly disguised “Take The ‘A’ Train”) and “Deep Purple” is pure fun.
Chick Corea
Sometime Ago
(Moosicus/MIG)
In 1972, 31-year old keyboardist Chick Corea was rather busy. A decade into his career which already included stints with Mongo Santamaria, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, Cal Tjader, Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan, the avant-garde quartet Circle (which included Anthony Braxton), and most notably Miles Davis, Corea worked that year with Getz and Davis, in addition to leading the first version of Return To Forever (with Flora Purim, Airto, and Joe Farrell).
Corea had made his first piano solo albums (Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 and 2) the previous year. On Oct. 29, 1972, six months before Keith Jarrett recorded his initial solo piano albums, Corea performed unaccompanied at a concert in Bremen, Germany. Broadcast on the radio, the performances have been finally released for the first time, 54 years later.
This double-CD, available from www.mig-music.de and www.amazon.com, features Corea performing nine songs, eight of which are his originals along with Wayne Shorter’s “Masqualero.” Four of the numbers are tunes from his two Piano Improvisations sessions, three are from the repertoire of the first Return To Forever, “Children’s Song No. 1” was making its debut, and “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” is a free improvisation that depicts a bird’s flight.
Corea, even at this early stage, was quite friendly to his audience, introducing each song and often explaining the inspiration behind the music. Among the highlights are a melodic “Noon Song,” the colorful free improv, his percussive version of “Masqualero” (sometimes showing the inspiration of McCoy Tyner), a playful “What Game Shall We Play Today,” a thoughtful version of “Crystal Silence,” a dramatic and assertive “Sometime Ago,” and the closer, a celebratory “La Fiesta.” The other selections (“Song For Sally” and “Children’s Song No.1”) also have their moments.
Although it is an understatement to say that Chick Corea had many accomplishments in his future, Sometime Ago shows that, back in 1972 he already had a recognizable voice on the piano and was a musical giant.
Benny Green
Renovation!
(Sunnyside)
In recent times, Benny Green has been spending much of his time playing solo piano. His superb modern mainstream style has always been an extension of the hard bop music of the 1960s. He often pays tribute to the musicians of that era, particularly its pianists, not by copying them but performing standards and originals in his own voice within the classic idiom.
Renovation! consists of two songs recorded in late 2025 in Oakland and 11 numbers that capture him at a concert this past April 18 at Dizzy’s Club in New York City. Eight are his originals while five are fresh renditions of standards.
Along the way, Green pays tribute to Duke Pearson on his slightly funky original (“For Duke Pearson”), Cedar Walton (“Cedar Would”), Bobby Timmons (a rollicking version of “This Here” that surprisingly does not sound much like Timmons who he can closely imitate), Randy Weston (“Hi-Fly”), and Gerald Wiggins (the swinging “Wiggin’.”). Green is introspective on a mostly out-of-tempo version of “Two Sleepy People,” sensitive on “The Night We Called It A Day,” joyful during “Seoul Station,” lowdown throughout “Blues For Junior,” and shows his expertise with classic bebop on “Ernie’s Uncle.” A surprise is that many of these performances also have Green playing a bit of stride piano, particularly on “Sophy’s Chant.”
It makes for a well-rounded and consistently enjoyable outing by one of today’s piano greats. Renovation! is recommended and available from www.sunnysiderecords.com.
Carolyn Lee Jones
Eklektika
(Self-Released)
Although she always loved music and singing, Carolyn Lee Jones spent a long period having a successful career in business. However, in 2008 she began working regularly as a jazz singer. Based in Dallas, Ms. Jones has released a steady string of rewarding recordings of which Eklektika is her sixth studio album. She has a warm and flexible voice that is quite appealing.
Since she has eclectic tastes ranging from straight ahead jazz to cabaret and pop, Eklektika features the versatile singer on a variety of material with the majority of the songs resulting in swinging performances. The set begins with a surprisingly contemporary and r&bish rendition of “Skylark” that nevertheless retains the essence of the Hoagy Carmichael ballad. “Detour Ahead” is given a straightforward treatment while the obscure but worthy “Take Me Where The Moon Lives’ has a fine tenor solo by Mario Cruz.
The poppish “That’s What Being In Love Is All About,” written over 40 years ago by Roger Boykin, has the composer featured on guitar. Carolyn Lee Jones’ warm voice is showcased on a duet version of “Embraceable You” with pianist Peter Rioux, and she swings with the full group on a medium-tempo “Out Of Nowhere.” The latter song along with the bossa-nova “Tell Me All About It” and the medium-tempo ballad “Morning In Crown Heights” (for which she wrote the lyrics) each have solos from the great local legend tenor-saxophonist Shelley Carrol. The set closes with Dave Frishberg’s “Heart’s Desire,” a duet with Ms. Jones’ longtime pianist Brad Williams.
Eklektika features Carolyn Lee Jones in top form throughout, uplifting the lyrics that she interprets, exploring several moods and styles, and generously featuring her sidemen. It is recommended and available from www.carolynleejones.com.
Samuel Blaser Quartet
Rosina
(Blaser Music)
Born and raised in Switzerland, trombonist Samuel Blaser worked with the Vienna Art Orchestra and the European Radio Big Band, spent the 2005-21 period living and working in New York and Berlin, and has since returned to Switzerland while remaining quite active. He runs the Blaser Music label and has led or co-led 34 recordings since 2008
Rosina is an excellent showcase for Blaser’s trombone playing. Leading a quartet with pianist Russ Lossing, bassist Masa Kamaguchi, and drummer Billy Mintz, he performs five originals plus three songs are based on Italian folk melodies that he discovered while listening to Allan Lomax’s field recordings (made at jails in the Southern part of the U.S.) of 1947-48. Since those themes actually originated in an area in Italy where his grandmother (who he never met) was from, this CD is dedicated to her.
The opening number, “Boara,” is from the Lomax recordings and the interplay of Lossing with Kamaguchi and Mintz, along with its inside/outside improvising, is a little reminiscent of Keith Jarrett’s American quartet of the 1970s. While “Boara” is a bit haunting, “Amaaka” is more energetic with Kamaguchi’s bass playing contributing counterpoint and constant commentary for the lead voices. Blaser is quite dramatic and moody on “Rosina,” fiery during much of the stormy “Elgnij,” and free yet fairly quiet on the often-sparse “Adagio.” “Mysteriously” (inspired by Thelonious Monk”) has sparse interplay by the musicians while the concluding “Serenata” has a strong forward momentum. Throughout the set, Blaser sometimes utilizes a plunger mute for rather expressive purposes. The four musicians communicate very well in an intuitive manner, often seeming to think as one even while the trombonist is generally the lead voice.
Rosina, which is available from www.blasermusic.com, will consistently keep listeners guessing as to what is coming up next. It is well worth several listens.
Ella and the Bossa Beat
Amare
(Schema Records)
Ella and the Bossa Beat perform Brazilian music that, while an outgrowth of the bossa nova movement of the 1960s, is actually a bit different than one would expect. Ella Blu’s warm and sensuous singing is accompanied by an electronic background with her own keyboards being prominent. The original melodies by Ella and her father drummer, producer and co-leader Magrus Borges are attractive and accessible while the rhythms are infectious if not for bossa-nova purists.
The Bossa Beat on Amare also includes bassist Robson Barros and, on various selections, trombonist Gianluca Petrella, Francesco Borrelli or Andre Lafaete on guitar, vibraphonist Luciano Cantone, and cellist Jonathan Dills with the latter two heard on one song apiece. Taco helps out with the vocals during four numbers. Trombonist Petrella’s contributions, whether soloing or filling in the ensembles, are a strong asset and the rhythm section is subtle yet modern.
The main focus is on Ella’s voice and one feels her smiling in her singing. Although not completely in his style, one can imagine Antonio Carlos Jobim not only enjoying this music but recording in this setting if he were still with us. Amare is easily recommended and available from www.amazon.com.
Jazz Goes Mod
Soho Scene ‘68
(Rhythm and Blues Records)
1968 was the year that jazz and the rock/pop music of the time finally met. Prior to that, most jazz musicians considered rock and its predecessor rock and roll to be simplistic music for teenagers. But by 1968, rock had become more sophisticated in its chord structures and musicianship, and many of the younger generation of jazz artists were becoming open to exploring its rhythms and melodies although outright fusion was still in the future. In addition, free jazz and avant-garde music was also having its effect on the jazz scene in both England (where its exponents were quickly developing their own identity apart from the Americans) and the U.S, making life harder for those committed to playing straight ahead hard bop and earlier styles.
The Jazz Goes Mod series put out by the British Rhythm and Blues Records is a series of two-CD sets that explore the jazz music of a particular year, starting in 1957. As with the others, Soho Scene ’68 has a disc of music covering a variety of artists from Great Britain, and one by musicians from the United States. While a handful of the selections on the American CD are available elsewhere, most of the others on this compilation (which is drawn from concerts, radio appearances, and television shows) are rare and obscure. They range from hard bop and soul jazz to originals that were inspired or influenced by the r&b/pop music of the period (particularly rhythmically), along with some avant-garde explorations.
The British CD has a performance apiece by pianist Michael Garrick’s sextet (the exotic Indian-flavored “Temple Dance”), altoist Joe Harriott (with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler on Horace Silver’s “Psychedelic Sally”), guitarist Terry Smith, baritonist John Surman, the great tenor Tubby Hayes (with guitarist Louis Stewart), Michael Gibbs’ New Jazz Orchestra, pianist Howard Riley’s rather adventurous trio with bassist Barry Guy, a quintet co-led by tenor-saxophonist Don Rendell and trumpeter Ian Carr, the Alan Cohen Big Band (playing a low-down blues), guitarist Ray Russell (“Dragon Hill” which is filled with tempo and mood changes worthy of Charles Mingus), the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (mostly playing jarring long tones for six minutes), and the duo of guitarist Shawn Weaver and organist Mick Phillips.
The American half of the ambitious collection has performances by Eddie Harris, guitarist Wally Richardson (“Senor Boogaloo”), Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Horace Silver, organist Lloyd Wallace, Hugh Masekela (a live version of “Grazing In The Grass”), the Orpheus Four, Charles Lloyd, vibraphonist Freddie McCoy (“Listen Here”), Harold Mabern’s quintet (featuring George Coleman), Wes Montgomery and his brothers (“California Nights”), Hank Mobley (“Airegin”), Lionel Hampton (a brief throwaway ensemble piece), the Prince James Quartette, and trumpeter Don Cherry leading a ten-piece band.
The typically superior liner notes by Simon Spillett summarize the jazz scene in Great Britain during 1968 quite well but unfortunately say nothing much about the performances on this twofer. However, the music does a good job of speaking for itself, giving listeners a fine overview of some of the exciting jazz sounds of 1968. Soho Scene ’68 is available from www.rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk.
Phillip Golub
Partisan Ship
(Berthold)
Keyboardist Phillip Golub (playing his self-created Flexichord, Behringer Neutron, and Arturia Digital Synths) has put together a unique set of music on Partisan Ship. The ten compositions, all his originals, play continuously without a pause and form a cinematic soundscape.
Golub is joined on various selections by Yuma Uesaka on clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, tenor, and what is called a Bass Clariflute (a flute with a bass clarinet mouthpiece), trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, Anna Webber on flute and tenor, altoist David Leon, Elias Stemeseder on synths, bassist Sam Minale, drummer Jon Starks and, on one number, violinist Layale Chaker.
While it is tempting to describe this otherworldly music as the soundtrack for an outer space journey, the performances actually depict a sea voyage with some of the sounds being reminiscent of an ocean liner. However, the exact meaning of the titles (which include “Loyalty Oath,” “Mutiny Meeting” and “Utopian Micronation”) are not discussed in the somewhat bizarre liner notes of Cory Smythe.
Listeners are often left questioning during this intriguing set what instruments they are hearing, what parts of the music are improvised as opposed to being worked out beforehand and, most of all, where is the music heading? Some of the sections are melodic and swing a little while others put the emphasis on the unique sounds (utilizing microtonal tunings) that are created as the action moves forward. The interplay between the horns (Anna Webber is impressive on both tenor and flute while trumpeter ElSaffar has some fiery moments) and the synthesizers keep the music quite stimulating and unpredictable, making this a set well worth acquiring by those who have open ears.
Partisan Ship is available from www.berthold-records.de.
Steve Swallow
Winter Songs
(ECM)
The ECM label has always been famous for its relaxed sets of modern jazz although not all of its releases fit into their trademark sound. While many utilize aspects of classical and folk music along with a creative use of space, bassist Steve Swallow’s Winter Songs is closer to mainstream jazz.
On Winter Songs, Swallow heads an impressive sextet that also includes trumpeter Mike Roridguez, tenor-saxophonist Chris Cheek, guitarist Steve Cardenas, pianist Gil Goldstein, and drummer Adam Nussbaum. They perform nine of the bassist’s originals which unfortunately do not have any real titles, just being named after the numbers one through nine. That is a bit short-sighted because, with actual names, some of these tunes would have a better chance of being covered by other musicians.
Most of the playing is laidback with the tempos ranging from medium-slow to slow medium. Other than Nussbaum, all of the musicians have some opportunities to be featured as soloists, usually two or three on a particular piece. Swallow is generous in showcasing his sidemen and does not take a real solo of his own until “Seven.” While there is some fire displayed in spots, particularly by Rodriguez and Cheek, most of the statements fit into the relaxed mood of the album.
Steve Swallow at 85 sounds in prime form throughout his first album as a leader in a decade. While an uptempo tune or two would have given it more variety, Winter Songs is a consistently pleasing outing that is often quite mellow.
Ella Fitzgerald
Live At Falkoner Theatre
(Gearbox)
On Feb. 7, 1966, the 48-year old Ella Fitzgerald, while on a European tour with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, was captured live for The Stockholm Concert 1966, a set that was released two decades later by the Pablo label. Now, more than 60 years after it took place, Live At Falkoner Theatre has emerged. Performed the day before in Copenhagen, the well-recorded set features the singer very much in prime form.
For this CD, Duke Ellington is never actually present and the Ellington band is very much in the background with no solos. They could have just as well been a studio orchestra so that aspect is a little disappointing. However, Ella, who is joined by the Jimmy Jones Trio (pianist Jones, bassist Joe Comfort, and drummer Gus Johnson) in addition to the Ellington’s sidemen, sounds typically swinging and joyful.
Five of the ten songs would be repeated for The Stockholm Concert but these renditions differ a bit. Among the highlights of the set overall are a highly expressive “Something To Live For,” a happy version of “Let’s Do It,” a spirited “So Danco Samba,” and particularly a hot and very uptempo “How High The Moon.” On the latter, rather than just sing her usual riffs, Ella comes up with a lot of fresh ideas and song quotes, even switching briefly to “It’s A Hard Day’s Night,” as if to show that she was well aware of the current pop scene.
Ella Fitzgerald fans will want this fine CD (available from www.amazon.com and www.gearboxrecords.com) even if they already have scores of her albums.