Chuck Redd
Painting With Blue
(Dalphine)
Vibraphonist Chuck Redd gained unexpected fame beyond the jazz world during the past year for his courage in defying the White House obscenity and refusing to appear at the temporarily renamed Kennedy Center. All thinking individuals owe him thanks for his bravery.
In music, Redd has long been a talented swing and bop-based vibraphonist. Painting With Blue teams his vibes with Mike LeDonne (who is equally skilled on piano, organ, and Fender Rhodes), flutist Will Anderson, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Aaron Seeber. Starting with a delightful version of Tommy Flanagan’s boppish calypso “Eclypso” and continuing with Johnny Hodges’ “Squatty Roo,” an uptempo rendition of Freddie Hubbard’s “Byrdlike,” “A Lot of Livin’ To Do,” and “In A Mellow Tone,” plus such unlikely but rewarding material as “The Tender Trap,” and “I Love You Samantha,” the dozen selections contain no slow, sleepy or throwaway moments. Redd, who takes “I Loves You Porgy” as his ballad feature, is generous in featuring his sidemen, giving them the optimal amount of space for their solos. The all-star cast plays up to the level that one expects and the attractive group sound with its vibes-flute frontline will be difficult to resist by those who love swinging jazz.
On vibes, Chuck Redd keeps the tradition of Red Norvo, Milt Jackson, and Terry Gibbs alive while displaying his own musical personality. Painting With Blue, his first album as a leader since 2018, is highly recommended and available from www.amazon.com and www.chuckredd.com.
Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y
Kind Of Grunge
(Cellar Music)
Throughout jazz history, creative musicians have often taken songs from other genres and turned them into exciting jazz. But even with jazz’s long history, Kind Of Grunge is certainly unusual. While Brad Mehldau has tackled “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” few have taken the other 11 numbers on Kind Of Grunge into the world of jazz.
Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr, leads the talented sextet Generation Y, a group that also includes the versatile trumpeter Benn Benack III, altoist Langston Hughes II, pianist Tyler Bullock, guitarist Dan Wilson, and bassist Thomas Milovac. The musicians do wonders with songs associated with Nirvana, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilot, and Smashing Pumpkins. Being unfamiliar with nearly all of these songs (as apparently were the musicians before this project), the music at times reminded me of something that Charles Mingus might have played. It was surprising to realize that the original recordings sound nothing like this.
To give a few examples, “Touch Me, I’m Sick” becomes an uptempo romp that at one point quotes “Milestones.” “Even Flow” is transformed into Latin jazz (with a “Manteca” moment), “Disarm” is taken as a soulful ballad, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has some wild and dramatic ensembles, “Wooden Jesus” becomes a ballad for Benack’s muted trumpet, “Spoonman” is reborn as a riotous uptempo New Orleans blues, “Interstate Love Song” somehow becomes “All Blues,” and “Celebrity Skin” is reborn as a crazy reggae piece. It all concludes with a bit of a ringer, a very bluesy version of Leadbelly’s “Where Di You Sleep Last Night” (featuring guitarist Wilson) because it was performed by Nirvana.
The high musicianship of these players, along with their open-minded approach and wit, makes Kind Of Grunge a success. Ulysses Owens Jr. is to be congratulated for being willing to really stretch himself and his band. This unique outing is available from www.cellarmusicgroup.com.
Donald Vega
Play It Forward
(Imagery Records)
Pianist Donald Vega, who was born in Nicaragua, moved to Los Angeles in 1989, and now teaches at Julliard in New York, is perhaps best known these days for being a member of the Ron Carter Trio/Quartet since 2012. But while he fits perfectly into Carter’s group, there is more to his music than playing in Carter’s tight format.
Play It Forward features the pianist at his most extroverted. He is joined by trumpeter Brandon Lee, altoist David DeJesus, bassist Raul Reyes Bueno, drummer Peter Van Nostrand, and percussionist Carly Maldonado. From the start of the first number, a medium-tempo Latin blues (“Para Aguabella”), this is a consistently stirring set with plenty of spectacular ensembles, high-powered piano, and colorful playing.
Vega pays tribute to several of his mentors: percussionist Francisco Aguabella (“Para Aguabella”), “McKibbon’s Bugalu” (a boogaloo in the spirit of “The Sidewinder” in memory of bassist Al McKibbon), and “Smilin’ Billy” (a joyful romp for drummer Billy Higgins). While some of the other performances are a little quieter (such as the lyrical “Into The Unknown” and the somber solo piano piece “A Hymn for Iris”), the music is mostly quite exciting. Trumpeter Lee (who is often fiery) and altoist DeJesus are superior soloists, the rhythm section is uninhibited and tight, and Vega takes many memorable improvisations of his own.
Play It Forward is an easy album to enjoy for the group spirit, the musicians’ enthusiasm (along with their high-quality playing), and the infectious rhythms make this a highly recommended set. Play It Forward is available from www.donaldvega.com.
Jim Rotondi & Dena DeRose
Out Of The Past
(Cellar Music)
Trumpeter Jim Rotondi and pianist-singer Dena DeRose had wanted to co-lead an album for 30 years. They were friends in New York in the 1990s, occasionally played together, and Rotondi was on two of DeRose’s albums. They taught in the same period at SUNY-Purchase and eventually they both moved to Europe and became educators at the University for Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria.
Finally, they had the opportunity to co-lead Out Of The Past on June 23, 2024, just barely in time. Two weeks after the recording session, the trumpeter died unexpectedly from a heart attack; he was just 61.
As is obvious throughout this quartet set with bassist Danny Ziemann and drummer Mario Gonzi (both of whom are based in Vienna), Jim Rotondi was still very much in his prime, hitting high notes with confidence¸ displaying his beautiful tone, and never running short of ideas. Dena DeRose, who sings on five of the nine numbers (generally taking a chorus or two), is also at the top of her game. Their repertoire consists of Rotondi’s fairly spontaneous “Blues For Axel” and eight standards, most of which are not performed that often. Whether it is “Blue Gardenia,” a cooking rendition of “The More I See You,” modernized versions of “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” and “Moon River” (the latter recast in 5/4 time) or a warm version of “It’s Too Late,” everything succeeds on this session.
This album and Jim Rotondi’s recording career conclude with a swinging “You Say You Care.” While his life was cut tragically short, Jim Rotondi exited on top with this very good session which is available from www.cellarmusicgroup.com.
Anna Maurer
On Her Mind
(ATS Records)
Anna Maurer, who is from Austria, began playing in public when she was 13 and played saxophone as a teenager before switching to the piano. She has performed a variety of music in her career including fusion and salsa, Now in her early thirties, On Her Mind features her as a pianist and a singer on an acoustic set with her trio (bassist Thomas Hilacher and drummer Harald Tanschek) and her father Christian Mauer who is heard on tenor and soprano.
While the opening “Prologue” and the closing “Being Home” are instrumentals, the other seven songs (all her originals) feature Anna Maurer’s singing along with her piano playing. Among the topics that her lyrics covers are being unable to dig deeper into a person’s soul (“When I Am Lost In Your Eyes”), displaying a cheerful image when one is actually suffering on the inside (“On Her Mind”), a whimsical and very unlikely love affair (“The Crocodile Song”), and breaking free of a relationship (“The Art Of Freedom”).
Even when the structures of a song are a bit pop-oriented, each selection contains excellent piano and saxophone solos with daughter and father Maurer displaying plenty of individuality in their playing. Anna Maurer’s vocals are also easy-to-take, her elocution is excellent, and her lyrics are intelligent and somewhat timeless.
On Her Mind is available from ats-records.com
Vicki Rummler
Snapshots
(Dodicilune)
Vicki Rummler, who is originally from Michigan, has lived in Europe for many years and is based in Paris. She has a beautiful and flexible voice, is not certainly not shy to stretch herself, and loves harmonizing with other musicians. Snapshots is a tribute to her late father Ed Rummler III. who was an amateur clarinetist who spent most of his life working as a photographer for Kodak while always loving jazz.
This intimate and unusual set (her fifth as a leader) features Vicki Rummler in a trio with clarinetist Francesco Bearzatti (who plays soprano on one number) and pianist Nico Morelli who is mostly quite subtle. While there is plenty of space in these performances by the chamber trio, the results are never sleepy. In fact, the opener “Nirvanina” lets one know that the focus will be on the interplay between voice and clarinet. Expressive ballads such as the bluesy “Okemah” are outnumbered by the uptempo pieces including the rhythmically catchy “Snapshots, and “Fake Brown.” The group’s versions of the set’s two standards, “It Had To Be You” and “Song For My Father,” are quite wild while at the same time keeping the melody in mind.
There are many surprises to be heard throughout the CD including a brief hidden track. While quite adventurous, Vicki Rummler’s attractive voice, Bearzatti’s fluency and ability to spontaneously improvise melodically, and Moretti’s supportive playing makes Snapshots much more accessible than one might expect. Snapshots is available from www.amazon.com and www.dodicilunedischi.it and well worth searching out and enjoying.
Jeff Colella and Putter Smith
Between Friends
(Capri/American Jazz Institute)
Although pianist Jeff Colella and bassist Putter Smith only teamed up on records (other than one selection from 1997) for their 2014 duo album Lotus Blossom, the two Los Angeles fixtures undoubtedly have crossed paths numerous times during the past 30 years.
On Between Friends, they perform a relaxed set of duets. Smith contributed three songs (including the two ballads that open the CD), Colella brought in one original, and there are two numbers by Bill Evans and one song apiece from Kenny Barron (“Voyage”), Thelonious Monk (“Locomotive”), Billy Strayhorn (a faster than usual version of “Isfahan”), and Ralph Towner.
Colella and Smith are equals on this album with both of the musicians soloing on every song. Among the highlights are the haunting “A Prayer For The World,” their musical conversation on “The Glide,” and a pretty version of “We Will Meet Again” but each of these performances are enjoyable, tasteful, and quietly inventive.
Between Friends is available from www.caprirecords.com.
Amber Weekes
To Oscar With Love
(Amber Inn Records)
Oscar Brown’s legacy is well worth celebrating. A brilliant lyricist and songwriter, and an excellent jazz singer who was also a social activist, playwright, poet, actor, and one who was always trying to improve conditions in the world, Brown had an intellectual yet joyful onstage personality. He always made audiences both smile and think.
Amber Weekes, a very good jazz singer, pays tribute to the genius (who would have turned 100 this Oct. 10) on To Oscar With Love, performing ten songs on which Brown composed both the music and the lyrics and two famous standards (“Afro Blue” and “Work Song”) for which he wrote the words. With the instrumentation and personnel changing from song-to-song, many musicians help out including violinist Mark Cargill, saxophonist Keith Fiddmont, singer Adam “Aejaye” Jackson, pianist Tony Campodonico, and guitarist Paul Jackson Jr.
But the main star is Amber Weekes who digs into the material, comes up with fresh ideas, and pays tribute to Brown’s music and spirit. Among the tunes that she revives are the enthusiastic “Mister Kicks,” “Strong Man,” the humorous “But I Was Cool,” “Brown Baby,” an atmospheric and somewhat haunting “Rags And Old Iron,” “Hum Drum Blues,” and “A Ladies Man.” She gives these songs not only a beautiful voice and swinging phrasing but a full understanding of the lyrics.
Fans of Oscar Brown Jr. and along with those who are just beginning to discover his music will certainly want to pick up To Oscar With Love which is available from www.amberweeks.com and www.amazon.com.
Azar Lawrence
Turn The Music Up
(Trazar Records)
Tenor-saxophonist Azar Lawrence started his career fast in the 1970s, gaining some fame for his brilliant playing on a trio of McCoy Tyner albums (Enlightenment, Sama Layuca, and Atlantis) and Miles Davis’ Dark Magus. He also recorded with Elvin Jones and Woody Shaw in addition to leading a few of his own albums. But after that period, he had a much lower profile in the jazz world, recording in commercial settings and very little jazz at all during 1987-2005.
Fortunately, the saxophonist has since made a comeback and is still playing in his prime. While sometimes grouped into the “spiritual jazz” area popularized by Pharoah Sanders, Lawrence has long had his own sound. Some of the songs on his recent recording Turn The Music Up alternate between two chords and have grooves a little reminiscent of Sanders (and not just his take on “The Creator Has A Master Plan”), but Lawrence shows more versatility along with his own fresh musical personality.
He is joined by the other members of the Azar Lawrence Experience (keyboardist Robert Turner who has consistently impressive spots both on electric and acoustic pianos), bassist Gerald Brown, drummer Yayo Morales, guitarist Taka Mori, and trumpeter Brian Swartz (mostly in a background role) plus a few guests. Vocalist Lynne Fiddmont is a strong asset when she appears on ‘Highway” and “The Creator Has A Master Plan.” The highlights include “Highway,” McCoy Tyner’s “Atlantis,” and the closing funk jam “Summer Solstice.”
The joyful performances heard throughout Turn The Music Up will inspire one to follow the album title’s advice. This fine set is available from www.azarlawrence.com and www.amazonmusic.com.
Antonio Adolfo
Balaios
(AAM)
For his latest in a string of rewarding Brazilian jazz albums, pianist Antonio Adolfo performs nine originals that he had composed in past years. Eight were written during 1965-89 while “My Chant” is from 2018. For Balaios, Adolfo leads a four-horn nonet of talented Brazilian players comprised of guitarist Luis Galvao, bassist Jorge Helder, drummer Rafael Barata, percussionist Andre Siqueira, trumpeter Jesse Sadoc, trombonist Rafael Rocha, altoist Danilo Sinna, and Marcelo Martins on tenor and flutes. In addition, there is one guest appearance apiece by guitarist Thom Rotella and alto-saxophonist Leo Gandelman.
The music on Balaios is filled with concise solos from Adolfo’s sidemen (each of the horn players have plenty of opportunities to shine), ensembles with Adolfo arrangements that sometimes make the group sound more like a big band, and warm melodies. The leader also takes short solos throughout the set but puts the focus on the songs rather than individual heroics. Whether it is the straight ahead swinging “3D Blues,” an easy-listening “Claudia,” the beautiful melody of the waltz “My Chant,” the celebratory closer “Zah Toom Toom,” or some pieces that are hard bop-oriented, Balaios makes for a joyful listen.
One can never go wrong in acquiring an Antonio Adolfo recording. Balaios is available from www.aammusic.com and www.amazon.com.
George Garzone
Themes For Good Friends
(JoJo Records)
Tenor-saxophonist George Garzone, who is now 75, has been a major saxophonist since at least the 1980s and an important jazz educator (most notably at Berklee) for decades. He has a large tone and an adventurous style, inspired by Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Stan Getz.
On Themes For Good Friends, Garzone heads a quintet that also features the ageless trumpeter Randy Brecker, pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Santi Debriano, and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts.” The album begins in a surprising fashion with Garzone showcased on a highly expressive ballad version of “Theme For Ernie.” Archie Shepp’s “U-Jaama” is taken uptempo and has hot solos from Brecker, Garzone, and Watts. The standard “It Could Happen To You” is given a new melody and reborn as “It Will Happen To You,” a swinging performance that would could have fit in very well in the late 1950s. Debriano’s jazz waltz “Ripty Boom” inspires a particularly passionate statement from Garzone.
“Giant Steps” is taken as a drum solo and a fiery tenor/drum duet with its melody only appearing near the end of the fascinating four-minute performance. Also on this CD are Perdomo’s harmonically advanced “Just Ring The Bell” (which has some blazing playing from Brecker), the medium-tempo “The Mingus I Knew,” and Garzone’s “To Michael Brecker” which is played by the ensemble and is both mournful and quietly celebratory.
Theme For Good Friends features George Garzone and his sidemen in top form. It is available from www.jojorecords.com.
Kevin Fort & Andy Brown
Chiaroscuro
(Jeru Jazz)
Two of the top Chicago-based musicians team up for a rather impressive duet album. Pianist Kevin Fort and guitarist Andy Brown are superior straight ahead jazz players who certainly know the bebop vocabulary while always swinging. Pianists and guitarists sometimes clash when playing together due to their different chord voicings but that is certainly not a problem here because Fort and Brown have very compatible styles. The pianist often provides basslines on the uptempo tunes behind Brown while the guitarist plays rhythm behind Fort. Their solos are concise and their tradeoffs are fun to hear as they often think as one.
The opener on Chiaroscuro, “How Deep Is The Ocean,” starts off the set with a memorable performance. Taken uptempo, the standard is given heated solos and intuitive interplay before the piece ends too soon at 5 1/2 minutes. Three other standards, including an uptempo “Yardbird Suite,” alternate with four of the pianist’s originals. His “Morning Light” is reminiscent in spots of “Lullaby Of Birdland,” “Leroy” swings easily, and “Dark Flower” and “Chiaroscuro” are thoughtful and quietly inventive.
Chiaroscuro, which closes with a stirring and hard-swinging rendition of “Night And Day,” is a joyful collaboration between two underrated jazz masters that is easily recommended and available from www.jerujazzrecords.com.