Steve Tibbetts: Natural Causes

Steve Tibbetts (guitar; b. 1954)
Natural Causes (ECM; 2010)

(A short entry today everyone. Need to take a small break and relax.)
Steve Tibbetts is rare among the jazz/world music artists. He has been able to meld the two genres beautifully into this recordings. While his recording output seems infrequent (Natural Causes being his first in eight years) when he does release an album you stand up and take notice. Tibbetts is a native of Minnesota. This northern Midwesterner seems to have the same minimalist nature in his music that fellow Scandinavian jazz music posses.

Natural Causes (his 13 album overall) has stunning rhythmic elements wrapped in truly a world of adventure. Tibbetts guitar fret-work has always been seamless and his mastery of Eastern and Western cultures runs throughout Natural Causes. With undulating guitars and gently pulsating gongs added by longtime collaborator, Marc Anderson on drums give this record immense depth. Tracks like "Attasha," "Chandorga," "Lakshmivana" and "Lament" illustrate a beauty that for some might be reminiscent of David Sylvian's instrumental work on Gone To Earth.

Steve Tibbetts mainly works with 12 string guitar but his manner of playing is breathtaking and gives unique quality and ethereal beauty that many contemporaries cannot match. For anyone not familiar with Steve Tibbetts work, Natural Causes is a great place to start.

David S. Ware: Onecept

David S. Ware (sax: tenor, stritch, saxello)
Onecept (Aum Fidelity; 2010)
William Parker (bass)
Warren Smith (drums)

David S. Ware's newest release, Oncept (Aum Fidelity) is a celebration on multiple levels. First it is a celebration of a half century of playing saxophone and creating music which has engaged and challenged listeners and the structure of jazz itself. Second it is continued documentation of an artists overcoming adversity (dialysis, kidney transplant) and pushing forward with the exploration of spontaneous sound.

Oncept was recorded just a few months after his return to live performances (as documented on Saturnian (Aum Fidelity; 2009)). The trio which he has worked with in various forms (most recently 2008's Shakti) is in supreme form on Onecept. This is free form improvisational album similar to the solo concert album Satunian. Ware utilizes the same saxophones he used for that concert on this session. While there is a distinct difference in the sound of each horn that Ware uses, the main theme that runs throughout the recording is the unity of the trio.

"Book Of Krittika" opens the set in gripping ascendancy. Ware performs on the stritch sax. Both Smith and Parker are exquisitely in snyc with Ware's vision on this piece. Ware and Parker have a wonderful battle about midway through that is truly magical. "Celestial" is smokin' piece which Smith's drum work is slice of brilliance. Parker and Ware appear to follow along but you soon realize this is one unit playing a breakneck pace. That pace bleeds into "Desire Worlds" (with Ware playing saxello) which see Smith and Parker keep time on a feverishly changing of patterns from Ware. Absolutely stellar stuff.

"Astral Earth" and "Bardo" (Ware playing tenor on "Bardo") are two slightly midtempo gems with emotional resonance that exude the joy and bliss. There is a special connection on Onecept that for me highlights three musicians whose harmonic relationship has produce a collection of brilliant recording over the years. Oncept is just another jewel in the David S. Ware's ongoing career of excellence and creativity. Here's to his 50 years of playing saxophone and hopefully many more.

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (Legacy Edition)

Miles Davis
Bitches Brew (Legacy Edition)

So there isn't much else I can really say about Bitches Brew that we haven't discussed before. The real reason for today's entry is the fact that the most recently released editions of Bitches Brew (Deluxe Edition with all the bells and whistles at a hefty price or the Legacy Edition at a much more consumer friendly entry point) is well worth the purchase for Miles Davis fans.

The Bitches Brew (Legacy Edition) features the original album as well a second disc of outtakes and single edited version. Technically this really only for the die-hard collector. The versions aren't drastically different except for length (i.e. edited single versions). The real treat here is the DVD Live In Copenhagen 1969. The audio for this gig has been widely bootlegged in recent years but there's a reason for it--it's fantastic!

While the album session features a huge 12 member ensemble recorded in August of '69, the live recording is much more scaled down lean quintet. This November performance came a few months before the actual release of the album in 1970. You get a completely different experience with the performances from this smaller group featuring Wayne Shorter (sax), Chick Corea (electric piano), Jack DeJohnette (drums) and Dave Holland (bass). The songs are also not the same album length as evident of "Bitches Brew" and "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down." It's a slightly more intimate performance but still packs the fierce impact on the senses.

Each member is fine form throughout. Chick Corea really shines with some amazingly hypnotic doodling ("Bitches Brew"). This swirling synthesis is melded with Wayne Shorter's always omnipresent lyrical work on the saxophone (especially on "Agitation"). And there is a final moment on "It's About Time" that Dave Holland shows why he is one most creative bass player alive today. Miles is superb form as the group does truly explore new directions in music. This is a performance that was probably extremely experimental when it was performed but today it really will leave you in awe of what these legends did as a small group compared to massive scale they performed just a few months earlier in the studio.

If you already own Bitches Brew is going to be a tough call on buying this again but I have to say if you can spare the extra 12 - 14 Euros, its well worth it. If you don't own Bitches Brew this is a great way to get two incredible powerful performances from both the ensemble and the smaller quintet in one quick swoop. Highly Recommended.

John Fedchock

John Fedchock NY Sextet (trombone; b. 1957)
Live At The Red Sea Jazz Festival (Capri Records)
Walt Weiskopf (sax)
Scott Wendholt (trumpet)
Allen Farnham (piano)
David Finch (bass)
Dave Ratajczak (drums)

A veteran trombonist and consummate performer, John Fedchock has been a delight to listen to for over 30 years. Unheralded but deserving more exposure among jazz audiences, Fedchock is still one of the most respected among those inside jazz circles. Fedchock got his start with in the Woody Herman Orchestra in the 80s. The stint helped develop his songwriting skills as well as create a very distinctive voice on the trombone. Fedchock has also performed and recorded with Tony Bennett, Maria Schneider, Natalie Cole and Bob Belden among others. His style is well structured, colorful and fierce--similar in style to Curtis Fuller.

Surprisingly in his long career he only has six album to his name as leader but his new release Live At The Red Sea Jazz Festival (Capri Records) is probably the best way to experience his enormous talent. This is a live album that packs a lot of punch and drives with some really hard edges.

The performances from both Weiskopf and Farnham are superb in addition to the rest of the rhythm section who handle Fedchock's delicate and well crafted material in a relaxed manner that shows in a group that has worked together effortlessly. This is a band that can swing, bop and tantalize up and down the scale. There are some stellar solos from Fedchock, Wendholt and Wesikopf throughout the evening performance. "This Just In" and "That's All Right!" highlight the intensity of Fedchock's arrangements and the way the band member weave and interplay with each other.

The performance takes a mellower tone with the Tom Harrell penned piece "Moon Alley" with some lovely work from Wendholt. This is beautiful piece (one of only two covers on the album) which allows Fedchock to show his leadership by allowing the Wendholt to take most of lead throughout (after all the piece was written by a fellow trumpeter).

The albums closing moments are a cover of the Ellington classic "Caravan" and Fedchock's own "Not So New Blues". The sextet play it pretty standard but it does allow Dave Ratajczak to mingle with Fedchock and add a little more vibrancy to this already glittering classic. The final number is a perfect way to close the evening out. A boisterous mid tempo piece for Fedhcock's trombone and a nice back and forth between the horn section. A live post bop piece that could easily sit aside something from Lee Morgan or Stanley Turrentine.

John Fedchock NY Sextet performed at the festival is over 100 degree heat but you would never know it by listening to this date. They are definitely smokin' and its one of the best live records I've heard all year. I honestly can say this is one of those discs you will keep listening to over and over as the year goes on and you won't get tired of it. Live At The Red Sea Jazz Festival is an album of the highest order and a great way to get into one of the most under-rated trombonist on the scene today.