Curtis Fuller (trombone; b. 1934) I Will Tell Her (Capri Records)
Keith Oxman (sax) Al Hood (trumpet) Chip Stephens (piano) Ken Walker (bass) Todd Reid (drums)
As some may know I am a huge fan of Curtis Fuller and I try to recommend his music to anyone who asks me about jazz. Probably the most definitive document of Fuller's ability is still his debut, The Opener (Blue Note) he continues to record stellar albums without really missing a beat.
Curtis Fuller continues an illustrious career with his new release I Will Tell Her (Capri Records). It's an impressive and expressive double album filled with a nice mixture of mainly Fuller originals and only three standards. The Detroit native has a style built out of the J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding framework. He has worked with host of legends including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Kenny Burrell and Benny Golson to name just a few.
I Will Tell Her a killer set featuring a fairly new sextet for Fuller (they had recorded one album previously under saxophonist, Oxman's name). The album is split between one studio recording and one live recording. Both sets move at breakneck speed with the classic Kenny Dorham piece "Minor's Holiday" and Sonny Rollins' "Tenor Madness" as points of upward flight. The title track, "I Will Tell Her" (and the album itself) is a loving tribute to Fuller's wife, Cathy and showcases the distinct beauty and agility Curtis Fuller has built on the trombone.
The live date was recorded at the Denver jazz club, Dazzle. Four of the six songs on the second disc are included on the studio side but these versions are drastically different due to the live setting and the pacing in fierce. On the Fuller original "The Court" Keith Oxman really shines during his solos. I had really heard Keith Oxman before but now that I have he seems to be someone worth keeping an eye on. The live version of "I Will Tell Her" is just as moving if not more. There is more emotion pour into this version (mainly because of the live setting and the inspiration of the audience) that really makes it an extremely memorable moment of the recording.
On "Maze", Oxman again lays down some heavy movements that feel almost like Coltrane. Al Hood also displays some great chops here as well. The band has only been together a short time (since 2005) but it sounds like they have been at for decades. The always romantic piece "I Want To Talk About You" starts to bring the live proceedings to close in comfortable fashion. And the whole disc closes as hot as it began with "Minor's Holiday", this time with some emphatic playing from Chip Stephens and guided by Oxman and Fuller's incredible interplay.
I Will Tell Her is a pristine document of two killer sessions and a loving overture to his beloved wife. I would now say anyone who doesn't own a Curtis Fuller record, you can't go wrong with either The Opener or I Will Tell Her. This is vintage hard bop at its best.
Herbie Hancock (piano; b. 194) The Piano(Columbia; 1979)
Recorded in 1978 and originally only released in Japan, The Piano (Columbia/Legacy Recordings), is one of Herbie Hancock's most introspective albums ever as well as one of the few solo piano recordings he has done.
It was finally released in the U.S. in 2004. The Piano showcases two intimate settings for Hancock, one being a set of standards most popularized by Miles Davis, including "On Green Dolphin Street" and "Someday My Prince Will Come." The second half of the disc includes four Hancock originals which were essentially spontaneous. Combined, this recording gives many listeners (new and seasoned Herbie Hancock fans) a great "fly on the wall" experience into the mind of one the greatest pianist since Bill Evans.
A true masterpiece from a musician who is rarely heard in a solo setting, The Piano is also a wonderful and essential CD to have in your collection. Herbie Hancock is an artist who has had way more high points than lows. The Piano is a traditional standards session that sets Hancock high and above many of others during that time period and is still relevant today.
Roland Kovac (piano)Siegfried Schwab (guitar) Brian Auger (organ, Love That)
Peter Trunk (bass, Love That)
Franz Loffler (bass, The Master Said)
Keith Forsey (drums, Love That)
Charly Antolini (drums, The Master Said) Roland Kovac New Set was an ever-changing collective of European jazz-rock musicians best known for recording far-out production music for the legendary Austrian label Selected Sound. The imprint released 122 library records between 1968 and 1987, ranging from experimental electronic to funky psychedelic to action jazz.
Selections from the Selected Sound catalogue can be heard on the out-of-print, three-volume series Pop Boutique, released by Spinning Wheel in the late ‘90s, and other library comps such as Action Passing from a few years ago. Having heard and enjoyed some of Roland Kovac’s groovy Selected Sound recordings on various compilations I figured I knew what to expect when I picked up The Master Said and Love That, two full-length albums reissued by Garden of Delights. (By the way, the liner notes indicate that the Austrian musician’s last name is of Slovenian origin and is pronounced “Kovatch”.)
The real surprise, however, is the music. It’s difficult imagining this jazzy psychedelic space rock being used as background filler on radio stations (as the liner notes suggest), but apparently some of it also turned up in movies of the period.
First came The Master Said in ‘71, with Kovac on keys, Charly Antolini on drums, Siegfried Schwab (of Vampyros Lesbos fame) on guitar and bassist Franz Loffler. The centerpiece is the 17-minute title track that fluctuates between funky grooves and spacy jamming. It’s followed by the trippy 10-minute “Birth of a Saint” as well as the much shorter Procol Harum-esque “Eternal Dimension” and mellow closer “David's Dance.” The longer tracks are definitely the attraction, but don't expect tightly constructed library compositions— these are sprawling, episodic, lysergic concoctions.
A year later Kovac recorded the equally trippy Love That, joined by Brian Auger on organ, Keith Forsey on drums, Peter Trunk on bass and Schwab again on guitar. The tracks are generally shorter, averaging a relatively tidy 5 minutes each, except for the 9-minute “Genesis.” Regardless of duration, these numbers also sprawl out into spacy jamming. Like jazz tracks, they often start with an idea or riff, move out into improvisation and close with a reiteration of the theme. The melodies never linger, but the contact buzz is fairly intense.
Big props to Garden of Delights for putting these albums on CD as the originals tend to sell for astronomical sums. Unfortunately the master tapes weren't available, so the label resorted to vinyl transfers, but the sound quality is certainly clean and acceptable.
The liner notes break down each track into subsections based on solos, etc., and there are decent pics of the band members. No surprise, the booklet also includes a full color catalog of other psychedelic releases on the Garden of Delights label.
Chances are, Roland Kovac New Set is going to be a real break from the ordinary for most JazzWrap readers, but you're an adventurous bunch so you might want to explore them, especially if you enjoy obscure European acts from the '60s and '70s.
Phronesis (group; formed 2005) Jasper Hoiby (bass) Ivo Neame (piano) Anton Eger (drums)
Mark Guliana (drums)
The tough part for me is, I had been avoiding Phronesis for the last few years because of the hype (e.g. the next best thing to E.S.T.). Well I have to say I may have seriously missed the bus on this one but I'm glad I caught up at the next stop. Phronesis is a trio born out the London based LOOP collective of musicians whom all have bands of their own but consistently work together for the advancement and experimentation of jazz in England and Europe (and of course everywhere else). The collective is also includes the critically acclaimed groups, Outhouse and Fraud.
While the aforementioned bands explore the more experimental side of the London jazz psyche, Phronesis is more laid back but with a rough vigorous edge in their sound, thanks to Jasper Hoiby's masterful work on bass and direction in composition.
Originally from by Jasper Hoiby, he would later recruit Neame and Eger to from the trio. The group have done an amazing job utilizing the space surrounding them. They fill it with worthy soundscapes that are both tight, poignant and refreshing. On their previous two album, Organic Warfare and Green Delay, Phronesis have definitely shown the spirit of Esbjorn Svensson Trio is still alive but Phronesis are for sure making it their own.
The bands latest, a live album entitled--Alive (Edition Records) is the album fans have been waiting for. Alive is an album rich in mid-tempo rhythms that captivates the listener in addition to highlighting the strength of Hoiby's original compositions. Alive includes material from the bands previous two albums but set in the live format you get a much more expansive and intense experience.
At times early on during this live outing Hoiby sounds like a combination Charlie Haden meets Dan Berglund (of E.S.T.) as on "Abrahams' Gift". "Abraham's Gift" is a number that shifting and fantastic time changes but also lightly balance touch of beauty reminiscent of Haden playing with Jarrett. Ivo Neame and for this date, Mark Guliana on drums also show that Hoiby's writing allows for dynamic improvisation to occur throughout the evenings performance.
"Love Song" is a perfect example of the bands interplay is solid (especially since Guliana is only filling in on this date). "Love Song" is mainly Hoibys piece but Guliana and Neame gently ran counter at just the right moments. Since this is live in the moment the listener truly feels the essence of how this night went down.
Another shining moment is the subtle touches Hoiby employs on "Untitled #2" (and on the iTunes exclusive "Smoking The Camel") in which Neame and Guliana led the trio on beautiful but yet vibrant journeys that showcase a distinct leap forward in the groups material and ability to grab and hold onto the audience at the venue as well as at home on the stereo.
Alive might be the best way to immediately get into Phronesis. They are definitely a group that is on the rise and while I've said recently Neil Cowley is also capable of taking the mantle left by E.S.T., now that I've experienced all three Phronesis albums there is definitely room for two new highly creative voices to fill the void left by the great Swedish trio. You should really check out Phronesis. I'm glad I finally did.
