New York Standards Quartet

New York Standards Quartet (group)

Unstandard (Challenge Records; 2011)

David Berkman (piano)

Yosuke Inoue (bass)

Gene Jackson (drums)

Tim Armacost (sax, flute)

Formed from the idea of bringing a different spin to traditional standards, the New York Standards Quartet is quietly making an impact throughout various circles of the jazz community. 


The group consists of veteran leaders; David Berkman who's growing discography continues to be inspiring and garnering considerable praise for his compositions. He has recorded, toured and composed with the likes of Joe Lovano, Brian Blade and Dave Douglas. Yosuke Inoue, who has worked with Cyrus Chestnut and Lee Konitz among others. Tim Armacost, who's worked with both Bruce Barth & Kenny Barron on a number of occasions. And finally, Gene Jackson with whom you can hear some killer work on albums by Monday Michiru, J.D. Allen and even Dave Holland.

The group's first recording was a live set recorded in Japan in 2006 (NYSQ Live In Tokyo released in 2009). On their latest endeavor, Unstandard (Challenge Records) NYSQ have spun the tunes forward giving them a bit of adventure in the compositional structure. The classic "How High The Moon" starts in a traditional fashion and melody, but soon Berkman and Armacost take the tune on a nice but gentle left turn adding more romantic notes and some nice touches of improvising on Berkman's part. It's a great way for the group and the listener to be introduced.

Later on "But Beautiful", a Jimmy Van Heusen standard (later really solidified by Betty Carter late in her life), Berkman exemplifies the reason why he is one of the growing set of pianists that will be known over the next 20 years. His movements of slow and steady pace the quartet perfectly. Armacost switches to flute which adds a deep sensual atmosphere to the piece.


"Lunar," one of the few longer originals here written by Berkman, is a moment for the group to really bounce with a fervent staccato. They are having a lot of fun throughout this piece. Inoue really shines with a great set of passages on bass. Berkman's writing here has also allowed room for Gene Jackson to cut some serious and pulsating sounds on the drums. The group are really smokin' on "Lunar" and it happens at the right time while listening to the sessions as a whole.

Moving out of "Lunar" you get Bill Evan's wonderful "Interplay" which has a bit more full body to it as a result of relying on Armacost in place of Freddie Hubbard (trumpet on the original). They keep the feel and shape of original but expand inside the rhythm with Inoue and Jackson adding a solid tone on notes around the buoyancy and intricacies of Berkman's notes. The tune feels more like a jumping romantic theme to an early 60's film and leaves the listener with a pleasant vibe.

With Unstandard, The New York Standards Quartet have delivered a well focused document that expands on the main elements of the "standard" in a fun and entertaining manner all the while maintaining a sense kinship with the original. It's a wonderful group playing a straight ahead songbook that the general music fan can easily gravitate to with no fear. The melodies are familiar, the improvised moments are light and few. The listener gets an education by a senior class of players. The jazz community gets another stellar record to talk about for the rest of the year. Highly Recommended.

Zero Centigrade: Unknown Distances

Zero Centigrade

Unknown Distances (Audio Tong; 2011)
Tonino Taiuti (acoustic guitar, found sounds)

Vincenzo De Luce (trumpet, found sounds)

Duo recordings are nothing new. But what makes Zero Centigrade so interesting is the combination of guitar and trumpet. Not your usual duo. We saw this last year with the duo Nate Wooley and Joe Morris done expertly. Zero Centigrade have been recording since 2009 but have built up a small and intriguing body of work.

On their latest release, Unknown Distances (Audio Tong) Tonino Taiuti and Vincenzo De Luce bring a set of subtle, spacious and erie sounds to life with a real sense of adventure. It's a bit less deconstructive than their previous 2010 effort, I'm Not Like You (featuring one of my favourite pieces by the duo "Dirty Times") and you can find some structure within all the improvisation.

There's a combination of folk, blues, jazz and avant garde circling throughout the session. "Snake's Tail" moves slowly with Taiuti's mild stretches across the guitar, and fluctuations back and forth from De Luce's trumpet. It all turns into an interesting ride that has you wondering what sound comes next. "Now & Them"'s dark quality feels like moments out of Sonic Youth's Evol (think "Halloween"). Taiuti's playing is pretty straight forward with De Luce adding the improvised moments with striking passages of brilliance.

"Dry River" is probably the most well structured piece on Unknown Distances. Opening quietly with a bluesy theme from Taiuti and slowly expanding into an experimental exhibition of manipulated trumpet, guitar tapping and random sounds.

While Taiuti's guitar does dominate this session "Cloud #2" is a beautiful listening experience with both musicians working in tandem creating an emotional and minimalist soundscape. De Luce rips loose towards the end with real vigor and it carries over in the track "Upward" which De Luce uses varies breathing techniques to create some inspiring sounds. Unknown Distances closes with "Other Voices," a calm two chord piece with some warm passages crafted by De Luce.

In all, Unknown Distances is rich in its simplicity and deep in its desire to utilize space, minimalism and improvisation. It will be a hard listen for most but it is very rewarding. It's a small leap forward but retains the Zero Centigrade spirit for exploration and discovery. 

Craig Taborn: Avenging Angel

Craig Taborn (piano)

Avenging Angel (ECM; 2011)

Stripped bear of the technology of Taborn's last few outings as leader and sideman, Avenging Angel (ECM) is simply put---PERFECT. Taborn has always been a musician who loves to play with space and technique and here you get to experience the heart and soul of his compositions.

Avenging Angel has the elements of a classic recital as well the energy of a intimate improvised session. Opening gently on the rolling patterns of "The Broad Day King", Taborn gives a good indication of the albums main themes--expressionism along on a journey of unknown discovery. Taborn is making a massive statement utilizing very little space. The notes are sparse but crisp. The intimacy and intensity of these pieces is gripping, chilling and enveloping.

"Glossolalia" with it's repetitive theme and roller coaster movements invites you on a trail that builds to great yet subtle highs and quickly disappears. "Spirit Hard Kick" is a similar movement in which Taborn exercises the space on the keys with fast paced rhythms and thoughts which eventually encompass the listener in a wash of beautiful sounds. "Forgetful" may be the most lush and focused piece on Avenging Angel. A romantic ballad with a European classical feel to it. Touching, drifting and affective.

The piano is at the heart of Avenging Angel and Craig Taborn has made it sound more simple, sweet and beautiful than you can imagine. His compositions stripped bare allow you hear a musician who will hopefully gain wider recognition from this album and who is thinking on a divergent path than many of his contemporaries. Excellent stuff.

Nadav Remez: So Far

Nadav Remez (guitar)

So Far (BJU Records; 2011)

Shal Maestro (piano)

Jmaes Wylie (sax, clarinet)

Avri Borochov (bass)

Ziv Ravitz (drums)

Steve Brickman (sax)

Itamar Borochov (trumpet)

For some reason, I've been really enjoying a lot of the guitar albums I listened to over the last few months. The obvious stand outs have been Mary Halvorson and Travis Reuter. But each album I've heard has its own amazingly moments that have me coming back again and again. The debut album from Nadav Remez, So Far (BJU Records) is one of those albums--surprising and rewarding. Subtle. Beautiful. And gets into your psyche after a couple of spins.

The arrangements on So Far play while tightly woven, still manage to give space to the musicians, allowing them to create some beautiful and encompassing passages. The ensemble really moves as a unit. Even Remez seems a member, allowing his group to speak for itself not as group of session musicians following its leader.

"Pinchas" sets out providing the ethereal space the album is laid in. The movements are free and Nadav provides a soft guide map for his mates to follow. James Wylie and Steve Brickman both give "Pinchas" an added element of punch when needed. "Last Exile" a tune Remez describes as a conversation about the time after wars is delightful and does has a "dream journey" quality to it. It's a song of hope. The group have time to expand and stretch a bit with this composition. Remez and Brickman's exchanges are boisterous but provide the much needed dialogue for the conversation.

"Untitled" sees Maestro moving to organ which gives the track a grittier feel. Ravitz and Borochov both move the rhythm along with some stellar patterns on drums and plucking of the bass. Remez's has a lovely mastery of his instrument. For me it was reminiscent of some of the better Pat Metheny works. "From Above" is a relaxing ballad written for Remez's late grandmother. It really shines with the interchanges between Maestro and Remez. This group has played together in various forms. So it would be expected that they are comfortable with each other and know the others movements. "From Above" is a group working in and around different structures and timings. The piece moves up and down in tempo but remains a ballad in spirit. And an emotionally effect one at that.

So Far closes with another tribute, "Susu" written for Remez's grandfather. It's a solo piece that combines both Remez's improvising and song structure in a very intimate setting. The material carved out on So Far really is rich, thoughtful and altogether beautiful to experience. It really requires a few spins before ever songs sinks in and has an emotional impact on you. Remez spent a good time under the studying and playing along some great musicians in Boston and New York after moving to the States from Israel just over five years ago. With So Far, Nadav Remez has shown himself to be an emerging talent on guitar in addition to being a well structured leader. This is one of those silent albums that you will returned to over and over again...

The Intersection: Jachna/Buhl

The Intersection is an ongoing feature on jazzmusic24 that looks at artists that have blended jazz, world and electronica in new and highly creative ways.

Jachna/Buhl

Niedokonczone Ksiazki (translated: Unfinished Books) (Audio Tong Music, 2011)

Wojtek Jachna (trumpet, electronics)

Jacek Buhl (drums)

A recent and unbelievably exciting discovery from fellow blogger Maciej at Polish Jazz is the second release from the duo Jachna & Buhl, Niedokonczone Ksiazki (translated: Unfinished Books).

Utilizing elements of jazz, electronica, early prog and found sound, Jachna and Buhl have created a wonderful and riveting document of rhythms, tones and ideas that will have you decidedly beside yourself as to what to call this - Jazz? Avant Garde? Third Stream Jazz? Electronica? World? Or what? There are places on Unfishised Books, where you may hear influences of Faust, My Bloody Valentine or Jon Hassell. I have been listening to this record non-stop for the last two weeks (twice a day in some cases).


In a similar vein to Mikrokolektyw from last year, this duo consist of drums and trumpet/electronics. But that's really where the similarities end. Jachna/Buhl employ their acoustic instruments with limited electronic manipulation. This gives the record a raw feel but also adds an experimental quality when the electronics are introduced. On "Modlitwa", the duo utilize all the space available and conjure a rich and expansive acoustic dialogue that is both exciting as it is exploratory. "Bernstein's Mood" rolls out with a funky repetitive pattern from Buhl and phrasing from Jachna that could fit neatly along side a piece of West Side Story (if West Side Story were an experimental musical). 

"Przyplyw Odplyw" has an ambient-dub quality to it that is reminiscent of mid-period Jon Hassell. It's a slow developing piece that is mainly dominated by Buhl's rhythmic passages. Jachna's performance is layered in beautifully. "Przyplyw Odplyw" moves upward and out but still maintains a melody, expression and direction that holds your interest throughout. Both musicians along with the electronic elements deployed in this piece are truly sublime. "Zmeczony Los" closes out the session with a slow moving rhythm, manipulated trumpet and other found sounds that feel more ethnological in structure than jazz based. The drums feel very tribal and Buhl's playing is eerie and emotional. It's ambient, dub, experimental and electronica rolled into six minutes of solitude. 

This is one of those records that is always up our alley at jazzmusic24. Wojtek Jachna and Jacek Buhl have created an album that is strikingly different than most of the material you will hear this year. Fusing various elements of the musical spectrum, they have maintained the acoustic richness of their instruments with the far-reaching spirit of third stream jazz to create an album--Unfinished Books -- that is worth every dollar, euro or pound it takes you to find it. Highly Recommended.

Beverley Knight: Soul UK

Beverley Knight (vocals)

Soul UK (Hurricane Records; 2011)

Beverley Knight has been turning out some of the best Soul on either side of the Atlantic for well over a decade now. She has moved elegantly between Soul, garage, dancefloor, rock and Northen Soul with ease and dominance. On her latest and seventh album, Soul UK (Hurricane) she delivers a massive "thank you" to the British artists that have inspired her.

Soul UK isn't your typical covers albums. It really is a step above that. What makes a covers album brilliant is the ability for the artist to make the songs their own. Not just a straight translation. Beverley does this and more. The other great thing about Soul UK is Beverley's choices of tracks to cover. They aren't the typical hits. Yes, we will all know most of these songs, but they aren't the "number 1 hits" you would expect. Which says something about the artist again--she respects the original big hits and doesn't want to tamper with that perfection. She wants to educate the audience on the greater but lesser known hit.

Beverley Knight does a marvelous job of deconstructing and revitalizing some of these tracks. On "Southern Freeez" (originally written by Freeez featuring John Rocca), Knight strips away the synth parts but leaves the infectious bassline and upbeat fun aspect of the song. By doing this she creates a joyful soul number that sounds completely Beverley Knight. It's a love song and a celebration and the lyrics to song stand the test of time (almost 30 years...jeez, I'm old).

"Say I'm You're Number One" (written by Princess) is a song I really didn't remember. On first listen I thought this was the lone original from Beverley on the album. I then looked at booklet and realized wow, this is Princess, and this midtempo ballad suited Beverley's voice perfectly!  She delivers a wonderful rendition that other artists today destroy with a load of unnecessary vocal histrionics. The Young Disciples are given an incredible homage through "Apparently Nothin'". Beverley Knight pulls the speed back on track and gives it a deeper soulful feel then the Acid Jazz tempo of the original. Carleen Anderson is another one of my favourite soul singers so this is a tough call on how to treat both versions. I'm giving a tip of the hat to Bev for the addition of Roots Manuva on the track.

Probably the godfathers of late 20th century British soul, Loose Ends, were also an influence of Beverley Knight (not surprising, really). "Don't Be A Fool" is a really lesser known track for American audiences but its a track with a powerful message for uplifting the spirit. Knight's version doesn't stray too far from the original but her focus is more on the lyrics and less on the production. One of the problems I always had with the original is the lyrics were amazing but drowned out by the electronic production. Beverley's version brings those words to life with a real emotional impact. Probably one of the least known artists outside of England is Andrew Roachford. Beverley gives him the respect he deserves with "Cuddly Toy". Roachford at the time (early 90s) was great mixture of Soul, Pop and Rock - very hard for people to grapple with that at the time (why, I will never know). Knight turns "Cuddly Toy" into a fiery Ike & Tina romp. It's probably the most fun on the album, bringing back memories of Beverley's Motor City Soul album from a few years back.

It seems lately that Lewis Taylor is also finally getting the wider audience he deserves as well. While Taylor never wanted the fame, the people he has influenced continues to grow. Recently Robbie William's covered  "Lovelight"; now Beverley Knight pays her respects with "Damn", a killer love letter that keeps the musical structure of the original but in Knight's hands has a deep blues vibe to it. Soul UK closes in style with George Michael's "One More Try". Knight retains the gospel dialogue of the original but strips away the keyboards in favour of the acoustic piano/organ to drive the message home. The music boils with emotion and actually blows the original into little tiny pieces.

Soul UK includes a much longer list of re-imagined classics from Soul II Soul, Jamiroquai, Omar, Heatwave and more but I would still be writing and you really need that time to go and purchase this album. Beverley Knight has turned these modern day Soul classics into her own and in some cases brought out an even more powerful essence from the lyrics. The stripped down quality of music allows Knight to explore the pieces from both structural and vocal standpoints. This is a perfect introduction to some of the missing and missed soul classics of the last 3 decades, as well as one the best "standards" albums you will hear all year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Intersection: Fania

The Intersection is an ongoing feature on jazzmusic24 that looks at artists who have blended jazz, world and electronica in new and highly creative ways.


Fania

Fania Records 1964 - 1980: The Original Sound Of Latin New York (Strut Records; 2011)

Various Artists

On this blistering hot afternoon in New York City what better music to be spinning than Fania. In the last few years there has been a resurgence of interest in the highly influential Latin rhythms of Fania Records. A plethora of releases have been reissued and unreleased recordings bubbled to the surface. All these can be extremely overwhelming, especially when you only have a brief knowledge of the label and some of its artists. The recently released Fania Records 1964-1980: The Original Sound Of Latin New York (Strut) is hands-down one the best compilations to represent the label and the artists with the respect and glamour it and they so richly deserve.

At a time well before the music industry started to accept Latin music as a viable source of income on the popular music side and well before Santana emerged on the scene, there was the Latin and Afro influence of Fania. The original creation of the now legendary clarinetist and bandleader, Johnny Pacheco, the label fused the interests of Spanish Harlem and the young vibe of the city into an infectious dancefloor groove that would influence countless artists to come. This compilation collects some of most important tracks spanning almost two decades. For many, you will recognize classics like Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco's monster groove of "Quimbra." This duo recorded a slew of records for the label and this was one of their most popular tunes. Cruz is in prime form and shows why she is considered the Queen of Latin music.

Johnny Pacheco's own "Dakar, Punto Final" has all the roots of salsa, merengue, charanga and other Latin sub-genres. It's hip-shaken' bass/percussion mixed with the cacophony of horns will make you want to throw an impromptu party after listening. Mongo Santamaria is featured here with the classic "O Mi Shango". Mongo Santamaria was already becoming a star on the jazz scene as a result of John Coltrane's rendition of "Afro Blue" a few years earlier. Along with artists such as Ruben Blades, Hector Lavoe, Joe Bataan and the great Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco would later develop what most people may know these artists by--The Fania All-Stars. This massive collective performed around the world to insanely large audiences. This was the real spreading of the Latin vibe and would have a profound affect on jazz and world music from America to England to Africa.

Fania Records 1964-1980 is a real treasure trove of Latin classics spanning 2 discs (29 songs) but it is also a document of one of the most important labels and artists to come out of the New York City at the time. These artists influenced generations both in jazz, rock and world music. Their impact really can't be questioned or overstated. Even if you only know a small bit about Latin music you need to own this compilation. It's not just a history lesson its a party album to beat all party albums. And if you are a jazz fan its should be in your collection. Period. A real must have.