Jazz Compass
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.6.08Buy CD: What's in the Box?
Guitarist Larry Koonse has played jazz for years, but I only recently found and reviewed an album with him as leader. That release, Dialogues of the Heart, featured Koonse and his father, Dave, playing duets of some familiar old standards.
I called it "one of the tastiest jazz guitar records I've ever heard."
Not long afterwards, Larry Koonse and bassist Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz recorded another beautiful album, Storybook; it was even better than the first.
Well, Koonse, his father and Oleszkiewicz have done it again, only this time they're playing the music of guitarist Jimmy Wyble. To spice things up, they've added Gary Foster on clarinet, and Joe La Barbera on drums; Oleszkiewicz and another bassist, Putter Smith, split the tracks.
The result is magnificent.
Wyble, born in 1922, has a long musical history, having played every style that exists. He started out with country/western, cruised through Dixieland and New Orleans, and finally arrived in the straight-ahead jazz genre, playing with luminaries such as Red Norvo. Wyble also composed and arranged much of what he played and, for three years, was Larry Koonse's teacher.
Wyble was so impressed with his student that he was willing to "hear his music expressed in a different format." He turned over his manuscripts to Koonse with only two requests: that Dave Koonse and Oleszkiewicz be involved in the project.
As Larry Koonse put it, "no constraints on manner, tempo, style or arrangement" were placed on the project.
To paraphrase: No greater admiration hath one musician for another, than when he grants that kind of freedom.
This album is the result.
You'll likely recognize only two tracks: "Stella by Starlight" and "Variations on a Theme," based on the old standard "All Of Me." All the rest are Wyble originals. Many of the latter are dedicated to Wyble's favorite musical artists; one, "Chorale for Lily," was written for his wife.
They're all wonderful; the units, which range from duos to quintets, really bring them to life. This album is an absolute must.
Jazz Compass
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 2.1.07Buy CD: Storybook
This column's regular readers know I'm a huge fan of guitarist Larry Koonse.
Storybook, the newest release by this gifted artist — in collaboration with bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz and percussionist Munyungo Jackson — reinforces my conviction that Koonse is, very simply, the best.
He wrote six of this album's 10 tracks; the remaining four are by Oleszkiewicz, one of the most lyrical bassists I've ever heard.
Jackson is a perfect choice on percussion; he quietly supports and never intrudes.
Storybook presents a beautiful potpourri of low-key jazz stylings. It begins with a short, moving "Vignette," done in a classical Spanish style, then moves into "For Chopin," with the guitar taking the place of the harpsichord. "Between Nowhere and Goodbye" is an extension of the Chopin-like theme, with the bass and guitar exchanging passages.
The ballad-like "Candle," with its 5/4 feel, features Oleszkiewicz; his slow-tempo solo work is masterful.
Because of the relatively long length of that instrument's strings, it's difficult to place the finger at the exact position that'll result in the actual note desired.
As a result, most bassists don't try to hit that position initially; they'll purposely contact the string in a lower (flat) location, then slide the finger up to reach the perfect note. Indeed, that technique — known as "bending" — is standard in jazz.
Well, when Oleszkiewicz wants to hit a note perfectly, he hits it ... no bending, just square on. This beautifully augments his solos and permits him to play a lyrical melodic line.
Each track echoes another melodic style: "Island Song" and "Beautiful Eyes" take us to the islands; "Seventh Heaven" and "Harlequin" move us to Spain; "Senegal Trance Dance" is an African sojourn; and we return home with the pensive "Valentine."
This is a beautiful, wonderfully produced album. The music won't make you want to dance, but you'll never get tired of listening to it. The interplay between bass and guitar is intricate, precise, lyrical and almost hypnotic.
Storybook is a perfect demonstration of a jazz form that doesn't blow you away, but there's no denying that it's jazz.
