Gary McFarland Legacy Ensemble: Circulation

Planet Arts
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Puzzle

I suspect only true jazz historians — or fans from my generation — are familiar with Gary McFarland. Born in Los Angeles in 1933, he came to jazz relatively late, while in the Army. He tried trumpet, trombone and piano, and settled on vibes in the mid 1950s. He also was a vocalist, but his skills as a composer, arranger and producer set him apart.

A musician is known by the company he keeps, and by those who seek him out. McFarland’s closest friends included luminaries such as Bill Evans, John Lewis, Bob Brookmeyer, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Anita O’Day and Clark Terry. And, like so many of his peers, McFarland attended the Berklee School Of Music.

Alas, his life and career were all too short. He and a friend were poisoned at a bar by someone who poured liquid methadone into their drinks. McFarland suffered a fatal heart attack and died; he was only 38 years old.

This album, by the Gary McFarland Legacy Ensemble, includes 11 of McFarland’s compositions. The quintet features another vibes icon, Joe Locke, along with pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Mike Lawrence, saxophonist Sharel Cassity, and drummer Michael Benedict. 

The track menu was chosen from different segments of McFarland’s all-too-brief career. The opening track, “Dragonhead,” is an up-tempo swinger from his time at Berklee. “Why Are You Blue” and “Blue Hodge” demonstrate his feel for the blues; the latter has become a jazz standard. “The One I Could Have Loved” and “Summer Love” represent his softer, balladic, side. Everything clearly demonstrates McFarland’s talent.

“Unknown” usually means “not missed,” but that isn’t the case here, or with McFarland in general. Thanks are due all those associated with the creation of this lovely memorial.

Storms/Nocturnes Trio: Via

Origin Arts
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Via

Storms/Nocturnes is an outstanding trio, composed of Geoffrey Keezer (piano), Joe Locke (vibraphone) and Tim Garland (tenor and soprano sax, and bass clarinet). All three began their professional careers playing straight-ahead jazz; as time has passed, they’ve graduated into the “chamber jazz” genre.

Via, their third release, offers music that is innovative and much more complex than what can be found on most jazz albums, but it’s beautifully done and guaranteed to leave you wanting more. Each musicians contributed three original compositions to this album.

Keezer, the youngest of the trio, began playing piano before he entered kindergarten and, after his first year at the Berklee College of Music, he became part of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He has recorded with numerous groups as a sideman and leader, and was nominated for Grammy Awards in 2009 and ’10. Locke is equally proficient; he has released more than two dozen albums as a leader and contributed to more than 100 as a sideman. The British-born Garland is one of few reed players also proficient on the bass clarinet (used extensively on this album. He’s a 2009 Grammy winner and frequent collaborator with Chick Corea.

The compositions here relate to locations that are special to each musician. Keezer’s inspirations are his backyard garden, created by his wife; a lane in Missoula, Montana; and a tropical ocean. Locke is enthralled by a retreat in Vermont, a stroll in Central Park during an early winter snowfall, and a music venue in Half Moon Bay. Garland is impressed by a Tuscan farmhouse and a couple of locations in England’s Lake District.

All three musicians interact exceptionally. Jazz can be beautiful!

Joe Locke: For the Love of You

E1Music
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 6.3.10
Buy CD: For the Love of You

Thanks to Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo, Terry Gibbs, Gary Burton, Cal Tjader and Milt Jackson, the vibraphone has become a key element in the jazz world.

Joe Locke joined that august group in the 1960s, and he has been an in- demand instrumentalist ever since. I'd have trouble naming a top jazz artist with whom he hasn't played.

Locke also has produced a significant discography over the years, and this album, his most recent, features one of his best quartets: He's joined by pianist Geoffrey Keezer, bassist George Mraz and drummer Clarence Penn. Although most of Locke's previous work has been instrumental in nature, for this release he added Kenny Washington, a young jazz vocalist Locke first heard at the Douglas Beach House in Half Moon Bay.

Many of the most popular jazz standards have lyrics, but they're seldom heard. This album corrects that deficiency. Washington sings those lyrics on seven of the 10 tracks; his interpretations, in conjunction with the quartet's backing, produces a very special performance.

Much of this music will be melodically familiar, but if you've forgotten the lyrics — or never heard them — you're in for a double treat. Three tracks are Locke's compositions, which you'll find as charming as the standards.

This beautiful, relaxing album presents balladic jazz at its best.

Bob Sneider and Joe Locke: Nocturne for Ava

Origin Arts
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 6.3.09
Buy CD: Nocturne for Ava

Some of the best jazz released is what I call “stealth” jazz: the music composed for and used in movie soundtracks.

Unfortunately, the better the movie, the less one is likely to pay close attention to the soundtrack; its purpose is to accent what's happening on the screen ... so, in a sense, if the score does its job properly, it's self-defeating.

That's what soundtrack albums are for.

When you list the best movies you've seen, more often than not they've had superior background music; think of Lawrence of Arabia, Jaws or Titanic. True, those didn't have jazz backgrounds, but dozens of others did, and many fall into the film noir genre. The Thomas Crown Affair, Laura, Afterglow, I Want to Live, The Black Dahlia, Anatomy of a Murder, Last Tango in Paris and Blow Up owed much to composers such as Michel LeGrand, Raskin/Mercer, Mark Isham, Johnny Mandel, John Sneider, Duke Ellington, Gato Barbieri and Herbie Hancock, respectively.

For this album, Bob Sneider and Joe Locke arranged “covers” of tunes from these films. Additionally, Locke includes a tribute to Ava Gardner (“Nocturne for Ava”), who was featured in many noir projects during her career.

The octet used for this release features John Sneider (trumpet), Locke (vibes), Grant Stewart (tenor sax), Sneider (guitar), Paul Hoffman (piano), Martin Wind (bass), Tim Horner (drums) and Luisito Quintero (percussion); the result is a primo group. Their music is smooth as silk, and each track masterfully brings back memories of the films in question.

All in all, a wonderful album.

Joe Locke: Force of Four

Origin Arts
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 2.5.09
Buy CD: Force of Four

In the beginning, we had Red Norvo, followed by Lionel Hampton, Margie Hyams, Terry Gibbs, Milt Jackson, Cal Tjader and Gary Burton.

They've now been joined by Joe Locke.

All are jazz vibraphone artists.

Although a relative youngster (still in his 40s), Locke has been playing the instrument for more than 30 years; his fame has risen during the most recent decade. He began playing with the “big boys” — Gillespie, for example — while still in high school; he subsequently performed with most of the great jazz groups, and has received numerous awards during his career.

And, thankfully, he has produced an extensive discography for us listeners: more than five dozen recordings, two dozen as a leader. On this, his newest album, Locke fronts his basic quartet: pianist Robert Rodriguez, bassist Ricardo Rodriguez and drummer Johnathan Blake.

Guest artists include Thomas Marriott on trumpet, and Wayne Escoffery on tenor sax.

Locke's style falls between the bop-oriented Jackson and the more avant-garde Burton; he's precise, innovative and — most importantly — swinging. He wrote three of the eight tunes here; Robert and Ricardo Rodriguez wrote one each, and the rest are covers of familiar jazz standards.

Locke's performance on the Mercer/Raksin hit “Laura” is particularly noteworthy. Locke enjoys mixing meters; he can play cool and funky with the best of them, and moves into more complex rhythms easily and fluently. (“Ricky's Tune” is done in 7/4.)

This is a smooth and totally enjoyable group, one you'd savor in either a jazz club or concert stage setting.

The Dave Finck Quartet: Future Day

Soundbrush Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.6.08
Buy CD: Future Day

Dave Finck's group actually is a sextet; he added a trumpet and reed player for this session. The unit consists of "first-call" personnel: local musicians who're always contacted to provide backup for "name" vocalists and bands that come into town for concerts. 

It's a successful arrangement on both sides: The big acts don't have to contend with the expense and hassle of transporting a lot of folks around the country; the local guys get experience and exposure, without having to leave their homes and regular jobs. 

This group is smooth and quietly swinging. 

It's difficult to find a Broadway or jazz vocalist who Dave Finck hasn't supported; he also has played with the Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock bands. Vibraphonist Joe Locke has been touted as the next Milt Jackson, and drummer Joe La Barbara's talent is indicated by the fact he played with the final Bill Evans trio. 

Pianist Tom Ranier also composes and arranges; trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, a young lion (born in '76), was part of the Charlie Mingus big band; multi-reed player Bob Sheppard is another first-call regular. 

Half of the dozen tunes on this record were written by one of these musicians, while the other tracks are interpretations of compositions by other well-known jazz artists. 

Only three tracks run more than 5 minutes; several clock in at less than 3. That's a little disconcerting; at times, one gets the impression that something has been left out. All in all, though, this will be a pleasant addition to your library.

Eddie Daniels: Homecoming — Live at the Iridium

IPO Recordings
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 1.3.08
Buy CD: Homecoming: Live at the Iridium

It has been so long since I've heard a really great clarinetist, that I'd forgotten what one sounds like. 

Enter Eddie Daniels. 

He has been around for quite awhile, but when I first encountered him, he was playing tenor sax with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. He was "merely" another of the excellent tenor players working at that time (1966-73), and I kind of lost track of him. 

Then, in the 1980s, Daniels put his sax in the closet and concentrated on clarinet. And even though he subsequently released a number of albums featuring that instrument, I wasn't aware of any until this "Homecoming" release. Shame on me! 

I grew up in the big band era, when "the" clarinetists were Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. Well, Daniels makes both of them sound like high-school kids. And because this album is pure, straight-ahead jazz — the kind Goodman and Shaw played — you can judge my assessment for yourself. 

You have plenty from which to make such a comparison; this double-CD release contains 15 tracks, half a dozen of them jazz standards. 

Daniels' quintet consists of him on both clarinet and tenor sax, Joe Locke on vibes, Tom Ranier on piano, Dave Finch on bass and Joe La Barbera on drums. These guys swing like crazy, and the fact that the album was recorded live at New York's Iridium just makes it better 

Daniels thought highly of the Modern Jazz Quartet, and three of these tracks illustrate that fact. You'll hear two versions of that group's famous "Django," written by MJQ pianist John Lewis: one an extended, 14-minute cut that's just marvelous; and a 7-minute bonus track. They're accompanied by "Déjà vu MJQ," written by Roger Kellaway. 

Daniels wrote three of the other tunes; the rest include Ellington, Cole Porter and Rogers & Hart melodies. 

I can't give more than five stars, but this is the best album I heard in 2007. Even the liner notes and CD design are superior.

Joe Locke Geoffrey Keezer Group: Live in Seattle

Origin Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 2.1.07
Buy CD: Live in Seattle

This CD presents the 2005 award-winning concert — and U.S. debut — of the Joe Locke and Geoffrey Keezer quartet. Until recently, this group toured only in Japan, although it made two recordings for the Sony "Eighty-Eight" series label. 

But even a cursory look at the leaders' backgrounds and experience will reveal that we're dealing with a pair of Wunderkinds. 

Locke plays vibes and has long been recognized as the heir apparent to Milt Jackson. By the age of 17, Locke had played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and had moved from the West Coast to New York City. His experience is almost unbelievable for his age: He has produced more than 20 CDs with his own groups, and has been a sideman on 65 others. 

Keezer started to play piano at age 3 and, just out of high school, joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. 

Then Locke and Keezer met. 

They've toured extensively ever since, numerous times in Japan and Russia and — as this review is written — Italy. Many of their CDs were produced in those countries and aren't readily available in the United States. Worse yet, a fast Internet search revealed that many of these foreign disks are priced in the $40-$100 range ... yikes! 

Empty your bank account anyway. 

This quartet must be telepathic. The ensemble work is complex and often played at accelerated tempos, but the interplay between members is unbelievable. Mike Pope (acoustic and electric bass) and Terreon Gully (drums) sound as if they've been with the group since its inception; every note they play adds, never subtracts. 

Additionally, the solo work is backed up by the other instruments without creating a shambles. I've heard only a few groups that can do that successfully; the Modern Jazz Quartet comes to mind. 

Six of the seven tracks are originals, written by either Locke or Keezer; James Taylor's "Native Son" is the only interloper. 

This is true concert jazz. You can't dance to it, nor would you want to. It's modern, not straight-ahead, and at times pushes the envelope ... but the more you hear, the better it sounds. The technical work — recording and mixing — is excellent, particularly since the performance was recorded live. 

This is a remarkable group with superior musicians. Enjoy!