Frank Wess: Magic 201

IPO Recordings
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Magic 201

I reviewed a wonderful IPO album a few months back: Frank Wess’ Magic 101. I stated that it was the best jazz record I’d heard that year. Well, thanks to splendid foresight, Magic 201 was recorded during that same session ... and it’s every bit as sensational as its predecessor. 

The cast of artists has changed slightly, but the result still is some of the best music you’ve ever heard. Wess plays both tenor sax and flute; Kenny Barron returns on piano, and Winard Harper repeats on drums. They’re joined by bassist Rufus Reid and guitarist Russell Malone. Once again, the selected menu includes some wonderful standards (“It Could Happen to You,” “After Paris” and others), and a couple of Wess originals (“Blues for Ruby” and “If You Can’t Call, Don’t Come”). It’s all danceable; two of the charts are mid-tempo, while the rest are ballads.

Wess demonstrates his chops as a flautist on Bergman and Legrand’s “The Summer Knows”; he uses his tenor sax on the rest of the tunes. In all cases, his gorgeous tone and marvelous timing are to die for. As for his forays into the blues, nothing could groove more intently. Barron’s piano is superior, as always; Reid’s bass is solid; and Harper’s drumming is just wonderful ... swinging, but never getting in the way of the other artists. 

The addition of Malone on guitar is brilliant; this “relative youngster” fits into the group splendidly, and more than holds his own during the solo passages.

Let’s hope IPO has additional Magic chapters to lay on us, in the near future.

Christian McBride: Conversations with Christian

Mack Avenue Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Conversations with Christian

Bassist Christian McBride is almost too young to be the icon he has become. Still in his 30s, he began to play electric bass at age 9, then switched to the acoustic model two years later. He had plenty of family support; his father and a great-uncle both played the instrument. While in high school, where studied classical music and became exposed to jazz, Christian received a partial scholarship to New York’s Juilliard school. But within two weeks, he joined Bobby Watson’s band; after finishing his first year of studies, McBride left school to tour with trumpeter Ray Hargrove.

As McBride put it, he “chose experience with as many musicians as possible, rather than school.”

He achieved that goal; it’s difficult to find an artist or band he hasn’t worked with, whether in jazz, classical or pop, as an instrumentalist or supporting a vocalist. And his discography is huge, with more than 300 albums to date.

McBride isn’t merely a musician. He composes and arranges; is an educator, producer and administrator; a curator; and a major spokesperson for the arts. Oh, yes; he’s also a multi-award winner.

Conversations with Christian presents McBride in a duet role with a baker’s dozen of his “closest musical friends and cohorts.” They include singers (Angelique Kidjo, Sting, Dede Bridgewater), pianists (George Duke, Chick Corea, Eddie Palmieri, Billy Taylor, Hank Jones), violinist Regina Carter, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, guitarist Russell Malone, tenor saxophonist Ron Blake and actress Gina Gershon.

The usual duet setting involves either a pianist or guitarist in a primary role as an instrumentalist or accompanist. I’ve never encountered an acoustic bassist who takes that lead responsibility ... well, meet Christian McBride. There he is, in the spotlight, for all to see and hear. And he doesn’t merely lay down and maintain a beat; his solo work is magnificent.

Four bars into “Afirika,” this album’s opening track, we know we’re witnessing an absolute master musician. He’s joined on this cut by Kidjo, the Grammy Award-winning vocalist dubbed by Time Magazine as “Africa’s prime diva.” When the track concludes, it’s obvious that, together, they own the song. It’ll never again be done that beautifully by anyone else.

Each selection in this album had that same impact on me. Carter’s violin is supported by both bowed and plucked bass, in pure classical and lightly swinging modes; Sting has never swung like this before; and so it goes, with each duo. Every guest artist performs brilliantly, but McBride clearly is key to each track’s overall excellence.

What a marvelous album!

Roger Kellaway: Live at the Jazz Standard

IPO Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 1.8.09
Buy CD: Live at the Jazz Standard

I often wonder if jazz fans realize how fortunate they are, that so many of the genre's elder statesmen remain active, playing concerts and recording; pianist, composer and arranger Roger Kellaway is one such talent.

Although not very well known to the public, he's revered by his fellow musicians. Kellaway isn't a household name to the average jazz fan, because much of his work has been associated with writing and arranging for orchestras, ensembles, big bands, film, TV (he wrote the closing theme for “All In The Family”), ballet and stage productions, and as an accompanist for name vocalist like Lena Horn, Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin and Barbra Streisand.

In his spare time, Kellaway has supported the likes of Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones, Eddie Daniels and other straight-ahead jazz greats. Only recently has he begun to play, and record, as a leader.

This two-disc album was released shortly after Kellaway's 69th birthday. It was recorded live during a four-day period at The Jazz Standard in New York City, and features his “all-wood” (drumless) combo. Joining Roger are guitarist Russell Malone, bassist Jay Leonhardt, vibes player Stefon Harris and cellist Borislav Strulev.

The group is modeled along the lines of 1940s and '50s units headed by Nat King Cole, Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson.

Disc one is the swinger; it covers jazz standards such as “Cottontail,” “C Jam Blues,” “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “I'm Beginning to See the Light” and “Take Five.” The second disc features more mid-tempo oldies like “Cherry” and “You Don't Know What Love Is,” and lesser-known selections like “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “Freddie Freeloader.”

Everything is played immaculately; if you want to hear clean, swinging jazz, this is it. Kellaway plays every piano style prominent from the 1940s through the present day.

Personally, I feel the drummer's absence; I prefer more “bottom” to the rhythm section. But what's present is superb.