Lori Bell and Ron Satterfield: blue(s)

Self-produced
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: blue(s)

Lori Bell is no stranger to music, whether the genre is jazz or classical; she’s one of the finest virtuoso flutists, composers, arrangers, educators and producers of our times. This is her 10th release.

Guitarist Ron Satterfield, less well known, began in the San Diego jazz scene. He was making a name for himself during the 1970s and ’80s, when he fell prey to substance abuse and hit bottom. He recovered after two years of rehabilitation, and Bell — a close friend — played a significant role in his resurrection.

Their collaboration here features nine tunes that are blues and/or have titles that include the word blue. Bell plays both the C and alto flute, and Satterfield blends his guitar work with vocals.

Bell wrote three of the tracks: “Bell’s Blues,” “Blue Butterflies” and “Istanblue.” The rest of the album menu features “Blue in Green” (Bill Evans and Miles Davis), “All Blues” (also by Miles), “Blue Monk” (Thelonious Monk), “Blue” (Joni Mitchell), “Teenie’s Blues” (Oliver Nelson') and “Blues on the Corner” (McCoy Tyner). 

They’re all swingers. Bell has a marvelous gift for combining classical phrasing with boppish timing, in both the melodic and solo lines. Satterfield’s guitar work and vocals — a combination of humming, scatting and verbal lines — blend perfectly throughout.

These two obviously enjoy each other, an essential component of our enjoyment as listeners. You’ll want this album in your library.

Ken Schaphorst Big Band: How to Say Goodbye

JCA Recordings
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: How to Say Goodbye

Ken Schaphorst chairs the Jazz Studies Department at Boston’s New England Conservatory (NEC), a position he has held since 2001. He served as director of Jazz Studies at Wisconsin’s Lawrence University for almost 10 years prior to that; he received a doctorate of music arts in 1990, and is a teacher, composer and bandleader. 

Oh, yes; he also plays trumpet and Fender Rhodes on this release, his fourth big band album. It’s one of the finest full-scale jazz ensembles I’ve ever reviewed.

Schaphorst composed and arranged all 10 charts: homages that honor jazz visionaries Bob Brookmeyer and Herb Pomeroy, who were mentors, colleagues and fellow performers at NEC. This unit’s 19-piece ensemble features five trumpets/flugelhorns, five reeds, four trombones, and a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass, drums and percussion. The album is sensational: It doesn't “scream” or excite, but it features some of the smoothest, most beautifully written charts ever produced.

Schaphorst has taught, mentored or worked with all the band members during his busy career. All possess years of experience, having played with a veritable Who’s Who in the jazz world; we're talking about associations that have lasted up to 30 years or more, in some cases.

Because these folks have worked together so much, the result is perfection during each chart’s ensemble sections. Further, the support provided during the solo passages enhances each featured artist; it's like the “solo” has been heard previously, and Schaphorst then wrote and arranged the ensemble passages to match. 

It bears repeating: This band may not roar, grab you by the throat, or leave you breathless, but Schaphorst and his fellow artists deliver thoughtful, beautiful jazz that you’ll visit again and again.

Do not miss this one!

Stu Harrison: Volume 1

One Night Stand Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Volume 1

Pianist Stu Harrison and his trio — Neil Swainson, bass; and Terry Clarke, drums — are first-call Canadian artists in the Toronto jazz scene, and also have worked with many familiar American groups. 

Harrison’s career has developed primarily within Canada, in a variety of musical settings; he also heads his own music company. Swainson has worked with stalwarts such as Rob McConnell, George Shearing and Slide Hampton. Clarke also has worked with McConnell, and has been part of groups under The Fifth Dimension and John Handy.

For this debut album, Harrison offers tunes from both the Great American Songbook and charts by jazz icons Oscar Peterson (“Place St. Henri”), Dave Brubeck (“In Your Own Sweet Way”) and Dizzy Gillespie (“Manteca”).

It’s obvious that we’re listening to an outstanding pianist before Harrison finishes the first 16 bars of the first tune; his technique is flawless, and his melody line improvisations are superb. He immediately evokes masters such as Oscar Peterson, Lennie Tristano and Paul Smith. 

Harrison’s dexterity and speed on the keyboard are dazzling, and he just doesn't fluff or make mistakes. In that respect, he’s almost too good. A metronome keeps perfect time, but it  doesn’t swing; the less than perfect human touch is a key part of jazz on every instrument. That said, we’re listening to a true artist here, and we can’t help being impressed.

Swainson and Clarke are equally adept: Their beat is without fault, and they complete a marvelous rhythm section. Their “fill” work and solos are excellent.

This great trio debut will keep you entranced for hours and many, many repeat listens. I look forward to future albums.

Emmet Cohen Featuring Jimmy Cobb

Cellar Live Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Emmet Cohen Featuring Jimmy Cobb

Jazz connoisseurs and/or senior citizens are most likely to be familiar with Jimmy Cobb. He was born back in 1929, which makes him a senior senior citizen; he also was the drummer in Miles Davis’ most famous group.

Emmet Cohen, a contemporary pianist, composer and teacher, has created a “Master  Legacy Series” that features famed jazz artists. This album, honoring Cobb, is his first release.

Cobb has a huge discography: During his more than 70 years of performing, he has worked and recorded with dozens of instrumental and vocal jazz greats. As one would expect, he also has performed hundreds of tunes from the Great American Songbook, along with countless classic jazz charts. This release is limited to 11 tracks, but they’re all choice. One, “Concerto for Cobb,” is a Cohen original.

The basic configuration is a trio: Cohen (piano), Yashushi Nakamura (bass) and Cobb (drums). Alto saxophonist Godwin Louis guests on two tracks. It’s an excellent unit.

Cohen is a comprehensive pianist; he covers all styles. He’s modern, but not a bopper; his touch is superb and gentle. Nakamura keeps a smooth steady beat, and also is a marvelous and inventive soloist. As for Cobb, he remains one of the tastiest swingers you’ve ever heard. He drives any group with which he plays, but never overplays.

This tribute to Cobb marks a solid beginning for Cohen’s Master Legacy Series. I look forward to more.

Andrea Claburn: Nightshade

Lot 49 Labs LLC
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Nightshade

San Francisco-based Andrea Claburn isn’t well known beyond the schools where she earned two bachelor of arts degrees, the musicians with whom she has worked, and the still limited audiences before whom she has performed ... but that’s about to change. This debut album presents an artist who is both a terrific vocalist, and a talented songwriter and arranger. She composed five of these 12 tracks, and arranged all but one.

Claburn was brought up with music; her mother was a classical pianist, and young Andrea began piano lessons at age 6, and added violin two years later. “I think like an instrumentalist,” she has noted, “because that’s where everything began for me.”

She has a delightfully warm voice, phrases beautifully, and “thinks in jazz.” 

Claburn also has great taste in accompanists. The backing musicians here are excellent: Matt Clark (keyboards), Kasey Knudsen and Teddy Raven (saxes), Erik Jekabson (trumpet and flugelhorn), Rob Ewing (trombone), Sam Bevan (bass), Terrence Brewer (guitar), Alan Hall (drums) and John Santos (percussion). One track, “Steal Away,” also utilizes violinist/violist Mads Tolling and cellist Joseph Hébert.

I’m particularly impressed by Jekabson, one of the tastiest horn players I’ve heard in quite some time.

Several tracks pay homage to musical greats, such as Ellington’s “Infinite Wisdom,” Betty Carter’s “I Can’t Help It” and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark.” Claburn’s original compositions more than hold their own.

This is an enjoyable treat, and an outstanding debut album. I’ve only one minor caveat: Several tracks end too abruptly, which is a bit jarring. Other than that, this lady’s debut is a sure winner.

Tim Davis Big Band: The Expensive Train Set

Origin Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: The Expensive Train Set

The world is full of terrific jazz drummers, but few are also great composers, arrangers, orchestrators and leaders. Tim Davies fits that bill, and he’s also a Grammy Award winner. The Australian-born artist formed his first band in Melbourne in 1998, and moved to the United States shortly thereafter. From 2000 onward, his big bands have been stationed in Los Angeles, where he released two album. 

Why only two? He’s too busy composing, arranging and conducting for other bands, orchestras, films and even video games.

This release includes four charts written for his Melbourne band, an equal number for his Los Angeles band, and one — the title tune — for the combined ensembles. The album title, as Davies describes it, came about  because “someone said that a big band was like having a train set; both involve a lot of time and preparation, you never really finish, and both cost you a lot of money and never make you any.” 

That said, this album clearly demonstrates that, ultimately, the effort is very worthwhile.

All but two of the charts are composed, arranged and directed — from the drum chair — by Davies. The exceptions are Louis Prima’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” and Raya Yarbrough’s “Let Sleeping Questions Lie,” although Davies did have a hand in arranging them.

Both bands are 18-piece groups: five trumpets, four trombones, five reeds, and a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass and drums. Davies is the drummer for both. Both ensembles — and sets of charts — are sensational. Although the arrangements are relatively complex, they swing wonderfully. The section passages are exciting and (where appropriate) driving, and the solo work is exceptional.

This is the finest big band jazz album I’ve heard in years!

Joshua Breakstone: 88

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: 88

Like a lot of jazz lovers, I first was turned on to the bop stuff recorded by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. That said, it took awhile for other instrumentalists to get on board with bop style and phrasing. I remember how excited it was, hearing guitarist Joshua Breakstone for the first time; he has been one of my favorites ever since.

This release presents him in his favorite format, with a quartet. But this quartet is different: The usual guitar, bass and drums are joined by a cello, rather than a piano. 

Breakstone has long admired the piano, and its artists. He believes in a “kinship” between guitar and piano, and the artists who play them. This release features charts that some of the world’s great pianists have written and performed during their careers: thus the album title (88).

Breakstone is joined by bassist Lisle Atkinson, drummer Andy Watson, and cellist Mike Richmond. All are masters of their instruments, but I bet you’ve never heard a cello played the way Richmond plays it.

As Breakstone puts it, “This group is a string section with a drummer.” 

The liner notes discuss each of the tunes, and identify the musicians with whom they’re associated; they include John Coltrane, Harold Mabern, Sonny Clark, Cedar Walton, Mal Waldron, Thelonious Monk, Barry Harris, Tadd Dameron and Lennie Tristano.

At times, the interplay between the members of this quartet is almost unbelievable. Breakstone usually established the melodic theme, and then the others join in on variations and solos. If you aren’t convinced that each artist can produce great lines on his “horn,” this album will make you a believer. And that Watson, who not only establishes a solid rhythmic line; his breaks and solos add greatly to the overall presentation.

This fantastic group swings like crazy, and creates truly great jazz. Please: More, more and more!