Benny Green: Source

JLP Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Source

Many factors determine the fame of individual musical artists, and talent is only one of them. If you’re born at the wrong time, and have to compete with those who already been identified as sensational, it’s easy to remain overlooked; such is the case for pianist Benny Green, who was born in New York in 1963 and grew up in Berkeley, California.

The piano icons ruling the roost at that time included Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson, and there just wasn’t enough spotlight left over for guys like Green to be noticed by the public. That wasn’t the case in the jazz world, however; Green’s discography shows how well regarded he was by fellow artists.

As a teen, Green was a member of bop vocalist Betty Carter’s group in 1976 and was featured at the Monterey Jazz festival in ’78. He was quite the innovator. Art Blakey hired him in the mid-’80s, and Green also had stints with Freddie Hubbard, Ray Brown and many, many other name artists. In fact, it’s hard to find someone Green hasn’t played or recorded with.

Green began to release his own albums in the late 1980s, and he continued throughout the ’90s. That said, Source is his first release in about a decade, although he has toured almost continuously.

The genesis for this album was a tour with Japanese guitarist Satoshi Inoue, who chose Green, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington (no relation) as his rhythm section. Following that gig, Green and the Washingtons played a number of dates before returning to the States; that, in turn, led to this album.

The title refers to artists who were inspirations to Green, and the menu includes tunes that those artists composed and/or regularly performed, such as Sonny Clark’s “Blue Minor” and Carl Perkins’ “Way ‘Cross Town.” Others came from Kenny Drew, Dizzy Gillespie, Donald Byrd, Benny Golson, Horace Silver and Bud Powell. My favorite is the Mel Torme ballad, “Born to be Blue,” which I haven’t heard since the singer’s passing; Green’s treatment of this song is beautiful.

Let’s hear more from this excellent artist!

Falkner Evans: The Point of the Moon

CAP Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: The Point of the Moon

No matter where they’re born, serious jazz musicians seem to wind up in New York City at some point during their careers; they simply must test themselves in that arena.

Falkner Evans was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Initially a Beatles fan, he became enamored with jazz after exposure to the likes of John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Evans began as a drummer, but switched to piano after hearing another Evans: the legendary Bill.

Falkner Evans played with jazz groups that worked around Tulsa. In the early 1980s, he joined Asleep At The Wheel, one of the better-known western swing bands. After four years of touring with that group, he moved to New York City in ’85 and has been working his way up the jazz ladder. He remains relatively unknown, but this album — his fourth release as a leader — shows enough promise to warrant encouragement.

Evans’ regular group is a trio, but he expanded it to a sextet for this release. His basic rhythm section — Belden Bullock on bass, Matt Wilson on drums — is joined by Greg Tardy (tenor sax), Ron Horton (trumpet) and Gary Versace, who plays organ or accordion on a couple of the tracks. All but one of the songs are Evans compositions; the exception is the standard “While We’re Young.”

This is a straight-ahead jazz unit — the type you’ll hear in clubs country-wide — but it’s smoother and much more interesting than most. The combo swings pleasantly, and the cadre has no weak links.

This group is quite promising; with proper management and more exposure, these guys are capable of achieving name status.

Gerald Wilson: Legacy

Mack Avenue Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Legacy

Legacy is a perfect title for and album that honors and celebrates the life of living legend Gerald Wilson. The man was born in Mississippi in 1918 — that’s not a misprint — and still composes and orchestrates marvelous jazz.

Wilson earned a degree from Detroit’s Cass Technical High School, then joined Jimmie Lunsford’s band (replacing the great Sy Oliver) as a trumpeter, composer and arranger; Wilson was 21 at the time. He subsequently played and arranged with Benny Carter, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. During World War II, Wilson was a member of the famous U.S. Navy Band, stationed at the Great Lakes facility. He formed his first name band in the mid-1940s; in 1960, he headed a Los Angeles band that produced a number of hit albums under the Pacific Jazz label.

Wilson never has "retired," although he has restricted his efforts to composition and orchestration for some decades.

The Legacy orchestra truly is a big band: four trumpets, four trombones, six reeds and four in the rhythm section. More important to Wilson, it’s also a family affair: His son Anthony Wilson is the guitarist, and he and Gerald’s grandson Eric Otis each contributed a composition and orchestration for this session ("Virgo" and "September Sky," respectively).

The first five tracks are from the entire Wilson clan; the final seven, done by Gerald, are movements from his Yes, Chicago Is… suite, which was commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Festival. These relatively short melodies — between one and four minutes — relate to locations and "conditions" ("Blowin’ In the Windy City") associated with that “great jazz Mecca,” as Wilson describes it.

This delicious album is a perfect indicator of the timelessness of both jazz and Wilson. Nothing sounds dated; the music and performances are pure and swinging. If you aren't already a huge fan of the ageless Gerald Wilson, you soon will be.

Mark O'Connor Quintet: Suspended Reality

OA2 Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Suspended Reality

Mark O’Connor, who plays alto and tenor sax, in addition to composing and teaching, is one of the Chicago jazz scene's excellent musicians. This Texas-born artist earned a bachelor of arts degree from the jazz-oriented University of North Texas; he followed that with a master's from Eastern Illinois University, where he's currently pursuing a doctorate.

Suspended Reality features O’Connor’s basic quartet — his sax, backed by piano, bass and drums — with the addition of trumpeter Victor Garcia. They produce an excellent menu of straight-ahead jazz: no tricks or complexities, just the kind of swinging music that has been predominant around Chicago for decades.

O'Connor composed and arranged all but one of the tunes; the exception is a poignant rendition of the beautiful old standard "A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square," which features some truly gorgeous sax work.

O’Connor’s compositions include ballads, mid-tempo finger-snappers, old-time blues and freeway flag-wavers. "Song for Betony" (his wife) is particularly moving; "The Sound of Joy" is a take on the kind of blues so often heard during the early jazz years; and "Kite Flying" and "Quiet Snow" are very nice "mood" tunes.

I hope that one day O’Connor will decide to share his music with live audiences outside Chicago and its suburbs; until then, we’ll have to make do with his albums.

Gary Burton: Common Ground

Mack Avenue Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Common Ground

My first exposure to a jazz vibraphonist was in the late 1930s, when Lionel Hampton joined the Benny Goodman band. Then Woody Herman added the instrument to his Herds; Red Norvo, Margie Hyams and Terry Gibbs all served. Dizzy Gillespie followed with Milt Jackson; in the early 1960s, George Shearing and Stan Getz found Gary Burton.

Burton, who was just 20 at the time, still produces wonderful jazz today: Witness Common Ground, his newest album.

Burton’s interests cover the complete spectrum of music. He began with traditional jazz, but his tastes quickly expanded to include bop, rock, fusion, Latin, progressive and chamber jazz. Now, as with; many of today's icons, he concentrates on the latter.

Over the years, Burton has earned 15 Grammy Award nominations, winning five. He has had an extensive affiliation with the famed Berklee College of Music and, until 2003, was an executive vice president, overseeing the school's daily operations.

The New Gary Burton Quartet includes guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez. Lage belonged to one of Burton's previous groups, and Sanchez and Burton often worked together in the past. Colley is a newcomer.

This album contains 10 tunes, only one of them a standard ("My Funny Valentine"). The rest are originals by members of the quartet or previous artists with whom Burton has played.

Burton has always liked the vibraphone/guitar sound, but that combination is relatively uncommon; vibes/piano is the usual mix. But Burton's preference is key to achieving the chamber element in the music this quartet produces. The result is "listening-to jazz": distinctive, soothing and beautiful — "pretty" comes to mind — but not exciting or danceable.

Some of the tunes are complex. Meters vary — "Never the Same Way" is in 7/4 time, for example — and two melodic lines often are overlaid, but what transpires always is appealing.

The quartet’s current tour is booked through the rest of 2011, primarily through major cities. As a result, this album may be your only chance to enjoy this band's masterful music.

But, as a side-note: Rumor has it that Burton and Chick Corea are planning a tour together for 2012; that’s something to look forward to!

Jessica Williams Trio: Freedom Trane

Origin Arts
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Freedom Trane

Pianist and composer Jessica Williams really needs no introduction; she has been on the top rung of the jazz ladder for decades. She was another early starter — she began lessons at age 4 and was getting classical training at the Peabody Conservatory of Music at age 7 — and was playing with jazz icons while still in her teens. Her awards are numerous: three Grammy nominations, along with almost a dozen grants and fellowships. She also has an extensive discography that spans four decades.

Williams was born and raised in the eastern United States, and spent her early performance years there. She moved to San Francisco in the 1970s and now resides in Washington. She has long known and performed with bassist Dave Captein and drummer Mel Brown; they’re featured with her on this disc.

As its title implies, this album was inspired by tenor sax icon John Coltrane. Half the tracks are his; the rest, written by Williams, reflect the inspiration she received from his friendship.

Many Coltrane fans would describe him as a hard swinger — driving, raucous and frenetic at times — but that’s not how Williams remembers him. Her interpretations of his compositions deal more with their beauty. “Glorious” isn’t too strong a term for her handling of “Welcome”; “Naima” is another balladic masterpiece, and “Lonnie’s Lamenet” isn’t far behind. Only “Paul’s Pal” is a true swinger.

Williams’ compositions reflect more of Coltrane’s gentle side than the hard and swinging persona most folks associate with him. Whatever your own preference, Coltrane would have loved this album. So do I.

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White: Forever

Concord Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Forever

Jazz fans already know this: Chick Corea is a living legend, composer, keyboard artist and arranger; Stanley Clarke is one of the finest bassists in jazz; and drummer Lenny White is one of the founders of the fusion genre. All of them are — and have been in the past — members of Corea’s Return to Forever band. This two-CD set celebrates the kick-off of the group's recent world tour.

Disc 1 (recorded live) is identified as a best-of sampler from the 2009 RTF Unplugged world tour. Stylistically, these sessions highlight the artists when they concentrated more on traditional jazz, as opposed to the fusion approach that later dominated their work. "Green Dolphin Street" is the only standard featured here; the rest are originals by Corea and other artists who served time with the band at some point. Most of these iconic melodies have become standards in their own right.

During this period, Corea was using an acoustic piano most of the time and, for me, his command of that "old-fashioned" machine was unmatched by any other artists at the time. I’ve never heard a trio that melded more effectively, or swung more, than these guys did; just listen to "Hackensack" here, to confirm that assessment.

The interplay between Chick and Clarke on the latter’s "La Cancion de Sofia" also is masterful, and one of the most beautiful piano/bass duets ever recorded. Let me amend the "duet" adjective, however: White’s drum support is beyond perfection. He makes everything better without ever intruding on ensemble or solo passages.

Disc 2 was the result of action taken to initiate the reunion tour. Vocalist Chaka Kahn, violist Jean-Luc Ponty and original RTF guitarist Bill Conners joined the trio for a concert at the Hollywood Bowl; all had performed with the band at one time or another. The 10-tune menu from that event contains many of the compositions that made Corea and his various Return to Forever groups famous, including "Captain Marvel" (which originally featured Stan Getz), "Señor Mouse" and "500 Miles High."

This magnificent set was produced by White, with Clarke and Corea taking co-producer credits. You needn't be longtime Corea or Return to Forever fans; either way, this is a must-have album!