Review: Wayne Horvitz and NY Composers Orchestra West at The Triple Door

November 4, 2008 / / No Comments

I didn’t think I’d be able to attend much of the 2009 Earshot Jazz Festival as I’ve been completely tied up with The Drowsy Chaperone at The 5th Avenue, but with my Monday night free, and my brother in the band, I decided to check out Wayne Horvitz and NY Composers Orchestra West at The Triple Door. While I did bring my camera, I sadly didn’t bring anything for note taking, so I missed getting the titles, but to be honest, it’s not important. What was important about this concert was the music of composer and keyboardist Wayne Horvitz. I used to go see his band Zony Mash at the OK Hotel and revelled in the groove, but always remembered seeing a similar incarnation of tonight’s band around ten years ago. My tastes have certainly broadened since then, and with a focus on Wayne’s writing this time, I was even more taken with it.

Read the entire review by David Marriott and view a slideshow here

Review: Jeff Johnson, ‘Tall Stranger’

October 21, 2008 / / No Comments

from All About Jazz.com

Bassist Jeff Johnson has built a stellar reputation in jazz circles, having worked with pianists Hal Galper and Jessica Williams and appearing on over two-dozen recordings for the Seattle-based Origin Records. For his fourth release as a leader, Tall Stranger, the Seattle-based Johnson, along with saxophonist Hans Teuber and drummer Billy Mintz, delivers an intriguing set of stripped-down compositions, emphasizing a free-form approach to group improvisation.

The trio converses in a confident, unhurried manner throughout the disc. Teuber’s breathy, warm tone on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet complements Johnson’s deep, woody growl and Mintz’s subdued, contrapuntal approach. Together, the three create musical lines that intertwine and enhance each other’s point of view.

Continue reading at All About Jazz.com.

Click here to buy Tall Stranger from Origin Records.

Seattle Times: Students dazzle in big-stage debuts at jazz fest

July 28, 2008 / / No Comments

Pt. Townsend Jazz Festival review by Hugo Kugiya in The Seattle Times:

PORT TOWNSEND — The defining moment of Jazz Port Townsend was perhaps the one that was not planned.

On the last day of the jazz festival, a few hours before clouds and a sudden chill set in, a young woman in a floral print dress and white sandals, her toenails painted bright green, stepped onto the big stage with her acoustic bass.

Behind her was the festival big band, before her an audience of more than 1,200 who had never before heard of Kate Davis.

Plucked from one of the week’s many student workshops, Davis, 17, a senior-to-be at West Linn High School in Oregon, sang “Sometimes I’m Happy.” The arrangement was spare but perfectly balanced and suited to her talents. The song ended and the audience roared.

Continue reading at The Seattle Times …

Review: Hadley Caliman at Ballard Jazz Festival

May 15, 2008 / / No Comments

Review by Bill Barton

Ballard Jazz Festival, Nordic Heritage Museum, Friday, April 25, 2008

Hadley Caliman Quintet:
Hadley Caliman – tenor saxophone
Thomas Marriott – trumpet & flügelhorn
Dawn Clement – piano
Phil Sparks – bass
D’Vonne Lewis – drums

The quintet’s set began with Caliman’s composition “Kickin’ on the Inside” from the recent Origin CD Gratitude. His intro mentioned that pianist Clement could probably relate to the title, as she is pregnant. “Kickin’…” is a jaunty, mid-tempo tune and served as an excellent warm-up for things to come. At times Caliman’s beautiful tenor timbre was reminiscent of middle-period Coltrane, but he plumbs the depths of the horn’s range more than Trane did. Marriott’s bright-toned trumpet solo was an energetic post-bop romp; he had Hubcaps on his wheels here. Clement’s piano solo was subtle and imaginative. She has a distinctive style and sound all her own. Both as a soloist and as an accompanist she’s a spare, concise player. What she doesn’t play is fully as important as what she does play. Although there aren’t really that many direct connections in terms of sound or touch, she is closer to Red Garland or Mal Waldron (and perhaps Bill Evans) than to the more loquacious pianists who have taken the approaches of McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and/or Keith Jarrett as their guideposts. She is in the sunlight whereas Waldron was in the shade, but there is a similar sense of elegant yet earthy economy in her playing. Phil Sparks also took a very smooth, rhythmically charged bass solo. Read More

Review: Jeremy Jones at The Triple Door

May 9, 2008 / / No Comments

by Jason Parker

JEREMY JONES XTET
THE TRIPLE DOOR
MAY 1, 2008

It was an evening of passion, energy and beautiful music last night at The Triple Door in Seattle. More than 200 music lovers gathered to celebrate the release of Awakening to Life, the new CD by The Jeremy Jones Xtet on Broken Time Records. J&J Music, Broken Time and Jeremy have been planning this show for months now, and when the night finally arrived everyone was ready to celebrate and lay down the positive vibes.

The night began with an opening set by another group with a forthcoming CD on Broken Time, The Josh Rawlings Trio. (In the interest of full discloser, it should be noted that Josh Rawlings is one of the “J’s” in J&J Music.) Josh on piano, bassist Nate Omdal and drummer D’Vonne Lewis played masterfully on four of Josh’s original compositions, including the Abdullah Ibrahim-inspired title track “Climbing Stairs.” The song’s performance included rainforest sounds courtesy of Josh and the audience. The chemistry between Rawlings and longtime bassist Nate Omdal was clear throughout the night, as the two young masters weaved their lines in and around each other in creative and exciting ways, all the while never stepping on each others’ toes. D’vonne Lewis (subbing for regular drummer Adam Kessler) brought the house down with his powerful solos and superb comping, all-the-while pushing and propelling the trio to thrilling heights. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing the CD from start to finish and I know you’re going to dig the record and Josh’s compositions. Stay tuned for news of the release date.

After a short break came the Jeremy Jones Xtet, starting with Jeremy alone on stage, laying down the beat to his composition “Flowin’.” Jeremy was joined one at a time by his killin’ band: Phil Sparks on bass, John Hansen on piano, Steve Treseler on tenor and Thomas Marriott on trumpet and flugelhorn. By the time the whole band was finally assembled and blowing, the energy flowin’ from the stage was palpable, and while the horns were out front and each member of the band was playing at an extremely high level, it was clear that this band belonged to the drummer.

Jeremy led the group through eight of his original tunes from the new CD with smiles, swing and some well placed bombs, switching all the while from sticks to brushes to mallets to bells and back again. He played every part of his kit; rims, heads, cymbals and stands. He marked the sections of his tunes with press-rolls, tom hits and stop-time. As the night wore on, Jeremy’s shining spirit emanated from the stage, filling the room with joy and washing over everyone in attendance with a contagious warmth. Read More

Review: Lee Konitz at The Ballard Jazz Festival

May 2, 2008 / / No Comments

Review by Bill Barton; Photos by Jim Levitt

Saturday, April 26 – The Ballard Jazz Festival
Nordic Heritage Museum

Lee Konitz with The Hal Galper Trio:
Lee Konitz – alto saxophone, Hal Galper – piano, Jeff Johnson – bass, John Bishop – drums

Lee Konitz certainly needs no introduction to jazz fans. He’s been a major player for 60 years. That’s quite a remarkable achievement when you consider how many greats have come and gone in that span of time. He first attracted attention for his solos with Claude Thornhill’s orchestra in 1947 and only two years later took part in the recordings generally credited as the first “free” improvisations in jazz, captured for posterity with his mentor Lennie Tristano. He also took part in the sessions that produced the epochal Miles Davis Birth of the Cool. It would take a Britannica-sized book to list all of his credits since then. He’s been primarily a leader of his own groups for well over 50 years now. He looks great and sounds great at an age when most Americans have long since retired. The old cliché that music keeps you young applies here.

His liquid, pellucid tone on alto remains a thing of wonder. In the stereotype- crazy lexicon of jazz journalism he has long been considered part of the “cool school.” There may be a grain of truth in that pigeonhole, but many listeners seem to have missed the intense emotion with which he plays. It may be a cool burn – sometimes – but it’s a burn nonetheless. Konitz has made a career out of courting risks. The man never plays it safe. And as jazz critic Larry Kart put it: “The ethereal lyricism of Konitz’s earliest recorded work, related though it was to Lester Young, was an essentially private affair that existed outside the mainstream of jazz history.” His playing can also be – presumably purposefully – anti-lyrical; it’s as if he is stretching the limits of just how much he can fragment a melodic line before it loses its focus.

It’s a given in all definitions of jazz that improvisation is one of the music’s most essential ingredients. The paradox comes up and slaps us across the face when listening to many players – particularly in this age when neo-classicism has taken most of the seats at the front of the bus – that what passes for improvisation is often replication of something previously improvised or skilled interpolations from a grab-bag of licks and patterns. Konitz is one of the rare musicians who always seem to be standing up in the rollercoaster car at the top of the most precipitous and winding ramp. He’s not wearing a seatbelt that’s for sure. Pianist Galper stated – and I’m paraphrasing here – that in the nine months he toured with Konitz as a duo, playing six nights a week, the alto saxophonist never repeated himself or fell back on pet licks. Read More

Review: Sam Yahel Trio at Ballard Jazz Festival

May 2, 2008 / / No Comments

Review by Bill Barton; Photos by Jim Levitt

Ballard Jazz Festival 2008, Saturday, April 26, 2008
Nordic Heritage Museum

Sam Yahel Trio:
Sam Yahel – Hammond A100 organ
Mark Taylor – alto saxophone
Matt Jorgensen – drums

Sam Yahel has received a lot of attention in the jazz world recently, including an impressive four year series of wins in the Down Beat Critics Poll as Talent Deserving Wider Recognition. Truth and Beauty – his most recent CD on Origin featuring Joshua Redman and Brian Blade – has received significant international jazz radio airplay and was voted one of the 2007 Top Ten by The New York Times.

After hearing him in concert it’s easy to understand why he’s making waves. The Hammond organ is customarily associated with a funky, blues-based, down home kind of groove jazz, as personified by the likes of Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, Richard “Groove” Holmes, et al. Yahel can groove with the best of them, but his approach is decidedly multi-faceted, and he could be considered as part of the continuation of a line of organ innovators like Big John Patton, Larry Young and Alice Coltrane than he is an inheritor of the Smith legacy.

His personal sound on the instrument was evident from the very beginning of this set. The trio began with an African-ized arrangement of the Beatles’ classic “Norwegian Wood,” a song title certainly apropos to the concert’s location in the Nordic Heritage Museum. Yahel’s registrations on the intro evoked aural images of kalimbas and balaphones. There was plenty of dynamic range in this performance and Mark Taylor‘s alto solo was delightful.

Alec Wilder’s “Moon and Sand” was done as a bossa nova, beginning with organ and drums before Taylor joined in. A favorite of Marian McPartland’s, this lovely Wilder melody has been infrequently interpreted by other jazz players (Kenny Burrell and Gil Evans are among the few who have championed it.) It’s a beautiful song, and the trio did it justice in a version that dropped the dynamics down toward the end and reverted to its ballad origins. There was a canny and oblique quote from “Mona Lisa” slipped unobtrusively into the organ solo just before the group changed the mood. Read More

Review: Andrew D’Angelo Benefit Concert

April 10, 2008 / / No Comments

By Bill Barton

Wednesday night’s Andrew D’Angelo Benefit Concert at Seattle’s Chapel Performance Space drew a full-house, standing room only crowd. That’s good news indeed for Andrew and his family and a credit to the Seattle jazz community. It is indeed a community in the true sense of the word.

After being introduced by Earshot Jazz Executive Director John Gilbreath, Andrew’s brother Tom shared some powerful and personal thanks and noted that “Jazz is Love” could serve as a motto for this concert. Indeed it did.

The event was organized by Cuong Vu along with Earshot and was an outpouring of love and support from the musicians and the audience.

Cuong Vu opened seated in front of his console of electronics, trumpet in right hand, joined by Greg Sinibaldi on electronic wind instrument and Chris Icasiano from the Speak Quartet on drums. Their segment was a beautifully textured, surging electronic smorgasbord of sounds, with Sinibaldi often laying down the bass lines, at other times functioning somewhat like a pianist or keyboardist might. Vu layered multiple trumpet parts via looping in his customarily creative fashion.

Robin Holcomb at the piano provided a distinct contrast in her solo song, managing to be both pensive and harmonically adventurous in the opening instrumental portion and singing in her distinctive voice as the piece progressed. Wayne Horvitz then joined her on stage and their duet with Horvitz at the piano was quite lovely. Horvitz departed and guitarist Bill Frisell accompanied her next. This was a heartbreakingly deep and profoundly moving, country-tinged collaboration. She reminded me of what Loretta Lynn and Sheila Jordan have in common: soul unrelated to genre pigeonholes.

There were many highlights in this first set, including Cuong Vu’s decidedly more “straight-ahead” (all acoustic) playing with the Speak Quartet, an immensely talented and obviously precocious group of his University of Washington students, with Icasiano on drums, Andrew Swanson on tenor saxophone, pianist Aaron Otheim and electric bass guitarist Luke Bergman.

The second set began with a one-in-lifetime Seattle all-star band: Vu, Frisell, Eyvind Kang on violin and Horvitz at the piano in a lengthy free improv piece that was particularly notable for Horvitz’s inside-the-piano work and how it meshed with Kang’s pizzicato. Then Kang and Frisell played two marvelous duets. The first sounded a little like 2/5 of the Hot of Club of France time-warped 70 years into the future. It swung in a subtle but extremely infectious manner: gorgeous stuff! The second was a bit more abstract yet still had a potent pulse. These guys are world-class improvisers, that is abundantly obvious, and they exhibited uncanny communication and synchronicity. Then Frisell played two solo guitar pieces. The first one sounded like “Blue Monk,” although it was taken through a wide variety of twists and turns, and occasionally seemed to almost morph into other Monk tunes. And the second, which appeared to be one of Frisell’s own compositions although the title was not announced, showcased the liquid tone and thoughtful textures of his ECM days.

The concert closed with a romping segment from the Speak Quartet, just as “Andrew would have wanted it” as Vu pointed out. The future is now. Audience support for young musicians is critical to the continued vibrancy of the local scene. Vu mentioned that so many great young musicians come up in the Seattle area, but then they leave. We need to provide places to play and people to listen.

Hadley Caliman at Tula’s: another review

March 25, 2008 / / No Comments

By Cynthia Mullis

Yes, Bill Barton said it: this was a do-not-miss event! This sold-out CD release party for Hadley Caliman’s Origin release, Gratitude, was a fine representation of the richness of the Seattle jazz scene infused with lots of New York energy. Everyone in the band was on their toes and it showed in creative soloing, interesting arrangements and a wonderful ensemble dynamic. Here is my version of the night as experienced from the big round table at the back of Tula’s (which was also the locus of a cool between-set hang).

Hadley Caliman is a Northwest treasure because he is a great musician with a creative voice on the saxophone. To my ears, he is grounded in the post-bop ‘60s sound of Joe Henderson and John Coltrane, which for me, is the benchmark of modern tenor saxophone. He veers towards Coltrane on the up-tempo tunes, while his phrasing and tone are more Henderson-esque.

The first set consisted of selections from Caliman’s new CD and included: “Back for More,” a 6/8 blues by Marriott; “Invitation”; “Linda” by Caliman; “If,” a Joe Henderson blues; and ending with the first tune Caliman ever wrote, entitled “Comencio.” The set was marked by concise, energetic playing and there were, in fact, no long-winded solos all night.

By the second set, the groove and credentials of the band had been established. Caliman’s tone, subdued and hindered by an unsympathetic sound system in the first set, was full, resonant and well-mic’ed in the second set. The moment that I got Hadley’s playing was in the second set on his version of “Lush Life.” This is a tune with famous recordings by both Coltrane and Henderson–it’s hard to get away from these definitive versions–but Caliman asserted his voice with langorous phrases full of creativity, originality, and a lifetime of experience. It was the best of Hadley Caliman’s saxophone playing and one of the more memorable moments of the evening. Read More

Review: Hadley Caliman Quintet at Tula’s

March 24, 2008 / / No Comments

by Bill Barton

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB, FRIDAY, MARCH 21

Some performances transcend the whole concept of music as art or entertainment and reach an entirely different level. Love, trust, respect, communication and joy in the act of creation can touch the heart in ways that can’t be described in words. In over 30 years of attending concerts, there aren’t too many that have moved this listener that deeply. Friday night’s CD release party for Hadley Caliman’s Gratitude at Tula’s in Seattle is one of them. One doesn’t go to a concert, theatrical production or dance performance for something mundane. One should leave transformed, renewed, healed, seeing the world through new eyes, hearing harmony and consonance everywhere, feeling like a newborn baby who’s experienced beauty for the first time. Every once in awhile this ideal is met.

At age 76, Caliman is a Pacific Northwest treasure, a master of his craft who exudes humility and humanity. Now retired from teaching at Cornish College of the Arts, he has by no means retired from sharing his muse. An inspiration to several generations of players, he ranks among the living giants of the tenor saxophone in the world of jazz. There aren’t too many other cats out there with a track record comparable to his. He’s in the rarefied company of Chicago legends Von Freeman and Fred Anderson in this regard.

One of the reasons that this was a do-not-miss event hinged on the appearance of vibraphonist Joe Locke, who has a sizeable following in the Seattle area. He’s no stranger to the Pacific Northwest, having performed at the Ballard Jazz Festival with Geoffrey Keezer and in Port Townsend. His visits are rare enough that this was an occasion. Locke is a true virtuoso on his chosen instrument. Sometimes a prolix improviser, he can spin off dizzying flights packed with so many audacious ideas that a comparison to Art Tatum or Cecil Taylor might be in order. Everything has a clarity and pinpoint articulation that can boggle the mind. Dazzling technique doesn’t amount to a hill of coffee beans in the bigger picture though. It’s what he does with it. There is deep spirituality, rhythmic intensity and true story telling in his playing. He’s fun to watch as well as to hear. It’s obvious that he is in that famous “zone” whenever he’s onstage. An animated, physical, constantly moving presence, his facial expressions continually mirroring the process of spontaneous creation, mouthing along with labyrinthine passages, once in awhile scatting along sotto voce, he doesn’t just play the music, he inhabits it. The man’s a perpetual motion machine. Those 12-hour days playing on the streets of New York City with George Braith definitely paid off when it comes to stamina and focus.

All of the musicians who played at Tula’s are on Gratitude, with the exception of Seattle’s ubiquitous Matt Jorgensen on drums, replacing Joe La Barbera. Jorgensen is an aggressive, polyrhythmic drummer, and his entrainment with Locke was a joy to behold. They were Locked in, if you’ll pardon the expression. Thomas Marriott produced the session for Origin and his brother David provided the superb arrangements. Particularly during the second and third sets this evening, the former’s trumpet and flügelhorn playing was packed with joie de vivre and a sense of adventure. There was no holding back. Marriott can be a very subtle player, on occasion appearing to backpedal and eschew grandstanding. This is one of his strengths. Better that than the effusive bravura of someone like James Carter, who tends to play everything he knows in the first ten minutes and then tries to figure out the next step. This evening’s music found Marriott more willing to teeter on the edge of the abyss than he had been at other live performances I’ve heard. He never fell over. Bassist Phil Sparks is a long-time Caliman associate, and their simpatico communication is obvious. His time is rock-solid, an essential ingredient in a music that takes as many rhythmic twists and turns as the arrangements on Gratitude do. He also has a full, deep, rich sound and beautiful intonation; no slipping and sliding to reach the “right” note here.

Attempts at a play-by-play would be pointless. It was the experience in total that made such a strong impression on me. I have to single out Caliman’s infectious composition “Joe Joe Dancer Bossa Nova” though, which included some of the most memorable solo work from all hands and his radiant interpretation of “Lush Life” in quartet format. Caliman obviously knows the lyrics to this heartbreakingly beautiful Billy Strayhorn classic, and his tenor saxophone exuded saudade in an emotional solo that juggled the world-weary sentiments of the song with a life-affirming optimism.

Looking back on the experience, I’m reminded of something that the late pianist Andrew Hill once said: “I’m trying to make music a sensual expression, not an academic experiment.”

Review: Matt Jorgensen +451 “Another Morning”

March 13, 2008 / / No Comments

By Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz.com

Matt Jorgensen + 451 has created a distinctive music, a free flying jazz sound with a 1960s rock sensibility, bursting with enormous chops. It’s a mix of Ryan Burns‘ often out there, Jimi Hendix-ian keyboard work (wailing on Fender Rhodes, organ and Moog ), Mark Tayor‘s bite-of-lime saxophone tang, Jorgensen’s multi-layered percussion complexities and Phil Sparks‘ deep in the pocket bass work. Mix it up and it’s unmistakable on the blindfold test.

The group is a rhythm section and saxophone, but it sounds like no other. No one playing in this format—with the exception of perhaps Vijay Iyer—has crafted a more distinctive jazz identity.

Another Morning is a big step forward from the excellent Hope (Origin Records, 2004). There’s a more on-the-edge feeling to the music, the approach a bit more unfettered. The musicians have grown and the sound has evolved in the direction of urgency and adventure.

Opening with “New Beginnings,” Burns’ reverent organ goes to church. Then flip the light switch, and Matt Jorgensen + 451 blows in, very much in a democratic mode, joined by guest trumpeter Thomas Marriott.

The jazz/rock aesthetic comes in large part from Burns, for whom there are no limits to the noises made on his keyboards. Aiding the effort is guest guitarist Jason Goessl on the Matt Jorgensen/Jeff McSpadden-penned “Sweet Pea.” The keyboard and guitar sound like competing blacksmiths trading metallic hammer blows in front of Jorgensen’s industrial percussion groove.

The sixties atmosphere is bolstered by two covers of rock songs: The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter”—one of the more raucous tunes from their white album, The Beatles (Apple Records, 1968)—and Neil Young’s protest over the 1970 Kent State killings, “Ohio,” that again features Goessl, sounding crunchy and quite Neil Young-ish.

It’s been a four-year span between 2004’s Hope and 2008’s Another Morning, but Matt Jorgensen + 451 have made it worth the wait. Another fine and distinctive outing, with the adventure factor up a couple of notches.

Read this review at All About Jazz.com
Buy this CD from Origin Records

Thomas Marriott CD Review

February 14, 2008 / / No Comments

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott will celebrate the release of his new CD, Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson, on Wednesday, February 27th at the Triple Door.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 7:30pm
THOMAS MARRIOTT, CRAZY: THE MUSIC OF WILLIE NELSON

THE TRIPLE DOOR MAINSTAGE
216 Union Street
Seattle, WA
206-838-4333

Tickets: $15
This is an All Ages Show

featuring:
Thomas Marriott – trumpet
Mark Taylor – saxophones
Ryan Burns – keyboards
Geoff Harper – bass
Matt Jorgensen – drums

And the reviews keep coming in for the disc. Look for a review in the May issue of JazzTimes in addition to the one just published at All About Jazz.com:

The disc closes with “On the Road Again,” probably Nelson’s most familiar melody. Marriott and company change the original’s quiet country charm into an expansive, lush, electric wash of sound that seems as if it could have been issued from the underbelly of an alien spacecraft that has picked up an errant Willie broadcast out in space, and is now hovering in a starry sky, broadcasting its otherworldly renditions down to an awe-struck earthly crowd.

Click here to visit Thomas on the web.

Review: Cuong Vu Trio with Bill Frisell, Meany Theater

February 7, 2008 / / No Comments

By Bill Barton

REVIEW: CUONG VU TRIO WITH BILL FRISELL
MEANY THEATER, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
FEBRUARY 6, 2008

I just returned from hearing the Cuong Vu Trio with special guest Bill Frisell at the University of Washington’s Meany Theater. This was a great show, one long set. Frisell did some of the best playing I’ve ever heard from him live. Strangely enough I’ve always enjoyed him more playing with other people’s groups than with his own. As I sort of expected he was delving into the louder, rockier side of his playing personality for the most part.

Vu’s trumpet and electronics never fail to create some varied soundscapes, ranging from the atmospheric and ambiant to the downright raucous. He is a real master at using looping in live performance. At one point he built up a beautifully meshed series of interlocking loops (I counted either 13 or 14 layers) that practically lifted me out of my seat: one hell of a big band for a quartet! His pure acoustic sound is gorgeous too and he can play in the high register with amazing control at very, very low decibel levels as well as anyone I’ve heard.

Then there’s the maniacal Stomu Takeishi on electric bass… The guy’s a wild man. Vu, Takeishi and Frisell had lots of the latest and greatest digital toys to play with, twisting dials, pushing pedals, adjusting this, tweaking that, but for me the highlight of Takeishi’s playing came when he was using what looked like a plain old tin can as a slide on his bass and standing in front of his amplifier’s speaker to obtain controlled feedback. Awesome set!

Be sure to hear “Accelerated Thoughts” from the new artistShare CD Vu-Tet; they played a fine version of this twisting, turning, hyper-fast almost-bebop tune tonight. The Vu-Tet disc is exceptional. Check it out.

Concert Review: Jon Hamar CD Release at Tula’s

January 21, 2008 / / No Comments

By Cynthia Mullis
photos by Carolyn Caster

(A big congratulations to Jon Hamar for receiving the Earshot Golden Ear Award for Emerging Artist!)

On Wednesday, January 16th, I went to Tula’s to attend the release party for bass player Jon Hamar’s new CD Here After.  I have to say that it’s to its credit that Tula’s has eliminated blender drinks from their menu. And why, do you ask, is this suddenly an important revelation? Well, mainly because it would be an otherwise unfortunate place for an acoustic bass player to have a CD release party! As it was, there were no Margaritas and Pina Coladas to interfere with this quiet, intimate CD release party for bassist Hamar and his trio. Of course, the phone rang during an acapella bass solo, raising a slight chuckle in the audience, but I for one was grateful for the chance to hear Hamar’s music with little interference. As a result it was a very satisfying experience.

Wednesday’s audience was a modest but appreciative assembly of friends, family, students from Cornish and Central Washington University, not to mention a few bass players. On stage were pianist Dawn Clement and Byron Vannoy on drums. The three musicians were locked in and sounded like they’ve spent a lot of time playing together. Jon and Dawn had a special simpatico and Byron is a perfect complement to the two. Dawn and Byron are also featured on Jon’s new recording Here After, in addition to John Hansen, Jon Wikan, Hans Teuber and Dan Tyack.

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Review: Jim Snidero at Tula’s

December 15, 2007 / / No Comments

by Cynthia Mullis

Occasionally over the past several years I have had the odd experience of playing an idea in a solo that felt familiar but whose influence was not obvious to me. Was it a Parker lick? A Coltrane lick? Oliver Nelson? No…it was a Jim Snidero line that had seeped its way into my consciousness via the excellent Jazz Conceptions series of method books. I have played out of those books so many times with students that an improvisation on “Misty” can easily morph into “Mist and Grits.” If you are a teacher that uses these books in lessons, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. After endlessly telling my students to do a “mind meld” with the “saxophone guy” on the play-along CD, I’ve learned as much from those etudes as my students have (probably more, actually). So with that in mind, I needed to go hear the real Jim Snidero at Tula’s this weekend.


Photo by Carolyn Caster

On Friday night, alto saxophonist Jim Snidero performed sets of straight ahead, honest, swinging music: no pyrotechnics, no tricks, no weird time signatures, no jive, just old school virtuoso saxophone playing developed over years of practice and studying the tradition. Marc Seales, Phil Sparks and Matt Jorgensen staffed the rhythm section and once again demonstrated why New York musicians on the road are happy to make a stop in Seattle. The craftsmanship was very impressive and the evening of music was quite satisfying. It was an intimate jazz club experience that included a relaxed, fun hang with a number of musicians present in the audience.

Snidero has a classic, warm, round alto sound that combines elements of Charlie Parker, Jackie McLean and Sonny Stitt and it immediately felt familiar and comfortable (I also wondered if that’s how it would have been with Lennie Neihaus if I’d grown up with play-along recordings for his Jazz Conceptions etude books). Snidero’s playing is solidly grounded in tradition—I could hear numerous influences but no one particular voice predominated. Throughout the night Snidero interwove a hip and modern harmonic vocabulary into this traditional bebop foundation. While I could hear the patterns, they drew me into his solos without being clichéd and predictable. Most of the playing was pretty inside but I was happy to hear some “Snidero-isms” evolve out of his creative combination of modern harmony and classic bebop. He is an impressive saxophonist, delivering fluid ideas in clean eighth note and double-time lines. I found his musical integrity and saxophone technique very inspiring and enjoyable.

The rhythm section was nonchalant and relaxed on their home turf and they never sounded like they were trying to prove anything. Together, Marc, Phil and Matt sounded like a true rhythm section rather than three players called for the gig and they blazed through the repertoire of standards and originals from Snidero’s new CD Tippin. The pace of the night leaned more towards the up tempo and they had no problem keeping things percolating. With Phil Sparks on bass combined with Matt on drums, you can always trust that things are going to be solid and happening. Marc Seales played some very creative, melodically extroverted solos and was the perfect harmonic complement to Snidero—I always enjoy his playing, especially how he steers clear of the 89-key school of piano playing. It was a night of good music and this rhythm section easily kept pace with Snidero.

So take a break from the shopping and office Christmas parties this weekend and head over to Tula’s to hear Jim Snidero with Matt Jorgensen, Phil Sparks and Marc Seales. It will definitely be a welcome relief from the canned Christmas music, cranky store clerks and drunk office mates.

Editor note: Jim Snidero concludes his weekend at Tula’s Jazz Club tonight, Saturday, December 16 beginning at 8:30pm. Call 206-443-4221 for reservations.

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Review: Moutin Reunion Quartet at Jazz Alley

December 12, 2007 / / No Comments

THE MOUTIN REUNION QUARTET AT JAZZ ALLEY
Tuesday, October 11, 2007

Tuesday night at Jazz Alley the Moutin Reunion Quartet showed why they are one of the best working bands in jazz today with an amazing 90 minute set that kept the audience engaged throughout. Their current lineup has been honing their sound over the past few years and are now on tour in support of their new CD/DVD release, Sharp Turns.

Twin brothers Francois (bass) and Louis (drums) are always an engaging pair to watch on stage. They move fluidly between grooves and time-feels like they are, well, twins! Saxophonist Rick Margitza is all business and a monster on the tenor saxophone. Pianist Pierre de Bethmann, who was not at the performance during the Ballard Jazz Festival, is the perfect lyrical balance to the Moutin brothers.

Seattle is the final stop on a west coast tour that ends tonight (Wednesday, October 12). Make sure and catch this group before they head back to Paris.

The Moutin Reunion Quartet perform at Jazz Alley on Wednesday, October 12 starting at 7:30pm. For tickets and more information, visit http://jazzalley.com

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Review: Mike Stern at Jazz Alley

December 8, 2007 / / No Comments

By Cynthia Mullis

Jazz Alley, Thursday Night Dec. 6th
Mike Stern – guitar
Bob Franceschini – tenor sax
Anthony Jackson – electric bass
Dave Weckl – drums

If you are a fan of the guitar hero musical aesthetic, head over to Jazz Alley this weekend to catch the pyrotechnics of the Mike Stern Band. I really dig his guitar playing and this was a night of excellent chops, high level musicianship and no surprises, promoting his new release “Who Let the Cats Out?” Mike Stern was in prime form with his intricate lines of running notes, funky chords and bouncing right leg. The band is full of intense playing all around and it will be a satisfying night of music if you are in the mood for the full-on jazz version of rocking out.


photo by Carolyn Caster

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Review: Chick Corea at Jazz Alley

December 1, 2007 / / No Comments

by Cynthia Mullis

There are two remaining nights of Chick Corea at Jazz Alley. The shows are practically sold out, but it’s worth a phone call or even standing in the non-reservation line to see if you can still get in. The show on Thursday was excellent and it was thrilling to just to be in the same room as these legends, regardless of hearing them play. Corea joked that the band is called The Freedom Band but he suggested it be named “The My Generation Band” instead. The mood was light-hearted and playful and the feeling of the night was that of four musical buddies hanging out and playing tunes.

There were Return to Forever favorites (Captain Marvel, La Fiesta), some Monk tunes, some Jobim. Bass virtuoso Eddie Gomez is a force of nature and it was hard not be fixated on him alone. Hubert Laws, the legendary jazz flautist, was mesmerizing in his impecable sound, technique and musicality. Airto of course, is Airto, but this concert had the added benefit of hearing him speak and sing in Portuguese. And then there’s Chick Corea himself: watching his fingers move on the keyboard over La Fiesta was one of those concert moments that makes one feel as if they have truly lived. What more is there to say?

New Review of Richard Cole’s SHADE

November 27, 2007 / / No Comments

By John Barron, AllAboutJazz.com

Shade, Saxophonist Richard Cole’s third release for Origin Records, is a stellar production compiled from various sessions featuring trumpet legend Randy Brecker and a bevy of heavy hitters from the Pacific Northwest. The disc is chock-full of inspired solos, edgy compositions and inventive arranging.

Cole is an aggressive soloist who, much like his saxophone heroes John Coltrane and Joe Henderson, challenges the harmonic boundaries of each tune in search of new and unblemished ideas. The tenor saxophone is Cole’s horn of choice on Shade, however, his soprano playing on “Don’t Breath on Me”— a lyrical waltz written by brother Ronald—is equally brawny and engaging.

Brecker’s trumpet shines on four tracks: “A Shade of Joe,” (Cole’s tribute to Henderson) the Gene DePaul/ Don Raye standard “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “P.C. Wannabe,” (a variation on Coltrane’s “Mr. P.C.”) and the funky “Red Suit.” His lines are characteristically soulful and inventive.

Bill Anschell handles the bulk of the disc’s piano duties with energetic vigor. The commanding pianist swings aggressively through “Moxy,” his angular compositional take on the Sonny Rollins classic “Doxy.” John Hansen, Randy Porter and Marc Seales each take over the keyboard chair for one tune apiece. Seales’ Fender Rhodes workout on “Red Suit” is one of the stand-out solos on the disc.

The disc contains numerous appearances by top-notch bassists and drummers. Some of the more memorable rhythm section moments come from drummer Gary Hobbs who is explosive on “A Shade of Joe,” and bassist Jeff Johnson who plays an extended solo intro on “Beautiful Love.”

For those unfamiliar with Cole, this disc should leave no doubt as to the magnitude of his musical strength. The brazen display of emotional range emanating from the man’s horn is overwhelming. Shade is a sonic delight from start to finish.