JAZZ/ ROCK/CLASSICAL/ALT

jazz / classical / alt / rock

MARK KERESMAN

Barney Wilen Quartet HHHH Live in Tokyo ’91 Elemental Music

French tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen (1937-1996) was somewhat legendary in European jazz circles—he was perhaps best known to American jazz fans for his recordings with Miles Davis (the film soundtrack Ascenseur pour l’Échafaud, 1957) and Thelonious Monk (anoth

the tune like a born surfer and in select moments BURNS. Wilen’s Quartet exudes class but knows when to kick hiney—the only flaw in this otherwise aces-back-to-back package is Gritz’s drumming gets a bit over-enthusiastic (or maybe it’s just too high in the mix) here ‘n’ there. That aside, Live in Tokyo is a real-gonegasser of a hard bop set, with a generous side portion of (very modern) swing. (14 tracks, 136 min.) elemental-music.com

Amina Figarova HHH 1/2 Persistence Am-Fi

Pianist Amina Figarova was born in Azerbaijan and now calls New York home. Stylistically one could tag this with “post bop with minor overtones of fusion and hip hop” and, hey, that works. Figarova’s compositions are bright and engaging, and she’s assembled a sharp quintet to play them, including husband-flutist Bart Platteau, guitarist Rez Abbasi, and sharp-as-atack drumming-whiz Rudy Royston. Figarova is

Barney Wilen, Konserthuset, Stockholm, September 1966

er soundtrack, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, 1961, with Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers). He also recorded with John Lewis and Bud Powell. February 1991 found Wilen and his foursome in Tokyo and the result is this two-CD set. Wilen had a distinctive style, fusing the muscular, shiny-toned Sonny Rollins sound with the classy lyricism of Stan Getz and aspects of the rushing wallop of early 1960s John Coltrane—essentially mainstream but not stuck in any era’s mud and not adverse to well-placed free flurries and joy-charged gruffness every so often. Wilen SURGES through these two discs, ably assisted by Olivier Hutman on acoustic and electric pianos; Gilles Naturel, bass, and Peter Gritz, drums. “Bass Blues” finds Wilen dredging deep into (what else?) the blues, while “L’ame Des Poetes” is a fascinating study in contrasts— Wilen’s band cooks with rare restraint beneath while Wilen testifies with a mix of casual Yank toughness and Gallic savoir-faire. “Mon Blouson” has Hutman channeling McCoy Tyner’s lyrical flights (sans most of MT’s percussive aspects—no imitator, he) while Wilen searches with gutsy elegance and careens with class. A true high point is Wilen’s chugging flights within “Besame Mucho” in which he rides the wave of

Photo: Eddy Westveer.

something of a relative rarity—she doesn’t feel the need to showcase herself with lots of soloing. Persistence is very much a group effort, with the focus on her compositions as opposed to the individual players. Make no mistake, however—there’s tasty soloing to be had. Figarova slightly recalls the late pianist Jaki Byard in that her solos are pointed, self-contained, and encapsulate bits of jazz history within. Figarova makes nice (as in: not cheesy) use of electric piano—sparing, as if carefully applying hues to a canvas, adding to the group’s overall texture (as opposed to long solos). Abbasi’s solos, with their bright, burred tone, are models of restraint as are those of Platteau, whose long, elegant lines color the canvas judi

ciously. Her compositions (all originals here) are economical, lively, varied, and memorable—pick to click for radio play: “I’ve Got No Time,” featuring a brief, droll rap by JSWISS and some sleek ‘n’ punchy swing. Also, “Lil’ Poem,” with its languid, slightly romantic ambiance and terse, elegantly twisty soli. (Take note, radio programmers!) Without any overt crossover moves, Persistence fairly demands a bigger/wider audience, albeit on its own terms. (7 tracks, 43 min.) AmFi-records.com

Norma Winstone & John Taylor HHHH In Concert Sunnyside

Why isn’t UK jazz singer Norma Winstone better-known on our shores? Perhaps it’s her unassumingly demure, unpretentiously elegant, musicianly approach—she doesn’t come across as a bigger-than-life (or tragic) figure. This Concert platter, recorded in 1988, captures her in a duo performance with the late UK pianist John Taylor (1942-2015), and it’s a gem. Winstone has a light, airy, occasionally wispy voice with a playful and expressive lower register—note the inspiring manner in which she respectfully toys with Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way,”

wringing the song for all its worth albeit in a decorous manner. She sings the way Taylor plays—careful but never labored or fussy, letting the spaces between the notes (and words) say almost as much as what’s played. Another notable aspect of Winstone is she doesn’t overrely on the classic Jazz Singers’ Songbook— most pieces here are originals, her setting her lyrics to the melodies of jazz instrumental wizards Steve Swallow, Ralph Towner, and Egberto Gismonti, and while she often conveys forlornness, she sidesteps the whole masochistic, mybaby-treats-me-bad-but-I-don’t-care shtick. In point of fact, her lyrical vocal sorties on Taylor’s Latin-hinted “Coffee Time” (with references to “The Coffee Song,” to boot) are exhilarating, turning words into sighs and persuasive sounds whilst Taylor makes like a percussionist, slyly and understatedly, the both of them swinging

together smartly, dovetailing into each other’s lines. If you prize female jazz singers but are tired of the usual suspects, give this your prolonged consideration. (8 tracks, 59 min.) sunnysiderecords.com

Benny Benack III HHHH 1/2 A Lot of Livin’ to Do Self-released

Sometimes it IS in the genes—Benny Benack is the third with his moniker, sharing it with his forebears in/from the Pittsburgh PA area. The senior Benack played in the Swing Era big bands of Raymond Scott and Tommy Dorsey and was a mini-legend for writing the “Beat ’em Bucs” theme song for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His grandson Benny is carrying on in

the family business with such as Joey De Francesco, Josh Groban, and bass ace Christian McBride. Benack at first seems virtually an anachronism—a jazz cat that sings in an unabashedly entertaining style while playing some bright, gregariously accessible bebop trumpet. But he pulls it off, mainly because he simply delivers the goods, not just coasting on nor calling-attention-to retro “style.” The third Benack’s vocal chops convey the mellowness of Nat “King” Cole and the confidence ‘n’ sass of the very young Sinatra. Fortunately, he doesn’t get overly consumed by a sense of forward-intothe-past, preferring to walk a line betwixt drawing from the past and being consumed by it (and sticking more to the former). His soloing on Ray Brown’s genially jive “Gravy Waltz” convincingly (yet subtly) carries the breezes of brass giants such as Clark Terry (jolliness), Freddie Hubbard (technique), and even Louis Armstrong (extroverted crackle). He follows with the a not-exactly-underplayed standard “The Shadow of Your Smile” wherein his muted horn is unfussy yet effectively elegiac. One might swear the musing “Later On” was an obscure gem of yesteryear and not an original. Benack’s backing is understated (but solidly swinging) as well—McBride, pianist (acoustic AND electric, yes indeed) Takeshi Ohbayashi, and the oh-so- unfussy, lilting drumming of Ulysses Owens Jr. Elsewhere vocally, Benack recalls the smoky after-midnight balladry of Chet Baker while sidestepping even hints of imitation. Lot of Livin’ is, in the words of Jerry Lewis, a strange duck—it draws upon (classy) aspects of relevant pop and jazz history but looks forward on its own terms. (12 tracks, 61 min.) bennybenackjazz.com

Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp William Parker, Bobby Kapp HHHH Ineffable Joy ESP-Disk

This Brazilian Ivo Perelman saxophonist fellow has played with more heavyweight hep cats than you’ve had hot breakfasts this year—Peter Erskine, John Patitucci, Rashied Ali, Billy Hart, and Paul Bley, to name only a few. Perelman felt the call of free jazz, so he got with some veterans and did some—pianist Matthew Shipp, bassist William Parker, and drummer Bobby Kapp accompany him on this recording, released on the revived ESP-Disk label (the very same label that released music in the 1960s few if any major labels would touch, including The Fugs, Albert Ayler, and The Godz). Ineffable Joy consists of freely-improvised jazz—mos def not easy listening by any stretch of the imagination, but not a chore to get into either (relatively speaking). But if you want to blow away the cobwebs in your mind, this is the place. Perelman is very much in the mold of Albert Ayler and free-period John Coltrane—with lots of “out” playing. However, there is structure here, sometimes more implied than stated, and these lads play together, as opposed to “all playing at the same time.” Matthew Shipp is the straightest arrow here, spiky but very lyrical in the manner of McCoy Tyner and Don Pullen, with a subtle classical music influence as well. Drummer Bobby Kapp keeps the rhythm going, and bassist William Parker is the heartbeat that keeps it all anchored. Perelman has a deep, powerful tone that may remind some listeners of David Murray and, of course, ‘Trane. He’s soulful, albeit not in an obvious manner. Perelman doesn’t blitz, instead favoring an unhurried and focused approach, with well-placed squeals and skronk but never blows out just because he can. His quartet are old hands at this free jazz stuff. Ineffable Joy is full of just that—wild-andwooly, cathartic at times, but calm at the center of the storm. (8 tracks, 50 min.) espdisk.com n