Nikki Shrire - Nowhere Girl Year: 2023
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz
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Another joyous new discovery from my Saturday Night Vocals listens.
London-born, Cape Town-raised, New York-trained and Toronto-based vocalist Nikki Shrire released an album a year from 2012-2-14 and then took nearly a decade off before releasing this gem. The music picks up whatever genre works while the songs and lovely, lilting vocals are decidedly jazz but with a little influence from pop and especially folk and the blend is beautiful. Joni would approve, but so would Billie. Wonderful stuff.
Muhal Richard Abrams - Levels and Degrees of Light Year: 1968
Style or Subgenre: Avant Garde, Free Jazz
This is going to warrant subsequent listens. Not because it swept my off my feet and I can't get enough, but rather because I don't think I got it. I felt like my much younger self, who when faced with seriously avant garde music or really free jazz, heard nothing but seemingly random cacophony. At times, I though I could sense some coherence, but most of this was a struggle. Now sometimes when that happens, I know I need not ever go back, but in this case, I'm thinking another chance is in order.
Ernestine Anderson - Never Make Your Move Too Soon Year: 1980
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz
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Ernestine Anderson is equally adept at sassy/brassy blues and songbook standard balladry. She was 52 at the time this album was cut, but it has a strong, youthful vitality to go with that maturity and inspired interpretation of a soul who's been around a bit. A dynamite listen this was.
Canadian Jazz Collective - Septology: The Black Forest Session Year: 2023
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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Totally blind purchase for the win!
Here we have a manufactured supergroup of Canada's finest current jazz musicians, a sort of north of the border Cookers. I gotta' say, I like this even more than the Cookers. These cats come out swinging with some seriously reverent contemporary hard bop. If not for the modern sound engineering, it would be easy to think this some lost classic era Blue Note date. It's all new compositions, all totally solid, and there's no shortage of inspired soloing, with trumpeter Derrick Gardner leading the way and tenor Kirk MacDonald getting his licks in in fine fashion. Pianist Brian Dickinson is totally on point throughout and as expected, bassist Neil Swainson is flawlessly interesting. The big surprise for me was how much i liked the clarinet (an instrument I don't usually take to), courtesy of Virginia MacDonald (Kirk's daughter... she can play, no nepotism here). While no new ground is broken, I'ma still give this five big fat stars cuz' it's just so much fun.
Stanley Turrentine - Up at Minton's, Vol's 1 & 2 Year: 1961
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
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Both volumes of this live date from 1961 conveniently appear in a two-for-one Blue Note CD reissue. Ranging from pure hard bop to soul jazz to slow jazz funk to jazz blues, each of the eight cuts (four per disc) is a delight and often an outright wonder. Turrentine is still young here and his sax would become more assure with a little more time, but it's still a fine performance and in places downright inspired. But the joys of this set don't stop there. Guitarist Grant Green lays down some of the tastiest licks he ever did as a sideman, and that's saying something. Even more exciting to my ear at times was the contribution of pianist Horace Parlan. Even if I hadn't seen his name on the album cover, I'd have know it was him; his playing is so distinctive of his style here. However, it blends perfectly with the rest of the ensemble, and elevates literally every piece. The man was totally in the zone here, and it delights my musical mind throughout.
Even before the first piece, a rather raucous crowd is heard, lettin you know everyone's going to be into it on this live date, and for good reason..... this is lively, inspired music that would have me expressing my pleasure for sure had I been there.
Junko Onishi - Live at the Village Vanguard II Recording Date: 1994
Release Date: 1995
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz
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I was pretty excited to see this at a fundraiser for just $3. But I have a serious problem with this disc. Onishi's Tynerisms are present, which is still a very good thing. That said, she demonstrates an impressive range of styles and techniques across the five cuts, each one perfectly placed in the service of its song. The arrangements, whether 6 minutes or 20, are all perfectly paced for maximum effect. Her melodic and harmonic choices are both expressive and impeccable. Rounding out the awesomeness is a rhythm section perfectly attuned to Onishi's brilliantmusical vision.
So whats my problem? Now I have to get a copy of Vol 1!
Helen Sung - Anthem for a New Day Year: 2014
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop
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Another classically trained youth turned jazzmaster in adulthood, Helen Sung leads an excellent quintet outing here with her inventive and tasteful post bop piano as the foundation. Seamus Blake brings some quality sax and the delightful Ingrid Jensen really expresses this musical vision on her trumpet. If you're looking for some top shelf contemporary bop with exceptionally deft and seamless combination of influences both in and out of jazz, this should definitely hit the spot. It sure hit mine.
McCoy Tyner - Fly With the Wind Year: 1976
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Piano Jazz
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I'm firmly convinced McCoy Tyner can do no wrong. On this album, he kicks off the opener in the dreaded jazz with strings mode... and yet totally slays! This is no mere watering down jazz for a larger audience, but a full fledged original and magnificent musical vision brought to complete fruition. Of course, Tyner surrounds himself with masterful musicians who are up to the task of making this dream work. We get Ron Carter on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws laying down some positively brilliant flute. Actually, this disc covers a lot of musical territory. After the stringy thing, the ensemble launches into a most aggressive 12 minute samba. Now Latin jazz and I don't always get along, but this thing is positively superlative in every way. Although there is no Larry Mizell here on this 1976 release, producer Orrin Keepnews does bring some Mizell-ish treatment, especially on the back end of the album.... and that still works to perfection.
I really can't say another musician so consistently finds such a perfect union with my musical mind. Tyner is just the ultimate for me. I am quite literally filled with joy, and totally stoked, every time I spin the real McCoy.
Jessica Williams - Jazz in the Afternoon Year: 1998
Style or Subgenre: Bop, Post Bop
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This is a creative and consistently entertaining trio album. Williams brings originals and covers in equal measure, but three of the covers are Thelonious Monk, and his presence is actually felt throughout the album. For her part, Williams finds a variety of ways but sometimes injects quotes that can be distracting. Overall, an impressive date.
For Saturday night vocals, I discovered the wonderful Tierney Sutton whose voice is equal parts angelic an perfect for jazz interpretation. This is just so easy to listen to! (but not at al easy listening in the genre sense). Sutton has a gently swinging style that is at once both elegant and vulnerable. Oh, and she can lay down some monster scat as well! Her instrumental accompaniment is perfectly supportive and can also take lead when appropriate. Christian Jacob's piano is of special not here. Sound quality is exemplary on this disc. Top marks all around.
The title reminded me of a fusion-ish album I really liked, so I followed up with the Dixie Dregs album of the same name. The Dregs's Unsung Heroes isn't spoken among their best albums, but I think it should be; it provides textbook examples of everything that makes the Dregs what they are; virtuoso musicians who cam put everything from straight rock, to fusion, to bluegrass, to baroque counterpoint all on one album and do it all brilliantly.
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