My video tribute to the great lady, as she sings her reflective composition, “Being Me” (From her 1995 CD A Turtle’s Dream). She was a true original.
…With Jane Jarvis at the Organ…
Posted in The Jazz Continues... on July 26, 2010 by curtjazz
Recently, I learned that jazz pianist Jane Jarvis had passed away in January.
Though I didn’t realize it at the time, Jane Jarvis was instrumental in my introduction to jazz. I attended countless performances by Ms. Jarvis during the late sixties and early seventies, but I never got to see her play in person.
In fact, I can still remember the date that I first heard Jane Jarvis play live; it was Sunday, July 27, 1969. It was a performance attended by 55, 390 other paying customers, plus 50 players, 4 umpires and an assortment of coaches and hot dog vendors. For you see, July 27, 1969, was the first time I attended a Major League Baseball game; and from 1964 through 1979, Ms. Jarvis was the organist at what was then the New York Mets’ home ballpark, Shea Stadium.
Baseball had first captured my imagination that spring; as the Mets were embarking upon what turned out to be a legendary season. As I watched games on TV, the sound of the organist in the background always caught my attention. I had heard many organists before, in churches, at the skating rink and in other places, but there was something different about the Shea organist. Her sound was happier and the way she “grouped her notes”, as I would say back then, was special. I would listen intently as Mets broadcaster Lindsey Nelson, would introduce her big solo before every game with the phrase “…and now, with Jane Jarvis at the organ, our National Anthem.” Her version of “The Star Spangled Banner” was a little different. It was appropriately reverential, but there would often be a jazzy run connecting the stanzas and an improvised coda after the last line of the song. Ms. Jarvis almost succeeded in making what is with all due respect, a difficult piece of music, cool.
Ms. Jarvis left Shea after the 1979 season, when new Mets ownership decided to drop organ music in favor of the loud recorded pop hits and mindless drivel that you hear at most stadiums today. About a decade went by before I heard the name Jane Jarvis again. By then, my interest in jazz had taken hold; and I was pleasantly surprised as I read the newspaper on the morning train, to learn that Jane Jarvis was opening at one of the New York clubs, leading a jazz trio. As I continued to read the article, I found out a bit of her backstory.
Born Luella Jane Nossett in 1915, in Indiana, to a schoolteacher mother and lawyer father, she began picking out melodies on the piano at the age of 4. Her parents then arranged for her to began studying classical piano the next year at Vincennes University and then at several conservatories in the Chicago area. By age 11, Jane was appearing regularly on a Gary, IN radio show. By the age of 13, she had become a staff pianist at WJKS-WIND radio in Chicago, where she accompanied artists such as Ethel Waters, Sophie Tucker and the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. That same year, tragedy struck, as both of her parents were killed in a car accident. Devastated, but determined, Jarvis continued to study at various conservatories and work hard in the local music industry. She remained in the Midwest, where she gave birth to and raised two children. Eventually, Jane moved to Milwaukee, where she worked as accompanist at radio station WTMJ and hosted a local TV show called “Jivin’ With Jarvis”. During that time, baseball’s Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee and they were looking for an organist. Jane answered the call and remained with the Braves for eight years. In 1963, she moved to New York. Seeking regular employment, she took at job at Muzak Corporation as an arranger. She would remain with Muzak for the next 18 years, eventually rising to the position of VP of programming and recording.
The next year, 1964, the Mets were opening their brand new ballpark in Flushing, Queens and looking for an experienced organist. Jane Jarvis answered the call. For the next 15 years, fans like me were treated to an array of swinging, up-tempo tunes that ranged from the obligatory (“Take Me Out to the Ballgame”), to the inventive. Whenever fan-favorite relief pitcher Tug McGraw would enter a game, Jane would greet him with a jazzy chorus of “The Campbell’s are Coming”, to which Tug would time his warm-up pitches. Those of us in attendance would clap along in giddy delight. I particularly loved one skittish tune that she often used between innings. It wasn’t until I began to dig Charlie Parker, years later that I realized that the skittish tune was “Scrapple from the Apple”
After leaving Muzak and the Mets, Ms. Jarvis finally found time to concentrate more on jazz piano, which she had never stopped dabbling in. By the mid-eighties she had a regular gig at Zinno, a West-Village restaurant-nightclub, where the great Milt Hinton was her regular bassist. She was also the only woman in Statesmen of Jazz, a group of jazz players all over the age of 65. Finally in 1985, at the tender age of 70, Jane Jarvis recorded her first album as a leader. As a pianist, Ms. Jarvis style was as elegant as is was unfailingly swinging; rooted in the swing of her youth. Her playing was reminiscent of a couple a swing era greats who had gained fame with Benny Goodman: Teddy Wilson and Jess Stacy.
Of the five albums that she recorded as a leader or co-leader, between 1985 and 2000, two remain in print: 1995’s Jane Jarvis Jams, with Bob Haggart on bass, Grady Tate on drums and Dan Barrett, doubling on trombone and cornet. And her final session as a leader, Atlantic – Pacific, from 1999; a date which saw Jarvis fronting both an East Coast based quintet, with Benny Powell, (whom we also recently lost) and Frank Wess and a West Coast sextet, that included Bill Berry, Tommy Newsome and Jake Hanna. Both sessions are on the fine swing oriented label, Arbors Records and are currently available on CD and as an MP3 download from Amazon.com. Both of these dates show that although Ms. Jarvis was past 80 when they were recorded, her skills had not diminished. Her sidemen were having a ball as well. Mr. Barrett nearly steals the show on Jane Jarvis Jams, demonstrating impressive skills on cornet, in addition to his usual trombone. However, of these two sessions, I have to give the nod to Atlantic – Pacific, on which the presence of Powell, Wess and Newsome, seems to push Jane to take her game a bit higher.
Below are links to a track from each session for your listening pleasure: “Mountain Greenery”, from Jane Jarvis Jams and “Beautiful Love” from the “Atlantic” portion of Atlantic – Pacific, which also features some fine ‘bone, courtesy of Mr. Powell.
Mountain Greenery – Jane Jarvis
Beautiful Love – Jane Jarvis and Benny Powell
Just because she did not lead any more recorded sessions, does not mean that Jane Jarvis was inactive for the last decade of her life. She continued to work with the Statesmen of Jazz and was still playing on dates around NYC as late as 2008. She even survived, unscathed, a 2008 construction crane collapse at the building adjacent to her E. 50th Street apartment. Until her death, she was still regaling visitors with wonderful stories from the lore of baseball and jazz, with a life affirming joy. As she said in a 1999 interview with the Indianapolis Star, “I figure I’ve got another 25 years, at least I’ve got 25 years booked out.”
The music of Jane Jarvis and many others can be heard on Curt’s Café WebJazz Radio; 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click the adjacent link to listen. 24/7 JazzStream
We’re concluding this post with a brief, moving tribute to Jane and Benny Powell that we found on YouTube, called “Before the Crane”. Many thanks to JazzLegacy for putting it online.
Until the next time, the jazz continues…
The Curt’s Cafe “TripleCast”
Posted in The Jazz Continues... on July 3, 2010 by curtjazzHappy Summer Everyone!
Hope y’all had a great spring. It seems to be hot everywhere, but we’ll try to keep you cool with great jazz all summer long on Curt’s Café…
You may have noticed recently that we are expanding our reach a bit. We’ve had the streaming radio station running via Live365.com for over five years now. Listener response has been great. But we’ve also heard from some of you, that you love the stream, but it can be frustrating because you’ll log on just in time to miss a great song that we’ve tweeted about.
Thanks to the influence of great, technically savvy, friends such as Donna M (aka @ElementsofJazz on Twitter) and veteran NYC radio DJ/VJ Carlos DeJesus (@carlosdejesus) we’ve started to branch out in ways that we hope will allow us to bring you more of the jazz you want, when you want it.
So, in addition to Curt’s Café Noir, we now offer two different two blip streams.
- On Blip.fm, we offer a variety of jazz tracks and videos, plus a dash of classic soul and R ‘n B. The tracks range from the familiar, to the new, to the rare. We’ll be constantly digging through the thousands of tracks available to find something that we hope you’ll enjoy. And you’ll be able to access the content anytime you want, by clicking the link in the tweet; or if you go to my blip.fm page, you’ll be able to hear/see any of the hundreds of blips in my library. To access Curt’s Café Noir’s blip page, click Blip.fm
- On Twiturm.com we’ll feature audio tracks directly from my personal library. They will either be classic jazz or R n’ B that is out of print (OOP) or something more recent from what we call a TDWR (Talent Deserving Wider Recognition). For the TDWR tracks, I will always give the name of the album/CD that the track comes from, in the hope that you’ll like what you hear and support that artist by buying his or her music. To access our Twiturm content. Click this link: Twiturm
And our original 24/7/365 streaming station, Curt’s Café Noir, is still on the air “Keepin’ your jazz real, since 2004”. The link to the station is here: Curt’s Café
Now we’re bringing you great jazz in three ways, the Curt’s Café “TripleCast”, to borrow an old expression. It’s all part of our mission, to get more people listening to some of the world’s greatest music.
That’s the deal, y’all. Please keep in touch and let me know what you want to hear, so we can try to bring it to you. I’m really, really going to try to keep in touch in this space more often. My email address is curtjazz@hotmail.com and of course, we are on Twitter http://twitter.com/curtjazz
Until the next time, the jazz continues…
Jazz CD Reviews You Can Use – Vol. 2
Posted in CD Reviews on March 13, 2010 by curtjazzGreetings, Jazz Family!
Various distractions, including brief hospital stay and a weeklong West Coast trip, have conspired to delay our meeting in this space for a minute. As I write this, I am still distracted by my modem crashing suddenly on last Thursday night (Hopefully, I’ll be back at full power by next Tuesday). But the itch to get something out there demanded to be scratched, so here are reviews of recent albums, by two excellent female vocalists.
One review is of a strong, concept based anthology that will be widely released on March 16; the other review, I originally wrote for a print publication; that decided, for some reason, not to publish it. So, you will notice that it is not in the format that I usually use for reviews in this blog. However, it is a wonderful album, by an inspiring artist, and though you may already be familiar with the disc, I wanted to share my thoughts about it with all of you.
Best of Love Songs – Jackie Ryan
Purchase From: Artist Website Amazon.com iTunes.com
Artist Website: www.jackieryanmusic.com
The Big Picture
Last year’s outstanding double CD Doozy, helped to give this comely singer the widest exposure of her career. Now, striking while the iron is hot, Ms. Ryan is back with The Best of Love Songs, is a collection of standards and originals, culled from three of her recordings that were released between 2002 and 2006. As you would surmise from the title, these tracks have one unifying theme and that is romance. However, this is not a compilation of snooze-inspiring selections, but a nice mixture of up-tempo swingers and gorgeous ballads that set the atmosphere for many good things, from a tender evening for two, to a pleasant dinner party for ten.
What’s Good About This CD?
The three CD’s used to compile this collection were the last three released by Ms. Ryan, prior to Doozy (This Heart of Mine, You and the Night and the Music and Passion Flower), which received deserved critical acclaim, but overall, only moderate public attention. So essentially, we have 15 of Jackie’s best performances; in English, Spanish and Portuguese, accompanied by groups ranging from quintets to compelling solo instruments. Best of the best here are “This Heart of Mine”, “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To”, with some tasty tenor from Red Holloway; “Historia De Un Amor”, a dramatic bolero; and the striking album closer, “You Are There”, where Ms. Ryan is accompanied only by Carol Robbins’ harp.
What Could Be Better?
Not much. There are a couple of other tracks from the original albums that I would have selected, over those that made the cut, but that’s strictly a matter of personal preference. What’s here is choice stuff, which should please discriminating jazz vocal fans.
Who Will Dig This Disc?
- For those who just discovered Ms. Ryan with Doozy, this serves as a very fine sampler of the rest of her work.
- Those looking for a great jazz vocal album from a contemporary artist, to add to their iPod musical mix
- Jackie’s fans, who don’t already own the pre-Doozy discs
Songs Spun of Gold – Elli Fordyce
Purchase From: Amazon.com iTunes.com CD Baby
Artist Website: www.ellifordyce.net
Let’s face it; it’s hard to not be impressed with Elli Fordyce. At 72, most artists consider themselves to be in the winter of their careers, content to reflect. If they are performing at all, those performances will usually take on the air of a well-earned valedictory. Instead, Ms. Fordyce and her career are in the midst of a life affirming springtime. Two years ago, she released her first CD, Something Still Cool, to very positive response from jazz fans and press. Now, she has returned with her second release, Songs Spun of Gold.
Born in Manhattan, Elli started singing with a jazz trio at 18. She took many breaks from singing over the years, for reasons that ranged from raising a family, to a serious car accident. Finally, a few years ago, Elli returned to singing regularly, inspired by her Yorkie pup, Dindi (yes, after the Jobim song). She then joined Lina Koutrakos’s Cabaret workshop and came under the tutelage of famed pianist, Barry Harris. Then came Something Still Cool, which proved that after all those years away, Elli had not lost her sense of swing and her expressiveness with a lyric. Songs Spun of Gold is cut from the same cloth as its fine predecessor, filled with 17 selections, most of them familiar to jazz audiences and all but two clocking in, in a swinging three and a half minutes, or less.
Ms. Fordyce’s group on Songs Spun of Gold, is composed of musicians with solid credits, if not instantly recognizable names. Guitarist Ed MacEachen has logged time in the working bands of Jack McDuff, Chico Hamilton and Ernestine Anderson. Bassist Neal Miner has worked with numerous singers, such as Annie Ross, Bill Henderson and Dena DeRose; in addition to his work as a leader. Jeremy Manasia, a fine young pianist, has worked with Peter Bernstein, Dianne Schuur and Jimmy Cobb.
Though both Something Still Cool and Songs Spun of Gold are fine discs, I give Songs the nod, mostly due to the change in Ms. Fordyce’s vocals. Though she sang quite well on the first disc, she exudes an increased confidence this time, which comes from having traveled this road before. There are many fine tracks here: “Let’s Get Lost”, which swings jauntily atop Elli’s scatting and the counterpoint of MacEachen’s guitar. “Desafinado” has been done more times than I would care to count, but Elli’s coquettish vocal, underpinned by Aaron Heick’s delightful flute, breathes some new life into this bossa nova warhorse. The medley of “A Child is Born” and “Waltz for Debby”, is especially moving as Elli makes it personal, melding the songs together to remind us parents how quickly time can pass. A finger-snapping version of “Pick Yourself Up” shows the singer at her most winning, with an inspiring vocal and a couple of jazz cum Bach, scat choruses. Manasia’s grooving piano solo also elevates the proceedings. “Oops”, the Warren/Mercer composition, made famous by Ella and Louis’s indelible version, but heard very rarely today, is perhaps the best track here, as it becomes a charming piece of aural theater. Jim Malloy, a very fine singer, who made several appearances on Elli’s first disc, joins her again. These two old friends have superb chemistry and it shows, as they toss off little asides and Mr. Malloy even breaks into an impromptu “Satchmo” impersonation on one verse, to Ms. Fordyce’s sheer delight. On top of that, we have tap dancer Max Pollak, who organically melds his foot percussion into the song with facility that I haven’t heard on record since Astaire. Together with MacEachen’s John Collins influenced guitar, they are a powerful support team that almost manages to steal the track from the two singers, which is an impressive feat.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s oft repeated and rather pessimistic quotation, informs us that “there are no second acts in American lives”. With all due respect, I’ve seen Mr. Fitzgerald be proven wrong many times over the years, most recently by the life-affirming example of Elli Fordyce. Her Songs Spun of Gold, is a wonderful album, filled with the joy of a performer who, after making many stops along the way has finally come home. This septuagenarian can best be described in the title of a song that does not appear on this album: “The Best is Yet to Come”.
In the next few posts, we’ll pay tribute to the late jazz pianist and former Shea Stadium organist, Jane Jarvis. We’ll also get that promised post on Curtis Amy done and get a few more reviews out there for you.
Our vlog is also expected to make its debut shortly, so you’ll see me walk, talk and breathe jazz.
Sincere thanks to those of you who read my posts and listen to my station, Curt’s Café. Your messages and tweets of encouragement really keep me going.
Thanks for stopping by today. Until the next time, the jazz continues…
Curt’s Cafe Radio Playlist Adds Week Ending 2/20/10
Posted in New on the Playlist on February 25, 2010 by curtjazzCurt’s Café WebJazz Radio
Playlist Additions Week Ending 2/20/2010
| Song | Artist | Album |
| Charade | Angela Hagenbach | The Way They Make Me Feel |
| Cinnamon and Clove | Angela Hagenbach | The Way They Make Me Feel |
| Slow Hot Wind | Angela Hagenbach | The Way They Make Me Feel |
| Dear Lord | Avishai Cohen | The Trumpet Player |
| Idaho | Avishai Cohen | The Trumpet Player |
| The Fast | Avishai Cohen | The Trumpet Player |
| Bo-Peep | Barbara Dennerlein | Take Off! |
| Fly Away | Barbara Dennerlein | Take Off! |
| Hot House | Barbara Dennerlein | Take Off! |
| Flo n Mayn Spirit | Carl Fischer | Adverse Times |
| Kirican Afternoon/Sonho Medley | Carl Fischer | Adverse Times |
| Caracas | Charlie Apicella | Sparks |
| Sparks | Charlie Apicella | Sparks |
| Sweet and Sounded | Charlie Apicella | Sparks |
| The Eraser | Christian Scott | Yesterday You Said Tomorrow |
| On The First Day | David Marriott, Jr. | Septology: In The Beginning |
| On The Second Day | David Marriott, Jr. | Septology: In The Beginning |
| On The Sixth Day | David Marriott, Jr. | Septology: In The Beginning |
| Introspection/Thelonious | Geri Allen | Twenty-One |
| Lullaby of the Leaves | Geri Allen | Twenty-One |
| Old Folks | Geri Allen | Twenty-One |
| Tea For Two | Geri Allen | Twenty-One |
| Dotty’s Dream | Harold Vick | Steppin’ Out! |
| Laura | Harold Vick | Steppin’ Out! |
| Trimmed in Blue | Harold Vick | Steppin’ Out! |
| Appointment in Milano | Orrin Evans | Faith in Action |
| Faith in Action | Orrin Evans | Faith in Action |
| Why Not | Orrin Evans | Faith in Action |
| Less Is More | Ralph Bowen | Due Reverence |
| Phil-osophy | Ralph Bowen | Due Reverence |
| This One’s For Bob | Ralph Bowen | Due Reverence |
| The Song That Lives Inside | Seamus Blake | Bellwether |
| Wail March | Sonny Rollins | Sonny Rollins, Vol, 2 |
| Why Don’t I | Sonny Rollins | Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2 |
| You Stepped Out of a Dream | Sonny Rollins | Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2 |
| Lullaby of Birdland | The Drummonds | When You Wish Upon A Star |
| The Sound of Silence | The Drummonds | When You Wish Upon A Star |
| When You Wish Upon A Star | The Drummonds | When You Wish Upon A Star |
| Big Brother | Vijay Iyer | Historicity |
| Helix | Vijay Iyer | Historicity |
| Mystic Brew | Vijay Iyer | Historicity |
| Somewhere | Vijay Iyer | Historicity |
| Blue n’ Boogie | Wes Montgomery | Full House |
| Cariba (Take 2) | Wes Montgomery | Full House |
| Come Rain or Come Shine (Take 2) | Wes Montgomery | Full House |
| Full House | Wes Montgomery | Full House |
Curt’s Cafe Radio Playlist Adds Week Ending 2/13/10
Posted in New on the Playlist on February 22, 2010 by curtjazzCurt’s Café WebJazz Radio
Playlist Additions – Week Ending 2/13/2010
| Song | Artist | Album |
| I Won’t Dance | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong | Ella and Louis Again |
| I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong | Ella and Louis Again |
| Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong | Ella and Louis Again |
| Our Love is Here to Stay | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong | The Best of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong |
| April’s March | Fred Fried & Core | Core 3.0 |
| Henry | Fred Fried & Core | Core 3.0 |
| Sadie | Fred Fried & Core | Core 3.0 |
| Autumn Leaves | Gia Notte | Shades |
| I Wish You Love | Gia Notte | Shades |
| Speak Low | Gia Notte | Shades |
| Appointment in Ghana | Jackie McLean | Jackie’s Bag |
| Melonae’s Dance | Jackie McLean | Jackie’s Bag |
| Quadrangle | Jackie McLean | Jackie’s Bag |
| Let There Be Love | Jackie Ryan | The Best of Love Songs |
| Seasons of the Heart | Jackie Ryan | The Best of Love Songs |
| This Heart of Mine | Jackie Ryan | The Best of Love Songs |
| Delaunay’s Dilemma | Modern Jazz Quartet | MJQ 40 |
| Milano | Modern Jazz Quartet | MJQ 40 |
| Bags’ Groove | Modern Jazz Quartet & Sonny Rollins | MJQ 40 |
| Get Yourself Another Fool | Sam Cooke | Night Beat |
| Lost and Lookin’ | Sam Cooke | Night Beat |
| You Gotta Move | Sam Cooke | Night Beat |
Curt’s Cafe Radio Playlist Adds Week of 2/6/10
Posted in New on the Playlist on February 22, 2010 by curtjazzCurt’s Café WebJazz Radio
Playlist Additions Week Ending 2/6/2010
| Song | Artist | Album |
| Conversation With Martin | Ben Adams Quintet | Old Thoughts for a New Day |
| Ghost at Infancy | Ben Adams Quintet | Old Thoughts for a New Day |
| Pocket Fiction | Ben Adams Quintet | Old Thoughts for a New Day |
| A Night in Tunisia | Mario Bauzá | 944 Columbus |
| Chano | Mario Bauzá | 944 Columbus |
| Heatwave | Mario Bauzá | 944 Columbus |
| Beep | Michael Janisch | Purpose Built |
| Lost Creek | Michael Janisch | Purpose Built |
| Love is a Many Splendored Thing | Michael Janisch | Purpose Built |
| Circumstantial | Steve Colson | The Untarnished Dream |
| Iqua’s Waltz | Steve Colson | The Untarnished Dream |
| The Untarnished Dream | Steve Colson | The Untarnished Dream |
| My Love | Tobias Gebb | Free At Last |
| Spitball | Tobias Gebb | Free At Last |
| Tomorrow Never Knows | Tobias Gebb | Free At Last |
Jazz CD Reviews You Can Use – Vol. 1
Posted in CD Reviews on January 6, 2010 by curtjazzHappy New Year to everyone!
As I mentioned in a previous post, the end of 2009, brought many interesting new CDs my way. Some were late 2009 releases; some were previews, with 2010 street dates. Starting with this post, I will periodically share my thoughts with you on some of them.
Each relatively brief review will be divided into four sections: “The Big Picture”, “What’s Good About This CD?” “What Could Be Better? And “Who Will Dig This Disc”. I will also include links to each artist’s website and to at least one source for immediate purchase or legal download.
All views expressed here are solely mine and I have received no remuneration from any source, other than, in some cases, a free copy of the CD, for reviewing purposes. Each disc has been heard, beginning to end, a minimum of two times.
I will try to be objective, and give you my honest opinion. However, if you’re looking for humorous put-downs of an artist when something is not my cup of tea, forget it. I endeavor here to be opinionated, but not intentionally cruel.
So without further ado, here are the first three of Curt’s Jazz Café’s Reviews You Can Use:
Bright Side – Phil Brown and the New Arts Jazztet
Purchase From: Artist Website
Artist Website: www.acaldera.com
The Big Picture
Phil Brown has been a professor at SIU Carbondale for almost 20 years. During that time, he has also been a first-call freelance bassist throughout the southern Illinois region, performing with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Herb Ellis and Clark Terry. Bright Side is Mr. Brown’s second recording that features the New Arts Jazztet; a sextet consisting of current and former jazz professors at Carbondale. This is a straight-ahead jazz album, with all compositions by Brown and other members of the group.
What’s Good About This CD?
As you would expect from such a group, Bright Side is very well played. These cats are all pros, and it shows. Most of the 10 original compositions are also very good, which isn’t always the case with groups like this. These guys are strong writers on top of being good musicians. The disc flows seamlessly from the first selection to the last. Bob Allison on trumpet/flugelhorn and multi-reedman Tyler Kuebler are a formidable front-line, switching between various horns and creating some intriguing sound combos in the process (I mean, how often do you get to hear a flugelhorn and soprano sax lead?). Everyone in the group gets solo space and they use it well. My favorite tracks were the Latin tinged “Vaivén”, which floats along on Kuebler’s flute; the mid-tempo finger snapper “Swank”, underpinned by some cool interplay between pianist Mel Goot and Brown’s bass; and the fiery hard bop of “Sunk in Dars”.
What Could Be Better?
Though there are many fine originals here, I would have perhaps liked to have heard these cats cut loose on a couple of classics from the jazz canon; but this is a minor quibble.
Who Will Dig This Disc?
Those who like well-played, jazz; straight, no chaser, will enjoy this disc. There are no bold type names or standard tunes, but you’ll get the pleasure of discovering these guys before everyone else does. The Midwest may soon have to learn to share Phil Brown and the New Arts Quintet with the rest of us, on either coast and beyond.
Church Boy – Enoch Smith, Jr.
Artist Website: www.enochsmithjr.com
The Big Picture
Church Boy is Enoch Smith, Jr.’s debut album. Born in Rochester, NY and trained at Berklee, Smith is one of a surprisingly large number of jazz musicians with musical roots in gospel music. (Carl Allen, Eric Reed, Cyrus Chestnut, to name a few). And those roots are all over this album, from its title, to the song selection, to the foot-stomping rhythms. But make no mistake about it, Church Boy is a straight-ahead jazz album, in the mode of Allen’s Testimonial.
What’s Good About This CD?
Mr. Smith is a very capable pianist and a strong writer. He wrote or co-wrote eight of the disc’s 11 titles. The best of these are “Mount Olive Hop”, the thumping disc opener, which features some fine Horace Silver influenced piano from Smith and some call and response between Smith and the horns. The driving “Sunday Morning Rush”, is a nice slice of early ‘70’s style jazz in the Freddie Hubbard – CTI tradition. “Prelude to Joy” is perhaps the best performance on the disc and definitely the strongest of the original compositions. Beautiful and reverentially moving, it is as close to a “jazz hymn” as I’ve ever heard. Kudos to Smith, trumpeter Donald Malloy and alto saxophonist Josh Irving for their fine solos on this track.
What Could Be Better?
Though the horn players all solo well, their ensemble passages could be a little bit tighter.
Who Will Dig This Disc?
Overall, “Church Boy” is an impressive first outing. Enoch Smith, Jr. is a rapidly growing talent, with a wellspring of musical ideas. Understand that this is not “smooth” jazz; so if you’re a fan of say, Ben Tankard, this CD might not be for you. But, if you like mainstream jazz, with a gospel-soul feel, a la Messrs. Allen and Chestnut, you will like “Church Boy”. Congratulations to Enoch Smith, Jr., for sticking another pin in the balloon of those who label jazz as music for “sinners” only.
Impact – RG Royal Sound Orchestra
Purchase From: Artist Website
Artist Website: www.rg-records.com/en
The Big Picture
The RG Royal Sound Orchestra is a Latin infused big band, mostly composed of musicians from Florida and Spain. The intent is to take songs familiar to the contemporary listener as pop hits (“Hotel California”; “That’s the Way (I Like It)”; “My Way”, etc.) and give them a Latin Big Band makeover. What differentiates this group from most Afro-Cuban based big bands, is a true Spanish rhythmic foundation; including Flamenco guitars and staccato hand claps.
What’s Good About This CD?
There are some heavy hitters from Afro-Cuban and Salsa circles involved here. The great Cuban pianist Hilario Duran played piano on most tracks and arranged three of them. Ed Calle, a top-flight Miami based saxophonist, known for his work with Arturo Sandoval and Gloria Estefan, is around to lay down some nice solos. The sound of the band is tight and well-rehearsed.
What Could Be Better?
There are some fine songs here; some decent jazz arrangements and the Flamenco guitarist are very good, but in most instances, they all don’t mesh well. Instead of recasting some interesting source material into something original, these songs too often sound as if the hand claps and guitars were just soldered onto MOR big band charts. The result is something that, more often than not, sounds a bit cheesy. I know the work of a lot of the people involved. I know they have done some impressive things. I’m sorry to say that this, however well-intentioned, is not their finest hour.
Who Will Dig This Disc?
Calle’s fans will enjoy his solos, as he does play well, regardless. Duran’s arrangements are the best of the bunch, especially “Hotel California” and “Volare”. And if you like Flamenco guitar, the Spanish guitarists are solid throughout. You would probably be best served by listening to samples and then purchasing individual downloads of the tracks that you like.
That’s all for the first set of Curt’s Jazz Café’s Reviews You Can Use. Selections from these discs and many more can be heard on Curt’s Café WebJazz Radio; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on Live365. Click here to listen now.
In our next scheduled post, we will touch on the music of another in the long list of underappreciated jazz artists, the late tenor saxophonist Curtis Amy. We will also be back with a few more CD giveaways soon, so be on the lookout for them.
Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day, to spend in my café.
Until the next time, the jazz continues…
Curt’s Cafe WebJazz Radio
Posted in Uncategorized on January 5, 2010 by curtjazzA sample of our “menu”, available 24/7. Click here to listen now.
Best Jazz Albums of 2009 – The Complete List
Posted in The Jazz Continues... on December 29, 2009 by curtjazzThanks again to all who have read my two posts on the best jazz albums of 2009. I admit I made it a bit difficult for everyone by splitting the list in two. Therefore, as a “public service”, here is the complete list, excluding my comments, in one post. As before, they are listed in alphabetical order, by album title.
There is also one addition to this final list: Jeff “Tain” Watts’ explosive, Watts. My leaving it off either of the two lists, which was due simply to Holiday season brain overload, was a near criminal act.
So here they all are:
| ALBUM | ARTIST | LABEL |
| ¡Bien Bien! | Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet | Patois |
| Crossfire | Jim Snidero | Savant |
| Dedicated to You | Kurt Elling | Concord |
| Doozy | Jackie Ryan | OpenArt |
| Emergence | Roy Hargrove Big Band | Emarcy |
| Endurance | The Heath Brothers | Jazz Legacy (JLP) |
| Esta Plena | Miguel Zenón | Marsalis Music |
| Fortuna | Roni Ben-Hur | Motema |
| Kind of Brown | Christian McBride | Mack Avenue |
| Merge | Chris Greene Quartet | Single Malt |
| Monk | Peter Bernstein | Xanadu |
| Moody 4A | James Moody | IPO Recordings |
| Mutual Admiration Society 2 | Joe Locke / David Hazeltine Quartet | Sharp Nine |
| New Strides | Jeb Patton | MaxJazz |
| Oriental Express | Akiko Tsuruga | 18th &Vine |
| Plays for Monk | Bobby Broom | Origin |
| Plays the Music of Ellington and Strayhorn | Grant Stewart | Sharp Nine |
| Pleased to Meet You | Hank Jones and Oliver Jones | Justin Time |
| Prana Dance | Tom Harrell | HighNote |
| Relentless | Sharel Cassity | Jazz Legacy (JLP) |
| Simply Put | Jerry Bergonzi | Savant |
| So In Love | Roberta Gambarini | Emarcy |
| Songs Spun of Gold | Elli Fordyce | Fordyce |
| Until I Met You | Melissa Morgan | Telarc |
| Uptown | Wayne Escoffery | Posi-tone |
| Watts | Jeff “Tain” Watts | Dark Key |
Honorable Mentions:
| ALBUM | ARTIST | LABEL |
| Double Booked | Robert Glasper | Blue Note |
| Lovefool | Amy Cervini | Anzic |
| No More, No Less | Jason Parker Quartet | Broken Time |
| Revival of the Fittest | Eric Alexander | HighNote |
| Rise Up! | Dr. Lonnie Smith | Palmetto |
Tracks from all of these CDs will be featured on Curt’s Café WebJazz Radio, daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (EST), through January 16, 2010, on our Best Jazz of 2009 special. Click here to listen now. We’re also adding fresh tracks from familiar and not so familiar artists, to start the new decade off right.
Our next scheduled post will kick off our CD reviews column, which will feature reviews of new and recently reissued jazz discs, expect to see that post on or around January 3, 2010.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year, to all. I hope you can start the year off right by going out to hear some good, live jazz. If not, buy or legally download a jazz album, performed by an artist you aren’t familiar with. Start the New Year off in a spirit of discovery.
Until the next time, the jazz continues…
Curt's Jazz Cafe 