Taking its name from the
first letter of the last names of saxophonist Seamus Blake, bassist Jay
Anderson, guitarist Oz Noy and drummer Adam Nussbaum, BANN is an accomplished
quartet. All four are well known for their consistently hig quality recordings
and focus on more fusion-oriented approaches to composing and playing.
Selecting six member-penned pieces and three covers, the band explores classic
Monk ("Played Twice"), the Great American Songbook (Jerome
Kern's "All the Things You Are") and even classic rock with
David Crosby's "Guinnevere." This last track fares far better
as an instrumental than it did with its original silly hippie lyric. But the
session really doesn’t start to burn until Jay Anderson's "Will Call"
which finds all members swinging hard and tossing out jagged shards of soloing.
There are even moments of Slowpoke-like bluesiness on "At Sundown."
Grade: B. ~ Stuart Derdeyn, TheProvince.com.
Jazz Eyes, Jazz Eyes 010, 2010 Recorded at Mountain Rest
Studio, New Paltz, New York
Musicians: Seamus Blake - Saxophone Oz Noy - Guitar Jay Anderson - Double Bass Adam Nussbaum - Drums
Tracks: 1. All The Things You Are
{Jerome Kern} (6:35) 2. Played Twice {Thelonious
Monk} (6:53) 3. Guinnevere {David Crosby}
(8:20) 4. Will Call {Jay Anderson}
(3:54) 5. Days Of Old {Adam
Nussbaum, Maia Nussbaum} (4:50) 6. As You Like {BANN} (6:27) 7. At Sundown {Jay Anderson}
(5:52) 8. Minor Shuffle {Oz Noy}
(7:15) 9. Isotope {Joe Henderson}
(8:03)
Total Time: 58:13
Credits: Producer - BANN Executive-Producer - Paul
Siculiana Recording, Mixing & Mastering - Jay Anderson
Back in 2002, Seamus Blake
established himself firmly as tenor player of interest with a first-place
finish in the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone
Competition. Since then, his rapidly growing discography, as well as
collaborations with artists like John Scofield, suggests that the attention is
well-deserved. The four originals, including Blake's "The Jupiter
Line" and "Fear of Roaming," offer great melodies and solo work,
while the standards offer opportunities for sensitive reinvention. "Darn
That Dream" opens with a lush, unaccompanied tenor statement that suggests
the influence of Sonny Rollins and Michael Brecker. The group then launches
into a rendition filled with romance and originality, and doesn't have to
overreach for either. The same sensitivity can be found in an arrangement of
Debussy's "String Quartet in G Minor." This redesigned piece features
light, dynamic playing from the rhythm section, while Blake reaches his
altissimo with a sweetly classical intonation. Another virtuoso display of
explosive melody from the piano crescendos into sax work that's all fire, before
giving way to a gorgeous, minimalist bass solo. Blake demonstrates a wonderful
ear for melody throughout. His solos are always developing, and the results are
frequently as fun and catchy as any head. And while his agility and command
will certainly inspire some awe, he plays with soul - never losing sight of the
larger musical picture in a flurry of technical push-ups. His upbeat "Way
Out of Willy" grooves along on a tight funk groove from the drums and
piano. For his solo, Blake uses wah-wah and other effects to turn himself into
a horn-guitar hybrid. Few musicians can pull this kind of thing off without
descending into gimmickry, but Blake's raw virtuosity and artful sense of
tone-play keep things cooking. Kikoski, who consistently matches the leader with
ecstatic keyboard work and an incredible rhythmic vocabulary, rises to the
challenge of the electric sax with a statement full of acoustic funk. Starting
out simply, he alternates dizzying runs with intricate, foot-stamping beats
that build to a fevered intensity, before Blake returns to cool things down.
This is a quartet that makes every tune sound easy, and it sounds even better
thanks to a superb recording job. As exhilarating as a shot of espresso, this
album should rank among the best of 2009. Even more exciting will be seeing
what comes next for Blake and his quartet, wherever they play. ~ by Warren
Allen, AAJ.
Jazz Eyes, 005, 2008 Recorded February, 2007
during Italian Tour in: Palermo (#101,102,205) Senigallia (#103,202) Cesenatico (#104,201,203,204)
Musicians: Seamus Blake - Tenor
Saxophone David Kikoski - Piano Danton Boller - Bass Rodney Green - Drums
CD1: 1. The Jupiter Line {Seamus
Blake} (11:46) 2. Way Out Of Willy {Seamus
Blake} (10:34) 3. String Quartet In G Minor
[Second Movement] {Claude Debussy} (16:54) 4. Fear Of Roaming {Seamus
Blake} (13:08)
Time: 52:22
CD2: 1. The Feeling Of Jazz {Duke
Ellington} (11:17) 2. Spacing {David Kikoski}
(10:07) 3. Ladeirinha {Djavan} (7:57) 4. Darn That Dream {Jimmy Van
Heusen, Eddie De Lange} (12:50) 5. Dance Me Home {John
Scofield} (10:19)
Note: Discs ripped to WAV, excess
applause edited, tracks optimised, re-encoded & labeled. Screens captured from
video; album Info, artwork & reviews added to post.
