Dewey Redman - In London (1996)

Accompanied by pianist Rita Marcotulli, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Matt Wilson, veteran tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman puts on a well-rounded program. On "I Should Care," "The Very Thought of You" (a tribute to Dexter Gordon) and the bossa nova "Portrait In Black & White," he shows that, although his roots are in avant-garde jazz, Redman is quite capable of caressing a melody. In contrast, his renditions of "I-Pimp," "Tu-inns" and "Eleven" emphasize freer improvising and plenty of fire. In both contexts, Dewey Redman emerges as an underrated giant. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Palmetto Records, PM2030, 1998
Recorded October, 1996 Live at Ronnie Scott's, London, UK 

Musicians:
Dewey Redman - Tenor Saxophone, Arranger
Rita Marcotulli - Piano
Cameron Brown - Bass
Matt Wilson - Drums 

Tracks:
1. I Should Care {Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston, Sammy Cahn} (10:56)
2. The Very Thought Of You {Ray Noble} (9:29)
3. I-Pimp {Dewey Redman} (10:45)
4. Portrait In Black & White {Antônio Carlos Jobim, Chico Buarque} (9:17)
5. Tu-Inns {Dewey Redman} (7:20)
6. Kleerwine {Dewey Redman} (4:14)
7. Stablemates {Benny Golson} (5:23)
8. Eleven {Dewey Redman} (8:59) 

Total Time: 66:25 

Credits:
Producer - Matt Balitsaris
Engineer - Michael Waters
Engineer [Assistant] - Janet Moorehouse
Mastering Engineer - A.T. Michael MacDonald
Art Direction - Matt Hruska
Design - Yalitza Ferreras
Liner Notes - Bill Milkowski
Liner Notes [Poem] - Dewey Redman 

Dewey Mixes It Up
================
The opening two tracks really throw you off - because they are standards played straight - nice showing from Dewey, but not quite what I expected. But then I-Pimp came on and Dewey was back in the Avante Garde I was looking for. Turns out this album swings both ways, nice standards, mixed in with some challenging material. Rita Marcotulli in particular deserves mention. She's a pianist and does a great job. But then, the whole band have that "road" feel and plat very tight. Of the 8 numbers there are three Avante Garde numbers. The ebb and flow works great. Recommended CD indeed. ~ David Watts, 5 Stars. Amazon.com.

Matt Wilson, Larry Goldings, Dennis Irwin, Terell Stafford - Arts and Crafts (2001)

For his fourth Palmetto CD, Matt Wilson sends his regular quartet on a brief vacation and recruits Terell Stafford on trumpet, Larry Goldings on piano (not organ), and Dennis Irwin on bass. Previous efforts with the Matt Wilson Quartet and with Dewey Redman have gained Wilson a left-of-center reputation, but on Arts and Crafts the drummer confounds expectations altogether. He begins with Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Stompin' Grounds," a no-frills ride through "Stompin' at the Savoy" changes. Two tracks later, the band runs down Bud Powell's "Webb City," packing an enormous punch without exceeding four minutes. But just when it seems this might be a bebop record, the band puts a boogaloo spin on Ornette Coleman's "Old Gospel" and throws yet more curves on Wilson's three adventurous originals. "Lester," written in honor of the late Lester Bowie, develops into a slow shuffle blues; "Final Answer," a diatonic free bop theme, features Goldings challenging the ears with some bracingly "outside" playing; and the title track, a slow groove, again finds Goldings reaching in subtle but marked contrast to the superb bop playing he does elsewhere on the disc. (Indeed, Goldings' presence is one of the album's biggest draws, not least because his outings on acoustic piano are so rare.) Back in straight-ahead mode, the group offers George Gershwin's "Love Walked In," Hal Hopper's "There's No You," and Nelson Cavaquinho's bossa classic "Beija-Flor." The disc wraps up with a soothing, simple arrangement of the folk melody "All Through the Night." On balance, this could be considered Wilson's most straight-ahead record yet, but it's clearly not Wilson's intention to fit neatly into any category. If anything, with Arts and Crafts he seems to insist, quite eloquently, that musicians need not declare allegiance to any of jazz's warring camps. ~ David R. Adler, AMG. 

Palmetto Records, PM 2069, 2001
Recorded 2nd October, 2000 At Maggie's Farm, Buck's County, Pennsylvania 

Musicians:
Matt Wilson - Drums
Terell Stafford - Trumpet
Larry Goldings - Piano
Dennis Irwin - Bass 

Tracks:
01. Stompin' Grounds {Rahsaan Roland Kirk} (5:37)
02. Lester {Matt Wilson} (5:21)
03. Webb City {Bud Powell} (3:43)
04. Beija-Flor {Nelson Cavaquinho} (5:40)
05. Final Answer {Matt Wilson} (4:43)
06. There's No You {Hal Hopper} (3:16)
07. Arts and Crafts {Matt Wilson} (5:35)
08. Old Gospel {Ornette Coleman} (5:12)
09. Love Walked In {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (6:55)
10. All Through The Night {Traditional} (5:04) 

Total Time: 51:06 

Credits:
Producer, Engineer - Matt Balitsaris
Design - Jason Grotrian
Photography - Jimmy Katz

Dena DeRose - A Walk In The Park (2005)

Equally talented as a pianist and singer, Dena DeRose performs a wide range of material on A Walk in the Park. Possibly the biggest surprise is the obscure and touching Al Jolson ballad "All My Love." Other highlights include a swinging "How Deep Is the Ocean," her revival of Duke Ellington's obscure "The Lonely Ones," and a fine rendition of "I Concentrate On You." A couple burners would have added variety to this generally satisfying effort, which finds Dena DeRose in subtle but expressive form while accompanied by tasteful playing from bassist Martin Wind and drummer Matt Wilson. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

MAXJAZZ, MXJ 502, 2005
Recorded 25th-26th September, 2004 At Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, New York 

Musicians:
Dena DeRose - Piano, Moog (#11), Vocals
Martin Wind - Bass (#1-9,10,11)
Matt Wilson - Drums (#1-9,10,11) 

Tracks:
01. Meditation {Norman Gimbel, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Newton Mendonça} (5:03)
02. All My Love {Al Jolson} (5:55)
03. How Deep Is The Ocean? {Irving Berlin} (5:45)
04. Home [With You] {Dena DeRose} (4:42)
05. All The Way {James Van Heusen, Sammy Kahn} (5:36)
06. The Lonely Ones {Duke Ellington} (6:08)
07. In The Glow Of The Moon {Dena DeRose, Meredith D'Ambrosio} (6:08)
08. Imagine {John Lennon} (6:22)
09. A Walk In The Park [With James] {Dena DeRose} (6:46)
10. I Could've Told You {James Van Heusen, Carl Sigman} (2:33)
11. I Concentrate On You {Cole Porter} (5:08) 

Total Time: 60:06 

Credits:
Producer, Audio Production - Dena DeRose
Associate Producer - Dianna Alden Lang
Art Direction, Design - Pressley Jacobs
Photography - Dena Katz

Larry Goldings - Quartet (2006)

Pianist Larry Goldings delivers modern jazz as true art, folding in classical music with traditional jazz themes and interpreting them sincerely. With trumpeter John Sneider, his quartet expresses soulful melodies and surrounds them with beautiful textures. Everything falls into place naturally, and the pianist ensures that not one ounce is wasted on glamour or glitz. With "Hesitation Blues", he's captured the original spirit that W.C. Handy handed down to us with the birth of the blues. With "Valsinha", he's fused a traditional European theme into the jazz that we feel intuitively. With Bjork's "Cocoon", he's found a path for slow ballad expression that remains timeless. Goldings explores eclectic paths on this quartet adventure. He navigates slowly, allowing for reflective introspection and couching drama in quiet surroundings. This peaceful celebration of jazz's rich heritage builds to great dramatic highs without becoming overbearing. The pianist and his musical partners keep a low ceiling on the intensity level while still driving. Even the nods to Jaki Byard and Thelonious Monk remain subtle enough to maintain a peaceful composure for the album's personality. The pianist and his cohesive quartet explore spontaneously and eschew concerns about meter and format. The quartet is traditional in concept but original in practice. The closing number, a duet between trumpet and piano, best displays the spirit of the album. Goldings and Sneider pour heartfelt emotion in song and arrange for it to flow naturally. A seamless concert of passion in jazz, Quartet comes highly recommended and will undoubtedly remain one of the best recordings of 2006. ~ by Jim Santella, AAJ. 

Palmetto Records, PM2115, 2006
Recorded 14^th-16^th February, 2005 At Maggie's Farm, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Musicians:
Larry Goldings - Piano, Wurlitzer, Organ, Harmonium, Accordion, Glock
John Sneider - Trumpet, Cornet
Ben Allison - Bass
Matt Wilson - Drums, Percussion
Madeleine Peyroux - Vocals (#5) 

Tracks:
01. Singsong {Larry Goldings} (4:09)
02. Au Bord De L'Eau {Gabriel Fauré} (5:58)
03. Valsinha {Chico Buarque, Vinicius De Moraes} (5:22)
04. The Wedding {Abdullah Ibrahim} (5:56)
05. Hesitation Blues {W.C. Handy} (4:06)
06. Jackie-ing {Thelonious Monk} (3:50)
07. Dario And Bario {Larry Goldings} (3:01)
08. A Dream About Jackie Byard {Goldings, Sneider, Allison, Wilson} (3:16)
09. Cocoon {Björk} (7:11)
10. Hidalgo {Goldings, Sneider, Allison, Wilson} (3:15)
11. Denouement {Goldings, Sneider, Allison, Wilson} (2:31)
12. We Shall Overcome {Traditional-Gospel} (3:35) 

Total Time: 52:10 

Credits:
Producer - Larry Goldings, Matt Balitsaris
Mixing & Editing - Chad Fischer
Mastering - A.T. Michael MacDonald
Design [Cover] - Ben Allison
Photography - Norman Seeff

Denny Zeitlin Trio feat. Buster Williams, Matt Wilson - In Concert (2009)

Jazz has always had renaissance men: Duke Ellington and Miles Davis were visual artists of universal renown. Milt Hinton was a spectacular photographer. And Billy Taylor is an accomplished author. Pianist, composer, educator, psychiatrist Denny Zeitlin the composer of the jazz standard Quiet Now, and an artist with more than sixteen recordings as a leader who has worked and recorded with everybody, from Charlie Haden and Herbie Hancock to Pat Metheny makes his Sunnyside debut with his release, In Concert, featuring bassist Buster Williams and drummer Matt Wilson. 

The CD's nine tracks were recorded at L.A.'s Jazz Bakery, and The Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, N.M., from 2001 to 2006. For the seventy-year-old Zeitlin, this delightful aural document his first since his 2004 Maxx Jazz release Slickrock, also with Williams, and Wilson captures the full range of his profound, penetrating, and propulsive pianism in simpatico with William's anchor-sure basslines and Wilson's articulate and angular drumming. Their soulful and syncopated synchronicity reinvigorates the CD's four standards. John Coltrane's Mr. P.C. is delivered at a breakneck pace on a 24-bar minor blues form, with Zeitlin's fleet-fingered unaccompanied solo crossing blues and free boundaries. I was galvanized by Coltrane's music as I was developing my approach in high school and college, Zeitlin writes on the CD liner notes, and Giant Steps was a favorite LP. 

The Jerome Brainer/Buddy Bernier chestnut, The Night Has 1000 Eyes/10,000 Eyes, highlights Zeitlin's limitless ability to recompose a tune; in this case, by adding catchy vamps. I've reworked this piece so extensively, adding several new sections, that I announce it as The Night Has 10,000 Eyes when we perform, Zeitlin writes. Cole Porter's 'All of You' is also rendered with a new melodic lease on life This is one of my all-time favorite standards, and I have extensively re-harmonized it, hopefully retaining the core of the song, Zeitlin writes. We have played this arrangement for years, and the structure seems endlessly intriguing... I love the relaxed groove the trio gets, and Buster and Matt's solidity and flexibility allow me to bend and stretch the time, and drape improvisatory lines over the bars into new territory. 

The rest unveils that new territory explored by Zeitlin and company with five original compositions. The leader's 'The We in Us' is a wistful Bill Evans-like opus written for his wife in celebration of their anniversary, contrasted by Zeitlin s Ornette Coleman-ish, funk-finessed Prime Times, that orbits around 5/4 and 7/4 time. Buster Williams moving and Mingusonian solo, Bass Prelude sets the sonic stage for Zeitlin and company s treatment of David Friesen's 'Signs & Wonders'. This is my favorite David Friesen composition, a minor bluesy 16-bar shuffle that begins mysteriously and impressionistically, and develops tremendous drive and groove, Zeitlin writes. We frequently end concerts with this piece, and it closes out this album. ~ Amazon.com.

Sunnyside Communications, SSC 1206, 2009
#3,4,6,8,9: Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque, December 2004
#1,2,7: Jazz Bakery, Los Angeles, California, November 2006
#5: Jazz Bakery, Los Angeles, California, November 2001 

Musicians:
Denny Zeitlin - Piano
Buster Williams - Bass
Matt Wilson - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Mr. P.C. Part 1 {John Coltrane} (5:55)
2. Mr. P.C. Part 2 {John Coltrane} (6:52)
3. The Night Has 1000 Eyes /10,000 Eyes Part 1 {Bernier, Brainin/Zeitlin} (11:37)
4. The Night Has 1000 Eyes /10,000 Eyes Part 2 {Bernier, Brainin/Zeitlin} (7:57)
5. The We Of Us {Denny Zeitlin} (7:03)
6. All Of You {Cole Porter} (11:28)
7. Prime Times {Denny Zeitlin} (9:56)
8. Bass Prelude {Buster Williams} (4:35)
9. Signs And Wonders {David Friesen} (6:48) 

Total Time: 72:11

Credits:
Producer, Arranger - Denny Zeitlin
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Stephen Schmidt [Outpost]
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Drew Daniels [Jazz Bakery]
Additional Mixing & Mastering - Drew Daniels, Denny Zeitlin
Photography - Josephine Zeitlin
Graphic Design - Christopher Drukker

Sam Newsome - The Tender Side Of Sammy Straighthorn (2000)

Picking up the soprano saxophone these days as your sole instrument can be a dangerous proposition. For one thing, the straight clarinet-like horn is notorious for going out of tune if your embouchure is not up to par. Secondly, a whole generation of Kenny G clones has left some fans thinking that the instrument is only capable of insipid and saccharine results. Venerable enough to make the soprano the focus of an entire album, Sam Newsome's The Tender Side of Sammy Straighthorn is only the second album to appear under the saxophonist's name since the start of his New York tenure in 1988. With a fondness for the soprano stylings of both Wayne Shorter and Steve Lacy, Newsome's influences can be detected in 'Victoria's Secret,' which features the saxophonist's hard biting attack in a manner that recalls Shorter's '80s work on such albums as Atlantis. Not a one-trick pony however, Newsome's fluid approach to '12 Bars From Hell' (done with just bass and drums) clearly points to Lacy.

The addition of Elisabeth Kontomanou on several cuts provides further variety, her wordless vocals acting like another solo horn. The melancholy feeling to much of the writing that features Kontomanou hints at the influence of Kenny Wheeler, who often utilizes the voice of Norma Winstone in a similar manner. Pianist Bruce Barth is also a valuable member of the crew, his complex and soulful improvisations almost stealing the show at times.

As a vehicle for allowing the soprano to restore its rightful place among the rest of the saxophone family, Newsome should be congratulated on his efforts. Furthermore, his attempt to extend the hard bop tradition beyond the established boundaries has resulted an intriguing album that will reward those looking for something just a bit left of center. ~ by C Andrew Hovan, AAJ.

SteepleChase Records, SCCD 31452, 2000

Recorded April, 1998

Musicians:

Sam Newsome - Soprano Saxophone

Bruce Barth - Piano

Ugonna Okegwo - Bass

Matt Wilson - Drums

Elisabeth Kontomanou - Vocals

Tracks:

1. Victoria's Secret {Sam Newsome} (7:46)

2. The Tender Side Of Sammy Straighthorn {Sam Newsome} (7:37)

3. Autumn Leaves {Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer} (6:46)

4. 12 Bars From Hell {Sam Newsome} (6:46)

5. Lullaby Of Takeda {Traditional} (9:34)

6. The Dumpess Of Nyack {Sam Newsome} (8:10)

7. All The Things You Are {Jerome Kern} (15:45)

Credits:

Producer - Nils Winther

Engineer - Devin Emke

Photography - Fernando Natalichi

Liner Notes - Mark Gardner

Total Time: 62:24