Another fine work where Kengo
explores his jazz roots. He surrounds himself with a great grouping of players
that include: Marcus Printup on Trumpet, Wess "Warmdaddy" Anderson on
Alto Saxophone, Aaron Parks on Piano sharing the role with special guest Makoto
Ozone and Rodney Green on Drums. Seven of the ten tunes are his own
compositions. The remaining three are by Horace Silver, Charles Mingus and even
Aaron Parks adds one of his own. The album is a powerful testament to
Nakamura's excellent bass playing, but not to overlook the role of the choice
sidemen. Kengo’s duo performances with similarly virtuosic Makoto are
scintillatingly beautiful. The sound engineering is dynamically set at a high
standard DR15, all in all, any jazz or music lover is in for a treat, enjoy!
55 Records, FNCJ-5505,2005 Recorded 23rd & 24th
June, 2004 at Avatar Studio, New York City
Musicians: Kengo Nakamura - Bass Marcus Printup - Trumpet Wess "Warmdaddy"
Anderson - Alto Saxophone Aaron Parks - Piano
(#1-4,6-8,10) Rodney Green - Drums Special Guest: Makoto Ozone - Piano (#5,6,9)
Tracks: 01. Roots {Kengo Nakamura}
(8:17) 02. DH Swing {Kengo Nakamura}
(5:48) 03. Fifty Five {Kengo
Nakamura} (3:38) 04. Sister Sadie {Horace
Silver} (2:38) 05. Wango Tango {Kengo
Nakamura} (6:00) 06. Nostalgia {Kengo
Nakamura} (5:00) 07. The Barron {Aaron Parks}
(6:00) 08. Boogie Stop Shuffle
{Charles Mingus} (6:10) 09. All Is Well With You
{Kengo Nakamura} (4:58) 10. Blues For Wess {Kengo
Nakamura} (8:44)
Total Time: 57:21
Credits: Producer - Kengo Nakamura Executive-Producer - Hiroshi
Itsuno Recording Engineer - Jay
Messina Assistant Engineer - Peter
Doris Mastering Engineer - Bill
Sigmund Photography - Michael A.
Black Design - Sinbad Design
Mochida
It's been five years since
British expat Will Vinson released his debut as a leader, It's For You (2004),
but the alto and soprano saxophonist has been anything but dormant. Promises,
may have been a long time in coming, but it demonstrates Vinson's palpable
growth as a player but also, and perhaps more importantly, as a writer.
Vinson's playing continues down the road, his own voice is emerging more
confidently on this quintet session that features other up-and-comers including
Aaron Parks. Ever inventive, Parks solos with the kind of confident sense of
construction that supports his increasing acclaim, while acting as an empathic
rhythm section partner with bassist Orlando le Fleming and drummer Rodney Green
(Ari Hoenig replaces Green on the staggered funk of "Philos O' Fur.")
Vinson also enlists guitarist Lage Lund who represents the next wave of
guitarists. Promises is a mainstream set of a decidedly modern bent, featuring
eight Vinson compositions that lean largely to the acoustic and the complex. Lund
isn't afraid to pull out the occasional electronic trick, including some
looping and reverse attack throughout the ever-shifting "Adventures of Bagpuss".
Even when Vinson moves into slower territory, it's hardly balladic, although it
is lyrical in its own way. On "Rose Tint" he works again in tandem
with Lund. Vinson's warm tone on alto, his main axe, smoothes out the
occasional jagged edges of his improvised lines while le Fleming and Green,
ever empathic, maintain a smooth as silk cushion that's augmented by Parks'
atmospheric voicings. With increased confidence as a player and writer,
hopefully Vinson won't have to wait another five years to follow up to this
fine album of modernistic mainstream jazz. ~ Extract by John Kelman, AAJ.
Nineteen-Eight Records, 19/8
1007, 2008 Recorded 22nd December, 2006
at Legacy Recording Studios, New York City
Musicians: Will Vinson - Alto &
Soprano Saxophones Lage Lund - Guitar Aaron Parks - Piano Orlando Le Fleming - Bass Rodney Green - Drums
(#1,2,4-8) Ari Hoenig - Drums (#3)
Tracks: 1. Albemarle (8:36) 2. Believer (6:16) 3. Philos O' Fur (5:44) 4. Rose Tint (6:37) 5. Adventures Of Bagpuss
(8:31) 6. Promises (7:52) 7. Lagonic (5:44) 8. Leafy (7:02)
All Compositions by Will
Vinson
Total Time: 56:22
Credits: Producer, Mixing - Will
Vinson Engineer, Mixing - Alex
Venguer Mastering - Michael
Perez-Cisneros Design - Rachel Gutek Photography - Jessie Simmons Photography [Inside] -
Alexandros Lambrovasilis
"Zero." represents
Greg Osby's 3rd release for Blue Note records and perhaps his finest recording
to date. Osby’s inaugural Blue Note release "Art Forum" sported a
360-degree turn for this artist. Having been a longtime collaborator with Steve
Coleman and Cassandra Wilson in the "Mbase" days, Osby subsequently
turned his creative juices towards Hip-Hop and the results were less than
satisfying. "Art Forum" was a stylish entry into the modern jazz
scene and re-established Osby as a major talent on the rise. Osby's 2nd release
for Blue Note, "Further Ado" saw the advent of young piano phenom
Jason Moran along with a cast of veteran jazz session musicians. "Further
Ado" was fairly weak compositionally and lacked identity. Not a bad outing
but at times sounded forced and hastily produced. On "Zero" Osby is
backed by a fine bunch of young musicians who display earnest intentions and
well-schooled technical attributes. The opener, "Sea of Illusion"
demonstrates Greg Osby's easily identifiable technique and signature sound. On
"Sea of Illusion" Osby artfully blends melody and dissonance in an
angular yet rapid-fire fashion. His attack and execution is flawless. Osby tap
dances over his alto sax, alluding to his disclosure of thinking like a
pianist. Not just a technician, Osby emits fire and emotion; thus, making every
note count. Perhaps if Bud Powell were an alto saxophonist, he would have
sounded something like Greg Osby? On "Interspacial Affair" the young
pianist Jason Moran displays wit and maturity with pervasive chord structures
and strong dynamics. Moran superfluous sense of dynamics frequently prods Osby
into taking several engaging, razor sharp alto and soprano sax solos.
"Minstrale" is Osby's salutation to the fine jazz pianist Andrew
Hill. Subtle melodic phrasing with traces of Monk, Moran captures the spirit of
Andrew Hill in illustrious fashion. On "Nekide" drummer Rodney Green
opens up with some nifty, dexterous stick work although he seems somewhat
cautious or at times hesitant to mix it up on most of these cuts. "Deuce
Ana Quota" is a lazy funk-blues romp and reminiscent of early 1970’s Lou
Donaldson. Moran works the Hammond B-3 while guitarist Kevin McNeal strums
delicate blues riffs to augment the spirited feel of the rhythm section. Osby
is the bandleader and it shows in most instances. Despite the hefty dose of
soloing and improvisation the band is tight and well-rehearsed under Osby’s
direction. No doubt Greg Osby has the stuff to become a world-beater. His
enormous talents as a composer and saxophonist have seldom been scrutinized.
Blue Note records and Greg Osby have forged a strong relationship and with his current
band the future looks that much brighter for jazz. ~ by Glenn Astarita, AAJ.
Blue Note, 7243 4 93760 2 1,
1998 Recorded 8th-11th January,
1998 at Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn, New York
Musicians: Greg Osby - Alto, Soprano
& Sopranino Saxophones Jason Moran - Piano, Organ
[Hammond B-3], Fender Rhodes Kevin McNeal - Guitar Dwayne Burno - Bass
(#1,2,7,8) Lonnie Plaxico - Bass (#3-6) Rodney Green - Drums
Tracks: 01. Sea Of Illusion {Greg
Osby} (5:13) 02. Interspacial Affair {Greg
Osby} (6:59) 03. Minstrale {Greg Osby}
(5:16) 04. Two Over One {Muhal
Richard Abrams} (7:49) 05. Ozthetica {Greg Osby}
(6:24) 06. Nekide {Greg Osby} (4:14) 07. Savant Cycles {Greg Osby}
(5:59) 08. Extreme Behavior {Greg
Osby} (3:06) 09. Deuce Ana Quota {Greg
Osby} (6:53) 10. Penetrating Stare {Greg
Osby} (4:57) 11. Concepticus In C {Greg
Osby} (2:42)
Total Time: 59:32
Credits: Producer, Liner Notes, Mixing
- Greg Osby Recording & Mixing -
Joseph Marciano Mastering - Nicholas Prout Art Direction, Design,
Illustration [Digital] - P.R. Brown Photography - Jana Leon
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.
For tenor saxophonist, J.D.
Allen's debut as a leader, he wisely chose experienced Italian trumpeter Fabio
Morgera as the second horn, along with a young, dynamite rhythm section. Allen
is from the post-Coltrane school: His tone is big and strong, and burly. Except
for Ornette's "Lonely Woman," Allen composed all the charts, and they
are surprisingly mature and memorable. Shedrick Mitchell is the pianist on only
a few tracks; on the remainder, the horns are backed only by a smashing Rodney
Green on drums, and the solid Eric Revis on string bass. Sure, the music sounds
a bit derivative, but these fellows are having a blast from the past as they
wrestle the changes. Morgera is splendid on trumpet and deserves greater international
recognition, which this recording will hopefully bring him. ~ by Steve Loewy, AMG.
RED Records, 123283 - 2, 1999 Recorded August, 1998 at 900
Studios, New York, NY
Musicians: J.D. Allen - Tenor Saxophone Fabio Morgera - Trumpet,
Flugelhorn Shedrick Mitchell - Piano
(#1,4,7) Eric Revis - Bass Rodney Green - Drums
Tracks: 01. Jaya-Paul {J.D. Allen}
(5:51) 02. Omar {J.D. Allen} (7:45) 03. Little Joe {J.D. Allen}
(6:10) 04. Mudee Ya {J.D. Allen}
(8:59) 05. Peebow's Vibe {J.D.
Allen} (5:05) 06. In Other Words {J.D.
Allen} (5:40) 07. In Search Of {J.D. Allen}
(5:37) 08. Catch 22 {J.D. Allen}
(6:02) 09. Monica Ann {J.D. Allen}
(4:58) 10. Lonely Woman {Ornette
Coleman} (8:00)
Total Time: 64:07
Credits: Producer Fabio Morgera Executive Producer - Sergio
Veschi Recording & Mastering
Engineer - Hiro Sanada Mastering Engineer - Ryoji
Hata Art Direction - Marco
Pennisi
