Cary Kilner's Picks: Volume 55
TNEK Quartet – Unit Seven A great new quintet playing a Sam Jones tune from an old Cannonball Adderley album. Note they do not change from swing to Latin on the bridge here as they did on the original. (I would have preferred trumpet player as counterbalance to the alto player.) https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=yCQil2mBeEs&list=RDAMVMyCQil2mBeEs Cannonball Adderley Quintet – Del Sassar Here is another Sam Jones tune, and a great performance by this legendary group. https://youtu.be/vAdE3pLlMFQ Bill Charlap Trio – Blue Skies I wanted you to hear how Charlap does the verse to Blue Skies, since these are rarely presented when a jazz group presents a standard/musical theater song. Then he makes a nice counterpuntal reharm of the refrain (the main body of the tune). Note the wonderful subtlety within the trio. The use of brushes, implied swing, interesting reharms. Nice interaction with the bass player later on, then an interesting modulation. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=JMrvYK1Gv3s&feature=share Late Show: Bryan Carter Trio with Mathis Picard & Dan Chmielinski I really like the complete use of the trio to present a total concept, not just piano with bass and drum accompanyment. This is a long track with many tunes so you'll have to jump around and find stuff you like. https://www.youtube.com/live/c5wNXmzZVYo?feature=share Eddie Daniels – Cantor Da Noite More from his album celebrating the music of Ivan Lins, who I consider the "Stevie Wonder" of Brazil. Gorgeous arranging and playing by both Bob James and Dave Grusin. (Note that Bob James will be at Jimmy's this summer.) Eddie sounds just as good on saxophone here as he does on clarinet. https://youtu.be/xQZLmIhwYbM Monty Alexander Trio – What a Friend We Have in Jesus Monty is a total monster – he "eats up" the piano whenever he plays. This is a nice live video so you can watch him do it. He really knows how to develop energy in an interesting cooking way but doesn't overwhelm. Here he goes deep into blues and gospel roots. Play this loud, and note his rolled-chords on the chorus. Then note the vamp at the end he uses to build even more energy. https://youtu.be/z2xtUrS26y4 Joe Locke – Rev-Elation Wonderful vibes player. And it's a very musical way to use the electric piano, which blends nicely with the vibes.A very modern performance for 2005. https://youtu.be/S3cc-NhS07s Kenny Barron/Dave Holland – Warm Valley Here is a nice trio playing another Duke Ellington standard (although it could be Billy Strayhorn’s as well). I saw his recent trio at Jimmy’s and it was the best performance I have seen. From the Blue Note jazz period but with a modern approach – an artist who had grown with the times. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=18m-0hZb4CQ&list=RDAMVM18m-0hZb4CQ ABEL marton nagy – Cosmos Here is a very interesting fusion group from Poland in a video performance. To me they sound a lot like the early Chick Corea "Return to Forever" band with Flora on vocals. https://youtu.be/BXlq_pYDv3g Ernie Watts – A Simple Truth A beautiful quartet with a West Coast tenor player who is found on some smooth jazz material. But he really shines in a pure jazz context. https://youtu.be/WwHI5sg4J68 Charlie Haden, Gonzalo Rubacola and Paul Motian Let's end with a very nice modern trio. Gonzalo represents the best of the modern trio movement, along with Danilo Perez, who has played with Wayne Shorter's last group. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WJwTfkEnQvE&feature=share |