Cary Kilner
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Cary Kilner's Picks: Volume 66
November 2024 Artemis – Big Top Let me begin with brief comments about the Artemis performance at Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club on October 6. They were AAA+ and beloved by the audience. Each player was a monster on her instrument. The playlist was all originals that were interesting, rather than noisy, plus two jazz standards, Herbie’s Dolphin Dance and Strayhorn’s A Flower is a Lovesome Thing. There were very cohesive ensemble heads with the ensemble occurring occasionally within solos. Totally pro-jazz! Here’s a good example that I posted quite a while ago. I particularly like that little impish whistle on the head. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_idavYdpamg&si=0xw3VNmghS93nK09 Aubrey Johnson – Unraveled Here is some more modern music. This is a very interesting vocal performance from a loft in NYC. We have her here with a trio, violin and bass clarinet – a very interesting instrumentation that is used exquisitely. I do not know any of the players and I don't know where I found this. https://youtu.be/jPEGR6rwo0M?si=4bccNuymXwgabbAn Now I would like to present some more piano jazz, both cutting edge and traditional... The CDs for the following artists have exceptional music throughout and I could only pull one example. Therefore, I encourage you to follow up with each artist for all the other selections on their respective CDs. Jackie Terrason – Baby Plum This is a very sophisticated trio with some remarkable playing by Jackie. He is truly an original and he makes the group fully a trio. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_7BWqmtYUgM&si=xR1ZmJvPR4nMJOel Danilo Perez Trio – Children of the Light I gave you Pannamonk from this CD a while ago. Here he is at Berklee in 2016 with the rhythm section from Wayne Shorter's last quartet, John Patatucci and Brian Blade. This live video is very interesting to watch. https://youtu.be/TO5zPbf0SJw?si=3gpJ0IK7filoZqgv The Chick Corea New Trio – Fingerprints This 2001 trio is a refreshing change from the excesses of the trio with Patittuci and Weckl playing standards. They play tightly and thoughtfully as Chick has entirely different rhythm section support from that other later trio. Both Avisha Cohen on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums are magnificant players. Especially note Cohen's playing that reminds of the exquisite control and specificity of Miroslav Vitous on Chick's Sings-Sobs album. Most of the tunes on this CD are originals with very interesting structures – you will never get confused or bored with Chick – RIP. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=twdaMiOUxzg&si=iYzeErIdwL6kweVN Kenny Kirkland – Chance, Celia & Ana Maria Amazing player of whom I was not very aware, but this CD has some wonderful original compositions. This first link is a very pretty 6/8 with an interesting harmonic structure. The next is an interesting multi-keyboard treatment of a Phineas Newborn classic. I am very impressed by how he weaves his lines. The latter tune is a beautiful Wayne Shorter ballad written for his wife who died on 9/11 in one of the planes. Given the congas in the percussion, it presents a mournfull performance. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=e4sqRzvsgfk&si=uNbcV1W0TqqTJHoP https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=xgN2mju-pm8&si=3MCOWoMZByeAVnOO https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=oS_iBzgbtKM&si=bdZUwxZ3FXTWXZra Now I present several faces of Gozalo Rubalcaba, a very advanced player... Gonzalo Trio – Autumn Leaves – 3 versions The first link is a video of a 1991 outside concert in Japan with Patittuci and DeJohnette. Once he gets going he is consuming the piano somewhat like Cecil Taylor. Not that much fun but shows you another side of him. Also here is another performance in Japan in 1991, so you can compare. In both he plays somewhat inside for a while, then goes crazy. Finally here's a 1994 video version with Ron Carter in a live concert in Germany. It’s done at a more relaxed tempo. Dig Ron’s classic big fat sound! Along with Jul Baretto on drums. https://youtu.be/DsKBnkI_6Tk?si=e_iAZiCpqcv0aRfk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heRnlXaTzSA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOjmwGdz1Sg Gozalo Duo – Nightfall This is a gorgeous duo ballad with Charlie Hayden in the studio in 2000. https://youtu.be/oJ3nZ4KRaY4?si=8cHnAwHbk0854ZWC Gonzalo Trio & Duo – Sandino (1991 & 2015) The first, with Jack DeJohnette and Charlie Hayden (his composition) in a beautiful performance in Japan has a very good recording of the bass as well, not muffled in the mix as sometimes occurs. This mournful ballad is recorded very well, but you’ll have to nudge the volume up. The duo performance with Charlie on his tune is very delicately played and quite a contrast from his previous exuberance in the other links. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0icJ0LrZiFc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMIB4nZM6mk Gonzalo Volcan Trio – Nueva Cubana (1991) Quite an interesting tune with an outstanding six-string electric bass player. It has a very intricate arrangement. https://youtu.be/YAE83N9waAQ?si=vqothuYD7qLTCmWF Gonzalo Trio – Giant Steps With Miroslav Vitous on bass. Question: Does Gonzalo overuse his chops? The test is: does it give you a headache or can you listen all the way through? https://youtu.be/0j_-EzbtsW8?si=MkOnvYPUMzEdV8jt Gonzalo Duo – Spain (2022) This is a live video from the Blue Note in NYC with Stanley Clarke. Notice how they are relatively restrained at first. He is playing very nice lines and shows how he has matured from all his earlier performances. It's a very nice fat bass sound from Stanley, similar to the Ron Carter sound. And not playing his usual electric bass as in his recent fusion bands. At 3:30 Gonzalo does some astounding stuff that is well received by the audience. And you will see Stanley looking over at him and laughing in astonishment. https://youtu.be/XNd5-lZ9J-Q?si=M6IPCzVK1oNJFxf1 Now for some more mainstream playing... Bill Evans Trio -- Live from Birdland, NYC Here is a Bill Evans 1960 bootleg. This is with his original trio with legendary Scott LaFaro, who changed piano-trio bass playing completely, becoming no longer just a timekeeper but a full-voiced participant within the group. https://youtu.be/dGloPIRozEc Bill Charlap Trio -- Make Me Rainbows Another gorgeous and thoughtfully played trio tune from this master. Dig the space – my famous quote: "Space is the Place" -- CK https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=VQhtCjz9inA&si=pqOugQJiunC8vofd Emmet Cohen (from Emmet’s Place #52 – 2021) – After You’ve Gone Now let’s get wild. This is an absolutely killing and happy performance, and each player in the quintet really shines with good energy. The rhythm section is cooking! And a wonderful trumpet and alto sax. There are some beautiful trumpet lines, reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard. They both play long solos but are always intelligent, engaging and sounding very fresh while drawing on their traditional roots. Emmet’s regular bass player is great. Dig the modern groove within the period groove. Emmet plays some stride to open the tune, then everyone joins in and manifests great energy and fun. Then he kills again at the end! https://youtu.be/984ksjle4YA?si=am2yvGPIjCYR3X7V Wes Montgomery – Unit 7 & If You Could See Me Now Here is some bubbly Wynton Kelly, who has greatly inspired me, and a rhythm section that pushes Wes to do some of his best early work. This is also before the CTI label hired a lot of these great artists like Wes and Freddie and Paul Desmond and began a line of high-quality high-fidelity albums with attractive, well-made and graphic record jackets, sometimes going overboard with arrangers, strings, and production teams. The tune has a blues structure but the harmonies change at times. If nothing else they must at least have had chord charts. And in classic early jazz tradition, there is no introduction – Wes just plunges in with that opening line and they go off on a tour-de-force. At 4:40 Wes gradually starts to bring in some shout-choruses; the rhythm section quickly catches on and they just build and build energy. The standard ballad starts off very pretty, with a solo intro by Wynton, then brushes from the drummer, then gradually building energy as they go to swing “in-two,” and finally Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb launch into “four” with Jimmy playing sticks. https://youtu.be/jUN01HYwRX4?si=sSNhx5gZmLN9NWrG https://youtu.be/xvf7DWerPy4?si=d4NEpItUYR84x9MI Monty Alexander, Ray Brown & Russell Malone – Producer’s Choice We’ll end the column with a classic slow blues as these veterans stir the pot. https://youtu.be/HL7wdAG5D20?si=GRgzUDNLnhbyXMOa |
