28-09-2019 JAZZ:MiX # 33 jazz tracks on the the JAZZ_line 2017-2007

28-09-2019 JAZZ:MiX # 33 jazz tracks on the the JAZZ_line 2017-2007 # Roots Magic, Takuya Kuroda, The Breathing Effect, James Farm, Mulatu Astatke, Christian Scott, James Carter Organ Trio, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Portico Quartet, Todd Sickafoose, Charlie Hunter

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2017-2007

The Roots Magic core concept is about reworking tunes from the Deep Blues repertoire of the late Twenties/early Thirties, Charley Patton, Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James  Geeshie Wiley...  alongside with chosen compositions by Creative Jazz luminaries such as Julius Hemphill, John Carter, Marion Brown, Olu Dara, Phil Cohran, Sun Ra, Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Pee Wee Russell, Ornette Coleman      
Roots Magic
Down the Dirt Road Blues (Charley Patton) 4:23
Last Kind Words (Geeshie Wiley) 6:29
Tom Rushen Blues (Charley Patton) 5:10
from Last Kind Word 2017
Roots Magic are an Italian quartet who draw strong lines between deep blues and free jazz by reworking tunes by Blind Willie Johnson, Charley Patton, and Geeshie Wiley alongside works by Marion Brown, Julius Hemphill, Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, and others. There’s always been plenty of blues in free jazz; check the catalogs of David Murray and Archie Shepp, not to mention the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. But Roots Magic also blend the fierce and hypnotic cry of their horns with tight funk rhythms, and add elements of dub once in a while. This is their second album, and it’s a strong demonstration that their core concept is one that gives players this talented and imaginative a lot of room to run.

Jazz trumpeter Takuya Kuroda is a forward-thinking musician with a bent toward mixing post-bop and adventurous soul-jazz. Born in Kobe, Japan, Kuroda followed his older trombonist brother into the local music scene, playing in big bands. After studying music in Japan, Kuroda relocated to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music. 
Takuya Kuroda
I Don't Remember How It Began (Takuya Kuroda) 6:36
Little Words (Takuya Kuroda) 6:09
from Zigzagger 2016
Takuya Kuroda's follow-up to his breakthrough 2014 album, Rising Son, 2016's colorful Zigzagger finds the trumpeter digging even deeper into his hip-hop and Afrobeat-influenced jazz sound. Whereas last time Kuroda benefitted from the production of one-time boss and collaborator/singer Jose James, here he mans the production chair himself. It's a bold, if natural choice for the Japan-born/New York-based performer and brings his journey from James' talented sideman to jazz star and captain of his own funk-jazz ship full-circle. Although steeped in acoustic jazz tradition, Kuroda (who studied at both Berklee and the New School) has gravitated toward more jam-oriented sounds in recent years. Blessed with a warm, robust trumpet sound and a knack for delivering lithe, soulful solos that bring to mind both Roy Hargrove and Hugh Masekela, Kuroda is truly a 21st century performer. Another shift from Rising Son is Kuroda's choice to use his longtime backing ensemble, featuring trombonist/vocalist Corey King, keyboardist Takeshi Ohbayashi, bassist Rashaan Carter, and drummer Adam Jackson...

The Breathing Effect was initiated as a project of two lifelong friends and musical partners that set out to unearth a sound of their own. Eli Goss (Synthesist/Keyboardist/Vocalist) and Harry Terrell (Drummer/Bassist) both grew up in Los Angeles, where they spent years honing their respective crafts and being immersed in the experimental beat scene that Los Angeles has to offer...
The Breathing Effect
Cold Meteor Showers 6:50
One for the Mountains by the Sea 3:29
Streetlights Out of Focus 4:02
from Mars Is a Very Bad Place For Love 2015
Jazz is supposedly a grown folks’ genre, played by aging bohemians in tiny clubs. Tell that to the Breathing Effect—a self-described electronic group influenced by soul, rock and jazz—whose debut album, Mars Is a Very Bad Place for Love, toes a line between traditional and turn up. As a unit, producer/keyboardist Eli Goss and drummer/bassist Harry Terrell merge the standards of conventional jazz with modern bounce beats. By definition, it scans as "jazz fusion," but the results conjure '70s R&B as well as the contemporary Los Angeles beat scene and hip-hop. Clearly, Goss and Terrell study Pink Floyd and the Soft Machine, but it seems they dig Thundercat and Stevie Wonder, too...

Jazz quartet James Farm is an acoustic-based yet forward-thinking ensemble featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. 
JAMES FARM
Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, Eric Harland
Two Steps (Matt Penman) 5:06
North Star (Eric Harland) 7:56
Otherwise (Aaron Parks) 6:38
City Folk (Joshua Redman) 7:03
from City Folk 2014
City Folk is the sophomore offering by James Farm, a jazz quartet featuring pianist Aaron Parks, saxophonist Joshua Redman, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. It picks up right where their 2011 debut left off and moves the discussion further up the road. Like its predecessor, there are three tunes each by Redman, Parks, and Penman, and one by Harland... The album is readily accessible but no less sophisticated for being so. On City Folk, James Farm are as alluring as they were on their debut, perhaps more so. As a collective they deliver the very best modern jazz has to offer: a sound completely aware of and influenced by the various spectres of musical culture (including pop) with an identity that is integrative, forward-thinking, colorfully creative, and disciplined.

An influential Ethiopian musician, composer, and arranger who is known as the father of Ethio-jazz. 
Ethiopian musician (piano, organ, vibraphone, and percussion), composer, and arranger Mulatu Astatke (the name is spelled Astatqé on his French releases) is a household name in his native country, where he is known as the father of Ethio-jazz, a unique blend of pop, modern jazz, traditional Ethiopian music, Latin rhythms, Caribbean reggae, and Afro-funk.
Mulatu Astatke
Azmari (Russ Gershon) 5:00
Assosa Derache (Mulatu Astatke) 10:03
Gamo (Mulatu Astatke / Gerssu) 5:15
from Sketches of Ethiopia 2013
First distilled in the late 60s, Astatke's "Ethio-jazz" made a return to favour after featuring in Jim Jarmusch's 2005 film Broken Flowers. This outing has almost as many western flavours as African, as suggested by a title borrowed from Sketches of Spain, by the bandleader's hero, Gil Evans (and Miles Davis). It's a classy suite, with the talents of trumpeter Byron Wallen and reedsman James Arben alongside Astatke's ethereal vibraphone. Almost everything has a funk undertow, especially centrepiece Assosa Derache, but there are quieter moments, such as Motherland Abay, plus fiery vocals from Tesfaye and a guest spot from Mali's Fatoumata Diawara. The album's ambitions are well realised.

Award-winning, Grammy-nominated trumpeter and composer who crosses genre lines in pursuit of his own muse. A forward-thinking trumpeter and bandleader, Christian Scott (who is also recognized by his adopted West African name of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah), is a lauded performer known for his genre-bending approach to jazz.
Christian Scott
Fatima Aisha Rokero 400 (Christian Scott) 5:41
Who They Wish I Was (Kristopher Keith Funn / Christian Scott) 5:42
Of Fire (Les Filles de la Nouvelle Orleans) (Christian Scott) 4:15
from Christian aTunde Adjuah 2012
New Orleans trumpeter Christian Scott has always examined various historic musical traditions for their wealth of knowledge and culture. He's also deeply well-read, putting forth an inquiry which addresses the future from global and socio-political codes of past and present -- without hectoring... Accompanied by his seasoned quintet -- Matthew Stevens, guitar; Lawrence Fields, piano, Rhodes, harpsichord; Kristopher Keith Funn, bass; Jamire Williams, drums, and select guests -- Scott takes his listeners on an exhaustive, ambitious journey through jazz, employing elements of rock, hip-hop, and even traces of Crescent City R&B. Christian aTunde ADJuah is long and diverse, but it's accessible in its ambitious creativity...

Saxophonist James Carter has embraced the jazz tradition as much as he has embraced jazz’s avant-garde. An effusive, dynamically gifted jazz saxophonist, James Carter caused a critical uproar when he appeared on the New York jazz scene from his native Detroit in the early '90s.
James Carter Organ Trio
Oh Gee (Matthew Gee) 6:49
Lettuce Toss Yo' Salad (Leonard King, Jr.) 7:00
Ramblin' Blues (Fred Mendelsohn / Maybelle Smith) 4:19
from At the Crossroads 2011
At the Crossroads, saxophonist James Carter's third disc for the Emarcy, is the first for the label with his Organ Trio, which has been together since 2004. Produced by Michael Cuscuna, it's an indelible portrait of Detroit's historic jazz scene, envisioned in the present while looking ahead. All trio members -- Carter, organist Gerard Gibbs, and drummer Leonard King, Jr. -- either reside or come from there. This disc also showcases Carter's development from his earliest days shedding in the Motor City to his current status as a jazz virtuoso...  Big Maybelle's "Ramblin' Blues" is one of three vocals by veteran Detroit singer Miche Braden. With Carter playing flute and alto in addition to tenor, fellow Detroiter Vincent Chandler on trombone, and trumpeter Keyon Harrold, Braden gets her soul-blues on.

Virtuosic funk-jazz organist whose teaching career limited his recording output. Organist Lonnie Smith has often been confused with keyboardist/pianist Lonnie Liston Smith -- and, in fact, more than a few retailers have wrongly assumed that they're one and the same.
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Mellow Mood (Jimmy Smith) 5:12
Frame for the Blues (Slide Hampton) 8:52
Spiral 5:55
from Spiral 2010
Dr. Lonnie Smith shows no signs of slowing down. Spiral is is his fifth studio album since 2003, and his fourth for Palmetto. Produced by Matt Balitsaris, Smith's trio includes guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Jamire Williams. The program is a solid set of jazz nuggets, an original, and a couple of ballad standards. Things lead off with Jimmy Smith's "Mellow Mood," which is relaxed but hardly what the title suggests. Smith is in prime soul-jazz mode here, paying tribute to his mentor by swinging hard on the melody. Another nice touch is the reading of Slide Hampton's "Frame for the Blues," a smoky, nocturnal slow burner that features a fine solo by Kreisberg...  Spiral puts the full range of Smith's powers as an interpreter and improviser on display. This grooving trio makes it all sound easy, though nothing could be further from the truth.

The Portico Quartet is a contemporary modern jazz and ethnic fusion ensemble from South London, England. Formed in 2005, the band was initially inspired to play via founding member Duncan Bellamy's purchase of an exotic yet contemporary instrument, the Hang, at a music festival. The Hang, invented in 2000 in Switzerland, is a metallic lap drum with clamped shells, the melodious sound of which resembles both a steel drum and Balinese metallaphone.
Portico Quartet
Paper Scissors Stone (Portico Quartet) 5:27
Isla (Portico Quartet) 5:09
The Visitor (Portico Quartet) 5:29
from Isla 2009
...One of the strengths of Isla is that the hangs aren't treated like exclamation marks; their particular attributes have become more fully integrated into the group sound. The basic Portico paradigm has hang players Nick Mulvey and Duncan Bellamy, who also plays kit drums, working in tandem with double bassist Milo Fitzpatrick to produce interconnecting layers of beats and melodic motifs. Some might call this "trance," but there's too much evolution going on to merit that generic description. Saxophonist and (less is more) loopist Jack Wyllie rides the waves, stating most of the themes and taking most of the formal solos... Melodies are attractive and catchy. Rhythms are insistent. Improvisation is to the fore. Isla is the nuts.

Bassist, bandleader, and composer Todd Sickafoose probably performs before his largest live audiences when backing alternative folk singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco, and he can be heard on such DiFranco CDs as 2005's Knuckle Down and 2006's Reprieve. Much of his musical career has been devoted to the avant-garde and creative jazz world, however, and he has garnered considerable acclaim as a jazz sideman as well as leader of his own Todd Sickafoose Group.
Todd Sickafoose
Future Flora (Todd Sickafoose) 6:26
Bye Bye Bees (Todd Sickafoose) 10:42
Paper Trombones (Todd Sickafoose) 6:58
from Tiny Resistors 2008
The inventive bassist/composer Todd Sickafoose has been plying his trade as a sideman while occasionally venturing forth as a bandleader in the progressive jazz world. With Tiny Resistors, he's hitting for a high average in presenting original music with a dramatic flair while playing not just the bass. Overdubbing keyboards, accordion, mallet instruments, and the electric bass guitar, he orchestrates charts with many layers for a large ensemble that features electric guitars, brass, and some woodwinds...  A walking-to-jogging pace, serious to whimsical, identifies "Future Flora" (great title!) as the amplified guitars of Adam Levy and Mike Gamble with Sickafoose on the Wurlitzer organ shush along with Allison Miller and the horns of trumpeter Shane Endsley and trombonist Alan Ferber in a 10/8 rhythm...  "Bye Bye Bees" and "Pianos of the Ninth Ward" include both Andrew Bird (violin) and Ani DiFranco (wordless vocals); the former nearly 11-minute track has a polyrhythmic base with handclapping, whistling, and song sounds in tandem with the horns, while the latter is a somber post-Katrina waltz with Sickafoose on piano, the guitars, and an electric ukulele from DiFranco...  A rustic old New Orleans blues rhythm centers the muted brass during "Paper Trombones," a bit dour and holding a mystery train-like aura, with the vibes and bass playing of the leader conducting the trip. A wonderfully spacious intro with minimalist bells, vibes, and celeste overdubs turns probing, moving forward into dense terrain on the title selection, with Miller's busy drumming as a fulcrum.

Greatly talented jazz guitarist whose remarkably fluent style is suited to styles from early bop to fusion. As a young guitarist growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Charlie Hunter was looking for a way to stand out in the '80s. His primary influences were jazz great Joe Pass and the fluid Tuck Andress (of the guitar/vocal duo Tuck & Patti), both six-string guitarists who were adept at blending bass notes into their standard guitar melodies to make themselves sound like two musicians at once. But Hunter wanted to take it one step further and set out to find an instrument on which he could simultaneously function as both a guitarist and a bassist.
Charlie Hunter
Lady! (Charlie Hunter) 5:52
Wizard Sleeve (Charlie Hunter) 5:06
Spoken Word (Charlie Hunter) 3:37
from Mistico 2007
Despite lineup changes, Charlie Hunter's trio has always consisted of a sax player and a drummer in addition to Hunter's seven- or eight-string guitar heroics. After about a decade with that template, John Ellis added a bit of keyboard and melodica to his sax for Copperopolis, almost presciently setting the stage for Mistico. With Ellis moving on to concentrate on a solo career, Hunter decided to form a brand new trio, bringing in Simon Lott on drums and Erik Deutsch on keyboards. That's right: no sax. The varied keyboards vs. sax give the album a sound that's less overtly jazz than previous efforts, but Copperopolis also showcased Hunter and company in more of a rock mood and that trend continues on Mistico...  Mistico is another winner from a guy with an uncommonly consistent track record of quality releases. The Charlie Hunter Trio is dead. Long live the Charlie Hunter Trio.