JAZZ CORNER Presents: Dexter Gordon - Gettin' Around (1966)

The proof that one can have a presence in jazz without being muscular is Dexter Gordon; especially so on “Gettin’ Around.”  Of course there are those, and rightly so, who will tell you that Dexter Gordon is a commanding presence, that to play with him requires one to accept a supportive role, accepting his lead, and that to listen to him requires the undivided attention of the listener.

But the contradiction to all that is never more evident than right here, where Gordon’s sound almost unfolds, where he’s softened his notes, holding back with restraint at nearly every turn, as if he’s taken a chapter form Lester Young, laying down a body of work that though not demanding of your attention, holds it nonetheless, with a mellow passion that will grace your turntable night or day.

Never more so, it’s a delight to have some jazz history in your pocket when listening to “Gettin’ Around,” just as it is in rock n’ roll, because Gordon drops several Easter Eggs into the mix, partly to keep you awake, to see if your listening, yet more, to refresh and transform what you thought you’d already known.  Consider his song “Manha De Carnaval,” where on the first chorus he quotes three bars from “Delilah,” by Victory Young.  And then there’s the use of Bebussy’s “Clair De Lune,” in “Le Coiffeur ... but I hesitate to point out others, as the discovery is such a pure joy.

Yet for me, the skies parted with the presence of “Very Saxily Yours” ... as I own the original vinyl release, the release that excluded “Very Saxily Yours,” and it was more than exciting to see that the number has found it’s way back, and in correct tracking order, as this is the one and only song where Dexter Gordon flashes his tenor prowess, causing a sly smile to inch across my face, because he does it at just the right time, for all the right reasons, merely letting it peek from his pocket, yet as welcome as a long lost friend, just when you least expected to see them.

Review made by Jenell Kesler/2016

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2016

JAZZ CORNER Presents: Heads of State - Search for Peace

Heads of State - Search for Peace (Smoke Sessions Records, 2015)

Gary Bartz - Saxophones

Larry Willis- piano

Buster Williams - bass

Al Foster - drums

“Supergroups” are often tired, uninspired and pointless. At least, that is often the case in the rock and pop worlds. Jazz musicians, on the other hand are composed of recombinant DNA, and musical promiscuity is the norm. Most jazz groups made up of veterans are “supergroups” because the top players share a rarefied air of technical and expressive excellence. Hence this group, a quartet whose members truly need no introduction to the jazz audience. Their collective moniker is particularly apt as each of these gentlemen has carved out an empire on the continent of post-60s improvised music.

“Impressions” – Things get off to a strong start with a sprightly take on the Coltrane classic. The gauntlet is thrown down and the manifesto is presented. This is the kind of jazz these people are all about. Meat and potatoes, 1960s style, with a LOT of flavor in the gravy.

 Bartz’s “Uncle Bubba” is a tune I knew from McCoy Tyner’s 1984 “Dimensions” album (which featured the late violinist John Blake. Oh Coltrane, your children are such beautiful musicians!). This version seems to my ear to emphasize the tune’s Thelonious Monk-ish influence, especially in Bartz’s solo. Williams is in great tone and his solo is full of odd jumps, glisses, and suspensions which perfectly fit the Monk vibe. A short and sweet performance.

  “Search For Peace” by McCoy Tyner – Dusky dissonances from Willis lead to a simple, singable sax melody (I keep imagining this sung by a choir). Bartz states his piece and leads Willis into an achingly wistful bridge. Willis then journeys through frustrated resignation to mellowly funky uplift while Foss supports with empathetic brush work, at one point hinting at double time. Bartz plays bluesy with the melody before the bass sings a lullaby for a peaceful sleep. Bartz’s recap recaptures the wistfulness and ends alone but for arco bass. No wonder they named the album after this piece.

Jackie McLean’s “Capuchin Swing: is tasty mid-tempo bop. I wasn’t familiar with this tune to make comparisons between versions, but this recording is brightly swinging and well played. 

“Soulstice” by Bartz is a Coltrane-y uptempo tune built on a bluesy bop riff. Bartz gives us sweet freedom-in-the-tradition and Willis channels Tommy Flanagan and Cedar Walton in his dense-but-swinging accompaniment and melodic solo. Foster’s marching snare leads the parade of toms.

“Crazy She Calls Me”, and “Lotus Blossom” – These gentle readings are perfect Sunday afternoon jazz. And “I Wish I Knew” is characterized by Willis’ choppy stabs and William’s restless aggression.  

“Summer Serenade” was unfamiliar to me, but was written by the old master Benny Carter, I was inspired to explore this album after hearing this tune on WBGO in Newark, New Jersey. Buster’s gentle groove leads us into a composition that perfectly exemplifies its title. Foss plays his ass off underneath (WHERE does he get all these cymbal textures?) and Buster showcases. I need to mention that this disc is extremely well-produced, one of the best sounding albums I’ve heard this year.

 Overall, this disc shows that the old masters still have it. Henry Rollins once mentioned that he loved when older music and older musicians kicked the ass of the new, young and hyped. This is certainly the case here. Four vets with nothing to prove, proving that when you mix experience, vision and a big dose of passion, art results. Tasty, accessible, deep and moving, its well worth joining the Heads of State on their “Search For Peace”.

Review made by Kevin F. Wozniak/2015

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2015

JAZZ CORNER Presents: A Gathering Of Minds - Montreaux, July 23, 1982

A Gathering Of Minds - Montreaux, July 23, 1982 (Upbeat/Unofficial Release )

Listen 

Billy Cobham – Drums

Didier Lockwood – Violin                                               

Jack Bruce – Bass

Allan Holdsworth – Guitar

Davis Sancious - Keyboards

     Certain questions appear in music reviews. Some are perennials, tired and polarizing – Can rockers play jazz? Can jazzers ever ROCK? Can the Europeans play jazz as well as Americans? Can blue men play the whites? This recording asks if two future members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a veteran of “Bitches Brew” and the fusion wars, a French fireball and one of the world’s most technically accomplished guitarists can play compelling, emotionally moving jazz. The answer is emphatically yes, if the players are this particular grouping of musical geniuses.   

     Recorded at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1982, the CD opens with Claude Nobs’ intro in French and English. He then hands over to Cobham, whose set this appears to be as he is the one to speak to the crowd between tunes (at one point he gives credit to Bruce Lundvall and Nobs for helping him pull this group and appearance together on short notice). Things start off with a bang with Lockwood’s “Crazy Eights”. Driven by a rapid-fire series of sequential patterns on violin the piece moves into Mahavishnu territory with Sancious, Holdsworth and Lockwood trading solos over solid Jack and Billy before recapping. As a warm-up piece, this is tantamount to the ignition sequence of a nuclear reactor.         

Sancious’ “Mysterious Conversation” is next. Bruce and Billy provide an insistent groove that sounds like intense whispering. Holdsworth’s moody solo abruptly gives way to Sancious (equipment problem?). Bruce tries to take flight but Cobham pulls back for Holdsworth’s ending ride. The piece is over too quickly.     

     Cobham next gives us his “Ursula In Summer”, written for his toddler. Cobham shows his true colors with a complex Latin-bop groove that never falters as he moves the piece through different dynamic levels from quiet intensity to explosive climax. Jazz/Rock indeed! Sancious electric piano sounds like a sweeter George Cables before giving way to lyrical Lockwood.  Holdsworth is in his element here with a short but intense solo. No other guitarist sounds quite like this – players who claim to channel Coltrane are a dime a dozen, but this guy nails it in his own way.

     Holdworth’s “Drifting Into The Attack” begins with moody guitar synth, shortly joined by Lockwood. The rhythm section kicks into a rock shuffle reminiscent of Jeff Beck’s “Freeway Jam” and Holdsworth GOES! Eric Dolphy circle-breath chromatic romanticism (bar lines? We don’t need no steenking bar lines!) Jack takes a somewhat aimless bass solo and then Lockwood serenely brings the piece to a close. Except for Holdsworth, it doesn’t quite gel somehow.

     Next up is the Jack Bruce classic “Theme For an Imaginary Western” (which Cobham insists on referring to as simply “Western”). As  many different versions of this tune as I’ve heard, this is one of the strongest renditions as the poignant lyrics are perfectly offset by Bruce’s almost wistful singing and Lockwood’s empathetic playing. His work shows that violin was what this song was always missing, Beautiful. Beautiful Holdsworth too.  One of the great things about discovering this set is being reminded of what we’ve lost with Jack Bruce’s death as we are afforded the opportunity to hear him in a slightly different setting than usual.   

Next up is Jack Bruce’s “Uptown Breakdown” (shortly to appear on his Automatic album). Volume–pedal meandering leads into a typical Bruce/Brown bluesy rock tune with a few curve-balls in the chord changes. Tasty Holdsworth on this one.

     “Sleight of Hand” by Sancious is next. A driving violin-based head touches on country-western territory while Cobham keeps the pot boiling (nice double bass!) as Bruce breaks up the groove. Lockwood takes flight and ends up in outer space until Billy gives us an extended solo featuring dynamic variation and licks you could sing along with.  A hoedowny recap ends it.

     “Bloody Mary” by Lockwood closes the set. It reminds me of Jean-Luc Ponty’s rock-based writing but the bop-four solo mid-section (Jack kills on walking bass!) distinguishes it. Nice violin and Sancious before Holdsworth gets a two-chord vamp to play over, leading into Lockwood’s flying recap.         

     They return to encore with “the part that is totally unrehearsed…I guess it’s in Bb…” Everybody reaches back to their roots as the jam turns into a good old shuffle blues which is where all these people started anyway.     

     I suppose if you had to hang a label on this session, it would be “fusion”.  Sure, the sound and some of the stylistic trappings often hearken back to the mid-70s sound of Nemperor Records. But…most jazz-rock didn’t have this kind of heart or this level of musicianship (“chops” are only an ASPECT of musicianship, a fact which much fusion of the 70s and 80s tended to ignore). No posturing, no proselytizing (for L. Ron Hubbard or anyone else) no pretention, just five greats doing their jobs and showing that a real group knows how to listen, interact and support each other. It’s all about the music, not the egos.

     Enough already. Experience this for yourself. Trust me, its well worth it.

Review made by Kevin F. Wozniak/2015

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2015

JAZZ CORNER Presents: Dawn Of Midi

Ola psychedelic people. Happy autumn and I wanted to put a few cranks on the jazz review/sausage machine and toss some records out for your listening pleasure.

Today's record comes from a south east Asian trio out of Brooklyn called 'Dawn Of Midi'. They had a widely reviewed and praised out on Thirsty Ear in 2015.  I'm a busy listener and haven't peeped that one but part of that is due to my affection for their first record, called First and self-produced and self-released.

It is a piano/bass/drums trio and this is neither your soft after hours lounge tickler nor your full on Cecil Taylor keyboard destruction. This is where writing about jazz can devolve into polysyllabic diarrhea. I will say that they play less rather than more and they are less interested in playing melodies than creating an ambient landscape where the harmonics of what they're playing both resolve and push against each other.

Is that description too far up my own ass?  I don't think so. I know it's more than saying it rocks or "dude, that's heavy" but I'm sure you can hang.

If you are to check out this record I would start with the sixth track, one. It's my favorite track on the record -- sparsely, ambient and weirdly engaging. I also like the third tune, "Civilization Of Mud And Ember." The last tune, "In Between" is a long circular kinda trippy piece that moves up and down dynamically and goes someplace while not really going anywhere.  

I would peep it on headphones as I think the music works better consumed that way. Check it out, just groove on the sounds and hopefully you like it.

Review made by Steven Walcott/2015

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2015

JAZZ CORNER Presents: Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)

Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Impulse!, 1963)

Listen

I probably shouldn’t be reviewing any Jazz for awhile, as I just laid down some remarks concerning Bitches Brew, and now it seems that everything is overshadowed by Miles Davis for me. Never the less, it feels good to step back seven years, to 1963, and listen to what Charles Mingus was popping, and in Jazz years, that is a very long time.

Only when looking back is it possible to see where the artist was at the time, and Charles certainly had some ideas going on, and for my dollar, he’s expressed them with sophistication and grace. Certainly this album is not like the one’s so many treasure and have become accustomed to, but a Jazz man NEVER stands still, and if they do, then they have nothing to say.  

What hits me most, is his blending of traditional instruments, with those such as the Spanish guitar, and smooth Jazz with experimental sounds, chords and tempos ... and at times every instrument seems to be on its own adventure, seeking out a destination, like a game of marbles, where the shooter marble hits another, and those in turn strike two more, until and endless chain reaction is set in motion. And Mr. Mingus has certainly set a lot in motion with this recording.

One of the greatest pleasures in Jazz, is hearing the piece for the first time. While the album can certainly be exciting each time it’s heard, it is the first listen, following along, becoming one with journey, yet not knowing where things will end up, other than lost in total rapture ... and like any good movie script, Charles takes you down avenues, across parks, and through traffic that twists and turns. Yet, I always seem to end up at some remote curb side cafe with a silly smile on my face, with the waiter asking for my order, and I have no idea how I got there, or where in the city I am.

What a delightful slice of life.

Review made by Jenell Kesler/2015

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2015

JAZZ CORNER Presents: The Larry Young Trio - Testifying (1961)

The Larry Young Trio - Testifying (New Jazz Record, 1961)

Listen: https://www.youtube.com

Jazz recordings are not only difficult to write a reviews for, they’re also problematic in their personal nature to be anything less than personally subjective for the writer ... meaning that absolute objectivity is nearly impossible, with one relying on personal taste and artistic development to carry one through, especially when considering the career of a classic artist and sound.  And that last statement is the most important, “considering the career,” because very few of us where there then, smart enough then, to have followed the musical and social ramifications of most jazz artists, leaving us to discover them much later, when their career is laid out in front of us as some open book, needing to be explored from the beginning to end ... and in that order. Take The Beatles for instance, they exploded on the scene, leaving record companies scrambling to find other bands who had that same sort of sound, yet brought their own take on early rock n’ roll, with the hope of discovering a group who would develop and morph with time and longevity.  Young was one of those, not there at the birth of jazz, yet close enough, that his musical family was made up by those he considered his parents, aunts and uncles.

Please Please Me is lightyears from anything done on The White Album, or The Beatles final release Let It Be, which in all honesty, was a career that lasted for a mere 7 years.  Yet through all of that, there is an undeniable core sound, that like a breadcrumb trail, can be traced back to the very beginnings ... meaning that someone tossed down in the middle, or even the end of The Beatles timeline, can move forward or back with ease.  That seems seldom to happen for me [again, this is subjective] in jazz, and especially when considering a career that lasted for 20 years, as it did for Larry Young, a man who like The Beatles, lived through one of the most important social and musical eras of all time in America, the 60’s and 70’s.

Larry Young was influenced by all that was happening around him, social, political, musical, and cultural ... certainly as both a black man, and a black musician.  And while he moved and weaved his way thought those times, enlightened by Post Bop, Soul Jazz, Funk Jazz, Jazz Fusion, and into a short Avant Garde phase, Mr. Young leaves that tail of breadcrumbs throughout all of his releases, meaning that if you were dropped down in 1970, and may have cut your teeth on Lawrence of Newark, you could still flashback to Testifying with ease.

In the world of jazz, I have nearly always found that the first two albums from a band or artist define who they are, and who they will be, with all that comes after, being merely a development of skill and talent, because those first two albums are usually beholding to know one.  Of course one can make the case that it’s not until the middle of an artist’s career that they really discover themselves.  Yet there’s something different in the case of Larry Young, a man who as I said was influenced by the music and the times, acting more as a lightning rod for the social and musical sea-changes that were happening all around him.  This is not to diminish the work of Larry Young, it simply means that the man was keenly aware of his surroundings, and considered those surroundings heavily when it came to his music.

And to that end I want to point out the brilliance that was Testifying, because it certainly was Larry’s most defining moment, a footprint in the sand, when he was going over to John Coltrane’s home and jamming with him, before his groundbreaking development as a jazz fusion artist, playing with the likes of John McLaughin, or Carlos Santana.  Testifying is all about Young’s [at 19] blues and jazz based roots, where his influence by Jimmy Smith can be heard, where he swings, and his tone and intonation are lighter, and perhaps most refined and personally articulated. 

Anyway ... that’s how I feel about it, Testifying is Young’s most resounding achievement in that it sounds honest and to the point, never giving me the feeling that I’ve had enough, never moving left or right of center, Testifying is simply grounded in an effortless presentation and precision that stands the test of time.

Review made by Jenell Kesler/2015

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2015

JAZZ CORNER Presents: Noura Mint Seymali - Tzenni (2014)

Noura Mint Seymali 'Tzenni' (Glitterbeat, 2014)

Tzenni is one of my favorite records from 2014.  Ms. Seymali fronts a North African power rock quartet with her beautifully ecstatic vocal style and her husband tears it on guitar. The rhythm section is more a foundation for the guitars and vocals to soar over, but when I saw these guys live in upstate New York, they had an almost 7 foot bass player and he was pretty funky. Quietly funky but right there.

They are from North Africa and sport a rockier version of Tinariwen's sound, another band you should check out but stick with their efforts from the early 00s.  Seymali plays a traditional stringed instrument but it's pretty subdued compared to her husband's playing, which is sinuous, trippy and rocking.

The tune, clipped below, opens up the record and is more mid tempo than some of the later tunes on the record.

"Eguetmar"

And here's the title track:

"Tzenni"

I checked her website and she is playing 9 European festivals over the course of the summer. I urge folks to go check her and the band out as you don't get to see this sort of guitar playing very often.

Review made by Steven Walcott/2015

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2015

JAZZ CORNER Presents: Pat Bianchi

Pat Bianchi is a dominant force on the Hammond Organ. He's one of the leading Organist and an incredible B3 player. He's a very busy man – playing and touring with various of projects. Currently, Bianchi is an active member of the Pat Martino Trio, the Tim Warfield Organ Quartet, and he also frequently plays with Lou Donaldson. 

His current trio recorded A Higher Standard, on which we will return later in our conversation with Pat.  

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/patbianchib3

When and where were you born?

I was born Dec 7, 1975 in Rochester NY.

How old were you when you began playing music and what was the first instrument you played?

I was probably 5 or 6 when I started, I was playing completely by ear at that time, I did not start any kind of lessons until I was 7 (I think). Once my parents saw I was really interested in music they decided to enroll me in classical piano lessons. But before that, the first instrument I played was organ, though it wasn’t a Hammond. I think I had a toy organ… a “Magnus” or something then soon after my grandfather gave me a Farfisa Compact Duo as a Christmas present and my other grandfather gave me an amplifier as a gift to go with the organ.

What inspired you to start playing music?  Do you recall the first song you ever learned to play?

I come from a family of musicians. Both grandfathers played (semi professionally) my father is a drummer, one uncle is a classical trumpet player, a cousin is a professional opera singer and my brother plays guitar and records and tours with many different bands. But my inspiration came at a very young age. My father would often make recordings of the band he played with. He would bring them home and we would listen to them together. There was a sound that really had caught my attention, looking back it sounded very much like an organ. I didn’t realize then, but that sound turned out to be a Cordovox which was an accordion with organ electronics built in. I never played the accordion or cordovox, but I would sit for hours at my toy keyboard and later Farfisa and figure out these songs from the recordings my dad made. I am trying to remember the first song I learned.. Maybe it was "Misty" or something like that. Anyhow looking back, I had a real advantage when I was starting out. Since the Farfisa had an octave of bass, I ended up learning how to play left hand bass first. Later I had spent a lot of time playing all pedal bass and comping with my left hand, eventually switching back to the way Jimmy Smith and all the greats played the bass. The majority of your bass lines come from your left hand while accenting notes with the bass pedals.

Did you attend any school of music? Would you say school assisted on what you became as a musician? By that I mean your style of playing and on how are you approaching the process of writing new compositions.

When I was still in high school I attended the preparatory department at Eastman School of Music (in Rochester) .. I studied both classical piano as well as music theory. I do believe that everything in life shapes you in terms of your playing and music. Our experiences both good and bad define who we are, which comes out in our music. But to answer your question in a more concrete way, yes school played a big part in shaping me. I attended Berklee College of Music focusing on Jazz Piano since there wasn’t and still is not any type of formal study for Jazz Organ or Hammond B3. But I was very fortunate to find some very incredible teachers and mentors. I learned a lot from many of the classes I took, more theory, arranging, etc.

    

For me, I am not sure school really had dictated my approach to composing.  A composition can be the result of so many things.. rhythmic ideas, melodic or motivic ideas or a set of chord changes, sometimes it comes easy to me while other times it takes more effort. Actually I do not compose as often as I should.

Who are some musicians, that influenced you in one way or another?

There are so many musicians that have influenced me. Of course the biggest influences are the musicians I have worked for and with. I was very fortunate to be mentored by many great musicians, some you have heard of, others maybe not. But these people gave me the opportunity to learn from them both on and off the bandstand. I truly believe that is the real school.. On the bandstand you are dealing with everything in real time, playing with musicians that may be two or three times your age. That is when your education truly begins and you are able to develop even quicker. You are constantly being put to the test and growing as a result.

You played and shared stages with many worldwide known jazz musicians. How was to work with them and what are some altering experiences from co-working with them?

When I look back at the the number of people I’ve played with over the years, first I am pretty amazed. So I guess you can say that I am humbled for sure. But I can remember having a wide range of emotions, being nervous almost to the point of being scared, excited beyond belief and of course everything in the middle. In terms of life altering experiences, I can think of a few. Right after graduating from Berklee I did a few gigs with the great saxophonist Red Holloway. I remember being so nervous, cause he was a legend. But he was on of the nicest and most encouraging people I had met! Another was playing a concert with George Coleman.. I was a little nervous, but excited too.. so the first tune he call’s was "Day’s of Wine and Roses". I felt relieved because I knew that song.. but then he looks at me and says "play it in the key of E". We’ll as I mentioned earlier the bandstand is where you really learn. George took me to school that night! Of course having the opportunity to play a two B3 concert with Joey D and Byron Landham was just an incredible experience. These are the kinds of things you will never forget.

You have a brand new album out 'A Higher Standard', which you recorded with Byron Landham and Craig Ebner. What can you say about the lineup and the recording process of releasing your latest album?

I think both Byron and Craig are two of my favorite musicians to work with. Both are great friends, Byron is like an older (and wiser) brother to me. He’s taught me a lot, and kicks my butt on the stage. He’s is with out a doubt one of the best drummers playing today! Craig is an amazing guitarist. I am very sensitive to how others "comp" or accompany me when I solo. Craig always plays great behind me and when he solo’s, look out!! He is of the most creative players on his instrument and has some serious intensity. I feel he deserves much more recognition. The recording process was straight forward, but since I did this record on a small budget, I ended up mixing it myself. That was very tedious for me, but with the help of my mastering engineer, I think I got a nice sound. But in order to actually release the record, I needed to get more money together for the manufacturing, promo, etc. So I am also very proud to say that thanks to my friends, family and fans who donated money and supported my efforts, I was successful in using indegogo.com to to raise money AND meet my financial goal needed to release the CD.

How about the arrangements?

One word… challenging!! I have never been one to just go into a studio and call a bunch of tunes on the spot and call it a record. So I feel part of my "voice" is also in the arranging, the harmony, the rhythm, etc. I spend a lot of time really trying to get these arrangements as focused as possible.. Also I feel this record covers a lot of ground musically and each tune demands something different from me. I always try and push myself, you can never be complacent. 

What lies in the near future for you?

Well I have another record in the can. It pays tribute to the great Henry Mancini. This trio (Jim White on drums and Steve Kovalcheck on guitar) use to work a lot together when I was living in Denver, Colorado. There are some great, but obscure songs with great arrangements. I hope to get this released over the summer. Also another trio I work with quite a bit in Italy featuring Massimo Farao on piano and Byron Landham on drums have done a few things in the studio and I am working on getting that record together as well. Finally I am also considering which direction I want to go for my next trio recording. So many project!!

During the past few years you have been part of many projects. What are some you would like to highlight?

Well the Unity Project, which is led by master drummer Ralph Peterson Jr. was an incredible group. This group pays tribute to the great Larry Young and the recording Unity, the quartet has a CD released by Onyx Productions. Of course working with Pat Martino, Lou Donaldson and other living legends has been amazing! So many great experiences and stories, I feel very lucky to have the opportunities to play with them!

Thank you very much for taking time to be part of It's Psychedelic Baby's Jazz Corner. Last word is yours.

Well I really appreciate you taking the time to do this interview with me and of course I am very grateful for the opportunity to share some of my stories and experiences! To those who are reading this, please take a moment and visit www.patbianchi.com and check out excerpts of A Higher Standard I hope you enjoy listening to it! Again thank you so much!!

Interview made by Klemen Breznikar/2015

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2015

JAZZ CORNER Presents: Wayne Shorter - Night Dreamer (1964)

Night Dreamer is all that it’s supposed to be ... for me it was as if I had opened the door to my past.  I remembered being about fourteen in 1964, going to a quiet but upscale dinner party with my parents, where the host and hostess not only played really cool music like this, but they understood this music, and they had the clothes and gracious attitude to wrap it all up in a perfect package.  I rode home, sitting in the back seat alone, but in my mind I was still sitting at the dinner table, paying attention to every little detail ... with words like “hor d’ourves,” “shredded blue cheese,” “jazz,” and “light dimmers” echoing in my head.  It was all so new to me, it was a world in which my parents did not travel, but certainly one I hoped to; and with all of the same grace and ease shown by my hostess, in her black, sleeveless, turtle necked, angora dress and single strand of glimmering pearls.

Her name was Dana, and she didn’t talk down to me, she was happy to point and discuss anything I looked at ... but what held my attention most, was that she always seemed to be listening to the music, even while she was talking she was listening ... so was her husband, who would do this quick tappy drumming thing right over his heart almost unconsciously.  I remember her saying how much she loved this album by Wayne Shorter, she even picked it up and showed it to me, but with my head so full of new wonders, it is no wonder that I did not remember his name, or “Night Dreamer,” the title of this album.  Now, over forty years later, a dear friend has reacquainted me with such a seminal moment in my life ... when everything was was cool and blue and new.

This is nearly a perfect record, reflecting the talent of one of the greatest Jazz musicians.  Even in Rock, yet alone Jazz, it is seldom that I have the luxury of playing an album from which every song proves a comfortable listen from beginning to end ... and Night Dreamer is one of those exceptions.  The songs are varied, but seem to maintain an emotional theme, centering around relationships gone astray, romance, heartbreak, love, pain ... and all from the perspective of an artist who has actually lived these experiences, and has been gracious enough to share them with us.  While the songs are not so much remembered in the fashion that one can hum them from memory, never the less, the songs seem to find a place in your mind, and reside there for all time ... I am living proof of that.

The smile this release brought to my face, and the warmth to my heart, was like meeting an old friend again ... one whom I will not let slip between my fingers for a second time.

Review made by Jenell Kesler/2015

© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2015

JAZZ CORNER Presents: Pete La Roca - Basra (1965)

What a sincerely fun piece of work this is ... from the onset, there is a nice heavy bottom created by the piano and bass, evoking an intensely warm feeling ... like winds blowing music across the desert floor.  That south of the boarder feel, is no doubt a response to Pete La Roca’s life time love of Latin Music ... hence the name La Roca.

Of course, when he’s laying down the licks with the like of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins or Jackie Mc Lean, he goes by his given name of Pete Sims ... and interesting consideration being how to file him in your music collection ... less of course you divide your collection into Bad, Fair, Good, and Excellent ... then it’s a no brainer, just use the “Excellent” section. 

I find his use of a sure bottom one of the most interesting aspects on this release ... giving the listener someplace comfortable to return, and as consistently recognizable as a road sign ... you will not loose your sense of direction here.  This is nice playful music that does not demand your attention, so much as it exists all around you, making it as impossible to avoid as the air you breathe ... and just as refreshing.

Review made by Jenell Kesler/2015

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