Thursday, April 27, 2017

NEW RELEASES: WES MONTGOMERY / WYNTON KELLY TRIO – SMOKIN’ IN SEATTLE: LIVE AT THE PENTHOUSE (1966); MAURICE BROWN – MOOD; NICOLE MITCHELL – MADORLA AWAKENING 2: EMERGING WORLDS

WES MONTGOMERY / WYNTON KELLY TRIO – SMOKIN’ IN SEATTLE: LIVE AT THE PENTHOUSE (1966) 

Previously unreleased live sets featuring jazz guitar icon Wes Montgomery with the swinging Wynton Kelly Trio featuring bassist Ron McClure & drummer Jimmy Cobb Recorded at Seattle's prestigious jazz club the Penthouse on April 14 and 21, 1966. Includes 40-page booklet featuring rare photos, essays by modern guitar icon Pat Metheny, Seattle Times writer Paul de Barros, Resonance producer Zev Feldman, original recording engineer Jim Wilke, plus interviews with NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron, Jimmy Cobb & more! Tracks listing: 1. There Is No Greater Love (7:56); 2. Not a Tear (6:29); 3. Jingles (4:31); 4. What's New (4:51); 5. Blues in F (2:44); 6. Sir John (8:10); 7. If You Could See Me Now (5:54); 8. West Coast Blues (3:56); 9. O Morro Não Tem Vez (6:15); and 10. Oleo (2:08). Personnel:  Wes Mongtgomery – Guitar; Wynton Kelly – piano; Ron McClure – bass; and Jimmy Cobb – drums.

MAURICE BROWN – MOOD

Fantastic sounds from trumpeter Maurice Brown – a straight jazz player by training, but one who opens up here in a warmly soulful groove! The record bristles with loads of great keyboards from Kris Bowers – whose sound is as important to the album as Brown's trumpet – and the rhythms are played live, but have a nicely chunky quality that fits in well with the occasional vocal from Maurice – as well as guest vocal contributions from Talib Kweli, Chris Turner, and J Ivy! Most tracks also feature tenor from Chelsea Baratz – and the whole thing's got a nice groove that's maybe in the same electric territory as some of the more soul-drenched titles in recent years from Blue Note. Titles include "The Mood", "On My Way Home", "Stand Up","Moroccan Dancehall", "Shenanigans", "Capricorn Rising", and "Journey Exotique".  ~ Dusty Groove

NICOLE MITCHELL – MADORLA AWAKENING 2: EMERGING WORLDS

One of the deepest records we've ever heard from Nicole Mitchell – and that's saying a lot, given all her other fantastic albums! This richly-textured piece was first commissioned in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the AACM – that legendary jazz organization of which Mitchell is a part – and as a whole, it really demonstrates both the strong legacy of the group, and the farther territory it's reached over its decades-long span – music that has pushed past the initial moment of improvisation, through the AACM's standard of "great black music" as a replacement for classical – to the sorts of spiritual, cosmic sounds that Mitchell does so well. In addition to Nicole on flute and electronics, the group also features Avery R Young on vocals, Kojiro Umezaki on shakuhachi, Renee Baker on violin, Tatsu Aoki on bass and shamisen, Jovia Armstrong on percussion, Tomeka Reid on cello and banjo, and Alex Wing on electric guitar, oud, and theremin – a mix of instruments that is global in scope, electric and acoustic, and really used to effortlessly express the spiritual vision of Mitchell. The notes go into great detail about the thoughts and inspiration behind the music – and titles include "Egoes War", "The Chalice", "Dance Of Many Hands", "Listening Embrace", "Forestwall Timewalk", "Staircase Struggle", "Shiny Divider", "Timewrap", and "Mandorla Island".  ~ Dusty Groove


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