Bluesman Bobby Rush Releases "Porcupine Meat"

Naming your album after a song entitled “Porcupine Meat” may seem a little unusual unless you’re Bobby Rush, who earned his first gold record in 1971 with a hit entitled “Chicken Heads.” He elaborates on his recent composition:  “If a lady won’t treat me right, but she doesn’t want anyone else to have me, that is hard to digest.” Hence the lyric, “too fat to eat, too lean to throw away.” Porcupine Meat is Rush’s debut release for Rounder Records, and one of the best recordings of his astonishing 60-plus year career.  Rush estimates that he has cut over 300 songs since he first began making music. He has been honored with three Grammy nominations, as well as 41 nominations and 10 awards from the Blues Foundation.

But make no mistake: Rush is not your typical octogenarian. At age 82, he exudes the energy of a 20 year old, and is on the road for over 200 dates a year. His hectic tour schedule has earned him the affectionate title “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit.” Rush has traveled the globe, and has performed in such faraway places as Japan and Beirut. In 2007, he earned the distinction of being the first blues artist to play at the Great Wall of China. His renowned stage act features his famed shake dancers, who personify his funky blues and the ribald humor that he has cultivated during the course of his storied career.

Born Emmet Ellis, Jr. in Homer, Louisiana, he adopted the stage name Bobby Rush out of respect for his father, a pastor. According to Rush, his parents never talked about the blues being the devil’s music. “My daddy never told me to sing the blues, but he also didn’t tell me to not sing the blues. I took that as a green light.”

Rush built his first guitar when he was a youngster. “I didn’t know where to buy one, even if I had the money. I was a country boy,” he says. After seeing a picture of a guitar in a magazine, he decided to make one by attaching the top wire of a broom to a wall and fretting it with a bottle. He also got some harmonica lessons from his father He eventually acquired a real guitar, and started playing in juke joints as a teenager, when his family briefly relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas. The fake moustache Rush wore made club owners believe he was old enough to gain entry into their establishments. While he was living in Little Rock, Rush’s band, which featured Elmore James, had a residency at a nightspot called Jackrabbit.

During the mid-1950s, Rush relocated to Chicago to pursue his musical career and make a better life for himself. It was there that he started to work with Earl Hooker, Luther Allison, and Freddie King. sat in with many of his musical heroes, such as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon,and Little Walter. Rush eventually began leading his own band in the 1960s. He also started to craft his own distinct style of funky blues, and recorded a succession of singles for a various small labels. It wasn’t until the early 1970’s that Rush finally scored a hit with “Chicken Heads.” More recordings followed, including an album for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Label.

Rush relocated one final time to Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1980s. He was tired of the cold up north, and he realized that setting up his base of operations directly in the center of the South would make it easier to perform in nearby cities on weekends. More indie label recordings followed. Songs like “Sue, A Man Can Give (But He Sure Can’t Take It),” “What’s Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander Too,” and” I Ain’t Studdin’ You” became regional jukebox favorites in juke joints throughout the region, and many of those songs are still fan favorites that are an integral part of his live repertoire.

Since 2003, Rush has self-released the majority of his work (including the critically acclaimed Folk Funk album) on his Deep Rush label, but recently, he came to the realization that having a bigger record company behind him would be beneficial. “I outgrew myself,” said Rush. “I need someone to help in doing the things I can’t do. When you are wearing all the hats, you can’t be everywhere at once.”

Enter esteemed producer and two-time Grammy winner Scott Billington, Rounder Records’ longtime VP of A&R. Billington first met Rush at a Recording Academy meeting 25 years ago, and they became fast friends. He has wanted to work with Rush ever since.  “He is the most vital bluesman of his generation,” said Billington. He continues, “There are many people who still don’t know Bobby Rush, even though he is a hero in the parallel universe of the Chitlin’ Circuit—fans stop him on the street in Memphis and Helena and Little Rock.”

Porcupine Meat will not only please Rush’s older fans, but is likely to win over many new ones. Billington reflects, “We wanted to come up with something fresh, while staying 100% true to Bobby.”

The album was recorded in New Orleans, and Rush was pleased and proud to be given the opportunity to make an album in his home state for the very first time. His impassioned vocals and in-the-pocket harmonica playing are among the best performances of his career. Unlike most of his recent releases, these sessions only feature real instruments and no synthesizers. All of the rhythm tracks were cut live in the studio, often edited down from jams that on several occasions ran close to ten minutes.

For the project, Billington assembled some of the best Louisiana musicians, including Shane Theriot, David Torkanowsky, Jeffery “Jellybean” Alexander, Kirk Joseph, Cornell Williams, and others. Rush brought along his old friend and longtime collaborator, guitarist Vasti Jackson, who worked with Bobby and Scott on getting the songs ready for the studio. Guitar greats Dave Alvin, Keb’ Mo’, and Joe Bonamassa all make guest appearances on the album.

Rush has always been a prolific and clever songwriter. The songs he penned for Porcupine Meat such as “Dress Too Short,” “I Don’t Want Nobody Hanging Around,” “Me, Myself And I,” “Nighttime Gardener,” “It’s Your Move,” and the title selection, all equal or rival his best material. “Funk o’ de Funk” delivers exactly what the title suggests and what Rush has always done the best, which is putting the funk into the blues. While “Got Me Accused” is inspired by events from Rush’s own life, the lyrics tell an all-too-familiar tale about the rampant racial injustice that afflicts our society. Producer Billington and his wife Johnette Downing (the well known New Orleans songwriter and children’s musician) co-wrote a couple of fine selections, “Catfish Stew” and “Snake In The Grass.”

Bobby Rush is the greatest bluesman currently performing. Porcupine Meat is a testament to his brilliance, which presents him at his very best, and doesn’t try to be anything that he is not. “I just try to record good music and stories,” he humbly states.  With this recording, he has more than accomplished his goal, and has produced one of the finest contemporary blues albums in recent times.

NEW RELEASES: MODERN JAZZ QUARTET – LIVE IN PARIS 1960-1961; THE CRUSADERS – STANDING TALL; SOUL ON THE REAL SIDE #5 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

MODERN JAZZ QUARTET – LIVE IN PARIS 1960-1961

Unreleased material by the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet – recorded live in Paris in 1960 and 1961, at a time when the city was virtually becoming a second home for the group! The recording quality is great – these performances appear to be done for radio – and there's an open-ended sense of performance that's both different than the group's studio recordings of the period, and even some of their other live material too – a way of hearing their perfection in action, but with maybe more of a sense of spontaneity too. John Lewis speaks a bit, announcing some songs – and titles include "Pyramid", "La Ronde", "Django", "Bluesology", "Why Are You Blue", "Lonely Woman", "Animal Dance", "Piazza Navona", "Colombine", "Belkis", "How High The Moon", "Concorde", "Fugato", "Trieste", "Bag's Groove", "Night In Tunisia", "Golden Striker", "If I Were Eve", and "Yesterdays". ~ Dusty Groove

THE CRUSADERS – STANDING TALL

The Crusaders standing tall at the start of the 80s – getting great grooves from the lean trio of Wilton Felder on saxes and bass, Joe Sample on keyboards, and Stix Hooper on drums! The mighty Barry Finnerty handles most of the guitar solos here – although David T Walker also plays a bit too – and other high-end guests round out the sound with a very professional feel, including Billy Preston on organ, Marcus Miller on bass, and Larry Carlton on more guitar. As with other Crusaders albums of this vintage, vocals play a part in the sound – sung here by Joe Cocker on two tracks, sounding almost better here than on his own material. Titles include "Standing Tall", "This Old World's Too Funky For Me", "Luckenbach Texas", "The Longest Night", and "Sunshine In Your Eyes". (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

SOUL ON THE REAL SIDE #5 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Maybe the best volume so far in this excellent series – a compilation collection that never lets us down, but which really brings something special to the mix this time around! There's a wealth of obscure modern soul tracks here – nicely grooving numbers from the 70s and early 80s, mixed with a few choice cuts from later years, too – but all with a warm glow that's plenty classic all the way through – that special blend of soul that made the 70s mellow groove so great! Many tracks are quite obscure, and haven't been reissued elsewhere – and the set features 20 titles in all, with cuts that include "Give Him Up" by First Generation, "Sha-La Bandit" by Delores Hall, "Love Is A Game" by Harry Ray, "Whisper In Your Ear" by Reggie Griffin, "I've Quit Running The Streets" by Garland Green, "Baby Don't Wake Me" by Del Davis, "No One Can Love You Like I Do" by Flakes, "Just The Way You Like It" by Leon Bryant, "I Wanna Spend My Whole Life With You" by Street People, "Be Real" by Tomorrow's Edition, "Let's Do It Now" by JALN Band, "Rain In My Life" by Prophecy, "Aah Dance" by Fine Quality feat Cuz, and Lisa Stansfield's great version of "A Case Of Too Much Love Making". ~ Dusty Groove

Judy Garland Greatest Hits Live Limited Edition Colored Viny; Including Duets With Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett & More

Savoy Jazz is excited has announced the release of "Judy Garland Greatest Hits Live" on limited edition audiophile quality colored vinyl as part of Amazon's "Prime Day" sale today. This special reissue includes recordings taken from the legendary CBS Television series "The Judy Garland Show"--which ran for 26 episodes beginning in 1963. The project is a celebratory sampling of her most popular hits and features rare beloved duets including the all-time classic "Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again" with Barbra Streisand. Other guests include Tony Bennett, Ray Bolger and Ethel Merman.

"The Judy Garland Show" was a much-deserved star vehicle for an artist now considered to be one of the greatest entertainers--if not the greatest--to hit the stage and screen. The series is much revered for its fascinating showcasing of Garland's talent and the many, many stars that appeared and indeed, paid homage to the legendary performer. This collection provides an even greater look at Judy's joy in music and the heightened level of enthusiasm she achieved in her teamings with both friends and with some of the timeless vocalists of the Twentieth Century.

Track Listing:

Side A

1) I Feel A Song Coming On

2) Judy's Olio (Medley: You Made Me Love You / For Me and My Gal / The Trolley Song

3) Medley: Get Happy / Happy Days are Here Again w/ Barbra Streisand

4) The Boy Next Door

5) The Man That Got Away

6) Smile

Side B

1) There's No Business Like Show Business w/ Barbra Streisand & Ethel Merman

2) Swanee

3) I Left My Heart in San Francisco w/ Tony Bennett

4) What'll I Do?

5) They Can't Take That Away From Me

6) Just in Time

7) If I Only Had a Brain w/ Ray Bolger

8) Over the Rainbow

Bassist Jeff Denson Redefines his Ever-Expanding Creative Universe with Concentric Circles

A protean musical force who reveals new sonic realms with each project, Jeff Denson decided to see what it sounds like when his worlds collide. The bassist, composer, professor and bandleader has produced an array of astonishing music since settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. He's explored intricate harmonic soundscapes in Electreo with drummer Alan Hall and bassoon and electronics virtuoso Paul Hanson, and reached his widest audience collaborating with the octogenarian alto legend on 2015's The Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz. His new album Concentric Circles, just released on his Ridgeway label on June 24, combines the talent-laden personnel of Electreo and the Jeff Denson Trio in a startlingly original quartet.

Featuring Electreo's Hanson and Hall and the Jeff Denson Trio's pianist Dan Zemelman, Concentric Circles is a breathtaking acoustic project that focuses on the bassist's finely wrought compositions. While only two tracks feature his vocals, Denson's writing is deeply informed by his connection to the voice, a lyrical sensibility that manifests itself in his breathtaking bow work and gracefully flowing pizzicato lines. While he draws personnel from two ongoing ensembles, Denson sees Concentric Circles as encompassing yet another distinct creative domain by building on the intricately constructed chamber jazz of Secret World, his 2012 album featuring trumpeter Ralph Alessi, drummer Dan Weiss and pianist Florian Weber (his partner in the acclaimed collective trio Minsarah).

"I started with the concept of bringing these two groups together, so that's one set of circles," Denson says. "And I'm writing music dealing with interlocking melodies, wheels within wheels, themes exploring constant change and the world we live in. It's really a follow up to Secret World, a setting in which I'm really free to write and compose. The pieces aren't lead sheet style compositions. The forms are pretty complicated, with a lot of through-composed parts, written out second lines and improvised sections that touch on my circles of influence-jazz, free improv, chamber music, and the centrality of the voice."

Marked by rapid movement and vivid incident, the album opens with "City Life," a tune built on an unusual subdivision of seven inspired by the relentless momentum of New York subways. Like a Mondrian grid, the piece turns an abstract representation into the pulsing embodiment of urban experience. Driven by Zemelman's hurtling left hand, "Anticipation" exemplifies Denson's gift for crafting extended melodic lines. Navigating the long form and the unexpected harmonic progression with seeming ease, these consummate musicians make his highly challenging piece sound like an oft-played jazz standard.

One of the many pleasures provided by Concentric Circles is the way in which Denson and Hanson blend their sumptuous sounds. On "A Thought That Lingers" it's often impossible to distinguish between the double reed and the arco bass as the episodic, multi-meter tune moves from the lush opening harmonies to the jagged, almost atonal middle section and the concluding return to comforting tonality. Like Electreo, Denson sees the ensemble as a forum for exploring Hanson's unprecedented mastery. "Almost immediately after meeting him I put Electreo together and we started doing gigs in different settings," he says. "In addition to being a hyper virtuoso, Paul is arguably the top improvising bassoonist in the world."

Denson's formative source of inspiration, the voice, moves to the foreground on "Wishing Well," a gently imploring chamber jazz setting that serves as an open letter to a close friend. He puts his voice to very different use on "Once the Door Opens," a ravishing piece in which Denson's lithe bass moves in a different meter than his wordless vocal line. A spiritually charged journey, the song builds to an exquisite intertwined harmonic dance between bass, vocals, and bassoon. While conceived with lyrics, "Time Waits for No One" turned into an instrumental number with Denson bowing the melancholy, almost brooding melody.

The album closes with Duke Ellington's classic lament "I've Got It Bad." It's a brief solo bass tour de force, rendered entirely with ringing harmonics, an exercise that flows from Denson's continual quest to bring the bass into new territory. "I wanted to see what I could do to make it sound like a chordal instrument," he says. "You can make the bass sound like a flute or angels singing, so you wouldn't even know it's this gigantic wooden box."

Make no mistake, Denson writes difficult music. The marvelous coherence and captivating interplay on Concentric Circles is a testament to these musicians' capacious skills. Zemelman is "a very creative and very musical player who's really interested in straight ahead jazz," Denson says. "But he's also very open, and a great reader. He's a great melodic improviser, who can bridge these different sounds I'm interested in with his classical background. And Alan is awesome, a super creative person. He's a fantastic visual artist who does mixed-media work with photography and found objects. And of course he's a virtuoso drummer, with amazing rhythmic control, and an incredible amount of power and energy he can bring to a group."

Born on Dec. 20, 1976 in Arlington, Virginia, Denson grew up in the orbit of Washington, DC. After playing alto sax from third grade through junior high he gave up the horn, but was drawn back to music when friends in high school recruited him as a singer for rock bands. When one of those groups also needed a bass player, he took over the spot and before long found himself drawn to the jazz and funk electric bass pantheon, "Players like Jaco, Bootsy Collins, and Stanley Clarke served as the gateway," Denson recalls. "When I heard the virtuosic electric playing in fusion, that opened the door to jazz." Listening to Miles Davis led him to the double bass, but it was Mingus who inspired him to give up his Fender. "I heard 'Haitian Fight Song' where he plays that amazing intro, and that was the defining moment," Denson says. "I knew I'd never be able to make sounds like that on an electric bass."

Although he was offered a visual arts scholarship to DC's vaunted Corcoran School of the Arts, Denson decided to study at Virginia Commonwealth University, where his passion for music gradually eclipsed his interest in painting and photography. He also studied jazz, theory and sight reading at Northern Virginia Community College while supporting himself freelancing around DC, playing jazz, orchestral music, rock covers, and leading his own funk combo as a bassist and vocalist. Earning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, he quickly fell in with German pianist Florian Weber and Israeli drummer Ziv Ravitz, fellow students with whom he formed Minsarah. The collective trio released its debut album on Hubermusic, and followed up in 2006 with a critically hailed eponymous album on Enja Records. While touring internationally with the group Denson managed to maintain a rigorous academic career.

Recruited by Florida State University, he earned an MM in Jazz Studies and discovered an affinity for teaching. Preparing to move to New York City upon graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2005 he ran into bass giant Mark Dresser, who had just been hired as a professor at UC San Diego. With Dresser's encouragement and a full scholarship, Denson relocated to Southern California and earned his doctorate in contemporary music performance with an emphasis on composition. Throughout his San Diego sojourn, Denson continued to tour widely with Minsarah, and it was during a spate of 2006 concerts in Germany that Lee Konitz first heard the band, "the start of a great adventure," Denson says. "The stuff we do is very different than any music in his canon. Lee is a true improviser. He doesn't play licks. He really responds."

With Minsarah serving as his band, the critically hailed Lee Konitz New Quartet debuted on 2007's Deep Lee and followed up with 2009's Live at the Village Vanguard, which earned the 2010 Album of the Year Award from France's Jazzman Magazine, and 2014's Standards Live: At the Village Vanguard (all on Enja). Denson went on to demonstrate his vast versatility with simultaneous duo releases, interpreting American hymns and spirituals with powerhouse San Diego pianist Joshua White on I'll Fly Away and recording an album of free improvisation with Swiss clarinet virtuoso Claudio Puntin on Two. Since relocating to the East Bay in 2011 to take on a full professorship at the California Jazz Conservatory, Denson has forged ties with some of the Bay Area's top players, including clarinetist Ben Goldberg and guitarist Mimi Fox. A prolific composer and arranger, he's written music for an array of jazz settings, from big band to trio, as well as for string ensembles, solo bass, and a chamber opera.

He's brought his many pursuits under one umbrella with the recent unveiling of Ridgeway Arts, a non-profit designed to enhance and fortify the Bay Area scene, and to make a strong contribution to the national landscape of jazz and the arts in general, through a four-pronged plan of expression, education, presenting and documentation.  He introduced the initiative with The Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz, and followed up with Arctic by Alan Hall's critically hailed electric ensemble Ratatet. With Concentric Circles, Denson continues to expand Ridgeway's possibilities, building bridges between artists, students, and audiences "to get the music to people," he says. "It's a vehicle for music that gets lost amidst the dross of mass culture."

www.jeffdenson.com

NEW MUSIC: THE SENIOR SERVICE – THE GIRL IN THE GLASS CASE; DOUG WEBB – BRIGHT SIDE; MAX IONATA – REWIND

THE SENIOR SERVICE – THE GIRL IN THE GLASS CASE

Mod sounds from Senior Service – a sweet set of 60s-styled instrumentals that definitely live up to the retro look of the cover – in a space between spy soundtracks, London beat styles, and the production work of Joe Meek! The combo features stunning Hammond from Jonathan P Barker, who plays with a quality that takes us back to Alan Hawkshaw on his famous sound library funk of the late 60s and early 70s – hardly beholden at all to a US soul jazz style, and instead opened up with some different tones that have much more of a mod London vibe! The rest of the group features guitar, bass, and drums – all romping in just the right sort of rhythms – and the album also features some guest trumpet, vibes, and theramin too – on titles that include "Caballo Sin Nombre", "Hit The Lip", "Psyclone", "The Intruder", "Five Beans In The Wheel", "Abandoned", and "Sons Of The Desert". ~ Dusty Groove

DOUG WEBB – BRIGHT SIDE

Doug Webb's a tenorist we're really growing to love and love more with each new record – a player who can come on with a bold, soulful punch at some moments – then carve these fluid lines at others, which he does wonderfully here alongside the organ of Brian Charette and guitar of Ed Cherry! The mix of both instruments is used in a way that's post-soul jazz – creating an open palette of colors, rhythms, and opportunities for new sorts of action – that sense of new discovery that we love so much on the later recordings of Hank Mobley, where familiar elements are reshuffled in a beautiful way – all to further the genius of the leader on tenor! Webb's playing here really lives up to that promise, and gets great help in the frontline from Joe Magnarelli on trumpet. Steve Fidyk plays drums, Charette handles the basslines on the organ – and titles include "Doctor Miles", "The Drive", "Society Al", "Silver Lining", "Lunar", "One For Hank", and "Melody For Margie". ~ Dusty Groove

MAX IONATA – REWIND

A wonderful setting for reedman Max Ionata – an album that has him working alongside some Hammond organ from Alberto Gurrisi, who really brings a soulful vibe to the album! Max is always great on other albums – and often plays with this rich tenor sound that takes us back to our favorite players of the 60s – but here, alongside the Hammond, he's especially great – and finds a way to flow like never before! The album also features Frits Landesbergen on drums and a bit of vibes – and titles include "Bob's Mood", "Drum", "The Black Hole", "Sunflower", "Chovendo Na Roseira", and "Mr GT". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW MUSIC: DJ SPINNA PRESENTS THE WONDER OF STEVIE; TANBOU TOUJOU LOU – MERINGUE, KOMPA KREYOL, VODOU JAZZ & ELECTRIC FOLKLORE FROM HAITI 1960-1981; BADBADNOTGOOD - IV

DJ SPINNA PRESENTS THE WONDER OF STEVIE (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

An incredible collection of Stevie Wonder cover versions – different versions of familiar tunes, but ones that really manage to sparkle with all the righteous soul of the Stevie himself! It's been over a decade since DJ Spinna brought us the last version of his Wonder Of Stevie series – and during that time, he's managed to come up with a huge amount of great tracks that make the whole thing go way way deeper than before – not just cuts that copy the Wonder mode, but which seem to draw strong inspiration from its genius, and really soar to the skies! Much of the music here resonates with a charm that's located around the years of albums like Music Of My Mind and Innervisions, with all the jazzy currents that might imply – and some cuts are 70s vintage, others are more contemporary. Titles include "Bird Of Beauty" by US Atlantic First Navy Show Band, "It's My Pleasure" by Billy Preston, "Love's In Need Of Love Today" by John Minnis Big Bone Band, "As" by Tony Sherman, "Buttercup" by Jackson 5, "Have A Talk With God" by East St Louis Gospelettes, "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me" by Quincy Jones, "Golden Lady" by Reel People with Tony Momrelle, "If You Don't Love Me" by GC Cameron, "If She Breaks Your Heart Again" by Foreign Exchange, "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing" by Black Sugar, "Go Home" by Jrod Indigo, and "Make My Water Boil" by David Ruffin. 2CDs – one of the cuts unmixed, one with the tracks in a continuous mix by Spinna!  ~ Dusty Groove

TANBOU TOUJOU LOU – MERINGUE, KOMPA KREYOL, VODOU JAZZ & ELECTRIC FOLKLORE FROM HAITI 1960-1981 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

 Fantastic sounds from Haiti – served up in all the styles promised by the title, and pulled from a mixture of private collections and radio recordings that also document the Haitian diaspora during the nation's years of dictatorship! Yet given the restriction of the government, the cultural palette here is surprisingly wide and wonderful – with a mixture of jazz, Latin, and African currents flowing through the music in a really lively way – representing Haiti's unique crossroads in the Caribbean! Some of these cuts almost feel as if they could have been taken from Havana – save for the French language lyrics – while others echo a bit of the jazzy styles of Guadaloupe, and others maybe have the starker sound of vintage Colombia music – which makes for a tremendously vivid collection all the way through. Package comes with a huge amount of great notes – and titles include "Lagen" by Zotobre, "Bebe Showman" by Les Loups Noirs, "Lola" by Chanel 10, "Lonin" by Super Jazz De Jeunes, "Epoque Chaleur" by Shupa Shupa, "Soulfrance" by Ibo Combo, "Madeleine" by Super Choucoune 70, and "Prend Courage" by Ensemble Webert Sicot.  ~ Dusty Groove

BADBADNOTGOOD - IV

Badbadnotgood have always been pretty damn great, actually – and never better than on album IV – a remarkable step forward for the group! As ever, they take inspiration from some of the best prog, jazz, funk (and proggy jazz funk...they blend) of the 70s and beyond, but weave it into fairly distinctive and genuinely fun modern sound. It's built to last, too –we're sure be able to come back to their work in a couple decades and it'll still work! IV finds them with the confidence to trade in some fairly subtle, smoothed out moments between to more boisterous ones, and they're more dexterous in the instrumentation – especially in the horns, keys and percussion – but some great vibes, strings, flute and more when the mood calls. Includes the great vocal track "Time Moves Slow" with Sam Herring of Future Islands, "And That, Too", "Lavender", "IV", "Chompy's Paradise", "Structure No. 3", "Cashmere", "Hyssops Of Love" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

RED PIANO RECORDS TO RELEASE THE FRANK CARLBERG LARGE ENSEMBLE: MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS AND NIGHTMARES

The Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble is: Kirk Knuffke, John Carlson, Dave Smith, Jonathan Powell - trumpets; Alan Ferber, Brian Drye, Chris Washburne, Max Seigal - trombones; John O'Gallagher, Jeremy Udden, Sam Sadigursky, Adam Kolker, Brian Landrus - saxophones; Christine Correa - voice; Frank Carlberg - piano, Johannes Weidenmueller - bass, Michael Sarin - drums; JC Sanford - conductor

MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS AND NIGHTMARES, the new large ensemble recording from Frank Carlberg (on Red Piano Records, February 10, 2017), draws its inspiration from the work of Thelonious Monk. The album taps into the atmosphere and orbit of Monk; infected by, informed by, in awe of Monk, and presented as an act of love and respect. The pieces generate their shapes from splinters, cells and feelings found in and around Monk's music, as well as from his verbal utterances in the form of advice and/or cryptic observations. MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS AND NIGHTMARES is not intended as a tribute album, but rather as, "a celebration of the beauty and vitality of his music that has impacted me profoundly," explained Frank Carlberg. "I thought it fitting to present this recording during the Monk Centennial year, 2017."

Why Monk? Carlberg explains: "For me, a Monk-inspired project is quite personal. Monk's music has been central to my musical life from very early on. The clarity of his thought, the uncompromising nature of his art, the emotional impact Monk's music has made on me; this recording is a culmination of all these elements, and being able to record this music with these remarkable musicians is really a dream come true for me!"

The opener, DRY BEAN STEW, borrows shapes and snippets from Monk's, "I Mean You". It begins with mysteriously pulsating sounds and noises that gradually develop into a restless rhythm, alternating between longer and shorter beats. This tempo with an irregular gait meets up with a descending motif that echoes "I Mean You." After several shifts the pulse slows to half-time and features resonant wind voicings. Suddenly the metrically unsettled tempo returns with cascading figures in counterpoint hurtling towards a blistering solo by John O'Gallagher on alto. The end of O'Gallagher's solo leads back to the half-time feel and a piano excursion by Carlberg. The band's swinging statement then concludes with a transition to a tutti rhythmic romp serving as a back drop to trumpeter John Carlson's soaring, emotive lines. A long ascending line is followed by the cascading horn lines, with increased counterpoint, before the band delivers one more short statement in half-time. A humorous wink to the classic Monk intro ends the piece on a light note.

RHYMES features a lyrical a cappella bass solo by Weidenmüller as an introduction. Once the band enters, Clark Coolidge's evocative poem, "Rhymes with Monk" (read here by poet Paul Lichter), permeates the whole piece. The band commentary features brief solo spots by Jeremy Udden on alto saxophone, and David Smith on trumpet, as well as many allusions to Monk-like shapes by the horn sections.

SPHERE is an energetic romp centered around the pitch of Bb. Washburne's trombone sets the tone before the horns gradually enter in playful rhythmic counterpoint with occasional interruptions. A hint of "Straight No Chaser" enters the fray but disappears just as quickly. After a metric modulation and some tonal shifts Udden's alto takes over with a lyrical disposition. The horns re-enter and build to a climax of organized chaos. After a brief tempo change Washburne and the simmering rhythm section bring the tune to a playful ending.

After some bird-like textures on A DARKER SHADE OF LIGHT BLUE the melancholic melody enters gradually bringing the whole band together in a short tutti statement. Brian Landrus takes over with a yearning bass clarinet solo supported by bass and drums. Clustered voicings provide a backdrop to the solo. A tempo is established with Sarin setting the stage for a bass line with bass trombone and bass clarinet. Carlson solos with gusto on trumpet and a lively sectional counterpoint leads to a rambunctious finale that quickly dissipates into silence.

  

BEAST, with its distant echoes of Monk's "Ugly Beauty" evokes a somber merry-go-round atmosphere. Alan Ferber's trombone is featured to great effect, building the intensity before the re-entry of the thematic material.

YOU DIG! is a lively verbal Monk quote, sung by Christine Correa. The music rushes forward with reckless abandon, and after breathless woodwinds and relentless brass, O'Gallagher matches the intensity in his brilliant alto solo. After the band returns, drummer Michael Sarin has the spotlight and dispatches a delightfully inventive solo turn before a last humorous slow reiteration of the text.

NO FEAR, MY DEAR opens with stately low winds and bass providing the environment for Sarin's percussive ruminations. After a gradual orchestral build Adam Kolker's tenor plays a beautifully crafted call and response solo with the band. Eventually the ensemble takes over and borrows some phrases of "Ruby, My Dear" in rich orchestration. An open wind pyramid of perfect fifths brings the piece to a close.

The motivic and harmonic materials of INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY are mostly derived from the interval of a sixth (the interval also structurally significant in Monk's "Misterioso"). Udden provides solo commentary to the orchestral setting before giving way to a Frank Carlberg piano solo. The cornet of Kirk Knuffke then builds to the orchestral high point of the piece. A few more sixths in mixed winds end the piece in a ritardando.

Another Monk quote provides the text for the setting in ALWAYS NIGHT. Trumpeter Carlson blows over a churning rhythm section background before Correa enters with the short declamatory yet mysterious vocal line. After some instrumental interruptions the line re-appears twice more. The piece ends with a collective improvisation where Correa and Carlson lead the way.

Thelonious Monk's classic ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT gets an extended, creative treatment here. Carlberg says: "I wanted to include this piece here in all its glory. Being probably Monk's most famous composition (and most frequently recorded...) I wanted to honor the exquisite design of the piece while adding a personal take on it. I also wanted to incorporate a hint of the traditional intro as well as coda with a certain compositional transformation of the original." Knuffke is the featured soloist throughout and turns in an exquisite performance on cornet. The band is richly orchestrated and brilliantly performs the dynamics from a hush to a roar.

MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS AND NIGHTMARES

is not your grandfather's Big Band music. Specifically, it offers new perspectives on Monk's music, and on compositions for large jazz ensemble in general. It celebrates Thelonious Monk on his centennial while forging new paths in modern jazz by balancing the improvisational impulses with exciting orchestral and structural designs.

www.frankcarlberg.com

 

Matt Slocum Presents Trio Pacific, Vol. 1 featuring Dayna Stephens (saxophones); Steve Cardenas (guitar); and Matt Slocum (drums, compositions)

Trio Pacific, Vol. 1, drummer/composer Matt Slocum's fourth recording as a leader, moves away from his core piano trio for the first time to a new configuration featuring longtime creative associate Dayna Stephens and inventive guitarist Steve Cardenas. While Slocum's acclaimed 2014 recording Black Elk's Dream focused heavily on his extended compositional work, Trio Pacific, Vol. 1 paints the most revealing portrait to date of his distinctive musical personality on the drums.

Slocum, who penned six of the eight compositions on the date, writes, "For these sessions I was interested in working with more open compositional frameworks designed with the trio's aesthetic approach in mind. This group seems to be geared more towards collective interaction rather than extended individual solo statements. It's still a relatively new format as we have been playing together as a trio for only a year or so, but the initial musical connection is the strongest that I've experienced."

He also notes that, "The title of the recording isn't meant to imply a deep underlying meaning or anything. It just seemed appropriate as the first gigs that I played with Dayna and Steve were on the West Coast, and we all lived in California for different periods of time. There's also a certain warmth in their playing, both sonically and in terms of content, that for whatever reason makes me think of the Pacific. But it's totally subjective. And by 'warmth' I don't mean brightness."

  

More about the music on Trio Pacific, Vol. 1: Passaic is a Native American word that means "valley" or "water flowing through a valley". The composition alludes to the sinuous path of the Passaic River and what Slocum describes as, "a type of dark beauty," in the Great Falls of the Passaic, the second largest waterfall in the Eastern US.  The relatively obscure standard, I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me, features joyful, swinging playing from the trio and borderline telepathic interaction. Yerazel is an Armenian word that means "to dream." Relaxin' at Camarillo is played at a brisk tempo and features Stephens on the alto saxophone. Slocum notes that, "I've always loved how Tommy Flanagan played this tune." Stephens and Cardenas solo beautifully together before handing it off to Slocum for a thematic solo statement built around the tune's melodic and rhythmic motifs.

Afterglow, Descent and Atlantic are three new works that Slocum composed for the sessions. Afterglow incorporates a haunting melody in the lower register of the tenor saxophone over lush, non-conventional harmonic structures. The magical duo interplay between guitar and drums on Descent is a highlight of the recording. It is interesting to hear how Cardenas, a veteran of ensembles led by Paul Motian and Joey Baron, plays differently in a duo with Slocum. Slocum too has found his own voice in this setting, a creative approach to the instrument which differs significantly from those of Motian, Baron and others. Atlantic features Stephens on the soprano saxophone supported by Slocum's textural shading on brushes, mallets and later sticks. 

For Alin was composed for Slocum's wife and originally appears on his debut recording Portraits. For this session the trio approaches the piece as a collective dialogue which culminates in a single statement of the lyrical rubato melody.

More about Matt Slocum:  Hailed as "one of his generation's most highly regarded drummers" (Jazz Police), Matt Slocum has also earned a reputation as a distinctive, inventive and lyrical composer. He is the recipient of composition grants and commissions from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, the American Music Center, New Music USA, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Puffin Foundation and Meet the Composer. Slocum's ensembles have been featured throughout North America and Europe at venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Yoshi's, the Blue Note, Earshot Jazz Festival, Saratoga Jazz Festival, Twin Cities Jazz Festival and the Soka International Jazz Festival among others. Frequently referred to as a "musical" drummer, Slocum possesses a uniquely personal voice on the instrument and is a propulsive, melodic and dynamic accompanist and soloist. He has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Seamus Blake, Alan Broadbent, Steve Cardenas, Gerald Clayton, Taylor Eigsti, Aaron Goldberg, Jon Irabagon, Larry Koonse, Wynton Marsalis, Lage Lund, Linda Oh, Alan Pasqua, Jerome Sabbagh, Jaleel Shaw, Walter Smith III, Anthony Wilson, Sam Yahel and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota and raised in western Wisconsin, Slocum began musical studies on piano before switching to percussion at age 11. While in high school he was introduced to jazz through recordings featuring Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones. He received a full scholarship to attend the University of Southern California where he studied with Peter Erskine. After graduating in 2004, Slocum spent three years in California before making the move to New York in fall 2007. His debut recording Portraits was released in January 2010. The New York City Jazz Record raved, "With this excellent premiere, Slocum steps out of the box as the full package," while All Music Guide wrote, "This auspicious debut should put Matt Slocum's name firmly on the jazz map." After the Storm, a more introspective trio recording, was released in October 2011 and was one of 15 recordings by American composers to receive a New Music USA recording grant in 2011. Slocum's third recording, Black Elk's Dream (2014), is primarily a quartet session that the Minneapolis City Pages describes as, "A sublime interpretation of the visionary Oglala Lakota leader's philosophy, life and times, the melodic sophistication of Slocum's compositions wonderfully realized by his lithe, restless percussion."

 

Trio Pacific, Vol. 1 - Tour dates:

October 18 - The Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC

October 21 & 22 - Studio Z, St. Paul, MN

November 4 - Dizzy's, San Diego, CA

November 5 - San Luis Obispo Jazz Society, CA

November 6 - California Jazz Conservatory, Berkeley, CA

November 8 - Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA

November 9 - Blue Whale, Los Angeles, CA

Keyboardist Bob Baldwin’s “The Brazilian-American Soundtrack,” is a sprawling urban-jazz exploration through Rio

As the eyes of the world focus on Rio de Janeiro this summer, Red River Entertainment released a generous 26-song double disc of authentic Brazilian jazz rhythms and distinctly American R&B grooves on Friday from keyboardist Bob Baldwin entitled “The Brazilian-American Soundtrack.” The Grammy-nominated artist had a hand in writing twenty tunes for the collection that he produced in two movements, Movement I: Rio-Ipanema and Movement II: New York, that were recorded in Rio, New York City and Atlanta over a three-year period. The first single that will be serviced to radio stations for airplay is the pulsating club music meets sultry Latin music blend “Ipanema Fusion.”        

“The Brazilian-American Soundtrack” is Baldwin’s second foray into Brazil expanding on the territory he mined on his 2004 album, “Brazil Chill.” This time out, he purposely incorporated more American nuances into the mix. Supplementing his own compositions, he elected to honor a few of the iconic artists who influenced his artistic muse including Antonio Carlos Jobim (“Corcovado”), Ivan Lins (“Anjo De Mim,” “The Island” and “Love Dance”) and Djavan (“Eu Te Devoro”). Another formative inspiration was Maurice White, the late Earth, Wind & Fire creator and leader who Baldwin remembers with a heartfelt spoken word tribute that closes the album, “The Message,” and on two musical numbers, “Maurice (The Sound Of His Voice)” and “The Greatest Lover,” the latter of which was recorded in the spirit of White’s hall of fame band. Meticulously produced, performed, composed and arranged, most of the tracks on “The Brazilian-American Soundtrack” are tightly segued, maintaining a smooth flow and graceful transition from cut to cut through more than two hours of music.          

Baldwin’s winning team that bolsters his pliable piano gymnastics and effervescent keyboard finesse on “The Brazilian-American Soundtrack” consists of an international ensemble that includes noted Brazilian and Latin players Café Da Silva (percussion), Torcuato Mariano (guitar), Rafael Pereira (percussion) and Armando Marcal (percussion). Canadian trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach, veteran saxophonists Marion Meadows and Freddy V, and emerging flutist Ragan Whiteside add soulful horn solos while guitarists Marlon McClain and Phil Hamilton contribute compelling runs throughout the date that showcases a handful of charismatic vocalists: James “Crab” Robinson, Porter Carroll II, Gigi, Zoiea Ohizep as well as Baldwin himself. In fact, Baldwin demonstrates remarkable dexterity by singing lead and background as well as playing piano, Rhodes, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, Moog bass, Melodica, strings and clave on the album.       

  

“My love for Brazilian music runs deep. It started with the infiltration of samba in the 1960s courtesy of Stan Getz, who brought with him Astrud Gilberto and the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim. So many other American artists have embraced Brazil, including Quincy Jones, who signed Ivan Lins to his publishing company, and Djavan, who I refer to as "The Brazilian Sade", who goes as far back as 1973 when he sang on a Stevie Wonder track. There are so many others - like Maurice White, Ramsey Lewis and George Duke - who all caught the Brazilian music bug and were hooked,” said Baldwin, who made the record in part via crowdfunding for which a number of unique opportunities remain available (www.pledgemusic.com/bobbaldwin). “Musicians like Cafe da Silva, Armando Marcal, Torcuato Mariano, Delia Fisher and Rafael Pereira give the tracks on ‘The Brazilian-American Soundtrack’ authenticity and the green light to deliver the sound of Brazil to the project.”

  

A Mount Vernon, New York native who has become a longtime resident of Atlanta, Baldwin debuted in 1988 with “I’ve Got A Long Way to Go” and his 22 albums – eight of which climbed into the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Top 20 – are jazz, R&B and gospel outings. Over the years, he’s worked as a producer, songwriter and performer alongside George Benson, Gerald Albright, Euge Groove, Will Downing, Phil Perry, Pieces of a Dream, Paul Taylor, Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum and Chuck Loeb. Since 2008, he has hosted the nationally syndicated radio program “The NewUrbanJazz Lounge,” which attracts nearly 500,000 listeners weekly. His City Sketches, Inc. is the umbrella entity that houses a production and event planning company, the radio network and NewUrbanJazz Hats. Baldwin is also the author of two books about the music industry, “You Better Ask Somebody” and “Staying On Top of Your Career in the ‘Friggin’ Music Business.” For more information, please visit www.BobBaldwin.com.        

“The Brazilian-American Soundtrack” contains the following songs:

Movement I: Rio-Ipanema

“Funky Rio”

"Ipanema Fusion” featuring Café Da Silva

"Teardrop” featuring Ragan Whiteside

”Caipirinha” featuring Torcuato Mariano

“Corcovado”/”The Redeemer” featuring Torcuato Mariano

“Greatest Lover” featuring Zoiea

“Boa Noite”

“Lookin’ At Me” featuring Gigi

“Anjo De Mim”

“The Island” featuring Leo Gandelman

“Eu Te Devoro”

“Oasis Of Love”

“Love Dance/May I Have This Dance?”

“Children Of The Sun”

Movement II: New York

“Home From Work”

“Maurice (The Sound Of His Voice”)

“My Soul” featuring Marion Meadows

“For You” featuring Porter Carroll II

“Summer Madness” featuring James “Crab” Robinson

“Yesterday” featuring Freddie V

“South Of The Border”

“Mobile & Global” featuring Gabriel Mark Hasselbach

“Summer’s Over”

“I Need The Air (You Breathe)”

“State Of Mind”

“The Message (A Maurice White Tribute)”

"Leap of Faith," the 4th CD by Trumpeter Steffen Kuehn

Steffen Kuehn Leap of Faith Trumpeter/composer Steffen Kuehn has become a mainstay of the Bay Area jazz and Latin music scenes since arriving from his native Germany in 1997. He won a 2014 Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album for the self-titled debut by the 20-piece Pacific Mambo Orchestra, which he co-leads with pianist Christian Tumalan. An alternately robust and warmly lyrical soloist and an on-point horn-section player, he works regularly with bands led by Latin drummer Brian Andres and timbalero Louie Romero and with jazz drummer Tommy Igoe's Groove Conspiracy. And he has performed and recorded as a leader, releasing three albums on his Stefrecords imprint: Now or Later (2002), with fellow trumpeter Tim Hagans; trumpop (2008); and Constantine (2011).

Kuehn considers his newest recording, Leap of Faith, "my first recording in a way, because," he explains, "I did everything myself. On my previous recordings maybe I had a producer or I was recording somebody else's music. I produced this record. I wrote the horn sections. I played in the horn section, and I'm also the soloist. I think the writing is my best writing so far." The CD will be released by Stefrecords on July 29.

The cast of local luminaries assembled by Kuehn includes drummer Tommy Igoe, bassist Dewayne Pate, pianist Colin Hogan, onetime Steely Dan guitarist Drew Zingg, former Tower of Power and Yellowjackets alto saxophonist Marc Russo, current Tower of Power tenor saxophonist Tom Politzer, and trombonist John Gove. Guesting on one track apiece are current Yellowjackets tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer (on the Afro-Cuban "Storm") and Pacific Mambo Orchestra vocalist Alexa Weber Morales (the bossa nova "Serenity"). The 10-song set consists of eight original compositions and arrangements by Kuehn, Aaron Lington's arrangement of "Helen's Song" by pianist George Cables, and John Gove's arrangement of "Geraldine" by Yellowjackets keyboardist Russell Ferrante.

"This is the most personal recording I've ever done and the closest to me so far," says Kuehn. "It not only puts the spotlight on me as a trumpeter but also on my writing, which for me was equally important."

Born (1965) and raised in Mannheim, Germany, Steffen Kuehn was drawn to the trumpet as a child and began lessons at age 8. Initially he was interested in hard rock and then soul music (Earth, Wind and Fire and Chaka Khan) before getting into jazz via the Yellowjackets and Pat Metheny. "I grew up listening to the Yellowjackets," says Kuehn. "They're one of my biggest influences." He cites Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis as influences as well.

Kuehn was writing music and active in a number of bands before he decided to leave Germany, at age 23, to attend North Texas State University. During his five years there, he played in the school's big bands. A roommate from Colombia introduced him to Latin music, which would eventually become a cornerstone of his career.

After graduating North Texas State in 1993 with a Bachelor of Music degree, Kuehn moved to Munich. There he hooked up with onetime Woody Herman and Stan Kenton high-note trumpet specialist Al Porcino, which whom he played duets in private and with his big band in public. He also played in Munich with a big band led by Serbian bop trumpeter Dusko Gojkovic.

Steffen Kuehn Since relocating to Northern California in 1997, Kuehn has kept busy playing gigs with such artists as the Temptations, Four Tops, Platters, Cold Blood, John Handy, Mark Levine, Ray Obiedo, Louie Romero, Brian Andres, Generation Esmeralda, Tommy Igoe, and many more. His resume also includes recordings with Andres, Igoe, Obiedo, Wayne Wallace, and onetime Stooges guitarist James Williamson.

The Pacific Mambo Orchestra, the large ensemble he co-leads with Mexican-born, Bay Area-based pianist Christian Tumalan, started out in 2010 as the Monday night band at Café Cocomo in San Francisco playing music rooted in the old-school salsa and mambo sounds of Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodriguez. The band, which sports a 13-member horn section, has since expanded its repertoire to include more original contemporary Latin compositions and arrangements, some by Kuehn.

Little-known at the time outside the Bay Area, the orchestra sent shockwaves throughout the international Latin music community when it won the 2014 Best Tropical Latin Album Grammy over superstar nominees Marc Anthony and Carlos Vives. "Imagine the biggest surprise you're capable of and multiply that by 100," Kuehn says of his initial reaction to the award.

Leap of Faith may or may not win the trumpeter another Grammy, but the variety and vitality of the 10 tracks within it seem certain to bring Kuehn greater recognition as a jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger of the highest caliber.

 

The Fred Hersch Trio soars on the new release Sunday Night at the Vanguard, a definitive statement featuring Bassist John Hébert and Drummer Eric McPherson

Jazz is too often portrayed as an art form defined by blazing young artists. It's true that many jazz masters reach a mid-career plateau marked by small variations on a mature style. But there's also a vanguard of players and composers who continue to refine and expand the art form in middle age and beyond, like Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Henry Threadgill, and piano maestro Fred Hersch, who is marking his 60th year with an astonishing creative surge. Slated for release by his longtime label Palmetto on August 12, 2016, Hersch's new recording Sunday Night at the Vanguard stands as the most profound and enthralling trio statement yet by an improviser whose bands have embodied the enduring relevance of the piano-bass-and-drums format for three decades.

With Sunday, Hersch's trio gracefully leapfrogs past its already daunting accomplishments. Featuring the exquisitely interactive bassist John Hébert and extraordinarily sensitive drummer Eric McPherson, the ensemble has recorded a series of critically hailed albums over the past seven years, including 2012's Fred Hersch Trio - Alive at the Vanguard, a double album that earned France's top jazz award, the Grand Prix du Disque, and 2014's lavishly praised Floating, a double Grammy®-nominee (both on Palmetto).

Recorded at the storied venue that's become Hersch's second home, Sunday Night at the Vanguard unfolds with all the dramatic intensity and narrative drive that make his performances a revelatory experience. Ebulliently playful and ravishingly lyrical, rhythmically elastic and harmonically exploratory, the trio plays with an extraordinary level of trust, assurance, high-wire poise and musicality throughout the set. "The thing that's beautiful about Eric is his touch," Hersch says. "He's the straight man and John is the loose guy, though sometimes they reverse it."

Hersch had only played "A Cockeyed Optimist" with the trio a few times when he called the rarely heard Rodgers and Hammerstein gem as the evening's opening tune. From the first notes of the gentle intro he sensed the group was in a special zone, and aside from two pieces drawn from the night's second set the album unfolds exactly as the trio delivered it. "I'm always looking for tunes on the obscure side," Hersch says. "The trio had played it a couple of times, but never to open a set, and as soon as we started I knew it was going to be a good night. This is by far my best trio album and it represents about as well as we can play."

There are familiar Hersch touchstones along the way, with several memorable new pieces. The latest in his long line of character studies, "Serpentine" was inspired by a close associate of Ornette Coleman's, and the tune captures her mysterious and alluring air. "The Optimum Thing" is his clever contrafact based on the chord changes to Irving Berlin's "The Best Thing for You," and it exemplifies the trio's elastic sense of time, as the song opens at a brisk, tumbling tempo and accelerates into a sweat-inducing gallop (other nights it's a study in deceleration).

Of the album's numerous startlingly beautiful passages, the trio's aching rendition of Lennon and McCartney "For No One," stands out. He recorded the song with Janis Siegel on the 1994 duo project Slow Hot Wind and uses essentially the same arrangement here. But now it's Hersch's piano delivering the melody at a dolorous tempo, drawing out the tune's quiet desperation. While the Beatles recording is more snappy than despondent, "it's really a song about a break up, and maybe the saddest lyric they ever wrote," Hersch says. "I slowed it down with Janis and added some beats on 'linger on.' When we play it people really react to it."

Hersch recorded Kenny Wheeler's jubilant "Everybody's Song But My Own" as the title track of a 2013 Japanese trio album focused on standards. He played the terpsichorean tune with Wheeler many times, and now it serves as a gripping tribute to the brilliant trumpeter/composer, who died last year. He follows with a recent original, "Blackwing Palomino," which not coincidentally is the name of the storied writing implement with which Hersch notated the bluesy piece. A self-confessed pencil geek, he notes that the brand "was the favorite of Tennessee Williams. The company just started making them again, and I buy them by the dozens. I was rehearsing with Ravi Coltrane recently and we started talking pencils and he said I should write a tune with Blackwing in the title. The slogan on the pencil is 'Half the pressure. Twice the result.'"

Cryptic, open-hearted and filigreed, Hersch's "Calligram (for Benoit Delbecq)" is dedicated to the brilliant French pianist who often renders compositions with graphic scores that he calls calligrams. They did a double-trio project with electronics several years ago ("I think he's a genius," Hersch says), and he wrote this pleasingly unresolved tune with Delbecq in mind. If "Calligram" evokes a Rube Goldberg playground, Jimmy Rowles' sylvan ballad "The Peacocks," is a shimmering pastel landscape. Recorded several times previously by Hersch (who got the original sheet music from Rowles himself), this extended version is transcendent.

He closes the set with a rollicking rendition of "We See," a Monk tune he's never recorded before. And then returns for a solo encore, "Valentine," a tune that earned a Grammy nomination for best instrumental composition when it was released on 2002's Live at Bimhaus. "I always end with Monk," Hersch says, "and always play 'Valentine' as an encore, which leaves the audience feeling groovy and happy."

No artist in the past three decades has used the Vanguard more effectively than Hersch. He made his debut at the jazz Mecca in the late 1970s with a 12-piece band co-led by bass legend Sam Jones and rising trumpeter Tom Harrell, the first of dozens of sideman stints at the club. He performed there regularly with Joe Henderson throughout the 1980s, often with Ron Carter and Al Foster ("That was graduate school," Hersch says). He made his Vanguard debut as a leader in 1996 with his celebrated trio featuring Drew Gress and Tom Rainey. "I think I could have played there before 1996 had I been willing to hire an all-star rhythm section, but I wanted to wait until I could do it on my own terms," Hersch says. "Now they say do what you want to do, and it doesn't have to be a concept or tribute. I'm so honored and humbled that my photo is on the wall, next to Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Mingus."

And the Vanguard is hardly Hersch's only showcase. He returns to the Jazz Standard in May for his 10th annual Duo Invitation Series with trumpeter Avishai Cohen, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Julian Lage, Kate McGarry, Yosvany Terry, and Anat Cohen (with whom he's touring the West Coast in June).

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Hersch studied music theory and composition in elementary school and sang in high school theater productions. It wasn't until he started attending Iowa's Grinnell College that he turned on to jazz. (Grinnell is awarding him an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters this year). But the bug really bit him when he went home for the holidays and happened into a Cincinnati jazz club. He ended up dropping out of school and earned his stripes with veteran musicians on local bandstands. After honing his chops for 18 months he enrolled at New England Conservatory to work with jazz piano legend Jaki Byard, and made the move to New York City in 1977 after earning a BM with Honors (he started teaching at NEC in 1980 and retired last year after 35 years on faculty).

Hersch quickly gained recognition as a superlative band-mate, performing and recording with masters such as Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Billy Harper, Lee Konitz, Art Farmer, Gary Burton, Toots Thielemans, and many others. Since releasing his first album under his own name he's recorded in an array of settings, including a series of captivating solo recitals, duos with vocalists Janis Siegel and Norma Winstone, and ambitious extended compositional projects including a widely-praised setting of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." As an educator, he has shepherded some of the finest young pianists in jazz through his teaching at NEC, Juilliard, Rutgers and the New School. A leading force in galvanizing the jazz community in the fights against HIV/AIDS, he produced 1994's all-star benefit project Last Night When We Were Young: The Ballad Album.

He's gained the most widespread visibility as the leader of a series of remarkable trios. From his first session with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron, he's pushed at the limits of lyricism and temporal fluidity with similarly searching improvisers. He has consistently drawn deeply from the music's most refined players while forging his own approach. He considers his current trio, with John Hébert and Eric McPherson, as his best to date. "I always say that as a player there are three main threads that come to prominence at different times," Hersch says. "There's the trio, which is a constant. I've been doing duo encounters steadily going way back to Jane Ira Bloom in the early 1980s. But I think solo feels equal to the trio in terms of being the hub of my musical wheel. My solo playing feeds my trio and vice versa."

A feature length film, The Ballad of Fred Hersch, recently premiered to rapturous reviews at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and Hersch is busy at work on a memoir (working title: Good Things Happen Slowly) for Crown/Random House due in stores Spring 2017.

www.fredhersch.com