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Capsule Reviews
March 2001
Milford Graves
Stories
(Tzadik)
In the 1960s, drummer and master percussionist Milford Graves recorded with Giuseppi Logan and the New York Art Quartet. He also worked with Albert Ayler, recorded two duets with pianist Don Pullen, and was a member of the Jazz Composers' Orchestra Association. He has worked extensively with other percussionists, including Andrew Cyrille, Rashied Ali, Kenny Clarke, Don Moye and Philly Joe Jones.
Graves' studies of Asian and African percussion have been put to use on his new recording, Stories, where Graves uses his hands, feet, elbows, head and voice to create a stunning solo percussion album. Sounding like an entire percussion ensemble, he uses trap drums, hand drums and other percussion instruments including cymbals, bells, gongs and chimes to create an intense polyrhythmic experience.
— Alan Lankin, February 2001
Stories:
What jazz fan wouldn't love to climb into a time machine and go back 30 or 40 years to hear a classic live performance in a jazz club? Probably the closest we'll get is by listening to a good live club recording. Label M is doing its part with its series of releases recorded live at the Left Bank Jazz Society (LBJS) in Baltimore.
The latest in Label M's series of LBJS releases is called Jam Gems. Trumpeter Freddy Hubbard and tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath came down to Baltimore on June 13, 1965 and joined a local rhythm section for a date of swinging straight-ahead hard bop. The sound quality is good, if not great. The liner notes include some reminiscences by Jimmy Heath.
Unlike some recording dates which may have more arranged material, this is a live, improvised, seat-of-the-pants club date. The local rhythm section is adequate, but Hubbard and Heath are definitely the stars—playing extended versions of four standards plus a Heath original. Hubbard's chops are in good shape; he has strong and imaginative soloing. There is also fast and angular soloing from Heath. The playing on this date is upbeat and inventive, fiery and impassioned. And the crowd is really into the music—you can hear their shouts of encouragement, which almost gives you the feeling of being in the audience.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Label M finds next.
— Alan Lankin, February 2001
Release Date: 30 January 2001
Chucho Valdes has the speed and dexterity of Art Tatum, the willingness to digress into the free jazz piano keyboard frenzies of Cecil Taylor, impeccable rhythmic sense (both jazz and Latin/Cuban), and the capacity to raise the piano to an orchestral palette. Said differently, he can play the hell out of the piano.
But the problem with this 1998 live date from New York's Lincoln Center is two-fold: he plays too much to the audience, continually softening his approach to a palatable lushness; and he simultaneously makes every piece a compendium of every piano style he knows. The liner notes speak of the audience being warned that a "hurricane" was approaching as Valdes took the stage; but like a hurricane he is indiscriminate, carrying along everything in his path. There are brilliance, charm and repeated bouts of inventiveness, especially on "Tres Linda Cubanas," where Valdes demonstrates both remarkable technique and a visionary's approach to improvisation and creativity; but his recurring soothing approach to lull and appease his audience and the frenzy to include everything in every piece distract from his obvious mastery.
— Jules Epstein, March 2001
Release Date: 13 February 2001
Some of bandleader Stan Kenton's work in late 1940s tended to get a bit pretentious-sounding (as in his 43-piece Innovations Orchestra), but the dates released here on Easy Go are on a jazzier note.
Kenton was always known for having excellent arrangers. These 1950-52 sessions have arrangements by Gene Roland (5), Pete Rugolo (4), Shorty Rogers (2) and one each from Bill Russo and Johnny Richards. Kenton himself arranged a third of the tracks (7).
Kenton also hired great soloists. Featured here are such soloists as trumpeters Conte Candoli, Shorty Rogers (great muted trumpet solo on "Easy Go") and Maynard Fergoson, tenor sax player Bob Cooper, altoists Art Pepper and Bud Shank and Kenton himself on piano (he plays some very nice, rather spare piano on the Ellington influenced "Lazy Daisy" and "Soliloquy").
Some pieces have blasts of overly load brass that can seem cliched and dated, but overall these are recommended early 1950s big band recordings.
— Alan Lankin, February 2001
Release Date: 23 January 2001
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last update 8 April 2001