Soul and Science 2: Electric Boogaloo

After having reviewed the Chris Greene Quartet’s Soul And Science Vol. 1, I was extremely happy to be asked to do the same for their follow-up offering, the aptly titled Soul and Science 2: Electric Boogaloo (Single Malt Recordings). Based in Chicago, the band is a working group that has an extremely tight-knit funky sound. As with the previous album, we are again presented with a mixture of original compositions, jazz and pop standards, and the odd surprise -- this time it is Hank Williams’ “You Win Again,” both a band and fan favorite. 

The line-up is the same as the previous recording: Chris Greene (saxophones), Damian Espinosa (piano/keyboards), Marc Piane (bass), and Tyrone Blair (drums/percussion). From the opening note of “Amalgasantos” (a seldom-heard composition from the pen of Brazilian Ed Motta, the ex- vocalist of the hard rock band, Kabbalah), the band gets into a funky groove that continues throughout the rest of the album. After Chris’ initial theme-statement, Damian lays down some hip keyboard sounds, while Tyrone’s tasteful drumming propels the piece along at a steady pace. 

Art Tatum: Piano Starts Here

Yet Sony Music and Zenph Studios have done the seemingly impossible—they have released a “live” performance of Art Tatum at The Shrine in 1949 (Piano Starts Here). Only this live recording was made in 2007. Say what? Since I am not a recording engineer, this will have to be the Techno-Wizardry For Dummies explanation. What I understand is this: Zenph has developed a process of reconstituting old recordings, in this case one that was damaged goods, by digitally capturing the exact rendering of the music, even to the point of analyzing how the keys were struck by the original fingers, then replaying it through modern equipment, in this case a Yamaha Disklavier Pro Mark III Concert Grand placed in precisely the same spot on The Shrine Auditorium stage as Tatum originally performed, in front of a live audience. (This is termed a “re-performance.”) The result? An impeccable recording of Tatum’s artistry, complete with audience applause. The hype around this project is readily anticipated—we hear the “real” Art Tatum as did that audience in 1949, now with a record of every sound and nuance that defied capture and preservation six decades ago. (For a more in-depth technological description, see Gary Giddens’ column in the August issue of Jazz Times.)

Within the Fourteenth Hour

Vocalist Anna Maria Flechero is the product of a culturally rich heritage and a vibrant musical environment. Born in San Francisco of African American and Filipino ancestry, she learned to play piano by ear as a youngster, writing tunes and lyrics that reflect the influences of the sounds of Motown and the Latin rhythms of her Mission District. Moving to Japan, Flechero honed her skills as a solo artist, accompanying herself on piano, composing and performing original songs and interpreting jazz standards. While in Japan, Anna Maria met legendary pianist Cedar Walton, who provided opportunities for her to perform with his trio. It was the beginning of a long-standing musical friendship.

Now in 2008, after hundreds of performances and years of creating her own personal style, Flechero once again had the opportunity to coordinate with Walton on her self-produced sophomore release, Within the Fourteenth Hour.  This soulful recording features 10 well-placed pop and jazz standards with a bonus track being an original Flechero cut entitled “Pretty Soon.”

The journey begins with the classic standard “Misty,” fashioned into a swinging up-beat track that is personified by Flechero’s distinctive voice and R&B inflections.  This track features the incomparable Cedar Walton, David Williams and Lewis Nash.  Their symbiosis is evident from the first notes, clearly articulating an atmosphere of interaction and chemistry.  The first “A” features Williams and Nash trading rhythmically active phrases, while Walton’ s solo lines dance atop, creating interest and bounce within the spaces of Flechero’s vocals.  This symbiosis allows Flechero to command the cut with playful passages and confident scat lines that clearly punctuate the setting as being a true jazz cut.

You Don't Know Me

No one plays jazz piano like piano great, George Cables.  When listening to him in any setting, it is quite easy to hear and identify his style in the first few measures of any piece.  I was pleasantly surprised to find he had recently released a fine conglomerate of standards, jazz favorites and some originals he crafted – all on a 2-CD solo recording!  I started playing them and haven’t stopped since!  I don’t even think of this music with or without a group as a trio or more – the music is that fulfilling. 

Of the twenty-one selections, eight are originals, including a splendid tune, “Helen’s Song,” written for his longtime lady friend.  It is also presented as an intro to his website.  Other delicious tunes that he’s written and my favorites are: “EVC,” “Lullaby,” “Morning Song,” and “Looking for the Light.” 

Charmed and Blue

Jazz at its best has an in-the-moment spontaneity which is fed in equal parts by the feel/mood of the artists, audience and venue. Another equally compelling aspect of jazz has been its ability to draw from divergent sources to create a single piece of work.

The new album by vocalist Retta Christie (Charmed and Blue, Retta Records) is one of the best recent embodiments of this ethos. It is a trio date with Retta doubling on brushes and David Evans on saxophone and clarinet. Composer/pianist/vocalist Dave Frishberg is heard here solely on piano. 

Country, country swing and that brief time frame when hot jazz was morphing into what would become the big band era have in common the fact that none of them in their initial conceptions were as rigid in defining what would constitute their over all make up as would happen a few years down the line. Lack of restrictions, when harnessed correctly, can make for a stimulating freedom. This album mirrors and embraces those bygone possibilities.  

The songs, mostly culled from the 1920s and 1930s, incorporate to varying degrees elements of country swing, (hot) jazz and saloon songs. Each song utilizes elements from these genres but, within each song, the proportion of inspiration from these musical sources varies. For me, part of the appeal of this album is that it transcends standing firmly in one genre.

Lets Get Lost

Dawn Lambeth grew up in Rochester, NY “where I was lucky to have a really strong music program in school, and the Eastman School of Music nearby.” A classical piano student, she enjoyed singing, but had not considered it as a career option. “While I always loved to sing, I never really took my singing very seriously, it just seemed like something you did.  And I walked the fence in college [at Boston University], never confident enough to audition for the music school, but taking as many classes as I could talk my way into.  My roommates in college were all opera majors, so maybe I was a bit intimidated by my lack of formal training.” Initially drawn to modern jazz, Dawn’s move to Pittsburgh put her in contact with a “20's/30's/New Orleans/Dixieland band.  Everyone in the band sang a number or two and that's how I got started singing this style, getting exposed to the old songs, singers.  It was a musical epiphany to me, I had always listened to and loved more modern jazz, but always felt like a 'poser' when I tried to play or sing it, and had just about given up being a jazz musician.”