• Ben Adams Quintet, Old Thoughts for a New Day (2006, Lunar Module Records)
• James Westfall, Independent (2006, Bionic Records)
• Matthias Lupri Group, Metalix (2006, Summit Records)
  

Sometime last year, three CDs led by young vibraphonists landed on my desk. I gave each a few spins and found each enchanting in its own unique way. I took the CDs and my portable Discman along on my camping trip in the Canadian Rockies. (I-Pods have not invaded my vast technological realm to this point.) We played the CDs in the camper van, my friend Judy remarking that the music was “really cool.” I scribbled notes that I couldn’t decipher back home. And then the CDs remained in my “to review” pile for months, not because they fell out of favor but because…. Deadlines intervened. I met some of those deadlines and figured it was time to listen again and make a commitment to inform the jazz world that some truly exciting music is coming from these energetic and creative ensembles, all built around that somewhat mysterious, but oh-so-ethereal instrument. Some of my favorite jazz has come from the legendary vibes masters, from Milt Jackson to Bobby Hutcherson to Gary Burton, as well as the “new legends,” Stefon Harris and Steve Nelson. If the likes of Ben Adams, James Westfall and Matthias Lupri reflect the current state of jazz vibraphone, then their legacy is in good hands. 

As jazz artists go, these guys are still young (late 20s to early 40s), yet also veterans of performance and recording. Their various paths – from drummer to vibist – brought each to one of the epicenters of jazz, the Berklee College of Music, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles—different incubators, different approaches to composition and ensemble arrangements, but each attaining a similar result: creative and accessible modern jazz. 

Old Thoughts for a New Day (Ben Adams Quintet, Lunar Module Records)

Ben Adams©Kate Kelly

Adams distinguishes himself with his cleanly articulated mallet work, usually with little sustain such that his notes pop out with a Milt Jacksonish clarity. Without a chordal instrument (hints of Dave Holland’s small groups), Adams alternately provides the melodic lead and the comping harmonies, sometimes swinging, sometimes offering a celestial tapestry from which the horns can develop new patterns. The set opens with “Avery’s Bedtime,” featuring an introspective flugelhorn from Jekabson. “Conversation With Martin” swings hard from the drums and bass to Adams himself marching through a catchy melody and its infinite variations. On “Patron Saint of Lost Causes,” Adams pounces on the melodic possibilities like an agile cat, Jekabson also blazing with quickly turned phrases and rumbly growls. Gupta has a heyday with the trapset while Randolph maintains a herky jerky bassline. Mitch Marcus similarly takes the tenor on a ride up the hill and down again with a series of spins, spirals and bounces. Bass and horns set a fast pace on “The Actual,” leading into Adams’ swinging romp before Marcus arrives like a freight train blaring its approach, the frenetic undercurrent from bass and drums solidifying that metaphor. 

“Sheltered Circle” is a boppish swinger that finds Jekabson tightly filling the spaces; Marcus adds some off-kilter tones and more jagged phrasing, while Adams’ bright mid- tempo solo falls between the tightly woven lines of Jekabson and the twisting phrases of Marcus, all buoyed by Randolph’s energetic walk. On the title track, the ensemble shines with a celestial reverence while bassist Randolph conducts a master class. A singable melody courtesy of the horns marks “Pocket Fiction,” as does Gupta’s steady, laid-back rhythm with cymbals on constant alert, with Jekabson adding some delectable twisty lines. “Ghost at Infancy” starts off with a staccato conversation among horns and vibes, giving a raw edge to the harmony, with fiery contributions evolving from Marcus, Gupta and Adams. The closing “Sea of Cortez” features a horn rhapsody, an extended showcase for Adams and some of Gupta’s most energetic percussion. 

You don’t miss the piano here. The ensemble’s interplay--the often lyrical harmonies-- are given enough of an edge of unpredictability to maintain interest throughout, while the melodic intent is never lost. 

Independent (James Westfall, Bionic Records)

Independant

All compositions by Westfall, the set varies from space-age electronic grooves to lyrical acoustic elements, with a dose of hip-hop and even a brief “hidden” closing dance mix track. Opening with “The Bionic Man,” the vibes’ computer-driven electronics and bass ostinato give way to the horns and a more acoustically orchestral sound. Melodic and perky, this “Bionic Man” is in command, doing good deeds with snappy percussion and songful horns. The combination of piano and vibes gives it plenty of melodic bounce. Winslow’s slippery trumpet and reprise of the opening bass ostinato introduce a brief rap segment that soon slides back into an acoustic wonderland of squealing horns that break up Westfall’s long, repeated phrases. “Song for Harry Potter” (at times reminiscent of Pat Metheny’s “Question and Answer”) is introduced by piano as an uptempo hymn over Hampton’s resonant bass and melodic hornlines. Westfall is lyrical, managing a vibrato-like phrasing with his mallets to yield a watercolor wash of notes over the very subtle accompaniment from his rhythm section. Ronen’s sinewy climbs on tenor give way to Winslow’s round and full tone on trumpet. Olah has an elegant touch on the keys and the rhythm section here makes a nice trio in closing the track.  

James Westfall

A short “Bionic Man Reprise” provides just the rap with electronic bubbles and washes of vibes before the acoustic side takes over, a sort of inside-out of the opening track, like bookends. A cacaphonous out chorus fades after about 2 ½ minutes. What All About Jazz described as a “straight electronica club dance mix” defines the final, “hidden” track, and this one is from another planet entirely, reminiscent of the Minnesota-based Happy Apple. This is neither a good nor bad thing, but if you are over 40 you might feel you don’t need it. These musicians are versatile and can appeal to any audience, and some of the electronics actually are very intriguing and border on melodic. It was just getting really interesting when it faded out at under three minutes. 

This is only Westfall’s debut. His composition chops appear to float atop a deep well, and we can look forward to his next journey. 

Metalix (Matthias Lupri Group, 2006, Summit Records)

Matthias Lupri

The segments flow seamlessly into each other, and often without looking at the CD track counter, you can’t tell where one track ends and the next begins. “Metalix IV Prelude” provides an eerie opening with lightly thumping drums and reverberating vibes, like entering another galaxy. The sound is created by Lupri’s use of a violin bow on vibes—“reversed, looped and distorted electronically” as per the liner notes. The electronics suddenly slide full force into “Wondering and Wandering,” sounding like an orchestra edition of E.S.T. but with vibes rather than keyboard. Lupri creates the sensation of suspended animation, of drifting in space, and an ethereal magic evolves between Lupri and Kneeland over a constant unpredictability from Perlson’s drumkit. Loops allow Lupri to comp for himself—or perhaps those are guitar tones? Radley takes off in a Metheny-inspired solo, while Kneeland continues his hold on the melodic bottom, also contributing an acrobatic solo. The horns add a new layer of harmony and interaction, particularly McCaslin’s whining (and wandering) tenor over furious percussion. “(Another) Lost Creek” features a spiraling alto from Walden, shifting time and introspective vibes. McCaslin takes his own twisting climbs and descents on tenor and the two horns engage in some fine tandem weaving.  

The very short “Still” is an elegant vibes solo (1:32), a prelude to “(Still) Lingering.” Bass and cymbals join Lupri, with hollow tones from horns (Walden on soprano, McCaslin on alto flute). It’s a spiritual journey, with Walden’s mournfully beautiful tone conjuring the recent work of Charles Lloyd. Lupri contributes exquisite phrases that echo the horns while creating a brief tone poem of his own, and horns and vibes blur into each other like bleeding watercolors. “Glass Stairs” starts with the harmonies of two horns before becoming a showcase for McCaslin, his tenor wrapping itself around phrases, turning them inside out and upside down—as if climbing/descending stairs of spun glass. Radley also shines with his lightning phrases and chord combinations, while Perlson is frenetic, propelling the music forward and engaging Lupri in a fiery exchange punctuated by Kneeland’s bass. The drummer’s solo pushes the ensemble to a discordant finish. 

Matthias Lupri Group

“Time Design Vibe” is a series of quick descending phrases for solo vibes, adding ascents in the last few bars before it bursts open as “Time Design (so named for shifting meters). Perlson and Kneeland give it a dark thrust before all come together with big band precision and harmony. The longest track (9:44), it becomes a showcase for Radley’s melodicism, as he sends up whining phrases over the thick mesh knitted by  Kneeland and Perlson. The horns howl back and forth like two wild cats arguing. The “Wondering and Wandering Reprise” has the horns picking up where they left off earlier, while Perlson pounds out energetic patterns. But the stars here are the horns with their sudden stops and starts, leading to a downward spin into the finale, “Metalix Déjà Vu.” An elegant resolution of the suite, the scratchy percussion supports Lupri’s magnificent last calls, slowly building to a soft fade. 

On first hearing Metalix, I quickly went in search of Lupri’s other efforts and found a copy of Transition Sonic (2004, Summit), with Radley, Kneeland and Perlson, along with Mark Turner and Cuong Vu.  It too is a multi-part suite of Lupri compositions, filled with other-world mysteries. I don’t mind backtracking through such luminous soundscapes, but suspect the best is yet to come from this mallet magician and his talented team. 

More information and CD ordering information can be found on these artists’ websites as well as outlets such as CD Baby and Amazon: Ben Adams at http://benadamsmusic.com; James Wesfall at www.jameswestfall.com; Matthias Lupri at www.matthiaslupri.com