By Cathy Gruenfelder Unlike a typical tribute album, Dee Dee Bridgewater is <strong>com</strong>pletely herself, doing her own thing, as she sings in memory of the great Billie Holiday. She’s not trying to sound like Billie – she’s more or less just singing to or for Billie. And the same goes for the band – the vibe here is that of a celebration of the life of this great American singer who’s been gone for 50 years now. And who better to be in on this celebration than James Carter on tenor, Edsel Gomez as pianist and arranger, Christian McBride on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums – WOW! This band cooks, and Bridgewater in the kind of singer who is on an equal level of musicianship as this cast – the way she dialogues and feeds off of the band, and vice versa, is incredible. Bridgewater epitomizes ‘jazz singer’ – she’ll never sing a song the same twice, she has no idea how she’s going to sing it before she starts, she is intensely present and in the moment, she can improvise over changes, and the range of ways and articulations she has to deliver a phrase is vast. The set includes many of the classic tunes that Billie made famous, or that made Billie famous – this includes up tempo standards like “All of Me,” “Lady Sings the Blues,” which starts in ¾ time and ends up as a 4/4 blues, “Lover Man” which is taken at a quick clip in 6/8, and “Miss Brown to You,” featuring spectacular ac<strong>com</strong>paniment and soloing from Carter and Lewis Nash. Then there are the funky and grooving midtempo tunes like “Fine and Mellow,” given a dirty blues treatment and “Mother’s Son in Law” which is a duo with Dee Dee’s voice and snapping fingers and McBride’s bass. Rounding out the set are plenty of deep and unsettling ballads such as “Good Morning Heartache,” which features beautiful soprano sax work by Carter, “You’ve Changed,” which should be listened to carefully as an ultimate example of how a ballad should be played, especially if you are an aspiring bassist (McBride!), and “Don’t Explain,” which has a very cinematic feeling to it with its distinct arrangement, McBride’s bowed bass, and Carter’s alto flute. Then there is, of course, “God Bless the Child,” which makes it clear that Bridgewater is a story teller and not an actor. She internalizes these songs, makes them part of her own life, and then tells her story through the song. And to close the album, is perhaps the most often associated song with Holiday, “Strange Fruit.” Like all the songs on the CD, the arranger in pianist Edsel Gomez. It features a very brooding and unsettling texture due to Carter’s bass “Phony people need phony leaders [and phony friends]” — Roy Masters clarinet and McBride’s bowed bass. As the story progresses, Carter, McBride and Nash create disturbing sounds and effects and at the close of the tune Bridgewater is in tears as she sings, “here is a strange and bitter crop” – an extremely powerful ending to this beautiful album. DEDIC-BALLARD- GRENADIER FROM THE BEGINNING – www.matijadedic. <strong>com</strong>. CD1: From the Beginning; Mr. Handy; ‘Round Midnight; W.A.M; Angela; You Are Too Beautiful. CD2: Prelude to a Kiss; Nardis; Marina’s Dilemma; Lush Life; Bye Bye Blackbird; Dr. A PERSONNEL: Matija Dedic, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Jeff Ballard, drums By John Thomas 36 year-old Matija Dedic is a star in the Eastern European jazz scene, particularly in his home country of Croatia, where he has won numerous awards throughout the past 10 years or so. He was also one of 11 finalists in the 2002 Montreux <strong>Jazz</strong> Piano Competition. When you hear him play, it is no surprise why – he’s got tons of chops and a very spontaneous approach to be as general as I can in this opening paragraph. Dedic is also the son of father Arsen Dedic, Croatian singer/songwriter and poet, and mother Gabi Novak, a famous Croatian pop-singer who even sang with Louis Armstrong. For From the Beginning, Matija has hired Brad Mehldau’s rhythm section – Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums – also Mark Turner’s rhythm section in the trio group Fly. This is a bold move on Dedic’s part since fans of these two players are used to hearing them play in groups where the third person (Mehldau or Turner) has developed an almost telepathic rapport with them. But Ballard and Grenadier are such incredible and empathetic musicians, that they sound as if they’ve been playing with Dedic for a long time. Dedic’s phrasing is unpredictable and exciting, and he has a very definite time-feel that is all his own – a little bit quirky and sometimes frantic, but in an intentional way. If you are looking for swing or groove, this might not be your album – although he can do that too, and we he does, you realize how versatile of a player he is. Dedic also writes some very cool and <strong>com</strong>plex arrangements with exciting twists, turns and breaks. I think if the group had more experience together, the groove would be much deeper, but for an initial effort, wow! Dedic chose a nice mixture of standards to mix in with some well-crafted and memorable originals. This includes “Round Midnight,” which he gives a rousing high energy solo interpretation, and “Prelude to a Kiss,” which is given an andante cool swing. Although the head is given a <strong>com</strong>plex arrangement, the musicians are all in their <strong>com</strong>fort zones on this standard and Grenadier and Ballard take some memorable solos. Other standards include “You Are Too Beautiful,” and “Nardis,” which is given a straight and funky drum and bass groove. Dedic makes great use of space on this tune, keeping the listeners ears wide open and thirsting for the next phrase. “Lush Life,” and “Bye, Bye Blackbird” are on the second of the two CDs. The way Grenadier and Dedic simultaneously share the melody and improvisation on the latter tune is one of the highlights on the album. The group chemistry is at its highest on this track. Grenadier has an uncanny ability to be both supportive and independent at the same time. Dedic closes out the album with a beautiful ballad of his own entitled Dr. A performed solo – this one will pull on the heart strings, leaving you in a somewhat sullen and reflective mood. Dedic is an exciting and multi-faceted player who should cross the Atlantic much more often. If this group was a working band, I believe the results could be as critically praised as that of the other groups this rhythm section has been associated with. KENNY DORHAM THE FLAMBOYAN, QUEENS, NY, 1963 – Uptown Records UPCD 27.60. www.uptownrecords. net. Dorian; Alan Grant Speaks with the Band; I Can’t Get Started; Summertime; Alan Grant Speaks; My Injun From Brazil (Una Mas); Autumn Leaves; Alan Grant Speaks; Dynamo (Straight Ahead) PERSONNEL: Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Ronnie Mathews, piano; Steve Davis, bass; J.C Moses, drums; Alan Grant, MC By Herbie Gamura Hearing a live album is always a special thing in jazz, because the music is so much about the moment, and having a moment in front of a crowd full of eager listeners is a much different moment than being in a studio alone with microphones, mixing boards and headphones. Even more special, is when that moment was during a time way before your own, or a time long gone. It is like an archeological discovery, uncovering a different consciousness, a different way of life, and a different set of cultural realities. All of that is contained in the music – it is in the sound – in a way that can’t be described, but can surely be felt. Yes, it is true of studio recordings as well, but something about that crowd being there, about that interaction, makes it all the more explicit. 70 <strong>February</strong> <strong>2010</strong> • <strong>Jazz</strong> Inside Monthly • www.jazzinsidemagazine.<strong>com</strong> To Advertise CALL: 215.887.8880
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