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Aki Takase & Han Bennink
Two For Two
Intakt 193
HHHH
In recent years, Japanese pianist Aki Takase
has recorded quite a few duos. Therefore, it
should be no surprise that she found in Dutch
drummer Han Bennink a more than sympathetic
musical partner. He has been heard in distinguished
meetings with Misha Mengelberg or
Irène Schweizer. Together, they tackle a comprehensive
program that consists primarily of
Takase’s own compositions but also includes a
standard, a few Thelonious Monk themes and
Eric Dolphy’s “Hat And Beard,” which gets a
quite Monk-ish treatment.
Just like Monk or Carla Bley, whose name
comes to mind when listening to “My Tokyo,”
Takase has a knack for making dissonance
sound pretty or at least attractive, and she
might win over those who are most allergic
to anything that strays from swing or melody.
Bennink can sometimes be overwhelming
when he relies too heavily on his old bag of
tricks and goofy attitude, but he shows throughout
great discipline and exemplary attunement.
His commentary on Monk’s “Locomotive” is
on target and deliciously funny. And if wit is
a trait that both musicians share aplenty, they
can also relent to a display of tenderness as the
Ernie Watts Quartet
Oasis
Flying Dolphin Records 1008
HHH
Tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts drew upon a
variety of sources while making Oasis, a
solid and at times highly captivating post-bop
album. Oasis presents diverse material in a
coherent and focused fashion. The disc consists
of three Watts originals; one tune each
from his drummer, Heinrich Koebberling,
and pianist, Christof Saenger, a Beatles cover,
John Coltrane’s “Crescent”, two ballads and
“Shaw Nuff.” The group makes the tunes their
own, demonstrating its identity and approach.
Watts’ quartet, which is filled out by bassist
Rudi Engel, occasionally evokes Coltrane’s
classic quartet, especially on the title track
and “Crescent.” Koebberling’s use of mallets
on his toms recalls Elvin Jones, as do his fills.
And Coltrane’s influence on Watts is quite
audible. Saenger frequently reels off extended
single-note runs during his solos, and Engel
and Koebberling are rock solid.
The album’s focus is on Watts, who makes
playing the saxophone at such a high level
sound effortless, especially considering the
relative ease with which he reels off long, virtuosic
and complex lines at will—just check
out “Crescent” and his solo introduction and
blazing choruses on “Shaw Nuff,” which are
touching “Knut” bears witness.
Perhaps because Takase has been living in
Berlin for so long, the spirit of Kurt Weill
also inhabits some of the pieces and provides
elements of theater that are a perfect fit for
Bennink. It is another aspect of this collaboration’s
far-reaching stylistic diversity that is
transcended by a unity of purpose and execution.
As a result, fans of both musicians will
enjoy this solid and cohesive—not to mention
delightful—effort. —Alain Drouot
Two For Two: Two For Two; My Tokyo; Locomotive; Zankapfel;
Knut; Baumkuchen; Monochrome; Raise Four; Do You Know What
It Means To Miss New Orleans; A Chotto Matte; Hat And Beard;
Ohana Han; Rolled Up; Hell Und Dunkel; Hommage To Thelonious
Monk; Two For Two. (59:07)
Personnel: Aki Takase, piano; Han Bennink, drums.
Ordering info: intaktrec.ch
highlights. He exhibits complete command of
the horn, whether doubling up the time, singing
in the upper register, or blowing long, lyrical
lines. His tenor sound is complex: simultaneously
mellow, bright, rich, smooth and
slightly edgy. Watts’ performance throughout
the disc is inspired and nearly flawless,
although his treatment of “Blackbird” is
slightly stiff, his solo and cadenza on the tune
are excellent. Clocking in at just under 75 minutes,
the album’s length is its only weakness,
as after a while it begins to be a bit too much
of the same.
—Chris Robinson
Oasis: Konbanwa; Oasis; One Day I’ll Fly Away; Blackbird; Palmito;
Crescent; Twilight Waltz; Bass Geige; You Are There; Shaw Nuff.
(73:17)
Personnel: Ernie Watts, tenor saxophone; Christof Saenger, piano;
Rudi Engel, bass; Heinrich Koebberling, drums.
Ordering info: erniewatts.com
Le Boeuf Brothers
In Praise Of Shadows
Self Release
HHH
Brothers in musical crime and creative invention,
Remy (on reeds) and Pascal (piano) Le
Boeuf are young East Coast up-and-comers
with chops and a flexible pocketful of
ideas about how jazz could go in the 2010s.
Whereas other recordings have heeded oldschool
notions of jazz as a real-time, acoustic
interplay scenario, the latest album freely
incorporates electronics, digitized production
modes and sounds from the pop realm,
while slipping in tasty improvisational elements
into the sometimes overly slick conceptual
machinery.
At times, as on the opening “Fire Dancing
Dream” and “D2D,” the melodicism of the
material suggests a contemporary update of
the musical language of the German fusion
band Passport, sporting a fusion-flavored
approach but with integrity. Among the
impressive young players along for the ride
are the versatile drummer Henry Cole, guitarist
Nir Felder and tenor saxist Mike Ruby,
although we rarely get a sense of live human
musicians playing in the same room at the
same time. Impressionistic dreaminess prevails
on “Calgary Clouds” and “We Thought
They Were Planets,” and energetic mazemaking
grabs the ear on “Circles.” Closing
the program, the tolling, lilting and grooving
minor-mode waltz of a title track makes for
an coolly appealing finale.
Pascal lends his clear-toned, agile voice
to the unabashedly romantic progressive pop
songs “Everything You Love” and “For Every
Kiss,” which, however ear-pleasing the tracks
are by pop standards, tends to detract from
whatever artistic continuity and jazz-centric
identity the album strives toward.
—Josef Woodard
In Praise Of Shadows: Fire Dancing Dreams; Everything You
Love; Two Worlds; D2D; Calgary Clouds; Circles; We Thought They
Were Planets…; Red Velvet; The Last Time You Were Happy; For
Every Kiss; In Praise Of Shadows. (49:00)
Personnel: Remy Le Boeuf, alto sax, bass clarinet, tenor sax; Pascal
Le Boeuf, piano/keyboards, vocals; Mike Ruby, tenor sax;
Linda Oh, bass; Henry Cole, drums; Nir Felder, guitar; Adria Le
Boeuf, ambient vocals; Myth String Quartet: Talle Brunfelt, Jeremy
Blanden, violins; Kim Uwate, viola; Isaac Melamed, cello.
Ordering info: leboeufbrothers.com
60 DOWNBEAT MARCH 2012