Ron Carter Esperanza Spalding - Downbeat

Javon Jackson
Lucky 13
Solid Jackson Records 1002
HHHH
Of the many thrilling tenor players who emerged
two decades ago, Javon Jackson is one of those
who get lost in the shuffle. There’s no disputing
his improvisational agility or his abilities to
deliver magnetic melodies and emotional heft.
Perhaps it’s Jackson’s seemingly effortless deliveries
or his staunch commitment to the post-bop
model that prevent him from garnering more
Ivo Perelman/Matthew
Shipp/Gerald Cleaver
The Foreign Legion
Leo Records 643
HHH
Ivo Perelman with
Sirius Quartet
The Passion According To G.H.
Leo Records 642
HHH1/2
Brazilian saxophonist Ivo Perelman has built a
reputation as a fierce and uncompromising musician.
He is prolific again, a sign of regained creativity,
and these two new recordings testify that
he has found a new focus and a new approach to
channel his ebullient nature.
Pianist Matthew Shipp and drummer Gerald
Cleaver have recently become frequent collaborators
of Perelman’s. Both of them avoid being
too demonstrative and keep themselves to commentaries,
accents, or adornments. They support
more than they push Perelman, which is
compounded by the fact that they hardly get any
solo space. On the other hand, the saxophonist
is left, right and center, but without ostentation.
Squealing is often his tool of choice to express a
lyricism that never falters and prevents abstraction
from getting cerebral. And the beauty of
Perelman’s tone shines when he imbues his line
with mystery.
Perelman had already experimented with the
string quartet in the late 1990s. This time the
musicians are more connected to the classi-
acclaim. Or it could be that despite any context,
some listeners can’t shake the ghost of Joe
Henderson from their listening. Whatever the
case may be, it’s obvious that those oversights
haven’t soured his musicianship.
For his 13th disc as a leader, Jackson reconnects
with the legendary Les McCann on a few
tracks. McCann’s appearances on the classic
“Compared To What,” the ballad “With These
Hands” and “Amazing Grace” add a world-weary
soulfulness to the proceedings, especially via
his emotive singing. In turns, Jackson pairs down
his improvisations and zeroes in on the soulful
contours of the melodies, placing heavier emphasis
on his robust tone.
Still the best moments on Lucky 13 are when
Jackson puts the spotlight squarely on his saxophone
playing and compositions. “Sun Up”
with its mid-tempo bounce, lulling melody and
Jackson’s sanguine tone is delightful. The tenor
titan delivers a poignant tribute to Pharoah
Sanders on the sinewy “Mr. Sanders” without
resorting to shrieking mimicry. —John Murph
Lucky 13: Don’t Worry ’Bout A Thing; Lelia; TJ; Mr. Sanders; Compared
To What; With These Hands; Sun Up; 88 Strong; Amazing
Grace. (48:18)
Personnel: Javon Jackson, tenor saxophone; Joel Holmes, piano
(1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8); Corcoran Holt, bass (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8); McClenty
Hunter, drums (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8); Les McCann, Fender Rhodes and
vocals (5, 6, 9); David Gilmore, guitar (5); Calvin Jones, bass (5);
Rudy Royston, drums (5).
Ordering info: javonjackson.com
cal world, which translates into a less competitive
matchup. Although the string players make
some use of extended techniques, it remains rather
marginal, and they create a multidimensional
backdrop through a system of layers. Perelman’s
phrases are profound and soul-searching with
a pervasive sense of longing. Compared to The
Foreign Legion, the seething activity displayed
in The Passion According To G.H. makes for
a more stimulating experience and delivers a
stronger impact.
—Alain Drouot
The Foreign Legion: Mute Singing, Mute Dancing; An Angel’s
Disquiet; Paul Klee; Sketch Of A Wardrobe; An Abstract Door.
(46:23)
Personnel: Ivo Perelman, tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp, piano;
Gerald Cleaver, drums.
The Passion According To G.H: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4;
Part 5; Part 6. (49:29)
Personnel: Ivo Perelman, tenor saxophone; Gregor Huebner, violin;
Fung Chern Hwei, violin; Ron Lawrence, viola; Jeremy Harman,
cello.
Ordering info: leorecords.com
John McLaughlin And
The 4th Dimension
Now Here This
Abstract Logix 37
HHHH1/2
At 70, the king of fusion guitar has found his
mojo. Whether it’s the new pungent-toned Paul
Reed Smith electric guitar he is now playing or
the inspiration he’s getting from his young charges
in the 4th Dimension Band, McLaughlin is
killing it with renewed vigor. His unparalleled
chops, along with the remarkable band chemistry
displayed on this pulse-quickening outing, takes
Now Here This a notch above 2010’s To The One
on the Richter scale. The writing and playing are
far more aggressive here, with McLaughlin at
times harkening back to his old Mahavishnu days.
The agenda is clear with the hard-hitting, noholds-barred
opener, “Trancefusion,” fueled by
Ranjit Barot’s thunderous, power-precision drumming
and bassist Etienne M’Bappe’s incredibly
tight unison lines with keyboardist Gary
Husband. The intensity level picks up with the
slamming “Riff Raff,” which features a toe-curling
McLaughlin solo that is more aggressive
and unapologetically chops-laden than anything
he’s recorded in 20 years. “Echoes From Then”
incorporates an odd-time blues riff that recalls
Mahavishnu’s classic “Dance Of Maya,” while
the arpeggiated motif from the mellow “Guitar
Love” also triggers memories of those tumultuous
times from four decades ago.
On the other end of the dynamic spectrum,
McLaughlin offers flute-like guitar-synth on
the lyrical “Wonderfall” and dabbles in tamer
fare on the grooving, engaging “Not Here Not
There,” a crossover tune that sounds like a page
from the recent book of Carlos Santana. The
brief guitar-synth showcase “Take It Or Leave It,”
which sounds like an outtake from his mid-’80s
Mahavishnu outfit, seems like an afterthought.
Fusion fans will salivate over McLaughlin’s exhilarating
unison lines with Husband and M’bappe
on “Call And Answer.” —Bill Milkowski
Now Here This: Trancefusion; Riff Raff; Echoes From Then; Wonderfall;
Call And Answer; Not Here Not Now; Guitar Love; Take It Or
Leave It. (50:00)
Personnel: John McLaughlin, guitar, guitar-synth; Gary Husband,
piano, synthesizer, drums; Etienne M’Bappe, electric fretted and fretless
basses; Ranjit Barot, drums.
Ordering info: abstractlogix.com
80 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2012