Ron Carter Esperanza Spalding - Downbeat

Grass Roots
Grass Roots
Aum Fidelity 075
HHH1/2
The opening minute of Grass Roots
is one of the most inviting and
warmly joyful introductions I’ve
ever heard to an album that deals
mostly in free playing. “Hotttness”
thrives on the tension between
ecstatically played and loosely
structured themes and all-out group improv. Altoist Darius Jones composed
“Hotttness,” and it takes full advantage of this quartet’s alto/baritone,
bass/drums setup, building memorable themes that hang oddly in
the air, themes that would be weighted too heavily by the presence of
a piano or guitar building out the chords. Toward the end of the song,
Chad Taylor’s beat morphs into a snappier, funkier shape, and Alex
Harding becomes almost a Bobby Byrd to Jones’ James Brown, shouting
encouragement from the wings.
As lyrical as this group can be, though, their music has rougher
shades as well, as heard most clearly on the two spontaneous group
compositions. “Ricochet” is nasty, full of honking and overblowing,
“Hovering Above” is more alien, dominated by the intimately recorded
sounds of breath flowing through mouthpieces, fingers on strings and
drumsticks dragged across drum heads.
—Joe Tangari
Grass Roots: Hotttness; Lovelorn; Ricochet; Schnibbett; Flight AZ 1734; Whatiss; Hovering Above. (58:51)
Personnel: Sean Conly, bass; Alex Harding, baritone sax; Darius Jones, alto sax; Chad Taylor, drums.
Ordering info: aumfidelity.com
Joe Morris Quartet
Graffiti In Two Parts
Rogue Art 0039
HH1/2
In recent years, Joe Morris has been
striving to do justice to multi-instrumentalist
Lowell Davidson’s legacy
and to showcase his music through
the unearthing of old tapes, like in
this case, or performing his compositions.
Davidson is mostly known
for a piano album he recorded in the
1960s for ESP-Disk’. Following this album, he was said to have completely
disappeared. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
Until his passing, he remained active in the Boston circuit, although
few people paid attention. This session led by Morris was recorded in
1985 and is divided into two epic sections punctuated by an ultra-short
encore. Davidson is featured on drums in the first part before switching
to bass, while the overlooked violinist Malcolm Goldstein and cornet
player Lawrence “Butch” Morris round out the band.
There is empathy between the musicians who carefully react as the
improvisation process unfolds. Davidson and Goldstein are the main
voices on “Part I,” which relies on the contrast created by the drum kit’s
extended sonic palette and the violin’s higher register. Meanwhile, Butch
Morris delivers his lines with parsimony while Joe Morris’ banjo uke
provides unusual colors and some spikiness. “Part II” has more unity of
sound and cohesiveness while eliciting more participation from the cornet
player. This is in part due to Davidson’s decision to focus on bowing
his bass. Ultimately, the performance suffers from a lack of dynamics
as well as scarcity in terms of change of pace. From the same token, to
fully appreciate the details of each musician’s contributions, this recording
will have to be played loud.
—Alain Drouot
Graffiti In Two Parts: Graffiti–Part I; Graffiti–Part II; Tag. (69:59)
Personnel: Joe Morris, guitar, banjo uke; Lowell Davidson, drums, aluminum acoustic bass; Malcolm
Goldstein, violin; Lawrence D “Butch” Morris, cornet.
Ordering info: roguart.com
Maceo Parker
Soul Classics
Razor And Tie 83364
HHH1/2
As it did on Maceo Parker’s 2007
Ray Charles homage, Roots And
Grooves, the WDR band backs
the saxophonist’s ensemble on this
beautifully recorded live set captured
at the Leverkusener Jazz
Festival in Germany. This time, the
horn legend embarks on a tour of his favorite milestones in the history
of soul, from staples like Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” to lesserknown
gems like Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ “Yesterday I Had
the Blues.” Three Parker originals round out the offerings, though the
disc’s highlights admittedly come in the form of old favorites.
Isaac Hayes’ “Do Your Thing” features a slow, simmering sax
groove that underscores Parker’s unerring feel for r&b. Christian
McBride bounces his way through the “Soul Power” bass line before
standing down and letting a high-register sax and single-beat drum
breakdown build tension. And McBride fans may find themselves fastforwarding
to tracks where he expertly rides that thin line between funk
and soul courtesy of the bassist’s deep, dirty solos and exchanges with
drummer Cora Coleman Dunham.
At times, the nostalgia itself feels like the main attraction: a meandering
jazz flute here, an ’80s-styled synth riff there. But a window into
the sparks through the years that lit Parker’s creative fire has substantial
merit that goes beyond style.
—Jennifer Odell
Soul Classics: Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag; I Wish; Yesterday I Had The Blues; Higher Ground; Do
Your Thing; Rock Steady; One In A Million; Soul Power; Announcement; Come By And See. (57:29)
Personnel: Maceo Parker, alto saxophone, vocals; Christian McBride, bass; Cora Coleman Dunham,
drums; WDR Big Band.
Ordering info: razorandtie.com
Katharina Weber/
Barry Guy/Balts Nill
Games And
Improvisations
Intakt 203
HHH1/2
Don’t let the name fool you: No one
is playing around on this record.
Katharina Weber is a seasoned
improviser, albeit one with no background
in jazz, and György Kurtág,
the principal composer, is a contemporary and friend of György Ligeti.
The album alternates between free interpretations of his pieces and
free improvisations by Weber and her confederates. English bassist
Barry Guy’s background, which encompasses both an enduring partnership
with Evan Parker and a deep engagement with the early classical
repertoire, has prepared him well for this project. He brings a subtle
but irresistible rhythmic drive to the music, and he’s also the session’s
unabashed champion of virtuosity. He has an extraordinary knack for
wrenching simultaneous sounds from his instrument, each of which has
its own space. Weber and percussionist Balts Nill tend towards transparency,
never letting their extrapolations obstruct a view of the music’s
timeless architecture. The structures subscribe to no particular school of
composition, classical or otherwise. Kurtág’s music, as rendered here, is a
series of concentrated expositions of sonority and shape. —Bill Meyer
Games And Improvisations: Bluebell; Improvisation I; Falling Asleep; Improvisation II;(Thus It Happened…);
Improvisation III; Palm Stroke; Improvisation IV; Hommage à Sveránsky: Silence; Improvisation
V; Play With Infinity; Improvisation VI;
Dialog For The 70th Birthday Of András Mihály (Or: How Can One Answer To The Same 4
Sounds with Only 3); Improvisation VII; Stubbunny; Improvisation MIII; Gor Georg Kröll’s Birthday; Improvisation
IX; …Waiting For Susan>>>. (47:06)
Personnel: Katharina Weber, piano; Barry Guy, bass; Balts Nill, percussion.
Ordering info: intaktrec.ch
82 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2012