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Sherman IrbyQuartetLive At TheOtto ClubBLACK WARRIOR 1004AAAAltoman ShermanIrby and his quartetrecorded this set inNaples, Italy, duringthe group’s 2008European tour. Live AtThe Otto Club swings, burns and smolders fromstart to finish. Irby, who plays with the LincolnCenter Jazz Orchestra, is joined on this date bypianist Nico Menci, bassist Marco Marzola anddrummer Darrell Green. Irby swings from thefirst notes of Oscar Pettiford’s “Bohemia AfterDark,” which opens the disc. His playing ishighly melodic, inventive, bluesy, soulful and isstraight out of Cannonball Adderley. He leavesenough space between phrases to let the listenerconsider what he’s saying without being bludgeonedsenseless by a relentless onslaught ofnotes.What’s particularly striking is the set list,which includes four jazz standards, RoyHargrove’s “Depth” and the lovely bossaBrian LynchAfro Cuban JazzOrchestraBolero Nights ForBillie HolidayVENUS 1029AAAASo easy to recommendalmost all of the 15albums Brian Lynch hasmade under his ownname since turning heads with the release of hisstrong hard-bop launch, Peer Pressure, in 1986.(Exceptions: 1989’s Back Room Blues and2007’s fusion fluke Fuschia/Red.) His newestrelease, Bolero Nights For Billie Holiday, comesfilled with perhaps his most expressive trumpetand flugelhorn playing to date.This time out, recording for a Japanese labelin late 2008, he shares the New York studio withspecial guest Phil Woods and eight other colleagues,all of whom confidently mix Afro-Cuban rhythms and African-American jazz.Confused by the album title? Don’t be. Lynch isa fan of Lady Day, and he delights in bringingLatin musical components to a few of the songsshe sang at the controversial finish of her recordingcareer in 1958. Also here are songs recordedby other jazz worthies of that era plus his own“Afinque” and Raphael Lopez Gonzalez’s “LaSitiera.”It is a privilege to listen to Lynch for his richtone and exquisite time, his command of instruments,his imagination and his conviction.“Laura’s Love Song,” whichIrby wrote for his wife. I wouldhave never thought that MilesDavis’ “Four” would work as aballad; it lends itself well to thebittersweet treatment Irby andcompany give it. Irby doesn’t flyquite as fleetly on “Countdown”as John Coltrane did on the original,as Irby’s tone has more heftto it, but he is killing despite thetempo and Green is right withhim. Thelonious Monk’s under-recorded “InWalked Bud” closes the album with bounce,energy and excellent solos from all four players.Being a live recording, there are a few soundissues: Irby is sometimes too far back in themix, the piano is slightly out of tune, and it’s abit too prominent, especially when Mencicomps. Live At The Otto Club isn’t essential listening,but those who are searching for greatplayers deserving of more recognition shouldcheck it out.—Chris RobinsonLive At The Otto Club: Bohemia After Dark; Depth; Laura’sLove Song; Countdown; Four; In Walked Bud. (61:53)Personnel: Sherman Irby, alto saxophone; Nico Menci, piano;Marco Marzola, bass; Darrell Green, drums.»Ordering info: shermanirby.comFolding together heartache andrapture, he plumbs the emotionsat the core of “You’ve Changed”and “I’m A Fool To Want You,”both famously or infamously partof Holiday’s Lady In Satinrecord. Like Holiday, Lynch is nostranger to musical intimacy. TheNew Yorker imparts an easy-ripplingurgency to “Fire Waltz” andthere’s a special life-affirmingquality to his playing throughout“La Sitiera.”Every bit the esteemed elder statesman,Woods brings his clear and personal aesthetic tothe Lady In Satin material and Charles Mingus’“Celia.” Ivan Renta provides evidence in soloshere and there why Lynch’s collaborator-friendEddie Palmieri has dubbed the young PuertoRican alto player “the new Caribbean phenom.”Still, Lynch rules the roost. Benefiting from acalmly intelligent, soulful Latin rhythm section,and never predisposed to mawkishness or flamboyance,he’s the one whose work invites returnlistens. Art and the pursuit of mastery are thetwin engines of what he does here. Lynchinspires superlatives. —Frank-John HadleyBolero Nights For Billie Holiday: Afinque; La Sitiera; Celia; FireWaltz; Delilah; I’m A Fool To Want You; You’ve Changed. (54:16)Personnel: Brian Lynch, trumpet, flugelhorn; Phil Woods (3, 6,7), Ivan Renta, alto saxophone; Alan Hoffman, tenor saxophone;Ron Blake, baritone saxophone; Marshall Gilkes, trombone;Zaccai Curtis, piano; Boris Kozlov, string bass; Marvin Diz, timbales,drums; Little Johnny Rivero, conga, bongo, percussion.The Les Hooper BandLive At TyphoonHOOPERMAN RECORDS 1010AAA 1 /2Alternately slick and hard swinging, the LosAngeles-based Les Hooper Band is led by apianist with extensive credits as a composer andarranger for film and television, and packed withtop-notch Southern California players. In concert,the 17-piece big band, fueled by Hooper’ssmart and sometimes surprising charts of originalsand standards, packs a wallop, as demonstratedby this live disc, capturing the group infull flight at a restaurant in the Santa MonicaAirport.The band strolls through a sweet and breezy“Freddie Freeloader,” and creatively inserts anod to Miles Davis’ “So What” into the start of“Summertime,” a showcase for bassist KennyWild. Simmering funk defines the AverageWhite Band’s “Pick Up The Pieces,” and“Rocky & Bullwinkle” is a gear-shifting wildride through a manic rethink of the theme fromthe animated television series.But the most intriguing pieces are Hooper’soriginals: The zippy lines and well-lubricatedswing of “Barnburner,” which offers ample solospace to alto saxophonist Jeff Driskill and trombonistJacques Voyemant, among others, is reminiscentof prime Count Basie. “Too MuchCoffee” thrives on caffeinated, cross-cutting unisonand harmony figures, while the aptly titled“Intersecting Lines” is a moody ballad thatopens up for extended solos by Voyemant, tenorsaxophonist Kevin Garren and drummer SinclairLott. Latin jazz is in the mix, too, courtesy of thebright and shiny “Ricky’s Hot Salsa,” featuringstratosphere-scraping trumpeter Rick Baptist.—Philip BoothLive At Typhoon: Freddie Freeloader; Pick Up The Pieces;Cupcake; Summertime; Barnburner; Guy Noir’s Brother; Hip &Cool; Too Much Coffee; Falling; Intersecting Lines; Ricky’s HotSalsa; Rocky & Bullwinkle. (64:50)Personnel: Rick Baptist, Robbie Schaer, Ron King, Dave Pittel,trumpets; Bruce Otto, Dave Ryan, Jacques Voyemant, MikeMillar, trombones; Jeff Driskill, Mark Hollingsworth, Kevin Garren,Mark Visher, John Mitchell, saxophones; Les Hooper, piano; NickBrown, guitar; Kenny Wild, bass; Sinclair Lott, drums.» Orfdering info: venusrecord.comOrdering info: leshooper.com»60 DOWNBEAT May 2010