Volume 28 Issue 1 | September 20 - November 8, 2022

Luis (“Papiosco”) Torres. All nine evocative
and powerful compositions on this superb
collection were composed by Deniz and deftly
produced by noted pianist Teri Parker.
The title refers to a type of clay pot, brought
to Cuba by the Spanish, which eventually
became the trademark of the province
of Camaguey – Deniz’s culturally rich and
soulful place of origin. The opening salvo,
Reflexiones is rife with languid, riveting
tones from Deniz’s horn that drive the
ancient rhythmic modalities with inspired
and emotional improvisational sequences
channelling the very pulse of Mother Earth
herself. This seamlessly segues into La Ceiba
de Mayuya, a swinging contemporary jazz
exploration featuring a dynamic acoustic bass
solo by Occhipinti.
Of particular note is Rumba para
Camaguey/Equality – a sumptuous, lyrical
duet performed by Deniz and Zaldivar. Bolero
is almost unbearably beautiful, plummeting
the depths of sensuality and Gesture adapts
the mood by generating pure joy, enhanced by
the unison piano/vocal line, masterful piano
work and Deniz’s dazzling compositional
style. Also of special note is the thoroughly
lovely Dutch Flower, dedicated to Deniz’s
talented wife. The rousing closer, Conga
para Florida is nothing short of magnificent
with dynamic soprano work, an indigenous
percussive melange and delicious vocals.
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
First Move
Aaron Seeber; Warren Wolf; Sullivan
Fortner; Ugonna Okegwo
Cellar Music CM103121 (cellarlive.com)
! Most jazz musicians
– no matter
what instrument
they play – agree
that you feel free
to go wherever the
music takes you
when you have
a drummer who
knows when to fly rhythmically and when he
has to “stay in the pocket” so others can fly.
It’s clear after the first song on First Move that
Aaron Seeber is exactly that kind of drummer.
He shows the elegantly raucous side to his
musicianship, with great artistry and flamboyance
right from the get go. The pinnacle
of the disc comes on the drummer’s First
Move, a fast piece that shows not only his
ability to play inside the beat and around it
but also to run circles and spirals around the
burgeoning music,
This program is also spiced with many classics
played in the (so-called) bebop style.
During this daring music, Seeber evokes
the ghost of Billy Higgins with the melodic
chatter of the drums and the incessant hiss of
cymbals. Seeber shows uncommon maturity
in his playing of Charles Mingus’ classic
ballad, Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love, (and
later with molten rhythms on Mal Waldron’s
Fire Waltz) with slow and quietly balletic
drumming that seems to sing. For long
sequences in the pocket, listen to Seeber on
Charlie Parker’s Klactoveedsedstene.
Being accompanied by altoist Tim Green,
pianist Sullivan Fortner, vibraphonist Warren
Wolf and bassist Ugonna Okegwo also
helps make this a fiery debut disc by a truly
fine drummer.
Raul da Gama
Isabela
Oded Tzur; Nitai Hershkovits; Petros
Klampanis; Johnathan Blake
ECM 2739 (odedtzur.com)
! On the questing
music of his album
the eloquent saxophonist
Oded Tzur
pours out a range
of feelings possibly
dedicated to his
muse – Isabela
– together with a
quartet (featuring pianist Nitai Hershkovits,
contrabassist Petros Klampanis and drummer
Johnathan Blake) which interprets the
music’s lyrical profundity. The five songs
– or movements, perhaps – on this meditative
album brood, sing, dance and soar
heavenward.
Throughout this expressive music, Tzur’s
lead tenor saxophone voice exquisitely
intones his aural emotions glazed with evocative
Phrygian modes. The rest of the ensemble
follows suit as if they were written into Tzur’s
music too. Each of the artists shows immense
sensitivity for the composer’s feelings. Thus
the repertoire on the album Isabela unfolds
with warm and sweeping beauty.
In Noam and especially in Isabela (the
song), for instance, every phrase is vibrantly
sculpted and placed within the context of
eloquent conversations among piano, bass
and drums. Countering the moist tenor
of Tzur’s saxophone and the cascades of
Hershkovits’ piano is the low rumble of
Klampanis’ contrabass and the hiss and sizzle
of Blake’s cymbals. This makes for some of the
most sensitive performances on the album.
On Love Song for the Rainy Season Tzur
reveals uncommon depth of thought and
musical ingenuity as he weaves disparate
Middle Eastern and Asian influences into the
music. The other musicians remain alert to
nuance and dynamic contrasts, providing
requisite quotas of passion.
Raul da Gama
When I Get Low
Tia Brazda
Flatcar Records FCR022 (tiabrazda.com)
! Going out on
a limb it is not so
risqué to proclaim
that you won’t find
another singer
who vocalizes
music – including
this classic music
– quite like Tia
Brazda. While Brazda may owe much to both
Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse, she has a
fully formed style that is wholly her own. Her
wide-open articulation, characterized by the
sultry, aspirated “ah” when she uses the first
person pronoun “I” is as unique as it is beckoning,
and it is something you are not likely
to tire of as she glides through these nine
songs on her fifth disc When I Get Low.
Brazda traverses the mezzo-soprano
tonal range with ease. But her intonation is
uniquely smoky. Moreover, she has a singing
style that is made for the pathos of songs such
as Lullaby of Leaves, When I Get Low, I Get
High and Smile. She can catch both pathos
and agitation with tenderly softened tones,
made for the graceful love repertoire on this
disc (such as the spectacularly evocative I’ll Be
Seeing You).
The members of the ensemble that back
Brazda prove themselves to be both subtle
and idiomatic interpreters of these songs
which they illuminate (as if) with dim
gaslight on the darkened alleys off Broadway.
Soloists Mike Freedman (guitar), Joel Visentin
(piano), Alexis Baro (trumpet) and Drew
Jurecka (violin, bandoneón) create an atmospheric
setting for Brazda’s gorgeously sullen,
long-limbed narratives and floating and spinning
lines to unfold with bewitching beauty.
Raul da Gama
Dream Dancing
Melissa Stylianou; Gene Bertoncini; Ike
Sturm
Anzic Records ANZ-0080 (melissastylianou.bandcamp.com)
! This writer
purchased Melissa
Stylianou’s 2006
release Sliding
Down after hearing
her perform in
Toronto, which
was my introduction
to the vocalist’s
tasteful singing and composing. It was
also my introduction to guitarist Kim Ratcliffe
whom I knew of but hadn’t heard, and a
chance to hear Kevin Breit who I had just
gotten to know. When offered the chance to
review Dream Dancing, I delighted in the
opportunity to revisit Stylianou’s music over
15 years later, accompanied by yet another
great guitarist, Gene Bertoncini.
thewholenote.com September 20 - November 8, 2022 | 63