Volume 29 Issue 2 | October & November 2023

latest release though, we see Patton’s compositional
and musical talents really shine. The
album is chock-full of tunes composed by the
pianist himself and features an all-star group
of musicians backing him, with renowned
names such as Mike Rodriguez on horns,
Quincy Davis on drums and David Wong on
bass. Born during the dreary times of the
pandemic, the record is overflowing with
creativity and brings a true, enjoyable musical
experience.
Patton grew up in a household where both
classical music and jazz were deeply appreciated,
with his father being a self-taught
pianist. We often think of there being a very
strict divisional line between classical and
jazz, that the two don’t really ever mix and
that mindset is just what Patton sets out to
change throughout this record. Inspired by
his childhood, each of these songs features
notable technical elements we would usually
hear in classical music blended in seamlessly
with swing rhythms and mellow horn solos
attributed to jazz. The result? A terrific record
end-to-end, showcasing Patton’s proficiency
in genre-crossing and blurring that distinct
line between the two genres. A fantastic
record for jazz lovers that love broadening
their horizons and delving into new musical
territories that they have yet to explore.
Kati Kiilaspea
Counterclock
Clark Gibson; Sean Jones; Michael Dease;
Lewis Nash; Nick Mancini
Cellar Music CMR111022 (cellarlive.com)
! Renowned
jazz saxophonist,
educator and
composer Clark
Gibson’s latest
release is a toetapping
pick-meup
and a breath
of musical fresh
air. Featuring a roster of talented musicians
such as Sean Jones on trumpet, Pat
Bianchi on organ and Nick Mancini on vibraphone,
Gibson’s sweeping saxophone riffs
are supported by a fantastic backing band.
This fourth release includes songs that are
penned and arranged, for the most part, by
the stellar musician himself and his talents as
a composer are truly highlighted throughout
the record. For those jazz aficionados that
like a fresh, modern take on a traditional
jazz sound, this is definitely one for your
collection.
Gibson reflects, “Counterclock refers to
looking back and not discounting art you
created in your early stages as an artist.” The
focus of the album, then, is how the saxophonist
came to embrace his compositions
from the time that he was just starting out.
Throughout the tunes there is a definite
continuous, broader theme of “looking back
to yesteryear,” a hark back to the traditional
and appreciating the roots of modern jazz
music and many of the greats. Gibson and
band have a knack for finding the perfect
balance of classic and current, enlivening
that jazz sound we’ve all come to know and
love yet adding just enough of a contemporary
twist to bring it into today’s musical
landscape. From start to finish, this album is
a sonically pleasing, immersive and snazzy
musical journey.
Kati Kiilaspea
Short Stories
Vicente Archer; Gerald Clayton; Bill
Stewart
Cellar Music CM060922 (cellarlive.com)
! New York Citybased
bassist and
composer, Vincente
Archer is a bit of a
gifted chameleon,
and with the release
of his first recording
as a leader Archer
feels that he has
finally revealeds his authentic self – personally
and musically. Archer’s inspired collaborators
here include pianist Gerald Clayton
and drummer Bill Stewart. This compelling
project was propelled by executive producer
Cory Weeds, along with producer and noted
trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. With the exception of
three tracks, all compositions were created by
the gifted triumvirate.
First up is Mirai (Archer), a gossamer-like
jazz ballad, replete with a steady, heartbeat of
bass punctuated by contrapuntal electric and
acoustic piano work from Clayton and incredibly
sensitive and yet powerful drumming
by Stewart. Clayton’s Round Comes Round
follows with boppish motifs coming into play,
along with a dizzying piano intro by Clayton,
followed by a symbiotic entrance of bass and
drums. The trio seems to communicate with
pure telepathy here, and the ESP continues in
the form of a sinuous bass solo and superb,
nuanced drumming from Stewart.
Another of Archer’s tunes, Lighthouse, is
an energizing highlight, featuring Archer’s
lithe fingers flying across the bass fingerboard
and laying it down with his unique voice. Of
rare beauty is Stewart’s Drop of Dusk which
exemplifies the “art of the trio” – replete with
its stirring, Romantic sub-text, punctuated by
brilliant, complex piano work from Clayton.
On every track here, Archer’s bass sings and
deftly touches those deep, subcutaneous parts
of us that are shared by all human beings,
underscoring and celebrating our one-ness.
The only flaw with Short Stories is that the
stories should be longer!
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What
You’re Doing?
Mike Jones; Penn Jillette; Jeff Hamilton
Capri Records (caprirecords.com)
! This enjoyable
recording features
the prodigious
talents of pianist/
arranger/producer
Mike Jones, the
potent and thrilling
drum work of Jeff
Hamilton, and
solid, musical bass playing from internationally
known magician, Penn Jillette (of Penn
and Teller). The tongue-in-cheek title of the
CD is a reference to when The Three Stooges
would show up as house painters, carpenters
or God forbid, doctors! It was in 2002 that
Jones was hired to be the opening act of Penn
and Teller’s irreverent and entertaining magic
show – a hot ticket in Las Vegas for more
than 30 years – the only proviso being that
Jillette (who had taken up the bass at the age
of 48) would join Jones in a duo format for
the opening set – which turned out to be six
nights a week, for 21 years. After stopping by
to see a show, it was actually Hamilton’s idea
that the three record together.
Fresh, energetic takes on a number of
beloved jazz standards are included here. On
the zesty opener, Gershwin’s ‘S Wonderful,
Jillette more than holds his own – digging
in with authority while generating a big,
fat, satisfying sound. Jones masterfully lays
it down in the stylistic mode of the greats
and Hamilton is simply one of the finest
jazz drummers of his (and any other) time.
A standout is a swinging take on the great
Sonny Rollins’ Doxy. The trio grooves like
a single-celled animal, and Jones’ solo is a
thing of rare beauty. Other fine tracks include
Jobim’s classic The Girl From Ipanema, which
features an extended bass solo from Jillette
where he carries the melodic line, and is
also consistently expressive, in tune and in
time. The stunning ballad, You’ve Changed,
displays the trio’s skilled use of space as well
as a formidable lyrical sensibility.
These guys know what they’re doing; they
should do it more often!
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
For Mahalia, with Love
James Brandon Lewis; Red Lily Quintet
Tao Forms 13 (taoforms.bandcamp.com)
! Tenor saxophonist
James
Brandon Lewis’s
previous CD
with his Red Lily
Quintet, Jesup
Wagon, dedicated to
George Washinton
Carver, resided at or
near the top of 2022 jazz polls. This homage
to gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, to whose
thewholenote.com October & November 2023 | 73