Ralph Peterson 35th Annual Student Music Awards - Downbeat

talking Cows
Almost Human
MORVIN RECORDS 5049
★★★★1/2
The Dutch have a canny way of marrying scholarly
analysis of tradition with playful, openended
reinvention. Broad tastes are catered
for with this digestible menu of 10 originals,
the writing split between the rangy talents of
tenorist Frans Vermeeresen and pianist Robert
Vermeulen. An amusing YouTube video featuring
rival farmers riffs on the band name (this
group has been together since 2004). One farmer
hates the CD, the other plays it in the cowshed
to increase the dairy yield.
Vermeessen’s opening solo reveals an
unfussy articulation, rather like Wayne
Shorter’s in its service to fresh ideas above
involuntary phraseology. Vermeesen’s history
tom Wetmore
The Desired Effect
CROSSTOWN RECORDS
★★
It’s an interesting that Tom Wetmore restricts
himself to Rhodes electric piano on his debut.
Maybe he just digs that old-school Rhodes
tone. For listeners who share that enthusiasm,
The Desired Effect celebrates it generously.
For all the beauty that this vintage instrument
offers, the Rhodes sus pedal is basically
either on or off. As a result, one has to think
carefully about moving chords on it with the
pedal down, to avoid turning everything to
mud. This becomes an issue in Wetmore’s
unaccompanied intro to “With Woven Wings.”
He handles these issues adroitly throughout
this brief extemporization, particularly in
terms of pedal release. Still, there’s no sense
of dynamic contrast here or elsewhere throughout
the album. His keyboard limits the band’s
range, except when one of the guitarists steps
out for a chorus, as on “The Rub,” where drummer
Garrett Brown ups his aggressiveness at
the end of Wetmore’s solo to mirror the attack
of the guitar’s entrance.
With two sax players and two guitarists,
there’s some potential for contrast and arrange-
62 DoWNBEAt JUNE 2012
with the Willem Breuker Kollektief and Bik
Bent Braam has buttressed his versatility. He
can play fast and take bluesy riffing and triple
tonguing into squalling abstraction, as on
the punchy “A Serious Lack Of Humour,” or
stubbornly peck out simple rhythmic figures.
Vermeulen’s outing on the latter takes charge
in a similar manner, a complete familiarity
with the material is evident, and despite Yonga
Sun’s frantic tambourine and Nijland’s nudging
bass, the pianist rides back on the tempo
between fleet runs.
“A Stroll For Gonso” is all Duke Ellington-
Ben Webster, fluttery-breathy-twinkly, Sun
suggesting Vernell Fournier’s mallets in back.
Vermeeresen reminds of new fogey Bennie
Wallace, sans Hawk-like arpeggios. During
“Dinner Is Served,” “I’m Getting Sentimental”
meets Thelonious Monk-ish angularity,
Vermeerssen growling and vocalizing through
the horn before a swinging bass release and
prancing ambidextrous piano herald audience
applause (one of two live cuts). “Hang Glider”
hovers cliff edge before Vermeulen finds a
thermal and Sun cuts loose.
“Mooing Around” has a “Straight No
Chaser” vibe, Vermeulen comping circuitously
before a sparkling solo driven by the hard-swinging
rhythm section. “Two Guys And A Beer”
smacks of a clean-cut Billy Taylor anthem, but
with Dutch courage. —Michael Jackson
Almost Human: Hurdles In Three; Serious Lack Of Humor; A Stroll
For Gonso; Dinner Is Served; Not Yet; Most Def!; Hang Glider; Mooing
Around; Two Guys And A Beer; Hop On, Hop Off. (61:35).
Personnel: Frans Vermeerssen, tenor saxophone; Robert Vermeulen,
piano; Dion Nijland, bass; Yonga Sun, drums.
ordering info: morvinrecords.nl
ment. Still, while Brad Williams and Justin
Sabaj turn the last moments of “Falling” into a
charming interplay, evoking the tiny chimes of
a wind-up ballerina toy, most of the time everyone
seems more bent on complementing the
Rhodes, which as a result casts the album in a
gray sonic mist. —Bob Doerschuk
The Desired Effect: Red Lights; Wild Card; Good And Plenty; A
Blessing; The Desired Effect; With Woven Wings; Falling; The Rub;
More Matter. (52:10)
Personnel: Tom Wetmore, electric piano; Jaleel Shaw, alto sax;
Eric Neveloff, alto and tenor saxophones; Brad Williams, guitar;
Justin Sabaj, guitar; Michael League, bass; Garrett Brown, drums.
ordering info: crosstownrecords.com
Jeff Lorber fusion
Galaxy
HEADS UP 33173
★★★
Far too often fusion and its bastard offspring
smooth jazz are dismissed out of hand without
being given the benefit of a fair hearing.
Prejudice can cloud the critical faculties to
the point where players are written off entirely—regardless
of their abilities. Jazz purists
should note the presence of trumpeter Randy
Brecker, altoist Eric Marienthal and guitarist
Larry Koonse before turning their noses up at
this release.
Keyboard/guitar polymath Jeff Lorber
might not win any new converts with this
release, a Jimmy Haslip production. His tunes
are long on tight dance rhythms and interlocked
instrumental riffing, short on compositional
arc, breathing space and dynamic
variety. Dave Mann’s horn charts and their
electronic realizations add judicious washes of
color. “Horace” doesn’t touch on the sanctified
church funk of Horace Silver’s essence, though
it bops along nicely. “Montserrat” is an uptempo
funk groover, with whiplash horn lines worthy
of Tower Of Power.
The soloists are on short leashes here, but
showing out nonetheless. Haslip’s short bass
break on “Rapids” could’ve gone longer to better
effect. Marienthal’s swaggering alto has
the run of “City,” one of the more interesting
tunes for its ascending and descending writing.
Marienthal’s soprano sax and Lorber’s Rhodes
trade engaging fours at the end of “Singaraja.”
Koonse’s compact and well-considered contributions
brighten like sunshine, especially
his nylon-string outing on “The Samba.” One
wishes that Vinnie Colaiuta and Dave Weckl
could momentarily step away from timekeeping
duties. —Kirk Silsbee
Galaxy: Live Wire; Big Brother; Montserrat; Singaraja; Galaxy; City;
Horace; The Samba; Rapids; Wizard Island; The Underground.
(54:44)
Personnel: Jeff Lorber, Fender Rhodes, guitars, piano, Mini Moog,
synth bass, loops; Randy Brecker, trumpet (4, 11); Eric Marienthal,
soprano saxophone (11), alto saxophone; Michael Thompson (1,
2, 3), Andree Theander (1, 4), Larry Koonse (1, 4, 8), Paul Jackson
Jr. (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11), guitars; Jimmy Haslip, bass, percussion (8);
Vinnie Colaiuta, drums; Dave Weckl, drum engineering (5); Lenny
Castro, percussion; Dave Mann, horn arranger (6, 7, 9, 10).
ordering info: concordmusicgroup.com