Steve Lloyd Smith - Chantal's Way (Double-Time, 1999)

Steve Lloyd Smith, bass
Richie Beirach, piano
Jabali Billy Hart, drums

Recorded March 6 & 7, 1996

Sorcerer Sound, NYC

Engineer: Patrick Derivaz

Americans named Smith often search for ways to distinguish themselves from the 2.8 million other people with the same surname. I first obtained Chantal's Way on the Double-Time label when Steve Lloyd Smith was merely Steve Smith. I later found the same album on Qobuz led by Steve Lloyd Smith. As Double-Time had faded away, Smith's opportunity to rebrand himself for the streaming/downloading market seems appropriate. In the past five years he has released three new online albums on his Chantal's Way label. 

I used to subscribe to Jamey Aebersold's mail order service, where his Double-Time label was featured. The label hosted an excellent roster of jazz artists and included informative booklets (although they are often difficult to read). Discogs lists 93 Double-Time releases between 1993 and 2006. It's a shame that so much excellent music is now relatively obscure. 

We're fortunate that Chantal's Way remains available through the artist. It's a superb record by a superb trio. Smith is a polished jazz bassist, and Richie Beirach and Billy Hart are in the highest echelon of elite players. Chantal's Way includes Beirach's "Elm," John Coltrane's "Expression," three standards, and four original compositions by Smith. As he explains in the booklet, the primary inspiration for his trio is Bill Evans, an influence that is obvious from the very first notes. 

Smith expands the opportunity for group interplay by lengthening the album to 72:12 minutes, well beyond the limits of a 2-sided LP. The downside of length is the risk of listener fatigue or impatience, but patience is rewarded when hearing each cut at full length. Considering the quality of the group, I believe that in this case more is better.

The Beirach and Coltrane covers are the best on the album, which should not be taken as a slight to the trio's work on the remaining 7 cuts. I've heard Beirach's "Elm" on his same-titled ECM album dozens of times, and this version tops it. At 7:23 minutes, "Elm" provides ample space for Beirach to ruminate on his gorgeous melody and for the bass and drums to contribute to the very Evans-like performance. 

As for "Expression," it's one of Trane's least played compositions, but it's one of the best of his later period. (The album Expression was recorded in 1967, the year Coltrane died). Hearing it always gives me chills, no matter who is playing it. It's appearance on Chantal's Way, played by a sympathetic piano trio, is more that I could have wished for. 

Beirach recorded both "Elm" and "Expression" three months later with George Mraz and Billy Hart on Snow Leopard (Alfa Jazz, 1996).

Billy Hart's work is consistently excellent throughout his long career. His 880 recording credits (according to Discogs) from 1975 to the present attest to his stature. He always listens acutely to his bandmates and inserts the right accents to stimulate them. No one gets away with playing sleepy jazz with Jabali on the drum stool.

My "brushes with fame" story about Hart is seeing him dining with a group in L'Express, a Montréal bistro, as my wife and I enjoyed our îles flottantes. It was during the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM). I would never interrupt an artist's conversation at a meal, but it was a thrill to be a couple of tables away from greatness.

Terje Rypdal - Skywards ECM, 1996)

 
Terje Rypdal, guitar
David Darling, cello
Terje Tønnesen, violin
Palle Mikkelborg, trumpet
Christian Eggen, piano
Paolo Vinaccia, drums
John Christiansen, drums

Recorded February 1996

Rainbow Studio, Oslo

Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug

I got hooked on Terje Rypdal in the late 1970s when I first heard Odyssey (ECM, 1976), a 2-LP set with side-long pieces of ethereal distorted guitar, percussion, trumpets, and miscellaneous noisemakers. For the next ten years, I collected most of Rypdal's ECM LPs and later added CDs when the grand format shift occurred in the 1980s. 

Skywards finds the former prog rocker in fine form. Although I had been spoiled by his vinyl recordings, Skywards on CD preserves most of the spacious detail that analogue ECM recordings are known for. 

Skywards' emphasis is on amplified string instruments. Over the pair of drummers, the blend of piano, guitar, and cello create complex timbres to support Rypdal's solo spots and the cool flights of Palle Mikkelborg's trumpet.

The program explores a variety of Rypdal's musical ambitions. "Into the Wilderness" offers dramatic suspense - for me a dark, ominous setting as might be discovered deep inside a Norwegian fjord. "Out of This World (Sinfonietta)" is the longest piece at almost 16 minutes. It reveals Rypdal's symphonic side. "Shining" is a feature for the percussionists and their assortment of bells, chimes, and drumheads. Finally, the closing "Remember to Remember" features violinist Terje Tønnesen and pianist Christian Eggen. 

Although song forms and instrumentations vary across the album, there is no mistaking that this is a Terje Rypdal recording. It extends the themes he visited in the 1970s and 1980s to create a fully engaging listening experience!

To read my reviews of two other Rypdal albums, go to:

Post: Edit Odyssey

Post: Edit To Be Continued

Tom Harrell - Labyrinth (RCA, 1996)

Tom Harrell, trumpet, piano
Don Braden, tenor sax

Joe Lovano, tenor sax

Gary Smulyan, baritone sax
Rob Botti, oboe
Kenny Werner, piano

Steve Turre, trombone
Leon Parker, percussion
Larry Grenadier, bass
Billy Hart, drums

Recorded January 1996

Clinton Studio A, NYC

Engineer: Joe Ferla

Eight days following Tom Harrell's 20th birthday in 1976, he recorded his first album as a leader - Aurora (Adamo, 1976). Re-released in 1987 as Total! on the equally obscure Pinnacle Records label, it remains a curiosity, significant only because it launched a stream of 86 albums that continues 50 years later. While longevity is not always a guarantee of excellence, in Harrell's case it is. 

With 18 Harrell albums released in the 1990s, it might seem difficult to choose a favorite. But Labyrinth is an easy choice for three reasons.

First, Labyrinth showcases both Harrell's composing and arranging skills. The large ensemble on Labyrinth gives Harrell plenty of options. Of the A-list players that comprise the band, only the New York Philharmonic's oboist Rob Botti is not a top jazzman of the era. Nonetheless, his feature on "Majesty" is the album's highlight. 

Second, none of the 10 tracks on the album seem experimental or sketchy. All charts are fully realized, not simply heads for soloists to blow on. Indeed, solos on Labyrinth are typically short and integral to the compositions, much as Duke Ellington, Gil Evans and Maria Schneider might have arranged them. Because the solos are not extended, every one of them is outstanding. And without the assignment to comp behind lengthy solos, the rhythm section remains tightly focused. 

Third, the quintet numbers give Labyrinth balance and help to ensure that the album is not dismissible as a brainy exercise in arranging. Featuring Harrell, Don Braden, Kenny Werner, Billy Hart, and Larry Grenadier, the quintet numbers are mostly straight ahead, but with twists and surprises like most Harrell charts. 

The only forgivable indulgence on Labyrinth is Harrell's overdubbed piano and flugelhorn on the standard "Darn That Dream." I am not typically fond of overdubbing, but in this instance it works. As described in the Los Angeles Times by the late Don Heckman:

...the most intriguing track is a simple, basic performance of the only non-Harrell piece, “Darn That Dream,” in which he plays with the sole backing (via multi-tracking) of his own piano accompaniment. With nothing more than block chords as a foundation, Harrell takes the song through a rich gamut of melodic permutations without ever losing contact with its essence as a ballad. (Los Angeles Times: May 12, 1996)

I can't sensibly disagree with one of the greatest jazz critics of all time.

To read my posts for Harrell's Moon Alley and Short Stories, go to:

Post: Edit: Moon Alley

Post: Edit: Short Stories

Billy Drummond - Dubai (Criss Cross, 1995)

Billy Drummond, drums
Walt Weiskopf, tenor sax
Chris Potter, tenor & soprano sax, bass clarinet
Peter Washington, bass

Recorded December 15, 1995
RPM Studio, NYC
Engineer: Max Bolleman

Billy Drummond was one of the most active drummers in the 1990s, both as a first call accompanist and as a leader of his own group. Dubai pairs two powerful reedmen, Chris Potter and Walt Weiskopf, to headline the date. I've known both Potter and Weiskopf through their recordings since the early 1990s. Neither would have been out of place in the 1950s and 1960s during hard bop's golden era. 

The program is a varied one, including oldies by Irving Berlin and Billy Strayhorn, as well as tunes by Dewey Redman and Pat Metheny. The band members account for half of the composing credits. 

Drummond's title track is the most interesting and familiar one to me. Its Middle Eastern vibe and odd time signature make it stand out. Potter's soprano floating over the repetitive vamp laid down by Peter Washington is irresistible. It's one of the great jazz compositions of the decade and should be covered by other artists. 

Potter uses all three of his reeds, occasionally doubling on the same track. Weiskopf stays with his tenor throughout. Potter's tone and approach are different from Weiskopf's so there's no difficulty distinguishing who is playing. (If you're listening, Potter stays in the left channel and Weiskopf the right.) They share the limelight equally, and delight in their friendly "duels," as on "Invisible Sun" where Potter's bass clarinet and Weiskopf's tenor conjure memories of Eric Dolphy and John Coltrane. 

The freest moments come on "Drumhead," where the entire group engages in a spontaneous collective improvisation, as Drummond explains in his booklet notes. By contrast, Weiskopf's feature on "Daydream" provides the most sensitively romantic music on the album.

Dubai is another of Criss Cross's New York recordings. December was usually the month for the Dutch team to travel to the city for recording sessions. It's a tribute to late producer Gary Teekens and engineer Max Bolleman who made those treks, bought studio time, and made solid albums like Dubai.  

Maria Schneider - Coming About (Enja, 1995)

Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra

Recorded November 9 & 10, 1995

Clinton Recording Studios, NYC

Engineer: Jim Anderson

The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra has been recording for more than 20 years, during which it released 8 studio albums and one live performance. Some jazz artists are able to record several albums in one year, but bandleader Maria Schneider does things differently. Each release is treated as a "project," which fans can monitor and contribute to. I get regular emails from her announcing new projects and explaining their purpose and production details.

That's not all. After her first two albums, Evanescence (Enja, 1994) and Coming About, Schneider formed Artistshare, a cooperative in which artists retain control of their productions, finances, and copyrights. Fed up with record labels and the opaque process of being paid by YouTube and other streaming services, she now focuses on physical media (CDs) and downloads that are sold through her Artistshare website. She has also released a 3-LP set, Decades (2024) that compiles material released earlier in digital formats. 

Schneider's primary influence as a big band composer and arranger is Gil Evans, whom she assisted after graduating from the Eastman School of Music in 1985. Moving to New York, she studied and worked with Evans and Bob Brookmeyer. The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra was founded in 2003. 

Coming About was the orchestra's second release. Personnel are too numerous to mention, but it's a prestigious assemblage of jazz contemporaries. All the players have other gigs, of course, but the band are very loyal to their leader and share her advocacy for artists' rights. As good as the band members are, the band's ethos is less about individual soloists and more about Schneider's compositions and arrangements.

Coming About begins with "El Viento," a Schneider original, followed by an arrangement of the "Love Theme from Spartacus," composed by Alex North and covered by Ramsey Lewis, Yusef Lateef and Carlos Santana, among others. Rich Perry's tenor solo graces the performance.

Next, Schneider's 3-part "Scenes from Childhood" suite runs about 30 minutes. The wild first movement, "Bombshelter Beast," features guitar by Ben Monder and a spot for Scott Robinson's theremin. Part 2, "Night Watchmen," restores order but remains unsettling. Perry portrays the edgy calm in a solo that builds in strength and confidence as it progresses. The second half of "Night Watchmen" features Tim Hagans, who resolves the disturbance as the orchestra buoys his trumpet through a climax and peaceful end. Part 3, "Coming About," features Fank Kimbrough's piano in a beautifully orchestrated section that suggests a more peaceful resolution of childhood fears. 

An interesting arrangement of "Giant Steps" comes next. I have not heard any other attempts to orchestrate this Coltrane classic, which is typically a speed test for soloists. Schneider's version is not simply a launching pad for solos. Rather, Perry's tenor and Tim Reis's alto solos add colors and textures within the arrangement. I think composer Coltrane would have enjoyed this version of "Giant Steps."

The closing "Waxwing" best typifies Scheider's enduring interests in birds and nature. It's a pastoral piece that foreshadows her epic works Concert in the Garden (2004), Sky Blue (2007), The Thompson Fields (2015), and Data Lords - Our Natural World (2020).

Schneider's latest project is American Crow, released earlier in 2026 as a 3-track extended play record that continues the themes of Data Lords. 

Pierre Favre - Window Steps (ECM, 1995)

Pierre Favre, drums
Kenny Wheeler, trumpet
Roberto Ottaviano, soprano sax
David Darling, cello

Steve Swallow, bass

Recorded June 1995

Rainbow Studio, Oslo

Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug

Pierre Favre had been recording for 20 years before I ever heard of him. The Swiss percussionist, now in his late 80s, escaped my attention for understandable reasons: his European base, my ignorance of drum stylists, and his lack of recording on U.S. labels. Thanks to the Penguin Guide, seven of his recordings on ECM and Intakt are now among my most cherished albums. 

Like many ECM releases, Window Steps assembles artists from multiple nations: Americans, Swiss, Italian, and a Canadian expat based in the UK. All band members have extensive discographies as leaders and sidemen.

Four of the seven numbers on Window Steps are composed by Favre; the others are by members of the band. Steve Swallow co-wrote "En Passant" and "Aguilar." David Darling has two composing credits, and Roberto Ottaviano and Kenny Wheeler have one each. I assume that the collaborative pieces were composed during the recording session. 

The program flows gently like many ECM releases, risking the scorn of critics who are intolerant of the "ECM Sound." But close attention is rewarded, as the interplay among all five players continues to focus listener attention. Favre's tuneful percussion enhances everyone else's contributions. Swallow's electric bass provides deep contrast to the horns and Darling's cello. The blend of sonic textures is nothing less than luxurious.

The most outstanding track is Favre's 10:20 minute "Lea," one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever heard. The emotional depth of "Lea's" lyrical motif rivals that of Wagnerian opera. Positioned to follow the icier "Snow" and "Cold Nose," "Lea's" resonance is deepened. The piece is also included on Favre's album Saxophones (Intakt, 2004). 

Besides Window Steps and Saxophones, I recommend four more of Favre's albums:

Souffles (Intakt, 1997) - included later in this blog

European Chamber Ensemble (Intakt, 2002)

Fleuve (ECM, 2005)

Le Voyage (Intakt, 2010)

Mike Leonne - Waltz for an Urbanite (Criss Cross, 1995)

Mike LeDonne, piano
Peter Bernstein, guitar
Steve Nelson, vibes

Peter Washington, bass
Kenny Washington, drums

Recorded June 17, 1995

Systems Two, NYC

Engineer: Max Bolleman

I learned about Mike LeDonne's quintet from an entry in the Penguin Guide. With Peter Bernstein, Steve Nelson, and the Washingtons on this date, I could not go wrong with Waltz of an Urbanite. These were all accomplished artists, seemingly groomed to keep the flame alive as the superstars of the 50s and 60s began to fade from the scene.

Waltz for an Urbanite is distinctive in part because the instrumentation is rare in jazz, and for good reason. Piano, vibes and guitar occupy the same harmonic space, which leads to potential overlap and competition. (Bassist Peter Washington plays a third string instrument in the quintet but operates safely a few octaves below the piano, vibes and guitar). 

Solutions to harmonic crowding might involve unison playing, as in the George Shearing Quintet of the 1950s, or dividing the responsibility for melody and chords to avoid overlap. Key examples of this solution are Wes Montgomery and Milt Jackson's Bags Meets Wes (Verve, 1961), Laurindo Almeida with the Modern Jazz Quartet (Collaboration, Atlantic, 1965), and Gary Burton's Like Minds (Concord, 1998). 

LeDonne rises to the challenge with alternating strategies. First, playing melodies in unison produces a pleasing blend of timbres across plucked and hammered strings and metal bars. Unison lines produce a complex, shimmering texture not dominated by any single instrument.  

Second, the piano may comp behind vibes and guitar solos, providing chordal support and freeing the harmonic space for the soloist. The result is an uncluttered sound that allows each soloist to interpret LeDonne's compositions, especially the title track. LeDonne's ingenious arrangements for the quintet distinguish every track on Waltz for an Urbanite, resulting in a swinging, updated sound. 

I affectionately refer to "the Washingtons," Peter and Kenny, who are not related but who play together often as two thirds of the Bill Charlap trio. They appear together on at least 21 other Criss Cross albums, and their contributions to Waltz for an Urbanite are note-perfect. Listen to the mystical aura in Kenny's introduction to "Tranquility." Together, the Washingtons complete the quintet's sonic palette.