Bobo Stenson - Reflections (ECM, 1993)

Bobo Stenson, piano
Anders Jormin, bass
Jon Christensen, drums

Recorded May 1993
Rainbow Studio, Oslo
Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug

Bobo Stenson is one of several artists who helped to establish the "ECM sound" for piano trios. Along with fellow Swede, Anders Jormin, and Norwegian drummer John Christensen, Stenson recorded a uniformly excellent series of albums for Manfred Eicher's iconic label. While ECM is sometimes unfairly maligned for an icy approach to jazz (a reputation wrongly associated with its Nordic home base), Stenson's trio recordings are anything but icy.  His records with Jormin and Christensen stand as prime examples of jazz that is warm, engaging and beautifully recorded.

 The opening track on Reflections, "The Enlightener," is a Stenson composition that moves swiftly through a three-way conversation that winds down to a soft close. Everyone is actively engaged and attentive to each other. "The Enlightener" is a great setup for the more pensive "My Man's Gone Now." The trio's version of the other jazz standard in the set, Duke Ellington's "Reflections in D," is stunningly beautiful.

Stenson's own compositions are mostly short pieces in the 4-to-6-minute range, except for the closing "Mindiatyr," which clocks in at 10:21 minutes. "Mindiatyr" begins with a gentle Flamenco feel, then morphs into a forceful Stenson solo. Jormin solos at about the 7-minute mark. Stenson's cascades set up the tune's final bars.

I have dozens of albums on which John Christensen plays, and his approach is ideal for Stenson's trio. He exhibits a quiet virtuosity that expands the lines played by his bandmates. The trio often floats through pieces that seemingly have no time signature, allowing Christensen to become a rhythmic colorist. His deft brushes on cymbals often anticipate the entry of piano or bass, creating a mysterious aura on most numbers.

As for Jormin, he belongs to that lofty family of Nordic bassists so often found on ECM albums and elsewhere. On Reflections, he creates an elastic pulse for Stenson's complex phrasing. Jormin's "NOT" showcases his marvelous tone. His other tune, "Q," develops slowly in free tempo, allowing each member to play individual lines. I enjoy trio music like this where the lead shifts subtly across group members. 

Stenson's earlier albums, especially War Orphans (ECM, 1998) and Serenity (ECM, 2000) are highly recommended. His most recent trio album, Sphere (ECM, 2023) has its moments but is somewhat subdued. Regardless, I applaud Stenson's longevity and his exquisite taste and touch. Now in his 80s, Stenson continues to record at regular intervals. Jazz owes him gratitude for his artistic contributions for over 50 years. 

Ralph Moore - Who It Is You Are (Savoy, 1993)

 

Ralph Moore, tenor sax

Benny Green, piano

Peter Washington, bass

Billy Higgins, drums

Recorded April 5 & 6, 1993

Sound on Sound, NYC

Engineer, Jim Anderson

Over many decades, the most fundamental configuration of a jazz combo has been the quartet of tenor sax, piano, bass, and drums. All of the major tenor players have weighed in on this format, generating many of the core albums of the genre. Coltrane, Rollins, Getz, Gordon, and many others offer proof of the importance of the classic format.  

Who It IS You Are is Ralph Moore's best entry of the 1990s in the tenor quartet field. His earlier quartet album, 623 C Street (Criss Cross, 1987) made a modest impression, and his role in Ray Brown's Moore Makes Four (Concord, 1991) showed his strengths on traditional repertoire. His excellent quintet albums on Criss Cross (Rejuvenate!, 1989) and Landmark (Images, 1988 and Furthermore, 1990) preceded Who It Is You Are.

I recall playing Who It Is You Are for the first time, and Moore's opening notes on "Skylark" were refreshingly novel and direct, challenging my expectation of how Hogie Carmichael's warhorse should be played. Moore has a personal voice on the tenor that grabs the attention and doesn't let go. I had much the same impression on my first audition of Rejuvenate!

Benny Green is the perfect pianist for this out-front style. More celebrated as a leader than as a supporting musician, Green engages Moore's material with zest. I like Green's version of "Testifyin'," a clever gospel waltz, better that the version on Green's album of the same name.

Moore is relatively short on original compositions, but two of his best are showcased on Who It Is You Are: "Esmeralda" and "Yeah You!" These accompany six more familiar tunes, an obscurity from the pen of Idrees Sulieman ("After Your Call"), and a totally unexpected version of Peter Nero's "Sunday in New York." 

It doesn't matter which tune I sample, my reaction is the same. This is an album with a load of artistic integrity and no false steps. The album is also long at 69:32 minutes, and it this case more is better. The studio sound is detailed and well balanced, features common to most of Jim Anderson's projects.  

For my review of Moore's Rejuvenate! go to:

Post: Edit Rejuvenate!

Gerry Hemingway - Demon Chaser (hat ART, 1993)

Gerry Hemingway, drums & percussion

Michael Moore, alto sax, clarinets
Ernst Reijseger, cello
Wolter Wierbos, trombone
Mark Dresser, bass

Recorded March 2, 1993

Ottenbrucher Bahnhof, Wuppertal, Germany 

Engineer: Martin Andrae

The follow up to Gerry Hemingway's Down to the Wire is another live performance, this time at a converted rail station in Germany. Cellist Ernst Reijseger rejoins Mark Dresser to augment the "string section" while the "horn section" of Michael Moore and Wolter Wierbos remains intact. 

                 Moore - Dresser - Hemingway - Reijseger - Wierbos

Hemingway's "Slamadam" opens the album with a powerful workout on the drums. Next is the most intriguing version of "A Night in Tunisia" I've ever heard. Wierbos implies the familiar theme against a backdrop of clarinet, cello, bass, and drums. The tempo accelerates during a trombone solo that shows off Wierbos' extended techniques and produces the song's first climax. Hemingway's drums then take center stage with another display of up-tempo virtuosity. Moore's alto emerges from a conversation with Wierbos to play the most conventional solo so far. "Tunisia" is full of delightful moments like these.

"Buoys" changes the mood with a dreamlike theme played by Moore (on bass clarinet) and Wierbos. According to Hemingway's comments on his Bandcamp website, "The piece makes use of a damaged straight mute that Wolter had plumbed for it's unique buzzing quality." That explains some of the weird sounds on "Buoys." It's one of several highlights from an album that offers pleasurable surprises from beginning to end.

The original hat ART CD from 1993 was reissued in 2009 as a "new second edition CD-master" on hatOLOGY. The reissue is an audible improvement over the original. Percussive details are sharper, and the horns sound more natural. I downloaded the 2009 version from Qobuz and gifted the original "collectable" CD to my music-loving son. 

Both first and second versions contain insightful liner notes by Brian Morton. His notes and other information can be found at Demon Chaser | Gerry Hemingway Quintet | Auricle Records.

In my earlier post for Down to the Wire, I list 11 albums by Hemingway's quartets and quintets. I heartily recommend all of these recordings. 

Kenny Barron - Other Places (Verve, 1993)

Kenny Barron, piano
Ralph Moore, tenor & soprano sax
Bobby Hutcherson, vibes
Rufus Reid, bass 

Victor Lewis, drums
Mino Cinelu, percussion

Recorded February 1 & 2, 1993

East Side Sound, NYC

Engineer: Jim Anderson

Other Places feels like an album that was recorded just for me. It features several of my favorite musicians, regardless of instrument; it includes mostly original compositions by pianist Kenny Barron; and it's a first-rate recording by Jim Anderson. I'm grateful for Joanne Klein's production and Verve for the release. Top-shelf albums like this do not come along every day in the jazz world. 

Ralph Moore is still cooking as he approaches his 70th birthday. I've enjoyed his playing since his recording debut in 1983. His album Who It Is You Are (Savoy, 1994) will be included in this blog as a continuation of a strong period in Moore's career. His contributions to Other Places fit perfectly with the group, and the sound of piano, vibes, and tenor is delightful. 

Bobby Hutcherson sounds terrific on Other Places, whether comping or soloing. His touch on the metal bars is as distinctive as ever, harkening back 30 years when he first signed with Blue Note. I've enjoyed everything he has recorded except for a brief period in the early 1970s. I remember seeing him perform at the Atlanta Jazz Festival in the late 1990s. He died in 2016 at age 74.

The rhythm section completes a dream line up. Rufus Reid and Victor Lewis appear on many 1990s releases and always distinguish themselves. It's no wonder they're never out of work. Reid is now 81 and Lewis 75. Percussionist Mino Cinelu adds tasteful touches, like a dash of seasoning to a gourmet recipe.  

I normally use all my own words in blog entries, but I can't add anything better than The Penguin Guide's entry for Other Places:

Moore is in firm, probing voice, the rhythm section are wonderfully sharp and swinging, but it's the magnificent interplay between Hutcherson - still in absolutely prime shape - and Barron that marks this one down as a classic. The pianist saved some excellent writing for the date: "Anywhere", "Other places" and "Ambrosia" are deft, lyrical, unfussy themes that blossom into fine vehicles for improvising, and the chiming chord structures set up by both piano and vibes ring long and loud in the memory. The duet between Hutcherson and Barron on "For Heaven's Sake" is simply one of the most gorgeous ballad performances of recent times. Unmissable. 

 

Richard Cook & Brian Morton, The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, 5th ed. Penguin Books, 2000: p. 100.

For my reviews of two Kenny Barron albums from the 1980s, go to:

Post: Edit Green Chimneys

Post: Edit New York Attitude

Joshua Breakstone - Remembering Grant Green (Paddle Wheel, 1993)

Joshua Breakstone, guitar

Jack McDuff, organ

Al Harewood, drums

Kenny Barron, piano*

Ray Drummond, bass*

Keith Copeland, drums*

Recorded January 29 & March 5* 1993
Van Gelder Studio
Engineer: Rudy Van Gelder

Joshua Breakstone is a superb guitarist with a clean, soulful sound obviously derived from Grant Green. Breakstone's organ-trio numbers on Remembering Grant Green are a faithful reminiscence of the groove that pervades Green's Blue Note albums. For example, from the opening bars of "Street of Dreams," Breakstone echoes the sublime version from Green's Street of Dreams album (Blue Note, 1967). Green's version was recorded in 1964 and includes Bobby Hutcherson, Larry Young, and Elvin Jones. It's an all-time favorite track and album. 

Jack McDuff handles the organ duties on tracks 1-5 of Remembering Grant Green. The sound of his Hammond B3 in the Van Gelder studio is wonderful - deep bass pedal and the B3's characteristic overtones. I've struggled to describe the unique sound of the B3, so I'll share a description from the Outlier website:

"The Hammond B3 organ sound is hard to describe, but it feels something like being surrounded by the music. When you hear it in a club or intimate setting it becomes a centerpiece, like listening to many voices live." The Hammond B3 Organ Sound is Hard to Describe – Outlier – Portland Oregon Video Production for Training, Marketing, Culture

McDuff is a perfect choice to honor Green's legacy. While both Green and McDuff are often associated with "soul jazz," their work on Remembering Grant Green references the period from 1962-67 when the Blue Note albums Idle Moments, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Street of Dreams were released. These albums include songs by the Beatles and popular show tunes, yet they precede the crossover into funky territory that would define Green's and McDuff's later careers. 

Kenny Barron's piano trio supports Breakstone on tracks 6 and 7. The quartet numbers were both recorded by Green but it's hard to confirm their recording and release information. 

Once again, the Evidence label rescues a Japanese release and makes it easily available in the West. I like the original Japanese artwork more than the reissue's. For me, the drawing of Green's guitar, borrowed from another Japanese release (Matador), honors Green better than the photograph of Breakstone on the reissue.

Harry Beckett - Images of Clarity (EvidencƎ, 1992)

Harry Beckett, trumpet, flugelhorn 
Didier Levallet, bass
Tony Marsh, drums

Recorded December 9 & 10, 1992

Studio A.I.D.*, Pernes les Fontaines, Fr.

Engineer: Gérard de Haro

Having read a positive review of Images of Clarity in the Penguin Guide to Jazz, I spent several years chasing it down. One mistake I made was to assume it was released on the Evidence label, not the French EvidencƎ label. Details matter. But my persistence paid off, and I enjoy my CD copy to this day. 

The trio of French bassist Didier Levallet, British drummer Tony Marsh, and Barbados-born Harry Becket (a UK resident since 1954) produce a remarkably constrained flow of sonic images mostly composed by Beckett. Levallet contributes two compositions, and the band covers Mal Waldron's "Warm Canto."

The spare instrumentation serves the trumpeter well. His fragile tone conveys a lot of emotion, and his compositions exploit the best attributes of the group. For instance, the opening title track begins with several bars of alternating solos for trumpet and drums. Marsh obliges with an aggressive style that contrasts with Beckett's lyricism. Most other tracks allow melodies to be shared between bass and trumpet, with Marsh creating enough tension to disrupt anything too sweet.

Levallet takes full advantage of the trio format, departing from a supporting role to take the lead on several tracks. I hesitate to call his contributions "bass solos" because they are melodic episodes worked into the compositions. He is an obvious virtuoso, and the recording reveals his dexterous fingering and arco technique. According to Discogs, Levallet's performance credits number 104 recordings between 1967 and 2019, including leadership on 18 sessions between 1975 and 2011.

Overall, Images of Clarity captures the interactions of three different voices: the vulnerable tone of Beckett, the provocative percussion of Marsh, and the stately lyricism of Levallet. Together, they elevate fairly simple material to a minor masterpiece. I wish this title were more readily available because it is truly an overlooked gem.

*Note: Studio A.I.D. was founded in 1987 by Gérard de Haro and later renamed Studios La Buissonne.

Pharoah Sanders - Crescent with Love (Venus, 1992)

Pharoah Sanders, tenor sax
William Henderson, piano
Charles Fambrough, bass
Sherman Ferguson, drums

Recorded October 19 & 20, 1992
Sear Sound, NYC
Engineer: Fred Kevorkian

In 1964, John Coltrane hired Pharoah Sanders to play on the album Meditations. With the addition of Rashied Ali as a second drummer, the "classic quartet" became a sextet. Hearing Sanders for the first time was a shocking experience, but I played Meditations often and it became one of my favorites. 

I recall Nat Hentoff's liner notes inside Impulse's gatefold sleeve. I'll paraphrase: "Sanders played minute after minute in a register I did not know the tenor had." As Hentoff also noted, the overblowing and screeching that had become common ways for energy players to express emotional climaxes were the fundamental mode of expression for Sanders.

Twenty years later, I was again shocked to find Crescent with Love, Sanders' 2-CD tribute to John Coltrane. I was surprised because Sanders plays tender ballads such as "After the Rain," "Lonnie's Lament," "Naima," "Wise One," among others. All are delivered with a sumptuous tone that bears no resemblance to the raw screeching on Meditations. My shock quickly turned to gratitude for Sanders' choice to celebrate Coltrane's more lyrical legacy.

I was able to see Sanders perform live at the Atlanta Jazz Festival in the late 1990s. The memory is foggy, as it is with festivals where the performance times are limited, the roster long, and the outdoor seating grassy. I remember mostly the power of Sanders' tenor.

Crescent with Love has been issued in at least 9 versions, all with the same program but with different cover art and formats. We can now revel in Japanese vinyl and SACD versions sporting the original impressionist artwork shown above. 

Crescent's predecessor, Welcome to Love: Pharoah Sanders Plays Beautiful Ballads (Timeless, 1991), has received comparable treatment. It is also warmly recommended.

Sanders' remarkable career lasted 55 years, beginning with a dozen or so Impulse albums in the 60s and 70s, and continuing past his 80th birthday. My last citing was the minimalist collaboration of Sanders, Floating Points, and the London Symphony Orchestra (Promises, Luaka Bop, 2020). Sanders died in 2022 at age 81.

Joe Henderson - So Near, So Far (Musings for Miles) (Verve, 1992)

Joe Henderson, tenor sax
John Scofield, guitar
Al Foster, drums
Dave Holland, bass

Recorded October 12-14, 1992

Power Station, NYC

Engineer: Jim Anderson

Miles Davis's death on September 28, 1991, triggered numerous tributes and memorials, proving once again that in the music industry death is a good career move. I normally avoid tribute albums, preferring to play deceased artists' original albums. But Joe Henderson's So Near, So Far (Musings for Miles) has become one of my favorites over the past 35 years, and it grows in esteem each time I hear it. It is vastly more engaging than Henderson's more celebrated Lush Life (Verve, 1991), a tribute to Billy Strayhorn.

Davis composed or co-composed all of the tunes except for "So Near So Far," which was written by British jazz artists Benny Green and Tony Crombie. The nine Davis compositions covered on Musing for Miles are not the most obvious choices. Some of the classics are here ("Miles Ahead," "Flamenco Sketches," "Milestones"), but some are cuts from Davis's earliest 10" albums.

Pairing Henderson's tenor with John Scofield's electric guitar was a stroke of genius. Although Davis relied heavily on strong pianists (e.g., Wynton Kelly, Herbie Hancock), he generally avoided guitars until his electric funk stage (Bitches Brew and beyond). On So Near, So Far, Scofield supplants the piano's chording and soloist roles while the dream rhythm team of Al Foster and Dave Holland handle the rest. 

Scofield and Henderson complement each other superbly. The unison and harmony sections sound fresh, and Scofield's comping is funky but respectful of Miles' legacy and stature. 

The extensive booklet notes include tributes from members of the quartet, all of whom had played in Davis's bands of the 1970s and 1980s, long after the tunes on the CD were originally composed. I'm touched by the closeness of Davis's relationship with Al Foster, as told by Miles in an excerpt from his autobiography, included in the booklet. Foster died in 2025 at age 82.

Henderson died in 2001 at age 64. His music was also memorialized by tribute albums such as Jim Snidero's The Music of Joe Henderson (Double-Time, 1998), which is the subject of a future post in this blog.

So Near, So Far was recorded digitally, so it is unlikely to be reissued on vinyl. Used CDs are abundant and preferred over downloads or streaming because of the booklet.

If you don't know this music, get it. You won't be disappointed. 

For my reviews of two other Joe Henderson albums, go to:

Post: Edit An Evening with Joe Henderson

Post: Edit The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vols. 1 and 2