Jerry Granelli - Broken Circle (Intuition, 1996)

Jerry Granelli, drums
Christian Kögel, guitars
Kai Brückner, guitars
Andreas Walter, bass

Recorded 1996
Möbius Music, San Francisco

Engineer: Christian Jones

I learned all I ever wanted to know about Jerry Granelli by reading Thom Jurek's discographic essay on Qobuz: Jerry Granelli Discography - Download Albums in Hi-Res - Qobuz. There I found many surprises, such as his performing with The Kingston Trio, Sly & The Family Stone, and Vince Guaraldi. He was born in San Francisco in 1940 and died at age 80 in Nova Scotia, in his adopted home of Canada. Jurek reports, "He was treasured by other musicians as a timeless and chameleon-like artist, capable of transcending era, genre, and even his own style to serve the music at hand."

Granelli's use of guitars in his jazz groups begins with his debut, Visions (Excalibur, 1978). Two later bands, UFB and V16, feature electric guitars, electric bass, and drums. That configuration might not excite jazz purists, but the music of these bands is endlessly expressive and full of sonic details. My favorites albums are Broken Circle, News on the Street (Intuition, 1995), and The Sonic Temple - Monday and Tuesday (Songlines, 2007).

On Broken Circle, Granelli is joined by three young German musicians. Kai Brückner (pictured 1st) and Christian Kögel (pictured 2nd) both play electric guitars on most tracks, occasionally doubling on steel string or nylon string acoustic guitars, and in several cases "solo, slide, fretless, and atmospheric guitars." I would have loved to have seen a photo of their arsenal in the recording studio. Both guitarists exploit the full ranges of their respective axes. However, the music is less about virtuosic soloing or shredding, and more about sustaining mood. 

Typical passages use pleasantly distorted sustained notes as the guitars and bass converse. Like many drummer-leaders, Granelli leads from behind, allowing the amplified strings to dominate the sonic palette. 

The program on Broken Circle is intriguing. The first 6 tracks include one original composition from each guitarist, jazz classics from Charles Mingus ("Boogie Stop Shuffle") and John Coltrane ("Lonnie's Lament"), and songs by Peter Gabriel and Prince. I am most moved by "Lonnie's Lament," which Coltrane introduced on his Crescent LP (Impulse, 1964). I don't know who Trane's inspiration for this masterpiece was, but it fits perfectly with Broken Circle's theme of lament.

The remaining 6 tracks comprise a suite composed by Granelli, titled Song of a Good Name. Sandwiched between two versions of "Crazy Horse's Dream," the other tunes in the suite explore the plight of Native North American people. The story of the annihilation of these people's populations and cultures is tragic and sorrowful, and the music dignifies and honors Native North American lore. 

The CD booklet has three folds, allowing the expanded inside to include 12 quotations from authors who have written about Native North Americans. These are poignant memorials that add solemnity to the listening experience. The cover art of the slipcase is shown above; the CD booklet artwork is shown below. I have seen few CD packages with text and artwork that so closely match the musical message. Broken Circle is first-rate sonically as well. It is unfortunate that the digital download version excludes most of the artwork.

Johan Leijonhufvud, Happy Farm (Sittel, 1996)

Johan Leijonhufvud, guitar

Jacob Karlzon, piano

Mattias Hjorth, bass

Kristofer Johansson, drums

Recorded April 16-19,1996

Bojus Studio, Kungälv, Sweden

Engineer: Äke Linton

It might seem unusual for a man born in Gothenburg, Sweden to be one of the world's finest jazz guitarists, without most of the world even noticing. Born in 1971, Johan Leijonhufvud began recording in 1995 with Swedish bands alongside trumpeter Anders Bergcrantz. Leijonhufvud's album, Speaks the Local Bebop (Sittel, 1995), includes Bergcrantz and vocalist Sofia Pettersson. 

I first encountered Leijonhufvud in the Penguin Guide, which gave Happy Farm four stars. Finding a copy of the CD was a years-long effort, but eventually I found an online merchant with a used copy for sale. 

Leijonhufvud's regular trio is expanded for Happy Farm, which includes pianist Jacob Karlzon. He is a splendid addition to the trio, working seamlessly with Leijonhufvud on the front line, soloing vigorously, and contributing one tune to the program - the modal "Backwoods." 

On "Backwoods," Karlzon's vamp sets the foundation for Leijonhufvud's solo, which begins hesitantly but then creates a sequence of powerful chords that build to a climax. Karlzon constructs his own solo the same way: beginning carefully before letting it all hang out. Add Kristofer Johansson's drum solo and you have the thoughtfully energetic highlight of the album.

Karlzon and the leader avoid the crowding of harmonic space common in bands using guitar and piano as lead instruments. In some cases, as on "Deuce," Karlzon plays block chords behind Leijonhufvud's fleet guitar work. The guitarist returns the favor when Karlzon solos. 

On the lovely "Kattis," the band introduces the stately ballad together before the solos progress. The leader's solo is gently romantic; Mattias Hjorth's bass solo is poignant; and Karlzon's swells are packed with emotion. Leijonhufvud's soft guitar returns to affirm the tribute to Kattis (short for Katarina), whom I imagine to be an object of the composer's affection.

There are three interesting covers on Happy Farm. Eddie Harris's "Boogie Woogie Bossa Nova" introduces a bit of soul jazz into the proceedings. I hear more boogie than bossa, but the hybrid works well overall. I first heard "Sno Peas," written by Phil Markowitz, on Bill Evans' Affinity album (Warner, 1979). Here, it becomes a vehicle for exquisite guitar, piano, and bass solos. I also love the theme played in unison by Leijonhufvud and Karlzon. Finally, Joe Henderson's "The Kicker" is a short post-bop romp highlighted by Johansson's drum solo.

Recently, Leijonhufvud's trio has recorded as JLT. Harlem Nocturne (Heartcore, 2021) and Nifty Fifty (Heartcore, 2023), along with the earlier Strange Man (Lovestreet, 2006) are all worth investigating. With the Internet, there are no longer the former barriers preventing American jazz guitar fans from hearing music released on European labels. Qobuz is currently my primary source for obtaining such music, replacing the need to ship physical CDs overseas. 

I could play my copy of Happy Farm to everyone I know, and I bet that no one could guess the artist. Discovering Johan Leijonhufvud's work is guaranteed to be a revelation to guitar lovers who never heard of him. 

Notes:

According to my Swedish friend Jonny, Leijonhufvud's name is pronounced LAY‑yon‑hoov‑vood. 

The photo of Johan Leijonhufvud is from 2006. 

The photo of Kristofer Johansson is from 2026.

The photo of Mattias Hjorth is from 2024, taken from the website of Lund University's Malmö Academy of Music where he serves as Lecturer in Jazz Ensemble & Double Bass. 

Cæcilie Norby, My Corner of the Sky (Blue Note, 1996)

Cæcilie Norby, vocals
Louise Norby, backing vocals
Randy Brecker, flugelhorn
Scott Robinson, flute
Michael Brecker, tenor sax
Joey Calderazzo, piano
Lars Jansson, piano, organ
David Kikoski, piano, organ
Lars Danielsson, bass
Lennart Ginman, bass
Terri Lynne Carrington, percussion
Jacob Andersen, percussion
Alex Riel, drums
Jeff Boudreaux, drums

Recorded 1996

Sound on Sound, NYC & Focus Recording, Copenhagen
Engineers: Malcolm Pollack (USA) & Hans Nielsen (Denmark)

I must have read a convincing review of Cæcilie Norby's My Corner of the Sky because, on the surface, this is not the kind of music I seek out. Its construction is more like a pop album: a mix of popular songs and jazz standards, recorded in studios in different hemispheres, with different musicians from track to track. Although the Blue Note imprint reassured me that this was, indeed, a jazz album, I approached skeptically. 

In hindsight, I now consider My Corner of the Sky as one of the best jazz vocal albums of the 1990s. However, it's difficult for me to write about My Corner because it coincided with an upheaval in my professional life and a move to a new city and employer at the age of 50. The album came to me at a time when I needed reassurance, and it's difficult to put the emotional attachments aside and critique the album in a way that would interest readers. Music just does that sometimes. 

Fortunately, as I searched for a better approach, I encountered a review that closely matched my own thinking. The following is an abridgement of a review by The Loud Bassoon, published online approximately six years ago with no cautions about copyrights or reuse. I thank The Loud Bassoon for the insights and hope that I might return the favor someday. Bassoon's full review can be found at the loud bassoon guide to records: cæcilie norby - my corner of the sky

Cæcilie Norby is a Danish chanteuse with a funky voice and a remarkable ability for investing lesser songs with a lot of passion. Several of the cuts on My Corner of the Sky are covers that beat the original versions, and she even lays down one standard that has never been done better ("Suppertime").

Few singers could open an album with "The Look of Love" nowadays and have it be fresh; it actually is fresh here. Several of the songs (particularly the more recent pop covers) have a slightly Holiday Inn-lounge jazz feel, but the precision of the band and Norby's voice keep things from getting cheesy.

"The Right to Love" (a Lalo Schifrin/Gene Lees tune) better reflects Norby's taste and talent. Her voice (backed by a trio) is full and soulful, emoting without becoming overbearing. Track 3 is an organ-driven cover of Sting's "Set Them Free," which does work well in this context. ... "Suppertime," not one of my favorite standards, is given a magnificent reading here; the song is perfectly suited to Norby's voice, and she performs it with great emotion. 

This is followed by the stupefying "African Fairytale," a version of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" to which Norby has written some great lyrics. This is one of the best jazz vocal performances ever, truly a tour-de-force. Wayne Shorter has never been so accessible. 

The winning streak continues with a cover of David Bowie's "Life on Mars," which I think actually bests the rock version by taking the song into a more introspective place, augmented greatly by Randy Brecker's aching flugelhorn.

The majesty of these three consecutive gems is offset a bit by an ill-chosen attempt at "Spinning Wheel," which sticks out like a broken nose. ...The rest of the album slows down a bit, settling into something of a late-night feel with "What Do You See in Her," a brisk "Just One of Those Things" ..., and the haunting "Snow" (one of the album's many highlights).

The CD ends with a wonderful take on Leon Russell's "A Song for You" ...and another ballad, "Calling You." 

Review courtesy of: 

Michael Moore - Bering (Ramboy, 1996)

Michael Moore, clarinets
Fred Hersch, piano
Mark Helias, bass

Recorded November 1996

Radio Bremen, Germany

Engineer Gisela Kniemeyer

A key member of Gerry Hemingway's quintet, Michael Moore ventured into leadership of his own groups, which he recorded on his own Ramboy record label. Ramboy releases include music by Clusone 3, a group with Dutch free-jazz artists Ernst Reijseger and Han Bennink, and a larger group named Available Jelly. 

In addition to those wilder ensembles, Moore made several extraordinarily beautiful albums including two by trios: Chicoutimi (1994) and Bering (1996). The spare interplay among Moore's clarinets, Fred Hersch's piano, and Mark Helias' bass offer an uncluttered and often serene soundscape whether covering familiar songs or playing Moore's originals.

I have heard no better opening track than Bering's "Mundo Sem Fim," composed by Portuguese songwriter Fernando Lameirinhas. Translated as "world without end," "Mundo Sem Fim" creates a lyrical mood that is sustained throughout the album. For instance, Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" adopts the moodiness of "Mundo" on track 9. The program also includes compositions by Wayne Shorter, John Lewis, Tom Jobim, Irving Berlin, Benedito Lacerda, and others. Many of Moore's originals are vignettes lasting less than three minutes. 

There are two themes coursing through Bering. The first is the Portuguese-Brazilian theme. The Lameirinhas, Jobim, and Lacerda numbers are positioned in key places to keep this theme in the listeners' consciousness. I've read that people in The Netherlands, Moore's home base, have a great love of Portuguese music. 

The second theme is signified by the Bering Sea, pictured on the album cover, as a remote but fascinating place. Moore's albums often make connections to places such as Chicoutimi, a small region in northern Québec. Hersch and Moore play "Bering" in a way that evokes images of ice floes in the chilly expanse of the northern sea. Several other tracks, such as "Odin," named for the mythical Norse god, conjure similar imagery.

Among the delights of Bering is hearing the tone that Moore gets from his clarinets. When paired with Helias' woody bass notes, the effect is warm and intoxicating. Moore stays mainly with the standard B♭ instrument except for his use of bass clarinet on "Willie" and "Albatross." 

Hersch is a versatile player whether leading his own prolific trio or serving as a sideman for projects like Bering. His work here is reminiscent of the trio with Marilyn Crispell and Hemingway (MGM Trio, Ramboy, 1996). His recent The Surrounding Green (ECM, 2025) is one of his best ever. 

Helias was a frequent member of Gerry Hemingway's groups along with Moore. He also anchored groups led by Ellery Eskelin, Don Cherry, François Houle, and many others. His Loopin' the Cool (Enja, 1995) is one of his best outings as a leader. It features Eskelin, Tom Raney, and Regina Carter. 

Harold Danko - Tidal Breeze (SteepleChase, 1996)

Harold Danko, piano
Rich Perry, tenor sax
Scott Colley, bass
Jeff Hirshfield, drums

Recorded October 1996 & April 1995 (one track)

New York City

Engineer: Josiah Gluck

Harold Danko led numerous quartet dates for SteepleChase between 1993 and 2000. All of them included the same quartet members as listed above. When scanning the 11 jewel case spines to find the next Danko CD to play, I tend to treat the quartets as equivalent. But when it came time to write this blog entry, I was astounded by how good Tidal Breeze is: not just better than the other Danko quartets, but also one of the best albums I own (with one small qualification). This re-discovery vindicates my aim to get more intimate with my music by writing about it. 

My previous post for Danko's After the Rain (1994) focuses on his solo interpretations of John Coltrane's music. It established Danko's practice of recording albums dedicated to other artists' music, such as the quartet's This Isn't Maybe... (1999) for Chet Baker, Prestigious (2001) for Eric Dolphy, and Hinesight (2005) for Earl Hines. On Tidal Breeze, Danko offers various rationales for his all-original program. Some are tributes to other jazz artists: "McCoy's Passion" and "Wayne Shorter" being the most obvious ones. Others, such as the title track, are associated with performers like Baker who covered one or more of Danko's compositions. Overall, Tidal Breeze is a celebration of Danko the composer.

The first two tracks are delightful. "Tidal Breeze's" lilting melody is constructed around an ascending figure followed by a descending one. Jeff Hirshfield sustains cymbal ticks on every bar along with Scott Colley's rock-solid bass. The result is a swinging opener that uses block chords for emphasis. 

"Blue Swedish Wildflower" uses a descending figure followed by an ascending one. Rich Perry and Danko seem to improvise the melody, treating the tune as a modal exercise. Whatever the formulas, the first two pieces give the album a strong start.

The two tributes ("Wayne Shorter" and "McCoy's Passion") reveal a deep understanding of the honorees' methods. I am now more aware of Perry's debt to Shorter's style and tone, which are both instantly recognizable. The Tyner tribute modifies the classic "Passion Dance" and features the normally elegant Danko indulging in thunderous, Tyner-esque block chords. Colley is key to the forward momentum of "McCoy's Passion."

"Swift Shifting" and "Soaring Thru Space" are both strong Danko compositions. The former, which Danko describes as a "sneaky blues," is an intelligent piece that seems to blur the boundaries between the jazz club and the conservatory. Its complex chord changes don't abandon the blues so much as they add interest to a venerable jazz form. And it swings! 

"Soaring" is driven by Perry's energy in the theme statement and his solo. I'm accustomed to Perry's normally laconic style, but here he thrusts brightly forward from the outset. Danko takes the cue and is all over the keyboard on his solo. Hirshfield gets in some nice drum fills near the end.

My one qualification about Tidal Breeze is the inclusion of "Personal Cornucopia," which was recorded18 months before the rest of the album. It's an okay piece, and Danko explains his reason for including it (it was never recorded before). But it's not a highlight, and the difference in sound engineering is clearly audible. 

Steve Khan - Got My Mental (Dan Contemporary, 1996)

Steve Khan, guitar
John Patitucci, bass
Jack DeJohnette, drums

Don Alias, percussion

Marc Quinones, percussion

Café, percussion, voice

Bobby Allende, percussion

Recorded September 5 & 6, 1996

Right Track Recording, NYC

Engineer: Malcolm Pollack

I confess to having little tolerance for jazz fusion. After sampling some of Steve Khan's early fusion recordings, I crossed him off my mental list while hoping that he might surprise me like John Scofield did on his Blue Note albums. Scofield's Meant to Be is included earlier in this blog. 

The hope was realized with my discovery of Got My Mental, which is uncompromising and wholly satisfying. A big difference between Mental and its predecessors is the choice of tunes by the likes of Ornette Coleman, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Eddie Harris, and Keith Jarrett. Khan was the producer for Got My Mental, demonstrating his desire to step off the fusion train and to record more "straight-ahead" jazz.

The basic trio of Khan, John Patitucci, and Jack DeJohnette is augmented by four percussionists who make cameo appearances on half of the album's 8 selections. Their presence is always tasteful and does not make the program a Latin-fusion exercise. In the single instance of a vocalist, Café turns "I Have Dreamed" into the highlight of the album. On other tracks, DeJohnette seems to delight in the rhythmic froth generated by the percussion section.

A surprise on Got My Mental is the opening track, "R.P.D.D.," which originally appeared on Ornette Coleman's Ornette! (Atlantic, 1962). Ornette! was the first of Coleman's albums that I acquired in the 1960s. I've never heard another cover of "R.P.D.D." and it makes me smile to hear Khan tackle Coleman's musical puzzles. I also hear echoes of Scott LaFaro in Patitucci's bass figures. LaFaro played on the original version of "R.P.D.D." in 1962.

Other delights include Shorter's "Paraphernalia," which receives a spacious arrangement with Khan's chorded melody floating over the percussion. Jarrett's "Common Mama" captures the composer's idiosyncratic spirit and style. Jarrett's compositions are not often covered by other musicians. Morgan's "Cunning Lee" was first released on Caramba (Blue Note, 1968). Khan's version is not typical of late-1960s funky Blue Note but rather a contemporary modal exercise.

Eddie Harris's "Sham Time" is the only concession to outright funk. It gives the percussionists a great opportunity to elaborate the groove, which ends with DeJohnette thrashing away over Khan's two-chord vamp. DeJohnette also steals the show on the title track with a long solo just before the closing statement of the melody.

DeJohnette's death in October 2025 at age 83 prompts reflection on the accomplishments of one of jazz's greatest musicians, regardless of instrument. Listening to him on Got My Mental is a reminder of his transformation of modern drumming, along with Billy Hart, Al Foster, Billy Higgins, and a few others. They serve as models for a whole generation of modern drummers including Kenny Washington, Victor Lewis, and Joey Baron.

Green Room - Live Trajectories (Leo, 1996 )

Chick Lyall, piano, keyboards, bamboo flute 
David Baird, Chapman stick, cello & electric cello, voice, tapes
David Garrett, prepared piano, prepared dulcimer, percussion

Recorded May 2, 1996

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Engineer: David Galbraith

Green Room is the name of an electro-acoustic group led by Chick Lyall, a Scottish pianist born in 1958. His influences include progressive rock, jazz, contemporary classical music, and electronic music. Influenced by John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen and the European avant-garde, Lyall concocts a unique hybrid that is difficult to classify. My previous exposure is to his more obvious jazz work, especially his quartet album with Joakim Milder (Broken Poems, Caber 2003).

I have five Green Room albums in my personal collection:

Hidden Music (Leo, 1994)

Live Trajectories Leo, 1996)

Undertow (FMR, 2006)

Tin Man (FMR, 2007)

Concertante (FMR, 2015)

Live Trajectories is selected for the 1990s because it presents a live Green Room performance, free of studio enhancements and editing. It's fascinating music, but somewhat resistant to analysis. It's difficult to identify who is playing and what instruments are being heard. Chris Blackford's reference in the CD booklet to "an expansive, mostly non-idiomatic, sonic architecture" does not help very much. 

As I struggled to understand this band and its players, I came to realize I was on the wrong path. The correct path for me was to suspend analysis and let the sounds form images in my head. As Blackford advises, "You dwell on the evocative sounds first, think about the instruments that might have produced them, later." 

Green Room's timbral and textural sounds shift constantly throughout the performance recorded on Live Trajectories. A tinkling piano introducing the title track becomes a swirl of different sounds that includes an anguished human voice, but only momentarily as the group heads off to newly improvised ideas evoking different images. There is no apparent story being told, just the changing modes of expression that might include free jazz, traditional jazz, industrial, funk, and others. 

My inadequate description above fails to account for the sense of structure beneath the improvised flow. No track feels incoherent or purely self-indulgent. The performers are closely attentive to each other's moves and choose to either complement them or purposely move in opposite directions. 

Over the course of the 70 minutes of intense group interaction, the listener comes away not only with respect for the effort expended by the artists, but also appreciation of their artistic vision.

Kenny Barron - Live at Bradley's (Sunnyside, 1996)

 

Kenny Barron, piano

Ray Drummond, bass

Ben Riley, drums

Recorded April 3 & 4, 1996

Bradley's

Engineer: Jim Anderson

Live at Bradley's and Live at Bradley's II are a pair of celebrated club dates by Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, and Ben Riley. The Perfect Set is the subtitle of the sequel, recorded April 6, 1996. I am only reviewing the first CD because it is superior to the "perfect" set recorded later. (Apparently, label hype knows no bounds.) Bradley's II is a good date, to be sure, but its precursor is more deserving of the "perfect set" hyperbole. 

There are only five tunes played on Live at Bradley's, none of them composed by Barron, but each one is "owned" by the trio in performance. As the tray card shows, every selection is long, but there is practically no filler, even during the bass and drum solos. Barron claims the majority of solo space, and his improvisations are all coherent variations that never repeat or "noodle" aimlessly.

Whether at great speed, as on "Solar," or with relaxed balladry, as on the glorious "Blue Moon," Barron is consistently inventive. For example, on "Blue Moon" he plays two statements of the melody, one solo and one with support from Drummond and Riley. His solo breaks into a bluesey swagger toward the end. 

James Williams' "Alter Ego," originally recorded on the composer's album by the same name, is a showcase for Barron's handling of more contemporary material. The original is an arrangement for sextet, but Barron only relies on Drummond's tasty bass solo as a second melody instrument. The closer, "Canadian Sunset," is a delightful reprise of Eddie Heywood's 1957 classic, a song I remember from my youth. 

The closest rival to Live at Bradley's in my collection of Barron's works is Green Chimneys (Criss Cross, 1983). Barron's long solo on "There is No Greater Love" on Green Chimneys is a classic that is matched by each of the solos on Bradley's.

I'm hopeful that Barron's Landscape LP, due for reissue this month by Music on Vinyl, matches the excellence of Bradley's and Green Chimneys. Landscape was recorded in New York in 1984 with Cecil McBee and Al Foster and previously released in Japan, Germany, and The Netherlands.

Obviously, there is no opportunity in a live recording like Live at Bradley's to "fix it in the mix." What you hear is what the musicians played live, which for me is the acid test for jazz piano trios. Jim Anderson's live recording at Bradley's club is absolutely stunning. 

To read my reviews of Green Chimneys and New York Attitude, go to:

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