Archive for the ‘Charlie Haden’ Category
Charlie Haden – The Best Of Quartet West (2007 – Label: Verve)
It would seem a strange thing compiling the work of Charlie Haden’s decade-long Quartet West Group onto a single disc. The reason isn’t that they recorded so much material, but more because the material was themed record by record. Yet that is exactly why a compilation like this does work, because this group played music utilizing different aspects of the same theme: to evoke the spirits, ghosts and sprites of a Los Angeles that has moved off the screen of real life into the stuff of myth. That Haden and his group, which included drummer Larance Marable (who replaced Billy Higgins after the group’s first, self-titled album in 1986), saxophonist Ernie Watts, and pianist Alan Broadbent could make it all sound so present and real, gives the impression that there was truth in the images. This is not only from a West Coast point of view (though there it is imbued more with the striking visual reveries to accompany the tunes) but also in the popular culture mythos in the collective American mind. The nostalgia inherent in the quartet’s projects of playing standards and film themes, as well as original material slanted in such a way, are offset by the genuine innovative heart of jazz when performed by masters such as these men are. Higgins is here in the gorgeous reading of “Body and Soul,” and the change is measured sharply by the next album In Angel City, as Marable, a less “busy” drummer, played more in song line form. Marable’s drumming on Haden’s “First Song (For Ruth)” offers the striking difference in a number of ways, as his fills are more rounded and warm, while Higgins’ playing was sharper and more pronounced. The sense of the unit flows a bit more. Haden wrote much of the material for this group, and the obvious ease with which the ensemble plays them offers a view into the mind of the composer who could compose to the strengths of both individuals and the group — note “Our Spanish Love Song” and the title cut from Always Say Goodbye. Other well-known tunes, such as Leonard Bernstein’s “Lonely Town” from the album, The Art of the Song, with a wonderful vocal by Shirley Horn and violin solo (fronting an orchestra conducted by Broadbent), reflect not nostalgia, but the ability of a jazz quartet to evoke what is not only missing, but gone. The emptiness created between the musicians and the singer is profound, sad, and utterly beautiful. Elsewhere, Stéphane Grappelli plays a violin solo over his own taped violin solo from a 1949 performance of “Where Are You My Love,” with Django Reinhardt, Gianni Safred, Carlo Pecori, and Aurelio de Carolis. The wonders of technology being what they are, Haden makes it all sound seamless. The great moment here, however, is in the reading of Victor Young’s “The Left Hand of God,” from the 1996 album Now Is the Hour, where the quartet performs the tune nearly straight yet in front of an orchestra arranged and conducted by Broadbent. In the long lonesome tone of Watts’ saxophone, the built up emotion comes streaming from the tune with elegance and grace — these word are perhaps the best description of everything this band ever recorded. This is an excellent compilation to be sure, but it does make the listener long for more; for the total experience of Quartet West. Consider this, then, an introduction more than a summing up: there is so much more to look forward to from this group.
Released on the 5th Nov 2007 – Label: Verve Int’l
Keith Jarrett Charlie Haden: Jasmine (ECM Records – 2010)
As close to a direct pipeline to the heart as anything, it’s hard for music to be anything but intimate reflection of events transpiring in a musician’s life. Pianist Keith Jarrett’s last release—the stunning triple-disc Testament—Paris / London (ECM, 2009)—was, self-admittedly, impacted by the pianist’s “incredibly vulnerable emotional state,” but resulted in some of his deepest, most moving solo improvisations yet. Recorded in 2007, the year before the shows from which Testament was culled, the song choices on Jasmine—Jarrett’s first non-solo/non-Standards Trio disc in 30 years—speak to the pianist’s tenuous marital situation of the past several years. And yet, this collection of intimate, yearning love songs—recorded at Jarrett’s home in an informal setting not unlike The Melody At Night, With You (ECM, 1999)—possesses a bittersweet mix of melancholy and joy, suggesting the inherently healing power of music.
Participating in Reto Caduff’s 2009 film about Charlie Haden (Rambling Boy) brought Jarrett together with the bassist for the first time since the dissolution of the pianist’s much-heralded American Quartet. The two played for well over a decade—from Jarrett’s debut as a leader, Life Between the Exit Signs (Atlantic, 1967), through to the American Quartet’s swan song, Survivor’s Suite (ECM, 1979). Reuniting in 2007 for the filming of Rambling Boy, their relaxed rapport encouraged Jarrett to invited Haden to his home, and the result is this elegant collection of well-heeled standards, including “Body and Soul,” “For All We Know” and “Where Can I Go Without You.”
Over the course of three decades, much has changed, but some things have remained. Both players have largely become interpreters rather than composers, although Jarrett has rightfully argued that interpretation is composition. Still, their empathic approach to this ballad-heavy set—only the swinging Evans/Mann chestnut, “No Moon At All,” comes close to breaking a sweat—remains as profound as it was when they were collaborating regularly on original (and more left-of-center) music.
With no rehearsal other than, at most, running through a few changes, Jasmine’s sound—like The Melody At Night—is more direct, more immediate than most of Jarrett’s recent releases, recorded in larger concert halls. The dryness of the sound makes the warm but slightly funky tone of Jarrett’s piano and deeply wooden timbre of Haden’s bass feel particularly inviting. Recorded in Jarrett’s small home studio, it feels like it was recorded in a living room, with both players at ease, turning a group of nine well-loved, well-known songs into informal conversations, where individual spotlights shine occasionally, but are far more often about gentle give-and-take, lyrical spontaneity and nothing-to-prove economy.
Critics of Jarrett’ longstanding allegiance to solo and Standards Trio performances may be disappointed by this perhaps overdue foray outside those contexts, given the choice of material and renewal of a relationship that predates them. But they’d be missing the sublime beauty, elegant serenity and evocative resonance of Jasmine—an album that, like The Melody At Night, rests somewhere outside Jarrett’s discography, yet simply couldn’t have been made by anyone else.
(All About Jazz)
1. For All We Know
2. Where Can I Go Without You
3. No Moon At All
4. One Day I’ll Fly Away
5. Intro – I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life
6. Body And Soul
7. Goodbye
8. Don’t Ever Leave Me
Personnel:
Keith Jarrett: (piano)
Charlie Haden: (double-bass)
Recorded on May 25, 2010 – Label: ECM
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Ravi Coltrane: Blending Times Savoy (2009 – Savoy Jazz)
Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane stands in the legacy of not one, but two great influences: his honored father, John Coltrane, one of the most influential musicians in jazz, and his mother, Alice Coltrane, a superb musician and spiritual guide whose untimely passing in January 17, 2007 left a void that will not be easily filled. Yet with a quiet demeanor contrasted by profound abilities, Ravi Coltrane delivers the long-awaited Blending Times.
This is his fifth release as a leader following 2005’s acclaimed In Flux (Savoy). It is even more dynamic due in part not only to Coltrane’s personal experiences, but also because of his excellent band that includes longtime members Luis Perdomo, a remarkable pianist, Drew Gress, a demonstrative in-demand bassist, and E.J. Strickland, a gifted drummer who is also the twin brother of saxophonist Marcus Strickland.
Coltrane’s tenor is more robust than ever—marked by quickness, stamina, and warmth—showing glimpses of true brilliance on “A Still Life” with inquisitive soloing that has equal amounts of power and gentleness. The appropriate titled “Shine” shows stylistic properties—deliberate, passionate, freely expressed within an enlightening melody where the solos are connected like links in a chain.
The music follows the band’s form: a gelatinous continuity conveyed in a mix of stirring contemporary music. Improvisational puzzles (“First Circuit” and “The Last Circuit”), some tricked funk syncopation in “Narcined,” a circuitous cat-and-mouse chase in “One Wheeler Will,” and swinging bopacity in Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy.” One of the many highlights is “Amalgams,” which moves from atmospheric lushness into a smoldering groove. It articulates an identifiable group sound with sparkling individualism that documents a strong performing unit.
As in his previous recordings, there lies a cerebral quality in the music that is undeniable. This reaches an apex on the recording’s final track with “For Turiya,” a superb ending featuring special guests, longtime friend/bassist Charlie Haden and harpist Brandee Younger.
Written by Haden, the composition begins with a simply beautiful harp solo by Younger which introduces the theme, followed by declarative statements from Haden and Coltrane. It conjures memories of classic recordings that featured both Alice Coltrane’s harp and John Coltrane’s saxophone with gracefulness and serenity.
Coltrane can’t deny his rich heritage and thankfully embraces it. But of equal import, he clearly has it within, to leave his own imprint, as witnessed on this superb release.
Mark F. Turner (All about Jazz)
Original Release Date: January 13, 2009 – Label: Savoy Jazz
Charlie Haden: Nocturne (2001 – Umvd)
When Charlie Haden took to the stage of Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art, his face beamed as he scanned what was a full house of enthusiastic fans. Even before playing a note, Haden seemed compelled to mention the inspiration he had taken from many of the art works he had seen while touring the galleries at the museum earlier in the day. Then he went on to extol Cleveland’s virtues, adding that according to album sales figures, his most recent album American Dreams has sold more copies in Cleveland than in such urban centers as New York or Los Angeles.
The occasion of Haden’s appearance in Cleveland (and a rare one at that) was the performance of music from his Grammy Award-winning Nocturne and most of the original players who were involved in that project were on hand, including pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, saxophonist David Sanchez, drummer Ignacio Berroa, and violinist Federico Britos Ruiz.
It seems that with his projects of recent years, Haden seems bent on painting with a softer hue that is often diametrically opposed to the kind of radical avant-garde stance that many associate with Haden during his formative years. The music from Nocturne is no exception, with the folkloric boleros that serve as fodder for Rubalcaba’s arrangements never making it much past your traditional ballad tempo. And therein lies the rub, because as beautiful and delicate as the music was throughout the performance, under the surface was a nagging desire to hear Haden and his cohorts break into an up-tempo romp that would dispel an irksome awareness of similitude.
One had to have just a bit of compassion for Berroa, who had limited opportunities for expressing himself much past the traditional swish-swish sound of his brushes. Sanchez, on the other hand, utilized extreme breath control in voicing his delicate statements, yet there was a burning fire smoldering just below the surface that coaxed from him some of the most radiant moments of the evening. At one point, the saxophonist even quoted a phrase from Wayne Shorter’s “Witch Hunt” as if to suggest that his thought process too was on something just a bit more extroverted. Haden’s solo opportunities were few, but he made the most of what he allowed himself, despite the fact that the decision to go for the minimal amount of amplification meant that his bass lines were often swallowed up by the rest of the ensemble.
Haden has acknowledged that his love of film noire has had a direct impact on his musical statement of the past several years. He’s clearly longing for the beauty and space that comes with the kind of lush balladic pieces that he chooses to explore. So maybe the onus is on all of us to catch up with Haden’s current developments, yet like even with the most enjoyable things in life, too much of a good thing can be a plausible certainty when taken to the extreme.
C. Andrew Hovan (All About Jazz)
1. En la Orilla del Mundo (At the End of the World)
2. Noche de Ronda (Night of Wandering)
3. Nocturnal
4. Moonlight (Claro de Luna)
5. Yo sin Ti
6. No Te Empenes Mas (Don’t Try Anymore)
7. Transparence
8. El Ciego (The Blind)
9. Nightfall
10. Tres Palabres (Three Words)
11. Contigo en la Distancia (With you in the Distance)/ En Nosotros (In Us)
Personnel:
Charlie Haden (Bass)
Gonzalo Rualcaba (Piano)
Ignacio Berroa (Drums)
Joe Lovano (Tenor Sax) (1,4,7,11)
David Sanchez (Tenor Sax) (6,10)
Pat Metheny (Guitar) (2)
Frederico Britos Ruiz (Violin) (1,5,8)
Original Release Date: April 17, 2001 – Label: Umvd Labels
“NOCTURNE” won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.
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Enrico Pieranunzi: Fellini Jazz (2003 – Camjazz)
The elegance that is Fellini Jazz serves as a tribute to both the great director and this assembly of musicians.
Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi continues to make make dream recordings that are so much more than all-star get togethers. This release follows two stellar sessions, Plays Morricone and Current Conditions (both on CAM Jazz), with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron.
Think of Fellini and the name that follows is Nino Rota, who composed music for the director’s films and also Coppola’s Godfather series. Rota draws inspiration from all music to form his unique brand of folk music. This band measures out the composer’s vision in satisfying portions.
Besides the pianist, the attention-grabbing performances come from trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and saxophonist Chris Potter. Potter a mainstay in Dave Holland’s band, has full command of his horn at the tender age of 31. He tends toward a gentle but large voice, for example covering the ballad “Il Bidone” like fresh syrup over warm pancakes. The two versions of that particular track are done in the form of a ballad and a post-bop workout. Wheeler’s flugelhorn complements Potter with remarkable telepathy. His muted trumpet fills the tango of “La Città Delle Donne” as well as the railroad-patterned version of “La Dolce Vita.”
Pieranunzi finds it almost second nature to be partnered with drummer Paul Motian and bassist Charlie Haden. Motian, who played with Bill Evans, keeps that open, loose rhythm swirling behind Pieranunzi’s Evans-like clean vision. Haden and the pianist close the record with a sentimental duo of a Pieranunzi bitter/sweet original that could be the end piece to a “love found/love lost” movie.
The band keeps the music in the forefront here. They play the circus theme version of “La Dolce Vita” with a straight-face, Pieranunzi ringing in the track by comping around Potter’s soprano flight. The favorite always is the composition “Amarcord.” Played as a blues, it reveals Fellini’s bittersweet cinematic themes.
This is a sensational recording, worthy of its subject matter and its superb cast.
Mark Corroto (All About Jazz)
Enrico Pieranunzi (piano)
Kenny Wheeler (trumpet)
Chris Potter (saxes)
Paul Motian (drums)
Track List:
2. Il Bidone,
3. Il Bidone;
4. La Città Delle Donne;
5. Amarcord;
6. Cabiria’s Dream;
7. La Dolce Vita;
8. La Dolce Vita;
9. La Strada;
10. Le Notti Di Cabiria;
11. Fellini’s Waltz.
Original Release Date: November 25, 2003 – Label: Camjazz
Across Rhythm 