Ballads
Brian Dickinson
Modica Music (modicamusic.bandcamp.com/album/ballads)

Although I have not had the good fortune to perform with the great pianist Brian Dickinson often, I do remember one opportunity in Vancouver that was both memorable and instructive. Between tunes, the band fielded questions from an audience that was comprised largely of music students. After one particularly inspired cascading passage of improvised up-tempo 16th notes by Dickinson, a student asked the Canadian pianist how he approached these sorts of speedy extemporizations. His answer, which was both practical and hilariously banal, was that one should take all the musical language that one knows how to do using eighth notes and simply play them twice as fast. I have learned a lot from Brian over the years, both as a colleague at work, but also by listening to him play live, and I found this advice to be eminently prudent.

I was reminded of this exchange while enjoying Dickinson’s terrific new recording Ballads, which features nine gorgeous solo piano pieces recorded on a beautiful Yamaha C7 during the COVID lockdown of 2020. I wondered if Dickinson would describe playing solo piano as like playing with a rhythm section, but only without one. Although I have not asked Brian about this, I imagine that the answer would be “no.” As is evident on this recommended 2023 release, Dickinson is fulfilling many roles as a solo pianist, coaxing forward the expansive and expressive range of the instrument as only an artist of his level of accomplishment is capable. The entire listening experience is pleasurable. Dickinson plays with the dependable greatness that jazz fans have come to expect from him, and the fact that this recording is a touching dedication to the late great jazz vocalist and educator Shannon Gunn makes it all the more special. 

Moment to Moment
Bernie Senensky; Eric Alexander; Kieran Overs; Joe Farnsworth
Cellar Music CM080923 (cellarlive.com)

The pandemic knocked the performing arts into a near-total hiatus, and many speculated on whether we’d see a post-pandemic renaissance, or a tepid return to “normal.” Jazz’s return has been one marred with ups and downs, but it does feel like it’s brought the global community together in the highs and lows of the new normal. Veteran pianist Bernie Senensky’s Moment to Moment was recorded pre-pandemic at the CBC back in 2001 with two live tracks from 2020 added, and released in 2023. Today it sounds as current as ever, while maintaining a connection to the “before times.”  

Andrew Scott’s liner notes are also quick to point out Moment to Moment’s modern yet classic duality, for which Senensky selected the perfect personnel. American cohorts Eric Alexander and Joe Farnsworth are both sought-after leaders and sidemen in the New York area, where the group’s Canadian contingents have all paid their respective dues at one point or another too. Alexander and Senensky are featured on each of the album’s eight tracks, with Morgan Childs and Farnsworth alternating the drum chair, and Kieran Overs and Dave Young trading bass duties. Overs’ and Childs’ contributions to the quartet are from a live hit in Waterloo, Ontario and sound right at home amongst the six studio tracks.  

During my initial listening, I noted that Moment to Moment features more than one blues and a few tracks at similar tempos. With a less creative and engaging band, this could feel repetitive, but not in the hands of these masters!

Night and Day – The Cole Porter Songbook 
Adi Braun
Alma Records ACD91532 (almarecords.com) 

Backed by Don Breithaupt’s gargantuan arrangements, Adi Braun’s endlessly expressive voice embodies the world of every lyric, her choice of Cole Porter repertoire helps to weave a compelling thematic narrative and her gracefully imaginative phrasing refracts off the pristine orchestration to create a warm, celestial glow. Breithaupt’s orchestra in all of its exuberance and luster, seems to exist for Braun’s effortlessly unhurried time feel to envelope it; these two forces’ moments of impalpable coalescence feeling like proximity to a subdued fireplace, where nearness is best paired with the faintest layer of distance. 

In terms of the success of this symbiotic razor’s-edge dance, it would be tempting to say that credit goes to Breithaupt for not crowding Braun’s frequencies (and credit is certainly due as Breithaupt cultivates sweet, colourful, lush orchards of sound), but it is Braun who is largely playing both the mindful accompanist and driver of mood. Just One of those Things kicks off with an adrenaline shot of an upright bass intro courtesy of Pat Collins and the sheer steadfast vigour of his tone, with the strings resonating at a frequency that could slice right through the fingerboard. Braun finds herself occupying the space in the decay within each note Collins hammers out, nearing a whisper while staying just detached enough to allow the bass line to act as a buoy for our monologue of ephemeral affiliations. Then the extravaganza returns and Braun finds a renewed purpose for those gaps.

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Tide Rises
Lauren Bush
Mighty Quinn Records MQR1166 (mightyquinnrecordsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/tide-rises)

Canadian born, UK-based singer Lauren Bush has released an eclectic album of both original songs and original-sounding covers. Although there are forays into other genres, the group mainly focuses on jazz with a mix of standards and modern takes. We’re put on notice about the serious skills at play with the opening track as Bush tackles the Clifford Brown vocal-cord twister Joy Spring with ease. 

As a sucker for a Fender Rhodes, I was taken by the more soulful/groovy numbers like the title track, which is a Longfellow poem given an urban ballad treatment. It has the bonus of showing Bush’s voice in a different light, as her straight tone can sound a bit strident in the upper register and on some of the up-tempo tunes. However, here and on some of the other laid-back tracks, her tone is softened and more relaxed. Throughout, Bush’s ability to put across a lyric is consistent and is one of her strong suits along with her improvising ability. 

The players – in particular keyboardist Liam Dunachie, who also doubles as arranger – are comfortable on acoustic and electric instruments as the style of song demands and Madrugada is a lovely lesser known bossa nova which highlights their versatility. It seems no Canadian singer’s album is complete without a Joni Mitchell tune; Bush and crew don’t disappoint with their beautifully reharmonized cover of The Circle Game.

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You’re Alike, You Two
Caity Gyorgy; Mark Limacher
Independent (caitygyorgy.bandcamp.com/album/youre-alike-you-two)

Two-time Juno Award-winner in the Best Vocal Jazz Album category, Caity Gyorgy is back again with a fresh, snazzy album. The scintillating songstress has put her own twist on a few classic tunes by renowned composer Jerome Kern as well as thrown one of her own new songs into the mix, so this album does double duty – freshening up traditional pieces in addition to showcasing her skills as a composer. Throughout the album and taking into account her past releases, a unique streak runs through them, one that only a few talented musicians can truly master: the ability to breathe new life into traditional pieces and bring them into the modern day. Charm, wit and a certain je ne sais quoi from a bygone era are brought into the present through Gyorgy’s composition and her takes on famed tunes.

The multi-talent’s soaring yet mellow vocals are complemented and showcased perfectly by pianist Mark Limacher’s melodies and riffs. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about a record that is focused around the interplay between a voice and the piano; it’s simple, yet the way the two work together and collaborate brings in an intriguing level of complexity that one must really listen to in order to fully comprehend. Gyorgy’s own tune The Bartender is a standout and a snappy little musical response to some of her critics. Yet another fabulous release, this is a worthy addition to the jazz aficionado’s collection.

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Spring Comes Early
John Herberman
Ceola Records CR0003 (johnherberman.com)

Composer and pianist, John Herberman is not primarily known as a jazz musician, but has enjoyed a long, successful career as a screen composer/producer. He has received many international accolades for his 45 successful albums as well as record sales in the millions. Like his debut jazz recording of 2021, his new project also focuses on the jazz of the 50s and 60s, as exemplified by pianists such as the late Bill Evans and Ahmad Jamal. All of the well-constructed tunes here were written by Herberman, who performs on acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes, and he has surrounded himself here with a superb ensemble of noted jazz musicians.

The program begins with the lovely Courtenay Circle, which memorializes a street and time in Rochester where Herberman jammed with wonderful friends who have sadly both passed. This sweet track features both Mark Eisenman and Herberman on piano, and a stunner of a solo from bassist Jim Vivian. Next up is the thoroughly gorgeous Central Park West, which was inspired by a New York City Busker, wailing on his sax into the sticky, NYC summer night. Herberman brilliantly captures the mood on Rhodes here, with eminent alto saxophonist Verne Dorge, hauntingly soloing in the spotlight.

Another sumptuous track is Modalities – this delicious composition includes the evocative muted trumpet of John MacLeod, with a visceral harkening back to 1950s-era Miles Davis. Vibraphonist Mark Duggan adds his own luminous work to this stunner. Another highlight is the title track, which is a diaphanous homage to the iconic Evans, with Duggan and MacLeod (on flugelhorn) moving contiguously through the piece, propelled by Herberman on Rhodes. The exquisite Kevin Turcotte is featured on flugelhorn in the closer, Ballad for M.T., which also features Herberman on mesmerizing, sylph-like acoustic piano and Vivian on sinuous, emotive bass.

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Home Cookin’
Cory Weeds with little big band accompaniment
Cellar Music CMR120522 (cellarlive.com)

The latest offing from master tenorist/producer/record label director Cory Weeds is unequivocally loaded with delight. For this new expression of joy, Weeds has formed an ensemble comprised of many of the top, Vancouver-based jazz players. The material here is powerful, featuring compositions by Horace Silver, Weeds, Michael Weiss and Thad Jones, as well as a superb re-tooling of Oliver Nelson’s original arrangement of the classic Lullaby of the Leaves.  Bill Coon and Jill Thompson are the brilliant arrangers/producers of the majority of the material here, with a pumpitudinous arrangement of Weiss’ Power Station by Weiss himself.

The opening salvo and title track, Home Cookin’ (a Silver composition) gets going with a bass intro, followed by synchronous brass and rhythm section work. The track bobs and swings in all of the right places, replete with a fine solo from Weeds. Next up is Corner Kisses – a Weeds original – it’s loaded with energetic bop and penned as a celebration of his beautiful, amazing wife. Weeds and his horn take off into the stratosphere here, along with pianist Chris Gestrin, trumpeter Brad Turner and drummer Jesse Cahill. Blossoms in May, is another Weeds original, and on this track, the art of the ballad is not only explored, but manifested.  Weeds’ warm, languid tone is a balm for whatever ails you, and the ensemble plays together as a one-celled organism.

Standouts include Jones’ Thedia – John Lee’s bass solo is brief but potent and the band just kills it at every opportunity – and the above mentioned Lullaby of the Leaves, adapted and transcribed by Fred Stride. Pianist Gestrin digs in, really getting into the chordal meat. Weeds is nothing short of exceptional here, and remains a guiding light in jazz. Bravo!

Gratitude
Kevin Goss; Brian O’Kane; Dave Restivo; Nathan Hiltz; Jim Vivian; Ted Warren
Independent (kevingoss.bandcamp.com/album/gratitude)

Gifted composer and baritone saxophonist Kevin Goss has recently released a compelling recording of his original compositions (save one), propelled by gratitude, family, friendship and the love of music. As he faced and recovered from a life-threatening illness, he felt the need to both celebrate and explore these three key aspects of life. Goss has surrounded himself here with an excellent ensemble:  Dave Restivo on piano, Brian O’Kane on trumpet, Nathan Hiltz on guitar, Jim Vivian on bass and Ted Warren on drums. 

First up is the groovy “boogaloo blues” Ted’s Kick, which was written in honour of the great Ronnie Cuber as well as a tip of the hat to drummer Warren, who detests the term “kick drum.”  Restivo’s satisfying Fender Rhodes and Hiltz’s George Benson-esque motifs imbed a whiff of the 70s in this track. O’Kane renders a fine trumpet solo here as well superb bass work from Vivian and Goss’ dynamic and fluid soloing. A true stand out is Mists of Fundy, a sumptuous ballad and a tribute to the iconic Phil Woods as well as to Goss’ hometown of St. John NB – where the magical mists rise with regularity – as does the talent! Goss plays from the heart here, each note rife with emotional content.

Also dynamic is the spicy Latin groove, Cayenne (for Pepper) written for Pepper Adams, “the Father of modern baritone playing,” and the stunning Adanac – a waltz based on the changes of Sonny Rollins’ standard, Airegin. Goss soars on soprano here, and O’Kane provides a splendid solo. Not to be missed is the funky-cool By George, which is another Benson-infused tune, written with B3 in mind. Goss lays it down on baritone here, and is joined in the groove by the masterful Hiltz, Restivo and the concise, skilled and thrilling percussion work by Warren.

Convergence
Nick Maclean Quartet featuringBrownman Ali
Browntasaurus Records NCC-1701N (browntasauras.com)

It may be a tad late – some may say outdated – to use terms, such as “bop” and “hard-bop” today. It’s either music that beckons you to be still and listen with your heart, or listen with your heart and then get up and dance, on the beat, behind it or ahead of it. The music on Convergence by the Nick Maclean Quartet does all those things and it does each of them exceedingly well. 

The pianist Maclean has a prodigious gift for the melodic. Together with trumpeter Brownman Ali he has been a magnet for some fine young musicians – a bassist and drummer for instance – who certainly appear to be big on heart and technique, but low on ego. This makes for superbly natural sounding performances. 

There is a heady appeal to music that is simple – Herbie Hancock’s ostinato-driven Butterfly and its later metamorphosis into a Caribbean species – and complex. Two beautiful examples are songs where long, sculpted inventions (Maclean’s Why the Caged Bird Sings and Ali’s Wisdom of Aurelius) draw you into their ornamental spiderwebs with their alluring mix of elegance, energy and precision.  

It is not as if the brilliant soli and ensemble is shared just between Maclean and Ali. Bassist Ben Duff and drummer Jacob Wutzke also get in on the action. Even founding-bassist Jesse Dietschi displays his rhythmic chops in all their unearthly beauty on Hancock’s Dolphin Dance to kick off this celebrated recording.

Elegy for Thelonious
Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble
Sunnyside Records SSC 1716 (sunnysiderecords.bandcamp.com/album/elegy-for-thelonious)

Chick Corea’s Trio Music (ECM, 1981) and Trio Music, Live in Europe (ECM, 1986) represent the high watermarks of small-ensemble homages to Thelonious Monk. Similarly, nothing by a large group on either side of the Atlantic comes close to matching the intrigue, riveting power and consequence of two recordings by the Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble. The first of these was a 2017 recording Monk Dreams, Hallucinations and Nightmares (Red Piano Records, 2017), and this brilliant Elegy for Thelonious. 

Monk broke free of his much-loved quartet format only twice. The first time was when he was persuaded by Hall Overton, which resulted in The Thelonious Monk Orchestra Live at the Town Hall (Columbia, 1959), and Big Band and Quartet (Columbia, 1963), featuring Oliver Nelson’s arrangements. 

Frank Carlberg’s Monk is cut from the same iconic musical tapestry, but his vision of Monk’s singular jagged melodies, off-kilter harmonies and rhythmic rhetoric is metaphysical, spectral. The music upends even Monk-conventions about what is logical and permissible in music. Sure, Carlberg’s music reflects Monk, but the vision is much darker than Monk’s crepuscular one. 

Listening to this recording is like viewing Monk as a shimmering hologram evocative of Supreme Leader Snoke’s appearances in Star Wars: The Force Awakens looming over Kylo Ren and General Hux.  

Back in the real world, the spikey lines of melody, harmony and rhythm of Monk’s often-impenetrable music unite in these glorious elliptical arcs of Carlberg’s visionary re-imaginations of Monk’s music.

Gordon Grdina’s The Marrow with Fathieh Honari
Gordon Grdina; Hank Roberts; Mark Helias; Hamin & Fathieh Honari
AttaboyGirl Records ABG-8 (gordongrdinamusic.com)

Duo Work
Gordon Grdina; Christian Lillinger
AttaboyGirl Records ABG-7 (gordongrdinamusic.com)

The music of the inimitable Gordon Grdina – prodigious oudist and guitarist – is nothing if not full of glorious drama and surprise. As a musician, Grdina’s love of delightful whimsy, caprice and of music’s volatile ever-changing nature may be the reason that no two recordings of his – indeed, often no two songs he composes – come from the same place in his mind’s eye. Even though his oeuvre can be divided into music played on oud and music played on guitar, he is able to extract such a wide and varied palette of colour from each instrument that you could easily describe his music as chameleonic.

Grdina’s grasp of the Middle Eastern (Persian) Beyati Modes, the Asiatic musical Maqam and the other modes – Phrygian, Ionian, Lydian, etc., associated with Greek and Western music – enable him to sculpt and chisel phrases with extraordinary finger vibrato. Thus, he crafts lines that are drenched in the very depth of emotion – swinging from unfettered exuberance to the heart-aching and tearful sadness. 

Whether he is playing oud or guitar the essence of Grdina’s poetics is the same; born of an extraordinary lyricism. This enables him to play notes that seem to ululate although he employs little tremolo. He also has a thrilling ability (especially on the oud) to make notes seem to hang in the air, and often even pirouette with a wailing voice like dervishes engaged in mesmeric dances, willing the music to ascend to a celestial realm. 

This is the kind of riveting magic that he brings to the music of The Marrow, which brings to life the poetry of 13th century Persian Sufi poet Jalal al-Din Rumi. On the disc Grdina shares headline credits – rightfully so – with the Persian vocalist Fathieh Honari. Extraordinary performances by bassist Mark Helias, cellist Hank Roberts and percussionist Hamin Honari also grace this recording. Together they shine the spotlight on loping lines of music awash in a palette of wet colours. From the long, lyrical lines of Not of Them through Raqib and Raqs e Parvaneh and Qalandar, Grdina and the rest of the performers join Honari in igniting little emotional fires made of Rumi’s poetry. 

Compared to the quiet blue flames of The Marrow, the music on Grdina’s Duo Work recording with percussionist Christian Lillinger crackles to life right out of the gate. Before long both musicians come together seemingly butting creative heads in one outsize offering after another, their demoniac temperaments (also blessed with an ethereal delicacy and the most fine-spun sonority) seem to turn the 12 tracks from Song One through Ash and Jalopy, to Song Two, into an irresistible musical inferno.

A Canadian Songbook
Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop
TPR Records TPR-017-02 (ernestocervini.com/artist/turboprop)

Ernesto Cervini mines the more esoteric entries in the Canadian songbook to put together this fabulous album. When I Fall (Barenaked Ladies) and Clumsy (Our Lady Peace) are the only two songs included with more mainstream exposure. In fact, When I Fall might not be recognized even by fans of the «Ladies» because Cervini’s jazz arrangement stretches it out and includes an emphatic and gospel-tinged saxophone solo by Joel Frahm. However, this version’s emotional core manages to match and even rise above that of the original. 

Cervini includes two originals: If/Then is a quirky off-metre tribute to his early computer programming days and Stuck Inside is his reflection on the pandemic. The Turboprop musicians (Tara Davidson, alto sax; Frahm, tenor sax; William Carn, drums; Adrean Farrugia, piano; Dan Loomis, bass; Cervini, drums) deliver sparkling and precise ensemble playing and inspired solo performances throughout.

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Hometown Zero
Felix Tellier Pouliot; Christian Bailet; Martin Auguste
Independent (ftpmusic.bandcamp.com/album/hometown-zero)

 Slick production overtop irresistible labyrinthine grooves that ebb, flow, wind and reroute defy any forecast or notion as to where they’ll end up next. One second, the mix is skeletal and airy, driven more than anything by implication of metamorphosis into something much larger. The very next second, Félix Tellier Pouliot’s soaring guitar tremolo balloons into a supernatural feeling akin to the climax of a Godspeed You! Black Emperor (post-rock legends, also of Montreal origin) suite. This rhythm section consistently transcends any preconceived ideas of what a trio can accomplish when it comes to unadulterated expressive range, largely due to how comfortable they are working within radical contrasts.

Pouliot’s solo on 7 O’Clock is a barnstormer of a thing, its every gesture reverberating through the cosmos and back. Shot out of a cannon, Pouliot’s virtuosic display sounds like it would be perfectly at home in a progressive metal piece bursting at the seams with energy whilst overtop a bottom-heavy, cyclonic blast beat. However, that is not what is happening here; it is closer to the inverse, as Christian Bailet’s crisp bass tone nonchalantly outlines a pinpoint 11-pattern and Martin Auguste skates past on his highest, tightest frequencies: the rim of the snare, the bell of the ride. Each member provides something distinct that the others are not, proving you can cover more ground if you aren’t retreading your bandmate’s. Despite being groove-heavy, this album resists stasis at every turn. All systems go.

Openness
François Carrier Quintet
Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 10/2023 (sluchaj.bandcamp.com)

Released 18 years after recording, Openness is three CDs of high-quality improvisation and also a historic document. The two free jazz pioneers, Polish trumpet Tomasz Stańko (1942-2018) and American bassist Gary Peacock (1935-2020), invited to participate in 13 instances of free-flowing sonic exchange by younger Montrealers, alto/soprano saxophonist François Carrier and drummer Michel Lambert, have since died. New York violinist Mat Maneri is still very much alive and the interchange transcendedage and geography. 

Non-hierarchical, each player gets to originate some tracks, with the Québécois on their own for Dance. Otherwise each player sticks to his individual approach, though all bond seemingly seamless throughout. Lambert mostly accents the tracks, the string players move between rugged slices and intricate guitar-like or even sitar-like strokes, while Stańko’s leaps among brassy bugling, grace notes and portamento linearity is heartbeat-quickly matched by Carrier’s double tonguing, flutters and thick smears. One-on-one interaction involves all.

Wide Awake is an instance of this where Stańko’s scatter-shot triplets are met by Maneri’s spiccato jabs, then with interactive vamps from Carrier’s ascending smears, with Lambert’s percussion pumps helping to ease the fragments together by the finale. Insightful is another example as corkscrew reed tones challenge mewling brass lines as swelling string patterns cushion the turn to horizontal tonality.

With more than three hours of music on Openness it’s best to savour each high-quality disc separately rather than trying to assimilate all in one aural gulp.

ALIVE! In the Studio
Charlotte Keeffe Right Here, Right Now Quartet
DISCUS MUSIC 160 CD (discus-music.org)

Prominent as part of the new wave of young brass players conversant with free and standard improvisation, the UK’s Charlotte Keeffe convenes her working quartet to confirm this stance. Affiliated with guitarist Moss Freed’s string clips and frails, Ashley John Long’s double bass plunks and stops and Ben Handysides’ cymbal clatter and drum slaps, Keeffe’s trumpet/flugelhorn stylings range from open horn flourishes to half-valve smears and timbral plunger examinations.

Nowhere is this clearer than in Wholeness and 1200 Photographs III. A companion to the previous tune’s run-throughs, the latter expands the tongue-stopping techniques and note hiccups of the other versions to expand their indirect bossa nova suggestions to upfront swing where strangled brass bugling is perfectly matched with centred guitar strums.

Freed’s frails are transformed into irregular chording and string shakes on Wholeness as arco bass buzzes and clanging rim shots further expand the extraterrestrial tone references brought to fruition by Keeffe’s plunger scoops, unexpected whiny variations and low-pitched portamento runs.

Never sacrificing tunefulness for technique, the quartet members maintain a tenacious, but subdued groove throughout the nine tracks, while integrating interludes of bowed bass expositions and rapid surf-music-like guitar licks. It also allows Keeffe to dig into her horn’s innards for heraldic blasts and bitten-off bleats.

On the final Brentford the players conclude the instrumental playing by harmonizing vocally on a bouncy melody. This too confirms the teamwork that went into creating this session.