Dark Moon
Holly Cole
Rumpus Room Records 0246557815 (umusic.ca/products/dark-moon)

Gifted chanteuse Holly Cole has just released her 13th studio album – a project that promises to be one of her most notable musical offerings to date. Cole serves as producer here and has also assembled a stellar coterie of musical colleagues that includes Aaron Davis on piano, George Koller on bass, Davide DiRenzo on drums, Johnny Johnson on sax as well as eminent guitarist Kevin Breit, harmonicist Howard Levy (famed member of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones), and the Nashville-inspired harmonic stylings of the Good Lovelies.

There are 11 exquisitely produced and performed tracks here, including compositions from Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Bert Bacharach, Henry Mancini and Peggy Lee – all presented on a tasty platter of originality, and the highest musicianship. Steppin’ Out With My Baby is voiced at the bottom of her contralto register and supported by sweeping arco bass lines from Koller; Cole imbues this classic with a languid, contemporary eroticism. Moon River is performed with honesty and pure melodic integrity, while soulful and facile work from Davis is the icing on the cake.

Another shining gem is the moving, re-imagining of Bacharach and David’s Message to Michael. The forthright arrangement and Breit’s guitar contribution propel this Brill Building hit into a contemporary anthem of loss and longing. The rarely performed title track is a deft odyssey into Southern Swing motifs, replete with appropriate guitar support from Breit as well as vocal harmonies from the Lovelies that harken back to the incomparable Boswell Sisters. Cole’s take on the classic, Walk Away Renée is another triumph, as well as a fine piano/vocal duet featuring sublime intonation, communication and creative entanglement from Cole and Davis.

Bone Bells
Sylvie Courvoisier; Mary Halvorson
Pyroclastic Records PR 40 (sylviecourvoisier.bandcamp.com/album/bone-bells)

The title track begins with a slow, steady pulse trading hands. This pulse has a destination, and will gradually reveal itself as cyclical, but at the start, it is just the slightest notion of a march. Guitar first, and then as if flipping a switch, the piano seamlessly picks up the very next beat. One instrument creates space, one scribbles in the margins, and then this process repeats until that pulse begins to grow heavier, slower, more laboured. Finally, after almost stalling entirely, the original tempo and dynamic return, velocitizing the listener into feeling that initial interval of time as something lighter. 

The improvised passages between Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson begin to defy timeflow even more; melodic phrases finding subversive entry and exit points, glitches that embed themselves in the logic of everything we’re hearing. When we come to a standstill again, Courvoisier seems to always play the same piano chord that suddenly anticipates the next pulse, with Halvorson picking two notes at a time to almost illusively hold up any form of stability that is left. The piece ends with the pattern being abruptly cut short in a manner that implies perpetual continuity. What ensues is a series of increasingly intricate ideas trading hands, back and forth, down to the way the tracklist cycles back and forth between the two composers’ offerings. Always there is fullness in the spaces in between.

Gravity
Jeremy Ledbetter Trio
Canefire Records WBH003 (jeremyledbetter.com)

If you’re a musician or just have an appreciation or love for music, you know that a “sweet spot” is when a group comes to make music together, is on the same wavelength and meshes instantly. It makes for a certain kind of magic that is perceptible through the music itself. This musical phenomenon is present on highly acclaimed pianist, composer and producer Jeremy Ledbetter’s latest album. The record has recently won a JUNO for Best Jazz Recording and features Grammy-award winning drummer Larnell Lewis as well as renowned bassist Rich Brown. With a tracklist of all original compositions penned by Ledbetter himself, this exhilarating disc is one for all music-lovers to check out. 

The listener is transported into a world of fiery rhythms and searing melodies right from the first track, Flight. As the title suggests, Ledbetter’s digits “fly” over the keys with modern, captivating chords and tunes, underpinned by Brown’s tight bass line and Lewis’ complex beats. The inspiration for this album comes from Venezuelan and Trinidadian music which can be heard within the rhythms and melodies throughout each song. 

The record takes you on both a musical and cultural journey, introducing the listener to something completely new while also somehow managing to create a sense of familiarity and comfort. A truly experiential and captivating collection of tunes, we’re left wanting more and awaiting what this talented musician comes up with next.

Crossing Paths
Renee Rosnes
Smoke Sessions Records SSR-2408 (reneerosnes.bandcamp.com/album/crossing-paths)

Illustrious jazz pianist/composer Renee Rosnes has just released a recording that has been in her thoughts for more than 30 years. This formidable, Brazilian-infused project was co-produced by Rosnes and Paul Stache, and all arrangements here were created by Rosnes, embracing her unique perspective on the compositions of Edu Lobo, Egberto Gismonti, Gaetano Veloso, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil and Milton Nascimento. Rosnes performs on Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano, surrounded by a stellar coterie of hand-picked co-creators, including legendary vocalist/composer Lobo, vocalist/composer Joyce Mareno and luminous chanteuse, Maucha Adnet. Noted instrumentalists here also include John Patitucci on bass, guitarist Chico Pinheiro, drummer Adam Cruz, percussionist Rogerio Boccato, saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Steve Davis and flutist Shelley Brown. 

The opening salvo is appropriately Gismonti’s Frevo (Fever). The tune is based on marching rhythms from the north of Brazil, and the complex, rhythmic, melodic line is presented in rapid fire, with stirring unison motifs and unfettered soloing from Rosnes and Pinheiro, while Brown’s expressive flute enhances the high-energy track. Next up is Lobo and lyricist Torquato Neto’s emotional composition Pra Dizer Adeus (To Say Goodbye), in which Neto’s poignant lyrics reflect his 1972 suicide. Previously recorded by over 75 artists, this version boasts a unison line with Rosnes in duet with Lobo’s heart-rending vocal performance. A fine inclusion is Veloso’s Trilhos Urbanos (Urban Tracks). Veloso and Gil’s importance to Brazilian music cannot be underestimated, and Davis’ facile trombone solo enhances the arrangement. Of special delight is Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes’ Canta, Canta Mais (Sing, Sing More) featuring the lovely tones and meaningful interpretation of Adnet. 

Another stand out is Lobo’s classic Casa Forte. Lobo’s vocal and the free solo sections (particularly Potter’s soprano solo) make this one of the finest contributions to this programme, but every track here is a work of art – a creative concept germinated and supremely brought to fruition by Rosnes and her colleagues.

Roots
Ostara Project
Rhea Records RR CD 00001 (ostaraproject.ca)

Without context, given song titles alone, this music still conveys so much. So much feeling, so much meaning, so much narrative, so much image, and so much life from every voice within the six-piece ensemble. However, the liner notes provide the context behind each piece and the overall vision of this album and how the pieces transform into exploratory reflections and tributes through sound. For example, the notes describe how the album’s title, Roots, takes on a double meaning, referring to honoring the foundations and experiences integral to one’s very being, while also resonating deeply with the welcoming of spring. 

Each member contributes at least one of their own sonic offerings of personal storytelling, either by composition or arrangement, and while commonality between these distinct statements could be reduced to “they sound seasonal,” the more you listen, the less reductive that actually becomes. Seasonal changes are above all else, transitional. In the case of the coldest season giving way to one very often associated with emerging colours and rebirth, that transition becomes emblematic of new ways of receiving a story. Allison Au’s 2601, Shruti Ramani’s Rajalakshmi, Rachel Therrien’s Papa and the collective improvisation Voyage Sans Retour all honour specific family members, in a way that feels transitional between remembrance and the power of stories to be retold and given new life. Meanwhile Amanda Tosoff, Jodi Proznick and Valérie Lacombe honour places, letting us see/hear for ourselves.

Dr. Purgatory - The Consumption: A Tragic Folktale in Six Parts
David Riddel; Aline Homzy; Colleen Allen; Conrad Glutch; Noah Lemish; Andrew Downing; Stefan Hegerat
Independent (drpurgatory.bandcamp.com)

Dr. Purgatory is the nom de plume of Toronto guitarist and composer David Riddel who studied at the U of T and who has figured centrally into several exciting jazz and creative music fusions in this city over the last ten or so years. 

Assembling a great band of Aline Homzy, Colleen Allen, Conrad Gluch, Noam Lemish, Andrew Downing and Stefan Hegerat, Dr. Purgatory’s second album, The Consumption (A Tragic Folktale in Six Parts) combines the influences of Reinier Baas (an Amsterdam-based guitarist and composer with whom I was unfamiliar until now), the French impressionist Maurice Ravel, and the Icelandic singer and composer Björk into an idiosyncratic, but always musically satisfying package. Over ten compositions, including a Prologue, Intermission and Epilogue, the group traverses what seems like every improvisatory chamber group subgenre. On Necropolis, exciting musicianship and well-executed unison lines between the strings and reeds are employed to great effect. Riddel’s guitar playing is marvelous throughout, and includes soaring single note lines, beautiful wide intervallic solo playing, such as the beginning of The Philistine, and genre-less musical improvisations throughout. 

Included is a short novella that relates the folktale in prose,that is explored musically on the recording so Riddel can now add author to his already impressive list of credits. The head-spinning mix of genres represented here, from Aleister Crowley to Björk to Ravel, remind me of the post-Third-Stream teaching and music of Ran Blake, who, like Riddel and company, somehow managed to coalesce a dizzying list of disparate influences into an always impressive and unified whole. I am not sure if Riddel knows Blake, but I have a feeling they would find sympatico musical and philosophical ground. A creative and thought-provoking new recording.

Mi Hogar II
Rachel Therrien Latin Jazz Project
Lula World Records LWR048A (racheltherrien.bandcamp.com/album/mi-hogar-ii)

Renowned trumpeter and flugelhornist Rachel Therrien’s newest release is a collection of tunes that contains spicy Latin and Afro-Cuban, jazz-fusion goodness. Her eighth release, a follow up to Mi Hogar I, brings together acclaimed, all-star musicians for an immersive, ear-catching musical experience that is sure to get your head bobbing and feet moving. The selection of songs features many original compositions by Therrien and a couple penned by her bandmates thrown into the mix. The album “continues her exploration of Latin jazz… reflecting Therrien’s deep connection to her musical community and the myriad influences that have shaped her sound.”

What stands out is the way in which each piece is a unique journey, evoking its own emotions and soundscapes, yet a cultural thread strings together and unites these separate “stories.” Take the tune Back Home: the listener gets a taste of various Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms, complemented by searing piano chords and sizzling trumpet melodies, with a mid-song lengthy bass solo that captivates and dazzles. The composition is a great example of the way in which “each piece reflects Therrien’s commitment to blending traditional Latin rhythms with contemporary jazz elements.” 

Another piece to note is Beauty Free, which closes out the album on a mellow yet intriguing note, featuring beautiful vocals by Mireya and Andy Ramos. A tasty morsel that evokes the hopeful question: will there be a Mi Hogar III in the near future?

Kenny Wheeler Legacy - Some Days are Better
Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra;  Frost Jazz Orchestra
Greenleaf Music (glmstore.bandcamp.com/album/some-days-are-better-the-lost-scores)

Canadian Jazz trumpeter/flugelhornist Kenny Wheeler’s position is analogous to Norman Bethune’s: more famous abroad than at home. Toronto-born Wheeler (1930-2014), who moved to the UK in 1952 was equally proficient playing commercial studio gigs; big band jazz with Johnny Dankworth and others; and free music with the likes of Anthony Braxton. He also composed intricate scores, most of which were played only once for BBC radio concerts in the 1970s.

Not really “lost,” 11 of these scores are performed by 34 musicians drawn from Miami’s Frost School of Music and London’s Royal Academy of Music. Reconstitutions of these impressionistic, quietly swinging tunes are expanded when the ensemble(s) add veteran soloists who earlier collaborated with Wheeler himself. 

The title suite for instance uses brass blasts to surround Norma Winstone’s wordless vocals both shredded and soulful, with Evan Parker’s circular breathed emphasis following contemporary electric piano jangling. Parker’s pressurized tenor saxophone is inventively matched with growls and flutters from trombonist Sam Keedy on C.P.E.P., as drum beats push the large ensemble forward; while flugelhornist Brian Lynch’s measured pitches face off with a three-saxophone choir blend on D.G.S. 

Not every track is given over to the professionals however. Maria Quintanilla’s bel canto vocal coloration on a couple of tracks, bassist Nikolas Lukassen steadying swing throughout and Some Doors Are Better Open’s gentle duet of flugelhornist Etienne Charles and tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz confirm younger players’ skills and the continued appeal of Wheeler’s music.

Wind Forms
Greg Burk; Michel Lambert
Tonos Records (gregburk.bandcamp.com/album/wind-forms)

This idea of putting Wind Forms to music is interesting, especially when you pair piano and drums and more especially when the musicians are as adventurous as Greg Burk and Michel Lambert. The “trick” (a word used with caution so as not to denigrate the musical gestures employed here) would be to astutely meld the majestic chordal power of the piano and extend its percussive possibilities.

This seems easy thanks to the intrepid technical ingenuity of Burk. Conversely it is the extension of Lambert’s facility as a percussion colourist by finding ways to turn the rolling thunder of the drums and the hissing of cymbals into the realm of melody and harmony. These strange bedfellows coalesce in a dynamic partnership.

The disc gets off to a fiery start with Scirocco, a searing desert wind that sweeps across the sand dunes that could scorch anything in its path. Other ingenious improvisations may be heard on Aeolian Awakenings (a clever little play on an ancient mode), the darkness of the play on Hamartian (Aristote’s fatal syllogistic flaw) in which piano and drums incessantly – but brilliantly – argue musically. And then there is the majestic Zephyrus, crafted as a wall of music to recall both the Greek demi-god and winds heralding the arrival of spring. The collision of intellectuality with poetic imagery makes for a wonderful study in improvised music.

Remnants
Roberto Occhipinti
Modica Music (modicamusic.bandcamp.com/album/remnants)

It’s not often that we get to take a closer, intimate look at the great musical mind of renowned bandleader, bassist and composer Roberto Occhipinti. But with this latest CD we get to do just that; featuring previously unreleased tracks, it feels like we are privy to a new, exclusive foray into unexplored musical territory. With a musician as in-demand as Occhipinti, it’s always great when an album featuring his own compositions is released. As is often the case with someone of the bassist’s calibre, the record features a star-studded list of musicians, among them Hilario Duran, Luis Deniz, Mark Kelso and Kevin Turcotte. 

Remnants’ tracks are a mix of those penned by Occhipinti himself, as well as interesting takes on songs by greats such as Pat Metheny and Leonard Bernstein. With the first notes of title track Remnants, we’re taken into a sultry, mellow musical landscape where the woes and worries of the world and winter chills instantly melt away. In contrast, Occhipinti’s large ensemble arrangement of Brazilian Hermeto Pascal’s Os Guizos is just stunning, with flowing string melodies, a melodious bass solo and fluttering flute tune showcasing the fabulous musical imagination of the bassist. Featuring everything from rhythmic, catchy tunes to slower tempo passionate ballads, this is a great addition to any music lover’s collection. 

Meeting Place - Convergence
OVK3
Modica Music (modicamusic.bandcamp.com/album/meeting-point)

This album features an impeccable trio playing beautiful music where each musician shines individually, the air filled with distinctive sounds. Pianist-composer Manuel Valera contributes seven out of nine tunes here, each one being a piano trio’s dream. Left hand countermelodies and incredible rhythmic emphasis abundantly bring out the most dynamic of interactive tendencies within the group. OVK3’s sound embodies quietude, crispness and brightness in equal measure, skating briskly across the liberating open plane of Mark Kelso’s feathery ride cymbal, always in control, each hit bringing the picture into more life-like definition. 

IKelso’s rhythmic gestures are open air and Valera’s ideas are the feeling of sudden lucidity while Roberto Occhipinti’s lines are pure butter, in the midst of a constant phase change each note placed in the most tender of places with an impossibly fluid throughline. There is the feeling of comfy tension where the listener ingests a meal numerous morsels at a time. 

Occhipinti provides an original here, El Rey, and it is emblematic of something that never rests or ceases, and yet it leaves a firm, digestible imprint on the mind. The inclusion of Soul Eyes, track eight, made this Mal Waldron fan happy.

Tuesdays at La Rev
Peter Hill; Reg Schwager
Independent (peterhill.bandcamp.com/album/tuesdays-at-la-rev)

On Tuesdays at La Rev, pianist Peter Hill and guitarist Reg Schwager pay tribute to the late Indira Nanavati Cadena, who provided them with the opportunity to develop a musical partnership. As the owner-operator of La Rev, a Mexican restaurant and live music venue in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood, Cadena was kind and generous to artists. She booked a weekly residency for Hill – best-known as an accompanist to countless Toronto singers – allowing him to stretch out with fellow instrumentalists. In genius guitarist Reg Schwager he found a kindred music spirit: both are men of few words, who know hundreds – if not thousands – of tunes, and who share an unwavering dedication to the jazz tradition. 

The eclectic program includes some very pleasant surprises. The first of these is a lilting, lyrical take on Mexican composer Manuel Ponce’s famous aria, Estrellita, likely a nod to Cadena who was born in Acapulco. Other highlights include a sentimental reading on Un Canadien Errant; a bright version of the oft-forgotten Alice Blue Gown where Hill’s jaunty piano playing truly shines; and a Latin take on Cole Porter’s I Love You, Samantha, which was far less interesting when Bing Crosby crooned it in the film High Society. 

This sophisticated and spirited recording will surely warrant repeated listening. On tunes such as Poor Butterfly, Oh, Lady Be Good and The Blue Room, words can hardly do justice to the tantalizing taste of these two Toronto treasures.

Listen to 'Tuesdays at La Rev' Now in the Listening Room

East Meets West: Connections - Jean-Nicolas Trottier and Fred Stone
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
Chronograph Records CR-115 (winnipegjazzorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/east-meets-west-connections)

Winnipeg has produced countless great musicians, many of whom leave the prairie metropolis for other parts of the continent. Those who remain have curated a vibrant musical community, taking advantage of a city that is simultaneously intimate enough to celebrate local talent, but large enough to provide artists with opportunities and exposure. 

The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra marked their eighth release with East Meets West: Connections. The album commissioned composers Fred Stride and Jean-Nicholas Trottier, from the west and east of the country respectively, to pen a nine-movement suite that features the who’s who of Winnipeg jazz. I had the pleasure of reviewing the group’s penultimate release Tidal Currents, which I described as “short but sweet.” Connections offers listeners an album just shy of 50 minutes in duration. It flies by, but not without plenty of musical goodness to sink one’s teeth into. The suite flows organically, and eschews track numbers. 

Niall Cade plays the first improvised solo on the album, on Trottier’s Sounds of Joy. This was my first time hearing Cade, and I’m sure it won’t be my last. It is tough to feature everyone as an improviser when the ensemble is this large, but we are graced with solos from many unique artists, including pianist Will Bonness, trumpeter Jonathan Challoner, and a nylon string guitar solo on The Healing Song from Larry Roy. 

I haven’t named each individual soloist, or addressed each track of the suite, but a more chronological description wouldn’t do the album’s production arc justice. I recommend this recording to keen contemporary jazz fans, and suggest listening to it in its entirety. Each track can stand on its own, but the album truly flows when heard uninterrupted. 

Jacob Wutzke - You Better Bet
Jacob Wutzke; Rachel Therrien; Lucas Bubovic; Bryn Roberts; Ira Coleman
Cellar Music CM090224 (jacobwutzke.bandcamp.com/album/you-better-bet)

Tony Williams (1945-1997), not only made a spectacular impression as an innovative jazz drummer when he debuted with Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet at the age of 17, but the songbook of sophisticated compositions that he left behind means that both his music, as well as his dynamic drumming, continues to be mined by subsequent generations of jazz players. On You Better Bet, Jacob Wutzke’s terrific second recording following 2022’s Show Yourself, the Montréal, now New York-based, drummer and composer, explores Williams’ creative legacy, not only in terms of his percussive approach, but his ensemble style and compositions.

Although it would be logical to think then that the catalyst for this recording would be Williams’ ongoing influence on the young Wutzke, the story does not end there. Instead, things crystallized when longtime Williams bassist Ira Coleman relocated to Montreal and took a teaching job at Wutzke’s alma mater  McGill University, from where he graduated with a Masters in 2022, and the two musicians began to collaborate. Using some of the original charts that Coleman had kept from his tenure with Williams, written in the late drummer’s hand no less, a group was formed, along with an idea to compose some additional stylistically synchronous music and record the proceedings. Enter the immensely talented Rachel Therrien, Lucas Dubovik and Bryn Roberts, on trumpet, tenor, and piano respectively, and this fine new hard-hitting recording is the result.

Tippin'
Carl Allen; Christian McBride; Chriss Potter
Cellar Music 011424 (carlallen.bandcamp.com/album/tippin)

Canadian Cory Weeds’ Cellar Music is an extremely well curated label, and they’ve accomplished the commendable feat of achieving a unified sound amidst a diverse catalogue. Tippin’ is drummer Carl Allen’s first album as a bandleader in over two decades, and he’s chosen to showcase himself in an intimate trio format. Allen’s work as both a sideman and a leader features grounded and swinging aesthetics, and he’s chosen 12 unique pieces of music that allow him to shine in a playful and interactive manner. 

The drummer is joined by two fellow Americans, saxophonist Chris Potter and bassist Christian McBride. They are all stalwarts of the New York jazz scene, and the album is recorded across the Hudson River at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey. The trio becomes a quartet for Kenny Barron’s composition Song For Abdullah, when Canadian multi-instrumentalist John Lee joins the group on piano. Lee has released several albums with Cellar Music and fits right in as a guest on this uplifting number. 

The trio takes advantage of contrasting sounds and textures, with Potter doubling on soprano sax and bass clarinet, and McBride contributing some immaculate bowed melodies and solos. Allen penned two of the album’s compositions, Hidden Agenda, and Roy’s Joy, a nod to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove. These fit neatly alongside a smattering of contemporary jazz pieces and torch songs.  

Charlie Parker’s Parker’s Mood is the first track of the album, and it sets the mood for what’s to come. A recording that’s simultaneously spot-on and virtuosic, but “chill” and intimate enough for a more casual jazz listener to enjoy.