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.

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.

Old Adam on Turtle Island
Dikeman/Hong/Lumley/Warelis
Relative Pitch RPR 1203 (relativepitchrecords.bandcamp.com/album/old-adam-on-turtle-island)

As intense as it is international, Old Adam on Turtle Island’s two extended tracks showcase the collective skills of four Amsterdam-based players in creating modern layered improvised music. The disc is built around the seemingly inexhaustible ability of American tenor saxophonist John Dikeman to propel note bending screaming smears, split tones and altissimo shrieks with constant ferocity as rolling clips from Polish pianist Marta Warelis alternately decorate or drive the expositions. Korean drummer Sun-Mi Hong’s measured clunks or reverberations underline sequences with beats more felt than heard, while Canadian bassist Aaron Lumley divides his string sweeps between rhythmic continuity and interludes which add to the strident polyphony without upsetting linear motion.

The encounter reaches its apogee on Groove - Choral - Manifest, the second track, which is introduced by Lumley’s multi-string sul ponticello slides and stops. Superseding weighted drum ruffs and tolling keyboard clips, hefty pizzicato sweeps prod Dikeman and Warelis to filet enough discursive keyboard shakes and bellicose overblowing to reveal a moderated horizontal group finale.

With enough solid interludes to allow each musician to depict progressive and reactive skills, the session is also elevated to a definition of creative music sophistication.

Hommage à Galina Ustvolskaya
Steve Swell’s Imbued With Light
Silkheart SHCD 166 (silkheart.bandcamp.com/album/hommage-galina-ustvolskaya)

Surrounded by a coterie of six fellow New York improvisers, trombonist Steve Swell blends these players’ tones to honour the oeuvre of Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006). A unique home-grown avant-gardist whose music was often out of the Kremlin’s favour, her idiosyncratic creations are saluted by Swell and company with a nine-section suite influenced by her sound blocks and frequent triple forte sequences.

The instrumentation means that these salutes highlight more than Ustvolskaya’s favorite motifs like percussive piano dynamics played by Robert Boston or Chris Hoffman’s strained spiccato cello slices. Also highlighted are Sara Schoenbeck’s pinched bassoon undulations, which introduce Essential Workers and often harmonize with Ben Stapp’s tuba burps; as well as Harris Eisenstadt’s percussion patterning. Swell’s brass skills contribute as do Herb Robertson’s trumpet yelps, grace notes or squeaky toys which produce layered cadences on Composite #12.  

With slurry honks, gutbucket snarls and speedy note bending, at times in unison with the other brass, the trombonist puts an individual stamp on such pieces as Hammer, Rocks and Toe The Wet Sprocket. Simultaneously his portamento connections with metronomic keyboard work and tuba stops confirm the tunes’ horizontal evolution – and unexpected marching band resemblances – despite frequent interludes of thematic mutation. 

This CD should introduce more people to Ustvolskaya’s works and at the same time confirm how exceptional the Swell septet’s tribute to her music is since it’s created with its own distinctive sounds.

Happy Faces
Dave Robbins Big Band
Reel to Real Records RTRCD015 (thedaverobbinsbigband.bandcamp.com/album/happy-faces)

The big band is often associated with being a kind of period piece of the proverbial Swing Era and we tend to forget that the best of them can come to represent the very epitome of an all-encompassing concert instrument. Truth be told this vaunted position is not only the exclusive domain of the flashiest outfits such as the Duke Ellington and Count Basie, or the Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton orchestras either.

On this disc the redoubtable American/Canadian bandleader Dave Robbins and his illustrious colleagues explore the fire power of controlled chamber music that arises when various brass, reeds and woodwind instruments, and piano, bass and drums, are put in the hands of some quite legendary musicians. Happy Faces, the resultant album is a magisterial edifice of music in numerous lyrical and colourful contexts, each one reflecting the singular ability of each of the contributing musicians to swing with proverbial style and abandon. 

Robbins (1923-2005) was a generous purveyor of musical good taste, and it is not only charts such as Have Vine Will Swing and Africa Lights that provide indubitable evidence of this. There are reasons beyond those charts to savour the disc. Fraser MacPherson’s tenor saxophone on March Winds Will Blow, and Don Clark’s trumpet solo on Asiatic Raes is another; as is Don Thompson’s tasteful contrabass on the abovementioned Have Vine Will Swing. 

Released on Cellar Live’s Reel to Real label for historic performances, Happy Faces comprises Jazz Workshop broadcasts recorded at Vancouver's Cave Supper Club between 1963 and ’65. It is an elegant reminder of the swinging legacy of Dave Robbins.

On Fire - Jazz from the Blue Morocco
Freddie Hubbard
Resonance Records HCD 2073 (resonancerecords.org/artists/freddie-hubbard)

Few jazz trumpeters have had the initial impact or sustained achievement of Freddie Hubbard. Born in 1938, he made a substantial impact in New York in 1960, in both hard bop circles and the avant-garde, recording his first date as a bandleader for Blue Note and appearing on Ornette Coleman’s landmark Free Jazz. In the following year, he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and appeared on John Coltrane’s Olé and Africa/Brass. Merging elements of both schools in his own music, Hubbard also managed to combine the trumpet’s brassy power with the fluency of line associated with saxophonists.

On Fire is a two CD or three LP set recorded at a Bronx club called Blue Morocco in 1967. While one might lose the precise separation of a recording studio, a live recording has a special spontaneity and the real scale of a performance. Hubbard’s own contribution to the standard repertoire, the waltz Up Jumped Spring, stretches to 17 minutes, while separate traditional standards – Bye, Bye Blackbird and Summertime – combine for 40 lively minutes. 

Hubbard is joined here by his regular working band, youthful musicians (ages range from 23 to 26) who would all go on to have significant careers. On Hubbard’s True Colors, he and tenor saxophonist Bennie Maupin press the envelope to explosive free jazz. Throughout pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Herbie Lewis and drummer Freddie Waits contribute to the overall excitement, making individual statements as well as supporting Hubbard’s creative energies.

Bill Evans in Norway - The Kongsberg Concert
Bill Evans; Eddie Gomez; Marty Morell
Elemental Music (elementalmusicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bill-evans-in-norway-the-kongsberg-concert)

To say that iconic jazz pianist Bill Evans has been a profound influence on several generations of jazz pianists would be something of an understatement. Evans (who passed in 1980) emerged as a sideman on the New York scene in the 1950s, and through his work with a long list of jazz luminaries, Evans not only helped usher in contemporary jazz (with all of its modern expressions), but also perfected the Art of the Trio as we know it today. This never previously released music was originally recorded at a concert at Norway’s Kongsberg Jazz Festival in June 1970. The recording was produced for this release by “Jazz Detective” Zev Feldman. Evans is joined here by his longest-running trio – Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morrell on drums. This comprehensive, annotated recording includes rare interviews with Evans with extensive notes by Evans scholar Marc Myers.

The brilliantly restored programme includes a cornucopia of standards from legendary tunesmiths, and features fresh versions of two Evans compositions, 34 Skidoo and Turn Out the Stars. At the time of the performance, Evans was in a particularly positive space, which is very much apparent in the lively tempos and energy of the trio. Harold Arlen’s Come Rain or Come Shine is performed here with a free, extended bass solo by Gomez, framed by the relentless rhythm of Morell.  Evans jumps in with joy, in a celebration of both the melody and its improvisational possibilities. 

During What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life the audience is reverential as they experience both the sheer artistry and great sensitivity of Evans. Other standouts include an almost modal, up-tempo Autumn Leaves, a sumptuous piano performance of Denny Zeitlan’s Quiet Now and the nearly unbearable beauty of Bernstein’s Some Other Time. Every track here is a gem – and a living tutorial of how jazz should be understood and played.

Moment of Truth - Ella at the Coliseum
Ella Fitzgerald
Ume 602475454267 (shop.ellafitzgerald.com/products/the-moment-of-truth-ella-at-the-coliseum-digital)

Now this right here is a true discovery! On June 30, 1967 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, Ella Fitzgerald appeared with her trio, members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and entertained a rapturous audience that inspired her deeply.

While the First Lady of Song’s voice was a few years beyond the peak of her powers, it was still a magnificent instrument at the time of this recording. She still had the bell-like tone for ballads (You’ve Changed), the sensational ability to swing like a gate (The Moment of Truth), and a childlike imagination in her scat singing (In a Mellow Tone). Most impressive is her adventurous phrasing throughout; the coda on Don’t Be That Way stretches the title phrase effortlessly into upwards of 40 notes, in what is just one of several jaw-dropping moments in the set.

The inclusion of songs never before heard in Fitzgerald’s discography make this album particularly exciting, especially the pitch-perfect version Alfie, which of course was a big hit the year before this concert, and Music to Watch Girls By, a great example of her ability to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Bye Bye Blackbird is loose as a goose with the delicious spontaneity of a late-night jam session.

Audiophiles should know that the mixing and mastering of this album are very impressive – it feels like you are right there in the audience, cheering on one of the greatest artists in jazz history.