Jazz and Improvised

Cory Weeds meets Jerry Weldon
Cory Weeds; Jerry Weldon
Cellar Music CMF102704 (coryweeds.bandcamp.com/album/cory-weeds-meets-jerry-weldon)

In a fast-paced world where we are constantly bombarded and pressured to keep up with the latest trends and objects, renowned saxophonist and bandleader Cory Weeds’ latest release is a reminder to slow our pace down and “stop and smell the roses,” if you will. The album harks back to the classic swing era with a fresh twist, embodying the idea of honouring the classics in an era where “newness” constantly wants to take over. Weeds has gathered a group of famed musicians for these recordings, namely fellow tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon, pianist Miles Black, bassist John Lee and drummer Jesse Cahill. 

What captures the attention of the listener right from the first note are the dual saxophone lines, a unique aspect of the album that pays tribute to “seminal tenor-battle recordings of the past.” The record starts off with the tune Hey Lock, where the listener is treated to a driving drum rhythm, swinging piano chords and the intertwining tenor melodies of Weeds and Weldon. Taking the tempo down for Just As Though You Were Here, a well-known tune by jazz pianist John Benson Brooks, the lyrical and mellow qualities of Weeds’ skilled playing are showcased. The album features a collection of jazz greats, ending with the bandleader’s own composition 323 Shuter. 

A perfect accompaniment for soon to be chillier fall days, this is a worthy addition to any jazz aficionado’s collection.

Jacob Chung – Live at Al Frankie’s Jazz Club
Jacob Chung; Tyler Henderson Trio
Cellar Music CMF110924 (jacobchung.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-frankie-s-jazz-club)

New-York based saxophonist and composer Jacob Chung’s newest recording is ample proof that jazz is most certainly not going away anytime soon and that the younger generation is carrying the torch for continuing this great musical genre. Chung has gotten a group of truly skilled musicians and friends together to breathe life into this record: pianist Tyler Henderson, bassist Caleb Tobochman and drummer Hank Allen Barfield. The tracklist features a collection of well-known tunes as well as a couple penned by Henderson thrown into the mix. 

Chung describes the album as “a true snapshot of four friends just playing and sharing our love for each other and the music with an enthusiastic Vancouver audience.” This friendship and love for the music clearly shines through in every note of the recording and is especially evident through how balanced and “tight” each piece sounds. The musicians are in tune with each other and share a cohesive feeling throughout the melodies and rhythms. Opening track Jeannine stands out for its catchy bass line, moving rhythms and soaring tune. Love Endures, one of the aforementioned songs composed by Henderson, is mellow yet energetic and embodies both the traditional and the modern. The fact that the recordings were made unbeknownst to the musicians during a live show is what really captures the essence of the raw passion for this music and respect for each other that this group has and holds.

The Isle
Tommy Crane; David Binney
Elastic Recordings/MythologyRecords ER 022 | MR29 (davidbinney.bandcamp.com/album/the-isle)

Tommy Crane is a Montreal based drummer/composer and saxophonist/composer David Binney lives in Los Angeles. They have played together several times over the years and collaborated on The Isle which was recorded in Montreal in 2023 and “draws inspiration from the city of Montreal itself—its atmosphere, rhythms, and cultural landscape. The city’s influence is evident not just in the album title, but in the pieces themselves, several of which are named after neighbourhoods.” 

One of the album’s most noticeable strengths are the many atmospheric grooves which are both relaxing and engaging. Crane’s drumming gives each work a steady and entrancing pulse like the St. Lawrence which flows immutably past the busy island of Montreal with its vibrant culture, traffic and road construction. In fact, I can hear horns and brakes in the slightly apprehensive The Isle of Jam. Binney’s saxophone is lyrical and limber, sometimes providing long tones and then breaking into delightful flights of fluttering bop lines. The tonal palette is enhanced by several other musicians on flutes, bass, keyboards and guitar. The Isle creates a sense of expectant calm: you can relax to it, listen while driving or anywhere else you enjoy sampling a variety of evocative moods.

Heart Music
George Crotty Trio
Independent (georgecrotty.com)

Having had the good fortune of recently seeing cellist George Crotty’s latest album release of his trio’s Heart Music in concert, I was excited to find listening to the recording just as engaging as the live performance. The Toronto native has been travelling and touring for many years, picking up his heavy skills in jazz and many music languages of the world, and this album reflects on the wide diversity of the entire trio which includes John Murchison on bass and Jeremy Smith on percussion.

Crotty has many collaborations in his credits including the Brooklyn Raga Missive, the National Arab Orchestra, and years of travelling and studies of Hindustani raga, European jazz, and left hand pizzicato to build the powerhouse of chops he has at his disposal. The trio is unique in its combination of jazz, classical, Arabic, Irish, flamenco and music theatre, and each of the tracks on this album is equally unique. Crotty plays the cello in this configuration standing, allowing him to move and lead freely.  

From the opening Bandish, based on an evening raga, and Heart Music and The Task at Hand, both of which use exceptionally intricate left-hand pizzicato, we experience the power of Crotty’s technique on the cello. The spooky intro to Twelfth House gives way to a jazz-infused exploration of dreams. The following track A Game features playful episodes within the group, and the cinematic Cigarettes at Sunrise includes Crotty in duet with himself in a live cello loop. The album closes with my favourite track Saturn Returns, a complex expansion of chords in parallel fifths on the cello, polyrhythms, and a group improvisation showcasing the entire trio, a solid brew of skill and inspiration from around the world.

Listen to 'Heart Music' Now in the Listening Room