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October music reviews

Michael Brecker: Pilgrimage

Heads Up

This final effort album from the premiere jazz saxophonist is remarkable for several reasons. First, indifferent to a rare type of leukaemia which finished him off a few months after these sessions, Mike shows magnificent class by simply playing his ass off.

His characteristic logical solo development from basic variation phrase into extreme, but understandable, “out there” wailing within a very short time is demonstrated throughout. That exciting, totally polished and professional approach (as he always was) shows why he’s on nearly 900 pop, fusion, or jazz albums.

Second, all nine compositions are from Mike, and to a note, they are all very good hard-bop vehicles, lovely intricate ballads, or catchy groove tunes. Of course, having superb interplay with heavyweights Herbie Hancock or Brad Mehldau on piano, Pat Metheny, guitar, John Patitucci, bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums means some serious quality jazz interplay can, and does happen. Everybody gets good solo space to extend Mike’s compositions. And excellent ensemble, comping and covering is heard on the funky Tumbleweed, the hard bop The Mean Time, and melodically convoluted Anagram. Excellent recorded sound here too.

Although Mike has appropriately titled ballads Five Months From Midnight, When Can I Kiss You Again, Loose Threads, and Pilgrimage, there actually is not a maudlin or morose moment to be heard anywhere here. Collectively, this CD is highest quality jazz from a gifted artist who will sadly be missed, but never forgotten. Highly recommended. John Paul

Dave Brubeck: Indian Summer

Telarc

Living legend jazz pianist, 86 year old Brubeck treats us to 16 selected old standards, obscure, or original tunes that he says are reminiscent of particular moments in a very eventful life.

Employing the solo format throughout, Dave intelligently re-harmonises I Don’t Stand A Ghost of A Chance Without You, Spring Is Here, and Memories of You, making these old favourites fresh and interesting while preserving their timeless sweetness.

Other old tunes such as Georgia On My Mind and September Song, have their melodies lovingly stretched and massaged in pleasant, charming ways.

Throughout this very mellow disc Brubeck’s elegant classicism and signature use of block chord sections are present. But there are no earlier Brubeck polyrhythms, fast runs, or tricky turn-arounds. Just meditative, introspective, sensitive, yet dynamic, performances of songs that been his life’s accompaniment for him, and now us. John Paul

Chick Corea: The Ultimate Adventure

Stretch Records

Multi-keyboard jazz and fusion master Corea assembles an all-star group to perform 12 original compositions based on a novel by his guru L. Ron Hubbard.

Forgetting the Scientology politics, religion, or other BS, and just concentrating on the music finds a very mixed bag of quasi- pompous short themes, spacey segues, extended groove vamping and noodling, all with very good musicianship.

Percussionists Steve Gadd, Airto Moreira, and Vinnie Colaiuta (recently in Auckland with Herbie Hancock) keep the beats solid and interesting. Whilst Hubert Laws has the flute melodic lead efforts amidst guitars, synths and reeds backing him up.

You probably have to like the fusion style quick change ups of rock to jazz styles in and out of Latin or other rhythms to appreciate this well produced and recorded work. I’ve listened to it dozens of times and quite regularly flip-flop whether it’s trite or terrific. I’ve loved Chick from his early Circle and Return to Forever groups and have most of his Acoustic Band CD’s, so this disc is an on-going question. I suggest you listen to the demo tracks on Amazon or wherever, and decide for yourself. It’s very good in its’ own way, but sometime too busy or predictable or yadda, yadda, yadda. Sorry. John Paul

Corey Harris: Zion Crossroads

Telarc

Hey Editor, has there been a mistake? I thought I was reviewing Donny Osmond’s greatest hits this month? Why was this CD with a mean looking rasta dude on the cover sent to me? If I listen to this am I going to have to issue public statements in later years that I breathed but “I did not inhale”?

Seriously, this is a fascinating disk musically and it just shows that you can’t judge a book (or a CD) by its cover. The musical style is 110% Caribbean. Corey Harris’ voice could pass for a relation to Bob Marley, and there are tin steel drums every where – well that is pretty much what you would guess from the cover.

Where the disk becomes interesting is perhaps hinted at in the word “Zion” in the title. Track 2 No peace for the wicked – concepts emerge in this song such as judgement, the wicked burning up, and reaping the fruits of what you sow. All “from the good book” as Corey Harris would say. There are also anti slavery and anti sweatshop messages in other songs. I don’t think Corey Harris would fit in very well at a Rastafarian party, but then I wouldn’t either!

However it is not all judgement and doom, (thank goodness), track 10 Cleanliness is next to Godliness is I think played for laughs. The clue is in the first verse “It was written in the scripture.” It wasn’t actually; it is a quote from a Charles Wesley sermon of 200 years ago. A bit of an in joke really and I would have to wonder how many people would really get it.

So a mixed bag, in my opinion, great vocals, the usual high Telarc standard of recording but pretty sombre subject matter. Having said that, the music is fun in tempo and the tunes start to stick in your head. It grows with a second listening. My children said, “Why are you still listening to that?”. Worth a listen and I have forgiven the editor for not sending me the Donny Osmond hit parade. Matthew Strack

Maroon 5: It Won’t Be Soon Before Long

AM Records Octone

It was snowing in Dunedin the day this CD arrived at my house. One of my teenage daughters collected the mail late in the day and there was a cheer from two of them when I opened the package and showed them the disk.

If you enjoyed Songs about Jane you will enjoy this. Some groups seem to be popular across a range of ages and Maroon 5 seems to be one of these. The boys are still singing about love – must be all that time on the road – but the musical style is still tuneful rock. Not as common as you might think in these days of rap and “wall of sound” rock.

Included is the hit Wake up Call which has had good radio air time. There are a lot of other good tracks ranging from drum driven Can’t Stop, to the slower and more melodic Goodnight Goodnight. The title list showed track 10 as Kiwi, this caught my interest, but on further listening it seems to be comparing a girl to eating a kiwifruit – not of huge local interest to a New Zealand audience.

So an enthusiastic recommendation in the easy listening rock category, with the added bonus that if you have teenage children you can buy this and they will probably think that you are cool. Well for a day or two anyway. Matthew Strack

Claire Martin: He Never Mentioned Love

Linn Records

This is a collection of 13 songs by well known UK jazz vocalist Clare Martin, dedicated to the memory of Shirley Horn, who was a friend and mentor. If I have followed the cover notes correctly, eleven of the songs are Shirley Horn’s and two are recent compositions, one by Claire Martin, dedicated to Shirley Horn. Shirley Horn (1934-2005) was an influential female jazz vocalist who had strong links with jazz greats as Miles Davis in the 1960s. After raising a child she returned to performing in the late 1980s, winning a Grammy in 1999 for her album I Remember Miles.

So, what is a New Zealand born reviewer to do with an album that has such a deep heritage in jazz history? Not to mention the reputation that Claire Martin carries with her. It’s all a bit intimidating really.

I decided the best approach was simply to sit down and listen. Understanding the background does help to understand the music, but in this case it is not essential. The overwhelming presence in all tracks is the rich and velvet coated voice of Claire Martin. The sound and recording quality is very high as seems to be a feature with all Linn CD/SACD’s that I have heard recently. To my ear the best tracks were those with simple jazz trio accompaniment, Claire Martin’s voice seemed to integrate well in this setting. The few tracks where the “small band” approach was tried worked but the vocals tended to become separated from the instruments, good but not as enjoyable.

If you like jazz vocals, this is a must listen album. So make you self comfortable and let the rich layers of Claire Martin’s voice work their magic. Personally, I would recommend listening with the help of a rich Pinot Noir or a well aged Merlot! Matthew Strack

Over the Rhine: The Trumpet Child

Redeye

Virtually unknown in this part of the world prior to their appearance at the 2006 International Arts Festival in Wellington, the somewhat confusingly named Over the Rhine are in fact an Ohio group that features the alluring vocals of Karin Bergquist with clever and diverse accompanists.

One of the delights of this latest (of 12+) studio album is the impeccable engineering, uncompromising in its tonal accuracy, no mean feat given the diverse range of instruments that are called on from track to track.

Now the title track music be singled out as being worth the price of admission. Plumbing an unexpected depth given the frivolity of some of the lyrical content, with an inspired arrangement that is both unerringly simple and gloriously orchestrated for maximum impact, this is as well crafted a song as you will find.

The set as a whole takes a few plays to unearth the rewards of some of the more oblique settings but as a total this package is highly recommended. Allan McFarlane

The Storys: The Storys

Korova Records

The Storys sound like some kind of 2007 UK (Welsh) version of The Eagles on this, their debut album. The music is very much towards the soft rock end of the spectrum and it’s all quite innocuous and hard to dislike.

The band have a sound that is very West Coast – think CSNY among others, with lots of acoustic guitars, close harmonies and clean production.

It’s probably the kind of album that will make more sense in the middle of summer, out on the deck, with the windows open and a cold beer in your hand.

Stand out tracks for me are the opener – I Believe in Love even if it’s a little sugary at times (“I believe in love ‘cos love is all we have – it guides us to dry land; I believe in hope because hope is all we got when everything is lost”); the very Eaglesy Cinnamon (sounding very much like Take it Easy); and album closer Is it True What They Say About Us? – all heartfelt emotion, close-miked lead vocals and a soaring chorus.

If you’re a fan of soft rock from the late 70s and early 80s and looking for an up to date version, you might want to check out The Storys. You might just like them. Apparently Sir Elton rates them highly. Douglas Lang

Billy Taylor & Gerry Mulligan: Live at MCG

MCG

October 1-3, 1993 found jazz pianist Taylor and his old baritone sax playing pal at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Happily, the sessions were recorded and produced for release on the small MCG Jazz label.

Mind reading, quasi-telepathic, intention connection, or whatever you can call superior communication between individuals is all over this disc. Dr. Taylor (one real Education PhD, and 23 honorary PhD’s!) and baritone sax king Mulligan are seriously into each other’s musical ideas and simply smoke through 10 jazz standards.

Highlights of this CD are Mulligan taking the sax players’ “moment of truth” song, Body And Soul and superbly re-defining it for his instrument. There’s some magical interweaving of sax and piano lines throughout All The Things You Are that makes you think they practised this one for at least 100 years, and there’s a version of Indiana (Back Home In), that traditionalist, swingers, and hard-boppers will all appreciate because it’s so “in the pocket” you simply must dance or sing along with it. Other tunes fascinate and amuse with their skilfulness and cleverness that rarely happens like this.

Quality support comes from bassist Chip Jackson, and veteran drummer Carl Allen. And the recording is clean and well balanced. John Paul

Rufus Wainwright: Releasing the Stars

Geffen Records

Operatic; dramatic; emotional; over the top sometimes; brilliant at times. There you have it in short – Rufus Wainwright’s fifth album. Probably something you’ll either love or hate.

Wainwright has a distinctive vocal style which I like, although I know a number of people who find it all a bit too theatrical. For those who aren’t familiar with his work, I’d refer you to the likes of Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke of Radiohead if you want an idea of the kind of vocals to expect – at times quiet and reflective and then the next track big and loud.

There is plenty of light and shade on the album. We move from Going To A Town in which Wainwright has a go at America - “You took advantage of a world that loved you well; I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down” to the very dramatic and orchestra-driven Slideshow in which he reflects on the situation with a current love with whom things don’t seem to be going so well. Tulsa was allegedly written after a one night stand with The Killers’ Brandon Flowers (“Your suit was the whitest thing since you know who”).

A couple of other tracks - the ballad Leaving for Paris No.2 and the Lisa Minnelli/Cabaret-like title track contain all the elements of Wainwright at his best – big tunes; emotion; interesting vocal stylings and some clever lyrics.

I think this is going to be one of those albums that will continue to find its way onto my CD player regularly over coming months and perhaps years. In wine parlance – ‘It’s got legs’. Douglas Lang

Lucinda Williams: West

Lost Highway

Unbelievably it is nearly ten years since the quintessential Lucinda Williams album Car Wheels On the Gravel Road made its impact on us all. With West we have at long last had a sequel of equal merit.

Without a doubt this is going to be one of my records of the year. The haunting vocal lines are beyond cliché, bringing an all to often missed depth to the lyrical content of each track.

Having heard of the subject matter Williams tackles on this release, death, departure, and being not so young any more, along with both lust and love, I originally didn’t need this release in my own life. Purchase was however made, with the subsequent discovery that here we have something quite magical.

I read somewhere that Williams has used her initial demo tapes for the majority of the vocal lines, a decision that at times reduces the possible perfection some may seek, but it is more than made up for by the emotional rawness of delivery that leaves you feeling very privileged, if at times uncomfortable, to have been given the opportunity to share such an intimate experience from one of today’s great singer songwriters. Essential. Allan McFarlane

J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations

Simone Dinnerstein
Telarc

This is a fabulous recording and a “must-own” for new and old classical collectors. That statement totally surprises me, as until now I would have said that Murray Perahia’s (2000) interpretation was the one to beat. Perahia brings a gentle, almost poignant approach, which has you hanging on every note. This subdued quality is deeply satisfying for intense and reflective late night listening and yet unobtrusive for those people looking for dinner music.

Given Perahia’s benchmark, what could any artist possibly add? A fabulous piano certainly helps. When the UK city of Hull was bombed during the second world war, this piano was the one to survive in a town hall that was badly destroyed. In true British style, the piano was then used in a concert to raise the spirits of the people of the city. Amazingly, it was shipped to America after 9/11 and again used in a concert at the World Trade Centre to uplift the spirits of New Yorkers.

One theory of the sound of a great violin is that carries some of its memory of playing to the present moment. I am now starting to wonder the same thing about this piano. This is an instrument capable of the full range, from the subtlest suggestions through to the most emphatic attacks. If this doesn’t move you, then check your pace maker or your Prozac levels.

So far it sounds as though we have another great pianist who simply has a more expressive piano. Obviously there is more to the story. At 33, with a young child in Brooklyn, Dinnerstein decided on a do or die approach to the big time and funded her own Carnegie Hall appearance. The rest, as they say, is history. This is a young woman with attitude and self-belief.

With that history you would not expect this to be a reticent recital… and it isn’t. Like the piano, Dinnerstein has also “modernised” the pieces by breathing new life into them. She can evoke an amazing emotional range that is totally engrossing. On the old head to heart continuum of musical interpretation she is clearly on the heart end. I have only just realised that Barenboim has also recorded the Goldberg variations and he is a man known for wearing his heart on his keyboard so I suspect that I will soon own a third recording. It is pianists like Dinnerman who have helped me move (cringe) from thinking that anyone who owned more than one recording of a classical piece was a poser. Thank you Simone. John Groom

Boccherini: Quintettes Avec Deux Violincelles

Ensemble Explorations
Harmonia Mundi

This album was a welcome arrival to my house on a very cold winter’s day. It has typical Harmonia Mundi packaging, classical and elegant; comprising an anonymous oil portrait of Luigi Boccherini on the cover, also included was a helpful short essay on the quintets and Boccherini himself.

I have always enjoyed the work of Boccherini; his music is not as well known as that of his contemporaries, Mozart and Haydn. This is possibly because he spent the greater part of his life composing in Spain. Cultural influences from there have been slower to drift into mainstream European culture than new ideas originating from say France or Italy. Anyway, I enjoy the slightly nonconformist approach to classical composition that Boccherini adopted. In this case he has taken the traditional string quartet and made it a quintet by adding an extra part for a second cello, his own! I must say in my case, as a self confessed classical music lover, I usually avoid string quartets as I find them too dry.

These compositions are full of charm and warmth, in my opinion the extra bass part gives a pleasing lift in dynamics to the traditional string quartet. There is variation with two of the quintets having four parts and one consisting only of three parts. The quality of sound recording is up to Harmonia Mundi’s usual high standard and the playing of the Ensemble Explorations is also excellent.

Overall, a most satisfying disk. If you find classical string quartets unsatisfying, you might just strike gold here. A little off beat, but full of charm and just the thing to settle down to with a book on a cold winter’s night. Matthew Strack