CD Review: Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band - Season of Changes

REVIEW: Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, Season of Changes

A huge fan of Brian Blade and also a fan of his collaborations with the Fellowship Band, I was really excited to know that a new CD by the band was in the works. Actually, I first got word that the band was getting back together after I saw Mr. Blade play with Kenny Werner’s “Lawn Chair Society” group at Dizzy’s in New York last spring, so I have been looking forward to this release for quite a while now. To say the least, after listening to the CD it was proven that my excitement was well-founded: this is a fine work produced by this group, if not the finest since their conception in 1998.
      First, let me recap the obvious to those who are familiar with the other two CDs by this band: Brian Blade (drums) and John Cowherd (keys) have unique compositional styles that both utilize subtle but extremely hard grooves, and the two have an unbelievable, almost symbiotic connection between their songs. The two composers do not clash one bit in their submissions for the tracks on the album, and one could even easily make the mistake of believing the whole album was written by one person. This symbiosis is an especially great additive to the band and has been since the first album was released. It pleasures me to say that the Fellowship Band has just built more and more onto its distinctive character and style with the addition of this music to their repertoire.
      Take, for example, “Rubylou’s Lullaby”: a perfect opener that really foreshadows the songs following it. With every song, it is almost as if one was watching the title scene of a movie, or if someone was reading a story and one was imagining the scenes, and “Lullaby” really provides that feeling from the first notes. The cinematic beauty of the piece places the dramatic landscape of Season of Changes right in front of the listener, and the listener therefore is captivated from the start, never really wanting the beauty to stop.
      Truth be told, that beauty never stops, either, from individual soloists to the intricate meshing of layers of sound that each musician provides. Myron Walden (alto and bass clarinet) always has provided very strong solos and a most lovely sound for the band; Melvin Butler has a soul disposition that shadows Coltrane, providing unique punches of lines to the tunes (for instance check out his creative entrance to his solo on “Return of the Prodigal Son”); and, Kurt Rosenwinkel displays his versatility as an artist by seemingly holding back his usual flurry of notes to better fit in with the mood of the band, making his sound that much better on the album for this album. Brian Blade, of course, is the real highlight of the record if there is one to be had. The way he perfectly holds the time together by weaving in and out of being directly on top of said time is always amazing to listen to and requires much study to really get a strong meaning of the sound that he’s producing. Nothing in his playing is wasteful and always adds to the band and to what the individuals are producing, showing an absolutely mastery of not only his instrument, but of the compositions that he has produced or helped to produce. This music is truly a direct extension of Blade’s identity as a player.
      Let us not forget Chris Thomas on bass, though, who does his job of grounding the band in the groove with much prowess, especially on tracks like “Stoner Hill”, which in fact is a staple song that, to me, provides a great summary of the nature of the band although it does not feature any soloists. To me, the Fellowship Band defines themselves through their soulful nature by skillfully utilizing the dimension of space and telling folk-like stories through what is produced. “Stoner Hill” extends both parts of this definition by having extremely haunting, beauteous lines played by the saxophonists over chords that highlight that quality. As a result, it showcases the need for us as listeners to look at the title and question its definition, which I find myself doing often with the compositions on Fellowship albums. The folk nature of the band is brought out by both the music and by the titles of the tracks, so one should really look into what they mean. As for “Stoner Hill”, an initial reaction to the title is a location where people are getting high. But, is that the only workable definition to the song? It is easy to see that even through the groove, but if one does a double take, thinks about the other names of the tracks that the Fellowship has produced and takes into account the overall sound, could it not mean an area where people are being stoned? I challenge the reader to look again at the track names, tie them with the music and the nature of the band, and rework old definitions of the songs or create entirely new ones.
      The only tune that I have a slight problem with on the album is “Most Precious One (Prodigy)”. The initially beat comes so unexpectedly and is so generic that it is hard to take in compared to the other tracks. Fortunately, Rosenwinkel provides interesting enough ideas overtop the beat that it develops into something that sounds like the band’s other music. This time, though, it sounds more like a space folk song than an earthly one, partially reminiscent of Chick Corea’s “Port View” tracks on his album To the Stars.
      Finally, the improvisation track that Cowherd and Walden do is probably the most gorgeous track on the album. Walden’s bass clarinet sound is so clean and powerful, as are his ideas. Take note of point 2:17 where Walden decides to leave a brief pause before hitting his next note to really land it in a most perfect spot. The attitude of the improvisation melts right into proceeding track, “Alpha and Omega”, and really adds more to the actual song than the song itself, one might say.
      Brian Blade has once again produced a disc worth listening to time and time again because of the real freshness that it brings to jazz music. The undeniable beauty and soulful sound of the players over the compositions that Blade and Cowherd have written really perfect what the Fellowship sound is. All in all, this is a face of jazz that is not often brought to the forefront, but Season of Changes really proves that it deserves to be in the spotlight by showing exactly what this style of jazz can be.

Jimmy Chamberlin

Once upon a time my brother gave me a CD by a band called "The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex" titled "Life Begins Again" to listen to. This drummer, as many may know, is the drummer for the elite 90s rock group, The Smashing Pumpkins. Upon listening to the first track of the CD I was thoroughly impressed at how well he was able to hold down a groove and how well put together both his solos and the piece in general were. It wasn't until Rock Band came out and I played the drums on "Cherub Rock" that I realized that he put these complex drum grooves even into his days in the Pumpkins. Tonight I checked out some more Pumpkins material because his work was on my mind, and I'm pleased to say that he makes the most out of every song on the drums. His communication and excellent ideas make each song strikingly more interesting. Maybe I'm missing this expertise with other drummers, but for now, as far as I'm concerned, Jimmy Chamberlin is one of the best--one of the most original rock drummers that I have ever heard.

Epiphany

I was talking about music today with my dad in the car and had an epiphany.

Do you know the reason that the popular songs these days, made by those of my generation, don't stick? Why they will never be timeless classics that last decades instead being buried with the other trash of a certain year?



Music today, and those writing the music, are, clearly, NOT ROOTED IN THE BLUES, and that is a direct link to why we have created some of the most frivolous music in America, and the world's, history.



More on this later.

Greg Weaver Critical Choice Awards 2007

     I'll be posting some both legit and obscure musical awards at the end of the year to recognize artists that deserve (or don't deserve) to have their musical talents highlighted. Of course, this isn't totally fair since I don't work for a magazine, nor do I go out and buy billions of dollars worth of CDs every year to critically listen to. Topics will include, but are not limited to: artists in separate instrumentation categories, best live show, best hidden jewel discovered thanks to the internet, and also the biggest "fuck you" award. Look forward to it.

     Also, I'll have a blog highlighting my experiences from April to August as I will be studying abroad at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. Throughout my travels I will be documenting my musical observations, focusing specifically on how jazz is received there compared to how it is in the United States. To heighten my research I also plan to find student groups to play with while I'm there and have recordings available. This is the one element that I'm looking forward to the most--even more than my "paid" purpose, which is to have intensive Japanese study.

     I may even start early research on record sales and whatnot before I even leave, so check back every so often for updates.


... not to mention more CD reviews after Christmas. Woohoo!

CD Review: Chris Potter Underground - Follow the Red Line (Live at the Village Vanguard)

REVIEW

Chris Potter - Follow the Red Line (Live at the Village Vanguard)



First Impression

      On the same day, multi-reed instrumentalist Chris Potter released two albums with two absolutely different faces. This one, his second live release at the Village Vanguard, is with his Underground band with whom he recorded last year's stellar release, less Wayne Krantz on the guitar. Follow the Red Line expands upon this group's repertory and showcases why Potter has again decided to release an album at the legendary club after only three years.
      The first track, "Train", kicks the album off by really defining the group and what each member has to offer. Listening to just the beginning of the song, it sounds like something that's not totally something inherent of the band's energy if you haven't heard them play some of their other songs live before, but it still has that familiar sound and feel to it, particularly with the rhythm section's distinct sound. Shortly after a minute though, it starts to really sound like Underground band that listeners will know from the last album: Nate Smith locks in a heavy groove and Potter comes in with a simple, but heavy melodic overlay.
      The solos on the first track are everything that we expect and don't expect from these players at the same time. Potter shows off his amazing virtuosity at critical moments in his solo, but there's something that this track really brings out in his playing as well: his ability to play beautiful, melodic phrases that really bring out the mood of the tune. The groove isn't all fast horn playing, but rather is a solo that is constructed with carefully chosen note choices, rhythmic patterns, and, especially, silence that fits like a new suit. The rhythm section is backing him with amazing clarity of idea and serve what is really needed in a tight jazz group.
      Adam Rogers' solo on "Train" brings out his versatile quality as a guitar player, as his solo is rather odd in a casual sense, but as he keeps the theme of it even over the groove that sneaks in the background, it makes more and more sense. The "rock" quality in his playing as many know from listening to him in recordings from different groups (Lost Tribe, for example) is interestingly effective and adds a whole different mood to the piece that would have been recognized in any other way. One won't easily miss the haunting quality of his bends over Craig Taborn's sound. The other members of the rhythm section fuel the new mood that is set by these sounds, especially on points like 9:26 and 10:03, where they fool the listener into thinking that they're about to go back into the groove, but instead hold their ground.
      Beware, though: there are many points in the recording that will make the casual listener cringe. In solo like Potter's on "Arjuna", one must intently listen to the entire solo to know where he's going. His virtuosity can be too intense for some, but as long as one doesn't lose track of where he started and how he develops, they will be able to easily appreciate his approach to the song.
      Speaking of casual listening, sometimes the album makes it hard to intently listen, and that's really a good thing. For example, I have tried to really listen to Taborn's Fender solo on "Arjuna", but I always find it extremely difficult to get past grooving with the band. Starting with Smith's infectious playing, the band starts to layer on top of the drumming piece by piece and produce an amazing track. The groove that continues behind the solo switches up a little bit as the solo continues but retains a very hard sound that the listener cannot help but get ingrained.
      One does not have to listen to much to know intuitively that this band his been playing together for a while and knows how to compliment each other and the music that they are playing. And, what's amazing about that is, they really haven't been playing that long together as a whole. Adam Rogers has been playing with Potter on and off since his impossible-to-find first release for Concord, Concentric Circles, in 1994, and Nate Smith has been with Potter for four years now since he replaced Billy Kilson in the Dave Holland Quintet, but the Underground band really is a completely different animal in terms of musical selection.

CD Review: Eldar - Re-Imagination

REVIEW

Eldar - Re-Imagination



First Impression

     So here it is, child-prodigy Eldar's latest release. Eldar has been criticized by many in the past for his "robotic" sound on the piano because his almost unimaginable technique on the piano enticed him, noted in his first release, to play some songs at really fast tempos that very few could play as cleanly. Though this is true and his technique seemed flawless, many found flaw in his playing, saying that his approach was the direct opposite of the Miles Davis-like, "less is more" type playing. Now, two albums later, how does the new Eldar stack up?
      Ultimately, I wasn't too impressed with his work, and would rather listen to a blindingly fast "Sweet Georgia Brown" to marvel at his speeds than listen to any of the tracks on this record. While they may not all be bad, I can't praise any one of them very much. The main reason behind this lack of praise to them is the fact that there seem to be three types of songs on this record, and all of the songs that fall under each type could almost be baked into a single pie together.
      The first type is the one denoted by the very first track. Maybe this is Eldar's re-imagination of the keyboard, adding electronic noises (reminded me of some of the effect that Kenny Werner put in his latest album, though overused, I think, in this one) and using names like DJ Logic to turn the tables on a couple tracks. Okay, so it was a good effort, but there were still many flaws. The first thing that came through my mind when listening to the first track was, 'Wow, this sounds a lot like the kind of stuff that Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny write together, though the role of great technique is on the piano player and the role of a more lyrical approach comes from the guitar in this CD'. I do like a lot of that music, but there was something about this that was different, and not in a good way. There were many times that I felt ideas were starting to get good, and then we were thrown in another direction that ended up being not so good... and this happened on all of the tracks that sounded like this. There was a lot of energy coming from Ali Jackson on the drums that helped keep interest, but with lackluster solos and strange mood changes within the songs, I ended up being turned off by this type of song. And I repeat, it happened with them all, especially because they sounded quite alike. There's a distinct pop influence in them all, like in Mays' work, and Eldar, to me, puts too much pop in it. Interest was lost midway through the tracks.
     The second type of song is the ballad-esque type. All in all, these tracks bore me to tears. I usually lost interest in the head. "Out of Nowhere" as a ballad is a good idea, but it was absolutely flat from beginning to end. His attempt at being lyrical rather than technical doesn't seem to be working out very well when there it's all boredom and no energy to his lyricism. It's like he's trying really hard to hold back his fingers, so there's a sort of "fakeness" in the space that he leaves. Many of these songs sound like they belong in a movie soundtrack simply because there are a couple highlights and then there's a lot of filler where the actors are supposed to be focused on in the movie rather than the music. It's like listening to the full Attack of the Clones orchestration by John Williams that spans through every single scene in the movie, except the really great parts are just not here in Eldar's recording. Another comparison would be to Christmas CDs like the A Winter's Solstice collection. It's pretty, but aside from a few moments, it's background. Both works compared to know to work it a lot better because this method is deliberate, where in Eldar's works it isn't.
      Finally, there's the return to the type of thing that he did in his first CD with really fast playing over standards. This I enjoyed quite a bit more than the other types. Eldar's playing over the Oscar Peterson tune was a lot more true, I felt, and the ideas were more coherent and intuitive. This is the kind of work that I like hearing, and though I'm that he's being taught to add the lyricism, I wish that he wouldn't record such songs until he learns to use it wisely. Otherwise, this type is just fine if someone forces his into the studio.
     In the end it turned out to just be an uninteresting piece of work. Eldar's use of DJ Logic and the electronics didn't add much to the songs, the repetitive nature of his songs made me wish that he cut the number of tracks in half, and the lyrical approach that he's attempting to do just isn't working out. I can see a lot of aspiring, young pianists looking up to Eldar now and in the future and all of the people Eldar's age and older just scoffing at him because either he's being robotic or because he can't be as original as other players. Technique like that is to be marveled at, but because he has excellent technique does not mean that he is skilled in other areas of playing. I look forward to hearing his other attempts, but time will tell whether or not I listen more than twice to any of those recordings.

Brad Mehldau on Jazz

     I just read an excellent essay on this period of modern jazz being referred to as a sort of "Renaissance" that Brad Mehldau wrote and included in his liner notes to his excellent album "Art of the Trio Volume 4". Read it here.

     The whole essay is wonderfully written and contains some interesting food-for-thought. Scholarly approaches to music are interesting and also very important for fully grasping what it is we are listening to, I think. My favorite quote from the essay happens to be the closing thought:

"To close I offer a scenario: If all the written music in the world suddenly burned up in a flash, who could do a gig the same night, regardless?" - Brad Mehldau, 1999