
Sullivan Fortner
Southern Nights
(Pias)
The hero of the 2024 Monterey Jazz Festival where his wide-ranging and virtuosic trio set held onto a spellbound crowd, Sullivan Fortner is gradually being recognized as one of the giants of jazz piano. His playing is filled with a vast knowledge of earlier piano styles and repertoire which even makes his originals sound historic.
Joined by bassist Peter Washington and drummer Marcus Gilmore for Southern Nights, the Fortner performs a wide variety of pieces. While being respectful to the themes, he is never shy to stretch the songs a bit.
Southern Nights begins with a soulful version of Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” which becomes a danceable one-chord jam. Cole Porter’s “I Love You” is taken uptempo and, while barely recognizable until the melody pops up at the end, swings hard. Fortner’s one original of the date, “9 Bar Tune,” is an eccentric piece with plenty of close interplay by the three musicians. The tango “Tres Palabras” by Osvaldo Farres is a joy while Donald Brown’s “Waltz For Monk” manages to go both inside and outside at the same time. The other selections include Bill Lee’s rarely played “Again, Never,” an exploration of Consuela Lee’s “Discovery,” a drum feature on Clifford Brown’s “Daahoud,” and Woody Shaw’s “Organ Grinder.”
As with the best jazz recordings, Sullivan Fortner’s Southern Nights (available from www.pias.com) is full of what the great jazz writer Whitney Balliett called “the sound of surprise.”
Joe Alterman feat. Houston Person
Brisket For Breakfast
(Self-Released)
Houston Person is a bit of a wonder. At 90, the tenor-saxophonist still has the same fat tone and soulful style as he has for the past 60 years. 88 at the time that he recorded Brisket For Breakfast with pianist Joe Alterman, Person could pass on this recording for 58.
Person and Alterman are joined by bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Justin Chesarek for seven veteran standards. The tempos are mostly ballads and or taken at a relaxed medium-tempo but Person does not take it easy, occasionally showing that he can easily toss in heated double-time runs whenever he feels that it fits the music. He caresses the melodies with his distinctive sound and always uplifts the music, even making warhorses such as “That’s All,” “Never Let Me Go,” and “Since I Fell For You” (which has a memorable Person cadenza) sound fresh and lively. In ways, Houston Person is the last of his kind.
Joe Alterman’s playing is a mixture of the funky soul jazz piano of early Les McCann with the swinging hard bop of Wynton Kelly and his own colorful musical personality. He and Person make for a perfect match. In addition to the songs mentioned, they perform “The Second Time Around,” a slightly Latin feel on Benny Carter’s “Only Trust Your Heart,” a swinging “Namely You”(a song that should be performed more often), and a goodtime version of “You Are My Sunshine.” Alterman really cooks on the latter which is a perfect way to wrap up the album.
Brisket For Breakfast is very accessible soul jazz and certainly makes for an enjoyable way to spend an hour. More information about this rewarding release can be found at www.joealtermanmusic.com
Dale Fielder Quartet
Mood!
(Clarion Jazz)
Dale Fielder has long been a familiar and welcome figure on the jazz scene of Los Angeles. Raised in a Pittsburgh suburb, he studied various saxophones, clarinet, oboe, bassoon and tuba; Nathan Davis at the University of Pittsburgh was one of his more significant teachers. After moving to New York where he spent eight years in the 1980s, Fielder worked with Geri Allen and Robin Eubanks among others. Relocating to Southern California, in 1988 he put together the Dale Fielder Quartet which originally had Harold Land Jr. on piano. By 1995 his group consisted of pianist Jane Getz, bassist Bill Markus, and drummer Thomas White and the personnel is still very much intact 30 years later.
In addition to a 1983 session with Geri Allen that was recently discovered and released, Fielder has led over 20 CDs since 1993, the same year that he founded his Clarion Jazz label. He has been involved in many projects since then, touring Europe and Asia and mastering not only the tenor but the soprano, alto and baritone saxophones.
In 2013 Fielder recorded an album titled Saxophone Standards Vol. 1. In recent times with what could be considered his classic quartet, he made Nocturne Serenity – Saxophone Standards Vol. 2 and Mood! – Saxophone Standards Vol. 3. The latter features Fielder on alto, tenor and soprano performing six jazz standards plus his own “Mood!” It is available from www.clarionjazz.com.
These extensive explorations (clocking in between 7:09 and 9:26) give the saxophonist excellent opportunities to stretch out, playing a long string of creative ideas. Getz and Markus (whose bowed bass solos are a major plus) also make the most of their spots and, along with White, react quickly and confidently to Fielder’s musical thoughts.
Among the songs that the quartet swings are “Change Partners,” “End Of A Love Affair,” “It’s You Or No One,” “Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea,” the saxophonist’s haunting “Mood,” and Thelonious Monk’s “Eronel”; the latter has Fielder taking particularly passionate solos on both alto and soprano. The lesser-known “Alone Too Long” inspires a rewarding piano solo from Jane Getz who is long overdue to record her own album.
Dale Fielder, who is in prime form on this set, was among those who recently lost their home in the disastrous Eaton fire. He has a Go Fund Me account that will hopefully help him and his family recover some of their losses. (www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-hope-for-dale-and-patricia-after-a-wildfire). In addition, readers who wish to contribute to the jazz musicians who suffered horrendous losses in the fires are advised to contribute to the California Jazz Foundation (http://californiajazzfoundation.org), a very worthy organization.
Fern Lindzon/Colleen Allen/George Koller
Tryptique
(ZSAN Records)
Pianist Fern Lindzon, saxophonist and flutist Colleen Allen, and bassist George Koller have performed together many times through their years in their native Canada. During the pandemic, they often played as a socially distanced trio. On two days in 2024, they recorded the dozen pieces of Tryptique.
Their music, which in some cases is drawn from classical music, features lots of interplay by the three musicians who often take the pieces into unexpected areas while mostly remaining somewhat melodic and a bit moody. The opener, “Wondering,” has Allen’s soprano in the lead, a theme full of desire, and the pianist keeping the tension going throughout the tune. Lindzon’s “Canarios,” although inspired by a Spanish Baroque melody, sounds a bit like an Irish jig. Among the other selections are Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Retrato Em Branco E Pret,” an unusual and quirky arrangement of “Satin Doll,” the love song “Eucalyptus,” Koller’s “Compassion Blues” which is one of several pieces on which he effectively bows his bass, the playful “Themes,” and “Go Look” which has a Spanish tinge a la Chick Corea. On “Zeynebim,” the musicians play three melodies at once, interacting with each other with fascinating results. Also included are an original based on a Mozart piece, a melody by Gabriel Fauré, and the closing ‘News For Bob” which gives the trio an opportunity to stretch out and swing on a medium-tempo blues.
The intimate setting brings out the best in Fern Lindzon (long an important contributor to Canadian jazz), Colleen Allen and George Koller. The continually intriguing Tryptique is available from www.fernlindzon.com/tryptique.
Louis Stewart & Martin Taylor
Acoustic Guitar Duets
(Livia)
Two of the top jazz guitarists of the past half-century were originally from Europe. Louis Stewart (1944-2016) is arguably Ireland’s most important contribution to jazz while the still-active Martin Taylor (1956- ) is from the United Kingdom. They first worked together as members of violinist Stephane Grappelli’s quartet in the mid-1980s. In 1985 the guitar duo teamed up for this album which happily has been reissued.
The two dazzling guitarists perform eight jazz standards plus a second previously unreleased version of “Stompin’ At The Savoy” and two traditional folk songs. Stewart and Martin really tear into “Morning Of The Carnival,” “Billie’s Bounce,” “Cherokee,” and “Bernie’s Tune,” swing “Jive At Five” at a medium tempo, and are respectful on “Coming Through The Rye” while playing “Darn That Dream” as a beautiful ballad. When one guitarist solos, the other one provides bass lines and chords; quite often the accompaniment is as exciting as the lead voice.
Simply stated, Acoustic Guitar Duets contains plenty of dazzling and miraculous playing by two of jazz’s greatest guitarists. This gem is highly recommended and available from www.liviarecords.com.
Jerri Adams/Marlene Cord
The Best Voices Time Forgot
(Fresh Sound)
Fresh Sound’s The Best Voices Time Forgot is a series of single CDs that contain all of the contents from two earlier Lps, putting the focus on jazz-inspired vocalists from the 1950s and ‘60s who, after a brief bit of publicity, faded from the scene.
Jerri Adams (1930-2014), a new name to me, was a potentially great jazz singer with a strong and appealing voice. For her 1956 album It’s Cool Inside, she was joined by quite an all-star group led by pianist Lou Stein that included trumpeter Billy Butterfield, trombonist Lou McGarity, Phil Bodner on alto and flute, guitarist Tony Mottola, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Don Lamond. While her sidemen get solo space (McGarity is in particularly inspired form), Jerri Adams is never overshadowed. She swings in a winning fashion on such tunes as “Gone With The Wind’ and “Let’s Fall In Love,” is quite dramatic on a very slow version of “Love For Sale,” and is very effective on a heartbreaking rendition of “Imagination.” So what happened to her? Despite having a memorable voice and a wide range, Jerri Adams only recorded one other album, 1958’s Play For Keeps, plus a few numbers with Percy Faith’s orchestra in 1954 and a single in the early 1960s. Originally discovered by Frankie Laine which resulted in her two albums, she got married, raised a family and retired from music, a major loss to jazz even if few know her name today.
Marlene Cord, who was born in 1938 and might still be with us, is not quite on the same level as Jerri Adams although she had an attractive voice. On her self-titled album from 1957, the performances are concise with only two of the 13 songs exceeding three minutes and not by much. Joined by Mike Simpson on tenor and flute, pianist Dick Marx, bassist Johnny Frigo, and drummer Jerry Slosberg, Ms. Cord’s singing is warm and she swings lightly on such numbers as “I Could Write A Book,” “It Could Happen To You,” and “Can’t Get Out Of This Mood.” The rhythm section is fine although Simpson’s flute playing is a bit too cute in spots.
It is ironic that this was Marlene Cord’s only recording for she sang for years. Born as Mary Gribus Fabiano, she toured the U.S. as a jazz singer and pianist, making her lone album when she was just 19. She eventually got married to an owner of a jazz club in Wisconsin, helped him open a restaurant in Milwaukee, and worked behind the scenes. As with Jerri Adams, she sacrificed a singing career to raise a family back in the days when it was very difficult to do both.
The Jerri Adams/Marlene Cord CD, which is part of a very valuable and extensive series, is available from www.freshsoundrecords.com.
Dave Stryker
Stryker With Strings Goes To The Movies
(Strikezone Records)
When jazz artists record an album of songs that were performed in movies, one thinks of the Great American Songbook and the golden age of Hollywood with tunes from the 1930-60 period. While guitarist Dave Stryker includes two Duke Ellington pieces from 1959’s Anatomy Of A Murder, “Edelweiss” from The Sound Of Music,” “Moonglow” (from Picnic) and Henry Mancini’s “Dreamsville,” the first six songs are of much more recent vintage
For this project, the guitarist is joined by a 29-piece orchestra comprised of a dozen violins, three violas, two cellos, five trombones, two trumpets, one saxophonist, and his regular quartet. Brent Wallarab contributed the arrangements which generally find the ensemble introducing the theme, Stryker taking the lead, and the guitarist and pianist Xavier Davis sharing the solo space. Violinist Sara Caswell and altoist Greg Ward get two spots, trombonist Jim Pugh and flugelhornist Mark Buselli have one solo apiece, and bassist Jeremy Allen is featured on “Edelweiss.”
Of the newer material, “You Only Live Twice” has Stryker swinging easily over the orchestra, he plays the warm theme of “Taxi Driver” quite tastefully, and is very much involved in the complex and rather spectacular arrangement of “The Theme From Shaft” which is one of the set’s highpoints. Also noteworthy are the beautifully played Ellington ballad “Low Key Lightly” and the way that the guitarist allows the classic melody of “Dreamsville” to speak for itself.
It all works quite well, making Stryker With Strings Goes To The Movies (available from www.davestryker.com) a worthy acquisition.
Oscar Peterson Trio
Live At The Concertgebouw 1961
(The Lost Recordings)
Oscar Peterson (1925-2007), one of the greatest pianists of all time, recorded quite prolifically throughout his career. During 1953-58 he led a renowned trio that also included guitarist Herb Ellis and bassist Ray Brown. When Ellis left the group because he was worn out from the constant touring, his spot was taken by drummer Ed Thigpen who stayed until 1965.
Live At The Concertgebouw 1961 is a superbly recorded two-Lp set that documents a previously unreleased concert from Feb. 10, 1961. Since it is an audiophile release, it uses two albums to release the 51 minutes of music rather than stuffing the eight songs into a single Lp.
The quantity may not be huge but the music is quite rewarding. Peterson begins the set with “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise,” playing the melody fairly straight and with obvious affection before things really get swinging. “Band Call” utilizes a phrase that Duke Ellington played on the piano to get his sidemen to return from breaks. It is taken as a cooking medium-tempo blues that includes some dazzling piano and a brief bass solo.
Other selections include Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma,” an upbeat show tune from the period (“Politics And Poker”), the jazz waltz “Where Do I Go From Here,” a real tour-de-force performance of “I Remember Clifford,” and a strutting version of “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” The set concludes with a joyful and lengthy “Chicago” which gets hotter as it progresses and contains a few surprises along the way.
Live At The Concertgebouw 1961 is part of a very valuable series put out by The Lost Recordings of previously unreleased live jazz sessions that were originally performed in Europe. It is available from www.thelostrecordings.store. One can never have too many Oscar Peterson records!
Miranda Sage
Music Of The Spheres
(Self-Released)
Miranda Sage was born in England and has lived in Canada for much of her life. Early on she learned piano, lute, harp, clarinet, alto sax, and guitar, and she toured Europe. She retired for a time to raise a family and then returned in the late 1990s as a jazz singer. She has recorded fairly regularly since that time with Music Of The Spheres being the sixth recording that teams her with Don Thompson.
Ms. Sage has a warm voice, impeccable taste in picking out songs, and makes every note and sound count. She is joined on Music Of The Spheres by Thompson (a top-notch bassist and vibraphonist who here exclusively plays piano), bassist Neil Swainson, and drummer Richard Brisco with guest spots for tenor-saxophonist Phil Dwyer (a major asset whenever he appears), guitarist Reg Schwager, and pianist Attila Fias.
The set begins with “I Don’t Think I’m In Love,” a fine obscurity by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn that includes an excellent Dexter Gordon-inspired solo from Dwyer. Maranda Sage performs heartfelt versions of “Stranger In Paradise” and “I See Your Face Before Me” and sings fairly straight with a light swing and a very attractive tone on “A Face Like Yours.” She hits the wide intervals of “Invitation” without any difficulty and introduces two originals (“New Moon” and the haunting “Music Of The Spheres”). Other selections include a reharmonized and slightly Latinized “All The Things You Are,” “I Want To Talk About You,” and a faster than usual version of “All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings.” Don Thompson takes a very nice piano solo on“Memories Of You” and is also present on the closing “Godspeed,” another original by the singer.
Music Of The Spheres contains plenty of first-class singing with Miranda Sage particularly excelling on the ballads. It is available from www.mirandasage.ca.
Posi-Tone Swingtet
In Jazz We Trust
(Posi-Tone)
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Posi-Tone label, this special release features a septet of artists from the record company. Posi-Tone has long emphasized swinging post bop jazz on its many releases and that is the type of music that is featured on In Jazz We Trust.
The all-star group is comprised of trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, trombonist Michael Dease, altoist Patrick Cornelius, tenor-saxophonist Diego Rivera, pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston. Their set consists of one original from each of the seven players with two from Dease plus a song apiece by Steve Davis and Misha Tsiganov.
Each of the performances includes colorful ensembles, inventive solos, and usually some surprising moments. A few numbers have sudden shifts in tempo, mood and structure. Kozlov’s “Below The Line” is a good example of the music’s unpredictability. It begins with a floating rhythm, Dease solos, and then the tempo really cooks for Hirahara’s electric piano. His playing gets freer as the piece progresses before the performance suddenly ends. Royston’s “Invocation” also starts off much different than it concludes with episodic ideas preceding fiery and stormy trumpet, alto and tenor solos. To mention a few other highlights, “Sipiagin’s “Mirror” is a moody ballad with some fine alto and trumpet playing, Dease’s “Simmar” has an infectious rhythm that inspires inventive statements, Hirahara’s “Stepped Out” finds the group sounding a bit like a modern version of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Cornelius’ “La Rendez-vous Final” has the feel of a tango, and “Changing Trains” is an uptempo romp that concludes the album in a very swinging fashion.
In Jazz We Trust (available from www.posi-tone.com) is a very good modern mainstream jazz set and serves as an excellent excuse to explore the rich Posi-Tone catalog.
Claire Ritter
Songs Of Lumiere
(Zoning Recordings)
Veteran pianist Claire Ritter is a brilliant soloist who is quite original yet subtle in her creativity. She studied with Mary Lou Williams (naming her Zoning label after one of Williams’ compositions) and Ran Blake. While their influences (along with classical music) can sometimes be felt in her playing, she also has her own picturesque style.
On her recent solo piano set Songs Of Lumiere, Claire Ritter performs 11 originals and four standards including two versions of “I Wish You Love.” During a relaxed hour comprised mostly of ballads, her playing is consistently filled with inner heat. Her new music forms the suite “The Songs Of Lumiere – Opus 30” and is inspired by light, shadows and one’s soul, being a tribute to nature and to one opening their heart. Titles such as “In A Sky Full Of Rainbows,” “Color The Dream,” “Painting The Stars,” and “Prelude to The Angels” give one an idea as to the moods that she explores. Among the highlights is her light stride piano on “”Let’s Do It,” the waltz “Dancing With The Egrets,” a haunting “Soul Of The Grass,” and a joyful “I Wish You Love.” The second version of the latter closes Songs Of Lumiere with a particularly happy performance.
Songs Of Lumiere (available from www.claireritter.com) serves as an excellent introduction to the inventive pianist.
Javon Jackson
Javon & Nikki Go To The Movies
(Solid Jackson Records)
Veteran tenor-saxophonist Javon Jackson’s latest recording, Javon & Nikki Go To The Movies, is unusual in a few ways, and can be thought of as several projects in one.
Despite its title, several of the ten songs that are performed are not actually from the movies but were recorded to portray the experience of going to the movies. Jackson, pianist Jeremy Manasia, bassist David Williams, and drummer McClenty Hunter are featured on Jackson’s modern hard bop piece “When The Time Is Right,” and his medium-tempo blues “Theme For Nikki.” They also perform a very leisurely version of “The Nearness Of You” with the tenor showing impressive self-restraint and warmth by sticking very close to the melody (sandwiching a short interlude for pianist Manasia), and a slower than usual rendition of Sonny Rollins’ “Valse Hot” which includes a melodic drum chorus.
Three selections have excellent ballad singing from Nicole Zuraitis: “How About You,” the obscure but worthy “I Belong To You,” and “The Folks Who Live On The Hill.” When Jackson plays behind the singer and harmonizes with her, there are moments of beauty. I hope that someday they will record a full album together.
The other three selections feature Javon Jackson’s wife Nikki Giovanni reciting four of her poems. Her appearance is brief on a swinging “Speak Low” (talking about when she and her husband fell in love) while “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing” has her dominating the performance with two readings and Jackson’s funky groove “Have You Heard” ends the release with a short poem.
Javon & Nikki Go To The Movies (available from www.javonjackson.com) is a melodic and often-romantic set of music with more than its share of variety. It would not be surprising if it inspired some listeners to take a date to the movie theater.
Jon Dalton
Carousel
(Odap Music)
Jon Dalton is a veteran guitarist who started out in the pop/rock/funk world until 25 years ago when he switched to his first love, jazz. His recent release, Carousel, is a particularly wide-ranging set of stimulating music that will keep one guessing. Several different rhythm sections and a few singers make contributions along the way.
It begins with a pop vocal on “Spaceship Orion” (it is not clear who the singer is) that seems out of place with much of the rest of the set. Several numbers feature Dalton’s tastefully playing his guitar on straight ahead jazz with a rhythm section that sometimes includes the fine vibraphonist Kahlil Sabbagh including “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise” and “Have You Met Miss Jones.” “Smile Of The Beyond” is an eccentric song that has some excellent singing from Sheila Ellis, “Twice Removed” is a lightly funky ensemble piece, and “Song For Lynn” is a lyrical ballad that is taken quite slow. The other numbers include a sophisticated original (“The Carousel”), a rockish good time romp (“It Got Stuck”), and a superior ballad (“Out Of The River”) for Sheila Ellis.
Throughout Carousel, Jon Dalton takes consistently rewarding solos, particularly on the straight ahead numbers. While Carousel (available from www.jondaltonjazz.com) would have benefitted from liner notes, the music is enjoyable and will hold one’s interest.
Scott Dreier
Christmas
(Self-Released)
The best Christmas jazz albums sound rewarding all year round. Scott Dreier is an actor in theatre and films, does voiceovers and television commercials, and sings jazz and cabaret music. In the past he recorded The Doris Day Project in tribute to the swing singer.
Christmas has the personable singer joined by a fine combo consisting of pianist Andy Langham, guitarist Grant Geissman, bassist Lyman Medeiros, drummer Kevin Winard, and occasionally trumpeter Ron Blake and Alex Budman on clarinet and tenor. The ten Christmas-related songs that they perform include five standards and five lesser-known but worthy tunes.
Scott Dreier is most effective on the slower numbers where he gets to display honest feeling and a relaxed style, particularly “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Among the other numbers are Steve Allen’s hip “Cool Yule,” Irving Berlin’s obscure but excellent “I’ve Got Plenty To Be Thankful For,” a rollicking New Orleans r&b version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” and a dixielandish “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” which has some spirited Budman clarinet.
Christmas is a fun album that is available from www.scottdreier.com.