4 Louis Smith's Louisville (Steeplechase) is a no-frills, straightahead exercise in postbop. Smith and altoist Jon Gordon provide an excellent front line, with tight playing on heads, backed effectively by pianist Michael Cochrane, bassist Calvin Hill and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. The tune selections show imagination, from the neglected (Charlie Parker's "Buzzy") to the familiar ("Scrapple From the Apple") to the in-between (Dizzy Gillespie's "Algo Bueno," better known as "Woody 'n' You"). Smith has a penchant for ballads with interesting changes ("For All We Know" and "I'll Close My Eyes"), including a reverent reading of Billy Strayhorn's lovely "Isfahan." The lone original is Smith's "Ande," an uptempo reworking of the changes to "Indiana" that allows him to show that at 73 he's lost none of his fluidity, none of his improvisational skill and none of his ability to swing at any tempo. true 160 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 15492 88 200502 true 0 58 2005-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

Louis Smith's Louisville (Steeplechase) is a no-frills, straightahead exercise in postbop. Smith and altoist Jon Gordon provide an excellent front line, with tight playing on heads, backed effectively by pianist Michael Cochrane, bassist Calvin Hill and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. The tune selections show imagination, from the neglected (Charlie Parker's "Buzzy") to the familiar ("Scrapple From the Apple") to the in-between (Dizzy Gillespie's "Algo Bueno," better known as "Woody 'n' You"). Smith has a penchant for ballads with interesting changes ("For All We Know" and "I'll Close My Eyes"), including a reverent reading of Billy Strayhorn's lovely "Isfahan." The lone original is Smith's "Ande," an uptempo reworking of the changes to "Indiana" that allows him to show that at 73 he's lost none of his fluidity, none of his improvisational skill and none of his ability to swing at any tempo.

2009-03-02T00:24:28-05:00

4 Going back to Guido D'Arezzo (quite a stretch), ca. 950, a hexachord comprised six notes on the diatonic scale, such as C to A. Its modern equivalent can be half a 12-tone row. Having said that, let's focus on a perplexing release by trumpeter Steve Lampert, Venus Perplexed (Steeplechase), an 11-track suite, plus an additional track Lampert claims is "outside the frame." Don't believe it. It contains the same lack of tonal center, same electronic strands, same rock-oriented backbeat, same fascinating unison sounds of Lampert and tenor saxophonist Rich Perry and the same incredible bass lines of Gene Torres. In short, what runs through the entire album is maddeningly skillful. Lampert has scored perhaps 90 percent of all the sounds heard here. Only "Either/Or" allows for intense, bop-flavored solos-beyond the hexachord. But Lampert's obeisance to his personal music gods (from Schoenberg and Nancarrow through Jimi Hendrix to Miles, Bird and Coltrane) makes for much confusion about adhering to that hexachord. What's it all about, Alfie? true 160 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 15493 88 200502 true 0 58 2005-01-01T00:00:00-05:00

Going back to Guido D'Arezzo (quite a stretch), ca. 950, a hexachord comprised six notes on the diatonic scale, such as C to A. Its modern equivalent can be half a 12-tone row. Having said that, let's focus on a perplexing release by trumpeter Steve Lampert, Venus Perplexed (Steeplechase), an 11-track suite, plus an additional track Lampert claims is "outside the frame." Don't believe it. It contains the same lack of tonal center, same electronic strands, same rock-oriented backbeat, same fascinating unison sounds of Lampert and tenor saxophonist Rich Perry and the same incredible bass lines of Gene Torres. In short, what runs through the entire album is maddeningly skillful. Lampert has scored perhaps 90 percent of all the sounds heard here. Only "Either/Or" allows for intense, bop-flavored solos-beyond the hexachord. But Lampert's obeisance to his personal music gods (from Schoenberg and Nancarrow through Jimi Hendrix to Miles, Bird and Coltrane) makes for much confusion about adhering to that hexachord. What's it all about, Alfie?

2009-03-02T00:24:28-05:00

4 The debut recording of San Francisco singer Barbara Adamson conveys the passionate intensity of long-experienced vocalists. Backed by pianist Marshall Otwell, bassist Stan Poplin and drummer Steve Robertson, plus guest horn players, she opens with brief renditions of "Just in Time" and "April in Paris." Then she offers a more explorative take on "I Thought About You." She's luminously lyrical on "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" and "Yesterdays," quietly expressive on "You Go to My Head." When Adamson delivers "Boplicity" entirely as scat, her voice has the agility of a horn. When I reached the album's 56-second Thelonious Monk closer, "Get It Straight," I was convinced I want to hear more from Adamson. true 23 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11372 38 200008 true 0 58 2000-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

The debut recording of San Francisco singer Barbara Adamson conveys the passionate intensity of long-experienced vocalists. Backed by pianist Marshall Otwell, bassist Stan Poplin and drummer Steve Robertson, plus guest horn players, she opens with brief renditions of "Just in Time" and "April in Paris." Then she offers a more explorative take on "I Thought About You." She's luminously lyrical on "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" and "Yesterdays," quietly expressive on "You Go to My Head." When Adamson delivers "Boplicity" entirely as scat, her voice has the agility of a horn. When I reached the album's 56-second Thelonious Monk closer, "Get It Straight," I was convinced I want to hear more from Adamson.

2009-03-02T00:22:02-05:00

4 Guitarist Stryker's vision of the blues encompasses the low-down, late-night blues typified here by "Sittin on Top of the World" and the jazzier sort that makes up much of the rest of this disc. Backed by some of the players who made 1996's Blue to the Bone, this sequel isn't limited to the 12-bar form as evidenced by such lilting numbers as Stryker's "Mystery Street" (with a fine slack key guitar solo) and "Goin to New Orleans" (with a solid backbeat from Adam Nussbaum). Pianist Bruce Barth is a standout-especially on his rollicking intro to Ellington's uptown blues "Rockin in Rhythm"-and the four-man horn section gets in a lot of solid riffing and soloing throughout on Stryker's intriguing compositions. true 18 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11373 38 200008 true 0 58 2000-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

Guitarist Stryker's vision of the blues encompasses the low-down, late-night blues typified here by "Sittin on Top of the World" and the jazzier sort that makes up much of the rest of this disc. Backed by some of the players who made 1996's Blue to the Bone, this sequel isn't limited to the 12-bar form as evidenced by such lilting numbers as Stryker's "Mystery Street" (with a fine slack key guitar solo) and "Goin to New Orleans" (with a solid backbeat from Adam Nussbaum). Pianist Bruce Barth is a standout-especially on his rollicking intro to Ellington's uptown blues "Rockin in Rhythm"-and the four-man horn section gets in a lot of solid riffing and soloing throughout on Stryker's intriguing compositions.

2009-03-02T00:22:02-05:00

4 While this German guitarist hardly plays jazz, he is an extraordinary fingerstylist who does have his jazzy moments-witnessed by the bossa nova-like episode of "101 South." One of the more creative and adventurous members of the alternative tunings school of steel-string acoustic guitar, he plays with remarkable skill and writes pieces that fuse folk, jazz and classical elements-all of which are amply demonstrated throughout this album. true 10 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11374 38 200008 true 0 58 2000-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

While this German guitarist hardly plays jazz, he is an extraordinary fingerstylist who does have his jazzy moments-witnessed by the bossa nova-like episode of "101 South." One of the more creative and adventurous members of the alternative tunings school of steel-string acoustic guitar, he plays with remarkable skill and writes pieces that fuse folk, jazz and classical elements-all of which are amply demonstrated throughout this album.

2009-03-02T00:22:02-05:00

4 Bassmen, as composers, highlight this release by West Coast bassist Richard Simon. He and his bandmates show smooth ensemble playing on Ray Brown's "Ray's Idea," while Buddy Collette's sumptuous alto and Art Hillery's funky organ give Bob Haggart's melancholic "What's New" a slight twist. Hillery and drummer Johnny Kirkwood propel Sam Jones' classic "Unit Seven," and Gil Bernal's tenor, with Al Viola's guitar, more than do justice to Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism." A brief, moving "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" ends the disk. Throughout, bassist Simon lays down his own tasty lines, shows his arco skill on John Clayton's "Blues for Stephanie" and contributes a few tunes penned by his able bass hand. true 31 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11376 38 200008 true 0 58 2000-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

Bassmen, as composers, highlight this release by West Coast bassist Richard Simon. He and his bandmates show smooth ensemble playing on Ray Brown's "Ray's Idea," while Buddy Collette's sumptuous alto and Art Hillery's funky organ give Bob Haggart's melancholic "What's New" a slight twist. Hillery and drummer Johnny Kirkwood propel Sam Jones' classic "Unit Seven," and Gil Bernal's tenor, with Al Viola's guitar, more than do justice to Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism." A brief, moving "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" ends the disk. Throughout, bassist Simon lays down his own tasty lines, shows his arco skill on John Clayton's "Blues for Stephanie" and contributes a few tunes penned by his able bass hand.

2009-03-02T00:22:02-05:00

4 Backed by the likes of saxophonist Bobby Watson, pianist Renee Rosnes, and drummer Billy Hart, Canada's premier bebop guitarist reaffirms his title and demonstrates that he has some other dimensions on this, his latest album. The bluesy slide guitar work on the title track might have listeners wondering who the other guitarist is, it's Leitch-who plays it both hot and cool, paving the way for a searing solo by Watson. Also a fine composer, Leitch contributes several originals, including "Hillary Step," an uptempo modal workout that gives all concerned a chance to blow hard. Of the disc's standards, "From This Moment On" is particularly outstanding, in part due to its bright tempo, an amazingly deft solo by Watson and Leitch's equally facile guitar work, which nails the rapidly moving changes and provides a fitting conclusion to a memorable set by one of jazz guitar's finest. true 10 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11377 38 200008 true 0 58 2000-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

Backed by the likes of saxophonist Bobby Watson, pianist Renee Rosnes, and drummer Billy Hart, Canada's premier bebop guitarist reaffirms his title and demonstrates that he has some other dimensions on this, his latest album. The bluesy slide guitar work on the title track might have listeners wondering who the other guitarist is, it's Leitch-who plays it both hot and cool, paving the way for a searing solo by Watson. Also a fine composer, Leitch contributes several originals, including "Hillary Step," an uptempo modal workout that gives all concerned a chance to blow hard. Of the disc's standards, "From This Moment On" is particularly outstanding, in part due to its bright tempo, an amazingly deft solo by Watson and Leitch's equally facile guitar work, which nails the rapidly moving changes and provides a fitting conclusion to a memorable set by one of jazz guitar's finest.

2009-03-02T00:22:02-05:00

4 Rebeca Mauleon, known for her work with the likes of Tito Puente and the Machete Ensemble, impresses as pianist, composer and arranger on an album of mostly original material. Mauleon surrounds herself with a large ensemble that includes notables such as drummer Oracio "El Negro" Hernandez and percussionist Orestes Vilata. Her strong piano and the drumming are at the core of tunes like the title cut and "Songomania." Mauleon's jazz vocabulary is in evidence both as a player and composer throughout the disc. While "'Round Midnight" as a tango works, the other non-original, "I'll Take You There," seems somewhat out of place even on an album with as many fine varying flavors as Round Trip. true 35 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11264 37 200006 true 0 58 2000-06-01T00:00:00-04:00

Rebeca Mauleon, known for her work with the likes of Tito Puente and the Machete Ensemble, impresses as pianist, composer and arranger on an album of mostly original material. Mauleon surrounds herself with a large ensemble that includes notables such as drummer Oracio "El Negro" Hernandez and percussionist Orestes Vilata. Her strong piano and the drumming are at the core of tunes like the title cut and "Songomania." Mauleon's jazz vocabulary is in evidence both as a player and composer throughout the disc. While "'Round Midnight" as a tango works, the other non-original, "I'll Take You There," seems somewhat out of place even on an album with as many fine varying flavors as Round Trip.

2009-03-02T00:21:58-05:00

4 Pianist-vocalist Marcus fronts a trio that plays jazz in a way that can be best described as infectious. Joining in with members Peter Ingram on drums and John Brown on bass (bassist Robbie Link sits in on four of the cuts) are major guests Sonny Fortune on alto and Frank Foster on tenor, who add horsepower to the lineup of standards and originals. Marcus, as a vocalist, charms with his singing and scatting, coming across as a blend of Hoagy Carmichael and Bob Dorough; check him out on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father." Fortune is special on his five appearances, including a pair of Marcus originals, "A Different Time" and "The Prayer," while Foster blows with confident ease. His "Manhattan Fever" and "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" are fine examples of his craft. true 36 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11265 37 200006 true 0 58 2000-06-01T00:00:00-04:00

Pianist-vocalist Marcus fronts a trio that plays jazz in a way that can be best described as infectious. Joining in with members Peter Ingram on drums and John Brown on bass (bassist Robbie Link sits in on four of the cuts) are major guests Sonny Fortune on alto and Frank Foster on tenor, who add horsepower to the lineup of standards and originals. Marcus, as a vocalist, charms with his singing and scatting, coming across as a blend of Hoagy Carmichael and Bob Dorough; check him out on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father." Fortune is special on his five appearances, including a pair of Marcus originals, "A Different Time" and "The Prayer," while Foster blows with confident ease. His "Manhattan Fever" and "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" are fine examples of his craft.

2009-03-02T00:21:58-05:00

4 Sure, Ray Anthony's music may be of the "elevator swing" variety, but the elder statesman sure has a helluva good time entertaining the tradition-loving masses. Plus, he certainly scores points with me for including a picture of Hugh Hefner dancing with a bouncy blond in his liner notes. (Is it Ray's tunes or a steady diet of Viagra that keeps the ultimate swinger going? You be the judge!) Ray and His Big Swing Band stuff The Swing Club with all the old faves: "Route 66," "The Hucklebuck," "Jump, Jive and Wail," just to name a few. The playing is tight but safe, the vocalists are energetic but plain, but who really cares: Ray Anthony has probably been to the Playboy Mansion. How many of you can say that? true 61 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11266 37 200006 true 0 58 2000-06-01T00:00:00-04:00

Sure, Ray Anthony's music may be of the "elevator swing" variety, but the elder statesman sure has a helluva good time entertaining the tradition-loving masses. Plus, he certainly scores points with me for including a picture of Hugh Hefner dancing with a bouncy blond in his liner notes. (Is it Ray's tunes or a steady diet of Viagra that keeps the ultimate swinger going? You be the judge!) Ray and His Big Swing Band stuff The Swing Club with all the old faves: "Route 66," "The Hucklebuck," "Jump, Jive and Wail," just to name a few. The playing is tight but safe, the vocalists are energetic but plain, but who really cares: Ray Anthony has probably been to the Playboy Mansion. How many of you can say that?

2009-03-02T00:21:58-05:00

4 Vocal chameleon Nanette Natal displays a kittenish quality reminiscent of Eartha Kitt, a gutsy ability to scat, an immersion in rockabilly, blues and funk, and a wide range she exploits with exciting leaps. Peak moments, such as her remake of the pop tune "Be Bop A Lu La," exist among the 10 (mostly) originals compiled from vinyl releases made in the 1980s for her Benyo label. But Natal's kinetic, overly dramatic style and her lack of genuine jazz feeling may offend some listeners. true 20 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11261 37 200006 true 0 58 2000-06-01T00:00:00-04:00

Vocal chameleon Nanette Natal displays a kittenish quality reminiscent of Eartha Kitt, a gutsy ability to scat, an immersion in rockabilly, blues and funk, and a wide range she exploits with exciting leaps. Peak moments, such as her remake of the pop tune "Be Bop A Lu La," exist among the 10 (mostly) originals compiled from vinyl releases made in the 1980s for her Benyo label. But Natal's kinetic, overly dramatic style and her lack of genuine jazz feeling may offend some listeners.

2009-03-02T00:21:58-05:00

4 Tenor saxophonist Ove Johansson and pianist Susanna Lindeborg may be little known this side of the Atlantic, but the two Swedes dish up a healthy portion of invigorating fare worthy of attention on these dozen original improvisations. The saxophonist seamlessly rides up and down his horn, his swift, jagged lines restrained by an exquisite legato tongue. Lindeborg's roots appear to come from classical music, her flowing and near-perfect technique a fine foil to Johansson's pointillist leanings. By occasionally adding selected electronics (synthesizer and EWI), the duo cleverly simulates a walking bass with layered backgrounds. true 123 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11262 37 200006 true 0 58 2000-06-01T00:00:00-04:00

Tenor saxophonist Ove Johansson and pianist Susanna Lindeborg may be little known this side of the Atlantic, but the two Swedes dish up a healthy portion of invigorating fare worthy of attention on these dozen original improvisations. The saxophonist seamlessly rides up and down his horn, his swift, jagged lines restrained by an exquisite legato tongue. Lindeborg's roots appear to come from classical music, her flowing and near-perfect technique a fine foil to Johansson's pointillist leanings. By occasionally adding selected electronics (synthesizer and EWI), the duo cleverly simulates a walking bass with layered backgrounds.

2009-03-02T00:21:58-05:00

4 Fans of Philadelphia native Shirley Scott who know her as a Hammond organ master, may find this 1996 live-recorded, European solo-piano performance a rare but disappointing departure. In an oddly syncopated, heavy-handed, deliberate acoustic piano style that often seems influenced by ragtime, Scott renders 12 familiar standards, some of which are interrupted by annoying surrounding sounds. If you've heard her wonderfully light touch on her 1991 live-recorded piano trio album, Blues Everywhere (Candid), you'll find this performance doesn't match up. Still, for completists, there are some priceless moments. true 20 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 11263 37 200006 true 0 58 2000-06-01T00:00:00-04:00

Fans of Philadelphia native Shirley Scott who know her as a Hammond organ master, may find this 1996 live-recorded, European solo-piano performance a rare but disappointing departure. In an oddly syncopated, heavy-handed, deliberate acoustic piano style that often seems influenced by ragtime, Scott renders 12 familiar standards, some of which are interrupted by annoying surrounding sounds. If you've heard her wonderfully light touch on her 1991 live-recorded piano trio album, Blues Everywhere (Candid), you'll find this performance doesn't match up. Still, for completists, there are some priceless moments.

2009-03-02T00:21:58-05:00

4 Tenorman-composer-arranger Ed Summerlin created and worked at a jazz program at the City College of New York for nineteen years. Prior to that he'd cut a Tristano-influenced 10" LP for Prestige, wrote a well-regarded jazz mass and played with Don Ellis and Don Heckman in the 1960s. His writing and playing reflects both the post bop and experimental scene in the '60s. His rich charts for this piano-free sextet feature contrapuntal lines and shifting harmonies, while "Improvisation" is a free jazz track. Summerlin is basically a melodic soloist, but he likes to use multiphonics and grunts. Trumpeter Bruce Ahrens, trombonist Bob Norden and altoman Rob Finck contribute other fine solos. true 24 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 8072 36 200005 true 0 58 2000-05-01T00:00:00-04:00

Tenorman-composer-arranger Ed Summerlin created and worked at a jazz program at the City College of New York for nineteen years. Prior to that he'd cut a Tristano-influenced 10" LP for Prestige, wrote a well-regarded jazz mass and played with Don Ellis and Don Heckman in the 1960s. His writing and playing reflects both the post bop and experimental scene in the '60s. His rich charts for this piano-free sextet feature contrapuntal lines and shifting harmonies, while "Improvisation" is a free jazz track. Summerlin is basically a melodic soloist, but he likes to use multiphonics and grunts. Trumpeter Bruce Ahrens, trombonist Bob Norden and altoman Rob Finck contribute other fine solos.

2009-03-02T00:20:27-05:00

4 Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans is a warm-toned modernist whose inside-outside trajectories unfurl with brassy abandon. Recorded in New York with the superb backing of pianist John Taylor, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron, Vloeimans' program of striking originals shuttles freely across a broad spectrum of moods, sometimes, as in the case of "Midnight Child," within the compass of a single track. true 4 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 8073 36 200005 true 0 58 2000-05-01T00:00:00-04:00

Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans is a warm-toned modernist whose inside-outside trajectories unfurl with brassy abandon. Recorded in New York with the superb backing of pianist John Taylor, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron, Vloeimans' program of striking originals shuttles freely across a broad spectrum of moods, sometimes, as in the case of "Midnight Child," within the compass of a single track.

2009-03-02T00:20:27-05:00

4 Pianist/vocalist Emme Kemp's theatrical background is definitely in evidence on this veteran performer's debut album. Kemp has the lungs to belt out a song, but the power required for theatrical productions doesn't always translate well to recording. As evidenced by her delivery on tunes like "C.C. Rider," subtlety isn't close at hand in Kemp's bag. As many artists do on their first outings, Kemp runs through a gamut of styles, moving from gospel to spoken word and beyond, but the album suffers from inferior production. I have the feeling that Emme Kemp is a much better artist than is heard on this recording and could swing and boogie-woogie all night long. true 35 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 8074 36 200005 true 0 58 2000-05-01T00:00:00-04:00

Pianist/vocalist Emme Kemp's theatrical background is definitely in evidence on this veteran performer's debut album. Kemp has the lungs to belt out a song, but the power required for theatrical productions doesn't always translate well to recording. As evidenced by her delivery on tunes like "C.C. Rider," subtlety isn't close at hand in Kemp's bag. As many artists do on their first outings, Kemp runs through a gamut of styles, moving from gospel to spoken word and beyond, but the album suffers from inferior production. I have the feeling that Emme Kemp is a much better artist than is heard on this recording and could swing and boogie-woogie all night long.

2009-03-02T00:20:27-05:00