On My Honeymoon!

More posts and podcasts when Nancy and I return from our Italian Honeymoon in Venice, Florence and Tuscany. Ciao!

Podcast 113: Music from My Wedding

I'll be marrying my dear Nancy this Sunday in a small ceremony held with family and friends in Forest Park, Springfield, Massachusetts. My son Matt will be my best man, and Nancy's two sisters and two oldest friends will make up the bridal party. Then we're off for an Italian honeymoon , so it will be a few weeks before I blog again.

Since I can't invite you all to be guests at the reception, I thought the next best things would be to prepare Podcast 113 as a collection of songs that will be played during the ceremony and party. My brother David is in charge of making sure the music flows smoothly.

So click here to enjoy an uninterrupted mix of:

Chris Botti - "A Thousand Kisses Deep" (overture)
Chuck Mangione - "Consuelo's Love Theme (Wedding Edit)" (processional)
Frank Sinatra - "The Best is Yet to Come" (our first dance)
James Moody - "Love and Marriage"
John Coltrane - "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" (Nancy and her Dad's dance)
Gene Ammons - "Til There Was You"
Jackie McLean - "When I Fall in Love"

Podcast 112: Israeli Jazz

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israeli. As an American Jew, I hold the country dear in my heart, despite the terrible violence perpetrated by both Israelis and Arabs living in and around the country.

But we're not about politics here, so we're focusing on the wonderful crop of jazz musicians that have come to prominence, mostly in the New York City scene, over the past ten years. Some names may be familiar to you, others just beginning to appear on your radar. In any event, click here to listen to the music of:

Anat Cohen & the Anzic Orchestra - "Cry Me a River" from Noir. The Cohen family - Anat, and her brothers Avishai and Yuval (see photo above)are at the core of the West Village jazz scene that features many Israeli musicians. Versed in Dixieland, Big Band and Small Group sounds, the siblings continue to stretch the bounds of their creativity. Anat plays clarinet and sax on this recording of the old torch song, which features brother Avishai on trumpet, brother Yuval on saxophone, Deborah Weisz on trombone, Robert Burkhardt and Erik Friedlander on cello, Duduka Da Fonseca on drums, Barak Mori on bass and Frank Greene on guitar. For the record, "Anzic" is the record label's name on which she records.

Avishai Cohen - "Reunion of the Souls" from Adama. To make things clear, this Avishai is a top trumpet player, while the unrelated Avisahi is a top bass player, noted for his work with Chick Corea among others (ironically, Corea co-produced this album in 1996). Mixing his middle eastern sounds with be-bop influences, Cohen follows the footsteps of players like Yuseef Lateef in making a terrific album. This track, one of the most haunting originals, features Cohen on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone, Don Alias on percussion, Brad Mehldau on piano, Jordy Rossi on drums, and Amos Hoffman on the Middle Eastern instrument, the Oud.

Sophie Milman - "Eli, Eli (A Walk to Caesarea)" from Make Someone Happy. Born in Russia, raised in Israel, now residing in Canada, this dark eyed beauty covers standards and contemporary tunes with grace and aplomb that belies her age. "Eli, Eli" is a Hebrew song, its lyrics translating to:

Eli, Eli
I pray that it never will end.
The sand and the sea
and the waves breaking and sighing
and high over the water
the wind blowing free.

The lightning and rain and the darkness descending
and ever and ever the nature of man.

The song was written by poet Hannah Senesh who in 1943, at the height of World War II, volunteered to leave what was then called Palestine to go into Nazi-controlled areas in Europe to save Jewish lives. In 1944 she parachuted into Yugoslavia. After staying with the partisans, she went to Hungary, where she was discovered and executed by the Germans.

Gilad Hekselman - "The Summer of Laughs and Tears" from SplitLife. Hekselman mines the straight ahead sound of Jim Hall or Joe Pass with this trio recording of his own composition, featuring Hekselman on guitar, Joe Martin on bass and Ari Hoenig on drums.

Anat Fort - "Not A Dream" from A Long Story. Miss Fort may be the most critically acclaimed of the young Israelis, as this CD made a number of critics' choice lists last year. Released four years after it was recorded by ECM, it features Fort on piano, drummer Paul Motian, bassist Ed Schuller, and clarinetist Perry Robinson. Think of her in the Keith Jarrett mode, mixing elements of the Middle East, jazz and classical stylings into a wonderful sound all her own.

Omer Klein - "Netanya" from Introducing Omer Klein. This debut recording came out two months ago, and its a strong and self-assured recording. Primarily a quartet recording - Klein on piano, Omer Avital on bass, Ziv Ravitz on drums, and Itamar Doari on percussion, including the Oud, this original composition is named after a city in the Center District of Israel.

A Killer from Kenny Carr

It's not an exaggeration to say that Kenny Carr's Changing Tides is one of the most enjoyable jazz recordings I have heard this year. Carr cut his teeth as a guitarist for Ray Charles for almost ten years, so he's no stranger to the scene. However, Changing Tides may have R&B and Blues in its soul, but its core is pure jazz. This is a take-no-prisoners, straight ahead delight.

The core band - Carr on guitar, Donny McCaslin on sax, Tom Baldwin on bass and Frank Russo on drums - are tight as can be, whether its on the uptempo "Tempo Tantrum" and "The Chase" or ballads. Here's a tribute to his former boss, "Blues for Ray" that shows some of the range of this fine guitarist and his band. Here's hoping for more exemplary music in the future!

Podcast 111: Kurt Rosenwinkel has "The Remedy"

"Music is the remedy" - KR

One of the best new releases this year comes from Kurt Rosenwinkel, a musician who is much in demand for sessions and gigs, and yet has not exploded into the public's consciousness as he should. Perhaps the release of the exciting two disc set - The Remedy - Live at the Village Vanguard will correct that. And news that he will soon join forces for summer concert dates with the Bad Plus under the name "Bad Plus 1", is even more exciting news. Clearly, his star is in ascendancy. Not bad for a Berklee drop-out.

This week's Podcast is an overview of his work, both as a band leader and a sideman. So click here and listen to:

Kurt Rosenwinkel - "Pannonica" from East Coast Love Affair. A live recording at his favorite club, Smalls in New York, this is a trio date where Kurt holds his own against two strong band mates - Avishai Cohen on bass and Jorge Rossy on drums. Rather than performing a staid version of this Thelonius Monk classic, they let it rip!

Paul Motian and the Electric Be-Bop Band - "Brad's Bag" from Flight of the Blue Jay. Motian, a drummer usually associated with acoustic work, put together an all-star electric group to record this Rosenwinkel composition - Motian on drums, Steve Swallow on electric bass, Chris Potter and Chris Cheek on tenor saxophones and Rosenwinkel and Brad Schoeppach on guitars.

Kurt Rosewinkel - "Blue Line" from Heartcore. My favorite Rosenwinkel CD to date, this is an album of shifting textures, with strong performances by Mark Turner on saxophone, Jeff Ballard on percussion, and Ethan Iverson on keyboards. Rosenwinkel plays almost all the instruments as well, creating a dreamy result. If you liked As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls by Pat Metheney, you'll go for this.

Kurt Rosenwinkel Group - "View From Moscow" from The Remedy - Live at the Village Vanguard. While Rosenwinkel's instrument lineup here is similar to the Heartcore sessions - guitar, sax, piano, bass, drums - the sound is dramatically different. Working the historic Village Vanguard, the KRG records mostly new works, and the results are often dazzling. This track is a nearly thirteen minute jam, highlighted by Turner's sax and some intricate and changing timekeeping from drummer Eric Harland. Bassist Joe Martin and pianist Aaron Goldberg round out the band.

Paul Carr salutes Joe Henderson

Joe Henderson, despite being gone for seven years now, still casts a long shadow over anyone playing tenor saxophone. From his Blue Note sessions in the Sixties to his tribute albums over his last few years alive, Henderson was always a model of soulfulness and warmth in his sound.

Paulo Carr tips his hat to Joe on his new release, Musically Yours: Remembering Joe Henderson. Rather than just cover all of Henderson's signature tunes, he uses two originals and three standards to flesh out his tribute. Backed by band members Mulgrew Miller on piano, Michael Bowie on bass, Terell Stafford on trumpet and Lewis Nash on drums, this is music that not only would do Joe proud, but signals that Carr should be noticed on his own.

Another in the long line of "Texas Tenors", Carr's name has been associated more with jazz education in the Washington DC area than recordings, until he broke a thirteen year silence as a band leader with last year's Just Noodlin', a critical favorite. Here's hoping we see more of Mr. Carr, and that his live appearances stretch beyond the Beltway in the near future.

Click here to listen to Paul Carr's loving cover of Joe Henderson's "Black Narcisus".

Two for Earth Day

It's a beautiful spring day in New England, so let's celebrate Earth Day with a couple of fusion classics. Open the windows, breathe in some fresh air, say tahnk you to a tree and blast the stereo while enjoying:

Return to Forever - "Earth Juice" from Where Have I Known You Before.

Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group - "Earth (Still Our Only Home)" from Live 1977.