Contemporary Jazz
VOICES Notes and news on Contemporary Jazz releases
Everybody's Doin' The D
09 JUN 09 JONATHAN WIDRAN
Don't tell the powers that be at GM and Chrysler, who are going through desperate times in this economy, that someone they may be listening to on their commute to work is actually finding joy in "Doin' The D," a catchphrase common to Detroit residents that simply means checking out the various attractions offered by a city rich in musical history and cultural diversity. which also serves as the title to Alexander Zonjic's upcoming release.
When he's not recording albums, running his restaurant or promoting concerts, flute virtuoso Zonjic is commuting himself from his native city of Windsor, Ontario to his longtime gig as drive time radio personality on WVMV-FM (Smooth Jazz V98.7).
A great advantage of being on air for so many years in the urban jazz world is being able to attract superstar genre guests every time a new project comes up. Judging by the high energy and sensual soulfulness of his playing, he is clearly elated that Kenny G, Chieli Minucci, Rick Braun, Maysa Leak, Ken Navarro, Brian Bromberg, Dwight Sills and James Lloyd of labelmate Pieces of a Dream all decided to "do the D" and write, produce and/or play on various tracks.
The flutist also continues two longtime working friendships with Bob James and Jeff Lorber that bring powerful old school soul-jazz textures to the mix. Zonjic toured internationally with James for the entire decade of the '80s and Lorber has played an integral creative role on his three Heads Up albums. The Lorber composition "Good As Goldie" features the subtle brass of a section called the Motorcity Horns. The album hits stores June 23.
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Bellavia
Alexander Zonjic, from Reach For The Sky
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Under the Moon and Over the Sky
Alexander Zonjic, from Seldom Blues
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Copa de Amor
Kenny G, from Rhythm & Romance
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Upside Down
Pieces of a Dream, from Acquainted With ...
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Rehab
Jeff Lorber, from Heard That
in this playlist.
Candy And Wine
18 MAY 09 JONATHAN WIDRAN
If you're listening to Funked Up!, Dutch sax superstar Candy Dulfer's sizzling expansion of the tasty, melodic, progressive and heavy grooving Candy Store she opened on Heads Up in 2007, and you find jarring the sudden shift from danceable to serious mellow, blame the wine.
Dulfer and her explosive band -- keyboardist Thomas Bank, bassist Chance Howard and drummer Kirk Johnson -- were jamming right along, making the funkiest recording of their lives when an interesting and ultimately irresistible side gig came up. They were asked by Dutch filmmaker Fred van Dijk to record the soundtrack for Kissed By A Grape, a documentary exploring the world of organic winemaking. Musically, that's a world away from Dulfer's wild touring experiences and sessions for Prince, but she took the gig and created what are decidedly ambient vibes for the film.
Digging into this atmospheric experience after most of the jamming tracks on her new album were done helped create a coolly unexpected balance between the sizzling and the laid back. Calling it "almost like a best of album representing my funky and softer sides," Dulfer complements the energy of the slamming pieces and reggae-electronica with romantic gems and pure liquid soul.
Fans who lament the downsizing of the once thriving smooth jazz format will appreciate the sentiment behind the nostalgic "CD 101.9," a tasty tribute to the former New York radio station that gave Dulfer and her band a lot of airplay when they first visited the U.S. in the early-'90s.
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Smokin' Gun
Candy Dulfer, from Candy Store
Balancing Act
05 MAY 09 JONATHAN WIDRAN
The press material for Spyro Gyra's seventh Heads Up recording Down The Wire includes a prominent quote from Karl Wallenda, patriarch of the legendary aerialist family: "Life is being on the wire, everything else is just waiting."
It conveys the parallels between the exciting uncertainty of life and the kind of inspired, high spirited jazz fusion the famed Buffalo-bred band brings to its performances and creates on this adventurous recording. All it really takes for saxman/founder Jay Beckenstein and company to achieve that is to get back to the freewheeling basics of what contemporary jazz was in the group's late-'70s heyday, when creativity and improvisation was rewarded over superficial radio friendliness.
So while smooth jazz radio is still enamored of the infectious 1979 pop hit "Morning Dance," the band -- whose current lineup includes keyboardist Tom Schuman, guitarist Julio Fernandez, bassist Scott Ambush and drummer Bonny B. -- can dance on the wire over the coolly funky currents of the title track, the trad-jazz swing of "The Tippin' Point" and the fiery Latin blast "La Zona Rosa."
Even the laid back pieces boast more adventure than the typical stuff the format plays these days. The back-to-basics vibe was no doubt influenced by the fact that this is the first Spyro recording to come out of Buffalo in 30 years. Beckenstein calls it a more relaxed experience than working in a New York studio. He said, "For as long as I've been away, I've never personally stopped feeling that part of me is a Buffalonian." Tim Russert would be proud.
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The Tippin' Point
Spyro Gyra, from Down The Wire
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The Crossing
Spyro Gyra, from The Deep End
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The Lowdown
Spyro Gyra, from Wrapped In A Dream
in this playlist.
Peace, A Long Time Coming
20 APR 09 JONATHAN WIDRAN
Most veteran jazz fusion fans can tell you that the professional association of genre legends Chick Corea and John McLaughlin -- who recorded their new dual Five Peace Band Live album during their 2008 European tour together -- goes back to the late-'60s.
Everyone knows that the keyboardist and guitarist were members of Miles Davis' band that jammed on the trumpet icon's seminal 1970 date Bitches Brew, and maybe a handful can list the batch of other classic Miles recordings they played on. But Corea pointed out in a recent interview that they originally met before Miles, when the late drummer Tony Williams brought the British-born McLaughlin to the U.S. and the guitarist attended a gig the keyboardist and Williams were doing with Miles, just before Williams founded his own band Lifetime.
Corea and McLaughlin, who would go on to form the revolutionary '70s rock jazz ensembles Return To Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra, started jamming together and have been friends ever since. Five Peace Band -- playfully named by McLaughlin, who dubs himself "an old hippie" -- marks the duo's first collaboration with a band, presenting exhilarating performances on tracks that include homage to Miles, Joe Zawinul, sizzling acoustic jazz, high powered rock/funk and graceful duets.
The band boasts an all-star ensemble which includes saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride, and alternating drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Brian Blade. They are in the midst of their first North American tour, which kicked off at UCLA March 19 and includes three evenings at NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall (April 23-25).
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City of Brass
Chick Corea, from The Ultimate Adventure
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In Your Own Sweet Way
Miles Davis, from Collectors' Items
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Confirmation
Ron Carter, Hank Jones, Sadao Watanabe & ...
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Sofistifunk
Return To Forever, from The Anthology
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Black Market
Joe Zawinul, from Brown Street
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Three Songs from Porgy and Bess: Summertime
Ray Brown, John Clayton & Christian, from ...
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Bruce Lee
Vinnie Colaiuta, from Vinnie Colaiuta
in this playlist.
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