96 ★ HillRag | December 2011

Unsung Heroes •••Bryan Lynch, HolisticMusicWorks

Trumpeter Bryan Lynch’s trib-ute to some underappreciated trum-pet masters is a fi ne example to the extract “full many a fl ower is born to blush unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert air.” Highlights include “Household Of Saud (Charles Toll-iver),” “RoditiSamba” dedicated to Claudio Roditi, and “Big Red (Tom-my Turrentine).” Other unsung heroes include Idrees Sulieman, Louis Smith, Kamau Adilifu, Joe Gordon, Ira Sul-livan, Donald Byrd, and Howard Mc-Ghee.

Medicine •••Tab Benoit, Telarc

Blues singer Tab Benoit is in ab-solutely peak form on this album with heartwarming songs like “Sunrise,” “Nothing Takes Th e Place Of You,” and “Next To Me.” Th ese are songs

that personify the true meaning of the blues when we can connect our own personal lives to what we are listen-ing to. Truly remarkable performances from Mr. Benoit.

Love and Sax •••Elan Trotman, E.T. MuzikProductions

Love and Sax is the second con-temporary jazz album from Elan Trotman, a talented young musician who plays tenor and soprano sax and fl ute with a suave, silky smooth style. Mr. Troman’s songs are intoxicatingly inviting, beautifully melodic and soul-fully inspired R&B instrumentals.

40 Acres and a Burro •••Arturo O’Farrill & Th e AfroLatin Orchestra, Zoho Music

One peculiar aspect about most Latin music is that every rhythm and every beat evokes the Latin musical culture and its infectious attractive

dance styles. Th e opening track, “Rumba Urbana,” is the unveiling of the curtain into a world of carnivals, street festivities, and exotic beaches of endless summers.

Night Song •••Ketil Bjornstad& SvanteHenryson, ECM

Th e night brings an end to day and tells us that this is the beginning of the end of many things to come. Th ere is a sense of premonition, a sort of uncertainty or uneas-iness, as the day fades away. Pianist Ketil Bjornstad and cellist Svante Henryson’s latest album, Night Song, confi rms our brief moment with life and how we feel about it as we hope and await the coming morning.

Rruga •••Collin Vallon Trio, ECM

At its best, the music of jazz is about the story of its musicians and their real life experiences. Nonetheless, it’s how jazz is expressed that gives the music its beauty and sophistication. Pianist Collin Vallon’s debut album with its richly endowment of poetic largesse, is a fi ne example. Th is is a piano trio whose gifted leader is infl uenced more by singers than pianists, and the group ‘sings’ in its own unique way – with an emphasis on melody, texture, shading, and dynamics.

Forever ••••Corea, Clarke & White,Concord

Here is a priceless collection (2 CDs) for all die-hards jazz fans from three great masters: Chick Corea (piano/keyboards), Stanley Clarke (electric/acoustic bass), Lenny White

(drums), along with special guest stars Bill Conners (guitar), Jean-Luc Pon-ty (violin), and Chaka Khan. Th is is quintessential jazz music of great per-formances like “Waltz for Debby,” “La Cancion de Sofi a,” and “No Mystery,” “Captain Marvel,” “Crescent,” “After Th e Cosmic Rain,” and “500 Miles High.” But the real magic is to hear Chaka Khan on “I Love You, Porgy” and “High Wire.”

Live At Birdland ••••Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden & Paul Motian, ECM

A beautiful jazz album from three of the best contemporary musicians performing standards like “I Fall In Love Too Easily,” “Lover Man,” “Oleo” and “You Stepped Out Of A Dream.”

Troubadour Live •••Eric Bibb, Telarc

Th is Eric Bibb’s latest album and features guitarist Staff an Astner with standouts like “Connected,” “For You,” and “If You Were Not My Woman.”

Light My Fire •••Eliane Elias, Concord

Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias is exceptional on her lat-est; you are going to love this woman and her soft, incandescent voice on such pieces like the title track, “Light My Fire,” “Aquele Abraco,” “Made In Moonlight,” and “Take Five.”

American Road •••Th e Tierney Sutton Band, BFM Jazz

Tierney Sutton is one of today’s best jazz singers and every album of hers is a gift from her heart and soul. Her singing is at times heavy, fl irtatious, whimsical, and beguiling. Recommended songs: “Wayfaring

VV VV

Thoughts Of A Jazz LoverJazz can be enigmatic, an alchemy of mysterious sounds and moods that is spon-

taneous and yet deliberate in its free fl owing creativity. Th e music can be complex, but good jazz feels as simple as fi rst love — it goes straight to the heart and rests there, beating gently. At times, the music can be so life-like that it speaks to you with honesty and love. One still gets a keen sense of understanding of the complexity of the music. Th ere is such a high note of haughtiness, perhaps a sort of natural aristocracy from a kind of inbred austerity about jazz that puts it in a class by itself, elevating one to a higher ground of one’s consciousness. It almost borders on elitism, and yet jazz strikes one as a beautiful music for everyone. And it is, especially for those of us who not only enjoy but truly love the music. True, most good jazz musicians more than likely think of jazz as the arbiter of modern music. And on a good day, I think they are correct.

You can walk in your door after a hard day’s work and a harrowing Metro ride, put on Sarah Vaughn and your world is transformed. Your mind clears, your body relaxes and suddenly life is pretty good. Th ere’s no drug in the world that can do that. Jazz is beautiful music.

Native Sun •••Producer: Blitz Th eAmbassador, Fatbeats

Th is album features some of the most interesting music I have heard this year. It caught me completely off -guard — and I loved it. Check out “En-Trance,” “Native Sun,” fea-turing Shad, “Best I Can,” featuring Corneille, “Accra City Blues,” “Wa-hala,” featuring Keziah Jones, Ba-louji, Bnegao, and Bocafl oja.

Stranger,” “Oh Shenandoah/Th e Water Is White,” “Amazing Grace,” “Summertime,” and “My Man’s Gone Now.”

Embraceable •••Nicole Henry, AstistShare

Vocalist Nicole Henry’s latest al-bum off ers a glimpse of the soul and elegance of this young, vibrant and contemporary jazz singer. Winners are “A Little Time Alone,” “Even While You’re Gone,” “Waiting In Vain,” and “Embraceable You.”

Brewster’s Rooster ••••John Surman, ECM

Saxophonist John Surman’s beautiful sound on Brewster’s Roost-er is a perfect match for the fl awless styles of guitarist John Abercrom-bie and drummer Jack DeJonnette along with the counterpoint of bass-ist Drew Gress. And while the im-provisation is at times brilliant and introspective, the music remains true to its form and beauty on “Chelsea Bridge,” “Counter Measures,” and “ Brewster’s Rooster.”

Interface •••Jim Snidero, Savant

Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero has that smooth, bucolic sound that has often helped defi ne jazz as “that cool music.” And on pieces like “Silhou-ette,” “One By One,” and “Expecta-tions,” such cool jazz music is strik-ingly fi tting for those long, warm, and breezy summer days.

Black Tie Affair •••Jeff Logan, Bass-mint Records

Keyboardist Jeff Logan’s songs of sweet, sticky melodies are pro-duced over jazz-pop instrumentals and sensual R&B grooves. Bursting forth with radiant light and play-ful, quixotic instrumental fl ourishes, Mr. Logan’s natural, easy way with melodies unfolds with “Elevator Up,” “Sweet Sticky Th ing,” and the title track “Black Tie Aff air.”

All CDs and DVDS reviewed in this article are heard through Bowers & Wilkens 802D Speakers and ASW 4000 subwoofer, and Rotel Preamp 1070, amplifi er 1092 and CD player 1072. CDs are available for purchase through amazon.com For more information about this column, please email your questions to fagon@hillrag.com. ★

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