Kenny Garrett - Do Your Dance! (2016)

Label:

Source: London Jazz News

Genre: Post-Bop

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

Multi-instrumentalistKenny Garrett likes to make people dance, and on Do Your Dance! he wants people to do whatever dance they like. He's produced a record of largely optimistic, energetic music to help you along.

Two drummers help him out, Ronald Bruner on four tracks and McLenty Hunter on five, on four of which he's also joined by percussionist Rudy Bird. Vernell Brown plays piano and Corcoran Holt bass on all tracks bar one, Persian Steps, on which Garrett plays piano and flute. On most of the tunes Garrett plays alto sax, playing soprano only on one, Waltz (3 Sisters).

They are joined joined on Wheatgrass Shot (Straight to the Head) by rapper Mista Enz, son of co-producer Donald Brown. Over a opening piano rhythm, the rap feels integral to the music rather than something bolted on after the event. This is jazz, with spoken words. The jazz is good, too: it's not that the words are covering anything up. 

 Mista Enz has a few lines at the end of Do Your Dance!, too. Most of the tune is a rocky riff with an appropriately fast beat over which Garrett lays down a choppy solo. Then, a coda to the main tune, they slow down, Enz entreating us to dance.

Garrett seems to invoke his influences throughout this album. The first track, Philly, starts with some sombre piano chords before tearing into a fast hard bop piece worthy of Blakey, with whom Garrett played early in his career. It is hard not hear Coltrane in Garrett's saxophone here, and Vernell Brown sounds uncannily like McCoy Tyner, who coincidentally came from Philadelphia.

The Coltrane influence is also present in Chasing the Wind, the closing track. This is a fast tune reminiscent of Giant Steps or Miles Davis' Seven Steps to Heaven, and Garrett plays it with speed and fluency, producing a dazzling cascade of notes. Bruner keeps his cymbals swinging, driving the rhythm forward; Vernell Brown lays down another exciting piano solo. A great hardbop finish!  Patrick Hadfield

1. Philly
2. Backyard Groove
3. Wheatgrass Shot (Straight to the Head)
4. Bossa
5. Do Your Dance!
6. Calypso Chant
7. Waltz (3 Sisters)
8. Persian Steps
9. Chasing the Wind

Kenny Garrett - alto sax, piano, flute
Ronald Bruner - drums
McLenty Hunter - drums
Rudy Bird - percussion
Vernell Brown - piano
Corcoran Holt - Bass

Mista Enz - rap 

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Markowitz / Andersson / Mogensen - In Transit (2016)

Source: jazznyt

Den blinde danske bassist Richard Andersson er blevet placeret mellem sine to læremestre, den amerikanske pianist Phil Markowitz, som lukkede Andersson ind på Manhattan School of Music i 2008 og den pæredanske trommeslager Anders Mogensen der lukkede Andersson ind på konservatoriet i Odense i 2003. Det er der kommet et medrivende trioalbum In Transit ud af. Pladen blev indspillet i december 2013 og har ligget og boblet siden da. Når man åbner musikken får man triojazz af den melodiske og ukomplicerede slags. Triojazz hvor der er plads til at alle tre får lov til at sige noget. Trioen har gennem de sidste 5 år turneret flere gange og kender tydeligvis hinanden godt. 

Kompositionerne folder sig ud for musikerne, hvor de finder sammen og skaber øjeblikkets kunst. Richard Andersson har flere gode solopræstationer undervejs. Han efterlader et solidt og behageligt indtryk. Anders Mogensens trommespil befínder sig i en veltempereret og tilbagetrukket rolle, hvor hans bækkenspil skal fremhæves. Den 63 årige Phil Markowitz der både har spillet med Chet Baker og Dave Liebman serverer en masse lækkerier. Mit gamle triojazz hjerte er fornøjet og tilfredsstillet.

1. Paris

2. Off By One

3. Relieved

4. Dreamland part II

5. Lieb

6. Annemone

7. Black Dots

8. Wishes

9. Our Groove

10. Indian Summer

Phil Markowitz, piano

Richard Andersson, double bass

Anders Mogensen, drums

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