Jami Templeton - The Shape of My Heart (4 February 2022)

“This record brought me back to life. After living through a long battle with chronic lyme disease, and subsequently covid, a dear friend suggested I return to my first love of singing, and to the genre I held so sacred, I was almost afraid to touch it.”

Shortly after returning to Los Angeles in 2021, vocalist Jami Templeton met the musicians who would become her band. After running through dozens of her favourite songs with producer and pianist Andy Langham, Templeton settled on a book of music that helped tell the story she had to tell. Having spent much of her singing life in the world of big, bold arias, Templeton had reached a softer musical phase.

Every piece on this album holds a special meaning for Templeton. Each song, carefully selected from the American songbook, reflects a sliver of time in her life: treasured moments of love, mischief, and heartbreak.

“I’m a Jazz and Blues vocal purist, and Jami’s got it”

-Marion Cowings, Clio Award Winner, Co-Founder of the Vocal Jazz department at NYU

“Her voice is beautiful in any genre. Jami can sing anything”

-Yvette Nicole Brown, Emmy nominated actress

1. Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground (Nelson) 3:42

2. Shape of my Heart (Sumner/Miller) 5:19

3. Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man (Kern/Hammerstein) 3:24

4. Black Velvet (Ward/Tyson) 5:12

5. Let’s Stay Together (Green/Mitchell/Jackson) 6:00

6. Need You Now (Scott/Kelley/Haywood/Kear) 3:42

7. Room at the Top (Petty) 5:16

8. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (Mann/Hillard/Evans/Kent ) 5:36

9. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Waller) 3:11

10. I Fall in Love Too Easily (Styne/Cahn) 3:33

11. The Dance (Arata) 5:44

Jami Templeton - Voice

Joel Frahm - Tenor Saxophone

Andy Langham - Piano & Melodica

Edwin Livingston - Bass

Charles Ruggiero - Drums

The Shape of My Heart will be released worldwide on Friday, February 4th 2022

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Brad Mehldau - Jacob's Ladder (March 18, 2022 Nonesuch Records)

Nonesuch Records releases Brad Mehldau’s Jacob’s Ladder on March 18, 2022 on CD and digital; a vinyl LP version will be released later in the year (exact date TBD). The album features new music that reflects on scripture and the search for God through music inspired by the prog rock Mehldau loved as a young adolescent, which was his gateway to the fusion that eventually led to his discovery of jazz. Featured musicians on the album include Mehldau’s label mates Chris Thile and Cécile McLorin Salvant, as well as Mark Guiliana, Becca Stevens, Joel Frahm, and others. A video for ‘maybe as his skies are wide’ is available today here. The song builds off an interpolation of one portion of Rush’s classic “Tom Sawyer.” Nonesuch Store pre-orders include an exclusive signed, limited-edition print.

Mehldau explains, “We are born close to God, and as we mature, we invariably move further and further away from Him on account of our ego. Jacob’s Ladder begins at that place closer to God with the voice of child, and then moves into the world of action. God is always there, but in our discovery and conquest, and all the joys and sorrows they bring, we may lose sight of him. He sets a ladder before us though, like in Jacob’s dream, and we climb towards him, to find reconciliation with ourselves, to stitch up all those worldly wounds and finally heal. The record ends with my vision of heaven—once again as a child, His child, in eternal grace, in ecstasy.

“The musical conduit on the record is prog,” Mehldau continues. “Prog—progressive rock—was the music of my childhood, before I discovered jazz. It matched the fantasy and science fiction books I read from C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle and others at that time, aged ten through twelve. It was my gateway to the fusion of Miles Davis, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and other groups, which in turn was the gateway to more jazz. Jazz shared with prog a broader expressive scope and larger-scale ambitions than the rock music I had known already.

“The prog from Rush, Gentle Giant, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer here only hints at the genre’s conceptual, compositional and emotional range. These bands and others have continued to influence newer groups that bring prog impulses into the arena of hard rock and screaming math metal, like Periphery, whose music is included here, and also inspired the screaming vocals on ‘Herr und Knecht.’ I tried to avoid a direct tribute approach to all the songs, and opted in some cases for excerpts, or reworking of themes.”

Although Brad Mehldau is best known as a jazz composer and improviser, he has made several albums that fall outside of the mainstream jazz genre, including his 2001 Largo, produced by Jon Brion. Wide-ranging in texture and big in scale, it features woodwind or brass ensembles are on several tracks, as well as a heavy emphasis on powerful drums. In 2010, Nonesuch released his second collaboration with Brion, Highway Rider, which includes performances by Mehldau’s trio—drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier—as well as drummer Matt Chamberlain, saxophonist Joshua Redman, and a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman. Mehldau also orchestrated and arranged the album’s fifteen pieces for the ensemble.

Mehldau’s 2014 collaboration with Mark Guiliana, Mehliana: Taming the Dragon, featured Mehldau on Fender Rhodes and synthesizers and Guiliana on drums and effects, playing twelve original tunes—six by the duo and six by Mehldau. His 2019 album Finding Gabriel featured performances by him on piano, synthesizers, percussion, and Fender Rhodes, as well as vocals. Guest musicians included Ambrose Akinmusire, Sara Caswell, Kurt Elling, Joel Frahm, Mark Guiliana, Gabriel Kahane, and Becca Stevens, among others.

1. -maybe as his skies are wide-

2. Herr und Knecht (Master and Slave)

3. (Entr'acte) Glam Perfume

4. Cogs in Cogs, pt. 1: Dance

5. Cogs in Cogs, Pt. II: Song

6. Cogs in Cogs, Pt. III: Double Fugue

7. Tom Sawyer

8. Vou correndo te encontrar / Racecar

9. Jacob’s Ladder, Pt. I: Liturgy

10. Jacob’s Ladder, Pt. II: Song

11. Jacob’s Ladder, Pt. III: Ladder

12. Heaven: I. All Once – II. Life Seeker – III. Würm – IV. Epilogue: It Was a Dream but I Carry It Still

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Mark Lockett / Joel Frahm / Orlando Le Fleming - Sneaking Out After Midnight (November 2021)

1. Loose Motion 06:11

2. Disingenuous 05:18

3. Nows Not the Time 03:29

4. Crew Cut 05:27

5. For Heavens Sake 05:24

6. Mr Pickles 06:34

7. Good Day for a Dog 06:33

8. Don't Take the G Train 07:11

9. Sneaking Out After Midnight 06:54

10. Tennis Elbow 05:33

Joel Frahm - Saxophone

Orlando Le Fleming - Bass

Mark Lockett - Drums

Recording engineer - Michael Brorby

Mixed - Michael Brorby

Mastered - Michael MacDonald

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Introducing Joel Frahm - The Bright Side (Friday, June 25th on Anzic Records)

The Joel Frahm Trio is a new band featuring Frahm on tenor and soprano saxophones, Dan Loomis on bass, and Ernesto Cervini on drums. The Bright Side is their debut recording for Anzic Records, and is the culmination of a musical partnership that has developed over the course of many tours and recording sessions spanning the last decade.

Frahm first encountered the chord-less trio format as a teenager, and says he was "mesmerized by the music they created and hooked by the feeling of freedom and space the “chordless” trio provided me as a listener.” He was part of several bands that fit that description: In the 1990s, Matt Wilson’s Quartet with Frahm and Andrew D’Angelo playing their musical version of Abbott and Costello with Wilson and Yosuke Inoue facilitating the antics on drums and bass, respectively. The millennium brought a seven year trio residency at Bar Next Door in Greenwich Village featuring Joe Martin on bass and Bill Campbell on drums. There were many nights at Smalls Jazz Club and later at Wilson Live featuring Frahm's trio with bassist and composer Omer Avital and drummer Anthony Pinciotti, another band that continues to work consistently. In fact, Frahm’s debut recording Sorry No Decaf was initially envisioned as a trio CD before David Berkman was added on piano.  This recording marks Frahm’s return to this formative trio format, this time as a bandleader.

The trio was born at a masterclass at the University of Toronto, as an offshoot of Cervini’s band Turboprop. In the ensuing years, Loomis and Cervini took the reins and began to book gigs for the ensemble, and on their first European tour a repertoire began to take shape, comprised almost entirely of recently penned original songs by each member of the band. The music runs the gamut: from X-Friends, Dan Loomis’ knotty re-imagining of the Klenner/Lewis standard Just Friends, to Frahm’s title tune The Bright Side, which was inspired by the opening riff of Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side. Cervini contributes The Beautiful Mystery, a pensive and emotional tone poem that contrasts beautifully with upbeat tracks like Frahm’s Beeline, a new melody written on the chord changes of My Shining Hour.

The Joel Frahm Trio is dedicated to playing original music with humour, emotion, blues spirit and all of the elements that people love about jazz. This  record is the first offering from a formidable band you’ll be hearing more from soon.  Also, you might be interested to learn that Frahm, a veteran of the New York City jazz scene , will be moving to Nashville mid-July.

The Bright Side will be released worldwide on Friday, June 25th on Anzic Records

1. Blow Poppa Joe (Frahm) 4:22

2. Thinking of Benny (Frahm) 7:35

3. Boo Dip Dip (Frahm) 6:17

4. Silk Road (Loomis) 7:33

5. Omer’s World (Frahm) 4:55

6. Qu’est-ce Que C’est (Frahm) 6:48

7. X Friends (Loomis) 5:18

8. Beeline (Frahm) 4:27

9. The Beautiful Mystery (Cervini) 5:15

10. The Bright Side (Frahm) 8:58

Joel Frahm - Tenor & Soprano Saxophone

Dan Loomis - Bass

Ernesto Cervini - Drums

Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop - Abundance (ANZIC RECORDS October 5, 2018)

Worldwide Release Date: October 5th, 2018 on Anzic Records

Ernesto Cervini is a Canadian jazz drummer and leader of his own band, Turboprop, in addition to acting as a promoter of other Canadian jazz artists through Orange Grove Publicity. He is, in addition, a nice man and a musicians with “open ears,” as they say, since he promotes a wide range of jazz styles (some of which, and he knows this, I don’t care for), but within his own band there’s a big but imaginary sign hanging up that says, “True Jazz Spoken Here.”

His newest album, due for release on October 5, is a typical example of the high artistic standards he sets for himself and his musicians.

The opener, written by the band’s reed player Tara Davidson, is a wild piece in asymmetric rhythm, with Cervini’s drums churning in the background as the horns play the opening theme statement before moving quickly into a brilliant piano solo by Adrean Farrugia, followed by the composer herself on alto sax. This band not only swings, they’re highly creative soloists who feed into each other with aplomb. Cervini’s own solo is exciting and equally inventive, using cross-rhythms with apparent ease.

I was delighted to see a composition here by Tadd Dameron, the brilliant but self-destructive jazz composer-arranger from the late 1940s/early ‘50s. The original version was by bop legend Theodore “Fats” Navarro in 1949, issued under the title Sid’s Delight (as a tribute to legendary jazz club announcer and DJ “Symphony Sid” Torin). This one really jumps, with tight, excellent solos all round. Two other “old-timers” make an appearance next: Harold Arlen, next to Johnny Mercer the jazziest of jazz-influenced pop tune writers, and Charles Chaplin, who didn’t have a jazz bone in his body.

Turboprop predictably makes a nice soufflé of Arlen’s My Shining Hour, with imaginative rhythmic displacements, embellishments on the original theme, unusual harmonic shifts and quick little solos by Davidson on soprano sax, Carn, Frahm and Farrugia, while Cervini pounds the percussion happily in the background. Chaplin’s Smile (a theme for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual telethons for decades) is played lyrically by Carn on trombone while the reeds provide nice little fills behind him. Carn then gets the bulk of the solo space, doubling the tempo and expanding on Chaplin’s theme.

Dan Loomis’ whimsical Abundance Overture begins with Cervini playing a sort of tap dance on the rims of his snare drum, with the flute, saxophone and trombone entering in a sort of Irish jig tempo. Loomis’ bass then “toughens up” the rhythm with some tight jazz playing in tandem with the leader, and Farrugia’s piano leads us into solo-land. A bit of handclapping backs up a two-part fugue played by the alto and tenor saxes before leading back into the ensemble. What a nifty arrangement!

Although written by pianist Farrugia, The Ten Thousand Things is centered around the bass, which plays the opening chorus and remains a strong presence under the reeds when they perform the theme. When Farrugia does enter, it is after a pause, and the tempo drops down to a slow ballad while he plays a sort of fantasia. The tempo eventually picks back up again and  the whole band plays interesting scored figures, with Frahm on tenor coming out of the ensemble for an excellent solo.

A free-form, wild jam ends it. Cervini’s Gramps, a ballad, opens with some soft brush work by the leader, with the two reeds and arco bass playing the simple theme. Eventually a sort of canon is set up between the tenor sax and trombone behind Davidson on alto. The finale, Song for Cito, is a relaxed 6/8 sort of piece backed by the leader’s enthusiastic drums. Pianist Farrugia is the solo star of this one, however, and he connects the musical material very well. A sort of quick “ta-da!” tag ending closes the piece, and the CD.

This is another fine outing for this talented band, and I highly recommend it to your attention.

© 2018 Lynn René Bayley

Tara Davidson – Alto/Soprano Saxes, Flute

Joel Frahm – Tenor Sax

William Carn – Trombone

Adrean Farrugia – Piano

Dan Loomis – Bass

Ernesto Cervini – Drums

www.ernestocervini.com

Adrean Farrugia & Joel Frahm - Blued Dharma (April 27, 2018)

The relationship between pianist Adrean Farrugia and saxophonist Joel Frahm was fostered during their nine-year association with drummer and bandleader Ernesto Cervini which matured over numerous studio and stage performances. Both musicians have reported been in awe of each other’s abilities and have always sought an opportune moment to come together as a duo. Fortunately for them and those who have listened to the music they have made in the past, that opportune time has come and the album Blued Dharma is that meeting of minds.

Listeners will instantly perceive that very little sunlight separates the pianist and the saxophonist. On the contrary, the rays that illuminate their artistry light a flame that is vivid and – as they have rightfully determined – the music that results from it exists in the bluest part of that proverbial flame. The second word of the album’s title Blued Dharma may be harder to translate into the English language, but its Buddhist connotations of that which results in cosmic order, or indeed the collective meaning arising from an Eastern spiritual realm, is discernable all through the eight works of music contained in the disc – from the two exquisite and radically different versions of Ray Noble’s “Cherokee” to the original work from the pen of Adrean Farrugia.

Blued Dharma is that meeting of minds.

Listeners will instantly perceive that very little sunlight separates the pianist and the saxophonist. On the contrary, the rays that illuminate their artistry light a flame that is vivid and – as they have rightfully determined – the music that results from it exists in the bluest part of that proverbial flame. The second word of the album’s title Blued Dharma may be harder to translate into the English language, but its Buddhist connotations of that which results in cosmic order, or indeed the collective meaning arising from an Eastern spiritual realm, is discernable all through the eight works of music contained in the disc – from the two exquisite and radically different versions of Ray Noble’s “Cherokee” to the original work from the pen of Adrean Farrugia.

Music in various shades of indigo suggest profundity and contemplative musicianship and each musician digs deep not only into his psyche, but also into his respective instrument, surfacing with what certainly gives new meaning to the words “melody” and “rhythm”, and – most significantly – “harmony”. The style of presentation is immediately alluring as the music appears in what one must reluctantly acknowledge as a “conventional” format. But how refreshing, timely and reassuring to find two musicians exploring endless possibilities of improvisation out of the fettered form of the “song”, completely undone thanks to each other’s transcendental ingenuity and deep empathy with each other.

Listening to the way in which Mr. Frahm seductively bends the notes in “Cherokee” (especially in the second version, i.e., track 2), or how Mr. Farrugia sculpts the long, sustained invention of “Half Moon” – to focus on just two of the eight beautifully crafted songs on this disc – it’s eminently clear that there’s not a semiquaver that hasn’t been fastidiously considered. Still the fact that none of this music is rehearsed or pre-planned accounts for why one is particularly awe-struck as the record unfolds from one song to the next. So whether evocative of crepuscular nights or cool rainy days, each track takes us into a special place with two trusting and inspired musical friends. Toronto Music Report

1 Blued Dharma

2 Cherokee II

3 For Murray Gold

4 Gospell

5 Nobody Else But Me

6 Cool Beans

7 Cherokee I

8 Half Moon (for Sophia)

Adrean Farrugia: piano

Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone (2, 3 – 7) and soprano saxophone (1, 8)

CD Release Concerts:

April 27th @ Gallery 345, Toronto ON

April 29th @ The Jazz Room, Waterloo ON

www.adreanfarrugia.com

Johannes Mössinger & Joel Frahm - New by Two (UNIT RECORDS 2017)

Johannes Mössinger and Joel Frahm met 2016 in New York to record their new Album New By Two (Unit Records UTR 4802, Oktober 2017). It is another highlight in their long and creative collaboration and after many years of playing in a quartet format they found a new essence in their art during this duo session. The listeners are directly touched by the rhythmical flow of this music, which comes from the elegant and clear ideas in Johannes Mössingers piano playing and the magical sound from Joel Frahm on the saxophon. From the first notes on there is this special connection between the instruments and the musicians, that is the precondition for a world class duo and leads on the other hand to the true experience while listening to this music.

Tom Dempsey / Tim Ferguson Quartet - Waltz New (OA2 RECORDS 2017)

"...inventive, straight ahead and swinging. The Tom Dempsey/Tim Ferguson Quartet shows how creative the modern mainstream of jazz remains..." SCOTT YANOW

Paying tribute to the profound effect Jim Hall had on their music, guitarist Tom Dempsey and bassist Tim Ferguson's fourth album together approaches six of Hall's classic compositions, and several standards that the guitarist made distinctively his own over a storied career. Featuring saxophonist Joel Frahm and drummer Eliot Zigmund, the quartet explores "All Across The City," "Something Special" and the title track, all by Hall, and their take on "Alone Together," "All the Things You Are," and "Skylark," as they give a nod to Hall's contributions to modern jazz and the impact of his enduring legacy.

1 Something Special 5:58 (Jim Hall)

2 All The Things You Are 5:47 (Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II)

3 Big Blues 6:01 (Jim Hall)

4 All Across The City 5:53 (Jim Hall)

5 Waltz New 6:10 (Jim Hall)

6 Careful 6:00 (Jim Hall)

7 Alone Together 5:44 (Howard Dietz-Arthur Schwartz)

8 Subsequently 5:53 (Jim Hall)

9 Skylark 5:53 (Hoagy Carmichael)

10 Village Waltz 6:19 (Tom Dempsey)

11 Receipt Please 4:55 (Ron Carter)

Tom Dempsey - Guitar

Tim Ferguson - Bass

Joel Frahm - Tenor Saxophone

Eliot Zigmund - Drums

Carol Morgan Quartet - Post Cool Vol. 1: The Night Shift (KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS 2017)

Carol Morgan Website

Scott Morgan - Songs of Life (September 12, 2016)

Vocalist Scott Morgan draws on a lifetime of experience and emotion for his moving debut recording, out September 12 on Miranda Music

Songs of Life features Fred Hersch, Joel Frahm and Janis Siegel 

on a stunning set of Songbook and pop classics

“Scott Morgan’s singing is warm and loose. He has taste, heart, and musical intelligence.” —David Hajdu, Music Critic, The New Republic

“Scott Morgan’s voice wafts gently through your ears and heads straight to your heart.”– Janis Siegel, Manhattan Transfer

One advantage to making a belated debut is the depth of life experience that enriches an artist’s work. Scott Morgan may be a name new to listeners outside of New York City, where he’s garnered a devoted following for his moving live performances, but Songs of Life reveals a vocalist with a lifelong passion for and immersion in music. The title reflects both a songbook developed over a lifetime’s listening and performing, but also Morgan’s expressive interpretations, deeply imbued with the loves and losses that accumulate over a life well lived.

The repertoire on Songs of Life (due out September 12 via Miranda Music) span the spectrum from Great American Songbook standards to pop classics by revered songwriters like James Taylor and The Beatles to more recent contributions by pianist/composer Fred Hersch, Morgan’s partner in both life and music. Hersch’s sensitive accompaniment can be heard throughout Songs of Life, along with the singer’s flexible, supportive rhythm section of bassist Matt Aronoff and drummer Ross Pederson. The impeccably eloquent tenor saxophone of Joel Frahm graces three tracks, while Manhattan Transfer’s Janis Siegel is Morgan’s duo partner for the soaring “I’ll Follow,” with lyrics by Morgan to Hersch’s piece “Mandevilla.”

“Every song has its own story,” Morgan says, “and I hope that when people listen to the record they can identify with some if not many of the songs in a personal way. Everybody’s had unrequited love as well as fulfilling relationships. And I imagine most people have suffered existential angst as well - so Songs of Life is a musical photo album of the touchstones in our lives.”

Some of the songs in particular offer snapshots of very vivid memories from Morgan’s past. The breathtaking coupling of Dave Catney’s “Little Prayer” and the Lerner and Loewe standard “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” is a particular standout. The first half is the work of a jazz pianist/composer who passed away from complications of AIDS, sung by Morgan in memory of a friend lost to the disease in the 1980s. The latter half wistfully captured the imagined dreams of a woman that Morgan met while traveling in Tanzania, widowed by HIV and living in a mud hut. “She took me into her house and fed me though she had nothing at all,” he recalls. “I thought that from her perspective, wouldn't it be lovely to have heat, chocolate, someone to care about.”

Morgan brings the same profound humanity and empathy to all of his work. In part, his gift for storytelling and capturing character in song stems from his earliest experiences with music, performing in musical theater productions in his native Sarasota, Florida. “Without my musical theater background I wouldn't be able to tell the stories the way that I’m able to tell them, particularly in live performance,” Morgan says. “It’s very easy for singers to just get up and run through the songs jazz singers are expected to sing, but I try to make every song special and really engage the audience with what’s going on in the story.”

After playing piano and singing throughout his time at Florida State University, Morgan took a 15-year break from music while he concentrated on his career in the technology and then in the nonprofit sector, a pursuit that continues to be rewarding off the stage. It was his arrival in New York City in 2001 that led to his reengagement with music, which was only fueled further a few months later when he met Hersch and was ushered into the thriving NYC jazz scene. He studied with influential modern jazz singers like Kate McGarry, Peter Eldridge and Rene Marie, gaining confidence from their encouragement and from the enthusiastic response of audiences as he performed live. Hersch says, “I always knew Scott was a great musician – I am glad that he is now finding that out for himself.”

“I’ve always been close to music, and I was looking for a creative outlet to round out my life,” Morgan explains. “I felt like all I was doing was working, working, working, so music started calling me back. I never thought it would turn into anything initially, but I gradually got more serious and my desire to do something more with music than just sing around the house started to grow.”

If the arc of Songs of Life can be seen as the story of a life, then it’s clear that in Morgan’s view love, in its many facets, is central to existence. The album begins with a brisk romp through “It’s You or No One,” a lively ode to fidelity by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne with a dazzling vocalese lyric by Morgan to a classic Chet Baker solo. New romance is celebrated on “I Just Found About Love” and “This Heart of Mine,” while Dori Caymmi’s bossa nova classic “Like a Lover,” performed in an intimate duo with Hersch, luxuriates in the morning light on a lover’s face. The first of two James Taylor compositions on the album, “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” becomes a poignant plea for connection. The second, “Secret O’ Life,” resonates with Morgan’s Buddhist leanings in its celebration of being present in the moment.

The album closes with The Beatles’ “I Will,” rendered in Morgan and Hersch’s duo performance as a tender promise of devotion. Its sentiments are echoed in Morgan’s lyrics to Hersch’s music on “I’ll Follow,” with Morgan and Siegel painting a vivid portrait of two people in love worthy of a Broadway stage. “It’s a story about how when two lives and loves intertwine with each other, things can happen in a beautiful way,” Morgan explains.

All of the moments that have inspired Songs of Life are expressed with the same sense of beauty and passion. Like the love stories woven throughout the album, Morgan’s auspicious debut combines the thrill of the new with the wisdom and depth of feeling that can only come from a lifetime of experience.

Scott Morgan Website

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