Darren Johnston - Life In Time (February 2022 Origin Records)

During the seemingly endless shutdown of 2020, I began to think a lot about Colonel Aureliano Buendia, the character from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s brilliant novel One Hundred Years Of Solitude, who had at one time supported his family by making and selling little tiny fish out of gold. As an old man, after many years of being away fighting wars, he returned to his shop to resume making his little gold fish. At first they sold simply because they had been made by the now famous colonel, but eventually no one left was interested. Nonetheless, every day the colonel continued his work of making his little gold fish. Because he had only a little gold left, he would melt down the fish from the day before in order to continue his work.

The shutdown really drove home for me the fact that those of us with the impulse to create, or dedication to a practice, will do what we do even if we were to never again have a chance to share our work. It is our practice, our way of processing the world, and for me at least, the way I keep it moderately together during challenging times. I dearly love connecting with other musicians and playing for my fellow humans, but I now know that as long as I have some kind of practice, I’ll be ok.

Thankfully, at the time of this writing performances are happening again, and recordings are being made. I’m grateful to be able to share some of my little gold fish with you now.

It’s a project that had been put on hold by the pandemic, but as things began to open up in May of 2021 I was finally able to record with this amazing group of some of Chicago’s most creative, swinging, and in demand musicians. We recorded four of Geof’s tunes, and six of mine, and I hope you enjoy listening as much as we did preparing and playing.

1. Asherah 07:42

2. Little Gold Fish 05:13

3. Intention And Commitment 06:57

4. Life In Time 05:48

5. Lost And Found 08:11

6. Shade 07:07

7. Guimaraes 04:24

8. Locomotive Sunflower 05:52

9. The Color Of The Wall Of The Room That Reminded Me 07:25

10. Song For Kamala 06:51

Darren Johnston - trumpet

Geof Bradfield - tenor/soprano sax, bass clarinet

Clark Sommers - bass

Dana Hall - drums

tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 composed by Darren Johnston

tracks 3, 5, 7, 10 composed by Geof Bradfield

recorded May 3, 2021

engineered and mixed by Ken Christianson at Pro Musica, Chicago

Photograph by Reuben Radding

Design by John Bishop

PRE-ORDER

OUT FRIDAY: Scott Burns, John Wojciechowski and Geof Bradfield's TENOR TIME (AFAR Music)

Tenor Time brings together Chicago’s tenor titans for a collaborative montage of creative and expressive brilliance

Scott Burns, John Wojciechowski and Geof Bradfield are Tenor Time, presented by AFAR Music, to be released January 21, 2022

Jazz as a creative music and art form holds a heavy tradition of collaboration. From Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins, to Count Basie and Oscar Peterson, to Ray Brown’s “Some of My Best Friends Are…” series, jazz history is riddled with innumerable brilliant meetings of musical minds coming together to make something wondrous. In true continuation of this tradition, AFAR Music has brought together three of Chicago’s finest – tenor saxophonists John Wojciechowski, Geof Bradfield, and Scott Burns – to capture a moment of creative brilliance with their new release, Tenor Time, due out January 21, 2022. 

Tenor Time follows on the success of Altoizm, the previous collaborative project spearheaded by AFAR Music. The label’s founder and album’s pianist, Richard D. Johnson, remarked that such collaborations are often spurred on by the “what if?” conversations of music fans calling for their favorite artists to share not just the bandstand, but the studio. “Over the years at different festivals and concerts this conversation often leads to the statement ‘I sure would love to see and hear these 2-3 musicians play together,’” Johnson tells. “One of our goals is to make this happen and the response has been overwhelmingly great from the musicians to the listeners.”

The lineup of personnel and recording process was brought to life by Johnson. After recruiting the three tenor saxophonists, they created an action plan for the music that would become Tenor Time. Harkening back to the spirit of historic sessions, the band decided they would each bring a handful of original compositions that could swiftly and immediately be put together with a focus on providing a creative vehicle for improvisation that allowed them each to demonstrate their unique voices as soloists and masters of musical dialogue. When they met to record at Johnson’s studio, they discussed a few details and then immediately began recording. This bandstand-like approach to the session allowed the group to maintain the freshness and energy of a live performance with the clarity of a studio session without ever losing the energy and excitement of every spontaneous twist and turn. The vivacious spirit was not left unrewarded as the ensemble successfully recorded the entire album in a single day, with almost every track recorded in two takes at most.

Musically, this album has the unique advantage of featuring the compositional styles of multiple band members, showcasing a variance and spectrum that keeps a listener’s mind and emotions thoroughly engaged. Valkyrie, the album’s opening track, was composed by Geof Bradfield to simultaneously highlight a memorable melody and unpredictable twists. The title is derived from a coincidence of date: the piece was composed on June 26th, the day that Wagner premiered the iconic Ride of the Valkyrie. “Valkyrie seemed a suitable title,” explains Bradfield. “It’s a tenor battle, after all, and in Norse mythology the Valkyrie choose the most valiant of those slain in battle to fight in Ragnarok.” Force Majeure, composed by Scott Burns, is a song whose title comes from the legal clause of the same name. Literally translating to “superior force,” a force majeure clause allows parties to be relieved of their contractual obligations under extreme circumstances. “Many musicians learned about force majeure in 2020 when their performance contracts were canceled due to the pandemic,” Burns says. “It seemed a fitting title both for the times and for the music: an assertive up-tempo melody line played by the three tenors with energetic underpinning by the rhythm section, and a solo form that lends itself to some vigorous blowing.” Jazz Folk Song, an original composition by John Wojciechowski, provides a tasteful contrast and shift of mood from the rest of the album. “The idea was to write a melody that had a folkloric quality to it with shifting harmony underneath,” says Wojciechowski. “I thought it would be a great vehicle for this project since it’s got a pretty wide-open harmonic landscape for the improvisation section.” Originally composed for his album “Lexicon,” the take of Jazz Folk Song on Tenor Time provides a newness to the piece that gives even familiar listeners a different perspective. Corea, the closing song on the album, is a piece composed by Richard D. Johnson in memory of the title’s namesake. Chick Corea was one of Johnson’s mentors and friends, and in the wake of his passing, Johnson began writing this piece. “I can only imagine what he would he have played on this song,” says Johnson, “but the great thing about him is he would always say ‘Let me hear what you have to say about it.’”

Scott Burns, John Wojciechowski, Geof Bradfield

The collaboration process on this album was not profound only in the lineup of musicians but in the context in which it was recorded. Recorded shortly after the height of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, for some, this album marked the first major in-person creative project for over a year.  “I really, really, really missed playing music with people,” Burns says. “It was hard to navigate on a personal and emotional level. So I was thrilled to have something like this project coming out of it: to make the record, and have some sort of tangible creative output that is coming on the heels of what has been very difficult on a lot of levels.” For Wojciechowski, the hiatus during the pandemic provided an opportunity for reflection and an alignment of focus. “I think I have come to the realization that what I want to do is make music with the people who I want to make music with that’s musical and creative, and I want to spend my time and energy doing that.” Bradfield realized during the slowdown of the pandemic that he was approaching a point of musical burnout and saturation from overworking on things that he didn’t necessarily believe in. The past year and a half created a forced pause that ended with a triumphant celebration found in this recording. “Now one of my goals… is to channel my energies into the things that matter the most to me, musically and otherwise.”

In addition to the three headlining tenors, the band on Tenor Time is comprised of Clark Sommers on bass, Greg Artry on drum set, and Richard D. Johnson on piano and keyboards.  

With Tenor Time, listeners find that two heads are better than one, and three is simply superb. Providing a glimpse into the possibilities of what can happen when apex musicians come together in joy with mutual respect for each other’s distinct perspectives and craftsmanship, Tenor Time leaves audiences enthralled and deeply curious as to what AFAR Music has in store next.

AFAR Music

Stu Mindeman - Woven Threads (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS September 14, 2018)

It is remarkable how people and places from one’s past may become intertwined down the line. The Chicago based pianist and composer Stu Mindeman spent his toddler years in Chile. As an adult Mindeman revisited Chile, became tied to the culture, and decided to embark upon a project celebrating Chile’s musicians and legendary wordsmiths on his new recording, Woven Threads. 

When Mindeman was very young, his father took a job with a symphony orchestra in Chile; the family lived there for several years. Mindeman was too young to have received much direct influence, but he did grow accustomed to hearing the sounds of Chilean folk music from the records his mother and father brought home, and he began learning Spanish from Chilean close family friends he spent time with. 

The pianist grew up to become a busy composer, arranger and producer. Mindeman has performed all over the world, most notably with Branford Marsalis, Kurt Elling, and Antonio Sanchez, among many others. His debut recording, In Your Waking Eyes: Poems by Langston Hughes, was released in 2014 to critical acclaim. 

In 2017 Mindeman returned to Chile. He immediately became immersed in the modern Chilean music scene, where he met a number of like-minded musicians who use Chilean folk, jazz and other Latin music to express themselves. These musicians subsequently became the core of Mindeman’s upcoming project. The celebrated vocalist Francesca Ancarola stood out for her interest in jazz and Latin music. Bassist Milton Russell and drummer Carlos Cortez Diaz rounded out the rhythm section. 

As his ideas progressed, Mindeman began to focus on the poetry of two revolutionary Chileans, Violeta Parra and Víctor Jara. Parra and Jara were titanic figures in their country’s Nueva Canción Chilena and for their stance against the dictator Augusto Pinochet. A brilliant singer, composer, and teacher, Jara was arrested, tortured and killed by the Pinochet regime, shortly after the US-backed military coup. Parra was known for her poetry, songs and visual artwork. She also met a sad end, committing suicide in 1967. 

Parra’s famous tapestries and the idea of blending the music and musicians from Chile and the United States led to Mindeman’s idea of Woven Threads. Mindeman had worked in the realms of Latin jazz and Latin American music in the past and wanted to preserve the textures of the South American influences as they melded with North American jazz. The composer utilized his connections in Chile and Chicago, along with special guests, to record eight pieces with an incredible emotional scope. The Chicago contingent was made up of bassist Matt Ulery, drummer Makaya McCraven, guitarist Matt Gold, and saxophonists Geof Bradfield and Greg Ward. 

The program begins with a folk song from the Altiplano region of northern Chile entitled “Casi, Casi,” featuring a cueca/chacarera rhythm and Ancarola’s persuasive vocals. Jara’s homage to Che Guevara, “El Aparecido,” follows with its moving lyrics touching on rebellion and human rights, passionately wrought by Ancarola with an incredible rhythmic underpinning. French-Chilean hip-hop artist Ana Tijoux lends her powerful voice to Mindeman’s “Sin Sentido,” which features a wonderful back and forth between the vocals and Marquis Hill’s sublime trumpet. Mindeman’s churning “La Rueda” generates steam over a compound 5-metered groove and features the fiery alto of Miguel Zenón. The ballad “La Casa de al Lado” comes from the pen of Uruguayan songwriter Fernando Cabrera and is adapted with a new harmonic palette and structure based on candomblé and timba. 

The next two pieces are a tribute to Violeta Parra, with lyrics inspired by her poetry, penned by poet Tim Stiles and performed by the great Kurt Elling. Mindeman felt that trying to translate poems directly into English, namely “Qué Palabra Te Dijera” and “Como el Roble en el Verano,” would be a disservice to the work, so the lyrics are reimagined, based on Parra’s original imagery and emotion evoked. The introspective “What Word” is a beautifully swelling piece that highlights Elling’s emotive breath and Zenón’s plainchant tone. “A Thousand Stars” is equally stirring, with its full harmonic wealth and Elling at his heartbreaking best. The recording finds a perfect conclusion in Jara’s bittersweet “No Puedes Volver Atrás,” a song about desperation and losing hope, that entreats the listener to have faith and move forward, because there is no going back. 

Completing a circle of sorts, Stu Mindeman returned to a source of inspiration he never quite fully grasped in his early home of Chile. On his recording, Woven Threads, the pianist/composer is able to reach out to old and new friends on two continents to create passionate music that speaks to the triumph of heart over the elements.

Stu Mindeman - piano, keyboards, organ

Francesca Ancarola - vocals (1, 2, 5, 8)

Ana Tijoux - vocals (3)

Kurt Elling - vocals (6, 7)

Milton Russell - bass (1, 2, 5, 6, 7)

Matt Ulery - bass (3, 4, 8)

Carlos Cortes Diaz - drums (2)

Malaya McCraven - drums (1, 3, 6, 7)

Juan Pastor - drums (4, 5, 8), percussion (1-6)

Yuri Hevia - bombo legüero (1, 8), percussion (5)

Matt Gold - guitar

Quentin Coaxum - trumpet (7)

Victor Garcia - trumpet (1, 3, 5), percussion (5)

Marquis Hill - trumpet solo (3)

Geof Bradfield - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet

Greg Ward - alto saxophone (1, 2, 3, 5)

Miguel Zenón - alto saxophone (4, 6)

Sally Blandon - background vocals (2, 5)

Devin Velez - background vocals (2)

Sarah Marie Young - background vocals (3, 4, 7)

1. Casi Casi (feat. Francesca Ancarola) 04:52

2. El Aparecido (feat. Francesca Ancarola and Matt Gold)

3. Sin Sentido (feat. Ana Tijoux and Marquis Hill)

4. La Rueda (feat. Miguel Zenón)

5. La Casa de al Lado (feat. Francesca Ancarola)

6. What Word (feat. Kurt Elling and Miguel Zenón)

7. A Thousand Stars (feat. Kurt Elling)

8. No Puedes Volver Atrás (feat. Francesca Ancarola)

Jeff Baker - Phrases (OA2 RECORDS 2018)

Critically acclaimed vocalist JEFF BAKER returns with his 5th OA2 Records release, an alive and bristling set of originals and thoughtfully conceived pop and jazz standards. Collaborating with some of the most influential and compelling jazz musicians in the world today - Brian Blade, Steve Wilson, Marquis Hill, Clark Sommers, Geof Bradfield, and Gregory Uhlmann - Baker and his co-producer/musical director, pianist Darrell Grant, present a provocative collection of original songs and arrangements based on text by writers such as Pablo Neruda, J.D. Salinger, A.A. Milne and Salvador Plascencia. Certainly, his most ambitious and personal recording yet. "From all accounts, this charismatic crooner needs to be tracked closely. Mr. Baker has the potential to skyrocket to many accolade-coated triumphs." - JazzTrenzz

1 NERUDA 6:03 | Jeff Baker, BMI

2 AND SO IT GOES 8:56 | Billy Joel / arr. Jeff Baker

3 PEOPLE OF PAPER 5:39 | Jeff Baker

4 BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN 7:37 | Frances Landsman & Thomas Wolf

arr. Jeff Baker, Darrell Grant, Ezra Weiss (string prelude), Justin Nielsen

5 HARBOR 8:05 | Clark Sommers & Jeff Baker

6 LOST 7:48 | Jeff Baker / arr. Jeff Baker, Darrell Grant, Thomas Barber

7 A HUNDRED LESS ONE 5:57 | Jeff Baker / arr. Jeff Baker, Darrell Grant (strings)

8 SALINGER 5:48 | Jeff Baker

9 NOT CAUSE I WANTED TO 6:57 | Bonnie Raitt / arr. Jeff Baker

10 STAY ALIVE 6:20 | Ryan Adams & Theodore Shapiro / arr. Darrell Grant

11 DON'T WORRY BOUT ME 5:57 | Rube Bloom & Ted Koehler / arr. Jeff Baker

Jeff Baker - Vocals

Darrell Grant - Piano

Clark Sommers - Bass

Brian Blade - Drums

Steve Wilson - Saxophone

Marquis Hill - Trumpet

Geof Bradfield - Saxophone

Gregory Uhlmann - Guitar

Blaise Magniere - Violin

Marie Wang - Violin

Anthony Devroye - Viola

Cheng-Hou Lee - Cello