John Zorn - The Mockingbird (2016)

Label:

Source: Jazz And Blues

Genre: Avant-Garde / Classical

GAB's Rating: ★★★★☆

This album was inspired by the character Scout from the classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird and shows John Zorn’s compositions at their most subtle and graceful, floating across the divide between literature and music. The trio has become a regular group that Zorn has convened to interpret some of his more understated compositions, featuring Carol Emanuel on harp, Bill Frisell on guitar and Kenny Wollesen on vibraphone and chimes. “Scout” opens the album with shimmering vibes which are met with some snarling guitar sounds (Zorn always brings out the best in Frisell) and there is a near chamber sound to some of the music, like on “Riverrun” where the harp glistens and the chimes twinkle, before things take a darker turn, hammering sounds and then pulling back to show their dynamic muscle. The milder “Child’s Play” builds through Wollesen’s melodious ringing sounds, which take center stage as guitar and harp hold back. He develops an interesting rhythm his own for this entire piece. Gentle guitar that sounds like it may come from an old time ballad opens “Porch Swing” and that deep emotional feeling that Frisell is able to conjure deepens the emotional resonance of the music as the harpist gently orbits around with gentle strums and the vibes further frame the music. Wollesen makes his mallets spritely dance as the trio joins together for the conclusion. There is a sweet and haunting melody to “Innocence” that the trio builds louder chiming together, then like a fairy tale gone wrong, the music turns progressively darker and spectral, as the heavy handed vibes become more urgent in their tone. “A Mystery” is a great track and really lives up to its title by having a quiet unsettled aura before Wollesen comes in with heavy clangs and lashes of metallic vibes sounding like the cry for help of a lost soul that deepens the mystery even further. His excellent playing allows the music to cover a range of emotion, and the wailing sound of the vibes and electric guitar is head filling and unforgettable. There is a lighter and defter movement to the music on “The Mockingbird” and while the vibes stay urgent to give the music a propulsive forward movement, the harp and guitar are in fine mettle. As the hard vibes ring out, taut guitar moves in with glistening harp to develop fine concluding textures. This is their sixth album and one of their best, presenting quiet and subtle music touching upon themes of hope and fear, sadness and courage with great tact and dignity.

1. Scout
2. Riverrun
3. Children's Play
4. Porch Swing
5. Innocence
6. Pegasus
7. A Mystery
8. The Mockingbird

Carol Emanuel: Harp
Bill Frisell: Guitar
Kenny Wollesen: Vibraphone, Chimes

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Socrates Garcia Latin Jazz Orchestra - Back Home (2016)

Label: Mama Records

Source: Allaboutjazz - Jack Bowers

Back Home, the debut recording by composer / arranger / musicologist Socrates Garcia's Latin Jazz Orchestra, combines the best of two worlds: ardent Latin jazz that never forswears its roots, and emphatic American-designed big-band swing that provides a solid framework for Garcia's picturesque Latin / American excursions. Garcia, who was born in the Dominican Republic, is director of Music Technology at the University of Northern Colorado, and Back Home, it seems, represents more a state of mind than any physical locale, even though there are brief stops at "Calle el Conde" and "From Across the Street" in Garcia's native land, the last a part of the three-movement "Dominican Suite for Jazz Orchestra."

Garcia's compositions (he wrote and arranged every number on the album) are lively and effervescent, easily bridging whatever gap, real or imagined, that may exist between American jazz and the music of his homeland. While Latin rhythms predominate, the more well-known samba, bossa and tango are supplanted by Dominican cadences such as the bachata and merengue. As for Garcia's sidemen, most of whom call Colorado home, their mastery of his blueprint is such that they might easily be misread as emigres from Garcia's birthplace. An exception is the all-Dominican rhythm section, comprised of pianist Manuel Tejada, bassist Pengbian Sang and drummer Helen De La Rosa (with an assist from percussionists Felix "Abuelo" Garcia, Rafael Almengod, Josue Reynoso and Otoniel Nicolas). Guitarist Steve Kovalchek is added on "Celebration of the Butterflies," and Garcia plays guitar on "Back Home."

The album's centerpiece and inspiration is the colorful "Dominican Suite," which opens with a sharply drawn "Tribute to Tavito" (identified by Garcia as saxophonist Tavito Vasquez, known as "the Charlie Parker of the Caribbean"). As SuperSax did for Parker, Garcia has embedded one of Vasquez's solos as part of the composition. The second movement, "Bachata for Two," akin to a Latin waltz, was written for Garcia's wife, Wanda, while the third, "From Across the Street," recalls folk music—called Palos or Atabales—performed by a woman who lived across the street from Garcia's home in the Dominican Republic and is the only track on the album with vocals (by a suitably well-spoken quartet). The opening number, "Vantage Point," is a bracing merengue whose charming melody and addictive rhythms give way to canny solos by Tejada and baritone saxophonist Ryan Middagh. The vivacious "Calle el Conde a Las 8:00," whose bright solos are by soprano Wil Swindler and trumpeter Jordan Skomal, precedes the earnest "Celebration of the Butterflies," Garcia's homage to the three Mirabel sisters who were assassinated by dictator Rafael Trujillo's government for their opposition to his regime. Tenor Kenyon Brenner is showcased on "Butterflies," as he is on "Back Home." Another splendid soloist, trumpeter Brad Goode, is front and center on "Bachata for Two" and shares the spotlight with Tejada on "Homage to Tavito."

Not only is Back Home a near-perfect blend of Dominican and American music, it stands tall on its own as a superlative example of big-band jazz at its best. Well done, Socrates.  

Vantage Point

Calle el Conde a Las 8:00

Celebration of the Butterflies

Back Home

Dominican Jazz Suite for Orchestra:

Homage to Tavito

Bachata for Two

From Across the Street

Socrates Garcia: composer, arranger, conductor, guitar (4)

Brad Goode: trumpet, flugelhorn

Dave Rajewski: trumpet, flugelhorn

Jordan Skomal: trumpet, flugelhorn

Miles Roth: trumpet, flugelhorn

Wil Swindler: alto, soprano sax, flute

Briana Harris: alto sax, flute

Kenyon Brenner: tenor sax, flute, clarinet

Joel Harris: tenor sax, clarinet

Ryan Middagh: baritone sax, bass clarinet

Brielle Frost: flute

Joe Chisholm: trombone

Frank Cook: trombone

Jonathan Zimmy: trombone

Guillermo Rivera: trombone

Gary Mayne: bass trombone

Manuel Tejada: piano

Steve Kovalchek: guitar (3)

Pengbian Sang: bass

Helen De Rosa: drums

Felix “Abuelo” Garcia: tambura, congas, atabales, vocal (7)

Rafael Almengod: atabales, tambu, vocal (7)

Josue Reynoso: guira

Otoniel Nicolas: timbal

Hovernys Garcia: vocal (7)

Lia Nova: vocal (7) 

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John Zorn - The Painted Bird (2016)

Source & Label: Tzadik

The fourth CD in a 12-month period by Zorn’s most powerful new ensemble presents nine genre-busting compositions mixing jazz, metal, classical, world music and more. This time their trademark sound is augmented by the ringing tones of Kenny Wollesen’s vibraphone to create their wildest, most insane CD to date. Juxtaposing complex atonal lines, driving vamps, heavy metal riffs, improvisational madness, shredding solos and moments of profound lyricism, The Painted Bird is a surreal and expressive new world in sound. Moonchild meets Nova Express!  

 
1. Snakeskin
2. Plague
3. Ravens
4. Comet
5. Cinders
6. Nettles
7. Night
8. Spike
9. Missal

John Medeski: Organ
Ches Smith: Congas, Voudun Drums
Kenny Wollesen: Vibes
Kenny Grohowski: Drums
Matt Hollenberg: Guitar

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John Zorn - Flaga Book of Angels, Volume 27 - Flaga (2016)

Source & Label: Tzadik

For one of the last CDs in the Book of Angels series Zorn has put together an astonishing all-star piano trio featuring three of the most powerful and respected musicians in the jazz/new music scene: Craig Taborn, Christian McBride and Tyshawn Sorey. Diving into eight tunes from Zorn’s mystical Masada project they take off in flights of melodic, rhythmic and harmonic fancy that will make your head spin. Visceral and virtuosic, Flaga is one of the most spontaneous and exciting installments in the Masada catalog. 

1. Machnia
2. Peliel
3. Katzfiel
4. Talmai take 1
5. Shoftiel
6. Agbas
7. Rogziel
8. Harbonah
9. Talmai take 2

Craig Taborn: Piano
Christian McBride: Double Bass
Tyshawn Sorey: Drums

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