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The View From Here
Kyle Eastwood (Jazz Village-Harmonia Mundi)
by Tom Greenland
Kyle Eastwood has released 6 albums in his 15 years
as a bassist and bandleader (along with composing and
arranging movie soundtracks), forwarding his own
brand of accessible yet artistically durable jazz. The
View From Here, his latest, boasts a new label and a
cohesive London-based working band of tenor
saxophonist Graeme Blevins, trumpet/flugelhornist
Graeme Flowers, pianist Andrew McCormack and
drummer Martyn Kaine.
The album kicks off with “From Rio to Havana”,
which epitomizes the group’s sound, a catchy unison
melody over a bubbling Latin beat, with blustery solos
from the frontline, producing a sound that finds a
middle ground between the smoothness of
contemporary jazz and the brawn of hardbop. A
Parisian for the past eight years, Eastwood also draws
on the influences of North African, Middle Eastern and
other musics: “Sirocco” opens with flamenco palmas
(hand clapping) outlining a 6/8 rhythm, which shifts
between double and triple accents akin to a flamenco
compás (rhythmic cycle); “The Promise” features a
piquant A minor melody over a Phrygian chord
progression common to flamenco; “Une Nuit au
Sénégal” starts with high double-stops
on electric bass, recalling the shimmering guitars of
Congolese soukous; “Luxor” is a moody modal piece
with hypnotic tom-toming. The band brings these
songs to life with strong soloing, particularly Flowers,
who echoes Freddie Hubbard’s high-note flurries and
clarion calls. Eastwood too is an accomplished soloist,
on both acoustic and electric basses, often expressing
himself in brief but busy outbursts.
Eastwood brought another group to Blue Note for
a weeklong residency last month, shared with Larry
Coryell (& Sons), now with trumpet/flugelhornist
Alex Norris, tenor saxophonist Jason Rigby, pianist
Rick Germanson and drummer Joe Strasser. Launching
his Mar. 26th early set with the CD’s opening track, the
rest of the set drew on Eastwood’s earlier work:
“Samba de Paris” (2009’s Metropolitan), “Tonic” (2011’s
Songs From the Chateau), a cover of Miles Davis’
“Pfrancing” and closing with “Big Noise From
Winettka” (2005’s Paris Blue) - the last a technical
showcase à la Ray Brown, a mentor of Eastwood’s,
who proved a modest but dynamic showman, an agile
accompanist/soloist and a visionary searching for his
voice between the cracks of ‘smooth’ and ‘rough’ jazz.
For more information, visit jazzvillagemusic.com
From Here I See
Ben Wolfe (MAXJAZZ)
by Russ Musto
Best known for his extensive work as a sideman with
artists ranging from Wynton Marsalis and Eric Reed to
24 May 2013 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
Diana Krall and Harry Connick, Jr., bassist Ben Wolfe
has, as importantly, distinguished himself as a noted
composer with his own approach and vision. Seven
discs as a leader thus far present a distinctive melodist
with a gift for creating engaging environments that
emphasize the generally uncomplicated beauty of his
creations.
From Here I See once again demonstrates his talent
in a variety of settings, augmenting his trio of pianist
Orrin Evans and drummer Donald Edwards with tenor
saxophonist JD Allen, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis,
guitarist Russell Malone and soprano saxophonist
Marcus Strickland, often in conjunction with a string
quartet that is heard on 8 of 12 tracks. The mood of the
album moves between straightahead swinging and
stirring balladry, both anchored by Wolfe’s big tone
and steady beat.
Marsalis and Allen stretch out powerfully on the
opener, “The Good Doctor”, a bluesy swinger that
recalls the ‘50s Miles quintet. Malone is heard to great
lyrical effect on the beautiful ballads “Angela” and
“Who’s Lily?”, the former featuring the impeccably
integrated string section that also accompanies
Marsalis, Allen and Strickland on their ballad features
“So Lovely”, “How You Love” and “From Here I See”,
respectively, as well as the trio on the soulful waltz
“Baby Tiger”. On these selections Wolfe utilizes the
strings not simply as backgrounds but as an additional
instrumental voice, sometimes in place of a soloist, at
others as a countermelodic voice, as in the quartetwith-Allen
fragment “Interlude”. When the band does
let loose, as on the jagged line “Mellow As You Please”
and the jaunty outing “Two-Beat Numba” (both with
Allen) and the ominously agitated “12 More” (featuring
Strickland), they swing with unmitigated boldness.
At the CD release at Dizzy’s Club in late March,
the core quartet with Allen was joined by guest
trumpeter Nicholas Payton and the emphasis shifted
towards powerful swing. By the final evening (Mar.
31st) of the four-night engagement the band sounded
as tight as any unit in town. Opening with “The Good
Doctor”, the band established a finger-snapping pulse,
which remained at the heart of its sound throughout
the evening, regardless of tempo, be it wildly swinging
(new composition “Kerbecs vs Vari Ares”), achingly
slow (Allen’s ballad feature “Love Is Near”) or easy
grooving (“Two Beat Numba”). Another new piece,
“Intro To Baby Tiger”, demonstrated Wolfe’s harmonic
ability in an ominous setting, weaving horn lines in a
manner reminiscent of Mingus’ most sophisticated
work and then segueing into the waltzing “Baby
Tiger”. The set concluded with a lugubrious
arrangement of “All The Things You Are”, another
indication of Wolfe’s originality.
For more information, visit maxjazz.com
Invitation
Jerry Costanzo (Daywood Drive)
by Sharon Mizrahi
Jerry Costanzo turns to yet another chapter in the
Great American Songbook with the release of Invitation.
The vocalist brings his friendly ambience to tunes that
are both playful and reflective, crooning away with
silky pizazz.
Pianist Tedd Firth sets the scene with a sparkling
melody that envelops Costanzo’s easygoing sound.
“Don’t Let It Go To Your Head” continuously jolts the
senses awake, as Costanzo knows when to keep the
lyrics curt and when to make his notes resonate. Bassist
Neal Miner’s uptempo cadence complements the
former while Joe Cohn’s breezy guitar harmoniously
twirls with the latter.
“This Is My Night To Dream” gives a glimpse of
the vocalist’s more pensive side. While Firth and
drummer Jonathan Mele craft an upbeat intro,
Costanzo explores the wistful side of romance with a
tinge of melancholy in his voice. He always ends up on
the sweeter side of bittersweet, but the subtly forlorn
texture of his notes reveals a different side of his usual
lighthearted vibe. Costanzo further illustrated his
textural range at The Garage last month, where he
infused the air with effortless joviality. His charming
demeanor in the album took on an added dimension
on stage, evoking the lively big band atmosphere of
decades past on an intimate quartet scale.
A handful of guest artists appear throughout
Invitation, notably trumpeter Brian Pareschi and
vocalist Champian Fulton in “Here’s To The Losers”.
Fulton and Costanzo alternate lyrics before singing in
unison, a move that only emphasizes the natural cheer
in both of their voices. Pareschi forms a bond of his
own with Firth, as the two musicians occasionally flare
up and accent the piece.
Vocalist Giada Valenti’s sultrier approach adds an
element of complexity to the bossa nova tune “Little
Boat (O Barquinho)”. Costanzo reflects on paradise in
a low-pitched hum while Valenti croons in Portuguese.
Cohn coaxes the affair forward with a few light plucks
of guitar. And soon, the vocalists usher listeners to the
next track with a gentle ”Bon voyage”, bringing the
serene piece to a blissful close.
For more information, visit daywooddrive.com