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JAZZ
by John Ephland
Throw Down
Vinnie Cutro & New York
City Soundscape’s Sakura
(Royal Blue Ensembles
72307; 60:14) AAA 1 /2 is full
of talented players hitting
on 10 tunes, six written by
trumpeter Cutro. Featuring
tenor saxophonist Jerry
Bergonzi and drummer Billy
Hart, this quintet/sometimes
sextet with trombonist Bob
Ferrel reflects the focus and
expertise that Cutro’s fierce
yet eloquent horn exudes.
Straightahead in character,
Vinnie Cutro:
fierce yet eloquent
Sakura is Cutro’s fourth album as a leader,
with straightforward approaches to
“Freedom Jazz Dance,” “’Round Midnight”
and “Willow Weep For Me” nestled in with
Cutro’s material that makes this group
sound like a band.
Ordering info: vinniecutro.com
Nathan Eklund’s Trip To The Casbah
(Jazz Excursion 117; 60:01) AAA plays out
as a tandem between trumpet/flugelhorn
player Eklund, guitarist John Hart and
(occasionally) tenor saxophonist Donny
McCaslin. “Passing Trains” features Hart
and Eklund in uptempo swinging form,
with bassist Bill Moring and drummer Tim
Horner providing a solid rhythmic core to
this group. There’s lots of soloing all
around in this all-Eklund program, with
spots for immediate expression, as when
Eklund duos with Moring on the lullaby-ish
“Happiness Is ...” along with his precise yet
fluid playing on the jangly swinger “Big
Bro’s Backstop.”
Ordering info: jazzexcursionrecords.com
On Heart Beats (Smalls 0041; 45:25) AA
from Omer Klein, the opener features
pianist Klein on hand drums only on the
somewhat mesmerizing title track. In 12
songs, all composed by Klein, there is
expertise but little in the way of personal
expression. Klein plays piano in a kind of
Chick Corea solo-excursion vein—“Voices
Of War,” “Niggun”—but, ultimately, there
is little to recommend on this disc. And yet,
the lullaby vibe that surfaces can be convincing,
as with the spritely “Alma.”
Ordering info: smallsrecords.com
“The Freightrain” and “Re: Frayne”
stand out on Steve Haines’ Stickadiboom
(Zoho 200903; 51:25) AAA, a promising
quilt of acoustic jazz. Bassist Haines is rapt
and focused as a soloist and leader, but the
music stumbles on funky fodder like the
title track and generic fare like drummer
Jimmy Cobb’s “Composition 101.” Tenor
saxophonist David Lown, pianist Chip
Crawford, Cobb and alternate drummer
Thomas Taylor work best together on
swingers like the uptempo “Sutak 9-1-1”
and reflective “Patience,” which highlight
Haines’ playing.
Ordering info: zohomusic.com
Hawaii-based Bop Tribal’s eponymous
release (Pass Out 9020; 57:01) AAAA
moves from evoking the music of John
Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, as on the
bluesy “One Bad Song A Day,” to Horace
Silver with the whimsical waltz “Melancholic
Toes.” In this all-original program of
eight songs, pianist/leader Satomi Yarimizo,
trumpeter/flugelhorn player DeShannon
Higa, tenorist Reggie Padilla, bassist Shawn
Conley and drummer Abe Lagrimas, Jr.,
establish straightahead moods convincingly,
as with the robust, swinging title track,
which sets up a series of energetic and
engaging solos.
Ordering info: boptribal.com
In a program that offers surprises with
each new song, the Brenan Brothers’ The
Throw Down (Death Defying; 60:55) AAAA
is a swinging delight. Key among the stars
here is keyboardist Geoff Keezer, who
stands out on acoustic and electric piano.
But tenor saxophonist Jim Brenan and
brother Craig on trombone call the shots in
this can’t-miss outing. Also on board are
drummer Dana Hall, bassist Rubim de
Toledo, altoist Ralph Bowen and Terell
Stafford on trumpet (two tracks). Highlights
include the uptempo blitz “Kingdom
Come,” where everyone flexes their chops,
and “Were The Colour,” which offers a
meditative, dreamy side to the band. The
Brenans’ combination of saxophone and
trombone reflects a partial lifetime of synergy
worth more than a listen.
DB
Ordering info: jimbrenan.com
STEVE HOCKSTEIN