Who has the time to get to everything on their summer reading list? So here are some slightly beneath-the-radar new jazz releases. They may not be designed for cruising with the top down, but they’re sure to open your ears. Some ways to spend part of your summer vacation:
The propulsive Trio Beyond – drummer Jack DeJohnette, guitarist John Scofield and organist Larry Goldings – goes the live route with “Saudades” (ECM), a thunderous tribute to the late drummer Tony Williams and his early fusion group, Lifetime. While most of the material comes from the repertoire of Williams and his one-time employer, Miles Davis, it’s not often covered, and perhaps even in danger of being forgotten.
The trio interacts with ferocity, wringing out noisy new possibilities from John McLaughlin’s “Spectrum” and John Coltrane’s “Big Nick.” With nearly two hours of music, everyone gets to stretch out; their commitment to re-creating that early-’70s jazz-rock intensity makes for an arresting listen. Play it loud.
They didn’t need to plug in, but the trio of saxophonist Kidd Jordan, drummer Hamid Drake and bassist William Parker speaks to the receptive ear just as loudly with “Palm of Soul” (Aum Fidelity), a lovely stream- of-consciousness session with Jordan serving as leader. Displaced from his home in New Orleans at the time of this New York recording, Jordan’s bittersweet calls on tenor are answered by Parker’s mournful approach and Drake’s multicultural heartbeat. “Palm of Soul” is the sound of intuitive improvisers listening to one other.
Shifting from multicultural to multi-saxophonal, Rahsaan Roland Kirk often played three at a time. “Brotherman in the Fatherland” (Hyena) chronicles a 1972 performance in Germany, and it leans more on his considerable tenor prowess than on his considerable showmanship.
Producer Joel Dorn’s unhinged liner notes do bring up a good point: The underappreciated Kirk really was brilliant, as these unflagging, inspired solos prove. While he was a flashy technician, he also dug deep into his being. If you’ve never made the acquaintance of this ghost, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Ishmael Reed, the funny and candid novelist and poet, reactivates Conjure, his collaborative project with producer Kip Hanrahan, on “Bad Mouth” (American Clave). It’s been too long since their last disc, but Reed’s saved up biting material like “In War Such Things Happen” and the title cut, his outgoing recitations augmented by bold solos from saxophonist David Murray and violinist Billy Bang. This union of jazz and poetry deserves more than a cursory hearing.
Trane keeps a-rolling
The great John Coltrane revival of the 21st century rolls on with “The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings” (Riverside) from the saxophonist in conjunction with pianist Thelonious Monk.
Following up last year’s previously undiscovered treasure of a concert performance, these two CDs collect Coltrane’s studio work with Monk. The pianist dominates the proceedings with his own compositions and solo logic that now stands as distinctive as any pianist in the history of jazz.
There are a couple of never- before-released takes, but the real attraction here is the entirety of the “Monk’s Music” album, where Coltrane sat beside tenor hero Coleman Hawkins, a symbolic torch being passed from one generation to the next. But what happened to the original album cover, featuring the piano genius crumpled up in a little red wagon?
Set list
Saxophonist Plas Johnson, he of the “Pink Panther” theme, plays Dazzle on Thursday and Friday. Also on the Dazzle schedule: clarinetist Eddie Daniels, July 14-15 … At Boulder’s Fox Theatre July 12, it’s the revivalist funk of the organ-
drenched Soulive, and guitarist Fareed Haque brings his Garaj Mahal project there July 16 … Pianist Jerry Weiss appears at the Bookcliff Wine Tasting Room in Boulder July 9 … Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express at the Mount Vernon Country Club on July 13 … Chris Calloway, Cab’s daughter, sings at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret July 13-15.
Bret Saunders’ column on jazz appears every other Sunday in A&E. Saunders is host of the “KBCO Morning Show,” 5:30-10 a.m. weekdays at 97.3-FM. His e-mail address is bret_saunders @hotmail.com.
