Recommended Jazz music (#1 - #10)

MELVA HOUSTON AND BAND: Black Coffee
Internationally-known and loved jazz singer, Melva Houston truly dazzles on Black Coffee, transfixing her listeners with her smokin’ voice, perfectly suited for bluesy R&B and soul. Coloring these jazzy numbers with some real no-nonsense attitude and with a powerhouse combo backing her up, this disc ranges from a variety of sauntering ballads to swinging shakers. Having recorded with R&B greats such as Isaace Hayes, Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas and Wilson Pickett at the fresh age of 16, Houston again reminds her fans why she’s such a force to be reckoned with. Without a doubt, this is the jazz pick of the month.
Recommended if you like Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson.
CD price: $16.95
LENI STERN: Africa
After the moving, “teaser” 5-song EP, Alu Maye, whetting our appetite for Leni’s distinct singer/songwriter style imbedded with the sounds and atmosphere of Mali, this full-length, 13-track project, Africa, beautifully builds upon the momentum she ignited. With songs that speak to, express and reflect the issues affecting Mali, from a deep regard for life-giving, precious water to the plight of child soldiers, this project, two years in the making, embodies not just the rich, harmonic and percussive sounds of the region but its spirit, its people, its beauty, its pace of life, serving as a kind of audio documentary. Recorded at Salif Keita’s Bamako Studios, set for an October 30th release but now available digitally, this is one of the most respectable and moving collaborations between musical styles, instruments, ideas and cultures; Stern is the female answer to Markus James.
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $12.97
JIMMY BRUNO: Maplewood Avenue
With charming discourse between Tony Miceli on vibraphone and Jeff Pedras on bass, the elegant but gigantic sound of Jimmy Bruno’s guitar is right in line with the integrity of his previous work. With an exquisitely intimate, close-up sound captured in his home recording studio, Maplewood Avenue features both Bruno’s gift for shaping and sculpting the subtleties, the most fragile of nuances, as well as his incendiary ability to sizzle and set a phrase in breathless motion. Whether he’s channeling the contemplative or the combustive, one of the most signature qualities of this disc is his commitment to make every note sing and blossom in the connected context of the larger phrase. In other words, these aren’t just a bunch of notes assembled together in a groovy manner; Bruno sees and recreates all the levels of musicality, the note level, the phrase level and the way every detail makes or breaks the song as a whole. It’s not every day that one finds a musician who can nurture and cultivate the finer details (“does this phrase turn up or down?” “does the phrase point to this note or that note?”) while also giving equal attention to the conversation between instruments, the larger picture that emanates from the bottom up. Jimmy is this sort of musician. Extending from that sincerity, his guitar is an extension of his mind, body, heart and wit. Finally, although the album surely showcases his talent, not just in his chops but in his thoughtful musicality, Jimmy gives ample time to both Miceli and Pedras to take the floor and demonstrate their own prowess and noteworthy musicianship. Any fan of jazz guitar should not miss this release
Recommended if you like Wes Montgomery, Hank Garland.
THE STOLEN SWEETS: Shuffle Off to Buffalo
A true Portland favorite, the Stolen Sweets ooze with succulent, three-part vocal harmonies drawn from the Boswell Sisters that power these crisp and saucy numbers, throwing us head first into 1920's and 1930's jazz. Featuring notable local musicians Pete Krebs, Jen Bernard and Lara Michell, their charming, dainty approach bubbles up with a frisky, flirtatious and tangibly rebellious nature. Flashing a coy smile and a mischievous wink, Shuffle Off to Buffalo leaves fans tickled pink and goggle-eyed, caught between blushing and retreating versus hooting and hollering for encores.
Recommended if you like Cab Calloway, The Boswell Sisters, The Triplets, Belleville.
CD price: $16.00 / MP3 price: $16.00
MIDNIGHT SERENADERS: Magnolia
Bringing together Portland natives as well as transplants from Colorado to the deep south, the Rose City’s newest 20s and 30s jazz getup is already tickling ears and funny bones with the release of their debut album, Magnolia. To see them live, in character, is a delightful treat but lucky for us, all of the personality shines through in this recording. From Dee Settlemier’s spunky, sometimes growling vocals, appropriate for a uke strumming, flapper dressed front-woman, to the signature, perky Hawaiian steel guitar punctuation courtesy of Henry Bogdan, to Doug Sammon’s top hat and gentlemanly vocals, this combo not only brings the charm of vintage jazz and swing but the spirit, the background and all of the wonderful connotations and quirks to boot. Well suited to their name, the Midnight Serenaders specialize in happy music for hard times: appropriate for the 20s and 30s as much as it is relevant today.
Recommended if you like Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong & Billie Holiday.
CD price: $15.00 / MP3 price: $15.00
GORDON WEBSTER: Blues Till Dawn
Few vocalists can transfix their listeners in such a way to render them speechless. In the same vein as Ella and Billie, Brianna Thomas ties the tongue with so much genius in her musicality, that to analyze her approach, to try and capture her presence through words would be futile and bordering on irrelevant. But what may not be as obvious to the listener right off the bat is that of equal elegance and moving artistry: the piano playing of Gordon Webster. Here is a man whose phrases rise up to meet his singer in what is no less than divine conversation: two musical voices, as fluid as smoke rising in the corner of a NY jazz club. Thomas’s brilliance as a deeply feeling vocalist is markedly highlighted by the unusual, emotionally-rich voice that Gordon draws out of the keyboard. He plays the keys as if he were playing a stringed instrument; he’s able to pull out long, supple lines that grow and soar in connected waves. He’s one of the few players who can lift the piano out of the percussion section (with its hammers) and resurrects it in the name of the strings it holds inside, strings that could be bowed if the right player could hear it in his mind’s eye. That player is Webster. This is three-dimensional jazz at its fullest: jazz that shrugs off its own skin simply because its emotional impact is beyond cognitive understanding. When Gordon plays solo, backed by his combo, it’s no different: the music is far beyond being about the notes and rather, simply begins with the story, the emotion, the pure experience.
Recommended if you like Gene Harris, Oscar Peterson, Dianne Reeves.
MP3 price: $15.95
JEFF SANFORD'S CARTOON JAZZ ORCHESTRA: Live At Pearl's
From just the title alone, it’s clear that this live album is filled with goofy, comical and inseparably cartoonish numbers. Featuring the music which composer, Raymond Scott, made in the late 1930s, this 13-piece swinging jazz band takes playful liberties with these soundtracks from Looney Tunes, the Simpson’s, The Ren and Stimpy show, The Animanicacs and Roger Rabbit. Cleverly adapted to sound like standard jazz repertoire and highlighting some of San Francisco’s top musicians, Live at Pearl’s will undoubtedly conjure flashbacks of classic chase scenes, standoffs between Bugs and Elmer and an ever-stubborn Daffy Duck. For those of us who grew up on these cartoons, this is not only a collector’s item but one that will take you back to your childhood in style.
CD price: $14.97 / MP3 price: $14.97
JERSEYBAND: Jerseyband Live: Lung Punch Fantasy
What do you get when you mix the riff heavy elements of metal with some of the more complex aspects of jazz? Ask these guys, and they'll tell you "Lungcore," the genre that they have not only invented, but perfected. If this concept strikes you as a bit grandiose, it's supposed to. But, upon listening to the music, you'll see that they back it up, mixing distorted guitars with a four piece horn section flawlessly. Admittedly, it's not the craziest concept ever, but these guys take it in a direction that most don't dare. Complex time signatures abound, the songs are almost completely instrumental, intricate and never repetitive, with slight silences that are sparse and inevitably torn apart as quickly as they are formed. The band divides the songwriting fairly evenly, and some of these songs certainly sound like they were written as challenges for the other members. The fact that this was recorded live makes this all the more impressive, and the production is of high quality and adds to the overall sound. If you're a fan of Mr. Bungle or abstract rock in general, this is one that demands your attention.
Recommended if you like Mr. Bungle, Estradasphere, Dream Theater.
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $8.00
MARCUS WYATT: Language 12
Moving with liquid ease between trip hop, R&B, standard jazz, bossa nova and Brazilian-enriched Latin hybrids, South African-born trumpet emissary, Marcus Wyatt, guides the way with his remarkably adaptable style and tone that can be as agile and fine as a flute and robust as a tuba. From silky Miles Davis references to an impressive list of international collaborations from Vusi Mahlasela to Courtney Pine to Walter Bishop Junior, it is not surprising that Wyatt has become one of the most sought after players in South Africa and abroad. His new release, Language 12, does an especially impressive job staking out distinctive yet diverse territory, from trip hoppy, downtempo-geared jazz to an expansive and harmony-stretching, funky rock fusion, likely inspired by Herbie Hancock. He does all this without stretching himself thin and without contradicting his own musical statement and identity, whether he’s playing live or with loop-based ideas. The fact that he appears equally at home within standard and contemporary styles, always having an artistic statement to offer, always breathing life into whatever form he enters, has earned Wyatt an enviable reputation among audiences and critics. With 16 tracks to savor, this disc, which plays almost like a mixed tape, has the substance it takes to merit a spot in any jazz collector’s top 10.
CD price: $12.97 / MP3 price: $12.97
ADAM BROCK: All Jazzed Up
As a singer, Adam Brock’s vocal talent is astonishing. However, this multi-talented man has also made impressive strides as an Interior Muralist and Faux Painter, doing a great deal of technical and design work for theater (such as painting for the Ohio Light Opera) as well as commissioned studio paintings. The intensity of this man’s creative spark is almost maddening, considering that he could base an entire career on his voice alone. “All Jazzed Up” showcases his stupefying vocal agility and precision. Even with lickety-split, up-tempo numbers like Lady Be Good, his pitch is dead-on, his vocal style and personality rock solid. His childhood influences of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Ray Charles are clear and delightful. Just like with any professional jazz singer, his technique and attention to meticulous musicianship are only the foundation on which his expression and musicality are built. His friendly, full-bodied voice sits perfectly with this combo, despite the fact that he doesn’t limit himself to the jazz genre. Coming from a wild Sinatra fan, Adam Brock is one gifted man to keep your eye on.
Recommended if you like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé.
CD price: $15.00