Rudresh Mahanthappa Gamak Act Music & Vision
“Gamak” is jazz alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa’s 13th
album. Mahanthappa isn't a chart topping recording artist, but over the course of
his career he’s managed to put out a string of stellar jazz albums that straddles
the lines of post-bop and free jazz. Plus, Mahanthappa is the leading alto
player of the day. Clearly, on “Gamak,” which Mahanthappa wrote all the songs, was shooting for something more experimental than on his other
albums and his work with the excellent outfit Apex. “Gamak” is a jazz-rock fusion affair, but you wonder if it would’ve been less stunning without the participation
of guitarist David “Fuze” Fiuczynski who serves as a tour guide for Mahanthappa,
drummer Dan Weiss and bassist Francois Moutin on this unexplored terrain. To Mahanthappa’s credit, he never allows the experimenting on this adventure to sour or to go awry.
Jose James no beginning no end Blue Note Records
Jazz vocalist Jose James is coming of age in an era where
many jazz musicians such as Robert Glasper, and Esperanza Spalding, lack
self-direction but are getting a lot of press for being innovative.
What they and others of their generation and elk are into is hardly
innovative, but they’ve managed to pull the wool over many music writer’s eyes.
James, a little dude with a baritone voice that begs likening to the late Joe
Williams, is the real deal though his big label debut “no beginning no end” out
recently on Blue Note Records doesn’t scratch the surface of how special James is. James has four other albums “Blackmagic,” “For All We Know,” “Dreamer”
and “Jungle to Jungle” on the market that offers a more definitive helping of his overall
sweetness. “no beginning no end” removes James from his jazz habitat and cast
him as a R&B crooner. On this album of mostly love songs, James
is on cruise control throughout.
Grace Kelly Grace Kelly Live at Sculler Pazz Production
The alto saxophonist and vocalist Grace Kelly is an amazing
young lady. No one familiar with her recording output would argue differently.
Kelly released her first studio album when she was 14. To date she has
seven albums two co-led with the great Phil Woods and Lee Konitz. Kelly has a
sweet tone on alto, but she’s not the powerhouse player Anat Cohen and Tia
Fuller are. “Grace Kelly Live at Scullers” is Kelly’s new baby. On it, Kelly focuses
on singing. The album, which is not Kelly's masterpiece, proves right now she’s a
better saxophonist. Her voice isn’t fully bloomed yet and it still has a puppy love innocence.
Although this album was an ambitious undertaking at this leg of her career, Kelly would’ve been better
served adhering to the formula that made some of her other albums—“Gracefullee,” “Mood
Changes,” and “Man with the Hat”—worthwhile.
Myriad3 Tell Alama Records
You probably haven't heard of the jazz trio Myriad3 or their
ball-buster new album “Tell”. The trio is from Canada. Chris Donnelly is the
pianist, Ernesto Cervini the drummer and Dan Forlin the bassist and at some
point they will be compared to the jazz trio Bad Plus. Personally, I think Myriad3 is a
tighter trio and swings harder. I tender this album as evidence. Many will side with me after listening to " "Fractured," "C Jam Blues," "Drifters" and "Mr. Awkward". “Tell” is more about collective virtuosity
than anything.
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