The Reggie Workman Ensemble - Synthesis (Leo, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Reggie Workman (b); Oliver Lake (reeds); Marilyn Crispell (p); Andrew Cyrille (d)

Recorded June 15, 1986

Scrolling through Reggie Workman's recording credits is like scanning the last 60 years of jazz, which is about the duration of my own relationship with jazz as a listener. He played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the early 1960s and behind virtually every other great jazz artist of the era - Coltrane, Shorter, Mobley, Hubbard, Lateef, Moody, Shepp, Morgan etc. etc. 

The albums that Workman has led are quite different from the staple post-bop of the 1960s. Synthesis finds him leading a quartet of like-minded spirits associated with free improvisation. It's much less structured than the music he played at the beginning of his career. The group has no problem in adjusting either to Workman's compositions or to one piece composed by pianist Marilyn Crispell. All tracks were recorded live at the Painted Bride, Philadelphia. 

Synthesis begins with "Martyr's Hymn," a solemn piece featuring Oliver Lake on flute backed by Workman's arco bass. While free in conception, it's completely coherent. This is true of all the selections on the album, even the intense "Chant," written by Crispell. She also performs a wonderful inside/outside solo on "Synapse II." Overall, there is plenty of variety on display, aided by the uncredited playing of what sounds like a recorder and bells. The audience is clearly appreciative of the trio. 

The CD reissue of Synthesis contains one additional track, "Earthly Garden," which is also the longest piece on the album at 15:08. I used to own the CD, but now only have the LP, which I find to be a little more focused.

Crispell, shown balancing on one foot on the album sleeve's rear cover, came to the attention of the jazz world during the 1980s. Based in upstate New York, she was transformed from a classical pianist into a jazz performer after hearing John Coltrane's A Love Supreme in 1974. (Her solo tribute to Coltrane is the subject of a later post). Crispell's early work involved free playing and intense clusters, similar to those of Cecil Taylor. She was a key member of Anthony Braxton's quartet, which recorded several albums in the 1980s and 1990s (see our post for Braxton's Six Compositions (Quartet) 1984). Later, Crispell recorded a series of ECM recordings that revealed her quieter, but no less explorative, side. Both of these aspects of her playing are evident on Synthesis. 

Workman, Lake, and Andrew Cyrille continue to perform under the moniker of Trio 3. They have released eleven albums, most on the Intakt label. These are well worth investigating. Two of Workman's albums from the 1990s are also highly recommended: 

Summit Conference (Postcards, 1994)

Cerebral Caverns (Postcards, 1995)

Dennis González New Dallas Quartet - Stefan (Silkheart, 1987)

This post is by Dan

Dennis González (tr); John Purcell (bcl, fl, enhn, syn, vo); Henry Franklin (b, vo); W.A. Richardson (d)

Recorded April 4 and 5, 1986

One does not usually associate the state of Texas with the jazz avant garde, but that was Dennis González's vision as an activist and trumpet player. His Dallas Association for Avant-Garde and Neo Impressionistic Music (daagnim) was both a group of musicians patterned after Chicago's AACM and a record label. 

Stefan, named after González's son, was the first of several albums that he led and produced for the Swedish Silkheart label. González also appeared on albums by Charles Brackeen, whom he lured out of retirement. Brackeen's Bannar album will be covered in a later post. Many of Silkheart's releases were recorded in Dallas at Omega Audio and distributed by the Danish Storyville label. Multinational, to be sure.

I consider Stefan to be González's best record and performed by his best band. For starters, he's got John Purcell, who not only brings his array of reeds (especially bass clarinet) but also arranges the first three tracks and composes the closing track, "Deacon John Ray." He appears on several other albums reviewed in our blog, in groups led by Jack DeJohnette, Chico Freeman, and others. 

Purcell's magic touch graces all of Stefan, but two short tracks stand out as exquisite gems: "Fortuity" and "Boi Fubá." It's impossible to classify such extraordinary music, and as González explains, the 2:15 minute "Fortuity" "makes you want more, but leaves you satisfied that the statement is complete." "Boi Fubá" at 3:00, features González playing six different Brazilian instruments with Purcell on bass flute. Extraordinary!

All four musicians contribute vocals to the title track. These brief voice-overs capture the street scene in New Orleans and add context to the longer piece. As explained by Russ Summers in the liner notes: 

"Here, Purcell is a fruits and flesh merchant, W.A. Richardson is a hard-nosed preacher, and Henry Franklin is a civil rights activist. Gonzalez represents the much ignored Spanish flavor of New Orleans while he ponders the mysteries of life [in Spanish]."

The recording is digital and both CD and LP versions were released. The CD version adds a track, "Doxy," that was recorded 10 months later. The vinyl pressing is DMM (Direct Metal Mastering) and is very good. No quibbles about the recording or the mastering.

González died of health complications on March 15, 2022, at age 67.

Edward Vesala - Lumi (ECM, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Edward Vesala (d, perc); Esko Heikkinen (tr); Tom Bildo (tb, tba); Pentti Lahti (as, bs, fl); Jorma Tapio (as, cl, bcl, fl); Tapani Rinne (ts, ss, cl, bcl); Kari Heinilä (ts, ss, fl); Raoul Björkenheim (g); Taito Vainio (acc); Iro Haarla (p, hp); Häkä (b)

Recorded June 1986

Listening for the first time to Lumi was a stunning auditory experience. I had read about Edward Vesala and this album and searched for it a long time. I finally found the CD in an Oslo record store in 2005. The music perfectly matches the most persuasive review I had consulted, published in the Penguin Guide to Jazz. Here is what critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton wrote about it:

"Vesala produced one unqualified masterpiece, Lumi. Even its cover, of a shrouded, Golem-like figure on an empty road under a threatening sky, suggests something of Vesala's distinctive combination of almost Gothic intensity and sheer playfulness" (Penguin Guide to Jazz, 7th ed., p. 1620). 

"The Wind," the opening track on Lumi, is one of the most spellbinding musical experiences I have ever heard. The piece builds slowly and ominously during a beautifully orchestrated sequence that fits the album cover imagery. It segues into "Frozen Melody," which consists of variations on a repeated (frozen) minor phrase. The remainder of the album offers similar orchestrations capturing less brooding emotional states - the playfulness that Cook and Morton describe.

Vesala's gift for arranging orchestral details results in unique textures and colors that invite comparisons with the arrangements of Gil Evans or Maria Schneider, although on a different emotional level. I am tempted to describe Vesala's music as "bleak," but it's simultaneously uplifting and grand. Like the best jazz, emotional content is complex and not easy to explain. 

Vesala recorded other albums with his large ensemble that he called Sound and Fury, comprised mostly of his students and his wife, Iro Haarla. Nothing can match Lumi, but the albums listed below are well worth pursuing. Haarla in particular appears to have adopted her deceased husband's muse (Vesala died in 1999 at age 54) in a series of outstanding recordings on ECM and TUM.

Both the CD and the LP versions of Lumi capture the complex detail that is essential to Vesala's conceptions. The LP is superior sonically but also scarce. Streamers can access Lumi on Qobuz and perhaps other services. 

I recommend anyone unfamiliar with Lumi to treat yourself to a sonic pleasure unlike any other. 

Recommended albums:

Edward Vesala's Sound and Fury

    Ode to the Death of Jazz (ECM, 1990)

    Invisible Storm (ECM, 1992)

    Nordic Gallery (ECM, 1994)

Iro Haarla:

    Northbound (ECM, 2005)

    Vespers (ECM, 2010)

    Kolibri (TUM, 2010)

    Ante Lucern (ECM, 2012)

Pierre Dørge & New Jungle Orchestra - Even the Moon Is Dancing (SteepleChase, 1985)

This post is by Scott

Pierre Dørge (g, bal, vo, cond); Harry Beckett (tr, flgn); Kenneth Agerholm (tb, African hn); Niels Neergaard (tb, African hn); Jesper Zeuthen (as); Doudou Gouirand (as, ss); Søren Eriksen (as, ss); Morten Carlsen (ts, fl, bsx, cl, tárogató, ob); John Tchicai (ts, vo); Irene Becker (kybds, vo, caxixi); Bent Clausen (vib, perc, siren); Hugo Rasmussen (b); Johnny "Mbizo" Dyani (b, p, vo); Ahmadu Jarr (African perc, train fl); Marilyn Mazur (d, kal, bells)

Recorded on July 30, 1985

Pierre Dørge's post-modern big band melds a delicious jumble of influences, and it's loaded with distinctive soloists.  Combined with Dørge's unique compositions, the group makes a formidable impact.  Beginning with what feels like a statement of intent, the disc opens with an updated version of Ellington's "The Mooche" that captures the whimsicality and otherworldliness of the original.  They also reprise "The Mooche" briefly at the very end of the album, as a sort of bookend, a reminder of the footsteps in which they're traveling.  (Of course, the name that Dørge chose for his band is yet another tip of the cap in Ellington's direction.)  The second cut, Dørge's "Suho Ning Samo," is joyous and dancing with Dørge's guitar sounding of Afro-pop.  Other tracks are long and flowing, evoking a palpable sense of journey and discovery.  Running through it all, there's an omni-present sense of Africa, of rhythm -- and it's joined with a feeling of striving for the furthest reaches of the cosmos.  In this regard, Even the Moon Is Dancing not only builds upon the bedrock of Ellington but also echoes Sun Ra and his Arkestra's ecstatic, intergalactic flights.

Pepper Adams - The Adams Effect (Uptown, 1988)

This post is by Scott

Pepper Adams (bs); Frank Foster (ts); Tommy Flanagan (p); Ron Carter (b); Billy Hart (d)

Recorded on June 25 & 26, 1985

When I began compiling my selections for this survey, I immediately knew The Adams Effect would be included.  It's one of those records that I've always enjoyed, for all sorts of reasons.  Pepper Adams and Frank Foster are two of my favorite sax men.  They make an irresistible front line, and it's wonderful hearing the sound they make together.  Adams wrote all seven pieces on the album, and his compositions are consistently interesting.  The Flanagan-Carter-Hart rhythm section is impeccable.  

In short, it's one of those albums where everything comes together perfectly, and the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts.

More Pepper Adams

Urban Dreams (PAJ/Quicksilver, 1981) is another excellent Pepper Adams LP from the decade.  Produced by Bob Porter, it's a quartet date with Jimmy Rowles, George Mraz, and seemingly omnipresent Billy Hart.

George Cables - Phantom of the City (Contemporary, 1985)

This post is by Scott

George Cables (p); John Heard (b); Tony Williams (d)

Recorded on May 14 & 15, 1985

In an interview with Ethan Iverson on his Do the Math blog, George Cables discussed the making of Phantom of the City:

GC: Oh yeah, I was so thrilled that Tony would do this record with me, and John Heard.

EI: How did you get Tony involved?

GC: I just asked him. I was going to ask Billy Higgins or Tony Williams, and I said, let me ask Tony first. I just asked, him, you know said I had a date coming up. And he sounded great: I was thrilled. He put that introduction on “Phantom of the City” that was great. He did a rehearsal at his house, and “Phantom of the City” we almost forgot to do it on the date, and Tony said “Didn’t you have another piece?” “Oh yeah, ‘Phantom of the City’!”. I was the producer on this, so I had a lot of other things on my mind, but I forgot about the main song! Tony had a thing on there [sings drum intro], I remember, he worked that out, it was fascinating at the rehearsal to see Tony Williams work out this [sings drum beat]. I thought that really kind of made the piece.

EI: One thing about this record is you can hear how much Tony is swinging in that style, playing in a piano trio so beautifully, you know?

GC: Oh man, and his sound, we got in the studio, it was Ralph Kaffel’s [president of Fantasy Records] son Phil Kaffel who was the engineer and he was so good, he had Tony’s sound down like that. Tony had a sound that was easy, voom, there it is. “You got it already?!?” That was great, I loved it. Loved working with him.

EI: That one needs to come out on CD, that’s a great record.

GC: I wish it would.

One should also note that four of the seven cuts on the LP are Cables' own compositions.  

He's a terrific composer, and this is a terrific album.

Jimmy Knepper - Dream Dancing (Criss Cross, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Jimmy Knepper (tb); Ralph Moore (ts); Dick Katz (p); George Mraz (b); Victor Lewis (d)

Recorded April 3, 1986

Dream Dancing is my second Jimmy Knepper post following 1982's I Dream Too Much. Except for the leader and George Mraz, it's a different line up including the saxophone of Ralph Moore instead of the brass ensemble All tunes are standards except for two Knepper originals. Although not exactly a "concept album," Dream Dancing has a bit of an old-timey vibe to it, perhaps because of the choice of material by composers Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, and Gordon Jenkins. Even Knepper's originals retain a retro sensibility that is the album's defining attribute. 

The surprise group member here is Dick Katz, the 62-year-old veteran pianist with recording credits dating back to 1953. I like the way he solos, as if the whole history of jazz is being used to inform his improvisations. His most intriguing contribution comes on "Of Things Past," one of Knepper's originals. He plays a brief intro to Knepper's melody statement and returns with an exceptional solo after the trombone solo. (Moore sits this tune out). Katz's playing has graced hundreds of jazz albums over his career. He died in 2009 at age 85. 

Ralph Moore, by contrast, was just ramping up his career in the 1980s, recording for the Criss Cross and Landmark labels. His Rejuvenate! album will be reviewed in a future post. Moore has a unique sound on the tenor that pairs beautifully with Knepper's trombone. (A tenor-bone pairing is also exploited on Rejuvenate!). His approach to constructing solos is to build novel ideas from simple phrases and to avoid trickery such as over-blowing and accelerating tempos. Like Knepper, he keeps the melody of any tune in mind while building variations outward. 

Moore and Knepper adopt a clever way to state the melodies of the standard tunes. Rather than playing in unison, as they do on "In the Interim" (a Knepper original), Moore plays a counter melody behind Knepper. This is heard to greatest effect on "Goodbye" and "All Through the Night." On the latter tune, they trade roles on the final bars of the melody statement, so that Knepper now plays the shadow, alternative melody behind Moore. On "This Time the Dream Is on Me," Knepper again plays the counter melody. These are delightful moments that help to enliven the standards program.

Dream Dancing was recorded in the Van Gelder studio. The CD includes three tracks not on the LP. I have not heard these. 

Stan Getz - Voyage (BlackHawk, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Stan Getz (ts); Kenny Barron (p); George Mraz (b); Victor Lewis (d); Babatunde (congas & brushes on one track only)

Recorded February 26 and 27, 1986

My oldest brother was the biggest influence on my appreciation of jazz, which began when I was about 12 years old. So when he told me in the late 1980s that Stan Getz's Voyage was one of the best albums he'd ever heard, I had to take note. At the time, the only Getz album I owned was Sweet Rain (Verve, 1967).

As a bass player himself, my brother also clued me into George Mraz, who plays bass on Voyage. I've been raving about Mraz in my previous posts. There's a completeness to his playing in any setting that makes the difference between a routine jazz gig and an exceptional one.

It is a great discovery to find both Mraz and Kenny Barron playing behind the legendary Getz in an acoustic quartet that includes the inestimable Victor Lewis. If anything, actually hearing this album exceeds the high expectations one might have for it. This was a prime period for Getz as he returned to his primary strengths as a swinging improvisor with a magnificent sound. 

There are only two standard ballads on the album: "I Thought About You" and "Yesterdays." The rest are composed by Barron, Lewis, and Victor Feldman. The opening "I Wanted to Say," penned by Lewis, has a mysterious melody and changes that afford the soloists ample opportunity to find more interesting phrases than are usually associated with the standards songbook. The standards are full of sublime group moments, such as the segue from Getz's solo to Barron's on "I Thought About You." The standout title tune by Barron comes last, and it's by now a jazz staple. 

Everything works to perfection on every track, even Babatunde's Latin percussion on "Dreams." The original cover art by Aiko Suzuki, titled "Stan Get[z] Blue," stands as a visual representation of the quartet's high art.  

Great playing throughout, great recording and production, and great chemistry among the band. Not much more you could wish for. Don't let this one escape attention in the crowded Getz discography. It just might be his best ever!!