New Releases Spotlight: Week of September 26, 2016

This week in the Music Lounge, our music director Paul Abella reviews three new releases, including John Scofield’s long-awaited, and much talked about, Country for Old Men!

But first…  Thanks to Ernest Dawkins, a few of Chicago’s young up-and-coming jazz players have put out an album together called Coming of Age.  Dawkins’s Live the Spirit Residency has produced a disc featuring Alexis Lombre (piano), Isaiah Collier (saxophone), his brother Jeremiah (drums) and James Wenzel (bass), collectively called The Young Masters. Now, the name might sound boastful, but wait until you hear these folks play.  Ms. Lombre has a ton of chops and a great melodic sense, Isaiah Collier is an exciting saxophonist, Jeremiah blends hip-hop and swing rhythms effortlessly, and Wenzel is a grooving bassist and an interesting soloist.  If you want to have your mind (and ears) blown, wait ‘til you hear "Blues in Tyne" for you.  Quite frankly, these kids ain’t messin’ around.  And if you want to hear Alexis Lombre shine, check out the trio feature, "I’m Tired."

Shawn Maxwell has a new group, and a new CD.  Shawn Maxwell’s New Tomorrow features the alto saxophonist and flautist together with the rhythm section of Matt Nelson (keys), Junius Paul (bass) and Phil Beale (drums) and a trio of trumpeters, Corey Wilkes, Chad McCullough and Victor Garcia.  Maxwell has hinted at jazz-funk-prog fusion before on previous albums, but never has the funk been more overt than it is throughout New Tomorrow.  He’s clearly got the chops and the players to pull off the concept.  There’s some interesting writing and playing throughout New Tomorrow – "Embraceable Excuses" is a genuinely interesting odd meter romp, "Saturday Morning Dance" is nicely played, and "Three Kinds of Heat" great arrangement gets a far bigger sound than the two horns that are playing on it.  Personally, I find it quite amusing that the most in-the-pocket, grooving, get-right-to-it tune here is called "Throw Away Tune #2."  If you like modern jazz, there’s a lot to like on Shawn Maxwell’s New Tomorrow. WDCB is sponsoring Shawn’s CD release party for New Tomorrow at City Winery, for its noon brunch performance on Sunday, October 2nd.

I never do this.  I never go on and on about a record, but I just started writing and didn’t stop for a minute, so indulge me while I tell you a little bit about John Scofield’s newest, Country for Old Men.

I’m not going to lie.  There’s no way I can review this release objectively.  Scofield is quite possibly my favorite jazz guitarist, and this disc puts him back together with 3/5 of the band that I saw tear-up the old Jazz Showcase on Grand a bunch of times.  Now have them play a bunch of folk and country tunes like their lives depend on it.  There’s no way this is not going to be amazing.

And amazing it is.  He’s joined by some old buddies, pianist/organist Larry Goldings, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Stewart.  These guys have played together a ton over the years, and the camaraderie shows in the interplay throughout.  For those who might dismiss country music as not worthy material for jazz, this album is a revelation.  On Hank Williams’ "I’m So Lonely I Could Cry," Scofield and Goldings play with the same ferocity and abandon that make "Do Like Eddie" (from Hand Jive) a masterpiece.  Sco’s solo is filled with twists, turns, shards of feedback and his own personal brand of twang, and when it comes to Larry’s turn, he busts out a noise filled solo that wouldn’t sound out of place on an avant-garde record.  And then it’s back to Hank Williams’ dustbowl version of the Blues. Dolly Parton’s "Jolene" gets waaaayyyyy slowed down, which only works to intensify the song to a shocking degree.  The end result is one of the shining moments of Scofield’s career.  I’ve always been a fan of Western Swing, so hearing Bob Wills’ "Faded Love" is a treat. Merle Haggard’s "Mama Tried" may work just a little less well, but as a Deadhead, that one’s had sentimental value for me for years.  Finally, "You’re Still the One" (yeah, a Shania Twain tune) gets a gorgeous reading here – this is the second jazz version of it I’ve heard, and both prove that in the future, the new jazz standards are going to come from varied sources.  This one’s already on my “Top 10 of 2016” list.

Next week, we’ll talk about new music from Eric Alexander and more!   ‘Til next time…keep your ears open!