Who’s at Jazz Fest? …with Paul Abella
So many of our local jazz artists are performing this weekend at Chicago Jazz Fest! Here’s the complete schedule. Some of them released albums over the past year that I reviewed in this column, so I’ve compiled a retrospective of those today.
Alyssa Allgood – From Here (Next Records)
Chicago-based vocalist Alyssa Allgood pulled together a team of heavyweights for the disc; saxophonist Greg Ward, pianist Geoffrey Keezer, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Kendrick Scott all play with the desired sensitivity and heft to make this largely original program come to life. With the exceptions of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” and the Lerner and Lowe standard “On a Clear Day,” Allgood wrote all of the music here. “Brave Little Flower” is a highlight, a mini-suite of sorts that changes groove, tempo and mood throughout its six-minute plus span. “Above All Else” is a duet feature for Keezer and Allgood, and “No Good” features some fun scatting and trading with Kendrick Scott. From Here is a bold album that takes chances and rewards its listeners with clever wordplay and excellent musicianship. Ms. Allgood should be proud.
Ben Paterson – Cookin’ in the Couve (Cellar Music)
Chicago pianist (and organist, but pianist here) Ben Paterson released a new album called Cookin’ in the Couve. On it, he’s joined by bassist Neal Miner and drummer Aaron Seeber for a program that is alternately wistful and deeply bluesy. On the standard “’Tis Autumn,” you can hear the nostalgia dripping off the piano keys. But on “Chitlins Con Carne,” or “This Here,” Ben’s as greasy on the piano as he is behind the mighty B-3. Paterson, Miner and Seeber are swingin’ for the fences on Ben’s “Up the Exchange,” and they sound positively lovely on the French standard “Quel Temps Fait Il a Paris.” If this CD is a taste of how Ben sounded when he was cookin’ in the Couve, then the audiences at Frankie’s Jazz Club must have had a great time, indeed!
Maddie Vogler – While We Have Time (Origin)
Chicagoan Maddie Vogler has put together an impressive project with her new album, While We Have Time. Having recently graduated from the University of Illinois, she put together this debut album with a sextet featuring Tito Carrillo on trumpet, Matt Gold on guitar, Jake Shapiro on piano, Samuel Peters on bass and Neil Hemphill on drums. The leadoff track, “The Need to Be” is a fantastic song and arrangement that sounds like a slice of late 60’s Blue Note at its finest. “Hymn for August” while brief, is a lovely duet for saxophone and piano that I wish was quite a bit longer than its 1:45 runtime. Vogler proves to be a composer, arranger and player off to a fantastic start with While We Have Time. I look forward to hearing her much more often.
Neal Alger – Old Souls (Calligram Records)
Chicago based guitarist Neal Alger has finally released some new music that I think Jazz fans are going to love. Old Souls features a stellar band, with trumpeter Chad McCullough, saxophonist Chris Madsen, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall. Playing through a set of almost all original material, this group sounds delightful. “This is Not a Test” is my favorite song on here, at least as of right now. It’s a medium tempo swinger with a knotty melody that gives way to propulsive solos from Madsen, Hall and Alger. “Go with the Sco-Flow” tips its hat to John Scofield’s rhythmic phrasing without attempting to copy Sco’s immediately recognizable tone. The first minute or so of “Choro Delinquente” might give off strong samba vibes at first, but that gives way to a menacing funky groove, which then makes another twist and then yet another. It’s Whitney Balliet’s quote about Jazz being the “sound of surprise” come to life. Old Souls is a delightful album.
Ben Waltzer – The Point (Calligram Records)
Pianist Ben Waltzer recorded a new album with a fantastic band of Chicago talent backing him up for his latest, The Point. Geof Bradfield plays tenor sax and bass clarinet, and Clark Sommers & Dana Hall take up their usual positions at the bass and drums. Among the seven tracks, Waltzer, Bradfield and Sommers each contributed two tracks, and Billy Strayhorn was kind enough to lend his beautiful composition, “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing.” As is custom at ProMusica studios, where this was recorded, there was a “studio” session and a “live” session. Most of The Point is live, and the band is clearly feeding off the energy of the crowd assembled to hear them play. Bradfield’s “Kintsugi” is a spirited way to get the proceedings going, with the muscular rhythm section giving Bradfield a big wave to ride for as long as he wants. I’m finding myself at least as charmed with “Skyward” and “Six Nails,” and Hall’s hypnotic groove to set up “No Map” is a thing of beauty, too.
Entre Amigos – Magpie: The Music of Joe Clark (self-produced)
No, Entre Amigos is not playing Jazz Fest, but pianist Hana Fujisaki is! Check out this review from June If you want proof of how tight-knit the Chicago Jazz scene is, look no further than the latest album by Entre Amigos, Magpie: The Music of Joe Clark. Whether with the BS Brass Band, The Joe Clark Big Band, or in tandem with the graphic novels he’s had a hand in, Clark has a big brain filled with a lot of great music. If that wasn’t already evident, Entre Amigos will be doing their best to show some proof. Roy McGrath (saxophones), Hana Fujisaki (piano), Kitt Lyles (bass) and Gustavo Cortiñas (drums) make for an excellent quartet. “Potato” is a mid-tempo swinger that’ll have you bobbing your head while you listen. “Bernard” spends its eight minutes building a solid head of steam, starting off as a song in search of a film noir soundtrack, and by the end, it’s a powerful tour de force. “Magpie” is a nice ballad, and “The Parliament” is a laid back samba. For only six songs, Magpie: The Music of Joe Clark covers a lot of ground. Now I’m looking forward to a part two in a series of Music of Joe Clark releases.
