New Listen: Stan Getz’s ‘Serenity’

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Artist: Stan Getz
Album: Serenity (1991)

This album is the lesser-known counterpart to Getz’s Anniversary, an album I purchased about a year ago and have been unable to put down since.  They are both a product of the same live date: July 6, 1987 at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, Denmark. That night, Getz celebrated his 60th birthday in style, accompanied by a powerhouse rhythm section and a warm audience. Anniversary quickly became (and remains) one of my favorite straight-ahead jazz albums, and Serenity is now following suit.

Originally intended to be released together, production issues caused a delay of this “second half,” making it the lesser-known “B-side” of sorts. Like its counterpart, Serenity is a straight-ahead romp for the ages. (Those looking to get their Bossa Nova fix should look elsewhere.) Also, like Anniversary, it features mostly standards – “On Green Dolphin Street,” “I Remember You,” and “I Love You” – as well as Kenny Barron’s “Voyage” and Victor Feldman’s “Falling In Love.” The lineup is:
Stan Getz – Saxophone
Kenny Barron – Piano
Victor Lewis – Drums
Rufus Reid – Bass

I can’t say enough good about this album. Overall, it’s filled with medium- and uptempo tunes, with each one being a bit quicker than the previous, culminating with a swiftly floating “I Love You.” The standards are especially given “straight-ahead” treatment with everything falling pretty much “inside.” That’s not to say it’s at all boring, however – quite the opposite, actually, as the group has much fun with the standards. The band displays its “edgiest” playing on Barron’s “Voyage,” with Getz’s tone at times becoming brassy. (Perhaps because it’s an original?) And, conversely, the band’s gentlest playing is on the other non-standard: “Falling In Love,” the album’s only ballad. Throughout, all four musicians receive ample solo space. “I Remember You” and “Voyage” are the standout tracks here, with the band burning individually and collectively on each. The latter’s unison melody between saxophone and piano is a nice contrast to the rest of the album’s sax-centric melodies.

As some of you may know, it can often be difficult to find good (relatively) contemporary recordings of standards that aren’t too overly-manipulated or arranged. There’s such pressure for everyone to make everything his/her own these days that often there’s a paucity of players just blowing changes (on record, at least). Not that I want that all the time, but every now and again is nice. And when it’s done well, as is the case with Serenity, it is so good. No frills here, just four seasoned veterans improvising and feeding off of one another  and the audience. A must have for any serious jazz fan, in my opinion.

Album links:
Amazon
iTunes

MTH-V: Lieb & The Dave Liebman Group

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I had a few other contenders in the running for this week’s posting, but decided to post the below video in honor of the amazing Dave Liebman Group performance I attended Sunday evening at Western Michigan University. Without turning this post into a full-blown concert review, suffice it to say that Sunday’s performance was mind-blowing, as expected. It wasn’t my first DLG show, and those  readers of this blog are likely familiar with my quasi-fanatic enthusiasm for Dave Liebman. (I was fortunate enough to take a lesson with him at his home in 2005, a lesson from which I’m still learning…) In case you’re unfamiliar with Liebman’s work and/or style, this week’s video serves as a nice primer. And if you already are acquainted with Lieb, hopefully it offers something new.

This video has been a favorite of mine for over five years. It was originally released in 2006 as part of Bret Primack‘s now-defunct Jazz Video Podcasts series. (Primack has done many wonderful things for documenting jazz on the internet over the years.) Bret offers a brief biographical introduction to Liebman specifically (under which you can see some classic footage of Quest), followed by a wonderful interview excerpt. Here Lieb succinctly describes his pedagogical approach. “3-H Club” (Head, Hands, Heart) may seem cute at first, but it runs deep and true.

The bulk of the video features the Dave Liebman Group live in Brazil performing Liebman’s “Nars Dream” (a contrafact of “Nardis”). While it may seem pretty “straight ahead” for DLG, it features a number of the group’s trademarks: fluidly shifting grooves, heterophonic sax & guitar interplay, complex harmonic extension, and a complete no-holds-barred, nothing-to-lose attitude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvPQWPfQp08

Dave Liebman Group:
Dave Liebman – Saxophone
Vic Juris – Guitar
Marko Marcinko – Drums
Tony Marino – Bass

While “Nars Dream” is no free improvisation, you can still get a sense of the near-telepathic level at which this group operates. (Of course, when you have a working improvisatory group of virtuosos for two decades, that’s what happens.) If this is your first taste of Dave Liebman or DLG, I hope you like it and seek out more. The discography for both is immense, and there is a decent amount of YouTube footage of the last year of DLG’s performances alone. (For example, try to watch this and sit still…)

Two “New Listens” for Liebman’s work can be found here and here.

(PS — Try not to snicker too much at the new-but-not-quite-clever title for the video series, MTH-V. Short and to the point.)

MTH-V: Marcus Miller trifecta

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Disclaimer: Those who solely listen “seriously” at all times might not appreciate these. Otherwise, have fun and click away. 🙂

For this week, I’ve decided on a “threefer.” Mainly because, although I do have a favorite of the three, they’re all worth posting (for different reasons), and best posted in tandem. The below videos are all of Marcus Miller‘s “Run For Cover,” performed live with different bands (two are similar, but none are the same), spanning from 1984 into the mid-1990s. I know Marcus can be a touchy subject for a number of “serious jazz musicians” because he sits comfortably on the border of smooth jazz. And I can definitely sympathize with the criticisms. His studio albums (as a leader and/or producer) are hit and miss for me – generally I’ll really like a handful of tunes and ignore the rest. But live and as a sideman, I can’t get enough. (Because of this, he fascinates me endlessly.)

I’ll post the three videos in chronological order, with brief notes for each. Bassists may recognize because of the main bassline in the introductory vamp. Now, one question you may be wondering is: Mike, why are you posting something so cheesy? The answer is simple: because it’s good! As Jeff Coffin says, he likes music that moves him: moves his head, moves his heart, and/or moves his body – it needs to do one of those things to grab him. Marcus definitely succeeds in moving the body here…

1. David Sanborn w. Marcus Miller (1984) — This comes from a live concert that was later released as Sanborn’s Straight to the Heart (1984). I wish I could find a DVD of this concert, as the album was severely compromised by over-producing (e.g., overdubbing awful synth lines, etc.). This stripped-down performance with top-notch session- and sidemen is pretty solid, though. (Notes: Ignore Hiram Bullock’s dancing. There’s a bass intro, and the actual tune starts at ~1:59. And Sanborn makes his chops known.)

2.  Marcus Miller Project (1991) — This performance is from Japan’s famous Live Under The Sky festival. Marcus is the leader this time, and it features many musicians who remain in his band (on and off) to this day. This is the most high-octane performance of the three, and for that reason it’s arguably my favorite. (Being 1991, though, the clothes are another story…do your best to ignore…) It’s pretty cheesy, but it is FUN! And after all, they’re not striving for “high art.” They’re looking to move the audience in their seats, and get them on their feet. They definitely succeed. (Note: Ignore the dancing & gyrating, especially from Everette Harp.) Also, Harp may fall in the smooth camp, but there’s no denying his skill here. Fortunately, he moves out of the smooth territory quickly in his solo.
PS — Make sure to catch Poogie Bell’s “Button Your Fly” t-shirt during the drum solo! 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk18rgFyt_Y

3. Marcus Miller Band (mid-1990s?) — For the “serious” listeners, this one’s for you. (Except for Patches Stewart’s trumpet solo — he thinks he’s Miles…and isn’t…) An updated band from the second video, and Hiram Bullock is back on guitar and still dancing. But the addition of KENNY GARRETT (!) brings the gravitas the doctor ordered — it’s a great palette cleanser after watching the first two videos in succession. 🙂 His solo is unfortunately short, but he takes it exactly where it needs to go. (Note: ignore the trumpet solo…if it weren’t for that part, this’d probably be my favorite of the three.)

MTH-V: Manu Katché live

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I’ve been wanting to start occasionally posting videos for a couple months but have held off. I wanted there to be some consistency – perhaps making them a semi-regular aspect of this blog – and also for the posts to be relatively informative. I didn’t want to simply post a YouTube link with some exclamation points, but rather offer some brief context and/or history as to why I selected it/them. (Somewhat akin to the “New Listen” series.) Nothing lengthy, but more than just a link.

Attempting consistency, I’ve chosen a video by Manu Katché Group as the debut post. (Regularly readers may know that Manu Katché’s Third Round was the debut “New Listen” post a little over a year ago.)

Personnel:
Manu Katché – drums
Tore Brunborg – saxophones
Mathias Eick – trumpet
Jason Rebello – piano
Jerome Regard – bass

Tunes:
“Miles Away”
“Clubbing”

I really wish I could’ve been fortunate enough to have seen this particular lineup on this (European) tour! A number of ECM staples, especially Katché and Eick, and a saxophonist I’ve become quite taken with over the last 13 months, Tore Brunborg. (He’s featured on Third Round, and is also on Eick’s latest album.) The whole concert largely features material from Neighbourhood and Playground, and this particular clip includes one tune from each album. (The whole concert, divided into 6 clips, is available for viewing, but this particular clip is by far my favorite. I’ve seen/listened to it probably over 150 times over the last few months…)

[UPDATE: Much of this concert has been periodically removed from YouTube over the years, but “Clubbing” remains.]

This group plays together very well. Brunborg and Eick take different approaches on both tunes (especially “Clubbing,” the latter), and the rhythm section fluidly follows suit each time, giving and taking with ease. Also, a real treat of this performance is to hear these musicians in an intense, often barn-burning, “straight-ahead” setting, something Katché practically avoids on his studio albums.

If you like this one, definitely take the time to watch the entire concert (~1 hour) if you can.

“Clubbing”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M5N8f55508

Artistic Direction & “Choice” (TPK Edition)

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Having moved back to Michigan, I’ve resumed collaborating with my good friend and partner Matt Borghi full time. We’ve been working together for a few years – performing, improvising, rehearsing, recording – both in The Elevator Conspiracy and in various separate endeavors. We understand each other quite well, musically and personally, which makes playing together a real treat. That, coupled with our eclectic collective taste and experience, helps to make us a pretty versatile duo.

Our current project – Teag & PK – is still in its beginning stages but the initial discussions, rehearsals, and performance (pictured above) have all been interesting, surprising, and satisfying, both intellectually and artistically. One facet of our discussions revolved around style and direction. Our past collaborations have gone in a variety of directions: acoustic folk, electronic ambient, rock, mostly improvised, mostly arranged – diverse, but all satisfying. Therefore we discussed whether we’d focus on one style or have an “anything goes” approach. In preparation for our first gig, we decided to head in an acoustic (acoustic guitar, voice, saxophones/flute), singer/songwriter direction.

But, for a variety of reason – gear, environment, where the live energy eventually took us – our first gig quickly evolved from an acoustic “folk” style to something much more rhythm & blues- (the real R&B) and rock-based. We were quite surprised, and rather happy with it. That particular style hadn’t entered our discussions once, yet, without even acknowledging it to one another on stage, we enthusiastically went where the music asked us to go. Now, with that gig behind us, we’re looking at our project from completely different angles, and considering options possibilities we previously hadn’t.

It just goes to show that no amount of planning or decision-making is fully effective in a vacuum. (Even with so much time and effort already spent…) We were aware of this abstractly all along – we had a number of “let’s see how this goes live” moments in rehearsal – however it was still surprising to have such a powerful reminder on stage. We had considered many things, but they all went back to what we – Matt and myself – wanted. It may sound corny, but we hadn’t fully considered what the music itself wanted, and that vote holds the ultimate veto pen. While there are still a number of kinks to work out, we’re excited to see what upcoming gigs over the next couple months hold in store for us…