My first serious connection to music started in the church.  At the age of 5, I was singing in choirs and exposed to the sound of piano delivering rich, spirit inspired melodies.  I don’t believe I’m alone in the regard.  Many vocalists have a similar upbringing and it is immediately apparent when they open their mouths to sing. In his autobiography, Miles Davis spoke of his life in Arkansas and the soulful church music that resonated along the country roads when he visited his grandfather. Miles said those sounds shaped who he became as an artist and sent him on his journey to play music.

No one would ever dispute the direct connection that exists between R&B, jazz and gospel music.  Hymnology Vol. 1 by the Kash Wright Trio embraces this marriage of genres brilliantly.  In gospel music and jazz, the offerings that I appreciate most are those that honor the roots from which the music was born.  From the first tune to the last, Hymnology Vol. 1 provides that and so much more.

The trio includes Kash Wright on piano, Mike Montgomery on bass and Bobby Beall on drums. Hymnology Vol. 1 is their third recording as a group and it shows by how well they play together.  Each member honors the importance of individuality while using their strengths to create a singular swinging unit.  At the risks of making assumptions, it sounds like these guys really enjoy creating music together.

Kash Wright wrote fantastic arrangements of tunes one would regularly hear in church and the trio executes his vision wonderfully.  The beautiful introduction on “There’s A Sweet, Sweet Spirit” yields way to a light bouncing swing that sets the tone for the entire album.  Bobby Beall’s solo drum work on “How Great Thou Art” could have lasted another 10 minutes.  His feel on the kit is expressive and the projected vibe of the trio is pure joy.  The band raises the energy to another level with “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know” which starts out with a playful rendition of melody before diving headfirst into swinging rhythm changes (Mike Montgomery provides a tasty solo here and his playing throughout is impeccable).  Kash’s roots of playing in church become evident when listening to his intro on “What a Fellowship, What a Joy Devine” and is brought home by excellent solos by Mike and Bobby.  “Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus, When We All Get to Heaven” serves as the perfect benediction.  The transition from burning swing to slow groove works really well.

I could easily go on but some things are best enjoyed for yourself.  I’m already looking forward to Vol. 2, but there is so much good music to digest in this recording.  Use the links below to listen to the samples available on Amazon, CD Baby and iTunes.  Highly recommended to anyone who loves jazz, gospel or is just a fan of good music.  Let the church say Amen and pass the collection plate.

Available on:
iTunes
Amazon
CD Baby

Find out more about the Kash Wright Trio here:
http://www.prakashwright.com/kash-wright-trio

It is no mystery to anyone who visits my site regularly that I am a big fan of Ingrid Jensen. Her ability on the horn and her music are a big reason for this but she is also a fantastic person. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her a few times and I found her to be nice and very genuine.  I hope to get another trumpet lesson from her next time she is in the area – I really learned a lot the last time we met and I left feeling encouraged.

In jazz, one of the ultimate goals for any musician is to be able to find their own voice.  Preferably that voice would contain echoes of the legendary players who have come before but that voice would still speak with individuality. To my ears – Ingrid has managed to do this in her ideas, phrasing and her sound (both on trumpet and flugelhorn). Every note that spills from her bell seems to have a purpose and emotion behind it. Nothing sounds planned or contrived.  It truly is a joy to hear.  What she plays seems to come from within and as
a response to what she hears around her.

What she hears and responds to on At Sea is generated by a very talented group of musicians: Geoffrey Keezer, Jon Wikan, Matt Clohesy, Lage Lund and Hugo Alcazar. There is a great sense of unity with this group and obviously a heavy dose of listening to one another. On different songs there are shifts in tempo and even style – everyone handles it without hesitation. “Swotterings” is an excellent example of this (it’s a really fun song).  On the title track “At Sea” I can close my eyes and actually imagine the ocean, its movement and life within it stirring about in response.  As I write this the melody of “As Love Does” is running through my head – all of the music is quite memorable.

Ingrid Jensen is a musician who is on top of her game and sure of her direction in music. We should feel fortunate that she is sharing her journey with us.  I can’t recommend this CD enough.

As I spend time trying to learn this music and attending area performances, I realize that Washington DC has a wealth of talented artists dedicated to keeping jazz alive, well and prospering. Paul Carr is one of those talented artists and his latest CD Just Noodlin’ is a sample of why he is one of the areas finest performers.

After spending several weeks spinning this disc, Just Noodlin’ brings to mind the music of the golden Blue Note era. Part of that is because all of the tunes on this CD were recorded without overdubbing.  This gives a feeling of living/playing/creating in the moment and I applaud Paul for taking that approach.  The tunes include two songs composed by Paul himself in addition to two tunes written by Rueben Brown (another DC area player). Rueben wrote my favorite cut on the album – “Blue and Brown.” Other stand outs include the title track “Just Noodlin'”, “Krush Groove” (both composed by Paul) and “Pat & Chat.” Paul’s skills as a balladeer are showcased on “You’ve Changed.”

Joining Paul on this CD is the one and only Terell Stafford. Terrell continues to crank out quality work as leader and sideman – this recording is no exception. He is definitely one of the ones to watch in arena of jazz trumpet.  His tone is to die for and his abilities on the horn are simply amazing. I always learn something when I listen to him and that usually sends me straight to the practice room (always a good thing).  The core rhythm section consists of Andrew Adair (piano), Gavin Fallow (bass) and Steve Williams (drums). Also joining Paul on are Bob Butta (piano), Vince Evans (piano), Sam Turner (percussion), Harold Summey (drums) and Michael Bowie (bass).

Paul’s playing on the CD is fantastic and currently has me running all over town to hear him live.  If you don’t live in the Washington DC area this is the next best thing.  You can find out more about Paul Carr and purchase this great CD at his website http://www.paulcarrjazz.com. There was also an excellent interview with him on AllAboutJazz.com that can be read here.

With his new CD Rewind That, Christian Scott shows that his name must be included in the list of cats pushing jazz forward while still remaining true to its roots. Joining Christian on this album are Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone); Matt Stevens (guitar); Zaccai Curtis (Fender Rhodes & Wurlitzer); Luques Curtis (acoustic bass & electric bass); Thomas
Pridgen (drums) and Donald Harrison (alto saxophone). I was particularly impressed with Walter Smith III who debut CD is a must have on all jazz lovers list.

As a trumpet player and composer Christian really shines. His sound is unique and versatile. Bright and searing one minute, soft and fluffy the next, he adjusts to mood of the music. All of the songs on the album are originals with the exception of two. My favorites include the pulsing title track “Rewind That”, “Say It” (drummer Thomas Pridgen really shines) and “Suicide.”  The original songs were all closely tied to Christian’s personal experiences and it
shows in solos.

This fantastic CD is one of the few that manages to fuse many different genres of music together successfully while still remaining true to elements of jazz that I love. I can easily hear influences of jazz, rock, hip hop and R&B in each track. Normally an album does a good job of addressing one or the other – but this CD does a fantastic job embracing them all. Big props to Christian and his band for that. If forced to pick a favorite CD for 2006 this would be one of the first on my list.

On a side note, I also picked up one of Donald Harrison?s CDs just for an opportunity to hear Christian play some more. On Kind of New he plays a solo on the title cut that sounds so much like Miles Davis it’s scary. This cat has skills. Now he needs to come to Washington
DC so I can hear him live!

Since taking up trumpet and trying to learn jazz I’ve learned that there are a ton of extremely talented cats out here who can flat out play. Many of them leave you scratching your head trying to figure out why they are not getting the attention that they deserve. One of those cats in my opinion in Darren Barrett. His CD First One Up is a great example of why people need to know him and his music. If you don’t know him – consider this an introduction.

First One Up was produced by the legendary Donald Byrd who was Darren’s teacher. Dr. Byrd’s impact is obvious in Darren’s playing. All the things you would want — big round sound, amazing technique, energy and beautiful phrasing — are all there. Darren shows off his writing with six original tunes. My favorites include “Word! Dr. Byrd”, “Dee’s Theme” and “Conceta Elfreda” — the later has gotten HEAVY play in my car and on my iPod. The band swings for the fences with “First One Up” and Mr. Barrett displays his exquisite ballad playing on “Impossible.” This recording is a treat from start to finish.

Joining Darren on this CD are reed men Kenny Garrett (2 tracks), Jimmy Greene (6 tracks), Aaron Goldman on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass and John Lamkin on drums. If your listening experience is anything like mine you’ll probably run out and buy Darren’s other CDs – Deelingsand The Attack of the Wren – Wrenaissance Volume 1. You will not be disappointed.

I want to close this out with a quick shout out to Jason Palmer who hipped me to Darren. Jason was featured in Downbeat magazine as one of the 25 cats to watch on trumpet (along with my main man Jeremy Pelt). His debut CD is due for release soon on Ayva musica and I’m looking forward to checking it out. Thanks Jason and good luck with the new release!

I first got hip to Jason Palmer when I checked out some of his music on SoundClick.  One performance that I attached to immediately was a rendering of the standard “All the Things You Are.” Jason took that tune in every possible direction and I marveled at his command of the horn and his ideas. I had never really heard the song performed that freely before. After hearing that performance, I looked forward to his first CD release. That release, entitled Songbook, has arrived via Avaya records and I was right to be excited about it.

All of the songs on this album are written and arranged by Jason. I really like where he’s going with his compositions. To my ears he pays homage to the jazz tradition but he still manages to move the music/genre forward. My favorite tunes are the energetic “Checkmate,” the cleverly named “Shadowboxer” and “One for J Mac” which is dedicated to the late great Jackie McLean. When I listened to “Found It” I immediately thought of Booker
Little who I think Jason admires as well.

His writing skills are equally matched by his prowess on trumpet. Joining
Jason on Songbook are Warren Wolf on vibes (who plays a great solo on
“The Shadowboxer”), Leo Genovese on piano/Rhodes, Matt Brewer on bass
and Tommy Crane on drums. The group as a whole sounds really good and they are
joined by Greg Osby on alto and Ravi Coltrane on tenor.

Jason was listed as one of the top 25 young trumpet players on today’s jazz
scene. In the article he was described as an adventurous player within his music
but he stressed that he “doesn’t want to lose the movement, the danceability.” I agree with his approach wholeheartedly and Songbook accomplishes exactly what he aims for. The more I listen to it, the more I find to like about it. Highly recommended!

Since he came on the scene, Nicholas Payton has been known for his killer technique and big sound. Listening to him you could easily hear the influences of Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and Woody Shaw ? all cats who could make flames jump out the bell of their horns. It would be a safe statement to say that Nick can pretty much do it all when it comes to trumpet. While some may argue that this recording lacks the fire of his previous works, to me Into the Blue feels like new chapter in the musical life of its composer. I find it to be more honest and real than anything he has released to date and because of that I consider it his best thus far.

I read one comparison between Into the Blue and the Miles Davis classic recording of Kind of Blue and there is evidence to support that statement. While Nick may be known for high energy, several songs feature some of the most soulful, melodic and thoughtful playing that I’ve ever heard from him or any other trumpet player. “Drucilla” starts off melancholy and moody before gradually transforming into a swinging affair that ends far too soon.  “Let It Ride” and “The Backward Step” also feature the same fantastic playing.  When I caught Nicholas at Blues Alley a few weeks ago he had added lyrics to these tunes which makes sense when you hear them. They practically scream for words. He also lends his voice to the tune “Blue” following in a long line of trumpet players who also sang (Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Clark Terry to name a few). “Triptych” and “Nida” remind me of DC’s homegrown sensation of go-go. Both are groove based and feature in the pocket percussion.

What is amazing to me is Nick?s transformation with regards to sound and style. Even his phrasing feels different. Needless to say I enjoy this album very much. Run (do not walk) to the store and pick this one up.  Feeling lazy?  Pull iTunes and download it.  You will not be disappointed.

“I consider myself a jazz man in the world of ideas, a
blues man in the life of the mind.  Because my models were jazz musicians and
blues men, who have to find their voices, not just be echoes.  Who had to have a
vision, not just a stare.  And in the end, have to be true to themselves.
Because all imitation is suicide.  All emulation is a sign of an adolescent
mind.  Now all of us imitate.  All of us emulate.  But those who love us, like
Monk loved Coltrane?  You don’t need to imitate Johnny Hodges.  Go ahead and
find your voice brother.”  – Dr. Cornel West.

The profound quote above is taken from a track called “Jazz
Man in the World of Ideas” from Terence Blanchard’s newest recording Choices.
This latest release is an example of the perfect marriage of philosophy and
ideas woven into the fabric of good music.  After listening to this recording
several times I find myself inspired as a musician but most importantly,
inspired as a human being.

Choices was recorded at the Ogden Museum of Southern
Art in New Orleans – a first for Terence and a surprise considering it is where
he was born and raised.   The previous and Grammy Award winning recording A
Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina). dealt with Hurricane Katrina and
it?s aftermath.  Choices deals with decisions made with regards to
religion, acceptance, politics, race and several other important subjects that
we deal with on a daily basis.  As deep as those subjects are Choices
still provides what most people look for in a recording ? good music.

The musicians on Choices include Derrick Hodge on bass,
Kendrick Scott on drums, Fabian Almazan on piano, Lionel Loueke on guitar and
Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone.  Also making a guest appearance is vocalist
Bilal who?s energy and unique delivery adds a nice change of pace.  Terence
asked each member of the band to provide new material for this recording.
?Winding Roads? by Derrick Hodge features a haunting melody layered with Bilal?s
wordless vocals.  The song has a spiral, hypnotic feel to it and is probably my
favorite cut on the recording.  ?Him or Me? and ?Hugs (Historically
Underrepresented Groups) both feature unique musical themes that transform into
a vehicle for the soloists to stretch out and express themselves.  These songs
were penned by Walter Smith III and Fabian Almazan respectively.  ?A New World
(Created Inside the Walls of Imagination)? also by Derrick Hodge, is a
great tune featuring the rhythm, feel and energy of a New Orleans 2^nd
line parade.  As with all of Terence’s recordings – group interaction is
fantastic.  The give and take between each musician is exciting to hear.

As good as the music is on this recording, I found myself
also inspired by the spoken word of Dr. Cornel West.  Dr. West speaks on the
different types of choices we make in life and how those choices affect us and
ultimately the world we live in.  I was originally concerned with how dialog would
mesh with the flow of the music but it works and it works really well.  Each
spoken segment becomes an important part of each song.

Dr. West’s thoughts on religion and spirituality leading
into “Winding Road” struck a chord deep within me.  I believe that music can do
so much more than make you dance.  History has proven that it also has the power
to reach deep within a person and cause them to evaluate their lives and
actions.  Sometimes it can inspire change.  If you’re open to that type of
experience (and I think we all are), Terence Blanchard’s Choices
accomplishes this feat while still managing to feed your entertainment ear.

If you are fortunate enough to hear a band that works together on a regular basis, you come away with a better understanding of how important communication is. Communication not just in music but in life. While it is important to be true to yourself as an individual you must also respect the individual nature of those around you. You must speak but at the same time listen and you must contribute without trampling the ideas and beliefs of others. In Jeremy Pelt’s latest release Men of Honor you can hear that level of communication.

The band consists of five of the brightest talents in music — Jeremy Pelt on trumpet/flugelhorn; J.D. Allen on tenor saxophone; Danny Grissett on piano; Dwayne Burno on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums. This is an ensemble that when blended together provide intensity and adventure – two critical elements to good jazz. Each musician is not only a master communicator on their instruments, they are excellent composers, each contributing compositions to the recording.

With several diverse recordings under his belt, Jeremy is a musician who is very comfortable in his own skin. The time for comparisons is over. On trumpet he is capable of bringing the heat but has no problem speaking in soft velvet tones. He and J.D. Allen make a formidable front line with the powerful rhythm section of Grissett, Burno and Cleaver not just spurring them on but joining in the conversation. Men of Honor kicks off with the energetic “Backroad” and follows that with even more energy on “Milo Hayward” – a song dedicated to Jeremy’s newly arrived son. “Brooklyn Bound” arrives just in time to allow you to catch your breath before being taken on another ride with the adventurous “Danny Mack.” A personal favorite of mine is “Illusion” — Jeremy sounds amazing on muted trumpet.

The word honor can be defined as — a good name or public esteem. It is also defined as a showing of respect. With that in mind these men have honor and it shines with this recording. If you’re longing to hear a good musical conversation – Men of Honor is highly recommended.