Review: Jeff Williams Quartet

Jeff Williams
Photo credit: Andrew Cleyndert

Jeff Williams Quartet
(Green Note, LJF2011, November 18th 2011. Review by Jon Turney)
Away from the big halls on the second Friday of the festival, that paragon of drumming taste and style Jeff Williams chose the Green Note café in Camden Parkway to launch his excellent new CD, Another Time.

In a day that began with Julian Siegel and Liam Noble exploring the stately acoustic of St James’s Piccadilly at lunchtime, and took in Phil Bancroft’s At Home project in the early evening at the South Bank, this needed to be something special to grab the ear. It was.

After a beguiling opening set from violinist Olivia Moore, Williams offered a slightly oblique launch for his recording. That features his New York band, with Duane Eubanks on trumpet and John O’Gallagher on alto sax. The drummer, who spends most of his time in the UK these days, brought a different quartet into the Green Note’s small back room. Although they played the same tunes, the three Brits he chose gave the music a less freeboppish sound than the US line-up.

Tenor sax star-in-the-making Josh Arcoleo – graduated from the Royal Academy mere weeks ago but already keeping some impressive company – Phil Robson on guitar and bass man Sam Lasserson are equally impressive players. Their approach to the leader’s excellent compositions had a more head-and-solos feel, a little less loose in approach than the CD line-up. Doubtless they have spent less time with the music, and heads bent over manuscript paper indicated they needed the odd reminder. Still, they burned through the evening, responding to an audience crammed in shoulder to shoulder.

Robson unfolded a series of gripping guitar improvisations which gained intensity from being witnessed from about three feet away. Arcoleo was confidently inventive, dug into the tunes with enthusiasm and soloed with an engaging tenor-traditional swagger. Lasserson kept things cool, and had an impressive solo feature at the end.

And the leader was a marvel on the kit balanced precariously on the edge of the Green Note’s miniature bandstand (the cymbal stands in danger of toppling off when he let loose). Williams is a comprehensively skilled modern drummer, as happy implying the time as stating it, and constantly shifting timbres and textures. No solos to speak of, no grandstanding, just 40 years’ experience lightly worn, and a relaxed alertness which creates the feel that inspires everyone else. Altogether an out of the way gem of the festival: I doubt if there was anyone doing jazz better, anywhere this evening.

Green Note

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CD Review: Emil Viklicky Trio - Kafka on the Shore

Emil Viklicky Trio - Kafka on the Shore
(Venus Records VHCD-1060. CD Review by Chris Parker)

Readers of contemporary fiction will immediately realise that Czech pianist Emil Viklicky's latest release is inspired by a novel by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, himself connected with Prague courtesy of his having received the Kafka Award there in 2006. The album contains seven Viklicky originals with suitably Murakami-connected titles ('The Boy Named Crow', 'Miss Saeki Theme' etc.) and six non-originals from the worlds of jazz (Herbie Hancock's 'Dolphin Dance', Duke Ellington's 'Solitude', Jimmy Rowles's 'Peacocks') and popular music (Paul McCartney's 'Eleanor Rigby', Michel Legrand's 'Windmills of Your Mind') so tellingly referenced in Murakami's works. It's not strictly necessary, however, to be familiar with the Japanese writer's oeuvre (though it helps) to appreciate the sheer intensity and virtuosity of Viklicky's playing throughout this powerful and affecting album.

Supported by a fiercely interactive rhythm section (bassist Josef Fetcho, drummer Laco Tropp) and guest appearances by viola player Jitka Hosprova and mezzo soprano Jana Sykorova, Viklicky showcases all his considerable pianistic gifts on this rich and varied set: a technical proficiency that has led to his being compared with everyone from Oscar Peterson to Bud Powell, a familiarity with not only the entire post-bop jazz tradition but the sixties rock and pop music whose importance to contemporary Czech politics was chronicled by Tom Stoppard's 2006 play Rock'n'Roll, an emotional depth rooted in Moravian folk music which has led to his being called 'the Janacek of Jazz'.

Dynamic and textural subtlety lie at the heart of Viklicky's greatness, but his irresistible propulsiveness, improvisational fecundity and sheer energy are what immediately impress on this excellent album, which comes strongly recommended.

Venusrecord.com

Port Wine Cellars in Porto

or called Oporto.

Unsurprisingly the second largest city in the country, inspite of the size of the country with an even humbler population (~ 10 mil).







With a averagely pleasant weather throughout the year, Portugal never exceed 35 degree celcius in the summer nor drop below 0 degree celcius during the coldest winter, usually averaging at 10-15 degree celcius; after visits to the much colder counterparts in the region, Portugal climate was a delight.




Instead of spending the rest of the day visiting more of the old part of the town and this historical spots, I crossed the bridge over River Douro and over to the other side of the town to pay a visit to couple of Porto's prides.

Where there's Porto, there's port; and where there's port, there're wine cellars. :D


On the other side


I got a little bit lost in the windy narrow stony grey houses in the area, climbing the stairs down and down close to the river level, stumbling across some chubby street cats and floor-sweeping old man; going up the driveway but turned around and took a left into an alley after realizing I could probably be on the wrong road.




Rushing against the closing hour of the cellar, I hasten my steps. Till I finally came to a wall with this sign on it.




Yes! I was on the right track.


The road up to Taylor's was a hilly road, as one of the oldest of the founding Port houses, dated back to 1692 (that's over three centuries ago!), the journey to the cellar felt nostalgic, a walk down memory lane back to the 1700's of Portugal.







I arrived at the cellar door just in time for a tour. As tourists gathered around tasting some port in the majestic lobby while waiting for the guide to show up, I rested my aching feet on a stool with my very own sweet white port, staring at the decorative Christmas tree that was set up for festive season already.










Then I wandered around to look around the cellar door, stopping myself in front of a case of port wine bottles design over the years; some of the bottles were ancient.




Then a character from Happy Potter popped up and guided us out of the cellar door. "To Hogwarts?" mind-joked I.


Fancy uniform you got there.


And so the tour began with, of course, the history.





And then the cellar


Jesus these port wine barrels were MASSIVE! I didn't think I've ever seen a barrel that big, other than a distillery, but then again that's a whole different thing.







Instead of cracking open the barrel like how you would do with most wine, Taylor's mega barrel has a tap attached to the front where you can just tap out the port into bottles before being kept away.

As you would have seen it, the barrels were so big human could climb into them.




And that was how the barrels were cleaned, with a human into scraping away the to layer coated around the inside of the barrel. With a barrel that size, I could be calling it a man-cave.


process process process



the mother of all port wine barrel, Mother of God.


The wine remains at the winery in these barrels to settle until the following year when spring comes and then it was taken to other lodges to mature, be blend and bottled.




The oldest wineries are in Douro Valley close to the river because in the olden days, barrels of port wines were transported in wooden boats down the Douro River, the only means of transportations for port wines back then.





and she flipped her robe to reveal the traditional method to make port by Portugese. lol


The perfect gift, deemed by the Portugese, is a bottle of Vintage Port, which can be kept and which value can appreaciate over the years.




Taylor's wine cellar has a beautiful restaurant next to the cellar with access to the view of Douro Valley and river.











Given the chance, I would take my time to sit down and wine and dine my evening away, it would be the perfect evening to end my Portugal trip.

But then I still have time so I rushed to another winery nearby for another tour before the day ends.

This time, Croft.


oh yes, more port please.



bring them on


Croft has a smaller and more cozy bar-themed cellar door, where everyone sit around to enjoy a glass of port by the fireplace, perfect to just laze on a cold winter.





Familiar? Hehe



They also have a smaller cellar compared to Taylor's


The sun set by the time I got out from Croft, a little tipsy and fluttery; happily filled with sweet port, I walked and skipped and danced back to my guesthouse. Back up the hill and onto the bridge crossing to the my side of the town.


And then... whilst on the bridge, and slightly dazed... I saw this.





"God, Porto, you are so beautiful" I cooed.

RIP Paul Motian (1931-2011)

Inspirational drummer and creative force Paul Motion has passed away at the age of 80.

Here's Ben Ratliff's New York Times obituary. Vivid memories of the 2009 London Jazz Festival with John Surman and Drew Gress. Above, a New York date in 2002: Paul Motian and the Electric Quintet playing Motian's composition Morpion with Chris Cheek, Tony Malaby (saxophone) Steve Cardenas, and Ben Monder(guitar) and Jerome Harris (bass). RIP.

simple side: wild rice with cranberries and pecans

My goal was to have the majority of my Thanksgiving sides made before the weekly cleaning crew comes through this afternoon. I was thinking how nice it would be to have the cooking done ahead of time and a clean house. Done! (Although I still need to scurry around cleaning up for the cleaning crew.) Last night I made our stuffing and sweet potatoes and baked a bunch of small pumpkin breads for our house cleaners, mailman, school bus driver and neighbors who help us out throughout the year. My one son wants mashed potatoes, so I'm going the super easy Alexia Yukon gold & sea salt route, so that's a-few-minutes-before-the-meal side (and not homemade.. I am living in the edge this year, I tell you). This morning, I made the brine that our turkey will go in tomorrow morning, and put it out in our cold garage until I'm ready for it. My mom and dad have offered to come bearing simple green beans, sauteed kale and cranberry sauce this year (making my end of the cooking super easy to do ahead). This morning, I realized I had one extra Trader Joe's carton of chopped garlic, shallots and onion*, so I checked the pantry and decided to make one more (healthful) side ahead of time. Oh, and I had a few extra cups of sage cream sauce from the Savory Pumpkin Cannelloni I made on Sunday....so that extra sauce is going to morph into peeled pearl onions (I got at Trader Joe's) braised in sage cream. Mmmm, decadence. Here's that healthy side first though:

Wild Rice with Cranberries and Pecans

(makes 8+ servings, can be made 2-3 days ahead and stored in fridge)

1 cup chopped onion, garlic & shallots* (or you can just use onions if you're making it from scratch)

olive oil

1 cup of wild rice, rinsed and drained

4 cups vegetable broth

handful of dried cranberries

handful of chopped pecans

drizzle of balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper, to taste

Rinse and drain rice, then cook rice according to package. The ratio is usually 4 cups liquid to 1 cup rice and it takes about 45 minutes. (I used vegetable broth instead of water.) While the rice is cooking, saute onions/shallots/garlic in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes, until the soften a bit and start to become translucent. Once rice is done, stir in onion mixture, cranberries and pecans while still warm. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, to taste. Add salt & pepper, to taste. Can be made 2-3 days ahead, as the flavors will meld and it will just get better! You can serve this dish room temp or warm.

Review: Tommy Smith's Karma / PELbO

Ine Hoem and Kristoffer Lo of PELbO at LJF2011
Photo credit: Sam Spokony/ JazzTimes

Tommy Smith's Karma / PELbO
(Kings Place Hall Two, 19th November 2011. Part of London Jazz Festival. Review by Patrick Hadfield)

Tommy Smith's latest band Karma opened this concert, drummer Alyn Cosker blasting in for a full-on assault. Karma - also the name of Smith's latest album - sees the saxophonist in jazz-rock mode. Joining Smith and Cosker were pianist Steve Hamilton and bass guitarist Kevin Glasgow.

Cosker provided the motive force - a powerful drummer, he's equally adept at the slower, more subtle numbers which call for much more sensitivity. The set was equally balanced between rockier numbers and slower tunes infused with a celtic-folk sensibility. Smith played some exquisite soprano on the evocative "Land of Heroes", mimicking Scots piping.

The band could lay down a good groove, too, Glasgow plucking the bass with his thumb to great exact. Smith sounded great on tenor as well a soprano - and he even played recorder on one tune. The alternation of fast-loud and slow-gentle tunes felt a little Jekyll and Hyde-like, but this was an enjoyable set.

The gig really got strange after the break though. I felt distinctly in the wrong place. Pelbo are not jazz; in fact they are about as not-jazz as it is possible for an avant garde pop band to be. This was pop stripped of any blues sensibility; the only jazz-like characteristic they had is that one of the trio played a tuba. Interesting as it was, it was more suited to a rave club than a concert hall, and was especially jarring after the jazz of Karma.

So it feels more than a little odd to be reviewing Pelbo for LondonJazz in the middle of the London Jazz Festival - but I have eclectic tastes, so here goes...

For three people, they create one hell of a sound. The dominant feature was the drums of  Trond Bersu, but it was a heavy, rich drum sound and he had the verve and technique to pull it off. Ine Hoem sang, using electronic loops to create choirs of soaring vocals. Kristoffer Lo also used electronics and loops to change the sound of his tuba, producing deep organ-like roars and rumbles: his tuba became the bass.

It was dark if energetic dance music, reminiscent of Mezzanine-period Massive Attack or, when Bersu was thrashing his cymbals, Spiritualised. Lo did some amazing things with his tuba, dancing manically around producing wailing feedback: "heavy metal tuba" are three words I couldn't ever have imagined writing as a phrase - but that's what it was.

kingsplace.co.uk

CD Review: Patrick Cornelius - Maybe Steps

Patrick Cornelius - Maybe Steps
(Posi-Tone PR8089. CD Review by Sebastian Scotney)

 Artists change, reach new phases in their lives. Alto saxophonist Patrick Cornelius used to be known for his fiercely self-disciplined practise regimes. But in his new album 'Maybe Steps' (Posi-Tone) he demonstrates that he has progressed well beyond the cauldron of Berklee and 4am jam sessions. He now has a wife and small daughter, and has gone with the flow of that gentler life revolving around a young family.

The CD reveals the softer contours of that world, particualrly when contrasted with the last album Fierce (Whirlwind, 2009) The new album is dedicated to his mother, wife and daughter. He is pictured cradling his alto saxophone as a parent would hold a crying baby. In most of its eleven tracks, the core vibe of the album is calm.

The mood of tranquillity gets set best in Bella's Dreaming, which starts in the world of a Satie Gymnopedie and through its short span grows effortlessly over a faultless bass pulse from Peter Slavov. There are also French colours in the closer, Le Rendez-Vous Final, an endearing tune with echoes of Michel Legrand. I liked A Day Like Any Other, which rollicks in lilting 5/4. Shiver Song is the busiest track on the album, and stands in nice contrast to the rest.

The album gives a important role to pianist Gerald Clayton who sets a poised and balanced vibe in the hushed introduction to my pick of the tracks, Into the Stars. Soft brushwork from Kendrick Scott on drums lead to a unison duet of alto and guitar (the sensitive musicianly Miles Okazaki) which grows inexorably. I particularly enjoyed the skyward rocket let off by Patrick Cornelius at 4:13.

The two standards are contrasted. Kurt Weill's My Ship is performed in duo with Bulgarian-born pianist Asen Doykin, as the gentlest of lullabies, with some tasty re-harmonisation to watch out for on the final statement of the theme. George Shearing's Conception gives interesting variety through exploring a couple of trio combinations derived from the quintet.

This is a thoughtfully put together album. Producer Marc Free has put out his ideas on CD production lucidly here, and this release is a demonstration of what happens - in life and in CD production - when things find a way of going right.

Posi-Tone Records