You’ve got to hand it to the Blue Note label. They are one of the few companies out there that not only keeps loyal to veteran fans by releasing material by musicians like Charles Lloyd and Dr. Lonnie Smith, but they are also reaching out to the younger generations by putting out material from Millennials like Otis Brown III and Robert Glasper. Here are two recent releases by artists that can lead jazz into the 21st Century.
The trio Gogo Penguin consists of Rob Turner/dr, Chris Illingworth/p and Nick Blacka, with all ten of the pieces here being originals. The songs aren’t a typical “theme and solo” session; the songs have a holistic approach with each member fading in and out of the limelight instead of hogging it. Thus, you get a mix of Blacka’s bowed bass to brood an intro to “All Res” before Illingworth’s candelabra piano musings chime in and Turner then creates a frantic chase scene. Other pieces such as “Quiet Sand” and “Unspeakable World” have a prancing motif, as the piano keys sprightly keep the tones upbeat, while dramatic propulsive drum work on “Branches Break” creates an exciting undercurrent for the ivories. Light brush work sashays on “Gbfisysih” as bass and piano form fragrant moods, and a koto like string on “Initiate” leaps forward on the dance floor. Rich and creative.
Alto saxist Logan Richardson teams up with an all star cast of Pat Metheny/g, Jason Moran/p-key, Nasheet Waits/dr and Harish Raghavan/b for this collection of his compositions. He must be good friends with Metheny, as tunes such as “Mind Free” and “Alone” have dashes of the guitarist’s lyricism in the melodies, and having his dreamy mix of pastoral and searing strings is a nice touch as well. Richardson’s tone on the alto leans quite bright, almost sounding like a melodica the funky R&Bish “Creeper” and on the tricky lines of the post bop “Imagine.” Moran is a versatile master here, sounding patient along the slithering “Slow” and rocking on the keyboards with Waits on “Untitled.” Richardson has a fresh and unique sound; he puts in some clever atmospheres here.
Blue Note Records