Jazz Consumer Guide (21):
Surplus

This is the surplus file for Jazz Consumer Guide #21. These are short reviews of records that for one reason or another have been dropped from active consideration while working on this column. These reviews will be published in the blog when the column comes out.

Ran Blake: Driftwoods (2008 [2009], Tompkins Square): Solo piano, striking in spots, but also rather dry. Someone I've always found difficult -- Penguin Guide picked his previous solo All That Is Tied for one of their crowns, but I can't tell much difference. One edge this one has is a stunning "You Are My Sunshine." Bob Rusch wrote me a passing note that he had recorded something with Blake that he liked much better than this, but never sent it along. So who knows? B+(***)

Marianne Faithfull: Easy Come Easy Go (2008 [2009], Decca): With Hal Willner producing and a band full of first-rate jazz musicians, it was tempting to slip this into Jazz CG, but the space crunch is severe, she's a bit of a stretch as a jazz singer (although her "Solitude" is in the running), her guest singers aren't even in the running, and the song list doesn't make a strong case for her as a standards singer. The best are astonishing, including the two country songs -- Dolly Parton's "Down From Dover" and Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home." I'm a bit disappointed, but I had even higher hopes. A-

Arve Henriksen: Cartography (2006-08 [2009], ECM): No doubt the world's quietest trumpet player, making me wonder why he even bothers. A pastiche of spoken word, electronics, odds and ends, not without interesting bits but you have to hang in close to notice them. B+(**)

Ruslan Khain: For Medicinal Purposes Only! (2008, Smalls): Closer to hard bop than to postbop, the bassist's quintet pairing Chris Byars on tenor sax with Yoshi Okazaki on trumpet, with Richard Clements's piano in the middle. A first-rate record, but not a lot to distinguish it from its 1960s models. B+(**)

Larry Ochs/Miya Masaoka/Peggy Lee: Spiller Alley (2006 [2008], RogueArt): A review of this set me out to contact Larry Ochs, eventually netting a pile of pretty good records. This was the first I checked out, an interesting mix of sopranino and tenor sax, koto, and cello, which doesn't flow much and ultimately proved too sticky to write much about. B+(**)

The October Trio/Brad Turner: Looks Like It's Going to Snow (2008 [2009], Songlines): A smart Canadian sax trio augmented by a trumpet player who does dependably good work. Postbop including a 16:37 suite based on a C.S. Lewis quote. B+(**)

Jeremy Udden: Plainville (2008 [2009], Fresh Sound New Talent): Spanish label, has done a remarkable job of introducing young postboppers from New York and analogous figures from Spain. They've placed 20 records on Jazz CG to date, but this is the only one I've gotten this year. Guess I need to nag them. This one is sly and subtle, with bits of pump organ, pedal steel, and banjo giving it countryish airs behind the leader's supple soprano and alto sax. B+(***)

Other Drops

Also dropping the following. Don't have anything to add to what was previously said in the prospecting notes (for this or some previous Jazz CG cycle).

• John Abercrombie: Wait Till You See Her (2008 [2009], ECM) B+(**)
• Jon Alberts/Jeff Johnson/Tad Britton: Apothecary (2007-08 [2009], Origin) B+(**)
• As If 3: Klinkklaar (2008 [2009], Casco) B+(**)
• Ab Baars/Ig Henneman/Misha Mengelberg: Sliptong (2008 [2009], Wig) B
• Yaala Ballin: Travlin' Alone (2009, Smalls) B+(**)
• Count Basie Orchestra: Swinging, Singing, Playing (2009, Mack Avenue) B
• Jim Beard: Revolutions (2005-07 [2009], Sunnyside) B+(*)
• Joe Beck/Laura Theodore: Golden Earrings (2006-07 [2009], Whaling City Sound) B+(**)
• George Benson: Songs and Stories (2009, Concord/Monster Music) C+
• Ryan Blotnick: Everything Forgets (2008 [2009], Songlines) B+(*)
• Luis Bonilla: I Talking Now! (2008 [2009], NJCO/Planet Arts) B+(*)
• Cecil Brooks III: Hot Dog (2008 [2009], Savant) B-
• Bug: The Gadfly (2008 [2009], Origin) B+(*)
• Jane Bunnett: Embracing Voices (2008 [2009], Sunnyside) B+(*)
• Mark Buselli: An Old Soul (2008 [2009], Owl Studios) B+(**)
• Edmar Castaneda: Entre Cuerdas (2009, ArtistShare) B+(**)
• Chuck & Albert: Énergie (2009, chucketalbert.com) B+(**)
• George Colligan: Come Together (2008 [2009], Sunnyside) B+(**)
• Nicola Conte: Rituals (2009, Emarcy) B+(*)
• Kevin Deitz: Skylines (2005-08 [2009], Origin) B+(*)
• Mike DiRubbo: Repercussion (2008 [2009], Posi-Tone) B+(**)
• Diverse (2009, Origin) B-
• Eldar: Virtue (2008 [2009], Masterworks Jazz) B+(**)
• Michael Farley: Grain (2009, Innova) B+(**)
• Fire Room: Broken Music (2005 [2009], Atavistic) B
• The Bob Florence Limited Edition: Legendary (2008 [2009], Mama) B+(**)
• Elli Fordyce: Sings Songs Spun of Gold (2008 [2009], Fordyce Music) B+(**)
• Forgas Band Phenomena: L'Axe du Fou/Axis of Madness (2008 [2009], Cuneiform) B+(**)
• Carlos Franzetti: Mambo Tango (2009, Sunnyside) B
• Roberta Gambarini: So in Love (2008 [2009], Emarcy) B+(*)
• David Gibson: A Little Somethin' (2008 [2009], Posi-Tone) B
• Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band: I'm BeBoppin' Too (2008 [2009], Half Note) B
• Jeff Golub: Blues for You (2009, E1 Music) B
• Richie Goods & Nuclear Fusion: Live at the Zinc Bar (2007 [2009], RichMan) B+(**)
• Gordon Grdina's East Van Strings: The Breathing of Statues (2006-07 [2009], Songlines) B+(*)
• Roy Hargrove Big Band: Emergence (2008 [2009], Emarcy) B+(*)
• Eddie Harris/Ellis Marsalis: Homecoming (1985-2009 [2009], ELM) B+(*)
• Hemispheres: Crossroads (2008-09 [2009], Sunnyside) B+(*)
• Fred Hersch: Plays Jobim (2009, Sunnyside) B+(*)
• Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra: Live at Jazz Standard (2008 [2009], Sunnyside) B+(**)
• Jake Hertzog: Chromatosphere (2009, That's Out) B+(**)
• Lawrence Hobgood: When the Heart Dances (2008 [2009], Naim Jazz) B+(**)
• John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble: Eternal Interlude (2009, Sunnyside) B+(*)
• Mimi Jones: A New Day (2007-08 [2009], Hot Tone Music) B+(*)
• Stanley Jordan: State of Nature (2008, Mack Avenue) B
• Sřren Kjćrgaard/Ben Street/Andrew Cyrille: Optics (2007 [2009], ILK) B+(**)
• AJ Kluth Quintet: Twice Now (2008 [2009], OA2) B
• Steve Kuhn Trio w/Joe Lovano: Mostly Coltrane (2008 [2009], ECM) B+(*)
• Daniel Levin Quartet: Live at Rowlette (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(*)
• Lhasa (2009, Nettwerk) B-
• Christian Lillingers Grund: First Reason (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(**)
• Pamela Luss with Houston Person: Sweet and Saxy (2009, Savant) B+(*)
• Eyal Maoz's Edom: Hope and Destruction (2009, Tzadik) B+(*)
• Jason Marsalis: Music Update (2009, ELM) B
• Wynton Marsalis: He and She (2007 [2009], Blue Note) B+(**)
• Barney McAll: Flashbacks (2009, Extra Celestial Arts) B+(**)
• Chad McCullough: Dark Wood, Dark Water (2008 [2009], Origin) B
• Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Strings: Renegades (2008 [2009], Delmark) B+(**)
• Guilherme Monteiro: Air (2005 [2009], Bju'ecords) B+(*)
• James Moody: 4A (2008 [2009], IPO) B+(**)
• Van Morrison: Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl (2008 [2009], Listen to the Lion) A-
• Mr. Groove Band: Rocket 88: Tribute to Ike Turner (2009, Zoho Roots) C+
• My Cat Is an Alien & Enore Zaffiri: Through the Magnifying Glass of Tomorrow (2009, Atavistic, CD+DVD) B+(*)
• M. Nahadr: EclecticIsM (2009, Live Wired Music) B+(*)
• Ben Neuman: Introductions (2008 [2009], OA2) B+(*)
• Sean Nowell: The Seeker (2008 [2009], Posi-Tone) B+(**)
• Chris Pasin: Detour Ahead (1987 [2009], H2O) B+(*)
• Mikkel Ploug/Sissel Vera Pettersen/Joachim Badenhorst: Equilibrium (2009, Songlines) B+(**)
• Mika Pohjola: Northern Sunrise (2008 [2009], Blue Music Group) B+(*)
• Positive Catastrophe: Garabatos Volume One (2008 [2009], Cuneiform) B+(*)
• Alvin Queen: Mighty Long Way (2008 [2009], Justin Time) B+(*)
• Dave Rivello Ensemble: Facing the Mirror (2002 [2009], Allora) B
• Ari Roland: New Music (2009, Smalls) B+(**)
• Roger Rosenberg: Baritonality (2009, Sunnyside) B+(**)
• Bobby Sanabria: Kenya Revisited Live!!! (2008 [2009], Jazzheads) B+(**)
• Örjan Sandred: Cracks and Corrosion (2001-09 [2009], Navrona) B+(*)
• Fred Simon: Since Forever (2008 [2009], Naim) B+(*)
• Tessa Souter: Obsession (2009, Motéma Music) B
• Steve Swell: Planet Dream (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(*)
• Ricky Sweum: Pulling Your Own Strings (2008 [2009], Origin) B+(**)
• Joris Teepe Big Band: We Take No Prisoners (2008 [2009], Challenge) B
• Alex Terrier New York Quartet: Roundtrip (2009, Barking Cat) B+(*)
• Charles Tolliver Big Band: Emperor March (2008 [2009], Half Note) B+(**)
• Theo Travis: Double Talk (2007 [2008], Voiceprint) B
• Trespass Trio [Raymond Strid/Per Zanussi/Martin Küchen]: ". . . Was There to Illuminate the Night Sky . . ." (2007 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(*)
• Baptiste Trotignon: Share (2008 [2009], Sunnyside) B+(*)
• Jim Turner's Jelly Roll Blues (2007-08 [2009], Arbors) B+(*)
• McCoy Tyner: Solo: Live From San Francisco (2007 [2009], Half Note/McCoy Tyner Music) B
• Fay Victor Ensemble: The Freesong Suite (2008 [2009], Greene Avenue Music) B+(*)
• Eric Vloeimans: Fugimundi: Live at Yoshi's (2008 [2009], Challenge) B+(*)
• Melissa Walker: In the Middle of It All (2009, Sunnyside) B+(**)
• Greg Wall's Later Prophets: Ha'Orot (2008 [2009], Tzadik) B+(*)
• Emily Jane White: Dark Undercoat (2009, Important) B+(**)
• Jessica Williams: The Art of the Piano (2009, Origin) B+(**)