Jazz Consumer Guide (22):
Surplus

This is the surplus file for Jazz Consumer Guide #22. 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.

J.D. Allen Trio: Shine! (2008 [2009], Sunnyside): Played this a couple more times; enjoyed it, didn't think of much to say. Impressive young tenor saxophonist playing rugged freebop, on the spot the whole album. B+(**)

David Berkman Quartet: Live at Smoke (2006 [2009], Challenge): I'm so backlogged for honorable mentions my new rule is that if I play a rated record and can't think of a line within 5-10 minutes after it's over, I might as well close it out here. Good postbop pianist, always interesting when he's up front. Also features Jimmy Greene, a mainstream tenor saxophonist who rarely plays this well. B+(***)

David Binney: Third Occasion (2008 [2009], Mythology): Craig Taborn, Scott Colley, Brian Blade: all on the front cover in slightly smaller and less contrasting type, and deservedly so. All the usual postbop moves, all well done; I'm often quite impressed, then something minor rubs me the wrong way. I predicted this would finish well in the polls, and it did, but not as well as I expected. It's not so much lacking anything as merely filling all your usual expectations. B+(**)

Anouar Brahem: The Astounding Eyes of Rita (2008 [2009], ECM): Dedicated to the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, whose poem posits a rifle between him and his love. The music itself flows in a gentle groove, oud over bass and darbouka or bendir, under a gentle breeze of bass clarinet. B+(***)

Joshua Redman: Compass (2008 [2009], Nonesuch): Doesn't start real strong, and has spots where there's not much special to care about, but all-in-all about par for his career, which is to say a solid album, should be a honorable mention. I go back and forth between thinking I should acknowledge this because he's important, or thinking I should give the space to someone who does something out of the ordinary. B+(***)

Southern Excursion Quartet: Trading Post (2007 [2009], Artists Recording Collective): The main figures here are avant-garde pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and mainstream tenor saxophonist Don Aliquo. May seem like strange bedfellows, but both live in Tennessee, and that kind of limits your options. Mainstream wins out, of course, but not without a fight, and partly because Aliquo plays with so much poise. Not sure about the packaging, which is either something quick and dirty rigged up for PR purposes, or the tackiest product packaging I've ever seen. B+(***)

The Joel LaRue Smith Trio: September's Child (2007 [2009], Joel LaRue Smith): Pianist, started out in Baptist and Pentecostal churches, moved to the city and was dazzled by Afro-Cuban jazz. Most pieces pick up those threads and follow Cuban forms -- mambo, bolero, etc. -- but stick with conventional piano trio instrumentation, not that that slows them down much. B+(***)

Miguel Zenón: Awake (2007 [2008], Marsalis Music): Year before last's album, so long in float because I respect him much more than I like what may be his most conventionally postbop album. In any case, it is almost certainly not up to last year's more Afro-Cuban Esta Plena, which they didn't send me and I haven't tracked down, except to catch a taste on Rhapsody. 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).

• Fred Anderson: 21st Century Chase (2009, Delmark) B+(*)
• Carlos Barbosa-Lima: Merengue (2009, Zoho) B+(**)
• Beaty Brothers Band: B3 (2007 [2008], Beaty Brothers) B
• Bik Bent Braam: Extremen (2008, BBB) B+(**)
• Carla Bley/Steve Swallow/The Partyka Brass Quintet: Carla's Christmas Carols (2008 [2009], Watt) B+(*)
• Samuel Blaser Quartet: Pieces of Old Sky (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(**)
• Stefano Bollani Trio: Stone in the Water (2008 [2009], ECM) B+(*)
• The Joshua Breakstone Trio: No One New (2009, Capri) B+(**)
• Brinsk: A Hamster Speaks (2008, Nowt) B+(*)
• Gary Burton/Pat Metheny/Steve Swallow/Antonio Sanchez: Quartet Live (2007 [2009], Concord) B+(*)
• Amanda Carr and the Kenny Hadley Big Band: Common Thread (2009, OMS) B
• Sharel Cassity: Relentless (2008 [2009], Jazz Legacy Productions) B
• Audrey Chen/Robert van Heumen: Abattoir (2008-09 [2009], Evil Rabbit) B+(*)
• The Aaron Choulai Trio: Ranu (2008 [2009], Sunnyside) B+(*)
• Andy Cotton: Last Stand at the Havemeyer Ranch (2009, Bju'ecords) B+(**)
• Karl Denson's Tiny Universe: Brother's Keeper (2009, Shanachie) B+(**)
• DJ Spooky: The Secret Song (2009, Thirsty Ear) B+(***)
• Anne Drummond: Like Water (2007 [2009], ObliqSound) C+
• Kyle Eastwood: Metropolitan (2009, Rendezvous) B+(*)
• Zé Eduardo Unit: Jazz Ar: Live in Capuchos (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B
• Marty Ehrlich Rites Quartet: Things Have Got to Change (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(*)
• Harris Eisenstadt: Canada Day (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(*)
• Empirical: Out 'n' In (2009 [2010], Naim Jazz) B+(**)
• Wayne Escoffery: Uptown (2008 [2009], Posi-Tone) B+(*)
• Anna Estrada: Obsesión (2009, Feral Flight) B+(**)
• Charles Evans/Neil Shah: Live at Saint Stephens (2009, Hot Cup) B+(*)
• John Funkhouser Trio: Time (2009, Jazsyzygy) B+(**)
• Nobuyasu Furuya Trio: Bendowa (2009, Clean Feed) B+(**)
• Jim Gailloreto's Jazz String Quintet: American Complex (2009, Origin Classical) B+(*)
• Rob Garcia 4: Perennial (2009, Bju'ecords) B+(**)
• Ray Gehring & Commonwealth: Radio Trails (2009, Evan Music) B
• Egberto Gismonti: Saudações (2006-07 [2009], ECM, 2CD) B
• Jared Gold: Supersonic (2008 [2009], Posi-Tone) B-
• Tom Gullion: Carswell (2008-09 [2009], Momentous) B+(**)
• Andy Haas/Don Fiorino: Death Don't Have No Mercy (2005, Resonant Music) B+(*)
• Andy Haas: Humanitarian War (2006, Resonant Music) B
• Andy Haas: The Ruins of America (2007-08 [2008], Resonant Music) B+(*)
• The Jeff Hamilton Trio: Symbiosis (2009, Capri) B+(**)
• The Hanuman Sextet: 9 Meals From Anarchy (2006, Resonant Music) B+(**)
• Will Holshouser Trio + Bernardo Sassetti: Palace Ghosts and Drunken Hymns (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(**)
• Randy Ingram: The Road Ahead (2009, Bju'ecords) B+(**)
• Nick Kadajski's 5 Point Perspective: Remembering Things to Come (2008 [2009], Circavision) B+(*)
• Beat Kaestli: Far From Home: A Tribute to European Song (2009, B+B) B
• Ted Kooshian's Standard Orbit Quartet: Underdog, and Other Stories . . . (2008 [2009], Summit) B+(**)
• Kristina: Offshore Echoes (2009, Patois) C+
• Mark Lambert: Under My Skin (2006 [2009], Challenge) B+(**)
• Tom Lellis and the Metropole Orchestra: Skylark (1999 [2009], Adventure Music) B
• Ray LeVier: Ray's Way (2007 [2009], Origin) B+(**)
• Mark Levine and the Latin Tinge: Off & On: The Music of Moacir Santos (2009, Left Coast Clave) B+(*)
• Mike Mainieri/Marnix Busstra Quartet: Twelve Pieces (2006 [2009], NYC) B+(**)
• Nicholas Masson Parallels: Thirty Six Ghosts (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(**)
• Mark Masters Ensemble: Farewell Walter Dewey Redman (2006 [2008], Capri) B+(**)
• Donny McCaslin: Declaration (2009, Sunnyside) B+(*)
• John Moulder: Bifröst (2005 [2009], Origin) B+(*)
• Pablo Montagne/Adolfo La Volpe/Francesco Massaro/Alessandro Tomassetti: Chaque Objet (2008 [2009], Evil Rabbit) B+(**)
• David Murray and the Gwo Ka Masters: The Devil Tried to Kill Me (2007 [2009], Justin Time) B+(*)
• The New Mellow Edwards: Big Choantza (2009, Skirl) B+(**)
• New Niks & Artvark Saxophone Quartet: Busy Busy Busy (2009, No Can Do) B+(**)
• Opsvik & Jennings: A Dream I Used to Remember (2007-08 [2009], Loyal Label) B+(*)
• Out to Lunch: Melvin's Rockpile (2009 [2010], Accurate) B+(**)
• Ben Perowsky: Moodswing Orchetra (2009, El Destructo) B
• Phoenix Ensemble/Mark Lieb: Clarinet Quintets (2007-08 [2009], Innova) B+(**)
• Alberto Pinton/Jonas Kullhammar/Torbjörn Zetterberg/Kjell Nordeson: Chant (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(**)
• Plunge: Dancing on Thin Ice (2009, Immersion) B+(**)
• Portinho Trio: Vinho do Porto (2008, MCG Jazz) B+(*)
• Prana Trio: The Singing Image of Fire (2008 [2010], Circavision) B+(*)
• Quartet San Francisco: QSF Plays Brubeck (2009, Violin Jazz) B-
• Radio I-Ching: Last Kind Words (2005-06 [2006], Resonant Music) B+(*)
• Radio I-Ching: The Fire Keeps Burning (2007, Resonant Music) B+(**)
• Greg Reitan: Antibes (2008 [2010], Sunnsyide) B+(**)
• The Respect Sextet: Sirius Respect (2009, Mode/Avant) B+(*)
• Jim Rotondi: Blues for Brother Ray (2009, Posi-Tone) B+(**)
• Charles Rumback: Two Kinds of Art Thieves (2009, Clean Feed) B+(**)
• Jackie Ryan: Doozy (2006-08 [2009], Open Art, 2CD) B+(*)
• Saltman Knowles: Yesterday's Man (2009 [2010], Pacific Coast Jazz) B-
• Massimo Sammi: First Day (2009, Massimo Sammi) B+(**)
• Daniel Santiago: Metropole (2009, Adventure Music) B+(*)
• Gene Segal: Hypnotic (2009, Innova) B+(*)
• Aram Shelton's Fast Citizens: Two Cities (2009, Delmark) B+(*)
• Idit Shner: Tuesday's Blues (2008, OA2) B+(**)
• Yotam Silberstein: Next Page (2009, Posi-Tone) B+(*)
• Daniel Smith: Blue Bassoon (2009 [2010], Summit) B+(*)
• Sonore: Call Before You Dig (2008 [2009], Okka Disk, 2CD) B+(*)
• Jason Stein: Solo: In Exchange for a Process (2008 [2009], Leo) B+(**)
• Jason Stein's Locksmith Isidore: Three Less Than Between (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(*)
• Loren Stillman: Winter Fruits (2008 [2009], Pirouet) B+(*)
• The Stone Quartet: DMG @ the Stone: Volume 1 (2006 [2008], DMG/ARC) B+(**)
• Marcus Strickland Trio: Idiosyncrasies (2009, Strick Muzik) B+(**)
• Benjamin Taubkin/Sérgio Reze/Zeca Assumpção + Joatan Nascimento: Trio + 1 (2009, Adventure Music) B+(**)
• Fred Taylor Trio: Live at Cecil's: Volume 1 (2009, Fred Taylor Music) B+(**)
• 3 Play +: American Waltz (2009, Ziggle Zaggle Music) B+(**)
• Ushio Torikai: Rest (2009, Innova) B
• Sofia Tosello: Alma y Luna (2007-08 [2009], Sunnyside) B+(*)
• Christine Vaindirlis: Dance Mama! (2009, Ubuntu World Music) B-
• Myron Walden: Momentum (2009, Demi Sound) B+(**)
• Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet: ¡Bien Bien! (2009, Patois) B+(**)
• Weightless: A Brush With Destiny (2008 [2009], Clean Feed) B+(**)
• Ben Wendel/Harish Raghavan/Nate Wood: ACT (2009, Bju'ecords) B+(*)
• Wolter Wierbos: Deining (2006 [2009], Dolfjin) B+(*)
• The Anthony Wilson Trio: Jack of Hearts (2009, Groove Note) B+(*)
• The Tony Wilson Sextet: The People Look Like Flowers at Last (2008 [2009], Drip Audio) B
• Pete M. Wyer: Stories From the City at Night (2008, Thirsty Ear) B
• Eri Yamamoto Trio: In Each Day, Something Good (2009 [2010], AUM Fidelity) B+(*)
• Eli Yamin: You Can't Buy Swing (2008, Yamin Music) B+(*)
• Yuganaut: This Musicship (2005 [2008], ESP-Disk) B+(**)

The following appeared (or soon will) in Recycled Goods:

• Mario Adnet/Philippe Baden Powell: Afro Samba Jazz: The Music of Baden Powell (2009, Adventure Music) B+(*)
• By Request: The Best of Karrin Allyson (1993-2007 [2009], Concord) B+(*)
• Boogie Woogie Kings (1938-71 [2009], Delmark) B+(**)
• Gary Burton/Chick Corea: Crystal Silence: The ECM Recordings 1972-79 (1972-79 [2009], ECM, 4CD) B+(*)
• Maria de Barros: Morabeza (2009, Sheer Group) B+(**)
• The Duke of Elegant: Gems From the Duke Ellington Songbook [The Composer Collection Volume 3] (1959-2007 [2009], High Note) B
• Ersatzmusika: Songs Unrecantable (2009, Asphalt Tango) A-
• Ella Fitzgerald: Twelve Nights in Hollywood (1961-62 [2009], Hip-O Select/Verve, 4CD) A-
• Billie Holiday: The Complete Commodore & Decca Masters (1939-50 [2009], Hip-O Select/Verve, 3CD) A-
• Kind of Blue Revisited: The Miles Davis Songbook [The Composer Collection Volume 4] (1990-2006 [2009], High Note) B+(**)
• Ithamara Koorax & Juarez Moreira: Bim Bom: The Complete João Gilberto Songbook (2009, Motema) B+(*)
• Scott LaFaro: Pieces of Jade (1960-61 [2009], Resonance) B
• Mahala Rai Banda: Ghetto Blasters (2009, Asphalt Tango) B+(***)
• Oscar Peterson: Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (1949-52 [2009], Verve, 3CD) B+(***)
• Terry Waldo's Gutbucket Syncopators: The Ohio Theatre Concert (1974 [2009], Delmark) B+(**)

The following were briefly sampled from download sources (e.g., Rhapsody). They may be revisited if/when I get real copies: noted [**].

• Ahleuchatistas: Of the Body Prone (2009, Tzadik) B
• Jeb Bishop/Harris Eisenstadt/Jason Roebke: Tiebreaker (2008, Not Two) B+(**)
• The Rob Brown Trio: Live at Firehouse 12 (2008 [2009], Not Two) B+(**)
• Michael Bublé: Crazy Love (2009, 143/Reprise) B+(*)
• Taylor Ho Bynum & Spidermonkey Strings: Madeleine Dreams (2009, Firehouse 12) B
• Freakish: Anthony Coleman Plays Jelly Roll Morton (2009, Tzadik) B+(**)
• On Ka'a Davis: Djoukoujou! (2009, Tzadik) B+(***)
• Joey DeFrancesco: Finger Poppin' With Joey DeFrancesco: Celebrating the Music of Horace Silver (2008 [2009], Doodlin') B+(*)
• Bill Dixon: Tapestries for Small Orchestra (2009, Firehouse 12, 2CD) B+(***)

• The Fonda/Stevens Group: Trio (2006 [2007], Not Two) B+(**)
• The Fonda-Stevens Group: Memphis (2008 [2009], Playscape) B+(**)
• Ben Goldberg: Speech Communication (2009, Tzadik) B+(***)
• Dennis González/Jnaana Septet: The Gift of Discernment (2008, Not Two) A- [**]
• The Heliocentrics: Out There (2007, Now Again) B+(***)

• Jim Hobbs/Joe Morris/Luther Gray: The Story of Mankind (2008, Not Two) B+(**)
• Guy Klucevsek: Dancing on the Volcano (2009, Tzadik) B+(**)
• Briggan Krauss: Red Sphere (2008, Skirl) B+(*)
• Gianni Lenoci: Agenda (2003 [2005], Vel Net) B+(*)
• The Manhattan Transfer: The Chick Corea Songbook (2009, Four Quarters) C-
• Michael Musillami Trio + 3: From Seeds (2009, Playscape) A-
• Gretchen Parlato: In a Dream (2008 [2009], ObliqSound) B
• Jessica Pavone: Songs of Synastry and Solitude (2009, Tzadik) B-
• Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Interplanetary Melodies (1950s [2009], Norton) B
• Sun Ra and His Arkestra: The Second Stop Is Jupiter (1950s [2009], Norton) B-
• Sun Ra: Nidhamu/Dark Myth Equation Visitation (1971 [2009], Art Yard) B+(*)
• Sun Ra: The Antique Blacks (1974 [2009], Art Yard) B+(**)
• The Rempis Percussion Quartet: Hunter-Gatherers (2006 [2007], 482 Music, 2CD) B+(***)
• The Rempis Percussion Quartet: The Disappointment of Parsley (2008 [2009], Not Two) B+(***)
• Radio I-Ching: No Wave au Go Go (2009, Resonant Music) A- [**]
• Schlippenbach Trio: Gold Is Where You Find It (2008, Intakt) B+(***)
• Alexander von Schlippenbach/Daniele D'Agaro: Dedalus (2008, Artesuono) B+(***)
• Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Rhapsody in Blue: Live (2009, Spartacus) B+(**) [**]
• Bud Shank Quartet: Fascinating Rhythms (2009, Jazzed Media) B+(*)
• Matthew Shipp Quartet: Cosmic Suite (2008 [2009], Not Two) B+(**)
• Tommy Smith Group: Forbidden Fruit (2005, Spartacus) A-
• David Taylor: Red Sea (2009, Tzadik) B+(*)
• Vandermark 5: Annular Gift (2009, Not Two) A-