OLATUJA
Acclaimed vocalist Alicia Olatuja and bassist Michael Olatuja come together for this groove-heavy mix of Afro-Beat, jazz, funk, and soul, as heard on their new self-titled album. “A singer with a strong, lustrous tone and an amiably regal presence onstage” (The New York Times), Alicia Olatuja has been held up by no less than Dianne Reeves as one of the finest singers on the scene today.
The St. Louis native first gained national attention as a featured soloist with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at Barack Obama’s 2013 presidential inauguration ceremony.
But in the past few years she’s created a powerful buzz in jazz circles through her work with GRAMMY Award-winning pianist/arranger Billy Childs and the late legendary Hammond B-3 organist Dr. Lonnie Smith. Increasingly visible as a bandleader, Olatuja led three increasingly accomplished sessions including her most recent project celebrating women composers, Intuition: Songs From the Minds of Women.
Born in London and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Michael Olatuja is a first-call bassist on the New York scene who has lent his inventive musicianship to Stevie Wonder, Terence Blanchard, José James, Kurt Elling, and Shakira. His newest solo release, Lagos Pepper Soup, features guests Angelique Kidjo, Brandee Younger, Joe Lovano, and Dianne Reeves, among others.
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MARQUIS HILL
Winner of the 2014 Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition, Chicago-born trumpeter Marquis Hill has, in a comparatively short time, established his well-deserved reputation as a leading figure among today’s crop of most adventurous jazz musicians. He returns with compositions from his new album and band project, Composers Collective, featuring an all-star ensemble that includes keyboardist Mike King, bassist Junius Paul, vibraphonist Joel Ross, and drummer Makaya McCraven.
A singular artist with a warm, soul-drenched sound and an advanced command of composition, Hill accepted the prestigious Monk honor as an acknowledgment of a major career already in progress rather than the first spark from a neophyte, with four albums as a leader already under his belt, and a distinctive ensemble approach firmly established.
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MARC RIBOT 70TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
with special guests James Brandon Lewis & Mary Halvorson & more…
Guitarist extraordinaire Marc Ribot follows his muse wherever it leads, resulting in a career path that has ranged across free jazz and no wave, rock and Cuban rumba. In some circles he’s best known as a key collaborator with singular artists such as Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, John Zorn, Diana Krall, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, contributing to their 2007 hit album Raising Sand.
The last time the mind-bogglingly eclectic checked into the SFJAZZ Center he played eight solo shows in the JHL, alternating between freely improvised sets, extended medleys of Haitian-American composer Frantz Casseus, Cuban maestro Arsenio Rodríguez and John Coltrane, and his gorgeous score for the 1924 Soviet silent film Aelita: Queen of Mars.
Celebrating his 70th birthday, Ribot joins forces with two of the most celebrated and searching jazz artists on the contemporary scene, guitarist Mary Halvorson and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, along with bassist Hilliard Greene and longtime collaborator Chad Tayloron drums.
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Requisites
In Action ~ J.R. Monterose and The Joe Abodeely Trio | By Eddie Carter
My next record from the library up for discussion is a little-known but highly sought-after 1964 studio album by tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose and The Joe Abodeely Trio. In Action (Studio 4 SS 100) was recorded during a ten-month engagement at Iowa’s only jazz club at the time, The Tender Trap, which Abodeely owned. This album, with its historical significance in Monterose’s discography, is a unique release. There were only two hundred fifty original LPs made; fans could only purchase them at the cloakroom of the Cedar Rapids Jazz Club, and an original Mint pressing would cost a collector four figures or more. He was born Frank Anthony Peter Vincent Monterose, Jr. and the initials J.R. come from Jr.
Monterose began playing the clarinet at age thirteen, then took up the tenor sax two years later after hearing tenor man Tex Beneke, who was a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The trio consists of Dale Oehler on the piano, Gary Allen on bass, and Joe Abodeely on drums. My copy is the 1983 U.S. Mono reissue (V.S.O.P. Records V.S.O.P. #1), a small record label known for its high-quality reissues of jazz LPs from the fifties and sixties. Waltz For Claire is a very pretty tune by J.R., starting with a cheerful theme. He continues with a blissful opening statement by the saxophonist, who communicates his feelings about the young lady with a charming performance. Dale takes the listener on a relaxing joyride in the closing solo ahead of the theme’s restatement and close.
I Should Care by Alex Stordahl, Paul Weston and Sammy Cahn premiered in the 1945 film Thrill of a Romance. The quartet begins with Monterose’s sensual sound of his tenor sax, delivering a delicate melody and then handling each note of the opening statement with tender, loving care. Oehler follows with a passionate performance packed with plenty of feeling before J.R. repeats the theme. That You Are, Monterose’s next tune, is a creative reimagining of All The Things You Are, a popular jazz standard. Monterose builds on the changes of the original with an upbeat, bright, bouncy theme. J.R. puts his thoughts into expressive verses first. Dave provides the exclamation point in an energetic solo, leading to the ending theme and fadeout.
The tempo moves upward to kick off the second side with Red Devil by Monterose, beginning at a brisk beat for the quartet’s theme. The saxophonist leads off with a flawless opening solo, and then Oehler dazzles on the finale with an imaginative flair. Lover Man by Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez, and James Sherman begins with a pensive melody by the foursome, segueing to J.R.s intimately warm interpretation. Dave responds with a delicately elegant and beautiful presentation. Monterose closes with a few final comments of exquisite softness anchored by Gary and Joe’s subtle supplement ahead of the tender close.
The final track is Monterose’s Herky Hawks, an uptempo tune that deceptively starts with a two-instrument conversation between the saxophonist and pianist at a slow tempo. This musical dialogue sets the stage for the rest of the piece. The discussion gradually builds in intensity, leading to a swift-moving speedy theme. This tune is a scorcher from the start, and the saxophonist turns the heat way up in the first of two solos. Dave attacks the next reading with aggressive fierceness, and then J.R. ends the album with a blistering final performance preceding the climax.
The recording engineers on this reissue are Dimitri Sotirakis and Myron Schiebel. Although there’s no information on either engineer, their work speaks volumes. They’ve done an excellent job with the sound quality of this album, bringing out the richness and depth of the music. The excellent sonics throughout the treble, midrange and bass complement the inspired performances by J.R. Monterose and The Joe Abodeely Trio, making In Action an underrated release deserving a spot in your jazz library!
~ Lover Man – Source: JazzStandards.com
~ I Should Care – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2024 by Edward Thomas Carter
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