Alan Barnes, David Newton: ’Tis Autumn (Woodville Records WVCD154)
When I was a young jazz snob living and listening in London, I went to all the best clubs, encountered the most demanding of the avant-garde, heard all the visiting Americans, and thoroughly enjoyed Bracknell and other festivals. Home-grown jazz passed me by, unless it was highly praised, or forced down my throat. And so it was only when I moved to Brighton in the 2010s and began to encounter a strong local scene full of musicians I knew little about, that I realised how much I had missed.
The greatest revelation was saxophonist Alan Barnes, to whom, if he happens to read this mea culpa, I owe the biggest apology. I had always had him down as a mainstream performer of taste, but not to my taste, and I so I happily ignored him. Well, more fool me, for Barnes is indeed a wonder. Paired here with that fine pianist David Newton, both in their most minimal of moods, he plays a set of songs well chosen for their collective autumnal mood, a mixture of standards, ballads, a Jobim bossa nova, all performed with an experienced wisdom and reflective candour.
Barnes’ evocative clarinet on the opening Jobim’s Brigas Nunca Mais speaks volumes in just a few notes, Burt Bacharach’s A House Is Not a Home a minimally stated delight, although I could have done without its Alfie coda – bad memories of a screeching Cilla Black – while You’re My Thrill starts with a thoughtful, slow-paced Newton solo before Barnes enters in wistful mood. The pair are ideal partners, for both show great poise and a subtle understanding of each song. Neither hurries along, nor hassles the other, as if they have all the time in the world. Not for nothing is Barnes’s record label named after Lester Young’s birthplace, for here is a classy album of great eloquence.
Christian Sands: Embracing Dawn (Mack Avenue Records MAC1209)
I suppose the one advantage a musician has while going through a painful break-up at the end of a relationship is that he or she can turn their hurt into music. The process might not be painless, but it has certainly worked for pianist Christian Sands. Eight of the nine songs here are by him, the opening Good Morning Heartache the classic standard of this sad genre.
Since Sands is in charge, you know this album will be tasteful, the basic piano, bass and drums accompanied on five tracks by a string section. The tracks arranged in narrative order, the soulful opener sets the melancholic scene with a sumptuous orchestral background, while Ain’t That The Same runs along an upbeat New Orleans groove, serving as a reminder that even the darkest moments involve humour. Some light shines through in the lush Serenade Of An Angel, Sands having just met a new love, while the jazz-rock MMC – aka “Mom’s Mac and Cheese” – addresses the sustenance needed to get through life. The biggest change comes in Braises De Requiem I, a darkly beautiful contemporary classical piece that introduces the concluding Embracing Dawn and his acceptance that it is time to move on, from trauma into equilibrium.
This was probably quite a hard album to make, but Sands has pulled it off perfectly.
Tigran Hamasyan: The Bird Of A Thousand Voices (Naïve Records 700187 684891)
The Bird Of A Thousand Voices is an old Armenian folktale, a story of redemption and rebirth in which the myriad songs of a mythical, heavenly bird are sought to restore harmony to the world. Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan brings this story back to life on a double CD – its beautiful packaging unfortunately slightly difficult to decipher – that mixes jazz with some synth-laden prog-rock flourishes to good effect.
Songs of turmoil and disturbance sit next to more contemplative pieces, the title track an ethereal introduction to a mythical world, others instrumentally intricate and intriguing, the vocal accompaniment particularly effective. To my ears, these 24 songs outstay their welcome, but for those many listeners who will want more, the bird also comes to life as a live, staged light show, an online video game, a kinetic art installation, and a series of films. Take your pick.
Ivo Neame: Zettalogue (Ubuntu Music UBU0183)
Renowned as the pianist in the now on-hold Phronesis and other groups, Ivo Neame is also making a good name for himself as a leader, his new outing a strong quartet set with George Crowley on tenor, Tom Farmer on bass, James Maddren on drums. Predictably, the seven compositions, all by Neame, are polyrhythmically clever and very catchy, the opening The Rise Of The Lizard People a stop-start hazard for all concerned, Drone Yer Sorrows similarly complex with a driving melody on top, the title track (a “zettalogue”, by the way, is 10 to the power of 21) a careering, convoluted piece that is utterly convincing. The enigmatic Personent Hodie stands out for its off-tempo shuffle and repetitive, insistent theme. Not every track is taken at speed, the band taking a breather from time to time, but, led by Neame’s demonstrative piano and fine compositional skills, they convince whatever they do.
Yonathan Avishai: Shapes And Sounds (jazz&people JPCD824005)
Equally forthright is this commanding, committed set from French–Israeli pianist Yonathan Avishai, celebrating the 10th anniversary of his trio with bassist Yoni Zelnik and drummer Donald Kontomanou. Six of the strong compositions are Avishai’s, with two covers, one of which is the evergreen When You’re Smiling, taken in flippant style. Avishai is a confident leader in good control of his material, while bass and drums support to perfection, Zelnik’s powerful bass standing out. Avishai also takes risks, devising The Best Intentions medley around No Baby by Steve Lacy, but in truth, the whole trio pushes hard, notably on the high-tension The Longest Seconds. A cover of Léo Ferré’s La Mélancolie provides a suitably subdued ending.
Christine Xu: Seek And Find (StreetVoice Music)
Christine Xu is a jazz vocalist with a classical background, influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. Her debut set features 10 of her own compositions, accompanied by guitar, bass, and drums. The “Seek” of the title refers to her mood when writing these songs, the “Find” her original voice that came to the fore. Five of the pieces are wordless vocalese, and all have their own charm. This is a set of some style, Chris Chen’s chiming guitar the perfect offset to her light vocals. Her future is assured.