BMP: Seriously (Shanachie 5517)
Three albums this month that show the sheer diversity of music that comes under the jazz umbrella. Seriously finds three experienced musicians team up for some smooth sounds: bassist Brian Bromberg, guitarist and producer Paul Brown and chart-topping saxophonist Michael Paulo, “three humble dudes” (as the cringe-making publicity notes describes them) who have nothing to prove and just want to make music they enjoy.
Listening to the album several times, lots of comparisons came to mind: Chris Rea’s On The Beach, sun-kissed beaches, white trousers and espadrilles, the music of George Benson, Luther Vandross and Kenny G. The relentlessly upbeat nature of the music, the choppy bass and washes of keyboards and sax place this time-capsule of an album firmly at the back end of the 80s and early 90s. Paulo offers the most interesting sounds with some sax solos that occasionally engage, but Seriously feels like it needs vocals in places, or at the very least changes in tempo and mood to break things up a bit. Flawlessly played and produced, this is precision-engineered music that, from beginning to end, sounds utterly bland.
The Noonan Trio: Inherit A Memory (Neuma 214)
Bland is certainly not a word that can be used for the next album in this month’s digest. As far from the smooth-jazz spectrum as it is possible to be, Sean Noonan has drawn inspiration from Rupert Sheldrake for an album of challenging music that poses questions, challenges assumptions and leaves the listener with a certain sense of unease. Sheldrake postulated the theory of morphic resonance, which proposes that “self-organising systems inherit a memory from previous similar systems”. There is plenty of information about Sheldrake and his controversial work and views available online, and it was interesting to explore some of those resources to understand the influence he has had on Noonan as a composer and musician.
In 10 tracks and just under 50 minutes, Noonan’s trio explore a number of ideas related to morphic resonance. Noonan narrates across the tracks, asking questions, making observations on things such as birds pecking milk bottle tops to get at the milk. Not your everyday jazz material, Noonan’s frenetic, dramatic compositions are underpinned by fierce drumming. Michael Bardon on bass and Matthew Bourne on piano do an excellent job keeping up with the flow of ideas, creating a real sense of tension throughout the performance.
Celestial Latitude: The Haas Company Vol 2 (Psychiatric Records PRT-CD-1002)
High-powered and creative fusion rounds out my December’s digest. Drummer, composer and producer Steve Haas is back for a second album of work that combines fusion and rock in creative new ways. This time, guitarist Frank Gambale joins the proceedings, playing across all nine tracks composed by Haas and keyboardist and musical director Pete Drungle. Gambale’s work with Chick Corea’s Electric Band informs his performance with Celestial Latitude.
There is plenty going on across The Haas Company Vol 2. Multi-layered, virtuoso performances, the compositions have energy and drive but do occasionally sound a bit too busy and over-pickled. There are quieter, more reflective moments, but it is the rock fusion vibe that drives this album, with Gambale certainly powering and leading the way for others to follow. Fellow musicians acquit themselves well – with notable performances from Samuel Hallkvist on rhythm guitar and Pete Gallio on saxophone adding to the listening pleasure on a few of the tracks.
2024 favourites
Looking back over 2024 and thinking about what I have been listening to and reviewing, I would name Chief Keegan’s The Piles High Club as my album of the year. It bubbles with ideas, fun and that sense of a band enjoying themselves and wanting the listeners to enjoy it as much as they are. Funky organ jazz seems in good hands, and I hope they have more planned for 2025.
On the topic of jazz being in good hands, I enjoyed catching some of the BBC’s Young Jazz Musician of the Year on 24 November. I did not see all the programme but saw enough to sense that 22-year-old bassist Ursula Harrison would take some beating. There was something intuitive and natural about the way she played bass and engaged with fellow finalists when they performed as a group (Gunk, apparently). Equally impressive was the way in which all the young musicians embraced and adapted the ideas from the Charlie Parker number they performed. A great way to bring the competition to an end, and a really encouraging showcase of future talent and where it can take jazz in all its various and wonderful forms.