The Empress: Square One (Cellar Music Group)
The Empress is a female saxophone quartet based in New York supported by the solid rhythm section of Steve Ash on piano, Joey Ranieri bass and Pete Van Nostrand drums. The band leader, South Korean Pureum Jin, plays soprano and alto sax, Japanese Erena Terakubo is on alto, Chelsea Baratz tenor sax and Grammy Award-winning Lauren Sevian on baritone sax. Sevian, the album’s production advisor, leads a quartet of her own, LSQ – a band I had the pleasure of witnessing in 2023 at Newport Jazz Festival where Sevian’s assertive performance very much impressed the audience.
Square One is the Empress’s debut album. It comprises nine jazz standards including Coltrane’s Mr. Syms, Benny Golson’s Stablemates and John Lewis’s Milestones plus two originals by German bari saxophonist Michael Lutzeier. Lutzeier wrote fresh arrangements for 10 of the album’s 11 numbers – Jin arranged the other. The band deliver the compositions with vibrant ensemble playing, plush harmonies and punchy solos from all. For a taste, check out Lutzeier’s Instant Composure, which opens proceedings.
The album was recorded at the Van Gelder Recording Studio, New Jersey, so sound quality is excellent. Full track listing and further details are available here.
Kevin Fort: Everything I Love (JJR-21-CD)
Chicago pianist and composer Kevin Fort has performed and/or recorded with Louie Bellson, Slide Hampton, James Moody, Bob Brookmeyer, Ira Sullivan, Phil Woods, Bill Watrous, John Clayton, Steve Turre, Harry Allen, John Pizzarelli and Melissa Aldana amongst others.
His experienced trio features Joe Policastro, a bandleader in his own right, on double bass. I had the pleasure of seeing Policastro play with Paul Marinaro’s quintet 12 years ago at Chicago Jazz Festival – he was impressive. Policastro has also performed and/or recorded with David “Fathead” Newman, Ira Sullivan, Phil Woods, Billy Hart, Diane Schuur, Howard Levy, Jeff Hamilton, Jim Snidero and Howard Alden. The versatile drummer in this trio is Jon Deitemyer, who’s performed & recorded with Patricia Barber, Matt Ulery, Zach Brock, Phil Markowitz, Ben Paterson, Grazyna Auguscik, Renee Fleming and Lynne Arriale amongst many others.
Everything I Love is the trio’s fourth album following Red Gold (2014), Perspectives (2022) and Twilight (2023). Their new release comprises five originals penned by Fort together with five standards including Rodgers & Hart’s Spring Is Here, Henry Nemo’s Don’t Take Your Love From Me and the title track by Cole Porter. The opening Mako is smashing. With inspiration from pianists such as Bill Evans, Red Garland, Benny Green and Bill Charlap, the album provides 57 minutes of straightahead jazz with a contemporary flavour. Full track listing and album details are available here.
The Furgos: Retrospective (Furgos Music LLC)
The Furgos are a husband and wife duo based in Fort Worth – the 11th most populous city in the US. Jeanette Furgo sings and Jeff Furgo plays piano. They’re highly regarded in the city’s jazz clubs and nightlife circuit as well as further afield.
Jeanette has been singing for almost 40 years. She’s an opera singer with Fort Worth Opera Chorus, has her own jazz group and also sings in the city’s 19-piece Buddy’s Big Band. She studied singing with Tierney Sutton amongst others and has performed in the duo with her husband for 25 years. He plays piano in the same big band and with Dave Halston’s Sinatra Tribute group. He’s also the pianist in a contemporary jazz ensemble led by drummer Bobby Falk.
Retrospective is the couple’s second album. They’re backed by Aaron Irwinsky on soprano and tenor sax, Henry Beal double bass and Joseph Carpenter drums. The album comprises covers of classic pop, rock and soul songs spanning over six decades. The 12 numbers, delivered in a relaxed, unhurried and easy-listening manner, include John Fogerty’s Bad Moon Rising, from 1969; Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, recorded by the Shirelles in 1960; The Doors’ Light My Fire, from 1967; The Sound Of Silence, recorded by Simon & Garfunkel in 1964 and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, released by Frankie Valli in 1967.
You can see the band playing Wonderful World, recorded by Sam Cooke in 1960, here. And the Furgos’ website here.
Various: A New Awakening – Adventures In British Jazz 1966-1971 (Strawberry Records CR3JAMBX35)
This three-CD box set reveals how the boundaries of British jazz moved in times of cultural change and musical experimentation during the years 1966 and 1971. The increasing popularity of rock music was no longer viewed as a threat; instead, it was harnessed to stimulate the genre and attract a wider audience.
The collection comprises 48 tracks spanning almost four hours in celebration of this transformative era in musical history. Numbers from prominent artists such as Don Rendell, Ian Carr, Dick Morrissey, Tubby Hayes, Kenny Wheeler, John Dankworth, Graham Collier and Mike Westbrook feature alongside tracks by pioneers who merged jazz with rock such as Colosseum (Those About To Die), Nucleus (Song For The Bearded Lady), Keef Hartley Band (Premonition) and Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express (Dragon Song).
The set shows that mergers weren’t only made with rock. For instance, Georgie Fame is heard here with No Thanks, mixing vocal jazz, pop and R&B and Joe Harriott and John Mayer’s Double Quintet of five Indian and five jazz musicians blends western jazz with Indian music in Overture. For the more obscure end of the spectrum you can also relive Jasper, Wynder K. Frog and Trifle among others. Or how about The Ray Russell Quartet with Can I Have My Paperback Back?
Other artists in the collection include The Graham Bond Organisation, Michael Garrick Septet, Norma Winstone, Pentangle, Michael Gibbs, The New Jazz Orchestra and Jack Bruce with John McLaughlin, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Jon Hiseman. The title of the box set is taken from Julie Driscoll’s 1969 song, A New Awakening, which is on CD3 and features members of Blossom Toes, Nucleus and Soft Machine. For full listing see here and scroll down to the track list.
This box set is a veritable treasure trove. It comes with a 32-page booklet containing an informative introduction by Trad Dads, Dirty Boppers and Free Fusioneers author, Duncan Heining, excellent mini-biographies of all the artists by Lois Wilson, and various photos of artists, bands and album covers.
