Jonah David: Waltz For Eli (Swish Tap Records STR-4001)
Born in South Orange, New Jersey in 1977, drummer Jonah David was initially drawn to jazz after listening to a Preservation Hall Jazz Band recording of his father’s. He later recalled “There was a drum solo on one of those tracks I couldn’t stop playing. I would beat out that rhythm over and over on a chair.” After studying music at the New School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and became percussion instructor at the Naval School of Music in Virginia Beach. He proudly remembered “There are over 400,00 sailors in the U.S. Navy, and I was the only one hired to teach drum lessons.” He soon gained a reputation as a laidback, sensitive and versatile drummer and played with civilian bands (of all varieties) in the area.
This is his first album as leader in the congenial company of bassist Joe Bussey and pianist Joel Sanford, who are joined on several tracks by trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, guitarist Jake Stith, tenor saxophonist and flautist Jason Arce, vibraphonist Bryan Carrott, vocalist Anna Perkins and producer and organist Etienne Stadwijk. Not yet household names even in Virginia Beach, in their various combinations they produce high-quality and gently lilting renditions of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s How Insensitive and Mancini’s Days Of Wine And Roses. An upbeat rendering of Monk’s Rhythm-A-Ning has a sparkling solo by pianist Sanford, underwritten by Bussey. David’s own compositions (co-written with Stadwijk) are Waltz for Eli (his son) which features sensitive solos by Pelt and Stith, while The Genius and Pretenderly are equally imaginative. Sunrise Sunset (from Fiddler On The Roof), which features vocalist Perkins, may be too high pitched for some ears.
David says “My goal was to create a jazz aesthetic that is accessible to both connoisseurs and laymen [and] I aimed to cultivate a group of musicians who trust each other and could ‘speak’ their perspectives on the music.” To a satisfactory degree, he and they succeed in realising that ambition.
Adrian Galante: Introducing Adrian Galante (Zoho ZM 202502)
Born in Perth, Australia in 1996, Adrian Galante began playing the clarinet at the age of seven. He moved to New York City in 2022 and performed at venues across the country. He was a regular listener to Marian McPartland’s radio programme Piano Jazz. His first recording contains eight classic songs from the Great American Songbook, on which ably assisted by pianist Tamir Hendelman, guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Alex Frank and drummer Joe LaBarbera.
In his appreciative and informative sleeve notes Will Friedwald stresses Galante’s early fascination with jazz-inflected vocalists – particularly Tony Bennett. Galante is quoted as saying “I remember hearing Tony Bennett talk about the way Bing Crosby revolutionized popular singing, getting right up close to the microphone, making a very intimate sound. I like to approach the clarinet in the same way.” Friedwald comments “When most musicians play a song, they’re usually content to play only the music. Adrian, however, plays the whole song.”
These observations are both pertinent and applicable to all the titles on this splendid debut album. Whether caressing the melody of It Amazes Me or emoting on It’s All Right With Me, Galante “tells a story” as he coaxes meaning out of the lyrics. His unique sound marks a signal contribution to jazz clarinet playing. On You’re All The World To Me (from the Fred Astaire movie Royal Wedding), Friedwald suggests that he “swings with a purposefulness that both Bennett and Astaire would admire”. Agreed, but also check out his interpretation of The Folks Who Live On The Hill, and his duet with Hendelman and I Hadn’t Anyone Till You in which the rhythm section highlights the agile bass of Alex Frank. With the unwavering support of his like-minded companions, Galante has not only “introduced” himself but raises the hope that he and they will be frequent and welcome acoustic visitors.
Charles Mingus: Mingus In Argentina – The Buenos Aires Concerts (Resonance Records (HCD 2077)
A previously unreleased recording (apart from bootlegs) of two Mingus concert is a cause for celebration. Again, we are indebted to Zev Feldman and his colleagues at Resonance for another discovery/recovery. This two-CD set features an ailing Mingus and his latterday quintet featuring trumpeter Jack Walrath, tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford, pianist Bob Neloms and drummer Danny Richmond performing in Buenos Aires on 2 and 3 June 1977. Attendance was sparse, possibly because they had been poorly advertised and not welcomed by the repressive dictatorship then in power.
Despite these handicaps, on both nights the band performed very well although Mingus looked unwell, and was less prominent than usual. The programmes featured some of his well-loved compositions – Goodbye Porkpie Hat, Duke Ellington’s Sound Of Love, and Fables Of Faubus. At the end of each concert there are brief solo improvisations on piano from the bass player who can also be heard “encouraging” his fellow musicians. In fact, they needed little (if any) exhortation. Pork Pie Hat is played at a faster tempo and more loosely than the original version , with Neloms and Richmond making merry. Three Or Four Shades Of Blue initially features Walrath before the quintet, driven by the pulsating rhythm section, invites everyone else to join in. Noddin’ Ya Head Blues has one of the few Mingus solos in the two concerts, with powerful statements by Ford, who plays extremely well on both evenings. Unfortunately, one “incomplete” performance – Sue’s Changes, which lasts for 18 (long) minutes – barely qualifies as low-grade busking. Nothing even partly coherent or pleasing redeems the seemingly endless chaos.
The handsome package includes informative notes by Mingus biographer Brian Priestley, a translated essay by journalist Claudio Parisi (who attended both concerts) and recollections (in conversation with Feldman) of working with Mingus. Ford says “You never knew what was going to happen,” while Walrath reports “He always wanted something different.” There are also reproductions of the original programmes and photographs of all the participants.
Less than six months after these performances, Mingus was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and died in the Fernandez Hospital on 5 January 1979. The 13 tracks on this painstakingly restored compilation are fitting and valuable additions to his legacy.
