Eric Wyatt - Borough of Kings

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:32
Size: 130,2 MB
Art: Front

( 5:58)  1. The Peoples Champ
( 7:12)  2. One for Hakim
( 7:25)  3. Borough of Kings
( 4:15)  4. Can He Come Out
( 8:10)  5. Ancient Chinese Secrets
(10:19)  6. Quest
( 6:35)  7. Countdown
( 6:35)  8. What Would I Do Without You

The borough of Kings (County) a.k.a. Brooklyn, NY has been saxophonist Eric Wyatt's home base from birth. It was there that he was exposed to jazz, met some of the legends of the music, and began to forge his own voice on saxophone. Here, on his fifth album to date, he delivers an intense brew that speaks volumes about what he's learned during his time in Brooklyn. Wyatt is a no holds barred player with an edge to his work. Thankfully, he found some simpatico quartet mates that are willing and able to match his energy level on this outing. Pianist Benito Gonzalez delivers strong-hammered support, intriguing right hand lines tempered by a firm left hand, and spiky suggestions, playing the post-modern McCoy Tyner role to Wyatt's John Coltrane. Drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi pummels his drums and pushes the band on most occasions, but he's able to adjust to climates that call for a little more restraint without much of a problem. Bassist Ameen Saleem, the final piece of the puzzle, serves as the connective tissue of the band. He bounds along beneath it all, playing around and playing off of Gonzalez and Takahashi. There are a few places where he almost gets muscled out of the aural picture by his heavy-hitting band mates, but it's usually not an issue. Six of the eight tracks on Borough Of Kings are Wyatt originals, with Gonzalez's "Quest" and a slamming-turned-settled take on Coltrane's "Countdown" filling out the program. Wyatt's writing, no surprise, can occasionally fall into the "Coltrane-ish" category note the dark-lined, bluesy "One For Hakim" and the spiritual introduction to the up-tempo title track but he has other tricks up his sleeve. "The Peoples Champ" is a focused and fiery number that balances darkness and light; "Can He Come Out," which features trumpeter Duane Eubanks and has Kyle Poole taking over the drum chair, is pure funky fun; and everybody has a ball on the straightforward-and-swinging "What Would I Do Without You," which brings trombonist Clifton Anderson into the picture. The aforementioned guests help to add another dimension to the music, but this remains Wyatt's show. His stentorian saxophone navigates the ship through some exciting twists and turns, making Borough Of Kings a high-energy thrill ride from start to finish. 

~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/borough-of-kings-eric-wyatt-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Eric Wyatt: saxophones, flute; Benito Gonzalez: piano; Ameen Saleem: bass; Shinnosuke Takahashi: drums; Duane Eubanks: trumpet (4); Kyle Poole: drums (4); Duane Eubanks: trumpet (4); Clifton Anderson: trombone (8).

Borough of Kings

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Ameen Saleem - The Groove Lab

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:53
Size: 178.3 MB
Styles: Jazz/Funk/Soul
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:44] 1. Korinthis
[4:45] 2. Epiphany
[4:58] 3. Don't Walk Away
[7:14] 4. I.L.Y.T
[4:53] 5. Love Don't
[4:14] 6. Neo
[6:30] 7. For My Baby
[6:15] 8. A Theme
[5:01] 9. Best Kept Secret
[6:11] 10. Baby It'll Be Alright
[6:10] 11. So Glad
[8:23] 12. Possibilities
[6:28] 13. For Tamisha

Ameen Saleem: electric bass, double bass; Cyrus Chestnut: piano, rhodes, wurlitzer, organ; Jeremy “Bean” Clemons: drums, percussions; Stacy Dillard: tenor and soprano sax; Ramona Dunlap: vocals; Roy Hargrove: trumpet, flugelhorn; Gregory Hutchinson: drums; Craig Magnano: guitar; Mavis “Swan” Poole -vocals.

Composer Irving Berlin once famously said that "everybody ought to have a Lower East Side in their life." True and, although technically speaking Brooklyn is not part of the octagon that thrives between Houston Street and FRD Drive, the groove, that precious intimate rumble of inspiration, is the one element that connects one area with the other; contemporary music and its multiple historical declinations. While the paradigm differs and keeps on evolving, the end result is invariably of a similar nature, now as it was under the reign of the likes of guitarist Kenny Burrell and trumpeter Lee Morgan.

Ameen Saleem, surely one of the most promising bass players in the world, knows the simple but elusive rules that make up a groove album, and this debut as a bandleader stands out between the crowded ranks of modern jazz. Innovators, conservatives, revolutionaries—all of them are sometimes connected by the one thing that Saleem boldly cites in the title of his album. You might know the Roy Hargrove Quintet, and if you do, you might have noticed the rhythm section, chances are that you have appreciated the great work done by Saleem at the bass. While The Groove Lab strives to come up with an original and personal sound, the end result is undoubtedly not too far from those atmospheres. Saleem does not try to overdo or take the listener off the beaten path, but while the overall attitude may appear reassuring, the range of influences a good reviewer should duly list is potentially endless. Funk, jazz and soul certainly constitute the three main points of reference, but the many veins that propagate from these often abused genres, are virtually impossible to keep track of. The fact that he is lucky enough to be able to interact with amazing musicians (pianist Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Gregory Hutchinson and the already mentioned Roy Hargrove on trumpet) surely contributes to the variegated array of elements which, at least apparently, should not find space on the same album.

Ameen Saleem manages to find the perfect balance between the idea and the usability—to use an artistically horrible but commercially positive term—of his inspiration. This is music that develops in layers: one enjoys the more superficial ones before venturing into the hidden substrates which keep the album together. For this reason, tracks like "For My Baby," with lyrics dangerously close to banality, flow from jazz to funky so naturally that the very nature of the music remains beautifully ambiguous and enjoyable at the same time.

Flugelhorns, Rhodes and Wurlitzers, tenor saxophones, to name but a few instruments involved, can sometimes pose a threat to coherence, but the rich, colorful texture underlying "Don't Walk Away," "Epiphany" and the beautiful "So Glad" make this debut an interesting and challenging work. Via Veneto Jazz and Jando Music keep on proposing high quality jazz whose most appreciable virtues lie in the clever administration of novelty and institution, with one goal in mind: accessibility. It is not clear whether or not Irving Berlin would have loved The Groove Lab, but what is certain is that there is a common language that is spoken on this and the other side of the river. Further east, a new star might be rising. ~Alex Franquelli

The Groove Lab mc
The Groove Lab zippy

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